Walk in the Parks - Singapore

Walk in the Parks

Singapore sights for locals and tourists Walk with Lim Kim Tong 2nd Edition November 2018 

Introduction.........................................................4 What to expect from this book? ....................................................................................... 4

MacRitchie Reservoir ..........................................5 Best known reservoir ............................................................5 For lovers, joggers and walkers ........................................................................................5

TreeTop Walk ....................................................10 Walk above the trees ........................................................... 10 Suspension Bridge .......................................................................................................... 10

Windsor Nature Park .........................................13 Quiet walk on boardwalks .................................................. 13 Appreciating native plants and fauna .............................................................................13

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park ...................................15 Kallang River meanders through it ................................... 15 In the backyards of Bishan and Ang Mo Kio residents .................................................. 15

Lower Peirce Reservoir ...................................... 21 Reservoir that dam the Kallang River ............................... 21 Tranquil walk in secondary forest .................................................................................. 21

Dairy Farm Nature Park ....................................25 Used to be a Dairy Farm ....................................................25 Singapore Quarry and Wallace Nature Trails ................................................................ 25

Singapore Botanic Gardens ...............................31 UNESCO World Heritage Site ............................................ 31 Learning Forest ...............................................................................................................31

Fort Canning Park .............................................35 Full of History of Singapore ...............................................35 Rich Heritage and Place for wedding photographs .......................................................35

The Istana ..........................................................38 President & Prime Minister receive foreign dignitaries .. 38

See the Istana up close ...................................................................................................38

Jelutong Tower ................................................. 43 A 7-deck tower in MacRitchie ............................................43 360-degree view of the forest of MacRitchie .................................................................43

Marina Barrage ..................................................47 Freshwater Reservoir .........................................................47 View of Marina Bay and Open Sea .................................................................................47

Labrador Nature Reserve...................................51 World War II Site ................................................................51 Facing the coastal water of southern tip of Singapore ................................................... 51

Southern Ridges ................................................56 Hilly regions and forested areas ........................................56 Connected Parks for a Walk ........................................................................................... 56

Kent Ridge Park .................................................61 Historical significance during Japanese Occupation .......61 Peace and Tranquility .................................................................................................... 61

Sungei Buloh WetLand Reserve........................68 Haven for Migratory Birds ................................................68 Natural Habitats and Mangrove Swamp ...................................................................... 68

References ..........................................................75

Introduction Singapore is not a concrete jungle with houses, buildings and roads. She is known for her parks with green fields and water bodies. Over the years, National Parks Board has done much to make our parks more accessible and beautiful. We enjoyed walking these parks both for their beauty and for physical exercises.

What to expect from this book?

I will describe the parks in brief. The main items would be photographs I took on these walks in the parks.

This book will always be work-in-progress. When I get to visit more parks in Singapore, I will update the book with new editions.

If any park I described in this book caught your fancy, you may want to check it out on your own. One can get a lot of useful information from the web-pages of National Park Board, like how to get there and what to look out for.

So what are you waiting for? Find a date and get out there with family and friends. Happy exploring and get close to nature!

Like a curated photo album Instead of keeping photographs on my phone and hard disk and only I can enjoy, I thought it best I create a book to let people enjoy the beauty of the parks I had visited.

Enjoy!

Š Copyright 2018 by Lim Kim Tong All rights reserved. This is original work with rights to photographs and text belonging to Lim Kim Tong.

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Chapter 1

MacRitchie Reservoir Best known reservoir MacRitchie Reservoir is by far the best known reservoir in Singapore. It is situated in the central catchment nature reserve bounded by Lornie Road and Upper Thomson Road.

For lovers, joggers and walkers The park is frequented by lovers who wanted a quiet spot at night. In the early morning, the fitness enthusiasts took over. You see groups having exercises such as yoga, tai chi.

The joggers and walkers go for various trails inside the forested areas of the reservoir.

Photographs

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Map of the various Nature Parks surrounding the Central Catchment Nature Reserve

My Walk Catch the early morning sunrise at 7 am along the southern side of MacRitchie Reservoir.

