Photo Credit: Singapore Tourism Board

From Punggol Waterway Park, continue towards Coney Island Park, and the surroundings begin to feel noticeably more remote.

Despite being part of Singapore, Coney Island has a distinctly wild character. The 81-hectare park is home to coastal habitats, grasslands, casuarina woodland and a variety of flora and fauna, while its rustic boardwalks and cycling paths make it one of the North’s most enjoyable places to experience at a slower pace.

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The island itself has an interesting history. Coney Island was once known as Pulau Serangoon, and the area has long been associated with recreation and coastal life. A former holiday home known as Haw Par Beach Villa also stood on the island, although the building is now closed to visitors.

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Today, nature has largely reclaimed the surroundings. Rather than expecting manicured gardens and carefully arranged attractions, come here for the feeling of being somewhere slightly removed from the rest of Singapore. Walk or cycle along the trails, look out towards the sea and keep your eyes open for wildlife. The island is also known for its biodiversity. Depending on the season and time of day, you may encounter birds, butterflies and other wildlife among the vegetation.

If you are cycling, the park makes a particularly good pairing with Punggol Waterway Park and Punggol Point. The area forms part of Singapore’s network of park connectors, allowing you to experience several different settings without constantly returning to the main roads.

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Just remember that Coney Island is intentionally rustic. Some areas have uneven terrain, and NParks recommends covered shoes and long pants because of insects such as sandflies.

There are also no carparks on the island itself, so most visitors enter from Punggol Point or the Lorong Halus side.

It is precisely this lack of heavy development that makes Coney Island worth visiting.

Here, you can experience a quieter, more untamed corner of Singapore without having to leave the island.

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Location: Punggol Promenade Nature Walk, Singapore.
Nearest MRT Station: Punggol Coast MRT Station (NE18)

Website:https://www.nparks.gov.sg/visit/parks/park-detail/coney-island-park

Mandai wildlife reserve

Photo Credit: Singapore Tourism Board

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve is now home to five major wildlife parks — Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari, Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild Adventure — alongside indoor attractions such as Curiosity Cove and Exploria. Together, they form one of Singapore’s largest concentrations of wildlife and nature attractions. But Mandai is more than simply a collection of  animal parks. The area has long been associated with Singapore’s forested northern landscape, and the development of the wildlife reserve has increasingly connected conservation, education, recreation and tourism in one destination. You could easily spend an entire day here, depending on how many parks you want to visit.

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At Singapore Zoo, explore open and naturalistic habitats and encounter animals such as orangutans, giraffes and other wildlife.

At River Wonders, the focus shifts towards freshwater ecosystems and the world’s great rivers, including giant pandas, manatees and other river-dwelling animals.

Bird Paradise takes you into large walk-through aviaries where hundreds of bird species can be seen in environments designed around different habitats.

For something completely different, save Night Safari for after dark. As the world’s first nocturnal wildlife park, it offers a chance to experience animals when many of them are naturally more active.

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And for visitors looking for a more adventurous experience, Rainforest Wild Adventure takes you into a more rugged rainforest environment, with forest trails, rock formations and wildlife encounters. The beauty of Mandai is that you do not necessarily have to treat it as a single attraction. Pick one park if you only have a few hours, or combine several for a full-day adventure. The reserve also offers dining and shopping experiences, so you can comfortably spend most of your day without needing to leave the area.

For tourists, Mandai is particularly useful because it offers something that is difficult to replicate elsewhere in Singapore: the opportunity to experience wildlife and rainforest environments while still being within the city.

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Location: 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826
Nearest MRT Station: Khatib MRT Station (NS14)
Website: https://www.mandai.com/en.html

Sembawang Hot Spring Park

Photo Credit: Pelago

After the wildlife and forest trails of Mandai, head towards Sembawang, where one of Singapore’s most unusual natural features awaits. Hidden within a rustic, kampung-like setting is Sembawang Hot Spring Park — Singapore’s only hot spring park. The story of the hot spring begins long before the park itself existed.

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The natural spring was discovered in the early 20th century, and the water became known locally for its heat and mineral properties. Over the years, the spring became associated with the surrounding rural community before eventually being incorporated into a public park.

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Today, the experience is much more accessible. Hot water emerges naturally at the top of the park’s cascading foot bath and flows through four tiers, gradually cooling as it moves downwards. Visitors can sit at the edge and soak their feet, making it an unexpectedly relaxing stop after a day of sightseeing. There is also an area where visitors can collect hot spring water and an egg-cooking station where you can cook eggs using the naturally hot water. The experience is deliberately simple.

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There are no luxury spas or elaborate facilities here. Instead, you are sitting outdoors, surrounded by plants, experiencing one of Singapore’s natural geological features in a setting designed to retain a little of its old kampung character. The area has a variety of plants and birdlife, making it as much a nature stop as it is a wellness experience.

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Location: 500 Gambas Ave Singapore 756952 
Nearest MRT Station: Canberra MRT Station (NS12)
Website:https://www.nparks.gov.sg/visit/parks/park-detail/sembawang-hot-spring-park​

Sembawang Park & Beaulieu House

Photo Credit: Singapore Tourism Board

From the hot spring, continue towards Sembawang Park, where the story of this coastal neighbourhood takes another dramatic turn. Today, the park is a peaceful coastal escape overlooking the Straits of Johor, but the area was once closely tied to Britain’s military presence in Singapore. Sembawang became home to the British naval base from the 1920s, and the naval presence shaped the development of the surrounding community for decades. The area became known for its large colonial houses, military facilities and dockyard. It was not simply a military installation either. Sembawang developed into a multicultural community, including many Malayalees who worked and lived around the naval base. It even became known as “Little Kerala.”

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Much of that story can still be seen today. At the northern end of Sembawang Park stands Beaulieu House, a grand colonial-era building constructed in the 1910s. Originally built as the holiday residence of Jewish businessman Joseph Brooke David, the house was later acquired by the colonial government and became associated with senior naval officers.

After the Second World War, senior British naval officers would use the nearby Beaulieu Jetty to salute arriving ships. Today, the house has been conserved and operates as a restaurant, while the jetty has become a popular fishing spot and scenic viewpoint.

Walk towards the waterfront and you can still appreciate why the area was chosen for the naval base in the first place. The coastline provides views across the Johor Strait, while the surrounding trees create a peaceful atmosphere that feels far removed from Singapore’s central business district.

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Look out for the historic trees around the park too. The Sembawang tree, after which the area itself was named, can be found here, alongside other heritage trees. For an even deeper dive into the area’s story, follow parts of the Sembawang Heritage Trail, which connects former naval houses, religious sites, the old shipyard and other landmarks from the community’s past.

This is perhaps one of the best places in the North to see how dramatically Singapore has changed — from rural plantations and villages, to a major British naval base, and eventually to the peaceful residential and recreational neighbourhood you see today.

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Location: 9 Wak Hassan Place Singapore 757106 
Nearest MRT Station: Sembawang MRT Station (NS11)
Website:https://www.nparks.gov.sg/visit/parks/sembawang-park/activities/dining

CASHIN HOUSE

Photo Credit: Singapore Heritage Fest