Sembawang Hot Spring Park is a uniquely charming spot where anyone can gain access to and enjoy mainland Singapore’s only hot spring. Relax and soak your feet in the Cascading Pool or cook your own hot spring egg at this off-the-beaten-track park where geothermal energy keeps the water piping hot.
History of Sembawang Hot Spring Park
The spring at Sembawang was discovered by a Municipal ranger in 1908 and at the time of discovery, the land was owned by a Chinese merchant Seah Eng Keow.
The merchant sent samples of the spring water to Europe for testing, hoping to capitalise on this and established Singapore Hot Springs Limited. In 1909, a plant was built to bottle the water and also touted as a tourist attraction.
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In 1921, Fraser & Neave (F&N) bought over the company and concocted recipes using the spring water naming it “Zom” and “Vichy”. A modern plant was then built later to improve production.
During the Japanese Occupation, Sembawang Hot Spring became a recreational area for the soldiers as they became thermal baths. However it was damaged in 1944 due to an allied bombing.
After the war, the bottling at the spring resumed in the 1960s.
In 2002, pipes were built to bring up the spring water. In 2018, National Parks Board redeveloped the site turning it into the Sembawang Hot Spring Park, which opened in January 2020. When the pandemic hit, it was once again closed before reopening in December 2021.
Visiting Sembawang Hot Spring Park: Good to Know
Planning a visit to Sembawang Hot Spring Park? Before you head down, there are three things that are good to know.
Firstly, you will probably be able to smell it before you see it.
The hot spring water has a sulphur smell, which some describe as the smell of rotten eggs – it is truly a multi-sensory experience!
Also, the hot spring water comes out at 70 degree Celcius, so it is hot! You can literally see steam coming off the water’s surface. If visiting with kids, be sure to supervise them to avoid them getting scalded by the hot water.
Lastly, the hot spring area of the park is only open from 7 am to 7 pm, so time your visit accordingly.
Okay, with that out of the way, here are some useful things to know about what you can expect to do at Sembawang Hot Spring Park.
Things to Do at Sembawang Hot Spring Park
1. Cascading Pool
The centrepiece of Sembawang Hot Spring Park is a Cascading Pool. At the Cascading Pool, the 70 degree Celsius water is cooled through a series of pools which bring the temperature down to 40 degree Celsius, the recommended temperature for contact with the skin.
Visitors can sit around the edge of the Cascading Pool and soak their feet into the warm hot spring water.
As a courtesy to others, and for hygiene’s sake, wash your feet before soaking them into the Cascading Pool. There is a water point at the park, and that has regular, not piping hot water for this purpose.
Do also remember to wear a hat or bring an umbrella as the pool area is not shaded. It can get scorching hot in the daytime, adding to the heat that you would probably feel while soaking your feet.
There is limited seating at the edge of the Cascading Pool so do be considerate if you find there is a long queue of people waiting to also enjoy the water.
The water is hot, so be careful when soaking your feet into the pool.
Another point is to remember to bring along a towel to wipe your own feet after having a soak in the water.
2. Water Collection Point
If you don’t want to join the communal group of people soaking their feet into the Cascading Pool, or just don’t want to wait for a seat to be available, you can also bring along your own buckets to skip the queueing and create your own foot spa.
Before the 2020 renovation, those who visited the Sembawang Hot Spring will remember the many pipes coming out from the ground where the spring water could be collected.
Nowadays, there is a Water Collection Point. Featuring five taps, the Sembawang Hot Spring Park Water Collection Point continuously streams out the hot spring water.
The taps are located at different heights to make the collection of the water more accessible, even for wheelchair-bound visitors.
You can also collect the water from the Cascading Pools, where you will find water ranging from 45 to 70 degrees Celcius.
There are also several shelters at the park. So you can take the water in a pail there to have a soak too. However, do be considerate and share the space with others.
After you are done with the water, be sure to pour it away in the drain and not on the plants.
3. Egg Cooking Station
The Water Collection Point also doubles up as the Egg Cooking Station. This is a fun activity to do at Sembawang Hot Spring Park, especially with kids.
Eggs are not provided so you will have to bring your own egg-cooking containers, raw eggs and utensils.
