Singapore Nature: Parks, Reserves, Floral & Fauna
Barely 50km from the equator, Singapore is a hot and humid country that is known more for its urban landscape, laws and efficiency than its nature. Contary to popular belief, Singapore is green and has a rich diversity in wildlife.
Rapid industralisation in the 60s and 70s have led to a decimation of a number of nature areas. However, green issues became mainstream in the 80s and many eco-groups have surfaced and vowed to protect the natural heritage of Singapore.
This article highlights the areas in Singapore where mother nature still stakes her claim and offers tips of what to see and how to go to these places.
Quick Links
General References
Green
Map of Singapore
Exploration
Trails by Nature Enthusiasts
Nature
Society (Singapore)
Paul Huang's fantastic gallery
of nature images in Singapore
A. Islands
Pulau Ubin
This island at the North Eastern side of Singapore is like a snapshot of Singapore back in the 1950s. The main commercial activities concentrates at the jetty where restaurants and bicycle rental shops are aplenty. There are 2 adventure training camps on Pulau Ubin as well as a resort, however, the remainder of the island is more or less left intact since the 1950s.
National
Parks' Guide to Pulau Ubin
Wild
Singapore Guide to Chek Jawa
You can either chose to cycle or walk around the island but do remember that if you are planning to visit Chek Jawa that you will be leaving the bicycles unsupervised as you roam on the sandbanks.
In the middle of the island, there are still quarries that are fenced up and the odd farm/ orchard but otherwise most parts of the island is accessible. As you walk through the island tracks, you will see a large variety of fruit trees (such as durian, rambutan, papaya) and crop trees (oil palm, rubber); this is a legacy of old Singapore when argriculture was a major industry. Walking along the coastline, you may see disused ponds which were used for irrigation and for fisheries.
The gem of Pulau Ubin must be Chek Jawa; located at the Eastern tip of the island. In order to see Chek Jawa properly, you must time your visit at low tide. Learn more about Tide Tables at Sembawang, Singapore.
Along the coast at Chek Jawa is are mangroves which may disguise the abundance
of wildlife. Learn more about Checklist
of Flora & Fauna at Chek Jawa
At low tide, you can walk through onto the sandbanks and explore the numerous
water pockets left by the tide. Much like visiting an aquarium, you can
see various marine plants and animals still holding its place.
Read about Simone's visit to Pulau Ubin on 17 Jan 2004
How to get here: From the City and Betel Box Hostel bus
SBS 2 takes you to Changi Village where you can take the ferry to the island.
When to go: Most times of the year. If you are planning
to visit Chek Jawa, remember to check the tide tables and the last ferry
leaves Pulau Ubin to the mainland at about 9pm.
Pulau Hantu
This little island is in the South West of Singapore main island and is the main location of open water scuba diving training in Singapore. Life on the island is idylic at best but has good facilities (clean toilets, fresh water, large huts) for overnight stays. The real action is below the surface where you can see coral, clown fish, blue spotted sting rays and turtles. From a diver's point of view, diving at Hantu is less exciting than diving in East Coast of Malaysia due to the visibility of the water as well as variety of marine life. However, every dive spot is special and Hantu provides the opportunity to tune up on your diving techniques. Occasionally, you will find the odd dugong here; like I did some 6 years ago during my first openwater dive.
On land, the island itself is not that exciting. However, if you are scuba diver, you might want to give Hantu a try.
How to get here: For scuba diving, it is best to check
with the local dive operators since they will arrange for transportation
to Hantu. Do check if the dive operator is planning to go onto the island;
if yes, you may want to bring along a packed lunch.
When to go: Most times of the year.
Hills
In terms of height, hills in Singapore are nothing to boast about. Our tallest natural peak is the Bukit Timah Hill which "towers" at 164m. However, while views from the top are not that amazing, the floral and fauna are the real attractions.
Bukit Timah Hill and Central Reserve
Comprising of over 2000 ha of land area, the key attraction is the Bukit Timah Hill. The remainder of the area consist of primary and secondary rainforests and water catchment areas. Singapore and Rio de Janeiro are the only 2 cities in the world that have a sizeable primary rainforest within the city boundaries. Do get a copy of map at the Visitors Centre before you wander off on the tracks.
Visitors to Bukit Timah Hill can stroll up to the top of the hill on a paved road or trek along defined paths around the hill. Please be warned that some of the tracks can be dangerous with ravines and narrow tracks.
Guided walks are available through booking with National Parks every Every first Sunday of the month; 9.30am and 10.30am
Contact: or Tel:6554 5127
There is also a cycling path for off road cyclists which will take you around the hill; cyclists are not allowed on the slopes of the hill itself. It is advisable that if you are planning to cycle at Bukit Timah Hill that you are equiped with the proper tyres and attire as some parts of the cycling paths can be extremely slippery when wet. The unfortunate situation is that there is no longer any bicycle rental shop nearby.
There is now also a Tree Top Walk for those that want a birdseye view from the canopy of the rainforest. Getting to this suspended bridge can be an extended hike from Bukit Timah Hill or a round circuit from Macritchie Reservoir. If your fitness level is up to it, I do recommend the 17km hike from Bukit Timah Hill and exiting at Macritchie Reservoir on Lornie Road where you can catch Bus Service 93 back to Geylang Serai which is just up the road from Betel Box. If you just want to sample the Tree Top Walk or not quite there in fitness, there is a cheaters route. Take a taxi to the very end of Rifle Range Road and follow the sign post to the entrance of the suspended bridge. On the return trek, you can request to use the public phone at the reception of ST company on Rifle Range Road to call for a cab. Note that the reception is closed on the weekend and the guards there would not be able to let you into the reception area. Also, if you are a mobile phone user, the reception there is limited if you are on Singtel network; M1 network seems to work better.
