Coney Island Park

just 3 kilometers away from where i live, there is this little stretch of land called coney island park that apparently became an instagram fad in singapore when it opened. i've been to the punggol promenade quite a few times, mostly cycling around the park with lovro, and i've seen the entrance and read about what's inside. there's something about it being too popular that put me off, but having lived in punggol for about 2 years now, i've decided it's high time for a visit. 

largely undeveloped, the island is a favorite for those seeking a rustic nature walk experience especially since it does not have electricity and there are no vending machines or stalls or any other conveniences. the park closes at 7pm.

the gate in punggol promenade side is the west entrance to the island, and it is a long stretch of about a 2.4 km walk to get to the east entrance on pasir ris side, exiting towards lorong halus.

there is a 'main path' that is most convenient for those walking with kids on prams or cycling or using scooters. i opted to stay solely on the earth track for a more exciting walk, and to also explore the beach.

the park is populated by a good number of casuarina trees, and this area (as shown above) that was cleared for a make-shift playground of sort is called casuarina exploratory. they also use timber from these trees to make signage, benches and what-not throughout the island. 

the park also has several of these things called bird hide. it was meant to provide some cover for visitors who want to look up and watch birds, so as not to disrupt them. i didn't see any of the colorful and beautiful birds that reside here, maybe if i did hide in one of those..

as i walk towards the first beach viewing area, a curious creature cut me off. i tried to stalk it for a minute and lost sight of it. luckily i found it again, climbing up a tree. i looked it up on nparks flora-and-fauna web and it seems to be called green crested lizard, though it changes color when threatened. probably why its upper half was fire-orange when i took this photo. 

there were signs near the beach viewing area warning visitors of sand flies. i knew about this and yet i didn't really wear long pants. it wasn't so bad, because i didn't spend a lot of time on the beach. i did walk to all the beach viewing areas though.

if you're on the beach you would notice an island on the opposite side. that is pulau ubin, another area that for the love of my 12-year residence in singapore, i have not yet visited. it's in my calendar for october. what i don't understand though, is why there is no ferry service from punggol jetty to pulau ubin, and you'd have to take one all the way from changi point ferry, when you can clearly just swim your way to it from this side. okay, maybe swim if you're an ironman of sorts. perhaps by kayak, for someone like me.  

the walk along coney island park was quite an easy one and so even with all the stops for photographs and just looking about, i managed to get to the other end after almost an hour and a half. walking towards the east entrance, one exits to lorong halus which is another park connection on pasir ris side. i contemplated on walking through the wetlands but was too lazy to try to figure out my way back home. haha. 

side story: i have an obsession with touching these plants called touch-me-not :) for the uninitiated, these plants close when they are touched or shook. reading up as to why the plant has such behavior, it seems that this process of folding/closing leaves cost the plant a lot of energy. luckily, plants do not have nerve endings that cause them pain. otherwise, all of us guilty of this habit are practically touch-me-not sadists! :-D

normally, i don't stop until all of the leaves close. but i stumbled upon shrubs and shrubs of touch-me-nots. it's just impossible to play with them all! that was probably a good thing, otherwise i would look like a total idiot trying to trample endlessly on these poor things. they win, this time.

anyway, since it was getting dark and the thought of having to figure out my way back home if i complete the walk all the way to the wetlands has led to the decision to walk back to the west entrance. to speed things up, i stayed on the main path this time. it was mildly breezy and so it was quite enjoyable. lots of families were walking or cycling their way back to the punggol side as well. it is very likely that these folks would end up in the row of restaurants along punggol promenade.

verdict: it was a nice, easy walk, perfect if you prefer to be surrounded by other people because it's quite a popular trail. however if you are looking for something more challenging with inclines and steps, then you might find this too easy. nevertheless it's a good way to get your 10,000 steps for a day.