Singapore's TidbiTs

One of the 17 fresh-water reservoirs in Singapore, Bedok Reservoir was a former sand quarry that collects rainwater runoff from the eastern part of Singapore. The reservoir and surrounding area have been turned into a recreational park where other than admiring the views from the boardwalk or floating deck, you can also fish, do kayaking or simply enjoy the walk around the reservoir, admire ants' hills, Tiger Orchids, the largest orchid in the world and appreciate the reunification of Germany with a segment of a Berlin walls right here in the park. Bedok Reservoir is located in the eastern part of Singapore, close to Bedok North and Tampines West so especially great for those living in these housing estates. Bedok Reservoir is also linked to other parks in the eastern corridor such as Pasir Ris Park and Tampines Eco Park via the Park Connector Network or PCN so you can cycle or walk between parks. Nature is bountiful in Bedok Reservoir Park. As you enter you will be greeted with...

Bukit Batok Nature Park is known as the Guilin of Singapore, Little Guilin or Xiao Guilin as it is called by locals here, it resembles the much bigger Guilin Mountains in China. Well, perhaps a little, though it is just a part of it. Bukit Batok Nature Park is a respite for those living in the western part of Singapore. It is not to the extreme west like Jurong Lake Gardens but is actually quite close to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to the east and there is a 1.8 km (1.1 miles) park connector network walking path linking between the two as they are both part of the 36km coast-to-coast trail. Some may combine Bukit Timah with Bukit Batok. Bukit Batok literally means 'coughing hill'. 'Bukit' is 'hill' and 'batok' is cough. Jurong Lake Gardens is the start point or the ending point of the coast-to-coast trail, depending on if you start from it or from Coney Island . The distance between Jurong Lake Gardens to Bukit Batok Nature Park is 7.3km (4.5 miles...

Mention MacRitchie Reservoir to anyone here, two things usually come to mind. The scenic tree-top walk and the long-tailed macaques who are the long-time residents of the forest. Named after municipal engineer James MacRitchie, MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore’s oldest reservoir, and an important source of the city’s water supply. The reservoir, within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, has also been transformed into a venue for recreation which is part of Public Utilities Board’s Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programmes to bring community closer to water. Do you know that the Central Catchment Nature Reserve was first established as a nature reserve under the directorship of the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 1990? You can stroll along the submerged boardwalk, take in the scenic views from the bandstands, chill on the benches among the huge park, enjoying the bright looking flowers amongst them. Rows of bright orange flower trees of Kock's Bauhinia (Bauhinia kockinia) an...

Tucked at the western end of Singapore within the Jurong Lake District and not too far away from both Chinese and Japanese Gardens, is the picturesque family friendly Jurong Lake Gardens. It is conferred as the third 'national' garden in Singapore, the first being the historical and Unesco World Heritage Site english garden theme Singapore Botanic Gardens with its world-class National Orchid Garden , and the second is the newer, the 10 years old Gardens by the Bay with its two thematic conservatories or domes and 18 super trees. Jurong Lake Gardens is a huge garden which resembles more like a park, with its wide-open concept and an array of interesting sections as you will learn below. It is touted as a people's garden to differentiate between Singapore Botanic Garden with its history on research and heritage, while Gardens by the Bay showcased sustainability efforts. In urban Singapore seeing the open vast grassland dotted with rustic looking observatories is such a pleasa...

Forget about expensive gyms with their hard selling tactics and a place you are unlikely to visit more than twice or perhaps thrice in a year. You can always go for their free trials and then disappear unless they can convince you and then they also disappear. There are fitness centres or outdoor gyms in the parks and beaches across the island, and they are free. You can exercise and listen to the sound of nature at the same time or to the sound of kids playing if the fitness centre are next to a playground. You can find these exercise centres at MacRitchie Reservoir , at Punggol Waterway Park, at Pasir Ris Park , at Changi Beach and East Coast Park, and at practically in all housing estates. For many people the exercise corners are just a few steps away from their flats or apartments. No membership fee required. Public gym in the park Some of fitness centres equipment are meant for seniors which are great for the aging population here and we are already in the super-aged zone. There ...