Changi was famous for its coconut plantations in the 1800s. By 1845, Changi Point was already a fashionable retreat for picnics and beach parties. At Changi Village, also known as 14
1/2 milestone Changi Road, prior to World War II, many facilities sprouted to serve the British officers and families of the Royal Air Force.
Now, Changi Village is still a rustic village at the eastern corner of Singapore where the tallest building is barely five storey high due to the close proximity to Changi airport. If you walk along Changi Beach closer towards Nicol Drive, you can see and hear how low the planes are flying toward the runway. If you compared to the glitzy downtown areas of Marina Bay, Orchard Road or the Central Business District, you will be amazed how different Changi Village is.
The place is calm and have a kampong feel. Where every weekend you will see long line at some nasi lemak stalls at the big Changi Village
hawker or food centre. The
hawker centre is big and comprises of blocks 2 and 3 at Changi Village Road. You will see long lines during weekday lunchtime too, especially from people working near Changi Point and Loyang.
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Nasi lemak
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As you turn left or right into Changi Village depending if come via Loyang Avenue or Telok Paku Road, you will pass by a Hindu temple before you turn to a long stretch of shophouses on both sides selling mostly food, and then the main focal point, the hawker centre which is just by the bus terminal.
Changi Village is also place where you can get a sweet and tasty
chendol Melaka for around $2 at Makan Melaka located at the row of shophouses next to the hawker centre. And you can hop into a bumboat to
Pulau Ubin at Changi Point Ferry Terminal for only $4 each way or for $8 two-ways (well it used to be $3, but those days are gone).
This ferry terminal provides services not to only to
Pulau Ubin but also to Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia. However, if you plan to go to Pengerang you will need to carry along your passport. The bumboat to
Pulau Ubin looks like a kampong or village fishing boat. Which is really cool.
Pulau means Island in Malay.
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| Blocks 2 and 3, Changi Village |
There are actually a few ferry terminals at or near Changi, the other two being Changi Ferry Terminal and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Changi Ferry Terminal serves ferry to Tanjong Belungkor, near Desaru, in Johor. Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal serves ferries to Batam and Bintan in Indonesia.
These ferry terminals are further east of Changi Point after SAF Ferry Terminal. SAF Ferry Terminal is for the armed forces and therefore out of bound to the public. Visitors can sometimes get confused between Changi Point Ferry Terminal and Changi Ferry Terminal. Note: with Covid-19, ferries to Malaysia and Indonesia may not be running.
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| Changi Point. Ubin and Malaysia in the background |
Known locally as Changel Pasir or Chengal Mata Kuching, the Hopea Sangal is thought to be the tree that gave the Changi area its name. Once common in the area, this valued hardwood was believed to be extinct until a surviving tree was discovered in 2002. For 150 years, that tree withstood the forces of nature, witnessed the tragedies of World War II and the birth of the nation only to be illegally cut down by developers in November 2002, just few months after it was discovered.
Fortunately, before the illegal felling, seeds were collected from the tree. Some of the seedlings was planted here producing a new Hopea Sangal. A sapling was also presented to the Singapore Zoo. There was once a legendary very tall 'Changi Tree', Sindora wallichii at Changi that was removed by the British during WWII to prevent the Japanese from using it as a marker to aim their guns.
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| Changi Point Boardwalk |
You can find a sample of Sindora wallichii outside the entrance of
Changi Museum along Upper Changi Road North. 'Changi Tree' is not to be confused with Hopea Sangal, though apparently at Changi Museum it has now replace hopea Sangal by the 'New Changi Tree', after the legendary marker tree. Confusing, isn't it? Maybe this new Changi Tree will grow up to 40m tall!
The scenic coastal walk starts from behind the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. It is not really a long trail, approximately 2.2km and the trail is generally flat so is suitable for all. The walking trail at Changi is part of the larger Eastern Region's 35km Park Connector Network or PCN for short. You can take a stroll along this scenic coastline that hugs along the northern part of Changi Point.
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| Changi Point Boardwalk |
As you walk along the boardwalk you will see signs pointing to the various cliffs or scenic spots, amongst the greeneries while enjoying a breaking view of the open sea. You may spot signs pointing to Beach Walk, Cliff Walk, Creek Walk, Sailing Point Walk and Kelong Walk.
Kelong is a local lingo roughly to mean a wooden fishing platform. There are not many
kelongs left in urban Singapore. To experience
kelong life most will head to Malaysia.
If you are into history, especially military history, there are storyboards along the boardwalk and trail showing some significant landmarks of yesteryear, though to get to some of these buildings you will need to walk a bit out of the trail, but they are not that far away.
You will see storyboards about 42 Hendon Road which was the Headquarters of the British Royal Engineers, and about 52 and 53 Biggin Hill, formerly the married quarters for the British forces stationed at Battery Hills. And Changi Country Club (Civil Service Club) was formerly the Transit Hotel where the Royal Air Force (RAF) officers would have breakfast before taking off.
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| Kelong Walk and Cliff Walk signposts. |
In 1926, the British army made plans to build a military base for artillery batteries to protect Singapore’s eastern front along the Johor Straits. Construction of the military administrative buildings, barracks, residences and other amenities for military personnel began in 1927. The siting and design of the buildings blend with the hilly terrain and the surroundings greenery as well as offering views of the sea.
