MacRitchie Reservoir Park is a nature lover’s paradise. It is a go-to location for hiking or a breakaway from rigorous corporate life. Being Singapore’s oldest and largest reservoir, this gem is one of the last bits of Singapore’s primary forest and is home to many endangered species of animals and plants. It is a beautiful greenery in the heart of Singapore with multiple hiking trails and activities. In this article post, we will show the best hiking trails you should try and what other activities can be found in MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
Table of Contents
Things to do In MacRitchie Reservoir Park
1. Nature Trails at MacRitchie
The park offers five different nature trails ranging from 3 km to 11 km which are suitable for hiking and walking.
Easy Level – Prunus Trail, Petail Trail Loop
This trail will take you approximately 1 hr 30 min to complete. Along the reservoir banks, you can enjoy the scenery of people paddling their kayaks. One of the most popular routes for a short 4.7 km hike.
Easy Level – Lim Bo Seng Memorial, Lornie Trail, Chemperai Trail Loop,
A 5.3 km loop trail that takes you across the MacRitchie Reservoir. You may enjoy a short history lesson at Lim Bo Seng Memorial where a general who fought against the Japanese during World War 2. This route will take an estimated 1 hr 30 min to complete.
Moderate Level – MacRitchie and Treetop Walk Loop
The most iconic attraction in MacRitchie Reservoir is the Treetop walk. If you are looking at visiting this attraction, you may consider this route. This 12.9 km route will take approximately 3 hr 30 min to complete. You may choose to take a break when you reach the Treetop walk, and slowly enjoy the view of the vast greenery.
Moderate Level – MacRitchie Nature Trail, Sime Track, Chemperai Trail Loop
Experience this 12.2 km loop trail which takes an average of 3 hr 30 min to complete. Very popular for hiking, running and walking. This trail is open daily and you can visit at any day and time according to your schedule.
Hard Level – MacRitchie to Bukit Panjang
Explore this 15 km trail which takes an average of 4hr to complete. This trail consists of a few locations, starting from MacRitchie Reservoir Park to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and then to the green corridor. It is quite a challenge, so do think twice before attempting it.
2. Freshwater Fishing at MacRitchie Reservoir Fishing Ground
MacRitchie Reservoir Park is one of the few places where you can fish legally. Since it is a public park, there are no rod rental facilities nearby and you are required to bring your own equipment. Be there early if you’re there to fish, as the fishing area is very limited and you may end up without a spot if you’re late. Bring your family along, as they can have fun exploring other activities or the nature trail if they are not keen on fishing with you.
Do note that you can only fish in the designated blue area.
3. Kayaking at Paddle Lodge
Kayaking is another water sport that MacRitchie Reservoir allows, they provide rentals for double or single kayaks along with the paddles. Closed deck and sprint kayaks can be rented too but they are only available to those with one-star kayaking certification. Paddlers are required to carry their own kayak from the storage in Paddle Lodge down to the water, so be prepared to flex some muscles.
Rate: $12/hr (Closed-Decked Kayak) | $15/hr (Single/Double Sit-on-top Kayak) | $20/hr (Sprint Kayak)
Operating Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, Daily
Contact: +65 6258 0057 / [email protected]
Website: https://scf.org.sg/pages/boat_booking
4. Explore the Zig Zag Bridge
There are a lot of functional bridges in Singapore, but this Zig Zag Bridge is for aesthetics. The beauty of the bridge can only be enjoyed from bird’s eye view but you still can have some fun navigating through the bridges and enjoying the tranquil waters of the reservoir.
A quick and easy way to get to the bandstand for some ig-photos. It is also a nice and cool place to chill around before or after your hiking.
5. Walk along the Submerged Boardwalk
Did you just misread the name “Submerged Boardwalk”? No, that’s right, this boardwalk is not a mistake, it is specially designed to build the bridge low to intentionally get the bridge covered with ankle-deep water level.
However, you might not get to see it submerged as it only floods when there is super high rainfall. Consider yourself lucky, if you manage to see it submerged.
6. Up for a history lesson at Major-General Lim Bo Seng Tomb
One of Singapore’s war heroes of World War 2, MG Lim Bo Seng was buried at MacRitchie Reservoir. The original grave marker was just a wooden cross and it was replaced in June 1952 with the current concrete structure. He was buried with full military honours at the reservoir.
MacRitchie Reservoir Park
You might have been to MacRitchie Reservoir Park before. Try exploring them again and you might find plenty of new things you’ve not discovered yet.