Walk the Chemperai Boardwalk and Jering Boardwalk before turning into the Lornie Trail. The whole journey took about one and a half hours to two hours, 10,000 steps about 5 km. Very good for your physical fitness and feel the tranquil atmosphere of the reservoir and forest. If you are lucky you may see a huge water monitor lizard gliding by the boardwalk as you walk. Hear the birds and insects as well. !   9

Chapter 2

TreeTop Walk Walk above the trees TreeTop Walk is a 250-m suspension bridge above the forest of Central Catchment Nature Reserve where MacRitchie is sited. One can reach TreeTop Walk via MacRitchie Trails or from Windsor Nature Park at Venus Drive.

Suspension Bridge The steel structure allows an unimpeded view of forest below and a view of Upper Peirce Reservoir in the distance.

Photographs

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Chapter 3

Windsor Nature Park Quiet walk on boardwalks This park was situated off Venus Drive at Upper Thomson area. Several boardwalks were built for a comfortable walk over fresh water streams and marsh habitat. The quiet environment beats the traffic noise of busy Upper Thomson Road.

Appreciating native plants and fauna Walking in the secondary rain forest is made comfortable for visitors. At the same time, one gets up close to nature of the insect world and small animals.

Photographs

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Map of Windsor Nature Park, TreeTop Walk, MacRitchie Reservoir and Central Catchment Nature Reserve

My Walk 1.

Windsor Nature Park

2.

TreeTop Walk

Started at Windsor Nature Park (Venus Drive) and walked towards TreeTop Walk. The journey took about an hour on the trail to reach Tree TopWalk. We started 8.00 am from Windsor Nature Park. TreeTop Walk opens at 9 am (Monday is closed except if it is a public holiday). Make sure you check the weather forecast before you venture on this trail.

We were caught in a heavy downpour on the return journey to Venus Drive. It was no fun as we were soaked through including our shoes. Give yourself about two and a half hours for the complete journey starting at Venus Drive. (13,500 steps or 7 km length.) !   14

Chapter 4

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Kallang River meanders through it It is a park right in the heart of two busy housing estates. It is a well conceptualised park with greenery, ponds and Kallang River flowing through it. It is ideal for picnics, joggers, walkers to cover 62 hectares of lush green lawns.

In the backyards of Bishan and Ang Mo Kio residents Residents could easily walk from their flats to this park.

Photographs

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Chapter 5

Lower Peirce Reservoir Reservoir that dam the Kallang River Lower Peirce Reservoir is the second oldest reservoir after the MacRitchie Reservoir. It dams the upper reaches of the Kallang River for water need of the population. It can be accessed at Old Upper Thomson Road at the junction with Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

Tranquil walk in secondary forest Walk along 900-metre boardwalk along the water of the reservoir. Hear the birds and insects of this quiet forested area.

Photographs

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My Walk We visited two places of interest in a morning. We walked round Lower Peirce Reservoir on the boardwalk and then proceeded to Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park. Total distance walked was 8 km. Give yourself about 3 hours plus to take in the sights.

Lower Peirce Reservoir and Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park is separated by Upper Thomson Road. You can walk from one to the other.

I am impressed with Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park, its landscaping and water way running throughout the length of the park ending with Kallang River. Lower Peirce Reservoir is tranquil except for joggers running along the boardwalk. The boardwalk was sited at the edge of the water. Some part of the boardwalk was over water.

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Chapter 6

Dairy Farm Nature Park Used to be a Dairy Farm Dairy Farm Nature Park is sited in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. It is rustic and great for bikers, joggers and hikers who needed a bit of challenges. It is lesser developed compared with other parks.

Singapore Quarry and Wallace Nature Trails You can visit the Singapore Quarry with a deep water pond or walk the Wallace Trail for a feel of jungle training of soldiers.

Photographs

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My Walk You can access the Dairy Farm Nature Park from the Hillview MRT station. If you drive, you can park at Car Park A off Dairy Farm Road and move towards MOE Adventure Centre.

When you take the right road from the MOE Adventure Centre, you can walk towards the Singapore Quarry. It is about 20 minutes walk. This Singapore Quarry is worth a visit. It is tranquil and there are fishes (Carps and Arowana fish and others) in the water. Visitors do yoga and stretching exercises at the viewing deck. Or you can just sit and enjoy the peace of the place.

On returning back to the MOE Adventure Centre, you can take the left path towards Wallace Trail. There is a Wallace Education Centre before the trail. Wallace Centre is named after Alfred Wallace in honour of his contribution to Natural Science (1854).

