With over 300 parks and four nature reserves in Singapore, spending weekends clubbing or shopping at the malls isn’t the only way to spend quality time with your girlfriends.
A weekend morning trek with your squad is a great way to unwind and get your weekly fix of cardio. But unlike more popular trails such as Henderson Waves or the TreeTop Walk, we prefer the intimate environment offered by quiet jungle paths, more suited for HTHT conversations.
So, we curated a list of lesser-known hiking paths with photo-worthy spots.
Things to pack:
– Hiking boots
– Water bottle
– Food
– Valuables (wallet, keys, phone)
– Poncho
– Waterproof backpack
– Sunscreen/sunblock
– Towel
– Portable fan (optional)
As most hiking trails in Singapore are relatively flat, most locals often choose to hike in sneakers. While these shoes might complement your #OOTD aesthetics, they often lack an adequate grip on slippery tracks and offer little protection from rocks. So, put on proper hiking boots and get into comfy attire before embarking on your adventure.
The 81-hectare Chestnut Nature Park is the first park in Singapore to have mountain biking and hiking trails. But you don’t have to worry about being hit by an errant bike as the trails are kept separate.
The 2.1km long Southern Hiking Trail is a looped trail with a hilly terrain. The Northern Hiking Trail consists of two routes—a shorter, looped trail and a trail which spans across half the park.
Chestnut Nature Park generally has a jungle terrain. If you plan to visit, do wear proper hiking shoes as the ground is usually damp, muddy, with puddles of water interspersed between the trails.
The park also has an asphalt pump track for bikers to practice their skills. The pump track complements the 7.2km mountain biking trails: Northern Biking Trail and Southern Biking Trail.
Follow the Chestnut Nature Park (Southern Loop) trail to get to the pump track.
Address
Chestnut Avenue, S(679514)
Location
Chestnut Nature Park spans Gali Batu Flyover to Dairy Farm Flyover and is situated along the BKE.
By car: Drive along Chestnut Drive towards PUB waterworks and park at the carpark beside Chestnut Point
By bus: Take bus numbers 700 or 966 and alight at Block 202, Petir Road. From the bus stop, take a 2km or 30-minute walk along Petir Road/Chestnut Ave to Chestnut Nature Park.
By train: Alight at Pending LRT via the Bukit Panjang LRT Line. Walk towards Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre, and walk past Kim San Leng Coffee Shop. Head towards Blk 276 Bangkit Road, leading to Zhenghua Park. Take the tarmac track leading to Zhenghua underpass to get to Chestnut Nature Park.
Difficulty: Easy (2 to 3 hours)
Opening hours: 7.00am to 7.00pm
Pets are not allowed
Instead of the typical lush rainforests in Singapore, Tampines Eco Green is designed to look like a savannah with secondary rainforests, freshwater ponds, and marshlands.
An eco-friendly park, the tracks built for hikers are covered with dirt or carpeted with grass, rather than the usual cement or gravel footpaths.
The park has three trails: the Diversity Trail, the Forest Trail and the Marsh Trail.
If you’re looking for an easy hike, you’ll be glad to know the terrain is flat throughout the park. Because you’re walking long distances, ensure your boots provide support for the arcs of your feet, especially if you are flat-footed.
Located at the end of the marsh trail is a platform most hikers use as a resting spot.
Note: The park is not lit at night so leave before sunset.
Address
Tampines Avenue 9, S(520491)
Location
Between Tampines Expressway), Tampines Avenue 12, and the Sungei Tampines Canal
Getting there:
By car: Park at Block 408, Tampines Avenue 9, before entering the park through the Tampines Park Connector (5-minute walk)
By bus: The nearest bus stop is at the Tampines Regional Library via bus 4, 8, 15, 18, 19, 27, 28, 29, 37, 38, 81, 129, 168, 291, 293 and 298. Upon alighting, cut through Sun Plaza Park.
By train: Alight at Tampines MRT and walk 20 minutes to the park via Sun Plaza Park
Difficulty: Easy (1.5 to 2 hours)
Opening hours: 7.00am to 7.00pm
Cyclists and pets are not allowed
Hindhede Nature Park is a quaint, compact park tucked away in the corner of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Unlike the steeper tracks on Bukit Timah Hill, the 9.5-hectare park has a flat wooden boardwalk. which leads to forest trails with gentle inclines.
