HSBC Tree Top Adventure!

I woke up one morning and decided to explore the "forests" of Singapore. With more than 80% of Singapore's buildings sporting 6 floors and above (that's "high-rise" according to the fire regulations), you'd think we're so hard-pressed for land that we won't be able to afford idle green zones.

Well, I was wrong. Singapore has more than idle green patches. It has a few nature reserves and wetlands - most of which are easily conquerable by even the laziest couch potatoes. The National Parks Board spend millions every year conserving, creating, sustaining and enhancing the green infrastructre of Singapore.

And so, armed in my new Adidas Microbounce Etana (which I got for a steal S$79.00 at Adidas Warehouse Sale)...



... we went "jungle-trekking". Of coz, I had to pick the most scenic for our first adventure - the infamous HSBC Tree Top Walk in MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Famed for being the first of its kind in the region, the walk features a free-standing suspension bridge that connects the two highest points (Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang) in MacRitchie. Spanning the distance of 250m, with its highest point from the forest floor at 25m, it offers a glimpse of how it would have felt like to be Bella, when Edward carried her up amongst the trees, in the movie Twilight.



We decided to follow the orange route, which an estimated distance of 7km taking between 3-4hours, depending on our walking speed. We weren't too sure about the canopy coverage, and so decided to get there as early as possible to avoid the afternoon sun. We left the house around 0700hours and started our journey around 0800hours.


Looked like a trail leading into some ulu kampung...


Of all things I didn't expect to find... How in the world did it even get to that?


and then, it became more like a walk in the park with a solid concrete trail...


The entrance to the bridge






Signs your camera is dying... white balance fail.


Walking amongst the tree canopies

 
Nparks really thought of everything... including little surprises on the ground


Seriously felt more like a walk in a too-lush-to-be-true park


Surprisingly, we took just 2 1/2 hours to complete the route - most probably cause we jogged the route back. We even had time for KFC breakfast!

Let's see if we'll be able to go there a few weeks later.. catch the reservoir at sunset, perhaps?