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 km 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, traces of Peranakan and Eurasian culture still linger in Katong, the fleshpots of Geylang offer cheap lodging and late-night food, and the East Coast also offers Singapore's solitary flashback to the past, the rustic little island of Pulau Ubin.

Get in


The East-West MRT Line runs the length of the east coast all the way from the centre to Pasir Ris and Changi Airport. The parallel Thomson-East Coast Line runs further south through Katong and Marine Parade, but it will not reach the airport until 2026. Bus 36 from Changi Airport to Orchard Road is a slower but more scenic alternative.

The North East MRT Line travels up to Sengkang and Punggol in the island's northeast, but not to very many places of interest for even the most determined of travellers. The transport enthusiast might like the Sengkang & Punggol LRT Lines, a small light rail network that traverses row upon row of apartment blocks.

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.

See
Tourist literature usually hawks the restored (and, in the daytime, near-empty) Arab Street near Bugis, but Geylang Serai is the true home of Singapore's Malay community. Especially during the Islamic month of Ramadan leading up to Hari Raya Puasa (Eid ul-Fitr), the entire area lights up in celebration as people eat and shop in the pasar malam (night markets) in the evenings after the sun goes down.

The quiet Changi area has been left relatively untouched by redevelopment and hence retains a lot of significance for its World War II history, including several dilapidated but still-standing British military buildings. The rather serene Changi Beach was once a site of the Sook Ching massacre, which saw the occupying Japanese "cleanse" the local Chinese population by executing anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 young men suspected of having anti-Japanese tendencies. The now-abandoned Old Changi Hospital is a former British military hospital that is reputed to be one of the eeriest buildings in Singapore, while the Selarang Barracks and Roberts Barracks which hold the Changi Murals are off-limits to the public.





The East Coast's second area of historical interest is Katong and Joo Chiat, which retain a smattering of traditional shophouses and shops specializing in Peranakan crafts and food. Another important community in Katong is the Eurasian community, who as the name suggests, are people of mixed European and Asian descent. Joo Chiat Road has grown into the favourite hangout spot of the Vietnamese community, and thus has several Vietnamese restaurants to cater to that crowd. Marine Parade MRT, at the southern tip of Joo Chiat Rd, is the easiest way to reach the area.



The Northeast is mostly residential and newly developed, but is still home to a few farms.



Do
The best bits of eastern Singapore are its beaches. In addition to the ones below, try Pasir Ris or Punggol to really get off the tourist trail. Camping and barbecue permits for all parks are available at AXS.

Buy


There's a mall or shopping area at every MRT stop.
 * Parkway Parade and I12 Katong are the main shopping centres in the Marine Parade area. Parkway Parade has a cluster of money changers on the first level in its forecourt that generally give good exchange rates.
 * Tampines is a shopping hub. There are three malls (Century Square, Tampines Mall, and Tampines 1) near the MRT station.
 * Serangoon also has a huge mall, Nex, with the standard shops and food on every floor. The roof garden has a dog park if you get tired of humans.

Eat
The East Coast is home to many of Singapore's best-known dishes, including chilli crab, Katong laksa and roti prata. The stretch of Geylang Road between Paya Lebar and Kallang MRT stations is arguably the most vibrant part of Singapore. Despite being famous for its red light district and abundance of sleazy karaoke bars, the area is also home to some of Singapore's best kept culinary secrets, and is a favourite for locals heading out for supper with friends. Don't expect air conditioning, white tablecloths, and sommeliers though. Most budget and mid-range eateries here are in grungy but occasionally atmospheric 19th-century shophouses. It is also often dubbed Singapore's "New Chinatown", and accordingly is home to a large number of recent immigrants and expatriates from mainland China, with a high concentration of restaurants serving authentic mainland Chinese cuisines, and a number of supermarkets selling mainland Chinese products that are hard to find elsewhere on the island in order to cater to that crowd. You'll find quite a few fruit stalls open as well, selling durians, mangosteens, rambutans and other Southeast Asian fruits. If you're game for it, buy some and eat them right there at the roadside tables.

