Camping in Singapore at East Coast Park: getting a permit

How can a foreigner get a camping permit in Singapore? How did we get permission (a permit) for 4 days of camping in East Coast Park, and where in Singapore can you stay with a tent for free?

The internet is full of information (incorrect) saying that to get a permit, all you need to do is apply on the website of Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks) and the permit is yours. But no, on this website, as at all the AXS terminals in the city, a permit can be obtained only by residents of Singapore who have documents like an NRIC (passport) or a FIN (residence permit).

Foreigners, however, have to get a permit manually by sending a request (in English!) to the email address of the National Parks Board — NPARKS_Public_Affairs@nparks.gov.sg, or specifically to this fellow — SEPH_TAN@nparks.gov.sg (as of February 2016, he was the one handling these matters). In reply, they will send you a form to fill out the permit application. Send your request in advance! The response time is a week, although we got our reply the next day.

This is what a camping permit in Singapore looks like:

Terms and conditions for park use attached to a camping permit, Singapore — Camping permit in Singapore

Camping etiquette rules from Singapore's National Parks Board — Camping permit in Singapore

Letter granting camping permission in East Coast Park, Singapore — Camping permit in Singapore

Once your application is approved, you need to go to the office of the National Parks Board to get the paper permit, showing your passports. The office is in East Coast Park, right here (a 30-minute walk from camping area D):

After getting the permit, the most logical thing to do is head to area D of the park and pitch your tent there. On the grounds of the area D campground there are restrooms, showers, a few small shops, and a Burger King. All tap water in Singapore is officially drinkable. The sea is nice — it's pleasant to swim. Overall, our stay at the campground left us with good feelings — it was quite comfortable and peaceful. And considering the prices for accommodation in Singapore, very economical. We left our things in the tent for the whole day and went out walking. There's nothing to be afraid of, it seems to us — the city is steeped in an atmosphere of safety and a fear of breaking the rules. There are cameras everywhere — nobody is going to get into your tent.

The campground itself is located here (use maps.me):

The campground in Singapore (area D of East Coast Park) is located on the seashore, a 10-minute walk from the bus stop and 30 minutes from Kembangan metro station.

And here's a short video we made from our trip around Singapore:

From the diary · 2016

On February 24, Singapore greeted us with rain: it poured almost all day and only occasionally stopped for a short while, but that didn't keep us from walking around the city. We spent the first nights in a cheap hostel and moved to the campground toward the end.

The center is a concrete jungle. And so many office people here! Men in white shirts and trousers, women in strict business dresses, and everyone so serious — Asians and Europeans alike. They sit in cafés and discuss business with knowing looks.

Concrete jungle

We stopped by Chinatown, the Chinese quarter — and there's also Little India. By evening we were so worn out that we nearly fell asleep right on a bench on the waterfront.

The Merlion, the symbol of Singapore: the head of a lion, the body of a fish

On the morning of February 25, we walked around Sentosa — a small island with an amusement park, a water park, hotels, and beaches. You can get there by train, ride up on a funicular, or simply walk across the bridge — we chose the bridge. Everything on the island was very expensive, so we skipped the museums and rides and made do with a walk.

White wings on a red wall

The island also has the southernmost point of continental Asia — here's the view from it. And here we finally found a clean beach with clear water; the head in the sea in the photo is Pavel.

View from the southernmost point of continental Asia and Sentosa's clean beach

A little about prices: a lunch like this cost 10 Singapore dollars in 2016, about 7 US dollars.

Lunch for 10 Singapore dollars, 2016

In the evening we walked around the city and watched the famous laser show on the Marina Bay waterfront. The fountain show in Kuala Lumpur was simpler but impressed us more.

It's clean here, although here and there you still come across cigarette butts, bits of paper, and plastic bags. The cleanliness even seems unnatural — especially in Little India: it's crowded, yet there's no trash and nothing smells. We didn't test what happens if you drop a piece of paper: the fine for littering here is hefty. We didn't see a single police officer, but there are cameras, though not everywhere — or maybe we just didn't notice them. A lot has been built, and very neatly, but it all feels somehow artificial, soulless. On the other hand, there's plenty of greenery — whole parks.

On February 26, our last day, we pitched our tent at the campground by the sea and went to the futuristic Gardens by the Bay. In the evening they're beautifully lit up, but we were very tired and didn't wait for dark.

Gardens by the Bay

The next morning started out pretty well.

View from the tent and the next morning

Why do the paths here wind instead of running straight? Straight ones aren't good feng shui: they're believed to attract negative energy.

A path laid out according to feng shui

On February 27, we flew out to Jakarta, and finally — a little about the airport. One installation is hard to tear yourself away from: drop-shaped weights smoothly descend and rise, forming different shapes.

Drops at the airport

You can't bring ninja stars on the plane — that's exactly what it says on the display case of prohibited items.

Ninja stars are on the prohibited list

Check-in for flights here is self-service and without lines. You walk up to one of the many terminals, scan your passport, and a boarding pass is printed. You put your luggage down, scan the pass, get a tag, stick it on your bag yourself, and the luggage rides off to be loaded. All the airport staff have to do is check your documents. And while you wait for your flight, you can play something.

from Alexandra's diary

Camping in Singapore at East Coast Park: getting a permit

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