Southern Ridges Singapore

Southern Ridges Singapore

I returned recently to Southern Ridges Singapore for a walk through a scenic part of this famous outdoor area. My previous visit happened a while ago near the height of public interest soon after the Southern Ridges Singapore was opened to the public.

On this visit to Southern Ridges Singapore, I was to discover several changes in visitor profile. Instead of hordes of camera-trotting visitors and tourists, it was fairly quiet and peaceful along most parts of Southern Ridges Singapore. Those present were mainly folks taking walks or jogs along the connector pathways.

I could also find empty parking lots at Telok Blangah Hill, instead of a full house at the parking lots. The last time I came, I had to park at the foot of the hill.

Another interesting observation at Southern Ridges Singapore was the discovery of monkeys that appeared to have set up 'busking' spots along the Southern Ridges. They were waiting along the footpaths and railings for passers-by to give them handouts of mouth-watering delicacies.

Above: Southern Ridges Singapore Photograph.

Have you seen the Southern Ridges Singapore?

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Map of MacRitchie Tree Top Walk

Map of MacRitchie Tree Top Walk

Some readers of Seen This Scene That asked about a map of MacRitchie Tree Top Walk. You can find one on the NParks site.

There are also many maps of MacRitchie Tree Top Walk posted along the route to the Tree Top Walk. I have posted one such map of MacRitchie Tree Top Walk here.

Above: Map of MacRitchie Tree Top Walk.

Hope you find this useful.

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MacRitchie Tree Top Walk

MacRitchie Tree Top Walk 

Tree Top Bridge at MacRitchie Park.

I brought my spouse and three kids to MacRitchie Reservoir to visit its Tree Top Walk recently on a hot weekend afternoon. We parked at the car park off Venus Drive to spend about three leisure hours getting to and from the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk. Even though it was not my maiden trip, I still learned a few things from this nature walk to the MacRitchie TreeTop Walk.

Here are some experiences that I would like to share with my fellow Seen This Scene That readers who may be considering a visit to the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk and suspension bridge.

Stay On Tracks and Follow The Signs
Although Singapore's nature reserve at MacRitchie is small compared to those overseas, it is still safer to stay on well trodden paths and to follow directional signs. Singaporeans have been reported loss in the area especially if new foot paths are created through the rainforest. I also discovered that my cellular phone could not receive any signal on either side of the tree top bridge.

Bring Fluid To Rehydrate
The rainforest provides good shade but it can still get pretty hot. In our humid climate and for visitors who have not been exercising regularly, the physical exertion can drain fluid out of unconditioned bodies.

Take A Toilet Break
Before you 'chiong' (charge up) the hill on your final ascent to the tree top walk, relieve tight bladders at the nearest ranger station. Trust me, you or your kids would not want to experience urgency of urination when crossing the tree top bridge. It could take a long while on the return trek to reach the ranger station again.

Don't Depart From The Ranger Station To The MacRitchie Tree Top Walk With Less than Fifteen Minutes To Closing Time (at 5pm sharp)
If your party consists of enthusiasts at extremes of age (very young or very old) or medically unstable, it can be a very tough walk to the PacRitchie Tree Top Walk. The walk from the ranger station to the Tree Top bridge is the steepest part (and the most taxing) of the entire journey. It will be prudent to give yourself ample time for the ascent. If you arrive late, be prepared to have the gates to the bridge shut in your face.

Bring Mosquito Protection
There are pesky creatures that bite without warning and leave irritating lumpy swellings on unprotected limbs. Even at relatively high altitudes, mosquitoes are everywhere. They seem to be able to cross the Tree Top bridge at will and are fond of accompanying visitors as you trek up and down the hills.

Don't Underestimate the Distance
It is a long trek from Venus Drive car park to the bridge and back. Nparks says it is 2.5 km from the car park to the entrance of the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk, but if you count the distance to cross the bridge and complete a big loop back to the car park, the distance is about 7 km. No wonder my kids complained that the hike felt like it was easily triple or even quadruple that 2.5 km distance. The path consists of unpaved tracks, concrete steps and wooden boardwalks. The ground is uneven and the ascending trails can be rather steep towards the Tree Top Walk canopy.

