Exploring Singapore with a Car - Volume 2
We zipped all over Singapore this past weekend and filled our days with nature walks, playdates, playgrounds, the beach and lots of yummy food!
Green Corridor
Friday was a public holiday (Eid al-Adha / Hari Raya Haji) so Nick had the day off - a three-day weekend! We took advantage of this bonus day with a trip to the Green Corridor. This has been on Nick’s list for a long time, ever since he read about it on a blog post about the most dog-friendly places in Singapore.
This nature trail follows 24km of what was once a railroad connecting Keppel Road in downtown Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The land under and around the tracks was originally owned by Malaysia but in 2010 there was a land swap deal which handed the land over to Singapore.
The railway officially closed in 2011 and the tracks have been unused since then. There are plans to create a high speed rail connection between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, which would make the trip just 90 minutes, but that project will use a terminal in Jurong East. This means the old tracks and surrounding area needed to be repurposed.
It is a bit hard to find information on the Green Corridor. We had heard that it was under construction but couldn’t find exact information on what sections. Covid also added a layer of uncertainty because most construction has been halted in some capacity or another. Thankfully, we bumped into a friend Friday morning at the playground and her friend had some great insight. Hopefully this helps you too!
Getting There and Where to Walk:
I recommend using the Old Bukit Timah Railway Station as your point of entry.
The green dotted line on the left side of this photo is a section of the Green Corridor just south of Bukit Timah Road. The section just north of Bukit Timah Road is currently blocked off and under construction.
I highly recommend taking the MRT to the King Albert stop, plugging in “Old Bukit Timah Railway Station” into Grab or driving and parking in the neighborhood around Rifle Range Road. If you drive and park, you will have to walk down to Bukit Timah Road and then take the overpass to hit to trail down to the old rail station.
Charlie loves to walk with us so we were moving slowly. We made our way from Bukit Timah Road to the rail station and let Charlie run free for a bit. He thoroughly enjoyed climbing around the old railway station, finding rocks to hand to mom and wave at people passing by.
We put him back into the Ergo Baby and headed down the trail. Our friend had told us about a massive open green space just a ways down on the right so that’s where we were headed. The flora and fauna amazed us! We saw squirrels, a massive lizard and so many butterflies. We also saw the biggest elephant ear plants we have ever seen!
All in all, it was an afternoon well spent. Charlie loved running down the path and in the field. He got muddy in the green field and made a lot of friends. I would highly recommend this urban hike, especially if you have active kids and/or a dog. The only thing I would have changed is that I think it may be easier to take a grab or the MRT so you don’t have to loop back around like we did and hike the same patch of the corridor back up to the car.
My friend, Sara, recommended Huber’s Bistro as a kid-friendly restaurant to check out while we have our car. Huber’s, a high end butcher, is located in Dempsey Hill, which isn’t the easiest place to get to with mass transit, so we figured we’d take advantage. Dempsey Hill was only 10 minutes driving from where we parked for our hike so it was the perfect choice for an early Friday dinner.
Huber’s Bistro does not take reservations so it worked in our favor that Charlie’s dinner time is 5pm. We arrived around 4:30pm and were shocked to see it fill up not long after we arrived. It’s a popular spot! There is a great playground that you can see while sitting and eating. Unfortunately, due to Covid, it is not open at the moment. One other thing to note - baby chairs are only available for outdoor seating. The patio is covered and has a ton of fans. So even after our hike, we were comfortable.
The menu is full of Swiss deliciousness and is very reasonably priced. There is no separate kids menu just smaller portions offered for kiddos at a discounted price - I wish every restaurant did this! We ordered Charlie the meatloaf with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, I got the spicy Italian sausage and Nick got chicken schnitzel. It was all so good!
The kid’s portion was huge and I actually had to ask the server if they had taken my order down correctly - I thought it was an adult portion! The service staff was great and kept Charlie entertained. Overall, I would highly recommend heading here with kids, especially once the playground is back open.
The first half of Saturday included two more recommendations from Sara - Admiralty Park and Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe in Seletar.
If your kids are 4 or 5 and older, Admiralty Park is 100% worth the trip! The park is located in Woodlands and is one of the most northern points you can reach in Singapore. In fact, if you don’t get off the exit for the park, you end up in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Not a fun mistake to make right now while the border is closed!
Logistically, the playground is located very close to the parking lot and public restrooms. There is a little amphitheater by the restrooms which I think was the highlight of Charlie’s visit - he loves climbing stairs. Charlie is a bit of a daredevil and a skilled climber so he did a great job managing parts of the playground but he was definitely a little young. This will be his paradise in a few years!
The playground has 26 slides - the most in Singapore. It has climbing walls, nets and bridges. Seriously, heaven for young kids once they’ve mastered how to keep themselves mostly safe when climbing at heights. I can’t wait to bring Charlie back once he is older.
