Iconic structures located at sungei buloh wetland reserve

Morning hike at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

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

Credits: nparks.gov.sg

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!

Monitor lizard in the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

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.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Centre.

Migratory Bird Trail

The migratory bird pond at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

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.

From the reserve, you can look over to Johor, Malaysia.
It’s as close to Malaysia as it gets!
Walking along the paths in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Most parts of the Migratory Bird trail are well pathed. Therefore, normal sports shoes will be sufficient.

Aerie tower. Head up to have a bird’s eye view of the migratory bird pond.
The Sungei Buloh Migratory bird pond, with the Aerie tower in the background.
Migratory bird pond, with Aerie tower in the background.

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!

Causeway linking Kranji with Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve and the Lim Chu Kang area.
The Kranji link causeway.

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.

Causeway linking Kranji with Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve and the Lim Chu Kang area.
Across the Singapore Straits is Johor, Malaysia.
Kranji Carpark B Bus Stop
Kranji Reservoir Park B Bus stop

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!

View of Lazarus Island from the sky

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.

Check out our guide to exploring the island here.

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