See the light!

Run at Pandan Reservoir

Pandan Reservoir sits between an industrial estate and residential Singapore in the southwest, and it’s an underrated running spot — a well-maintained gravel loop of just over 6km, mostly flat, mostly quiet.

Flat, well maintained gravel path at Pandan Reservoir
Flat, well-maintained gravel path — easy underfoot for the whole loop.

Go early and you’ll likely have it mostly to yourself, with a real shot at a decent sunrise over the water if the weather cooperates.

Sunrise over Pandan Reservoir
A good sunrise at the reservoir — worth the early start.

There’s no shade and no shelters anywhere on the loop, so this isn’t the place to be caught out in a downpour or the midday heat unless you genuinely don’t mind either.

View across the open loop at Pandan Reservoir
Say hello to the other side — the loop is wide open the whole way round, with nowhere to duck for cover.

The main lookout platform runs water-sports operations — kayaking, canoeing, motorised boats, and fishing off a couple of jetties.

Main lookout platform at Pandan Reservoir
The main lookout platform — doubles as facility storage and the water-sports office, with the car park right behind it.
Industrial area seen from the lookout platform at Pandan Reservoir
Looking out from the platform toward the industrial area on the far side.
Main water sports training enclosure at Pandan Reservoir
The main water-sports enclosure — quiet on an early-morning run, busier later in the day.
Kayaks and canoes resting at Pandan Reservoir
Kayaks and canoes resting at the water’s edge — early enough, this is the whole scene.
Motorized boats resting alongside floating platforms at Pandan Reservoir
Motorised boats resting alongside the floating platforms on the far side.
A canoe goer at Pandan Reservoir
One of the few early canoe-goers actually out on the water.

Plus the occasional water monitor lizard cruising past like it owns the place.

Water monitor lizard at Pandan Reservoir
A water monitor lizard, unbothered, doing its own lap of the reservoir.

And a couple of fishing jetties dotted around the loop, if you catch someone out early enough to be using them.

Fishing jetty at Pandan Reservoir
A fishing jetty along the loop, with some early activity.

Despite sitting next to an industrial estate, air quality on my visits has always been fine. Worth putting into rotation if you haven’t run it yet.

Sample route

The loop I’ve actually run around Pandan Reservoir, for reference — a good 6km plus:

Sample run route around Pandan Reservoir
The 6km-plus loop around the reservoir.
Peripheral vision, in this pillar