Keep To The Side of Foot Paths
On my visit, I noticed many cross country joggers pounding the dirt tracks up and down the paths of MacRitchie. To prevent collisions, walk along the side of the tracks.

Do Not Feed The Monkeys
There are monkeys out there around the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk. Remember to avoid feeding them as it is an offence to do so in a nature park in Singapore.

Enjoy Yourself
Finally, do remember to enjoy yourself at the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk. Go at your own comfortable pace and take time to see nature at its most relaxed state. Besides providing good exercise, a track to the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk offers lessons on the rainforest flora and fauna. It can also be an excellent bonding opportunity for the entire family.

Have you done the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk with your family?

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Dairy Farm Nature Park

Dairy Farm Nature Park

Singapore's newest nature park, the Dairy Farm Nature Park, was officially opened to the public on 5 September 2009. Before that, blogger friend YG had given a sneak peep of Dairy Farm Nature Park with his posts.

On the way to Singapore Quarry at Dairy Farm Nature Park.

I visited the south-western end of Dairy Farm Nature Park where the Singapore Quarry stood before the park was opened to the public too. (Here is the earlier Dairy Farm Nature Park post.)

Dairy Farm Nature Park (from The Sunday Times graphics)

According to NParks site and the write-up in The Sunday Times of 6 September 2009, this brand new nature park has two unique features that I found interesting.

The first feature that I would like to highlight is the Wallace Education Centre, a former cowshed now turned into a learning centre. It houses the Wallace Environmental Learning Lab (WELL) and an interpretative centre where visitors can learn about the changing landscapes of Dairy Farm Nature Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve through various exhibits.

The other must-see feature at Dairy Farm Nature Park are the rare Little Grebe at the Singapore Quarry wetland reserve. The birds are just a small part of the rich biodiversity on the 63-hectare park. Visitors who walk or mountain bike along Dairy Farm Nature Park's nature trails can witness the amazing fauna and flora available in the area.

The Dairy Farm Nature Park is open from 7am to 7pm daily with free admission for visitors.

To get there, take bus service SMRT 700, 700A or 966 and alight at bus stop along Petir Road between Chestnut Ave and Dairy Farm Road. There are two public car parks along Dairy Farm Road.

As I was not aware of the rare Little Grebe (even if I did, the quarry was closed at the time of my earlier visit) and the Wallace Education Centre, looks like I will need to perform a follow-up visit to the Dairy Farm Nature Park soon.

Have you seen the new Dairy Farm Nature Park and its amenities?

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Boardwalk Places To See Sunsets In Singapore

Photo: Sunset At Kelong Walk In Changi Point Boardwalk

Boardwalk Places To See Sunsets In Singapore

Changi Point Boardwalk: Sunset Walk, Kelong Walk, Cliff Walk, Sailing Point Walk

The Changi Point Boardwalk along the eastern coastal end of Changi comprises a series of connected boardwalks that have names that reflect scenes around the area. The four segments of Changi Point Boardwalk are labeled Sunset Walk, Kelong Walk, Cliff Walk and Sailing Point Walk. You can access the Changi Point Boardwalk in two ways: by Cranwell Road and by Netheravon Road after Changi Village Road.

If you enter the Changi Point Boardwalk from Cranwell Road, a map of the area awaits your arrival. Walk past the Changi Beach Club to get to the junction of the Kelong Walk and Cliff Walk.

My favourite part of the Changi Point Boardwalk is the curved stretch at the Kelong Walk. While this part of the boardwalk is named the “Kelong Walk” because of the stilts and poles rising out of the water, I feel it should be renamed the Sunset Walk as it is the best place to watch a sunset, rather than further along the bend at Sunset Walk.

The walking path along the Kelong Walk allows visitors to “stand” above seawater without getting your toes wet. If you time your arrival well, you may catch a breathtaking sunset as the orange bob in the horizon dips gently into the glistening sea. Listen to the seawater splash against the wooden poles while birds sit atop these skinny poles unperturbed. On the landward view, be mesmerized by the reflection of sun off the windows and beaches of the Changi Beach Club.