This was the family highlight of the day! Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe is located along the side of Seletar Airport where you can watch planes take off and land. The outdoor space of the cafe is closed off to cars so it was perfect for letting Charlie roam. They also have an old VW beetle truck out front which kept car-obsessed Charlie entertained for about 20 minutes. The collection of vintage road bikes kept Nick entertained for about 20 minutes as well.
The menu is a mix of Japanese, Western and local treats at very reasonable prices. Charlie devoured his chicken yakatori and Nick and I enjoyed the Unatamdon and Gyo Don, respectively. Charlie was signing for more after finishing up his five skewers of chicken so we ordered the seafood dumplings to share and they were just as delicious! The total bill was S$39, with two bottles of water and a coffee, so a true steal for Singapore standards. We cannot wait to go back!
Dive into the story behind this unique, hidden gem here!
Tanjong Beach
We have always loved Tanjong Beach Club (TBC) but don’t love the prices or Saturday afternoon vibe with a toddler in tow. While a great spot in the opening hours, the pool and deck area transforms into a bit of a wild party and is just not ideal for a 16-month old. We decided to change things up after Charlie’s nap on Saturday and headed to the public beach area between the car park and TBC.
We packed some snacks, a few beers from the gas station, a blanket, some beach toys and our swimsuits. Even on a busy Saturday and with social distancing measures in place (there is a person at the entry taking temps and tracking how many people enter the beach), we were able to find a nice shady area to hang out. I stayed in the shade and relaxed a bit while Nick and Charlie played in the sand and surf. It was such a simple, cheap afternoon at the beach!
There are public bathrooms with changing space and showers just behind TBC and there is also a “take out” window along the barrier between TBC and the public area. We debated getting another beer but, at S$15 a pop, we decided to pass. We have since purchased a S$20 cooler and will be bringing our own snacks and drinks in the coming weeks while we soak up our ability to “pop” to Sentosa! A big added bonus, there is no entry fee to the island until September 30, 2020, which makes this a no brainer for weekend fun.
Little Island Brewing Co.
We had a slower Sunday morning with a run to East Coast Park, a quick workout while Charlie ate a picnic breakfast at the beach and then some beach play time. And, of course, a stop along the highway to see all the cars.
Next up was the Sunday roast at Little Island Brewing Co., an old favorite of ours. We love Little Island because it has an outdoor/open air space, they allow dogs and Charlie has space to run around.
Their menu is great and very kid friendly. We’ve learned that the portions are huge so we usually order one kids item (it’s enough for Charlie and a little for us) and one order of the Sunday roast. Normally, you have a card that you scan and pour your own beers. Covid times means that the staff is pouring all beer but it didn’t take away from the experience.
We had a fun surprise when our friends, who initially told us about Little Island, showed up with their son who is Charlie’s age. We sat at our own, socially distanced tables but let the boys hang out together. Entertainment while eating out is key with a toddler!
The only hiccup we had was parking. We haven’t had any issues finding parking so far but all the lots next to the restaurant were full. Little Island shares a parking lot with the ferry terminal to Palau Ubin so, looking back, it makes sense that the weekend was a bit mad. We ended up parking at Changi Beach Carpark #1, just over the bridge from Little Island. It was free on Sunday (yippee!) and about a 10 minute walk. Charlie loved the walk over the bridge watching cyclists walk by and looking over the edge to see the bum boats in the little harbor.
Tiong Bahru Train Playground and a Pinnacle Playdate
Charlie fell asleep in the car when we left Little Island so we decided to drive around a bit to keep him down as long as possible. We had a playdate planned for the afternoon in Tanjong Pagar (near downtown Singapore) so we slowly made our way to the Tiong Bahru Train Playground so we could check it out before meeting up with our friends.
Charlie is currently obsessed with anything with wheels (“CAR!”) so we figured he’d love this playground. He did! It was really hot in the midday sun and not a whole lot of shade unless you were in one of the tipsy turvy train cars or under the structure.
We didn’t last too long but Charlie did love going up and down the spiral stairs and the little ramps. I have a feeling he’ll really love this one in another few years.
After the playground, we headed to our friends’ apartment at the Pinnacle@Duxton. Charlie and Michael had the same due date and Nick and I met his parents, Lauren and Simon, in our antenatal class at Four Trimesters. We don’t get together too often but it is always great to see the boys together!
Their apartment building is an HDB (Housing Development Board) and is one of many public housing complexes in Singapore. This building in particular really stands out and is known for its stunning views of Singapore from the 50th floor.
Fung Kee Hot Dogs
Our final stop of the weekend was a quick dinner at Fung Kee Hot Dogs just around the corner from the Pinnacle@Duxton. Nick discovered this hole in the wall hot dog joint on Instagram (@fungkeehotdogs) and we really enjoyed it. Definitely not family/baby friendly but we managed to get Charlie to eat his Swedish meatballs while strapped into his stroller.
This past weekend was non-stop fun and it got us super pumped for our staycation next week! Can’t wait to share more soon!
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