Angsana Green

Angsana Green Singapore

I came across the place 'Angsana Green' Singapore when I signed up for the upcoming 10-km racing event 2010 Passion Run earlier this year. Angsana Green is a large green outdoor plot of land.

If you are expecting a garden filled with Angsana trees at Angsana Green, you will be disappointed. Angsana Green is a rather bare area that is cleared of shrubs and trees. That could be the reason why it is popular as a venue for mass participation events, like this distance running race that I am participating.

Above: Photo of East Coast Park.

But where in Singapore is Angsana Green? Angsana Green can be found at East Coast Park along Singapore's coastline. Most of you will be familiar with the location of this 15-km long coastal park. However do you know where is Angsana Green along the East Coast Park?

Help on Angsana Green's location can be obtained from the National Park Board's site which has a map of EC park showing the location of Angsana Green. The link to Angsana Green is here. I have reproduced the map here for your convenience. It is classified under Area E of the Npark's East Coast Park map.

Public Transport to Angsana Green is available:
* Service 401 to East coast Park Service Road (Available on Sundays and Public Holidays ONLY)
* Services 16, 155, 196 to Marine Crescent or Marine Terrace and walk across the underpasses or overhead bridge.
* Service 36 (from Changi International Airport) to City; alight at Carpark F3, outside SPARKc@Marine Parade
* Services 16, 31, 36, 55, 76, 135, 155, 196, 197 and 853 to Marine Parade Road.(Service 853 is available only on Sundays)

If you drive to Angsana Green, park at the nearest car parks. They are car park F1 and car park E2 (coupon parking).

Other features nearby to Angsana Green: Cable Ski, East Coast Lagoon Food Villlage, Sand Castle Building, Our Family Corner, Bedok Jetty and the Xtreme Skate Park.

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Singapore Kids Places

Singapore Kids Places

As a parent with kids, I like to bring my children to places in Singapore that they enjoy. One of these Singapore kids places I'll recommend is at Marine Cove, East Coast Park, Singapore.

Photo: One of the Singapore kids places' playthings.


These Singapore kids' places in East Coast Park are located between carpark C2 and carpark C3 along East Coast Park Service Road.

Marine Cove at East Coast Park is a commercial development that specialises in food and beverage businesses. There are many good eating places, restaurants and pubs, including the ubiquitous MacDonald's restaurant, to cater to various taste buds and budgets.

The core attraction for my family are the kids places to hang out, not the food and drinks, although we do enjoy dining at Marine Cove. Our favourite spot at Marine Cove is really beyond the bread and butter buildings.

Photo: Outdoor theme park is a suitable Singapore kids place.

It is the mini outdoor kids' theme park that attracts us at this Singapore kids place. After dark, the excitement becomes palpable at this kids' place when the flashy lights, spinning wheels and children's screams come alive.

We love the good old miniature 'Singapore Flyer' here at a corner of this Singapore kids' place. Before the days of high technology and record-breaking heights, Ferris wheels that I sat in my childhood were of sufficient thrill by themselves. My kids can now get their turn to enjoy the same thrill as I did in this place.

The kids' carousel is another delightful horse-riding experience for children. The kid's ride at this Singapore kdis place may be short but going around in circles can send kids into a vertiginous high.

If your kids love challenging rides at such Singapore kids places, let them try the 'Viking'. This boat-like contraption swings like a pendulum and will surely make their hearts fly as high as their hair.

For a more down-to-earth kid ride, there is a miniature roller coaster ride at this Singapore kids place for the faint-hearted. Don't worry for your kids' safety as this ride resembles a slow train ride that does not rise more than two feet above ground.

Other attractions at this Singapore kids' place include an arcade hall that has games suitable for young kids and the young at heart. There is also a pasar malam or night market that sells interesting items including tidbits, fashion accessories and toy racing cars for kids and kids-at-heart.

For more Singapore kids places, visit blogspot friend Milly's Singapore Kids Places, a blog I follow via Google reader.

See more Singapore kids' places. Live more life.

Related posts:
1. Cattle places in Singapore for kids to visit.
2. Dragon fruit places in Sg for kids to see.
3. Singapore kids places for fishing.
4. Singapore kids places for prawning.

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East Coast Seafood Centre

Photograph: East Coast Seafood Centre

This is a photograph of the East Coast Seafood Centre's signages. I'm sure you must have sampled dishes from one or more of these restaurants at this famous East Coast Seafood Centre.

