I’ve always wanted to cycle to as many nature parks and gardens in Singapore as I possibly can. Whenever I have enough time and energy, I try to set myself a simple goal of visiting at least one garden or nature park in a week. So last Sunday, I finally decided to take on another little cycling challenge—riding all the way from my home to Chinese Garden!
I’ve been to Chinese Garden many times before, but I had never actually cycled there directly from my house. One of the reasons is simply the distance. It is quite far from where I stay, and the route going there can also be a little tricky.
Still, I wanted to make it happen at least once. I always believe that a route feels difficult during the first attempt, but once I become familiar with it, everything becomes much easier.
I left home at around 5:30 PM, and after a long cycling session, I finally reached Chinese Garden at almost 7:00 PM. As soon as I saw the Chinese Garden MRT station, I felt relieved because I knew that my destination was only a short distance away.
Finally, I made it!
I was also happy to see that there was still some warm sunlight left in the sky. My original plan was to arrive at around 6:30 PM so I would have enough time to prepare, explore, and capture the transition into blue hour. Unfortunately, I arrived about 30 minutes later than planned.
That was probably the frustrating part of this adventure. After cycling such a long distance, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have much daylight left for photography!
But anyway, I was already there, so I had to make the most of it.
One of the first subjects that caught my attention was the Cloud Pagoda. With the warm evening sky behind it, it looked especially beautiful. Of course, I also had to take a photo of my bicycle together with the pagoda. That photo became my little proof that I had actually managed to cycle all the way here LOL.
Bringing my own bicycle turned out to be very useful because Chinese Garden is huge. Since cycling is allowed around many parts of the garden, I was able to move quickly from one area to another. Within just 10 to 15 minutes, I managed to cover several spots and take plenty of photos.
I stopped by the Lotus Pond, where the calm water, traditional architecture, and warm evening sky created such a peaceful scene. It was one of those moments where I almost forgot that I was still somewhere inside a busy city.
I also passed by the Bonsai Garden, although unfortunately it was already closed by then. I couldn’t help thinking that if I had arrived just 30 minutes earlier, I probably could have explored it too.
Nearby, I noticed an ice cream and drink shop that seemed very popular. Even though it was already evening, there were still plenty of people queueing. Considering Singapore’s warm weather, having an ice cream shop inside such a huge garden actually makes perfect sense!
Before ending my visit, I continued toward the Japanese Garden. I really enjoyed the serenity of this area. There is something calming about Japanese garden design—the landscaping feels organized, minimalist, and beautifully balanced without needing to be overly complicated.
Even though I arrived later than planned, I’m still happy that I completed this cycling adventure. More than the photos, reaching Chinese Garden using my own bicycle felt like another small accomplishment in my journey of exploring Singapore one ride at a time.