During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, the Changi area and barracks were used as prisoner-of-war (POW) camp, with many of the interned put to work by the Japanese to build a nearby air strip as part of their airbase. From 17 February, over 40,000 Prisoners-of-War (POWs) were held in the various camps in Changi. After the war, the returning British military had the airstrip strengthened with the help of Japanese surrendered personnel for use by heavy military transport aircraft. Ironic indeed.
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| Changi Point coastal walk. |
Probably the most intriguing for many is the former Changi Hospital, built in the 1930s, which was formerly the RAF Hospital. Till today, this hospital is thought to hold many supernatural stories. Block 24 Halton Road was amongst the first military barracks in Changi Point. Halton Road was formerly Battery Hill.
The RAF established a hospital in 1947, RAF Changi Hospital, in the RAF Station Sick Quarters at Block 37 and a converted Block 24. Blocks 24 and 37 were built in the 1930s. Block 37 was part of the Kitchener Barracks. In 1962, the hospital added a six-Storey Block 161 to link Blocks 24 and 37.
The RAF hospital continued to operate as Australia, New Zealand and UK (ANZUK) Military Hospital until the disbandment of the ANZUK arrangements in 1975. It then operated briefly as UK Military Hospital. In 1976, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) took over the hospital as SAF Hospital, running it for six months before it was transferred to the Ministry of Health, who had it merged with the nearby Changi Chalet Hospital (set up in 1974) as Changi Hospital. The hospital closed in early 1997.
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| Blocks 24 and 161, Old Changi Hospital |
The current Changi Hospital is in Simei. The quiet and calm area around Halton Road is now teeming with wild oriental pied hornbills, especially great for nature enthusiasts. You may see the occasional nature photographers around the area with their zoom cameras.
Kitchener Barracks is not to be confused with Roberts Barracks, which is now part of Changi Air Base. Roberts Barracks is where POW Stanley Warren painted a series of five murals like the Last Supper and The Nativity. Roberts Barracks was converted to POW Hospital during WWII. A replica murals and chapel can be found at
Changi Museum and Chapel, near Selarang Barracks.
For those who wants a glimpse of The Old Changi Hospital, which is now abandoned and fenced, it is about 15-minute walk from Changi Village Food Centre. Walk towards Changi Sailing Club, along Netheravon Road, then to Sealand Road on the left (before Changi Sailing Club, formerly RAF Yacht Club), and continue to Halton Road on the right. Netharavon Road is a long stretch of road, you can walk all the way towards Cranwell Road, Hendon Road and Fairy Point to admire some former military barracks or bungalows.
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| The Finger |
Many of these former military barracks have been rented into commercial use or turned into holiday chalets. Some of them are abandoned and fenced up, due to being structurally unsafe. Hopefully these former barracks can be retained for their historical value.
Though if all you want is to chill by the beach, the long stretch of sandy Changi Beach is an excellent place to stroll and perhaps have a dip in in the open sea too. There are showering facilities at the beach. And if you are hungry, well, Changi Village will not be short of choices. While at Changi Point, check out a huge sculpture of a finger pointing to the sky. The finger sculpture is titled Inscription of the Island, and which was sculpted by Mr. Lim Soon Ngee. This super large left hand was first displayed on the lawn in front of the Singapore Art Museum along Bras Basah Road.
Intertidal walks during low tides to admire marine creatures are gaining traction here and some parts of Changi Beaches can get pretty crowded during weekends with families bringing shovels to collect some real samples. It is best to admire these marine creatures from far and leave them alone so that the ecosystem and biodiversity are not disturbed and for others to admire nature as well.
Other than admiring the calm sea, for activities there is a bike rental station where you can rent a bike and ride around the beach or return it to another station at other parks connected by the PCN. The bike rental is about $6 to $8 per hour depending on type. There are children's playgrounds and
outdoor fitness station, both of which are free. Changi Point and the beach is indeed very family friendly areas. You can also do some sea sports like kayaking. There is a sea sports club at the beach where you can rent a kayak.
You can sometimes spot groups of otters swimming in the sea quite close to the beach. Otters are quite common sighting all over Singapore. Along the beach east of Changi Point you can find plane watchers admiring low flying planes as the jets made its way towards Changi Airport runway.
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| Plane watching at Changi Beach |
The sight and sound of low flying jets can be quite a spectacle though it can startle the otters swimming there. Changi Beach is also popular spot for anglers trying to catch some fish. Changi Village is also where you can find fish accessories shops.
Apart from the Changi area being used as POW internment camps, the beach of Changi holds some dark history where Sook Ching Massacre took place during WWII. There is a plaque commemorating the Changi Beach massacre that took place in February 1942. during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. The history of POW and the darkest days of Singapore can be found at
Changi Museum and Chapel.
Some may just want to head to Charlie's Corner for fish and chips. Whatever you are looking for, Changi Point has it all especially if you are looking for the beach, nature, kampong vibe and nasi lemak. Or looking for some supernatural stuffs at the former Changi Hospital :).
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| Bike rental station |
There is a competition where the authorities is looking for ideas what to do with the Old Changi Hospital. Perhaps it is best to leave it alone with all its mysteries and almost century long histories.
How do you get to Changi Village? The easiest way is to take the MRT blue line to Upper Changi MRT Station, then take bus number 2 outside Exit A, which will bring you all the way to the bus terminal in front of the food centre. How convenient is that. The future Loyang MRT Station may bring you even closer. Just hope the tranquility remains once a new MRT station opens in few years' time.
The same bus no. 2 also passes by
Changi Museum and Chapel if you are into WWII history. The museum entry is free for locals, and a minimal fee of $5 for foreign visitors.
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