Some readers would want to wax lyrical about the seafood at East Coast Seafood Centre while others may reserve their comments. I have uploaded this photograph of the East Coast Seafood Centre as many readers have asked about the restaurants at East Coast Park. There are many other restaurants along East Coast Park which I may cover at a later date.

If you are going to the East Coast Seafood Centre for the first time, look out for Area E at East Coast Park along the roads or your street directory.

Address of East Coast Seafood Centre:
Blk 1202, Blk 1204, Blk 1206
East Coast Parkway
East Coast Seafood Centre Singapore 449881
(at Area E of East Coast Park:
near East Coast Lagoon,
also known as water ski park)

Map of East Coast Seafood Centre:
Npark's website of East Coast Park.

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Bougainvillea Garden East Coast Park

Photograph: Bougainvillea Garden, East Coast Park.

Bougainvillea Garden East Coast Park

For beautiful garden views of Bougainvilleas in bloom, visit the Bougainvillea Garden on East Coast Park. Formerly called the Shrub Garden, this patch of land at East Coast Park’s Area F (next to carpark F2) has been transformed into a flowering paradise where one can enjoy the flowers next to a picturesque beach.

Best of all, a three-storey-high tower sits on this beachside location. (For my regular readers, you will know that I have a soft spot for towers.) Access to the top of the tower is through a spiral staircase. There does not appear to be balcony space for visitors to stand on the higher levels. This makes me wonder why it was built in the first place.

Photograph: Tower at Bougainvillea Garden, East Coast Park

Visitors can only walk up the circular slope to the first level for a bird’s eye view of the Bougainvillea Garden. Moreover, a locked gate prevented my attempt to reach the apex of the Bougavillea garden tower. There was no other way to reach the top of the tower, short of scaling the outer walls.

The well-maintained Bougainvilleas were pruned to various shapes and sizes. When in bloom, expect bouquets of colours to greet cyclists, joggers, skaters and other passers-by. Pub-crawlers keen for drinks can sit at the patio of a restaurant (Sunset Bay Beach Bar) at one corner of Bougainvillea Garden.

Photograph: Tower view of Bougainvillea Garden, East Coast Park

East Coast Park’s Area F is also a designated place for barbecues. BBQ pits (numbers 57 to 66) are found a short walk from Bougainvillea Garden. There are also Bring-Your-Own-Pit (BYOP) designated areas further along the beach. Convenient public toilets and washrooms are available next to the carpark F2.

For a scenic place along East Coast Park to enjoy views of the sea, sun and flowers, Bougainvillea Garden is a recommended spot to visit.

Map of Bougainvillea Garden in Area F, East Coast Park (click link to see).

Read more in Seen This Scene That:
1. Castle Beach, East Coast Park
2. East Coast Park Playground
3. East Coast Park

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East Coast Park: Eastern Coastal End Walk

East Coast Park: Eastern Coastal End Walk

Like the rest of Singaporeans who make East Coast Park the most popular park in Singapore, we come to the eastern coastal end for quiet walks often. For a sensory feast of sandy beaches, bright open spaces and tall Casuarina trees sashaying to the rhythm of sea breeze, this coastal end of East Coast Park near Changi is the best place to be.

While you would expect plenty of leisure park activities like picnics, jogging, in-line skating and cycling, the human traffic is surprising lower. One good feature is the absence of BBQ pits along the eastern end of East Coast Park to pollute East Coast Park's fresh air.

Our family's favourite all-time activity at East Coast Park, however, is to sit along the beaches. There are plenty of grass patches that allow a poncho to be used for seating arrangements along this end of East Coast Park. We like to stare at the mesmerizing foam patterns as they wash up to shore, watch distant ocean-going ships cross paths in the horizon and read patterns in the ever-changing clouds as they drift by.

The eastern coastal end of East Coast Park in Singapore starts where the National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC) is situated at the end of East Coast Walk. From there, it is a short leisurely walk along tree-lined paths that display markings for bicycle and jogging lanes.

Walk past the chalets of the National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC) and be greeted by manicured greens of the NSRCC golf course.

This section will end at the mouth of Sungei Bedok where a canal leads out to sea. There are two concrete promontories on either side of this canal where friends have revealed that angling at these spots can be very successful. Even if your fishing does not turn out as expected, the glorious sunsets over East Coast Park should melt a frown into a smile.

Do you have places to recommend for a visit?