The Wallace Trail takes you into the forested area and you can cover the loop in less than an hour. For the total journey, we took about two hours.

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Chapter 7

Singapore Botanic Gardens UNESCO World Heritage Site Singapore Botanic Gardens has a long history dating back to 1859, long before Singapore achieved independence. Walk this Botanic Gardens to get away from the busy city of Singapore.

Learning Forest Learning Forest is a newer addition to the iconic Botanic Gardens. It has boardwalks and elevated walkways built into a 6-hectare rain forest. You can walk among the tallest tree species in South East Asia in the SPH Walk of Giants.

Photographs

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My Walk Have you gone to Singapore Botanic Gardens after it was conferred the UNSECO World Heritage Site in 2015? There were changes to the Gardens. The latest addition is the Learning Forest. This Learning Forest is connected to the existing Rain Forest.

In the Learning Forest, it has boardwalks and elevated walkway to walk among giant trees.

It has a Canopy Web at a level of 8 metres above ground. This allows one to see the giant trees at a higher point.

I was impressed with the boardwalk cutting into the Rain Forest. You see the green trees around you on this boardwalk. This is new to me and I had not seen it before. !   34

Chapter 8

Fort Canning Park Full of History of Singapore Fort Canning Park was sited on a hilltop right in the city. This is the place where battles with the Japanese soldiers were fought during the Japanese Occupation. The British surrender to Japan was on this Fort.

Rich Heritage and Place for wedding photographs Great place for understanding Singapore histories. It is a popular venue for hosting musical, theatre and art events. Wedding couples take photographs on this park because the Registry of Marriages is sited there.

Photographs

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My Walk The morning sun was intense but there was natural shade from trees that provided cool respite most of the walk. Various birds were singing. We saw beautiful and sweet smelling flowers blooming on trees.

Free to take harvest of Spice Garden. Every Friday morning after 9 am.

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Chapter 9

The Istana President & Prime Minister receive foreign dignitaries The Istana is only opened to public for five times a year. You can visit the Istana main building and the lawns leading to the building.

See the Istana up close Most of us have no chance to be invited by the President or the Prime Minister for special occasions and ceremonies. The Open House is the only time for us to walk the ground and visit the main building.

Photographs

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My Walk Open House on 25 June 2017 was on account that it was Hari Raya Puasa public holiday.

We started early and joined the queue to get in at 8.30 am. Singaporeans and PRs go in free. We only need to pay $2 when visiting Level 1 of The Istana. Besides seeing the various exquisite gift items from various nations, we get to visit the Reception Hall, the State Room, and the Banquet Hall. For majority of us who have no reasons to be present in the State Room or the Banquet Hall, this is the closest we can get to feel the environment of this stately place.

I was impressed with the landscape and grounds of The Istana. It is a miniature Botanic Garden but very well maintained. You can see: The Grove, Japanese Garden, The Swan Pond, Victoria Pond, The Gun Terrace, The Lawn and the Centre Gate.

The weather was fine and not hot in the morning. We got out of The Istana before the heavy rain came, feeling satisfied.

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Chapter 10

Jelutong Tower A 7-deck tower in MacRitchie Jelutong Tower gets its name from the majestic Jelutong trees emerging from the canopy of the forest around it.

360-degree view of the forest of MacRitchie Jelutong Tower is lesser known than the TreeTop Walk. Bird watching enthusiasts will love this tower. To reach the Tower, one can start off at Venus Drive and cut through Windsor Nature Park via the various boardwalks and walking tracks. The directional signs are prominently placed to guide you to Jelutong Tower. You cannot get lost if you keep on the trail. After Windsor Park, you would come to the entrance to Terentang Trail. Even when you see a barrier at this entrance, be rest assured that the barrier is to prevent vehicles from getting on the trail and not human traffic. At the end of the Terentang Trail, you would reach the Ranger Station. You cannot miss this Ranger Station. It has toilet facilities and it is a good place for a quick rest before continuing the journey.

This Ranger Station is where you decide whether you want to move towards TreeTop Walk or to take a different route for the Jelutong Tower. Since we had been to TreeTop Walk, we went on the Sime Trail for Jelutong Tower. The distance to Jelutong Tower is longer than TreeTop Walk by 500 metres.

