Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Not really a fabulous nature place… lots of trash unfortunately… but we did see water monitors and estuarine crocs…
The walk around is quite short (1 — 2 miles) but plenty of opportunities for looking to find wildlife… overall, it was good to get out of the city, but really wasn’t an earth shatteringly great experience…

After a huge
fail, we ended up here. Initially, my husband and I wanted to visit the supposed arowana farm nearby, but when we got to the address it was all abandoned. There were tanks, but it didn’t look like there were any fish in it. The last thing we wanted to happen was to be accused of trespassing*, so we decided to walk up the road and visit the wetland reserve instead.
I wish we could’ve spent more time here! When we arrived, it was already late afternoon and it looked like rain was imminent. We did a quick overview of the welcome center, then walked around for a bit. There are lots of trails to check out; we chose the easiest one and took a leisurely walk. You can easily see across the river to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, which is pretty cool.
I’m not sure if they do this all the time, but when we got to one of the bridges, they had a telescope manned by a park employee. It was set so you could see any cool wildlife in the vicinity.
I believe the parks department sets up wildlife tours every now and then, so if it’s something you’re interested in, you can get on their list and they’ll SMS you if something comes up.
Definitely want to go back soon… UYE? :)
*I can’t afford to be arrested. I mean, who else will Unilocal about all the Strip outlets island-​wide, or constantly complain about Burger King’s turkey bacon?

This is a fun family outing for people who like a little mud on your shoes once in a while. Guaranteed to see monitor lizards — there are many just sunning themselves at the pond just at the visitor’s center itself.
This is a wetlands preserve on the north end of the island just across the straights from Johor Bahru. There are trails along levies, and wooden walkways that let you get close to the tidal ecosystem of mangroves and mudskippers and other local wildlife.
One bummer is that the tides do bring in quite a lot of rubbish and litter, so we sometimes bring bags with us and bribe our kids to pick up litter which they actually think is pretty good fun for a while — like a treasure hunt.
If you can catch a ride there in a car, that’s best, as getting a taxi to come pick you up can be challenging as it’s pretty remote. Actually, one time we did get a taxi, and the driver was very curious about Sungei Buloh and what it’s like. He asked us if we liked it. We were raving about it and asked if he’d been. «Oh no,» he said «that place is for tourists!»
$ 1 entrance. Can’t beat that.

If you love nature and birds, you gotta visit Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It’s so diverse! Keep an eye out for squirrels, mudcrabs and monitor lizards. We were lucky — we first saw a family of otters and a crocodile as we strolled down our chosen route. It’s great for a hike and for bird-​watching, especially in March when the migratory birds come over. Otherwise, you may want to just head to Jurong Bird Park if bird-​watching is your main agenda and it’s not that time of the year. The greenery also means that the reserve is popular with shutterbugs.
Before actually entering the reserve, watch a short video that gives you an overview of the place. It helps you understand and appreciate the wildlife in the reserve much better. Mozzies thrive here, so do bring insect repellent, binoculars so you can spot the birds and other hiding animals. Accessibility is a bit of an issue, though. Best to drive in.

One of the best places in Singapore for birdwatching, otter-​watching and crocodile watching. Yes. Crocodile. Bob, to be exact, as he was named by Neil Humphrey in his book. The mangroves at Sungei Buloh was cleared for prawn farming at one point in time and after abandoned, it became a wonderful pitstop for migratory birds looking for a quick meal and rest on their way down south enroute their migration.
But even during non-​migratory season, it still makes for a wonderful hike through the reserve, a quiet appreciation of the serenity in the bird hides watching artists sketch the scenery or a quickie through the mangrove boardwalk where mudskippers, archer fish and tree climbing crabs keep you company. If you’re lucky sometime you’ll even see stingrays, horseshoe crabs or even moray eels. But even on a slow day, just the view of Johor Bahru up close from this side of the Straits of Johor is well worth it.
Careful not to put your phone on auto-​roaming because it is bound to tell you that you’re already in Malaysia.

Das Sungei Buloh Wetland Reservat ist ein Nationalpark im Nordwesten Singapurs.
Besonders eindrucksvoll an diesem Nationalpark ist der Mangrovenwald mit seiner ausgeprägten und exotischen Flora und Fauna.
So gibt es zum Beispiel Warane, die oftmals schon am Eingang des Parks auf dem Gehweg rumliegen, sich sonnen und womöglich die touristische Aufmerksamkeit genießen. ;)
In den Eingang gelangt man über eine kleine Brücke, unter welcher Schildkröten und Fische schwimmen.
In der Zeit von September bis April finden sich im Park viele Zugvögel, die hier eine letzte Rast vor dem Weiterflug in den Süden machen.
Schlammspringer sieht man nur, wenn Ebbe ist. Es lohnt sich jedoch, genau zum Wechsel von Ebbe und Flut zu kommen und sich das Naturschauspiel von einer gemütlichen Bank aus anzusehen.
Es gibt drei Rundwege im Park. 3 km, 5 km und 7 km. So kann man sich aussuchen, wie lange man laufen möchte. Die Wege bestehen aus stabilen Holzstegen und führen direkt durch die Mangrovenwälder.
Beobachtungstürme gibt es auch und es ist einfach ein Erlebnis, sich dort hinzusetzen und die Natur zu genießen. An einigen Türmen sind für den Notfall Funktelefone angebracht (Handyempfang hat man aber auch).
Im Besucherzentrum findet sich eine Ausstellung über die Tiere und Pflanzen sowie ein Café und ein Getränkeautomat.
Der Park ist mit dem Auto, dem Taxi oder mit der Buslinie 925 zu erreichen.

You either reach this reserve via the Kranji trail (bus 925 from Kranji) or by car. Originally a set of ponds that were used for shrimp farming, this was and is also a favorite resting place for migrating birds, and because of te mangrove woods, a special habitat for animals like tree climbing crabs, kingfishers, weavers, mudcreeepers and mudskippers (the unique small fishes that skid over the water and possess lungs). A few platforms reach into the Straits and offer beuatiful views, and there are many screens from where to watch the birds unobserved. There are also varanes — and I saw quite a big one. For a moment, I thought it was a crocodile.
The reserve is open from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm. Do take water and sunscreen. There is sa cafetaria with a daily lunch dish and icecreams