It can take around half-an-hour for the eggs to be cooked to a soft-boil in the 70-degree Celcius water; so, a bit of patience is required. Nonetheless, children will be delighted to crack open their own geo-thermally cooked soft boil eggs after the wait!
4. Educational Zone
At the back of the park, there is an Educational Zone for children and families can learn about the hot spring and geology.
A little “play table” is designed for young children to play with the water. However, it was a bit under-maintained when we visited the park recently.
5. Enjoy the Rustic Greenery
Surrounding the hot spring, the park’s landscape hints at old kampung life. Interestingly, there was a village in the area called Kampung Ayer Panas which translates to kampung hot water.
Look out for the huge Banyan tree that forms a beautiful backdrop of the pools.
There are also many birds roosting in the trees.
Fruit trees line the path leading up to the spring. Look out for Air Jambu plants, edible plants like lemongrass, pandan, fruit trees like Rambutan and Chiku.
A naturalised stream, flowing from the hot spring, also runs through the park. This provides another play spot for families and children. But do take note that the water here is very warm too!
Visitors will also hear the passing of the helicopters as Sembawang Air Base is a stone’s throw away.
Children who love military transportation will be thrilled to know that they can spot helicopters which fly low enough to take a closer glance, as well as peer into the military camp with many military vehicles parked right next to Sembawang Hot Springs Park.
6. Sembawang Eating House (SEH Cafe @ Hot Spring Park)
There is a Sembawang Eating House or SEH Cafe at the entrance of Sembawang Hot Spring Park.
Here, you can get local drinks such as Kopi O ($1.50), Kopi ($1.50) and Hot Milo ($1.80), along with food such as Kaya Butter Toast ($2) and Soft Boiled Eggs ($2).
The food menu include items such as Egg Fried Rice ($6) and Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice & Egg ($7.90).
The SEH Cafe at Sembawang Hot Spring Park is open from 9 am to 7 pm. It is closed on Mondays, except when the Monday is a Public Holiday. If it is open on the Monday, it will be closed on Tuesday.
Other Amenities at Sembawang Hot Spring Park
There are also restrooms located beside the Sembawang Eating House Cafe.
Inside the disabled restroom, you will find a fold-down diaper changing table.
There is a vending machine at the restroom area.
You will also find water coolers too if you need to top up your bottles.
There is a bike sharing pick-up/drop-off point at the park too.
Sembawang Hot Spring Location And How To Get There
Sembawang Hot Spring Park is a bit tucked away. Located off Gambas Avenue, you will have to take a walk from the main road to the hot spring area. There isn’t a car park at the Park. Instead, the closest car park is at Yishun Ring Road.
Take note that there is quite a lot of construction work going on along Gambas Avenue at the moment.
A point of reference is the major junction between Sembawang Road and Gambas Avenue and Yishun Avenue 7. The entrance to the Sembawang Hot Spring is around 200 metres from that junction.
For those who are travelling northwards along Sembawang Road, a major landmark before you reach the junction is the military base on the left and Chong Pang Market on the right.
For those who are travelling southwards along Sembawang Road, a major landmark before you reach the junction is Sembawang Shopping Centre on the left.
There is no car park at Sembawang Hot Spring Park.
Getting to Sembawang Hot Spring Park by Bus
Instead, to reach the park, the closest bus stops are:
Heading north along Sembawang Road, Bus Stop 57121, opposite Block 115B Yishun Ring Road. Buses which stop here include 167, 167e, 856, 858, 859, 969 and 980.
Heading south along Sembawang Road, Bus Stop 57129, at Block 114 Yishun Ring Road. Buses which stop here include 167, 167e, 800, 811, 811A, 856, 858, 858A, 859, 969 and 980.
Closest Car Park to Sembawang Hot Spring Park
For those who are driving, the closest car park is the open-air car park at Block 114 Yishun Ring Road.
The entrance to this car park is from Yishun Ring Road, not Sembawang Road or Yishun Avenue 7.
Visiting Sembawang Hot Spring Park
Where: Accessible by Gambas Avenue.
There is no car park at the park. The closest car park is at 114 Yishun Ring Road, around 400 metres away.