Photographs

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My Walk We started at 7.30 am in the morning. It took us about one hour plus to reach the tower. We stayed for a while at the top of the tower. There are benches for one to sit on. The return journey to Venus Drive took another hour plus. We ended the walk at 10.00 am.

Total number of steps taken was 12,000 steps covering 7.6 km. Flights climbed were 11 floors. This was a nice workout in the nature reserve with not too hot morning sun. The walk was not strenuous and quite pleasant.

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Chapter 11

Marina Barrage Freshwater Reservoir Marina Barrage was built to create a freshwater reservoir named the Marina Reservoir.

View of Marina Bay and Open Sea Marina Barrage was built across the mouth of the Marina Channel to dam the reservoir inland. It kept the rainwater from flowing out of the Kallang Basin into the open sea in the south of Singapore. It is an engineering feat to create a freshwater reservoir right in the heart of the city.

Photographs

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My Walk It is one place that is out of the way as regards to public transport to the venue.

Having visited the Marina Barrage today, it was worth a visit. The weather cleared up in the morning and early afternoon of 14 January 2018 after continuous rain over the past few days with temperature dipping below 22 C. It was a perfect weather for strolling around the Barrage.

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Chapter 12

Labrador Nature Reserve World War II Site This Park size is 22 hectares, not too big but important for Singapore history. It was a World War II site where the British soldiers were defending Singapore against aggressors with its 6-inch Quick Firing Guns (cannons) facing the coastal water of southern tip of Singapore. Visitors can view the fort and pill boxes built on this park.

Facing the coastal water of southern tip of Singapore Besides the historic feature of Labrador Nature Reserve, it has an area facing the sea that is quite open and suitable for picnics and social gatherings.

Photographs

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My Walk In the morning, we took about an hour walking the nature reserve and viewed the 6-inch QF Gun, the fort, pill boxes, tunnel system (doors to these tunnels were closed). It was rather fortified to dispel the enemies from the south coming across the sea (but the Japanese soldiers took the route from the North of Singapore instead!) That was history. We ended at the stretch of land fronting the sea. We can see Sentosa across the water. We can also see the cable cars in the distance.

This stretch of land was reasonably crowded on a Saturday morning at about 9 am.

Next we moved out of Labrador Nature Reserve and took the Bukit Chermin Boardwalk to move towards Reflections by Keppel Bay (a condominium) and the Caribbean at Keppel Bay (another condominium). We walked along the water edge and admired the yachts at the Marina at Keppel Bay.

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Chapter 13

Southern Ridges Hilly regions and forested areas This is the southern-most part of mainland Singapore that is hilly and forested. It is called the Southern Ridges that includes Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserve. From the high points of the Southern Ridges, we could see Keppel Bay, Sentosa, Telok Blangah housing estates in a distance.

Connected Parks for a Walk For this walk, we covered three parks, Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and HortPark. Kent Ridge Park was covered on another day. As for Labrador Nature Reserve, it was described earlier in the book.

The start of the walk was a steep climb to the top of Mount Faber Park. First stop was Mount Faber Station where one can catch the cable car to Sentosa. Next we walked the Faber Walk with the highest point called the Faber Point. Busload of tourists descended at Faber Point to catch a vantage point view of Telok Blangah housing estates and Keppel Bay and Sentosa to the south.

We proceeded to Henderson Wave, an overhead pedestrian bridge that cuts across Henderson Road. It is so called because of the wavy architecture of the bridge. On crossing the Henderson Wave, we got to the Telok Blangah Hill Park.

This place is a forested hilly area with steel walking bridges that span several kilometres. This is called the Forest Walk.

Leaving the Telok Blangah Hill Park we came to another overhead pedestrian bridge called the Alexandra Arch that goes over the Alexandra Road. From here, we moved to HortPark as our final destination. We spent some time here viewing the collection of theme gardens. HortPark serves to engage visitors and gardening enthusiasts and encourages them to embrace greenery into their lifestyle.

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Photographs

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My Walk We started at 8.00 am walking the Marang Trail (Exit D of HarbourFront MRT Station) and ended the walk at HortPark. The trails are clearly marked on walking paths and sign-posted and it was easy to navigate.

Friday morning was spent walking the trails of the Southern Ridges, experiencing the views from two high points of Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill. It is amazing that we could walk the hilly regions and forested areas of Singapore set amongst the concrete jungle of housing estates to the north and busy Keppel Harbour to the south. From the two peaks on this walk, we could see far and the view was still breathtaking even they are not the highest peaks of Singapore.