Stroll across the Kelong Walk to the end of the bend and you will reach the Sunset Walk where large boulders line up at the terminal end. A staircase near the Changi Beach Club provides access to a walk along the beaches of Changi during low tide. Stones and rocks populate the beach beneath the Sunset Walk boardwalk, so proper footwear should be worn at all times.

Re-trace steps back to the Kelong Walk and enter the Cliff Walk. While the word “cliff” may conjure images of steep slopes, be assured that the boardwalk along the “cliff” is rather tame. There are no dramatic “cliff hangers” and much of the view at the Cliff Walk has been blocked by the trees and foliage. Perhaps the only dramatic part would be a series of turns in the boardwalk staircase that allows a view of the sea. I chanced upon a couple in wedding gown and suit as they posed for photographs at this “cliff hanger”.

Photo: Changi Point Boardwalk at Sailing Point Walk

Beyond the Cliff Walk is an open stretch along the Sailing Point Walk. There are breaks in the boardwalk where visitors may walk right into the sea if you pay too much attention on the sea view instead of the boardwalk. The Changi Sailing Club sits next to this stretch of boardwalk where you can see the Changi Sailing Club members swimming in their private outdoor pool.

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Free Fruits In Singapore: Yishun Park

Jackfruits at Yishun Park

Free Fruits In Singapore: Yishun Park

If you wander around Yishun Park in Singapore, you will notice tropical fruits are available free of charge during the fruiting season. I have seen durian fruits, rambutan fruits and jack-fruits hanging on branches at Yishun Park. Three roads bound this park in northern Singapore: Yishun Central, Yishun Ring Road and Yishun Avenue 4.

Nparks does not mind if park visitors pick up fruits that have dropped from the branches. However, under the Trees and Parks Act of Singapore, there are penalties if the fruit trees in public parks like Yishun Park are damaged in the fruit collecting process.

While I started my visit to Yishun Park with family with the intent to enjoy a stroll and the playground facilities, I was soon distracted by other visitors who were snooping around fruit trees with an eye to collect a free harvest of ripe fruits.

From my observations of the various free fruits on offer, the most difficult to lay hands on at Yishun Park are the durians. Firstly, durian trees at Yishun Park, probably planted many years ago, now reach heights that are too high for a safe climb. Secondly, for every durian tree that is ripe with fruits, there is always a ‘bodyguard’ or two hanging around them at most times in Yishun Park.

I saw elderly ladies and gentlemen sitting on benches of Yishun Park waiting patiently to chase after the fallen durian fruits. After friendly chats, we ascertained that at least one of these visitors had admitted that she was indeed waiting for the ripe durians to fall. For the record, not all durians drop from their high perches after sundown according to this freelance durian collector we spoke to.

Free Fruits are Dangerous at Yishun Park

Waiting for a ripe durian to fall at Yishun Park can be a risky venture. Warning signs are erected to instill fear of head injury due to falling durians. Moreover, the law of gravity can be painfully and acutely experienced as the fruits start their descent from a truly great height. The thick forest canopy at Yishun Park also hides the location of sneaky durians.

I was fortunate on this visit not to be hit by falling fruits. In fact I had an opportunity to catch sight of a harvest of free fruits in action.

Free Falling Rambutan Fruits at Yishun Park

Can you see this guy hanging high up in the branches while his friend scoops up the fallen rambutan fruits? The lady cyclist using Yishun Park as a shortcut couldn’t stop herself from picking up some of the fruits that had accidentally fallen into her path.

Free Fruits At Yishun Park

Neither could we.

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Labrador Park And Nature Reserve

Labrador Park And Nature Reserve

Since 1 January 2002, Labrador Park’s 10-ha coastal secondary vegetation and the rocky shore have been gazetted as a Nature Reserve. The non-descript turn off from Labrador Ville Road into Singapore’s Labrador Park and Nature Reserve hides an adventurous place for families with kids to visit.

Kids Run
At the roundabout near the top of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve, we started our visit to this protected piece of land after parking at car park A. The impressive looking RainTree Resort and Spa posed a temporary distraction before we realized that most of Labrador Park’s attractions were in the opposite direction. With lots of space, our kids loved to chase each other and run at will.

