So when we found out that a certain well known tree was going to be removed, we just knew that we would have to pay it a visit.

We chose a timing close to sunset, and we certainly (almost) did not regret our decision!

The Punggol Tree is situated at the Punggol Waterway Park, which is a good 10 minutes’ walk from Punggol MRT. Directions by foot should not be too difficult to follow (although Google Maps hilariously suggested a 4.1 km route instead); alternatively one can take bus 84 from Punggol Bus Interchange, and 3 stops later, we were there!

After having trudged up the hill (which was muddy from the rain the night before, and unfortunately riddled with mosquitoes) we got a closer look at the famed Instagram tree! It is an Albizia tree originating from eastern Indonesia and was declared dead and ‘unsafe’ in the interest of the public. That obviously didn’t stop many passers-by and travellers.

Clearly the tree is not as abundant or magnificent as before…

…yet, the hill and the tree was situated in a way that allowed us to capture quite some scenic pictures, with the horizon looming in the background and the pale blue sky glowing, to our immense delight.

After carefully making our way down the slope, we took the opportunity to try out bokeh photography, which worked quite well. Bokeh photography essentially produces out-of-focus shots, which works well especially with mutiple light sources. The glimmering lights on a nearby bridge and housing estate allowed us to test that out, to our satisfaction.

UPDATE: As of 12pm on 16 December, the Punggol Lone Tree has been felled. But don’t worry, the other tree is still standing strong, and amidst the backdrop of the beautiful sky, you too can snap your Instagram-worthy pictures!

Till next time,

Damianwithsandra