Off the beaten path

Question 1

Is Haw Par Villa free, and can I still see the Ten Courts of Hell?

Accepted Answer

Haw Par Villa's park is free but partly closed for maintenance, and the Ten Courts of Hell are inside Hell's Museum, which is ticketed. The museum is open daily and runs a free highlight tour several times a day, with places first come, first served at the lobby counter. Allow two to four hours, and bring an umbrella because part of it is open to the elements. The grounds are on Haw Par Villa.

Question 2

Do I need a guide or a permit to walk Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin?

Accepted Answer

No, you can walk Chek Jawa's boardwalks on your own, with no guide and no permit. NParks' Chek Jawa permit is for going off the trail for approved research, and its guided Chek Jawa tour is suspended while the floating pontoon is under maintenance. A section of the Coastal Loop is closed for maintenance, with reopening expected in April 2027, so stick to the Mangrove Loop and the open stretch. Chek Jawa Wetlands covers getting there from the jetty.

Question 3

Are there self-guided heritage trails in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the National Heritage Board publishes self-guided heritage trails for neighbourhoods including Tiong Bahru, Toa Payoh, Sembawang and the Civic District. Each of those has a booklet to download, and several add a map, so you can walk at your own pace. We'd start with Tiong Bahru, whose first stop is the market, and let A Slow Morning in Tiong Bahru plan breakfast.

Question 4

Can I walk the whole Rail Corridor from end to end?

Accepted Answer

The 24km corridor from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar can't be walked end to end while the stretch from Henderson Road to Spooner Road is closed for trail rebuilding. NParks expects the works to finish by July 2027, and signed detours on public paths and roads link the open sections. The corridor isn't lit at night, so finish before dark. We'd pick one stretch from Bukit Timah Railway Station and plan the way back, as Rail Corridor suggests.

Question 5

Can I visit Bukit Brown Cemetery on my own, or do I need a tour?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the self-guided Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail covers 32 graves on Hills 1 and 3 at Lorong Halwa, all visible from the road around them. The volunteer group All Things Bukit Brown also leads free guided walks, usually on weekend mornings, and recommends registering online. Bring water and wear non-slip shoes. Bukit Brown Cemetery has the basics.

Question 6

Is the Southern Ridges Forest Walk closed?

Accepted Answer

No, the Forest Walk on Telok Blangah Hill is open, but NParks says some sections are unlit from 7pm to 7am until 30 November for maintenance. The park is open 24 hours, except the Earth Trail, which is off limits after 7pm. We'd walk the 1.3km elevated walkway between 7am and 9am, when the birds are out and the lights don't matter. Southern Ridges Forest Walk has the starting point.

Question 7

Where can I see wild otters in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

NParks says smooth-coated otters are regularly seen at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Watch from a distance, keep your voice down, skip the flash and never feed them, since an otter can bite in self-defence. We'd try Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park early in the morning and treat otter spotting as luck.

Question 8

Where can I walk through a mangrove in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Pasir Ris Park has a 6-hectare mangrove that you can watch from a boardwalk or a birdwatching tower, and Pasir Ris MRT is the nearest station. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin are the bigger outings, and Chek Jawa's Mangrove Loop is a 500m boardwalk. We'd start at Pasir Ris Park for an easy morning, then make a half day of Chek Jawa Wetlands.

Question 9

What do people in Singapore do on a weekend?

Accepted Answer

Singapore weekends often happen outdoors and early, on the shore or beside a waterway, with breakfast at a hawker centre afterwards. We'd ride East Coast Park from Area C4 at sunrise, or walk the Punggol waterway while the joggers are out, and eat when you're done. East Coast Park After the Tiles and Punggol Waterway at Sunrise plan both.

Question 10

What can I do instead of Universal Studios or the Night Safari?

Accepted Answer

Instead of Universal Studios or the Night Safari, we'd spend a morning at the Singapore Zoo, when the paths are cool and the orangutans are overhead. A Family Day Around the Island shows how to build the rest of the day, from water play to kites at Marina Barrage. If the Night Safari is what you're after, Mandai, One Park at a Time gives it an evening of its own.