Singapore Parks

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

This nature reserve is also the site of Singapore's highest hill, located about 12km from the city centre. Though it is small (1.64sqkm), it contains many interesting varieties of plants and animals, including orchids, lilies, rattan, butterflies, squirrels, wild birds, monkeys and insects.

There are both easy and challenging trails here within the reserve, all with good signage. Nearby, the Hindhede Nature Park features a picnic and play park where families and friends can relax. Other activities available around the Reserve include a six-km mountain bike trail and rock climbing.

Central Catchment Nature Reserve

If your idea of a true nature adventure is to trek for hours on end, always running the risk of getting lost, then Central Catchment Nature Reserve would probably come closest to satisfying you.

This 2,000 hectare reserve is made up of the forests around the Upper Peirce, Peirce, MacRitchie and Seletar Reservoirs. You can enter the Upper Peirce forest via the Old Upper Thomson Road.

There's no admission fee, which also means there's no visitor centre and you are left to your own devices.

Unlike the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, though, the forests of the Central Catchment are secondary forests.

You can hike for quite a long distance here, as the park leads right on to Bukit Timah Reserve and beyond. Bring a hat for protection from the blazing equatorial sun and lots of water.

Chinese and Japanese Gardens

The Chinese and Japanese Gardens are off Yuan Ching Road, and adjoin Jurong Bird Park. Each garden covers 13.5 hectares. The Chinese Garden, which occupies the island on Jurong Lake, is done in the classical Northern Chinese Imperial style.

Stroll around the Chinese Garden and take in the majestic stone lions at the entrance, the stoneboat, the towering pagodas and the statue of Confucius. Marvel at the rockeries in the Garden of Romance and breathe in the smell of the culinary and medicinal herbs in the Herb Garden. The most interesting section of the Chinese Gardens is the Suzhou-styled penjing, or bonsai, garden. This section houses some 2,000 pots of penjing and is a must for bonsai buffs.

Across the Double Beauty Bridge are the Japanese Gardens, which are more minimalist in style. You'll find serene gardens, zig-zag bridges, pebbled pathways, stone lanterns and traditional summer houses here.

East Coast Park

East Coast Park is not only the most popular, but also the largest (1.85sqkm) park in Singapore. It was built on reclaimed land and offers various activities from water sports to cycling, rollerblading, bowling as well as an 18-hole indoor mini-golf course. Other facilities include a manmade sandy beach, shops/kiosks, rest-rooms, barbecue stations and holiday chalets.

Singaporeans love food, so there are plenty of dining venues to choose from here. The East Coast Seafood Centre consists of eight seafood restaurants. Some must-try dishes include the spicy sambal stingray and satay (grilled meat skewed on sticks served with sweet peanut sauce).

Fort Canning Park

Behind the Singapore History Museum at Stamford Road, situated on top of a hill, is Fort Canning. You can get into Fort Canning via several accesses - the Park Mall underpass, the National Library underpass, the Hill Street Food Centre and the River Valley Swimming Complex.

Besides being a welcome respite of quiet greenery in the city, it is also a historic area. In ancient times, Fort Canning Hill was known as Forbidden Hill, and archeologists have found Javanese artifacts dating from the 14th century, when Singapore was part of the Majapahit empire. The hill, sacred to the Malays, also contains the shrine of Sultan Iskandar Shah, the last monarch of the old kingdom of Singapura.

When Stamford Raffles came to Singapore, he built his bungalow - later known as Government House - on top of the hill. The British army, between 1859 and 1861, built an arms store, barracks and hospitals, and the buildings became known as Fort Canning. Today, only ruins of the fort are left, along with several well-preserved underground tunnels. The fort is surrounded by a quiet park which also holds an old Christian cemetery. The short but heartfelt inscriptions on the tombstones give a compelling, even touching, glimpse of Singapore's early colonial settlers.

These days, Fort Canning is a common venue for outdoor arts events. Ballet Under the Stars is a regular feature, while many of Singapore's young dramatists have made clever use of the historic ruins as a backdrop for their plays. The Singapore Drama Centre is situated at the bottom of the hill, while the Singapore Dance Theatre is found in Fort Canning Centre at the summit. In recent years, Fort Canning has become the site for the highly popular Womad, an annual event featuring World Music performers from all over the globe.

