Did you know that you can find a wave pool, lazy river, tower slide, Bali-esque Spa, a rooftop hipster café, pottery studio, flight simulator and drone classes in Bukit Batok? While the Easties may disagree, we give you the reasons why the West may be the place to be for kids and families.
Bukit Batok might be known for attractions like Little Guilin, Former Ford Factory, fun playgrounds but did you know about its hidden rooftop café, a club that brings you resort feels in Phuket and Bali, and that it has a wave pool?
Read on for more about how to spend a full day in the West side of Singapore that might turn out to be a fantastic family-centric experience.
It’s not Bali, it’s Bukit Batok: Exploring Bukit Batok with Kids
Feeling those post-vacation blues? Fret not, heading to Bukit Batok will whisk you away to a lush greenery like Bali in no time.
Surrounded by hills and greenery, the Bukit Batok town is flanked by Bukit Batok Nature Park, Bukit Batok Hill, Bukit Gombak’s Little Guilin. It feels different from the busyness of urban living with hilly terrain and even gems in the neighbourhood.
The Best “Water Park” in Bukit Batok
The pool at Civil Service Club Bukit Batok is clearly in a league of its own. It was so enticing that I decided to join the kids in their pool time rather than watch them from afar. My 10 and 13 year old also declared that they will be back to use the pool, and beckoned their parents to sign up for the CSC membership pronto.
First of all, the pool is surrounded by lush foliage, as with the rest of the club. It certainly felt like we were in a resort rather than a developed town in Singapore.
Need a midday retreat? Just check into the pool at CSC Bukit Batok!
The wave pool is what will draw the oohs and aaahs. The wave comes on hourly from 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm during the school holidays. Bobbing up and down along with the waves was definitely the highlight for the boys.
For a slower pace, head to the lazy river and float down on one of the floats you can rent at $3. Do bring cash just for this. And don’t return until you try the next activity – the Slide Tower!
Feel the adrenaline at the 8.6-metre high slide tower! It opens daily at 5 pm and requires riders to take their floats to the top and slide down. Sadly we did not manage to experience this due to the lightning alert, but we will be back just to try this slide.
Other fun parts of the pool include the water playground which is great for younger children, the jacuzzi pool, lap pool, and a shorter slide.
Spa Time at a “Beachside Resort”
To get some reprieve from the stresses of life and the aches of ageing bodies, you can certainly go on a spa retreat as if you were in Bali.
Since CSC Bukit Batok is built atop a hill, the terrain is beautifully landscaped just like a luxurious resort with plenty of tropical greens and ponds.
In the same vein, The Ultimate Spa at CSC Bukit Batok has hilltop pavilions that take guests to a picturesque haven surrounded by foliage. Treatments (aside from facial treatments) can be done at the pavilions. The sounds of the pool nearby and the birds chirping made us forget that we were still in Singapore for a while.
My bestie and I enjoyed a massage and aromatherapy facial respectively. The therapists were experienced, assuring and ensuring we had a thoroughly comfortable and rejuvenating experience.
Worry not if you wonder what the kids can be engaged in while the adults are having spa time.
Pottery Workshops, Drone & Flight Simulator Tryouts
Children can participate in a whole range of programmes at CSC @ Bukit Batok from pottery workshops (for 12 and above) to drone and flight simulator exposure, rollerblading, outdoor agility workshops and more.
Learning Patience at Pottery
We tried the one-hour wheel-throwing workshop at Wei Chuan Pottery Studio and found it to be therapeutic fun for the family. We learnt how tough it was to maintain steady fingers to shape the clay.
This forced us to slow down and keep persisting while instructor Wei Chuan patiently guided us and helped mould our pieces deftly.
We can’t wait for the finished pieces – fired and glazed!
Flight Simulator & Drone-building Workshops
Kids and tweens can also join the Little Rangers Club which is located right next to the pool. It organises a huge variety of programmes such as multi-sport camps, multi-activity camps, even a flight simulator experience and build-a-drone workshop.
From my tween and teen’s perspectives, it was an enriching time learning more about drones from building to flying. Their favourite bit was of course the flight simulator since it was a rare opportunity to learn the beauty of flight.
They learnt how to manoeuvre a small plane via its rudders, wing flaps and other controls while I had a relaxing time at the Ultimate Spa.
A Rooftop Café Hidden in an Industrial Building
Good things are usually hidden out of sight. In this case, it is hidden on the top floor of an industrial building in Hillview.
We went for lunch a stone’s throw away from Bukit Batok Central at CoExist Coffee. It turned out to be a sumptuous lunch paired with thirst-quenching drinks, plus an added bonus of awesome 360-degree views of the surrounding greenery.
Hungry from our activities at CSC @ Bukit Batok, we eagerly tucked into pasta mains, CoExist breakfast and Chilli Crab Shakshuka. They were all well-cooked and perfectly flavoured.
I loved the fusion of the chilli crab sauce paired with man tou served in Shakshuka style, topped with a deep-fried soft shell crab. After a hearty meal, we continued our adventure in Bukit Batok.
Revisiting Wartime at Former Ford Factory
The Former Ford Factory was the site of the British surrender to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. Besides stepping into the room where the surrender documents were signed, families can visit the exhibition providing a glimpse into events which are forever scarred into our collective memory: the Sook Ching and life in the prisoner-of-war camps. A visit to the Former Ford Factory is a chance to both learn and reflect.
Admission is free for Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and children below 6.
A Fruitful Day Out at Bukit Batok
Little did we know that Bukit Batok is a treasure trove of family-friendly places. Our appreciation goes out to CSC @ Bukit Batok for hosting us at their Bali-esque club and planning the itinerary for a fun-filled time.
You can refer to this playbook for more suggestions on spending a weekend or a day off at CSC @ Bukit Batok and its surrounds.
Keen to explore other lesser-known neighbourhoods in Singapore, you might want to venture to Farrer Park as well.
Accessible Civil Service Club Membership that is Open to the Public
Here is an additional tip: Civil Service Clubs are not just open to civil servants; they are open to the public for memberships as well. Membership rates start at $72 per year for civil servants and $300 per year for non-civil service staff.
Free supplementary memberships apply to families of members – children, spouses, parents and in-laws! For just one fee, there is access to all three clubhouses across the island.
There are four locations: Tessensohn, Bukit Batok, Changi and Loyang.
Members get preferential rates at various club facilities, free use of the pool, and gym as well as lower rates when booking chalets and other amenities like BBQ pits. More details can be found on the CSC website.
Media invite
