As someone who’s lived in Pasir Ris all my life, I often get the question: “What’s there to do there ah?”. Alas, the last stop in the MRT’s Green Line is far away for many but there’s plenty to do if you love nature, animals, and water activities.
Other than going to Wild Wild Wet, here are some of the best activities and attractions in Pasir Ris, recommended by residents of the area. P.S. You’ve probably never heard of some of these if you’re a non-Eastie!
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Pasir Ris rocks its ulu reputation not just with plenty of natural spaces and wildlife, but with “countryside” experiences as well. You don’t have to fly to Australia to feed horses when you can do the very same here for a nifty $2 note at Gallop Stable.
Image credit: @gallopstablepasirris via Instagram
While adults can try riding on horses, kids can go on pony rides for a less intimidating experience from $10. Just be sure to check the weather forecast beforehand as this won’t be available during wet weather or extreme heat to protect the animals.
Image credit: @gallopstablepasirris via Instagram
Over the last few years, cycling has unofficially been declared as the top outdoor activity among Singaporeans. For those without a car, Pasir Ris Beach would be an idyllic space to pedal around without having to worry about taking a taxi – it’s located just a stone’s throw away from Pasir Ris MRT.
Bring along your foldable bike or rent a bicycle to enjoy a waterfront ride along the 3.4km coastal stretch. Along the way, stop by a large playground with climbing nets and flying foxes, or take a break on one of the serene breakwaters.
Else, try birdwatching. You don’t even need a tour guide or expert to lead you to the best viewing points. Just follow the crowd of birdwatching enthusiasts who are always in the area with giant cameras. Apparently, there are owl and parakeet nests near Sungei Api Api Bridge.
You don’t have to resign to looking up to spot a bird or 2. Pasir Ris is home to over 50 free-roaming chickens that have made a home for themselves at the parks and beach here. So even if you don’t manage to catch an elusive feathered friend, chances are, you’ll see a chicken around these parts.
If long-distance cycling is your game, the cycling trails along Pasir Ris Beach continue on to Punggol and Changi, both of which offer plenty more picturesque sights to see.
Some neighbourhoods have the sea, others have ponds. As it turns out, Pasir Ris has both. Located within the 14-hectare Pasir Ris Town Park is D’Best Recreation, the only seawater fishing pond in Singapore. Main ponds, pro ponds, and kelong ponds are some of the many facilities you can find there, alongside alternatives such as prawning.
During our visit, we spotted lots of fishermen with fresh catches ready to be taken home for dinner. There are seasonal events with prizes such as cold hard cash, fishing rods, foldable bikes, and vouchers up for grabs. All you have to do is reel in the heaviest fish.
They will even scale and gut your catch for you to take home for dinner (from $2.50/kg). You can also top-up an additional $1.50 for your catch to be filleted and vacuum-sealed.
Once you’ve done for the day, unwind at the pondside bistro Beer Garden where you can enjoy the soft evening breeze, tipples in hand.
Price: From $61/session
Address: 90 Pasir Ris Central, Pasir Ris Town Park, Singapore 519635
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Opening hours (fishing pond): 9pm-6am, Daily
Contact: 6583 9030 | D’Best Recreation website
Toss roller skating and a disco into a blender and you’ll get Hi Roller. You can find an indoor skating rink in Downtown East, Pasir Ris, with 4-wheel skates, classic bops, and disco lights.
Instead of facing the sweltering hot sun at outdoor skate parks, whizz around in an air-conditioned environment here. Consider it a date-worthy spot since you can take the opportunity to ~hold your bb’s hand ~ for balance, of course!
Price: From $12/2 hours for adults on weekdays. $6 for skate rental.
Address: 1 Pasir Ris Close, Level 5 E!Hub @ Downtown East, Singapore 519599
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 11am-6.30pm | Thu 11am-4pm | Fri 12am-8pm | Sat-Sun 11am-10pm
Contact: 9694 4094 | Hi Roller website
Macritchie’s Treetop Walk isn’t the only place in Singapore where you can catch panoramic views of nature. Within Pasir Ris Park’s Mangrove Boardwalk, find a 3-storey-high bird watching tower inconspicuously located along one of the walking trails.
The climb up would be well worth the cardio. With a little bit of patience, you’ll be able to spot wildlife such as woodpeckers and swallows.
If it’s paranormal activities that pique your interest, swing by at night instead. “You’re not alone” will be more ominous than inspirational with the haunting tales that surround this tower. Take a read about ghost hunting experience at Pasir Ris Park – if you dare.
Address: Pasir Ris Park bird-watching tower on Google Maps
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
The popularity of rock climbing these days is no surprise, seeing that it provides for a full-body workout that’s actually fun. If you’ve been FOMO-ing watching your friends visit rock climbing gyms all over Singapore, there’s one right in your own ‘hood. Upwall Climbing is one such gym that has auto-belay routes where you can scale high walls without having to be certified to do so.
Other than being beginner-friendly, the walls here are kid-friendly as well, with super-easy routes marked out for young ones. Gear such as shoes and harnesses are also available for kids as young as 3 years old.
Stay tuned to Upwall Climbing’s Instagram for promotions such as discounted youth passes and weekday promo rates.
Price: From $20/session or $160/10 sessions
Address: 1 Pasir Ris Close, #01-105 E!Hub@Downtown East, Singapore 519599
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am-10.30pm | Sat & Eve of PH 9.30am-10.30pm | Sun & PH 9.30am-8.30pm
Contact: 8028 7028 | Upwall Climbing website
Image credit: Teo Heng KTV Studio
If you thought Teo Heng was leaving Pasir Ris when it closed down its Downtown East outlet in 2020, think again. The KTV chain is still very much around; they’ve just moved over to White Sands. So yes, karaoke is still on the cards for you and your pals this far East. Hourly rates start from $13 for a small room, which can fit up to 4 people at once.