As the heart of Singapore's Malay community, the Geylang Serai market is unsurprisingly the place to go for some Malay food.

Joo Chiat Road is the favourite hangout spot for Singapore's Vietnamese community, and thus home to numerous eateries serving the most affordable and authentic Vietnamese food in Singapore. It is also home to Singapore's only Vietnamese grocery store where you can get imported ingredients from Vietnam should you want to try cooking at home. City Plaza (Near Paya Lebar MRT station) is the favourite hangout spot for the Indonesian community, and as expected, is home to some of the cheapest and most authentic Indonesian food on the island.

Budget


Katong is the undisputed home of laksa, the coconutty noodle soup that's one of Singapore's national dishes, but there's still plenty of dispute about who came up with it first and who does it best. Famous 49 Katong Laksa had a claim as the very first and has since moved to the west side of Singapore, perhaps finally marking an end to the Katong laksa wars.



Go to, possibly the best collection of hawker food in Singapore, and now even easier to reach using the Circle Line (it's a short walk from Dakota MRT station). From noodles to satay to seafood, the food here is widely acclaimed and Singaporeans come from all around for dinner &mdash; which unfortunately means a crowded car park and even more crowded tables. Just follow the queues and you won't go wrong.



For a nicer seaside atmosphere, in East Coast Park is a popular food destination and quite possibly the nicest hawker centre in Singapore, with lush greenery and occasional sea breezes. If you're savvy, the seafood here is a much better choice than the pricier restaurants in the nearby East Coast Seafood Centre. Get here by cab (or by bus as noted in ).



There are plenty of other famous yet cheap eats in the neighbourhoods of the East Coast. You might have heard of the original Jalan Kayu roti prata, but it has long passed its prime. Simpang Bedok (near Tanah Merah MRT) has grown in popularity for its cluster of late night prata shops, and while the food is not particularly outstanding, the wide range of open air eateries make it a great place to eat late suppers, drink beer, and watch football on giant TV screens. Some well-known but more difficult to reach hawker centres are at Serangoon and.



Mid-range
The red-light district of Geylang is also known for its culinary delights. Shops here tend to be no-frills affairs, but the food can be great and prices are reasonable. Katong and Siglap are other two main areas of mid-range eateries on East Coast Road.



Splurge
Above all, the East Coast is associated with fresh seafood, which is often excellent, but always rather pricey; check prices before you order! The two primary clusters are in and near East Coast Seafood Centre on the East Coast Parkway further out, and Kallang Oasis nearer to the city. Some better known restaurants:



Drink
There are only a few places to drink on the East Coast. East Coast Road has over 30 excellent bars and restaurants, clustered around Katong and Siglap. Joo Chiat Road has many bars, but also many "karaoke" joints. The most infamous of all is Geylang (adjacent to but distinct from Geylang Serai), which is Singapore's largest red-light district. Rule of thumb is, the establishments on even-numbered alleys (lorong) are brothels, those on odd-numbered lorong are not.



Sleep
Most of the East Coast's accommodation consists of cheap hotels in and around the red-light districts of Geylang and Joo Chiat, many of which rent rooms by the hour. The ubiquitous Hotel 81 chain alone has 11 hotels in the area. Still, if you're on a budget and don't mind the local nightlife, Geylang/Joo Chiat are definitely worth considering: the rates are among the cheapest in town, the late night eating options are unparalleled, the area is perfectly safe, and both the airport and the city aren't too far away.

See also Singapore Changi Airport for hotels within or very close to the airport.

Budget
Camping is allowed in designated areas of Changi Beach Park, East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park and Pulau Ubin. All have showers and toilets and are free to use for stays of up to five days, although you will need someone with a Singapore ID to apply for a camping permit on your behalf at last 14 days in advance.

Connect
East Coast Rd has a slew of cheap Internet cafes. Try Red Hot Internet Café at 63 East Coast Rd or CyberWorld Communications at 67 East Coast Rd, both offering rates of $1/hour.

Go next

 * Head back to the city centre or visit the North and West for more WWII historical sites.