Best Outdoor Activities in Singapore
By Sujan Patel
Singapore is known as a thoroughly modern city. Its shopping malls and casino/resorts, as well as its cuisine and arts scene, make it a popular destination in Southeast Asia. Its infrastructure and cleanliness make it infinitely more accessible than some of the region’s other top destinations. But, beyond the shopping malls and hotels, Singapore is a very green city. It has plenty of outdoor activities and offers easy access to nature.
MacRitchie Reservoir is part of the Central Catchments Nature Reserve. Despite heavy farming in the past, nearly 100 hectares (247 acres) of primary rain forest remain around the reservoir. There are plenty of walking options, with trails ranging from short circles of less than 3 km to longer hikes of 11 km. Of course this is Singapore, the world’s cleanest city, so some of the trails are protected from the wetlands environment by a system of boardwalks. This is as close as you can get to nature without getting your feet wet. One of the highlights near MacRitchie is the HSBC-sponsored Tree-Top Walk. Elevated boardwalks bring visitors in close contact with the forest canopy.
Singapore’s most exclusive and beautiful golf club, Sentosa Serapong Golf Club, is one of two of Sentosa’s scenic and challenging golf courses. A recent upgrade (completed in 2007) has given this course a world-class layout that would be challenging even to professionals. The seaside stretch of holes are some of the most scenic of any course in the world. Of course, this is not one of the cheapest places to hit the fairways, but it is definitely one of the highest quality golfing spots in Singapore.
Despite that it is one of the world’s most modern countries, bicycling is a popular pastime (and way to get around) in Singapore. Night cycling (where large groups of riders get together to ride through the streets) has become popular for both locals and visiting bike enthusiasts. This is a great way to see the nighttime cityscapes. The rides are held several times each year and include guides and support vehicles to ensure a safe ride. It is possible to book a private tour if you are able to get a group that is large enough.
Not all of Singapore is urban. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve features easily-accessible trails that offer great sightseeing excursion that include Southeast Asian animal and plant life. Since it is only 12 km from the center of Singapore, it is easy to reach. It is quite possible to hike amongst the insect and plant life in the morning and return to the city to enjoy an urban shopping adventure along Orchard Road in the afternoon. There are very few places in East Asia that offer a similar combination of wildness and convenience.
Scuba diving is popular throughout Southeast Asia. Tourists come to swim next to shipwrecks and coral reefs and to view the unique marine wildlife of the region. Singapore is no exception to the diving craze. There are plenty of dive operators that can be accessed from the city. One of the most accessible and popular dive site sis located in the islands of Pulau Redang, off of the East Coast of Malaysia. Pulau Tioman, another popular dive site, can be accessed directly from Singapore by ferry. This is a popular spot for snorkeling (because of the crystal clear water near the shore), as well as diving in deeper waters. For scuba novices, there are dive schools in Singapore that can help you earn your certification. Some education packages also include a dive trip to one of the dive sites in the nearby Malaysian isles.
For those who want a bit of adrenaline with their outdoor activities, Singapore’s Sentosa area has a skyride and a luge track that can be used by anyone. This is more of a glorified slide than a real luge track, but riders can control the speed of their sled. The slide is 650 meters long. It begins near the Imbiah Lookout Cluster. A chairlift takes riders to the top of the slide. Some people consider the sky-ride aspect of this experience as attractive as the sliding. The views are decent and there are packages available for $20-$50 for those who want to spend and entire evening sliding. Single rides are $10.
Author Information
Sujan Patel has been a travel blogger for over four years. Most recently he has been the lead blogger for Airline Tickets & Airport Parking, which provides unique travel advice for air travel and airports.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by MatthewKeegan.com, The Retweetomator and Jet Venue, Matt Keegan. Matt Keegan said: RT @mattkeegan: Best Outdoor Activities in Singapore http://bit.ly/bgx76b #Bukit #Timah #Nature #Reserve #MacRitchie #night [...]