Time needed: 2 hours
Cost: Free
Located in the far northwestern corner of Singapore lies Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
Many locals would have heard of it or even been there before during their school trips. Its famous mangrove swamps are home to many tiny creatures such as mudskippers, crabs and water snakes.
There are occasional crocodile sightings there as well! Fortunately or unfortunately (depends on how you see it), I did not manage to spot any during my trip there.
As you head further into the reserve, there’s also a giant migratory bird sanctuary. This sanctuary is used as a stopover during the migratory season when birds migrate from Australia to Northern Asia.
It’s hard to imagine that we have such an untouched natural habitat located in a dense city like Singapore!
Trails in the reserve
You can download a copy of the map here.
There are a couple of trails in the reserve, but the 2 main ones are the Coastal Trail (in orange) and the Migratory Bird Trail (in yellow).
I’d recommend starting your day at the Visitor Centre. This is followed by the 1.3km Coastal Trail where you get to walk along the coast lines of Singapore.
You’ll end up at the Wetland Centre which connects to the Migratory Bird Trail. After completing the trail loop, head back to the Visitor Centre to end your day.
Coastal Trail
While on the Coastal Trail, there are sections where you will be walking along the Singapore Straits. Across the straits is Johor, Malaysia!
Don’t worry about the Sun as most sections of the trail is shaded by the dense surrounding trees. You can hear the soft waves of the water by the side while walking through the trail.
There are these rest point structures along the way which makes for a nice photo opportunity!
As a nature reserve, there is plenty of wildlife living here! I’ve spotted a couple of monitor lizards during my trip there.
READ ALSO: A guide to exploring the Lazarus Island
Exploring the Wetland Centre
Connecting the Migratory Bird Trail and the Coastal trail lies the wetland centre. It serves as a good rest point between the 2 trails as there are plenty of amenities there.
The wetland centre primarily serves as an educational centre with vast amount of information on the reserve. Specifically, migratory birds and the reserve’s role in aiding their migration.
Migratory Bird Trail
For the Migratory Bird Trail, you’ll mainly be walking around the Buloh Tidal Ponds. This pond is home to migratory birds during the migration season between September and March.
Most parts of the Migratory Bird trail are well pathed. Therefore, normal sports shoes will be sufficient.
Getting there
Public Transport
Take the MRT to Kranji Station.
From Kranji Station, take bus 925 and alight at Kranji Reservoir Park B bus stop.
From my experience, Google Maps couldn’t map out a proper route to get to the reserve. So do not trust it too much!
If you want to explore a scenic view of the straits, you can choose to alight 1 bus stop before like I did and walk the entire stretch of the bridge. The bus stop is called Aft Kranji Link.
By car
If you choose to visit the reserve by car, there’s plenty of parking spaces available.
There are 2 main carparks at the reserve.
1 at Sungei Buloh Carpark and the other at Kranji Park Carpark B (where the bus stop is).
By private hire / taxi
You can use private hire apps like Grab or Gojek to get to the reserve.
Remember to set the drop off at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre.
From the centre regions of Singapore, the journey will take about 35 minutes and cost around S$20-30 (US$15 – 22) .
Opening Hours
7 am to 7 pm daily
Last entry at 6:30pm. You cannot remain in the part after 7pm.
For more information, check out the reserve’s official site.
Are you looking for more outdoor adventure in Singapore? Check out the Lazarus Island!
Located just 30 minutes south of Singapore, it gives locals a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s as close as it gets to being overseas from Singapore.