You will also found the Battle Box, situated inside what used to be the largest underground military operations complex in Singapore. The complex was part of the Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II. The Battle Box reenacts, with the aid of video and sound effects, animatronics and figurines the fateful day on February 15, 1942 that British officers decided to surrender Singapore to the Japanese.

HortPark

HortPark is a gardening and leisure/recreational concept. There are 20 themed gardens, for example the Fantasy Garden features characters from the Wizard of Oz . Then there is the Recycling Garden, Herb & Spice Garden, the Water Garden and a tree-climbing corner. HortPark serves as a link that connects Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park. 

Jurong Reptile Park

This is Southeast Asia's largest reptile park, featuring over 50 species of reptiles including crocodiles, komodo dragons, snakes and tortoises. There are reptile shows at 11:45 and 14:00 on weekdays, with an extra show at 16:00 on weekends and public holidays. You can also watch the crocodiles being fed, or have your photo taken with snakes and other scaly creatures.

Mandai Orchid Gardens

If you're an orchid enthusiast, the Mandai Orchid Gardens are a must. These gardens are the centre of Singapore's thriving orchid industry, and boasts four hectares of the fragile and beautiful plants. Let the Orchid Gift Box Service deliver the flowers to your loved ones to any address in the world.

Marina Barrage

Officially opened in late 2008, Marina Barrage Dam is built across the Marina Channel with a catchment area of 10,000 hectares. It won top prize from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) in May 2009. Locals use it as a recreational area for activities like kite flying and picnicking. Marina Barrage is open to the public 24-hours a day but the information counter is open from 10:00 – 18:00 only.

Mount Faber

Mount Faber offers superb panoramic views of Sentosa, the harbour, islands to the south as well as the busy central district. It is also home of the Merlion, Singapore’s mythical symbol which sits on top of the hill. Many people go up there to enjoy the scenery then take a cable car to Sentosa for more amazing views along the way.

For those who love good food, Mount Faber features some well-recognised dining venues including Jewel Box, Altivo Bar, Faber Hill Bistro and the Glass Bar. Over the weekends, there are quite a number of hikers using different trials to go up to the top which can also be accessed by road. 

Sungei Buloh Nature Park

The Sungei Buloh Nature Park is a great place for bird-watching, being a regional stopover for birds on their North-South migrations.

An 87-hectare wetland reserve, the park is a little less than an hour's ride by car from the centre of town. The park gives you an idea of the mangrove swamps that once surrounded Singapore.

There's a visitor centre, boardwalks and bird-watching hides, from which you can spot night herons, or the white-breasted water hen. Also keep a lookout for various species of butterflies, mud-skippers and monitor lizards. If you're interested in aquaculture, prawn and fish farming is carried out in the park.

The Southern Ridges

The Southern Ridges is a nine-km long trail across the south of Singapore, linking Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park. It’s a great place for outdoor activities, especially for runners, nature lovers and hikers.

There are about eight trails at Southern Ridges; all are well connected with good facilities along the way (i.e. toilets, drink-vending machines, restaurants and cafes.) Such trails are for example Marang Trail (800 metres), Henderson Waves (a 274-metre-long undulating bridge), Forest Walk (a steps-free elevated walkway) and Faber Trail (a kilometre-long trail). The best thing about the Southern Ridges is that visitors can take as much time as they like, knowing that there are many places along the route where they can get public transport.

Treetop Walk at MacRitchie Reservoir

The Treetop Walk at MacRitchie Reservoir is a big project and a pioneer of its genre in Singapore. Some 25 metres high and 250 metres long, the wooden walkway bridge gives you the opportunity to see Singapore in a different way: without one tall building in sight – just a fantastic panoramic view of the forest.

This free-standing suspension bridge is a one-direction traffic system and allows only 30 people at a time on it. The starting point is at the Ranger Station via Peirce track (about 4.5km from the bridge) and it will lead you through mature secondary forest. Another option is to get to the Treetop walk from Venus Drive off Upper Thomson Road which will help shorten the distance by about two kilometres.

The walk along the bridge offers an unusual view of the forest canopy. Good walking shoes are necessary, as are drinking water and mosquito repellent. The round trip hike takes from three to five hours depending on your choice of routes. It’s a wonderful day out but not for those afraid of open spaces.