Read more about East Coast Park in Seen This Scene That:

1. East Coast Park's Castle Beach

2. Camping at East Coast Park

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East Coast Park: Castle Beach, In-line Skates, Barbecue (BBQ) Pit and More

East Coast Park: Castle Beach, In-line Skates, Barbecue (BBQ) Pit and More

Castle Beach
If you ever need help to learn how to build sandcastles at East Coast Park, look no further than Castle Beach near Area E along East Coast Park. This fairy-tale structure that stands more than three times my height, doubles as a convenient meeting place and a focal point for photograph hunters as well as novice sandcastle builders.

While not as elaborately designed as Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the East Coast Park version still looks pretty despite its low-budget appearance. A notice board on Castle Beach reveals that it is a non-profit organization proving sandcastle team building activities for children from under-privileged background, high-risk families and physically challenged conditions (website of non-profit Castle Beach here)

In-line Skates and Bicycle Shops
Teenagers and teens-at-heart who like in-line skating and cycling but did not bring their in-line skates or bicycles will rejoice at the presence of in-line skate rental shop and bicycle rental shop. The in-line skate and bicycle shops are conveniently co-located opposite the reflexology garden .

I spoke to two teenagers minding the in-line skate shop as there were no signboards detailing their charges. They revealed that in-line skate rental costs $10 for the first hour, free for the second and $7 per hour thereafter. Rentals of in-line skates must be returned to their in-line skate shop on time or risk incurring extra charges. The bicycle shop owners displayed their charges prominently. It offered a range of bicycles to choose from, with prices ranging from $6 per hour to $12 per hour for top of the line bicycle models.

Book Barbecue (BBQ) Pit
Barbecue (BBQ) Pit number 51 at Area E stands as the nearest barbecue (bbq) pit to Castle Beach for those interested to book a bbq pit for an evening barbecue. If the barbecue (bbq) party bombs out because of rain, you can always treat your friends and guests to ready-to-eat meals at East Coast Seafood Centre or East Coast Lagoon Food Village.


Fitness and Foot Reflexology Corners, Printed Lanes
Children and their health-conscious parents can work out at the fitness corner nearby as well as at a small foot reflexology garden. Visitors to East Coast Park's beaches can also look for pictures printed into lanes at East Coast Park's shore to decide what to do. Walk if you see the big foot imprints under your feet. Or cycle / in-line skate if you see the logos for cycling / in-line skating. Despite these aids painted onto the lanes, keep an eye out for other East Coast Park users who blatantly ignore these guidelines.

Car park, Meeting Point
The nearest car park is at the car park E2 near the East Coast Lagoon Food Village of East Coast Park. Standard coupon parking rates still applies here. As there is a popular food centre next to this car park, expect to queue for a parking lot during peak dining hours and on weekends. If you come by other transport means, arrange to meet up with your family and friends at Area E Meeting Point. How would you recognise such a Meeting Point? Look for a brightly coloured stack of yellow cubes that stick out from the ground of East Coast Park.

As a note to my readers from overseas, East Coast Park is a 15-kilometre long stretch of sandy beaches, 185 Hectare in size, on Singapore's southern shores that is open to the public without admission charges. If you do visit our little island, a visit to East Coast Park is a worthwhile half-day to full-day tour to meet locals, sample local cuisine and experience a piece of Singapore life.

See more places. Live more life.

Related Reads:
1. East Coast Park: Eastern Coastal End
2. East Coast Park Big Splash Playground
3. Camping In East Coast Park
4. How To Book A Barbecue Pit

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Kidz Walkz At East Coast Park 28 June 2008

Kidz Walkz At East Coast Park 28 June 2008

A one-kilometre long Kidz Walkz competition for kids and families will be held on 28 June 2008 at 5pm at Big Splash of East Coast Park. As part of National Family Celebrations, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister For Community Development, Youth and Sports will be there this Saturday to flag off the race.

Exciting games and performances to delight the young and old will commence at 3pm. There will be a launch of "Celebrating Family: 101 Stories On Love and Inspiration", a book on inspiring examples of how close knit families celebrate their daily lives.

The movie Ratatouille, a cartoon about a rat's ambition to become a celebrated chef, will thrill kids from 7pm. Prizes worth five hundred dollars will go to the family with the "Most Creative Family Attire" fancy dress competition.

The highlight of the evening will be a fireworks display to close National Family Celebrations with a wondrous show of light and colour.

For more details and other events, visit National Family Celebrations website.

For more details on the location, visit Big Splash At East Coast Park website.

Tag: Public Event Announcement

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East Coast Park: Playground At Big Splash

East Coast Park: Playground At Big Splash

Big Splash at East Coast Park was one of my favourite water theme parks when young. Before I had a chance to travel overseas to explore theme parks elsewhere, this was the best water-themed playground for me.

