Singapore/East Coast
The East Coast of Singapore is largely residential and offers few sights as such; most visitors just cross it on their way from and to Changi Airport. For Singaporeans, on the other hand, the main attractions are 20 kilometres of white sandy beach and the food: this is the home of many of Singapore's culinary icons. The true home of Singapore's Malay community is in Geylang Serai, and the East Coast also offers Singapore's solitary flashback to the past, the rustic little island of Pulau Ubin.
Travel to East_Coast, visa requirements
The East-West MRT runs the length of the East Coast all the way from the center to Pasir Ris and Changi Airport. The North-East MRT traverses up to Sengkang and Punggol on the northern coast of the island, but doesn't go to very many places of interest to even the most determined of travellers.
If you've got one day to spare, consider taking in the Changi Chapel and Pulau Ubin, with a lunch break at Changi Village and a seafood spread for dinner.
East_Coast attractions and sightseeing
Tourist literature usually hawks the restored (and empty) Arab Street near Bugis, but Geylang Serai is the true home of Singapore's Malay community. Especially during the festival of Hari Raya (Ramadan), the entire area lights up in celebration as people eat and shop in the evenings after the sun goes down. The Geylang Serai market (see Buy) is a sight in itself.
- Changi Chapel and Museum, 1000 Upper Changi Road North (Bus 29 from Tampines MRT or bus 2 from Tanah Merah), [1]. 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily. Singapore's memorial to the notorious WW2 Japanese POW camp, the setting of James Clavell's King Rat. The current site is a reconstruction and in a different location, but contains a replica of the original chapel and informative exhibits about the squalid conditions of the prison. Free.
- Malay Village, 39 Geylang Serai. 10 AM to 10 PM. A rather artificial recreation of Malay kampong (village) life in the heart of Geylang. $10.
- Sengkang LRT (Change at Sengkang MRT), [2]. 5.45 AM to 12:40AM daily. For the transport enthusiast or those interested in seeing the housing in which many Singaporeans live, the light rail is well worth a ride, as it traverses past row upon row of unit blocks. On the West Loop, detour to Jalan Kayu from LRT Thanggam station for some of Singapore's best prata (see Eat). Up to $1.10.
City tours
The best bits of eastern Singapore's are its beaches. In addition to the ones below, try Pasir Ris or Punggol to really get off the tourist trail.
- East Coast Park, [3]. Basically 20 km of free beach on Singapore's southeastern coast, very popular on sunny weekends. The water is on the murky side, but the (imported) white sand, palm trees, and skimpily clad rollerbladers zooming past on the promenade make up for it. Bicycle and skate rental available.
- Pulau Ubin, [4]. Singapore's flashback to yesteryear, a little island off the northern coast where people still live in fishing villages on stilts. The island is covered in biking trails and is an excellent spot for a little steamy jungle offroading; bike rentals go for as low as $3 a day. Access to the island requires a bit of effort though: take the MRT to Tampines, then ride bus 29 to its terminus in Changi Village, find the jetty and hop on a bumboat ($2 each way) for the 10-minute ride to the island.
- Changi Beach, near Changi Village, [5]. Right next to Changi Airport, you can watch (and hear) the neverending parade of airplanes from here. If you walk along the beach to the southeast, you will eventually pass by Bedok Jetty and arrive at East Coast Park.
Shopping, East_Coast souvenirs
Geylang Serai market, the heart of Singapore's Muslim community and long one of the most atmospheric in Singapore, was unceremoniously demolished in 2006. A temporary market has set up next to Paya Lebar MRT, selling a wide array of Malay and Middle Eastern goods, and a rebuilt market should be ready by the end of 2008.
Good restaurants and cheap meals
The East Coast is home to many of Singapore's best-known dishes, including chilli crab, Katong laksa and roti prata.
Budget
- International Muslim Food, Blk 2 Changi Village Rd #01-57. This nondescript stall has a neverending queue for Singapore's best nasi lemak, Malay-style coconut rice with fried chicken, chili, egg and various goodies. $2.50/plate.
