Hello Everyone,
two weeks ago, Baby and I embarked on our keep-fit exercise regime and we actually blogged about our experience at the Sengkang Swimming Complex. So what is this keep-fit exercise regime all about? Well, as Baby and I want to lead a healthy lifestyle and shed some weight, we decided to take part/participate in a sports-related activity once every two weeks on a weekend.
So for this week, we actually planned a hiking trip from MacRitchie Reservoir Park to the HSBC Tree Top Walk! This is going to be one long blog entry so we hope you would read the entire entry and enjoy the wonderful photos that we have taken. Truly, this was one experience that we will never forget because we have had the opportunity to see the more rustic side of Singapore!
If you are planning to do a hike like ours, here’s some items that you might want to prepare:-
Clothings:
Dress as light and comfortable as you can. Baby and I wore a dri-fit light coloured shirt and shorts! As for footwear, sports shoes/combat boots is highly recommended!
Things to Pack:
A 1.5L water bottle filled with water, a basic first aid kit [containing antiseptic cream, bandages, and plasters], insect repellent, a camera, and a maglite torch light [optional].
For our hike, we actually chose Route 3 [its 10.3 KM long and took us about 3 hours to complete] because we wanted a trail that is challenging! Click here <– for a map of the MacRitchie Trails
Photos of our pre-hike to the starting point of our trail!
5KM to HSBC Tree Top Walk! [sounds and looks easy ah but really, it’s not!]
On the phone with my dad before the hike…[he asked if I was having lunch at home. lol]
No, we haven’t even did 10.5KM yet. This is just for show.
A beautiful scenic photo taken by Baby
Cub scouts participating in an event known as the International Water Day!
The monkeys were really close to us. [machiam like going on a Safari like that]
and eh, these two monkeys gave us a “free show” [by literally making love in public!]
Participants of the International Water Day
And so… the real deal begins. After walking for about close to 1KM, we reached the starting point of our hike!
As we were walking, Baby took some really beautiful photos of Mother Nature
Here’s something to note! If you are planning to go on this hike, I highly recommend that you don’t attempt this alone [although you do see many people doing so] because the stretch is long and secluded [remember the case where a lady jogger was raped and killed?]. So yes, I would suggest that you attempt this hike with a few friends. Also, I would suggest that you bring along a maglite torch for defensive reasons. In the event that you don’t have any weapon on hand, you could use the stones and bricks you find along the way as weapons too! [though I hope that nothing nasty would happen to any of you who are going for this hike]
3.9KM Away!
The route that leads to Petai Trail! We actually just walked a little of the trail to explore and see what’s there.
and so… we chanced upon this small mini lake!
finally, we are 1/4 away from the HSBC Tree Top Walk!
Can you imagine?! From MacRitchie Reservoir to Singapore Island Country Club? Must be a pretty long distance huh!
A unique leaf that we saw! On this side, you see that it’s white in colour, but on the other side, it’s green in colour!
Stony path along the way up to the HSBC Tree Top Walk!
I have to mention this, I actually thought the way up to the HSBC Tree Top Walk was going to be a breeze but it proved me otherwise. The road up was extremely steep and long! So, it took us quite a while to go all the way up. Look at my fat butt here trying to conquer this seemingly long and never-ending steep road!
And finally, we have reached the HSBC Tree Top Walk!
By the way, the HSBC Tree Top Walk is 250M in length and 25M in height! So ah… it was quite a scary but exhilarating experience for me!
I was actually trying to force myself to smile.
Baby smiled until so happy cause she saw how scared I looked!
Look at the green trees!
Phew… we’re finally nearing the exit of the HSBC Tree Top Walk!
Me heaving a sigh of relief that it’s finally over! And eh, the HSBC Tree Top Walk is one-way direction only. Meaning to say, once you have walked across the walkway, you cannot turn back and back out!
Baby posing a victory pose!
So it was time for us to journey back to MacRitchie Reservoir! And well, to do so, we have to conquer a really long flight of stairs! Now this is what we would call the stairway to heaven!
Some beautiful photos that Baby took while on our way back to MacRitchie Reservoir!
Me looking tired and exhausted!
Baby admiring the breathtaking scenery!
Apparently, MacRitchie Reservoir is also quite a popular place for fishing too! We saw this man whom caught a really huge fish!
It’s really sad to see people leaving trash behind, especially in a nature reserve! Totally no respect for the environment.
Stony path once again! [hence the reason why we say it is highly recommended that you wear sports shoes/combat boots to prevent any foot/ankle injuries]. Also, we came across a family of 3 with a baby stroller asking for directions to the HSBC Tree Top Walk! Like ehhh… shouldn’t they have known that it’s going to be a dirt trail and not a road trail? Bringing a baby stroller is DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED!
