By Kiana Koh

I know, I know. Whenever someone brings up the west side of Singapore, it is usually accompanied with sniggers and doubts about it. Approach any teens here and ask them what are some popular venues, and you will get your fair share of Sentosa, Orchard and whatnots. With the new and popular Coney Island in Punggol, the crowd seems to be drifting toward the East side more now. How do we entice the crowd and reintroduce the West side as a place that is far from boring? So saddle up, grab a few buddies because we are going on a journey… to the West.

• I am sure for many of us nature lovers, an amble down the beach soothes us to no end. Picture this; soft fine sand at your feet that stretches out to a curved pathway. On one side, you have grassy fields with the occasional trees and on the other, calming waves to envelop you in serenity. And the name? Tuas Beach. Say what? YES! Tuas has a secret beach that are known to few souls. And when it is not very popular, you are sure to have some peaceful moments over there, which could be hard to get in our fast paced society now. Also, it is a pretty good place to snap some Instagram-worthy photos.

• Take a trip to the Chinese and Japanese garden and get ready to be wowed by the scenic views over there! A perfect place for people to take a break from the hustle and bustle from our daily lives and just bask in the beauty of lush green scenery. It almost feels as if you are being transported back to ancient times, so do remember to bring your camera along!

• Sick of the humid climate here? Hop over t0 Jcube’s Ice Rink to have a blast! The first ever ice rink in the west is rich in entertainment (and not because you get to see others flail around and breakdance in the process of trying to skate.) During festive holidays, the ice rink has special activities to keep everyone on their toes just like the previous Halloween, where there were fogs and monsters on ice! One event they have going on now is their Bumper Cars on ice which helps our non-skater friends out there! Also, some other events to look out for weekly would be the Disco on ice on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:45-11:45pm!

  

• While we’re on the topic of beating the heat, we also have Snow City, a place that many have forgotten. Since November 2015, Snow City has reopened with many more COOL (get it??) and fun activities that caters not only to kids but to adults as well! Some attractions include the Vertigo climbing wall, which is the largest climbing wall in Singapore with varying difficulty levels! Snow City is not only a place for everyone to have fun, but also to educate us about climate change and how we can help.

  

• Let all shopaholics and lazy people (like me) rejoice! Did you know that in Jurong, there are a total of 5 malls?! There is IMM, the outlet mall where you can get even branded bags at a discounted price, there is Jcube, known for the ice rink and JAvenue, JEM, popular amongst parents for the huge playground so their kids can let loose, Westgate for it’s wide selection of food and lastly, Jurong Point. With so many malls in Jurong, everyone will not have to travel far for food, entertainment and shopping!

• Ah, clementi clementi. If I’m being absolutely honest, there isn’t much there, HOWEVER, there’s a quaint little bakery down Sunset Lane that sounds as promising and pleasant as its name. The bakery is a small shop tucked at the end and its name is Balmoral Bakery. The rare times I dragged myself out to sunset lane was just for their scrumptious samosa, which is golden brown in color. It is so crispy and savory and I suggest you stock up on it!! Also equally delicious but on the sweeter side, are their mini colored cupcakes topped with colored beads! I believe there is no need for me to say much more!! Also, the area around the bakery is really peaceful and really pretty during the early evenings! Here’s what the bakery looks like.

  

Go forth adventurers, never have a boring weekend/holiday again!