Flanked by Pandan Gardens, Pandan Loop and Jurong Industrial Park, Pandan Reservoir is a spot for joggers, cyclists and anglers to hang out. Pandan Reservoir was formed by enclosing the swamps of the Sungei Pandan estuary.
In the past, Sungei Pandan used to be home to many prawn farms until the sixties. Water sports facilities were added to the reservoir and many sports like kayaking, rowing, sport fishing are held there. You can also see fringes of mangroves at the mouth of Sungei Pandan.
Pandan Reservoir is also connected to the Ulu Pandan Park Connector via Pandan Garden Park Connector, and you can also find your way down to West Coast Park from here.
Pandan Reservoir: A Picturesque and Tranquil Reservoir
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Pandan Reservoir is the only elevated reservoir in Singapore. While it is a quieter spot, there are still plenty of things to do.
Water Sports Centre and Other Amenities
It has a viewing deck plus a Water Sports Centre. For easy access on bicycles or scooters, we suggest entering Pandan Reservoir from the Amenities/Water Sports centre.
This building is located at the northwestern corner of the reservoir. This is close to the HDB flats at Teban Gardens. The building even stays lit up into the evening.
When you are there, you may even be able to spot kayakers playing sports.
This is typically done in one of the pens just beside the Water Sports Centre.
There are also two fishing decks. One can be found along Penjuru Road on the western banks of the reservoir while the second is located on the northern shore along West Coast Road.
In addition, there is a remote controlled boat area – however, we have never seen anyone actually operating remote controlled boats at Pandan Reservoir.
The only washrooms around Pandan Reservoir are also located at the Amenities/Water Sports centre. The carpark here is also the one closest to the reservoir.
Walking around Pandan Reservoir
Joggers who take the complete route around the Pandan Reservoir will complete a loop of 6 km on the gravel path.
Even though it is marked out as being 6 km, with stone markers by the foot path, it feels longer than 6 km. Perhaps, this is because of the rather open terrain with few landmarks that you can relate to as you walk along the levee of the reservoir. When we used a GPS watch to track the distance, it said that the entire round was about 6.7 km. Whatever the case, we would allocate around 1.5 hours to take a walk around the reservoir.
The walk around Pandan Reservoir can be rather pleasant in the early hours of the morning and late afternoons, however there isn’t much shade for the rest of the day.
There are lights along the trail in case you prefer to take a walk in the evening.
It is very open along the trail that circles the waters of the reservoir. Surprisingly, there are only two or three shelters along the way. These are found on the eastern side of the reservoir. The lack of shelters means that if the weather becomes inclement, you will have to scramble to find a place for shelter.
Enjoying the Openness
Nonetheless, what makes it unique is the open-ness of the surroundings – a rare sight in Singapore. Little wonder that people are seated at the decks throughout the day just admiring how calm the waters are.
As you stroll, jog or cycle on the track, don’t forget to smell the flowers. You may be able to find Morning Glories lining the bank of the reservoir and the pink flowers are lovely to behold.
If you are lucky, you might even see some wildlife such as otters, monitor lizards, soaring raptors and flying egrets. Usually, there are also swiftlets that swoop about above the water of the reservoir.
Spot the Pandan River
Right next to the Reservoir is a huge canal also known as Pandan River. This leads all the way to West Coast. It seems like a popular route for cyclists to take as the cycling path is flat and even. This could also be an alternative cycling path to the reservoir for younger children still learning to cycle or scoot.
Pandan River leads all the way out to the coast and where it joins the sea next to West Coast Park, around the Marshland Boardwalk.
Before You Visit Pandan Reservoir
Don’t forget to bring lots of water and wear a hat since there isn’t much shade.
Also, do take note that there may be fogging going on so as to reduce the midge infestations.
On weekends, you may also find many workers from the industrial areas in Jurong out along the banks of the reservoir, enjoying the view and the sense of openness too.
It also appears that there is construction going on along West Coast Road on the northern edge of the reservoir. This looks like an extension to West Coast Highway.
Across West Coast Road, you will also find the Teban Gardens estate. This includes the Teban Neighbourhood Park where there are some playgrounds. It is also is not too far to get to Pandan Gardens where the World of Blocks indoor playground is located at the PeopleUp Sports and Enrichment Hub.
The next time that you are looking for a lesser known spot in the West to pay a visit, you may wish to consider visiting Pandan Gardens and taking a stroller along the elevated path.
