The 6 worst places to drive to in Singapore, ranked

You've just gotten your driving license. Your freshly minted P-plate is up on the windscreen, you've made plans with your friends to meet up for dinner, and you're all raring to go. Then, you get to your destination and you realise, holy s***, the place is an absolute nightmare.

And you know what, such places absolutely exist in Singapore. Whether you are a new driver or a seasoned pro, there are still some places in Singapore that are an absolutely nightmare to drive to. Here are our picks of the six worst places.

1. Serangoon Gardens

Easily my least favourite place in Singapore to drive to. There are two single lane roads that converge into one entering the area. Public transport access is only available via bus, so most people choose to drive if they can.

And, the place is packed with highly popular places to eat, with Chomp Chomp being a main draw. And, the area is also home to many affluent families (many of whom own cars and thus add to the congestion).

And the parking. Ugh. Parking is an absolute pain. Parking spaces are limited, roads narrow and almost always congested after sundown. And if you can't find a space at the open-air carparks or some of the limited parallel parking spaces, you're going to have to park deep in the private estate and take a long walk out for your Hokkien Mee.

Pro tip: Just take a grab.

2. Geylang

Geylang is another area where parking is an absolute nightmare. There are a couple of small open-air carparks, but more often than not you'll need to parallel park along narrow one-way roads with cars honking away at you. And, because the lanes alternate direction, you might find yourself going in circles just to hunt that elusive parking space.

Also, traffic along both Sims Drive and Geylang Road is a pain. Coming out of the lorongs can also be difficult because of cars parked along the main road, and the traffic there during peak hours is hellish. Whether it's buying durian, eating dim sum at 126 or late night frog porridge, the Geylang area (especially between Lor 13 to 21) is just horrific.

Pro tip: Plenty of bus options, or take a train to Aljunied MRT

3. Amoy Street/Telok Ayer Street

During lunch, there's the CBD office crowd (mostly going to Amoy Street Hawker Centre). During dinner, you're jostling with people there for KBBQ or going to the various pubs and restaurants, whether along this stretch or Ann Siang Hill/Club Street.

So, there's always a crowd no matter what time you go. And, of course, parking options are limited to one tiny open-air carpark and parallel lots along the narrow roads.

Pro tip: Park at MND Building, accessed via Maxwell Road. After office hours, parking at Fraser Tower Carpark is a flat per entry rate.

4. Dunman Food Centre/Joo Chiat Road/Katong

The general Joo Chiat/Katong area is littered with popular eateries, cafes and pubs, as well as all manner of shops from pet shops to a vinyl store. What's desperately lacking are parking lots.

Besides the small open-air carpark next to Scanteak, and the larger one along Joo Chiat Place, your other parking options are limited to parallel lots along the narrow roads, or Katong Point which has a tiny underground carpark.

Pro tip: Your best bet is Katong Shopping Centre or Roxy Square, if you're headed towards that section of Katong. Joo Chiat Road? Good luck. Just take a bus.

5. Whampoa Food Centre

Whampoa Food Centre is a popular lunch destination, with plenty of good food at two big hawker centres. Driving there, though, is just not a fun experience.

The main road in Whampoa Drive is narrow and a little confusing - you'll have to take the left most lane to enter the carparks. Miss it, and it's a big circle around. And with the sheer volume of people there every day, getting a parking lot can take frustratingly long.

Pro tip: Enter via Kim Keat Road and go to the big open air carpark at Jalan Limau (TPBR4). Don't waste time stuck in crawling traffic through Whampoa Drive.

6. East Coast Lagoon Food Centre

Yet another food location with limited parking and troublesome access (there's clearly a pattern here). Especially at dinner time on weekends, getting to Lagoon Food Centre is a pain. There's one not-small carpark, but it's nowhere sizeable enough to fit all the cars that are clamouring to get in.

And, the queue to the carpark can stretch back all the way to the slip-road onto ECP highway (the Bedok flyover). And it's not like you have a ton of public transport options, either. Worse still, once you've parked, you're going to have to go through the whole waiting process all over again just to find a table to sit at.

Pro tip: Enter the ECP service road via the Marine Parade flyover instead of the Bedok one, especially during peak hours.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.