SINGAPORE - Has anyone ever said to you that Sengkang is "ulu" (Malay for remote or out-of-the-way) and boring when you told them that you live there?
Well, the next time someone tells you that, you can inform him politely that he's very wrong, and prove it to him by taking him to these few places:
Sengkang Swimming Complex
It used to be that to play on water slides in Singapore, one had to visit a resort or amusement park - cue memories of Wild Wild Wet at Pasir Ris, Fantasy Island in Sentosa and Big Splash at East Coast Park (for the older folks).
Now, all you have to do is head over to Sengkang Swimming Complex.
With five pools - including a jacuzzi pool and a 50m sheltered pool - and eight slides, it is a resort unto itself. Younger children can play in the fun pool, where a bucket full of water empties itself onto the kids every few minutes!
This public swimming complex is a part of the larger Sengkang Sports Centre. Admission cost is just $2 for adults and $1 for children on weekends.
Sengkang Riverside Park
Next to the Sengkang Sports Centre is the sprawling Sengkang Riverside Park. At 21ha, the park is about the size of 28 football fields put together.
This pocket of calm and tranquillity in busy Singapore even has a constructed wetland. There are many trails here to let visitors view and learn about the marshes and fruit trees.
Visitors can cycle with the family or take a leisurely stroll. Nature lovers can indulge in some bird-watching, while photography enthusiasts can snap photos of the constructed wetlands.
Sengkang Floating Wetland
The PUB Sengkang Floating Wetland in Punggol Reservoir is located within Sengkang Riverside Park and connects the park to the Sengkang Sports Centre.
This is a project by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to improve water quality and to give birds and fishes a natural habitat.
There are boardwalks that allow visitors to get close to and learn about nature. Information panels make the boardwalk an educational trip for both adults and young ones.
Kite-flying spaces
If you're in the mood to take flight, there are a few open spaces in Sengkang where you can indulge your kite-flying hobby, or let the kids run free.
Sengkang Riverside Park comes to mind readily, though you'll have to watch out not to step into the constructed wetland. Near to the park, the open space opposite the Farmway LRT station is favoured by many kite-flyers.
The green space bounded by Sengkang East Avenue, Anchorvale Lane and the Punggol Park Connector is actually designated a "kite-flying area", according to certain online maps.
Alternatively, head to the open space bounded by Sengkang West Road, Sengkang West Avenue and Fernvale Lane. Here, you can also see some football enthusiasts enjoying their sport on certain evenings.
Sengkang Fire Station
It's likely that not many people know this, but all fire stations in Singapore - except the one in Jurong Island - are open to the public on Saturday mornings, between 9am and 11am.
The fire station open house helps the public learn more about what the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) does. The children will have a blast clambering into the driver seats of the various SCDF vehicles; and they can try their hands at the equipment that firefighters use during the
demonstration.
demonstration.
Visitors can walk in for the open house, but a booking is required if your group has more than 10 people, SCDF said on its website.
Seletar Mall
When it comes to hanging out, Singaporeans love their malls - and there's a spanking new one right in Sengkang. Seletar Mall, which opened late last year, is next to Fernvale LRT station.
There's a cinema, a department store and shops like Uniqlo. There are also enrichment centres to cater to young families with children.
Apart from the food court, visitors can also find restaurants and cafes like Din Tai Fung, Fish & Co. and Starbucks Coffee.
Greenwich V
A stone's throw away from Fernvale is Greenwich V, at the junction of Yio Chu Kang Road and Seletar Road. The mall exudes more of a laid-back charm, with more outdoor spaces.
Here, you can find cafes like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Toast Box, Cold Stone Creamery and Quiznos Sub, and restaurants serving Thai food, sushi, and many others. There's also a supermarket and children enrichment schools.
Even Rufus is in for a special treat, with a pet-grooming shop in the mall.
Jalan Kayu
For the ultimate laid-back vibe, dine at Jalan Kayu, near the northern part of Fernvale.
For decades, Jalan Kayu has been synonymous with roti prata. Generations of Singaporeans have dined at the prata shops there.
Some of the shops don't seem to have changed at all over the decades, retaining an "old-world" vibe with its decor.
You can probably get good prata elsewhere nowadays, but the ambience here will probably remind you of the time you spent with school or army buddies on a weekend night, enjoying crispy prata and teh tarik.
- See more at: http://web.asia1.com/hilife/great-hangouts-in-sengkang#sthash.0mVniEkF.dpufSteven Sin
AsiaOne
Source: AsiaOne