Oh, and Baby spotted this particular golf ball along the trail. Seriously, the trail is very close to the Singapore Island Country Club where there are golfers doing their golfing, so we are really concerned that golf balls might just come our way. So, do be careful and be wary of your surroundings! Not just that, I was walking very close to a huge monitor lizard without realising it but thankfully, Baby spotted it and shouted at me to avoid it.
This family of 3 turtles greeted us when we were on our way back!
Like I say, animals are really upclose and within touchable distance. So, if you encounter monkeys along the way, do not be afraid. Most importantly, DO NOT feed them and DO NOT look at them in the eyes. The whole gin gang might attack you if they sense your fear!
And yes, you don’t get to see natural sceneries like this everyday in Singapore unless you go to the MacRitchie Reservoir Park!
Finally, on our way back, we saw this cheeky monkey seeking for food and well, it really saddens us that there are irresponsible people who just leave their trash lying around.
Having completed the entire trail of 10.3KM in about 3 hours, it was time for us to really chill and take a break! The MacRitchie Reservoir Park has a cafe known as the Mushroom and though their prices are slightly on the high side, the portions are extremely huge too!
Chilling with a can of 100 Plus!
We ordered a bowl of mushroom soup for $3.90 but it was quite worth it because of its huge portion!
Conclusion for the day:
Well, Baby and I really enjoyed ourselves during this hike because not only could we keep fit, but we could also enjoy the beautiful natural sceneries of Singapore that are not commonly seen. Although we have heard of many people whom have went on the HSBC Tree Top Walk, we also know that not many people would want to go on a hike of 10.3 KM like ours but rather choosing the shorter route. By completing this long arduous hike, it gave us a sense of motivation, satisfaction, and accomplishment because we completed the 10.3 KM hike together and have taken away with us amazing photos of Mother Nature! And truly, sometimes we Singaporeans are just so busy with our work that we don’t stop and take a look around at what nature has to offer us but really, why not just take some time off and let nature reinvigorate your inner being?!
In case you are wondering, the photos as shown here are all taken with the iPhone 4GS camera. So, don’t belittle what the iPhone 4GS camera can do.
About MacRitchie Reservoir Park
MacRitchie Reservoir Park serves as a gateway to the nature reserves. It has become a popular spot for nature lovers and exercise enthusiasts. It is also a great place for morning and evening walks or strolls along the water’s edge.
MacRitchie Reservoir Park now boasts a green two-storey carpark with 300 parking lots. Its upper deck collects rainwater and channels them into a bioswale. Bioswales are landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water.
The reservoir also has an amenities centre equipped with toilets, showering facilities, lockers, drinking fountains and a food kiosk. Our reservoir deck is an ideal venue for warm-ups and for holding events like cross-country. Being a popular venue for water activities, it also has a newly improved pontoon for kayakers and our upgraded canoe shed will be ready by mid-2011.
MacRitchie Reservoir is one of the four reservoirs that bound the nature reserves. Other reservoirs include Lower Peirce Reservoir, Upper Peirce Reservoir and Upper Seletar Reservoir. Serving as water catchment areas, forests surrounding these reservoirs are protected from agriculture activities in order to ensure the quality of water.
About HSBC Tree Top Walk
The HSBC TreeTop Walk (HSBC TTW) is the highlight of several long hiking routes in MacRitchie that brings you through different stages of mature secondary forest. The first of its kind in Singapore and in the region, this free-standing suspension bridge connects the two highest points (Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang) in MacRitchie and offers a bird’s eye view of the community of plants and animals that live in the forest canopy. The total length of the walkway is about 250m and its height from the forest floor varies, with the highest point at 25m.
Besides providing another avenue for nature recreation for Singaporeans, the HSBC TTW also play an important role in forest canopy research, an area many researchers were not able to get into because of lack of access. This bridge will help to facilitate surveys and plant identification work and further our understanding of how forest ecosystems work.
The HSBC TTW was officially launched by the Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs. Lim Hwee Hua, on 5th November 2004. The event also marked the start of another collaboration between NParks and HSBC that will reap benefits for the community. As part of efforts to enhance the HSBC TreeTop Walk as an outdoor classroom to promote an interest and appreciation of the natural sciences, HSBC and NParks established the HSBC-GCF (Garden City Fund) TreeTop Walk Fund to support a host of programmes and activities for conservation, education and outreach. This includes programmes for school children, workshops for teachers, training of nature guides as well as the production of educational materials.
The distance to the entrance of the TreeTop Walk is approximately 4.5 km (1.5 – 2 hour walk) from the MacRitchie Reservoir Park and 2.5 km (45 mins – 1 hr walk) from the carpark at Venus Drive. Therefore, a round trip including the TreeTop Walk is about 7 to 10 km (3-5 hours depending on your walking pace)
Stay tuned for more updates from us!
God Bless!