Labrador Park and Nature Reserve: Heritage Site

The hill on Labrador Park and Nature Reserve houses remnants of the Labrador Battery that was assigned to this area to defend Singapore during World War II, as well as the Labrador Tunnels. There is an excellent heritage site on Labrador Park and Nature Reserve because of the artillery pieces and many graphic illustrations with written explanation to describe the details of this military involvement along the Labrador Nature Reserve trail.

Labrador Park and Nature Reserve: Guns

Old Guns
Among the exhibits, the huge 6-inch guns of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve impressed my kids tremendously. With statues of soldiers posing with cannon shells, it did not take them long to decipher the significance of this art installation. I felt that it would have greatly increased our appreciation of the target areas out at sea if views were not obstructed by overgrowth of vegetation.

Walking past the Olive Restorante, the Labrador Tunnels beckoned but we were there too late as the last paid guided tour of the tunnels at Labrador Park and Nature Reserve was at 6pm. If you wish to learn more, read more on the Labrador Tunnels here.

Labrador Park and Nature Reserve: Sunset at jetty

Setting Sun
At the top of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve, a panoramic view of the Labrador jetty reaching out to the sea and sky awaits visitors. If you come here at sunset like we did, you can take in the breathtaking scene. This sea-cliff at Labrador Park and Nature Reserve is the only rocky sea-cliff in mainland Singapore.

Beach and Jetty Fun
After being intoxicated by the beauty of sunset, try to climb down the long flight of steps that extend about 30-metres down the side of Labrador Park and Nature Reserve’s steep cliff without tripping over. Watch out for the overhanging branches in the secondary forest as you make your way down the stairs. At the end of this descent, let the sea breeze have fun with your hair while you stand on the jetty (the entrance gate to the jetty closes at 5pm). If you come at low tide, have more fun as you roam the seabed in order to appreciate the diverse marine inhabitants of the beach at Labrador Park and Nature Reserve.

Recommended reading:
1. Dragon's Tooth Gate at Labrador Park
2. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
3. Bukit Batok Nature Reserve

Do you have more places to recommend?

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Have You Seen This Crocodile In Pasir Ris Park?

Photo: Straits Times Page H6 on 6 August 2008

Have You Seen This Crocodile In Pasir Ris Park?

Hunters from PUB, Nparks, photography clubs and nature lovers are descending on the mangrove swamp near Tampines River canal in Pasir Ris Park to ‘shoot’ the newest reptilian addition in Singapore’s northeastern coastal land. Most visitors are looking for a souvenir photograph, while experts are aiming to catch it.

According to the Straits Times published today, authorities are working to trap the reptiles so as to remove the danger posed to Pasir Ris Park visitors. Experts believe the crocodile sighted is likely to be an estuarine or saltwater crocodile. These are common in mangroves and rivers in the region and can grow up to 8 metres long. They feed on monkeys, small deer, pigs, monitor lizards, fish, snakes and water birds. Cages with bait and nets in the water, plus a dose of experience and luck, are ingredients for a successful capture of these reptiles.

While experts believe crocodiles tend to avoid people, these same experts also advise that we should avoid them too.

Anyone who spots the crocodile can call PUB at 1800-2846600 (24-hour hotline).

Does the presence of a crocodile indicate that our upgraded mangrove swamp has become such an ecological Eden that it has attracted more inhabitants than intended? Is the timing of the crocodile’s appearance with the contamination of the beach at Pasir Ris Park just a coincidence or are they related? Are there more crocodiles hiding along the coast, waiting for the near hysteria of public attention to dissipate before they make a re-appearance? Are there more crocodiles in the river mouths and mangrove swamps in other parks in Singapore?

Time will reveal the answers. In the meanwhile, besides keeping an eye for the other wanted fugitive, you have this wanted buaya to catch too. Take care on your visits to park places in Singapore.

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Related posts:

1. Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Swamp

2. Pasir Ris Park Playground

3. Pasir Ris Park BBQ Pits Photographs

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Scenic Places In Singapore: Little Guilin

Scenic Places In Singapore: Little Guilin

If we could aspire to have a place in Singapore listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Singapore’s Little Guilin or Xiao Guilin, one of the few scenic places in Singapore, in Bukit Batok Town Park at Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 should be among the top few on our application form.