- Marine Parade Laksa, 59 East Coast Rd #01-57/59. The inventors of Katong laksa, although some think the quality has gone down (see Zhen Shan Mei in Jurong for the competition). Beware of the many imitators here!
- Thasevi Food, 237/239 Jalan Kayu (Sengkang LRT Thanggam station). The original place for roti prata (Indian-style bread with curry dip), although the size of the portions has shrunk as their fame has grown. Still, most serves clock in at less than $1, and you can sample unorthodox variants like banana prata or ice cream prata too. Halal.
Mid-range
The red-light district of Geylang is also famous for its culinary delights. Shops here tend to be no-frills affairs, but the food can be great and prices are reasonable.
- Sin Huat Seafood, 659-661 Geylang Rd (off Lorong 35). Looks very unassuming, but the crab bee hoon stewed in rice noodles is legendary. Cooked to order, so expect to wait up to an hour and expect 'legendary' service as well: they won't serve you if you are eating duck rice from the neighboring shop. $50/crab (enough for two).
- Turtle House, 403 Guillemard Road (at corner of Geyland Lorong 36), ☎ +65-67451248, [6]. Daily 11:30 AM to midnight. The speciality here is turtle soup ($14 upwards), but the menu also has a whole slew of other amphibian dishes, ranging from the merely exotic (frog legs) to the outright bizarre (crocodile flippers, turtle skin and intestines). Air-con and outdoor seating. $30.
Splurge
Above all, the East Coast is associated with fresh seafood, which is often excellent but always rather pricy; check prices before you order! The two primary clusters are in and near Marina Cove on the East Coast Parkway further out, and Kallang Oasis nearer to the city. Some better known restaurants:
- Jumbo Seafood, 1206 and 1208 East Coast Parkway, ☎ +65-64423435, [7]. Best known for its chilli crabs. Other outlets at Riverside Point (opposite Clarke Quay), Serangoon Gardens, Changi and Riverwalk, but this is the original.
- Little Red House, East Coast Parkway. Another chilli crab joint.
- No Signboard Seafood, outlets at ECP and Kallang Oasis. Known for its butter crabs.
- Long Beach Seafood Restaurant, 1018 East Coast Parkway, ☎ +65-64458833, [8]. Known for a wide variety of seafood including black pepper crab and butter crayfish and one of the most crowded seafood restaurants in the East Coast area on weekends. One should also try the duck they serve, which is prepared in a unique way and is available only at the main branch. Other branches can be found in Jurong East and Marina South.
- The Mango Tree, 1000 East Coast Parkway, Blk B, Unit 23, ☎ +65-64428655, [9]. Offers Kerala-style Indian seafood in a tastefully decorated beachside restaurant, quite unlike the raucous Chinese places above. Plenty of vegetarian options too. $40.
East_Coast nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Aside from a few beer bars in the East Coast Park there are few places to drink on the East Coast. The notable exception is Geylang, adjacent to but distinct from Geylang Serai, which is Singapore's largest red-light district. Rule of thumb is, the establishments on odd-numbered alleys (lorong) are legit, while those on even-numbered ones are brothels.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
Accommodation on the East Coast is rather short in supply, but Geylang in the next district has many cheap (if somewhat dubious) hotels.
Budget
- Betel Box Hostel Singapore, 200 Joo Chiat Road (Paya Lebar MRT), ☎ +65-62477340, [10]. Located in the Katong district. The price per night is $18 which includes breakfast, bed linen, use of a security locker, free broadband Internet access and free use of fitness centre. All rooms are air-conditioned and there are hot and cold showers.
Splurge
- Le Meridien Changi Village, 1 Netheravon Rd, ☎ +65-63797111, [11]. This second-rate hotel seems to subsist largely on overnighting travellers under the mistaken impression that it's particularly close to Changi Airport, but it isn't — you might as well take a taxi to the city center. Rooms are musty, the location is inconvenient, the beach is a joke and the price is high for what you get. Avoid. $130-.
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