Eastern Singapore travel guide

By LINDA JAMES | Updated APRIL 6, 2025 | AREA GUIDES

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East Coast Park, which was built on reclaimed land, is one of the big reasons to visit Eastern Singapore. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon – take a walk down East Coast Rd, then head to the beach where you can eat dinner at the only hawker centre in Singapore with ocean views! You can also watch the A380s land at Changi. Other places to visit are Geylang, one of Singapore’s oldest Malay settlements, Joo Chiat and Katong, once home to the Peranakan community and where you’ll find some beautifully restored houses.

Street art is everywhere

Colourful shop houses

Getting There

Buses are the best way to get to Eastern Singapore – the 14 and the 36. You could also use the East-West line and get off at Eunos MRT station (EW7), Kembangan (EW6) or Bedok (EW5) but you may have a bit of a walk.

What to See & Do

East Coast Park

This park has 15km of beaches, the perfect place to walk, cycle and rollerblade as well as do watersports like cable skiing. There are also stalls where you can hire bikes and rollerblades. As well as a designated skate park, there’s a water play area and climbing tower. The picnic facilities are great with barbecues, benches and seating play towers – and you also get a great view of the A380s landing at Changi.

Address: East Coast Parkway, East Coast Park Service Rd
Open: 24hrs a day
Cost: Free (individual activities may have a fee)
Getting there: Buses are the best for this one – the 14 and the 36
More information: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/east-coast-park

East Coast Road

This two-mile stretch of road in Eastern Singapore is packed with colourful heritage shophouses and great food! You need to allow enough time so you can explore the side streets as well as the main thoroughfare. This road once actually ran along the coast until Singapore reclaimed land.

The Peranakan culture is front and centre here so expect to see lots of retail outlets selling traditional wares. Hawker stalls, cafes and restaurants are also prolific so go with an appetite.

Address: East Coast Parkway, East Coast Park Service Rd
Open: 24hrs a day
Cost: Free (individual activities may have a fee)
Getting there: Buses are the best for this one – the 14 and the 36
More information: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/east-coast-park

Forest Adventure

Treetop adventure parks are a lot of fun and this is a very popular activity for Singapore families. It has a kids’ course for 5 to 9-year-olds with 2 zip lines and 22 crossings; a grand course with 3 giant zip lines and 44 obstacles; and a junior course for the in-betweeners. Adult supervision is required for some age groups and there are height restrictions. Make sure you book before you go as places are limited.

Address: Bedok Reservoir Park
Open: weekdays 9.30am-6.30pm, closed Thursdays; weekends 9.30am-6.30pm
Cost: Prices vary but the grand course starts at $S50.90 for adults, $S40.90 children
Getting there: near Bedok Reservoir MRT (DT30), 15-min walk; buses - 23,5,518,67
More information: https://forestadventure.com.sg

Where to Eat & Drink

East Coast Lagoon Food Village

The only hawker centre in Singapore with an ocean view, it’s not surprising that seafood is high on the menu here – barbecued seafood, chili crab, satay, mee goreng and popiah. However, it’s also known for its satay.

Check out the legacy hawkers (families who have been doing this for generations) here such as Geylang 29 Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee and Haron Satay who does incredibly chicken, beef and lamb satay with rice cakes and peanut sauce.

Most stalls open from 4pm and close late.

Address: 1220 East Coast Parkway
Open: Daily from 4pm
Getting there: Bedok (EW5) is a 32-minute walk away; buses – 197, 36, 47, 48

Old Airport Road Food Centre

This is very popular with the locals offering dishes such as lor mee (Hokkien-style noodles in gravy), rojak (fruit and vegetable salad with palm sugar dressing), satay, char kway teow and soya bean curd.

Stalls to try

Jun Yuan House of Fish (#01-69)

Bib Gourmand

Dish: daily 10.30am-9.30pm, closed Thursday

Dong Ji Fried Kway Teow (#01-138)

Dish: fried kway teow

Open: Friday and Saturday, Monday to Wednesday 11am–2pm, 6pm–8pm

Toa Payoh Rojak (#01-108)

Dish: rojak

Open: Monday to Saturday 10am–7pm

Albert Street Prawn Noodles (#01-10)

Dishes: Prawn noodles, pork rib noodles

Open: Daily 8.30am-11pm

Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow (#01-12)

Dish: Fried kway teow

Open: Monday to Friday 11.30am–midnight, weekends 10.30am–midnight

Nam Sing Hokkien Mee (#01-32)

Dish: Hokkien mee

Open: Daily 7am-8pm

Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee (#01-116)

Dish: Lor mee

Open: Daily 9.30am–3pm, closed Thursday

Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun (#01-155)

Dish: Chee cheong fun

Open: Daily 7am–9pm

Blanco Court Kway Chap (#01-135)

Dishes: Kway chap, pork intestines

Open: Tuesday to Sunday 8am-3pm, closed Monday

Holy Grill (#01-27)

Dishes: Western grilled food

Open: Monday to Sunday noon-9pm, closed Wednesday

Toa Payoh Rojak (#01-16)

Dish: rojak

Open: Daily noon-8pm, closed Sundays

Chuan Kee Satay (#01-85)

Dish: satay

Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 6.30pm-11pm, Sunday 1pm-11pm

Lao Ban Soya Beancurd (#01-127)

Dish: Soya beancurd

Open: Tuesday to Saturday 11.30am-8pm, Sunday 1pm-8pm

Address: 51 Old Airport Rd
Open: Daily
Getting there: near Dakota MRT (CC8) (walk 3 minutes); buses – 10, 16, 30, 30E, 31, 32, and 33 (walk 2 minutes from bus stop B81171)

Conclusion

Eastern Singapore is the home of Malay and Peranakan culture and history but is also establishing itself as an area to rival Bugis and Kampong Glam for hip places to hang out and shop.