Our Little Guilin or Xiao Guilin is a mini version of China’s famed mountain scenery. While it may not have similar lineage, natural size or economic stature in tourism appeal, it is still one of the scenic places in Singapore to call our own. With tall cliffs uncovered by vegetation on its exposed shoulders of sandstone surrounded by a placid lake and quiet neighbourhood, it is no wonder that many visitors who have been to scenic places in Singapore develop an instant affinity to Little Guilin upon arrival from other scenic places of Singapore.

Being practical people in a very practical economy, we harvest the rest of what’s left of the scenic places here for high-rise living, leaving little natural scenic places to enjoy our Little Giulin. Cars and buses drive up to the edge of this Bukit Batok Town Park lake, one of the few scenic places with water features to disgorge sightseers. Video cameras in hand, they ooh and ahh with animated hand gestures while recording the poetic outlines of Little Guilin; just in case economic progress in Singapore dictates Nparks to remake the shape and form of the few scenic places left in Singapore.

Wedding couples in Singapore looking for scenic places for their bridal photography know this area well. Those who wish to save a little bundle of money from traveling east to the larger scenic places in the original Guilin, in faraway China, come here in their wedding finery to pose for posterity. Poets, photographers and other Singapore park users will get their moments of inspiration at the striking landscape formations in Little Guilin.

There is a nature trail, the Bukit Gombak Trail, at the Bukit Batok Town Park where Little Guilin sits. But at the time of my recent visit, a sign disclosed that the scenic Bukit Gombak nature trail was closed.

While the dream to turn Singapore’s Little Guilin from an abandoned quarry into one of the scenic world heritage places continues, my immediate concern is to emphasize that Little Guilin users keep the our scenic places clean and litter-free, instead of relying on world-class professional cleaners to perform the tasks.

How To Get There (Drive, Bus, Walk)
It’s a 5 minutes walk from Bukit Gombak MRT Station. Service 945 from Bukit Batok Bus Interchange will also bring you there. Drivers can use coupon to park at Blk 524 or park at Bukit Gombak Stadium carpark.

Map of Bukit Batok Town Park
Check Nparks for Little Guilin map.

Other scenic places in Singapore’s Seen This Scene That you may like:
1. Bukit Batok Nature Park http://seenthisscenethat.blogspot.com/2008/07/nature-trails-singapore-bukit-batok.html
2. Nature Trails in Singapore
http://seenthisscenethat.blogspot.com/search/label/05-%20Nature%20Trails

(Tag: Bukit Batok Town Park, Scenic Places In Singapore)

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Mangrove Swamp Boardwalk: Pasir Ris Park

Mangrove Swamp Boardwalk: Pasir Ris Park

With the upgrading of the mangrove swamp boardwalk in Pasir Ris Park across Sungei Tampines from NTUC Downtown East completed recently, I brought my kids for a late afternoon walk at one of the few places in Singapore that’s available for a mangrove swamp boardwalk. This event took place before news broke that Pasir Ris Park beach had been declared unsafe for swimming and other water-based activities.

In the excitement to see a brand new mangrove swamp and boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park, we broke some rules pertaining to a visit to such a mangrove swamp park. Our constant loud refrain of ‘where are the mudskippers and fiddler craps?’ pierced the silence of the mangrove swamp. The clatter of our clogs on wooden boardwalk planks added to the auditory chaos. With squeaky bicycles pushed along the boardwalk, our totally noisy approach was hardly conducive to attract the inhabitants of the swamp to show their faces.

Fortunately, informative signboards scattered at regular intervals along the mangrove boardwalk brought some sense to our delirium. We picked up quite a number of learning points for our maiden visit to the newest upgraded mangrove swamp attraction in Pasir Ris Park. After we applied the recommendations as listed in the information boards, the sighting rate of mangrove inhabitants improved.

With a quieter scene, more patience and newfound knowledge of what to look for, the individual features in Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp began to materialize out of the everything-also-look-the-same messy mud scene.