What used to be the highest iconic waterslide (about 7-storeys high) in Singapore’s first ever water-themed park has been replaced by a more down to earth watering hole. The Playground at Big Splash, located at 902, East Coast Parkway, now occupies the site where Big Splash used to sit.

On a visit to East Coast Park's Playground at Big Splash recently, I discovered a collection of low-rise buildings that housed many modern-day dining options and lifestyle amenities with a playground thrown in. If you were expecting a huge open area filled with lots of playground structures to keep your children happy like those mammoth playgrounds at West Coast Park 3 or Pasir Ris Park, you would be sorely disappointed as I. Instead the playground here refered to the indoor mini-golf course, childcare services, in-line skating shop and bicycle kiosk that developers of the site had declared on their website were things kids love.

The fence surrounding the children’s playground with a locked gate and prominent sign hint of its private property status. Across the road from this playground, an open area that can be used as an events location stood before me. I saw visitors practicing in-line skating with like-minded individuals, next to others who were cycling around on their bikes at Playground at Big Splash.

From fast food outlets to sit-in restaurants, visitors who dropped in on East Coast Park's Playground at Big Splash would be spoiled for choice when deciding on the type of cuisine to refuel their bodies after an outing to East Coast Park. Where the foot of the old Big Splash’s waterslide used to stretch out was an uncovered parking lot. Free parking for the first half hour at this place allowed me to scoop up take-away dinner and to drive out before the electronic monitors started charging for usage after 30 minutes.

From the playground at Big Splash, you could walk across the cycling tracks and footpaths to reach the beaches of East Coast Park. There, the sea, sand, sun and familiar East Coast Park beachside fun awaited the child in me. If you pine for the old Big Splash like I did, relive those memories with old photos at LaoKokok's site here.

Most places have names that easily reveal the nature of their activities or function. Unfortunately, the ‘playground’ tag that is used here was not what my children and I had in mind before our recent maiden visit. Still, a visit to East Coast Park is always a pleasure that brings good memories.


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Related Reading:

1. Camping Permitted In East Coast Park
2. East Coast Park: Eastern End
3. East Coast Park: Castle Beach

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Camping Permitted In East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park And Other Parks In Singapore

Camping Permitted In East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park And Other Parks In Singapore

For a taste of the great outdoors, you can camp out in selected parks of Singapore. Camping is allowed at the following five parks:

Changi Beach Park
East Coast Park
Pasir Ris Park
Sembawang Park
West Coast Park

In Singapore, camping is a very popular activity for families, school-going children, teenagers and even adults. Popular areas to pitch tents for a night out include East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park and Pasir Ris Park.

I fondly remember my school days when I had many opportunities to camp overnight, sleeping outdoors under the moonlight at Sarimbun camp. The refreshing cool pre-dawn air always gave me a buzz whenever I rose to watch the sun rise. The touch of cold dewdrops on my poncho never failed to send a thrilling tingle up my spine. In the eerie darkness, I shook with every shrill blast of cicadas calling from the shadows. The tremble of tree leaves under coarse brush of breeze enchanted with their mildly haunting symphony.

Nowadays my children would rather spend the night in their air-conditioned bedrooms than under a hot stuffy tent. When they were introduced to camping initially, enthusiasm was boundless. They tried out for a few hours inside a tent; but alas surrendered to discomfort, and asked to go home.

Permit Required
Since 7 November 2005, the National Parks Board has mandated that a permit is required for camping on weekdays. The areas at the parks that you can camp overnight are also limited to certain portions of the park. This requirement is to weed out over-stayers, the homeless and even illegal immigrants who may exploit the use of amenities and space in the various parks as their temporary home.

The camping permit can be obtained easily. Just set up your tent at the designated area and the park ranger will make his/her round to visit your site. The park ranger will scan your identification card and issue a verification slip that is then attached to your tent. Scanning of the identification cards will be done daily. There is no fee involved.

On weekends and public holidays, no permit is required. **
[**Latest: camping permit required everyday - read new post.]

Map Source (below): Nparks
Precautions To Take
Beware of thunderstorms, floods, fire and lightning.
Know what to do in an emergency like flood and fire.
Keep your important belongings in a safe place.
Beware of theft and robbery.
Keep the campsite clean.
Do not obstruct other park users and cyclists.
Do not disturb other park users.

Most of all, enjoy your camping!

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[**Latest: camping permit required everyday - read new post.]



Read more on camping, map locations in Singapore:
1. Camping around Singapore island
2. BBQ booking and locations

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