Just west of Singapore’s Changi Airport, you’ll find an unexpected warren of mangrove swamps …

… elegant tree-lined paths …

… and a long, thin stretch of white sand and palm trees:

This is Pasir Ris Park, a 70 hectare park with waterfront that stretches out over 3.2 kilometers. One of the highlights is the 6 hectare mangrove forest, where you can see all sorts of wildlife. Singapore mangroves are home to tiny fish, mudskippers, tree-climbing mollusks, and dozens of tree-climbing crabs …

… which often hide in the volcano-like mounds built by the elusive mud lobster:

Pasir Ris attracts bird enthusiasts with giant telescopic cameras, who come to catch a glimpse of herons …

… hornbills …

… and goshawks:

We were incredibly lucky to be at Pasir Ris Park on a day when a smack of mangrove jellyfish had made their way into Sungei Tampines:

I could’ve watched these guys all day.

There are also plenty of monitor lizards to be found …

… and we had an unusual look at two males wrestling:

I also saw my first river otter!

These smooth-coated otters are incredibly fast — and this one was on the hunt:

While large wildlife is the obvious attraction, if you look closely, you can find things like snails …

… hiding among beautiful fungi.

If you don’t have the patience (or inclination) to look for animals in the wild, the Sculpture Walk and wood carving studio might satisfy your needs:

Pasir Ris Park also has beautiful plants galore …

… and flowers along the shore.

When you’re done with wildlife viewing, you can take a walk on the beach …

… and then have a delicious ice blended lime juice at Rasa Istimewa Restaurant. This is the view you’ll have while you sit back and relax:

Pasir Ris Park is fast becoming one of our favorite parks in Singapore, both for its wildlife and its varied scenery. It’s worth a trip!