Tree Top Walk by HSBC in Rural Singapore
Explore Southeast Asia from a Forest Canopy Height of 25 Metres
Jun 11, 2009
Singapore is known to many as a built-up metropolitan city, with skyscrapers eating at the horizon. Hiking to the HSBC Tree Top Walk is quite a different experience. After about an hour of moving through the mature secondary forest, sweating it off and stopping to catch wildlife movement, one will finally reach the 250 metre suspended bridge, with high points at 25 metres above ground level. Once here, the view is absolutely stunning, and will be worth the walk there and back.
Venus Drive or MacRitchie Reservoir Park
First-time hikers in Singapore are better off starting from Venus Drive, off Upper Thomson Road. There is a parking lot conveniently situated at Venus Drive. Older people or those of a frail disposition should probably not try the Tree Top Walk as it is not as simple as it sounds. The hike to the Tree Top Walk forms a large part of the journey, and the 5km journey can take about 2 hours in total.
Seasoned hikers from abroad have to remember that Singapore is hot and humid, so trekking under these conditions may become unbearable. It is necessary to pack one’s own water and start early in the morning, reaching the bridge by noon or earlier. Seasoned hikers can enter the alternative and longer route from MacRitchie Reservoir Park, and should take around 3 to 4 hours to cover the all round 9km distance.
Rangers Station & Singapore Island Country Club
When beginning the hike, trekkers will come by a stream and circumvent the Singapore Island Country Club. Tourists who get sunburnt should wear a hat, and sunscreen is an absolute must for everybody! Also because Singapore is tropical, there are mosquitoes and ants about, so insect repellent is very useful. Be prepared to perspire through this journey!
For those requiring toilets, there is a Rangers Station about 4km into the walk. There is no shop selling water or food here, but there is a water fountain to help fill empty bottles.
HSBC TTW – Suspended Bridge
Upon reaching the Tree Top Bridge, visitors will pass through a wooden hut with a big sign in front saying HSBC Tree Top Walk. From here it is literally a point of no return, as hikers have to go single file onto the bridge, and can only move forward, not back. It is a great place to take photos - the views towards Upper Peirce Reservoir are simply breathtaking. The bridge is only 250 metres long, so bridge-sickness is unlikely.
Animal Life along Walk
The best way to enjoy trekking to the Tree Top Walk in humid Singapore is to take it slow and leisurely. The best hikers find that sensitivity to nature, listening to animal sounds and movements will make this a most satisfying experience. Even before reaching the suspended bridge, one may encounter long-tailed Macaque Monkeys (see image below), or be so lucky as to see Flying Lemurs (Colugos). Funded by NParks and HSBC, this towering walk through the tropical forest is fantastic for researchers of forest canopies as they can now access the forest at a height. Apparently, about 80 species of birds and 18 rare trees have been spotted.
Opening Hours of HSBC Tree Top Walk
Singapore’s unique Tree Top Walk opens Tuesdays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm; and Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays from 8.30am to 5pm. The Walk is closed on Mondays (unless it happens to be a Public Holiday) for maintenance and research purposes. With the right walking shoes, one can experience a beautiful, rare hike through Singapore’s forest canopies!
Source:
- Tree Top Walk.Wild Singapore, Ria Tan, 2003.
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