There were many features at Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp worth seeing. I shall highlight just a few that piqued our curiosity.

Of the numerous residents of Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp, we could only catch sight of a few inhabitants. Mudskippers, well camouflaged against the mud flats near the water’s edge were in abundance. If you wonder what visitors to do at a mud spa, come to the mangrove swamp boardwalk to see for yourself. The mudskippers appeared to be enjoying their mud spa treatment sessions, with full body and facial massage as they splayed on the mud pool.

Four-fingerbreadth-wide crabs were spotted upon movement of their pincers. They were busy feeding when we were there near dinnertime, but our rudimentary knowledge could not identify them with certainty. We witnessed a family with rods attempting to catch swamp fishes by leaning over the boardwalk railings. While fishes up to one-foot length in size could be seen sunbathing in the slightly murky waters, none of them swallowed the baits during our presence.

Piles of mud with gaping holes stood shoulder to shoulder along the perimeter of the swamp. These ‘mud mounds’ provide a good source of nutrition for life in the mangrove swamp. Restoration works to plant new mangrove plants were evident. These mangrove nurseries provide learning avenues for visitors to understand on-going efforts to keep the mangrove population alive and their inhabitants thriving.

The ubiquitous mangrove plants, standing on buttress roots that look like multi-legged supports, could not be missed in the dense green of trees and leaves. According to the information boards, mangroves provide dwelling spaces for many creatures living in the swamp. They are used for refuge, as food, as natural water filters and help to stabilize the coast.

A tower rises above the mangrove forest. For a partial bird’s eye view of the mangrove and for sightings of winged inhabitants, visitors should climb its approximately 4-storey high stairs. On this occasion when we visited, a group of teenagers had turned the tower into a private radio station with live music transmitting from their throats and guitars.

For first-timers going for a nature walk and sightseeing tour in Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove swamp, cycling on the mangrove boardwalk is prohibited. While the natural area is generally shady, a sunscreen lotion should be useful. Visitors should also bring along a good insect repellent to ward off mosquitoes. Other things on the good-to-bring-to-mangrove-swamp list would include umbrella or raincoat, cap, binoculars, camera and comfortable shoes.

Free car parking for 20 vehicles is available just next to the mangrove swamp, near NTUC’s Downtown East. You can also walk about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the mangroves from Pasir Ris MRT station and bus terminal near White Sands Shopping Centre. Otherwise, you can take SBS Bus number 403 from the bus-interchange and alight after one stop.

Useful Links:
1. Official National Parks Board Singapore website
2. Map and location of Pasir Ris Park mangroves

Recommended reading of my Pasir Ris themed posts:
1. Fishing and other pursuits in Pasir Ris Town Park
2. Pony Riding in Pasir Ris Park
3. Best Children’s Playground in Pasir Ris Park

See more places. Live more life.

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Admiralty Park: Republic Polytechnic To Admiralty West Prison

Admiralty Park: Republic Polytechnic To Admiralty West Prison

One of the many places to visit in Singapore where I feel liberated from work is Admiralty Park. This free public park that offers lush rolling landscape in a tranquil spacious setting – features that are severely lacking around my office, instantly transforms my spirits whenever I come to this place to visit.

Nparks' Admiralty Park begins seamlessly where Republic Polytechnic stands at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 9 and Riverside Road, with its opposite corner ending next to Admiralty West Prison along Admiralty Road. This 27-hectare park consists of two components, the 7-hectare recreational zone and a 20-hectare nature zone. When I was there, only the recreational zone with a fitness park and educational wi-fi hotspots for Internet connectivity under shelters provided by Republic Polytechnic administrators.

I was surprised to find no physical barrier between Republic Polytechnic and Admiralty Park. In blurring the boundaries between Republic Polytechnic and Admiralty Park, students and park users get to enjoy more freedom of park and institutional spaces. At Admiralty West Prison side, no such liberties exist in the boundary between Admiralty Park and the Prison for obvious security reasons.

The east entrance to Admiralty Park leads into rolling hillocks filled with open spaces and well-maintained greenery. I find this undulating terrain that reaches about 3 to 4 storeys high at its peak to be a refreshing change from other parks in Singapore. As you walk along this hilly park corridor where jogging and cycling paths run alongside each other, you will reach the west entrance, a car park for about 25 vehicles is available.

