HPB Voices Reloaded
Jan - Feb 2008
Exercise Hotspots – Part 1
By Eugene Heng
If you find yourself grousing about the lack of physical space in Singapore for outdoor or sport activities, think again. There are actually many venues where you can engage in a healthy and hearty lifestyle!
MacRitchie Reservoir| Pasir Ris Park| Bukit Batok Town Park|
It would be sacrilegious not to mention this water catchment area as an ideal destination for exercising. Anyone who has represented their schools in cross-country runs or who enjoys trekking though a healthy dose of greenery would probably have made their pilgrimage through the trails or the HSBC TreeTop Walk. For the uninitiated, it is not too late to lace up your running/trekking shoes!
For starters, there are boardwalks skirting the edge of the scenic reservoir and walking trails through the forest, ranging in distances from 3km to 11km. Signboards along the boardwalks allow for a self-guided tour along the fringes of the forest.
A popular attraction is the HSBC TreeTop Walk, a 250m aerial free standing suspension bridge spanning Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang which are the two highest points in MacRitchie. At the top, visitors can get a fantastic view of the Upper Peirce Reservoir and the surrounding flora.
Those keen for a good cardio workout can try the 3.2km and 4.8km trails for a heart-pumping cross-country run. Entrance to the MacRitchie Reservoir Park car park is along Lornie Road. For more information, log on to http://www.nparks.gov.sg/.
One of the largest parks in Singapore, Pasir Ris Park is home to some new and exciting recreational facilities. Besides nature walks, cycling and in-line skating, visitors can also engage in water sports like kayaking, jet-skiing, canoeing and even banana rides.
The distinguishing feature of this park is the carefully preserved 6-ha mangrove forest. Boardwalks built into the mangrove brings you closer to the inhabitants of the mangrove community, which includes mud crabs, mudskippers and mangrove trees such as Rhizophora and Bruguiera. Birdwatchers will be able to see birds perching on tree branches from the 3-storey high Bird Watching Tower.
Children will love the playground with its giant space-net, cableways, innovative play stations and a maze garden, guaranteed to provide hours of fun and laughter.
To complement the outdoor activities, outdoor concerts are also held in the park's wide open spaces and the amphitheatre for cultural and social interaction among the visitors. For those constantly in search of new eating places, there are restaurants serving sumptuous barbecued seafood and western dishes by the beach. Barbeque pits are available for DIY cooking.
The park is lit from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. It stretches from Pasir Ris Road to Jalan Loyang Besar, and can be accessed through Elias Road and Pasir Ris Drive 3 respectively.
Also known as Little Guilin Park or Xiao Guilin, this park looks similar to that of Guilin in China - a granite rock sitting within a lake. The Little Guilin has a narrow strip of land, beautifully landscaped and provided with footpaths for jogging and brisk-walking.
While exercising and admiring the fantastic view of the towering rock cliffs which make a majestic backdrop to the tranquil lake, look out for wedding couples as this is a popular choice for scenic content to fill up that nuptial photo album. Picnics and fishing are also preferred activities here.
The park is 5 minutes walk from Bukit Gombak MRT Station and lit from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. Visitors can also take service 945 from Bukit Batok Bus Interchange.
Bukit Batok Town Park: Bukit Batok East Ave 5.