Address: 1 Pasir Ris Central Street 3, #05-07D White Sands, Singapore 518457
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, Sun 12pm-1am | Sat 12pm-2am
Contact: 6530 3943 | Teo Heng website
We all know the East has some of the best grub in Singapore. Case in point, Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, which is home to a number highly raved stalls:
Ask any Pasir Ris friend for a food recommendation at this hawker centre and you’ll very likely get Wild Olives.
Try their popular Spaghetti Marinara (from $3.20) or Grilled Chicken ($6.60) – the latter comes lightly charred and extra-juicy with unique sides such as mushroom rice and caramelised potatoes.
A testament to their popularity is the queue that never seems to grow shorter; the average wait time is about an hour.
Pro tip: Come at least 15 minutes before opening time to avoid snaking queues.
Image adapted from: J via Google Images
Part of a larger Korean chain, GOPIZZA India Edition is helmed by the winner of MasterChef Singapore 2021, Derek Cheong. This special outlet serves pizzas inspired by Indian cuisine, so expect flavours such as Palak Paneer, Chicken Tikka, and Mushroom Masala as toppings for your pizza.
You can get sides to complement your meal as well. Crispy curried wings ($8.90) and mushroom fritters ($7.90) are popular among residents here.
Image credit: EatBook
If you’ve seen the snaking queues outside their Tanjong Pagar outlet, you would know that O.bba Jjajang’s take on the Chinese-style Korean noodle dish is a definite must-try. Easties can now enjoy their signature black-bean sauce with noodles ($6.80) or rice ($3.60) in their own backyard.
Image credit: EatBook
You can even try a spicy bowl of seafood and noodles ($8.80) or share a side of Korean-style sweet and sour pork ($9.80).
Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre
Address: 110 Pasir Ris Central, Singapore 519641
Wild Olives
Unit: #02-19
Opening hours: 12am-3pm, 5pm-9pm, Daily
Contact: 9684 0689 | Wild Olives website
GOPIZZA India Edition
Unit: #01-19
Opening hours: 11am-9pm, Daily
Contact: 6513 0522 | GOPIZZA website
O.BBa Jjajang Express @ Pasir Ris
Unit: #02-07
Opening hours: 11am-2.30pm, 5pm-8.30pm, Daily
Contact: O.bba Jjajang Express Instagram
Image credit: ActiveSG
You don’t have to go to Wild Wild Wet or Adventure Cove to enjoy some water slides. At Pasir Ris Swimming Complex, enjoy a mini “water park” with slides, water fountains and bucket splashes without having to reach deep into your pockets. Each entry is only $1.50/adult.
Wheelchair-friendly pools, competition pools and wading pools are also available. Just be sure to make a booking on the ActiveSG app before heading down.
Address: 120 Pasir Ris Central, Singapore 519640
Opening hours: Mon, Fri & Sun 8am-9.30pm | Tue, Thu & Sat 6.30am-9.30pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
Contact: 6583 8557 | Pasir Ris Swimming Complex website
Believe it or not, I only found out about Georges after living in the area for 20-odd years. Most wouldn’t bat an eye while passing by the unassuming pub, but enter and you may be swept away by its swell waterfront views and relaxed atmosphere.
Pick a seat along one of the benches nearest to the water for unblocked views of Pulau Ubin and cargo boats chugging by. Menu-wise, find classic bar grub such as sliders (from $16.90) and sharing platters ($58.90), alongside a page full of cocktails (from $9.60), shooters (from $6.40), beer on tap (from $8), and spirits (from $8).
Address: 133 Pasir Ris Road, Singapore 519149
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 3pm-11pm | Fri & Eve of PH 12pm-12am | Sat 9am-12am | Sun & PH 9am-11pm
Contact: 6585 0535 | Georges website
Yep, this is Pasir Ris – not Bali. Water biking is one of the newest water sports in Singapore and you can give it a shot at Waterbike SG. Think cycling, but cooler. Take a seat on one of the catamaran-shaped floating bikes, and explore the Eastern shoreline.
In case anyone needs to know, the chances of capsizing is very low so you won’t have to worry about being drenched in seawater by the end of your session. Nevertheless, riders will get a life vest for safety, along with a walkie talkie for communication.
Right on the edge of the town is Pasir Ris Farmway. It’s now much smaller than it used to be but there are still plenty of fish farms in store that will thrill aquarium enthusiasts and kids alike.
Mainland Tropical Fish Farm is one of the best spots for families to visit thanks to its variety of activities. Most notably, you can feed a wide variety of fish from koi to the giant Arapaima Gigas which are the largest freshwater fish in the world.
Go on, say our neighbourhood is only known for chalets and BMT book-ins. Pasir Ris folks will gladly fight back to flaunt the many attractions of the area. ‘Cuz hey, where else can you find 2 water parks, a rock gym, beach, and indoor roller skating rink all within 1 neighbourhood?
Those are just the tip of the iceberg too since Pasir Ris has another mall that is still under construction. There’ll be plenty to make the trip down to the end of the East-West Line worth the journey.
For more neighbourhood guides:
Photography by Li Haiyang.
Cover image adapted from: Eatbook
Originally published on 21st February 2022. Last updated by Nicholas Ong on 13th November 2023.
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