National
Parks' Guide to Bukit Timah Hill
LiJun's
Guide to Bukit Timah Hill
The National Parks are creating a series of Park Connectors to allow for easy access between the various parks and reservoirs in Singapore. One route that may be of interest to those that are more adventurous would be hiking from Bukit Timah Hill to Macritchie Reservoir.
How to get here: From Betel Box Hostel, bus TIBS 67 takes
you to Courts Furniture store on Upper Bukit Timah Road. Cross Upper Bukit
Timah Road to Hindhede Road and walk straight on to the visitors centre.
From the city, at Newton MRT Station, take bus SBS 171 to Upper Bukit Timah
Road.
When to go: Most times of the year.
Mangroves
Mangroves are tropical tree and shrub species that can grow in salt water. Mangroves swaps are common to South East Asia and many plant and animal species are indigenous to this environment.
Sungei Buloh
Along the North West area of Singapore lie Sungei Buloh which is popular with the local birdwatching and photography communities. This park area is conserved and protected as it on the migratory track of the protected White Malayan Crane and other bird species. Compared to a number of parks in Singapore, human intrusions in the form of artificial landscaping has been minimised while amendities are well thought out. Bring a packed lunch, binoculars and cameras as you can relax in the numerous huts dotted around the mangroves. Mosquito repellent spray is a good idea.
Official
Website of Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve
Ria
Tan's summary on Sungei Buloh
How to get here: Learn
more from Official Website
When to go: Most times of the year. 7.30am - 7pm
Parks & Reservoirs
The public parks and reservoirs are jointly managed by two government agencies; National Parks and the Public Utilities Board. The history behind a majority of these parks and reservoirs serve both a pragmatic as well as cultural purpose.
Botanic Gardens
Henry Ridley is often credited for initiating the farming of rubber trees in South East Asia. In 1888, Ridley was a director at the Singapore Botanic Garden when he received a shipment of 22 rubber seedlings from Kew Gardens. It was at Botanic Gardens that Ridley experimented with the seedlings and gradually gain support from commercial farmers in the region.
Background on how Rubber came to South East Asia
In the 1800s, there were a sizeable foreign community in Singapore and back then one of the most popular recreation area was the Botanic Gardens with its manicured gardens and water features. The bandstand pavillion is still in the same place and many older Singaporeans can feel moments of nostaglia of stolen kisses and romantic walks in this garden.
Present day, the most popular attraction must be the Orchid Gardens where it houses a large variety of orchids from all over the world. The associated research facility produces many hybrids of orchids per year and it is the custom of the Orchid Gardens to name new orchid breeds to visiting VIP and celebrities. Don't just take my word for it, check out the orchids named after Margaret Thatcher and Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Botanic Gardens is are an easy place to visit, particularly if you are in the Orchard Road vicinity.
National
Parks' Guide to Botanic Gardens
Official
Website of Singapore Botanic Gardens
How to get here: From Betel Box Hostel, bus SBS 7. Alight
across the park at Junction of Holland Road and Cluny Road (opposite Gleneagles
Hospital)
When to go: Most times of the year. Main park is open 5am
- 12midnight
More
detailed instructions
Labrador Park
Labrador Park served a military purpose since the 1800s due to its strategic location on the south coast of Singapore. These days, Labrador Park is popular with anglers and is generally less crowded than most parks in the centre of Singapore.
Aerial stairway leads to a rocky beach and the landscape is interjected with remains of the old fort and bunkers.
National Parks' Guide to Labrador Park
How to get here: From Betel Box Hostel, Bus 30, stop along
Pasir Panjang Road and walk towards Labrador Villa Road.
When to go: Most times of the year. This is a public park,
there is no fixed operating hours.
East Coast Beach
This is the longest public beach in Singapore and on weekends and school holidays you will share the serenity with throngs of families and children. Sporting and recreation facilities are aplenty; from roller blades and bicycle rental through to canoe and fishing and bars and food centres. The East Coast Food Centre was recently reopened after one year of renovations work; the food stalls are now housed in huts but the open views to the beach remains.
A majority of this beach is man-made as a result of land reclaimation projects in the 1960s. East Coast beach was designed to be a recreation area with various theme parks and food & breverage outlets. One of the lesser successes of East Coast Beach would be the number of bird sancturies on the beach, unfortunately, migratory bird just can't be persuaded to move there!
One of the best views of the central business district would be at Bedok Jetty on the far end of the beach in the east.
National Parks' Guide to East Coast Beach
How to get here: From Betel Box Hostel, walk along Joo
Chiat Road towards Marine Parade. Next to the NTUC Supermarket, there is
an underpass that takes you onto the beach. From the city, take bus 16 and
stop at Marine Crescent.
When to go: Most times of the year. This is a public park,
there is no fixed operating hours.
E. Conservation
For an island nation with over 4million people living in a land mass of just under 700 sq km, protection and preserving our natural heritage is an on-going activity. It is encouraging to see that there has been significant grassroots level support from all segments. I've listed some of these organisation below in hope that you may learn more and support their efforts.
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
Animal Concerns Research & Education Society
Earthlink (Nanyang Technological University)
The list above is a growing one and if you know of any other organisations that deserves promotion, let us know.