Underneath this car park, I discovered a void deck for gatherings and entertainment purposes called the Activity Centre. A scheme exists here where park users can apply to use this space. Bookings can be done on the spot via a self-service system. After filling in your details, park users drop their application form into a box and proceed to use the area for personal functions.

A lotus pond that extends from the mangrove swamp sits at the foot of this double-storey car park cum public space. An amphitheatre-like seating arrangement was carved into the natural slopes of Admiralty Park, blending concrete and nature into a symbiotic whole.

The saga against feeding of monkeys continues at Admiralty Park. I saw 'No Feeding Of Monkeys' signs posted prominently around the park. A fine of $500 is clearly displayed. During this trip, a mild drizzle kept Admiralty Park's resident monkeys away from my sight.

The nature zone of Admiralty Park with its exciting 20-hectare mangrove swamp component was still bordered up. It has been scheduled to open in mid-2008 with the prospect of eco-walks along the mangrove swamps of what was once Sungei Cina.

Zen-like undulating greenery, soothing water feature, freedom of space and isolated like-minded visitors come together at Admiralty Park to turn it into one of the places to visit for betterment of the soul in a fast-paced roller coaster world.

Click this 'MAP' for a map of Admiralty Park.

You may also like my similar posts below:
1. Parks and places to visit
2. My thoughts on See More Places, Live more Life.


See more places. Live more life.

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Nature Trails Singapore: Bukit Batok Nature Reserve

Nature Trails Singapore: Bukit Batok Nature Reserve

For a taste of nature in Singapore, try visiting the nature trails in Bukit Batok Nature Reserve located between Bukit Batok East Avenue 2 and Lorong Sesuai. This is one of the family-friendly nature trails where children and adults unaccustomed to walking up steps and steep slopes can easily complete. Compared to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the Bukit Batok Nature Reserve has one of the easier nature trails to walk in Singapore.

I visited the nature trails of Bukit Batok Nature Reserve on a recent warm Sunday. The nature trails here were well marked with signposts and layered with bricks that cut through the dense rainforest of Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. Getting lost in this nature reserve was an unlikely event as long as visitors kept to these un-erasable nature trails.

At the start of the nature trail, I was greeted by a large map detailing the paths that led you to two major sights in Bukit Batok Nature Reserve: a large scenic lake with steep cliffs that used to be a quarry and a World War II monument, the Syonan Chureito. These were reminders of the history of Bukit Batok Nature Reserve, once a rural area filled with forest, farms and granite quarrying. Along Lorong Sesuai at the top of Buki Batok hill after climbing about 120 steps used to stand two memorials built by Japanese and Allied troops for their war dead. Now transmission towers sit behind a fence there. A National Heritage Board plaque has been erected to highlight the importance of this area.

Fruits are commonly found here. You can’t miss rambutan trees in an open clearing along one of Bukit Batok’s nature trails. A sign warns visitors to look out for falling durians, although I wasn’t sure where they were even though durians were supposed to be in season.

What you should look out for are the monkeys that live in the forest of Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. In large groups of families, they can turn aggressive if fed by park visitors. In any case, be warned that monkey feeding is prohibited.

Nature trail lovers would enjoy a field day identifying the local flora at Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. They might also have something to say regarding Nparks attempts to replace plants and vegetation that were considered foreign to the nature reserve, According to a sign that was prominently displayed along the nature trail, measures were underway to remove unwanted ‘foreign’ natural flora.

Children would surely appreciate the large playground catering to their fantasies. A fitness corner was easily found by park visitors who longed for more work out, other than the easy hiking trails in Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. Foot massage was also available at the foot reflexology station. There were two look out points along the nature trails but untidy plant overgrowth reduced the field of view.

24-hour coupon car parking is available next to this nature reserve. Bus service 61, 66, 157, 178, 852 and 985 stops near the 36-hectare Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. Click here for the map.

You may also like to read my posts on:

1. Return To Nature In Lower Peirce Reservoir

2. Pasir Ris Town Park

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