Singapore is not all about the efficient trains (some would object), air-conditioned malls, and the wide array of food choices. The city-state is also a huge garden. There are trees, flowers, and interesting animals. One of the things I missed in Melbourne was the proximity to nature. We lived in a suburb surrounded by trees. We had access to our landlady’s lemon trees, tomatoes, and an apple tree where our landlady would pick the fruits to bake her scrumptious apple cake.

Aside from these, Singapore also has dedicated gardens and reservoirs for hiking, running, or simply contemplating. Here are some of the places I’ve discovered so far.

Coney Island also known as Pulau Serangoon 

Monkeys! Aggressive and assertive monkeys greeted us at the entrance to the 133-hectare reclaimed island. They bared their teeth and their claws ripped through the plastic bags dangling off the bikes of unprepared tourists.

After that welcome, the place was relatively quiet. There’s a spot for bird watching but we didn’t see a lot of birds. The trails weren’t as busy as in MacRitchie Reservoir but that was probably because we went there immediately after lunch. When we left mid-afternoon, we met hordes of local tourists on their way to the island.

Hort Park

Hort Park is a garden of mini-gardens. I haven’t seen as many birds of paradise as I’ve had when I visited the place. The park has an edible garden, a butterfly garden, even a Therapeutic Garden.

I wrote an article about the Therapeutic Gardens of Singapore. Will link it as soon as the online magazine publishes it.

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Pond Park

One thing that I really loved about this place is the layout. The trails are great for meandering and the trees provide shelter from the rain and the sun.

There’s a lotus garden with huge buds and opened flowers, and sometimes visiting otters, for meditation.

A huge lake in the middle of the park and the surrounding waterways are filled with schools and shoals of fish.

I hope to see more of the gardens and nature reserves in the city-state.

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