At the end of your walk, cool off by the lake and enjoy the scenic view of Hindhede Quarry.
Address
Hindhede Dr, S(589318)
Location
Next to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, along Upper Bukit Timah Road
By car: Park at the carpark along Hindhede Drive at the Visitor Center
By bus: Take 67, 75, 170, 171, 184, 852, 961, 961C and alight opposite the Bukit Timah Shopping Centre/Beauty World Centre
By train: Alight at Beauty World MRT Station and take Exit A. Walk 10 minutes along Hindhede Drive to the Visitor Centre
Difficulty: Very easy (1 hour)
Opening hours: 7.00am to 7.00pm
Pets are not allowed
Go off the beaten track and explore the remnants of a Chinese kampong just off MacRitchie Reservoir; you’ll discover a well, bathroom stall, kitchen, and storage area.
The Kampong trail is made of several smaller trails. To access the path, start on Hindhede Drive and hike through the Pandan Trail.
When you get to Rifle Range Road, take the Rifle Range Trail and then the Nangka Trail till you reach a fork.
You can then choose to head over to MacRitchie Reservoir or back onto Belukar Track in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. We chose to head over to the quieter side of MacRitchie Reservoir.
After you’re done with your walk, pop by the Mushroom Cafe, a 100m (5-minute) walk from the platform.
Address
Jalan Kampong Chantek
Location
Along Hindhede Drive, just before Nature Reserves Visitor Centre
By car: Park at the carpark along Hindhede Drive at the Visitor Center
By bus: Take 67, 75, 170, 171, 184, 852, 961, 961C and alight opposite the Bukit Timah Shopping Centre/Beauty World Centre
By train: Alight at Beauty World MRT Station and take Exit A. Walk for 10 minutes along Hindhede Drive to the Visitor Centre
Difficulty: Hard (4 hours)
Opening hours: 7.00am to 7.00pm
Pets are not allowed
Home to more than 170 species of birds, 54 species of butterflies, and 33 species of dragonflies, the 56.8-hectare park is one of the largest freshwater marshes in Singapore.
The park is divided into two sections: the public area and the restricted core conservation area.
Tip: The sun is brutal so slap on sunblock if you intend to visit.
You can cover the boardwalk in about an hour and spend time spotting the various animal species which have made Kranji Marshes their home.
If you’d like a tour of the marshes, sign up for the two-hour long ‘Evening Chorus at Kranji Marshes’ walk. The area is usually not opened to the public as it is an ecologically sensitive conservation area.
The marshlands give Kranji Marshes a rustic charm, especially during the golden hour. The best place to watch the sunset is atop the Raptor Tower, located at the end of the boardwalk trail.
Address
11 Neo Tiew Lane 2, S(718814)
Location
Along the northwestern shore of Kranji Reservoir
By car: Enter via Kranji Way and Neo Tiew Road. At Kranji Gate, there is a car park with 20 parking spaces
By bus: -NIL-
By train: Kranji Station is the nearest MRT. From there, take a cab to the entrance.*
*The Kranji Express bus which brought visitors to the marshes is no longer in service
Difficulty: Very easy (1 hour)
Opening hours: 7.00am to 7.00pm
On our hike, we wore the Chameleon 7 Storm XX Mid Gore Tex in Purple (top; S$249) and the Women Chameleon 7 Storm Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes, Navy/Pink (bottom; S$229) from Merrell.
The Merrell shoes offered thick insoles and solid ankle padding. Our feet weren’t sore after a long day of hiking as the shoes eliminated excess movement, minimised chafing, and prevented blisters.
The waterproof shoes also prevented our socks from getting wet when we moved through damp forest floors and stepped in puddles.
Newly launched in Singapore, you can buy Merrell hiking shoes from the Royal Sporting House website or selected stores:
– Clementi
– Great World City
– ION Orchard
– JEM
– Junction 8
– Parkway Parade
– Suntec City
– Tampines Mall
– Velocity @ Novena Square
– VivoCity
Exclusive deal for readers: Quote ‘RSH_ZULA‘ from now till 31 August 2018 to receive 30% off all Merrell products on Royal Sporting House’s website.
This post was brought to you by Merrell and Royal Sporting House.
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