The distance covered was 7.5 km of about 13,000 steps. Morning walk was 3 hours long.

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Chapter 14

Kent Ridge Park Historical significance during Japanese Occupation Kent Ridge (formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge) is significant historically. It was at this high ground where the Battle for Opium Hill (or Bukit Chandu) was fiercely fought on 13-14 February 1942 between the 1st Malay Regiment, British and Indian forces and the Japanese Imperial Army. Singapore lost and came under the Japanese Occupation.

Peace and Tranquility Kent Ridge Park is part of the Southern Ridges. It can be accessed from the western side of HortPark. Both parks are connected by an elevated boardwalk measuring 280-metres long called the Canopy Walk.

Kent Ridge Park is not like other parks that are popular with visitors. When we were there this morning, not many people were around. I like it for its peace and tranquility. It is 47 hectares in size. From HortPark, we had to walk up to the top of the ridge. At the top, we could view Pasir Panjang Terminal and the habour in the southerly direction. Towards the north of the park, it was the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE).

Dotting round Kent Ridge Park are concrete cement shelters for people to rest.

The shelters are so quaint. We walk among trees like Tembusu, Adinandras and Dillenias. It felt like walking in some countries with such tall shady trees.

There are two ponds to the western end of the park – Kent Ridge Pond and the smaller Dragonfly Pond close by. It is so called because you can see various species of dragonflies around these two ponds.

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Photographs

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My Walk This walk requires some fitness to walk up to high ground and down the steps to lower level. You would be rewarded with view of far-away places.

One can choose to drop at Labrador Park MRT Station (Exit A) and walk the overhead linkway towards the PSA Building. Walk alongside Alexandra Road towards HortPark at Hyderabad Road. The walk to HortPark took about 20 minutes.

From HortPark, we moved to Kent Ridge Park via the connection Canopy Walk.

We then returned back to HortPark.

The round trip back to the MRT station was about 7.5 km of about 13,000 steps.

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Chapter 15

Sungei Buloh WetLand Reserve Haven for Migratory Birds Migratory birds fly in during October/November period and it would be a good time to see these birds. According to National Parks, September to March would be ideal for a visit.

Natural Habitats and Mangrove Swamp Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve will be a good place for city dwellers to visit. No wonder this place is termed a living classroom for learning natural habitats on a mangrove swamp.

There is a new extension to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve that includes a coastal trail facing the Straits of Johor. The former Visitor Centre is now named as the Wetland Centre and the new and impressive Visitor Centre is now shifted to the end of the coastal walk nearer to the Kranji Reservoir (to the east of the Reserve).

There are several observation pods (shaped like a bird nest) dotted alongside the coastal trail. These pods are named Mudskipper Pod, Kingfisher Pod, Dragonfly Pod, Eagle Point, and Fantail Pod. The names suggest the kinds of habitats that could be seen at each pod. Another attraction is the Mud Experience platform.

Visitors can walk the rope balancing bridge to the mudflats at low tides and experience the soft mud and come up close to living things thriving in mangrove swamp.

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Photographs

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My Walk If you drive using the Seletar Expressway (SLE) towards the Reserve, you would drive pass the road above the Kranji Dam. The view is magnificent with water on both side of the road. It is as if you are travelling cross-country to another part of the world.

In three hours, we walked the trail at the Buloh Tidal Ponds on the left of the Wetland Centre (so called old Sungei Buloh) and proceeded to the newly opened extension to Sungei Buloh and the coastal walk to the right of the Wetland Centre. I enjoyed the new extension and the coastal walk. The coastal walk alongside the Johor Strait was a feast for the eyes. Looking across the Strait, we can see Johor. Malaysia is quite near to Singapore.

On 22 October, we made a second trip to catch the migratory birds. This time, we timed to watch the migratory birds in our mangrove swamps at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

The tide was in, so more water to see than in June when I was there earlier. The calm of the water and green trees provide a sight for photography. I like the many observation pods along the coastal walk in the new part of Sungei Buloh.

We were rewarded with sighting of so many kind of birds, mudskippers, monitor lizard, and other living creatures. We saw black underwing Milky Storks perching on the tree branches.

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References National Park of Singapore (NParks) https://www.nparks.gov.sg/

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