Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
140
they could be purchased for a song, but as Singaporeans began grasping at their heritage
in recent years, their value shot up, and now these homes fetch huge sums.
For a peek inside some of these wonderful places (and who doesn't like to see how the
rich live?), go to a bookstor e and look at
Living Legacy: Singapore's Architectural Heritage
Renewed,
by Robert Powell. Gorgeous photographs take you inside a few of these homes
and some other terrace houses and bungalo ws around the island, sho wing off the tradi-
tional interior details of these buildings and bringing their heritage to life.
Intersection of Emerald Hill and Orchard Rd. Free admission. 5-min. walk from Somerset MRT.
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ATTRACTIONS OUTSIDE THE URBAN AREA
The famous image of Singapore, promulgated by the tourism board and recognizable to
business travelers everywhere, is of the to wering cityscape along the water 's edge—but
there's a reason they call this place the G arden City. Not only are there picturesque gar-
dens and par ks nestled within the urban jungle, but the urban jungle is nestled within
real jungle. While it's true that most of the wooded areas have been replaced by suburban
housing, it's also tr ue that thousands of acr es of secondar y rainforest have survived the
migration of Singaporeans to the suburbs. B etter yet, there are still some areas with pri-
mary rainforest, some of which are accessible by paths.
Singapore has spectacular
gardens,
from the well-groomed Botanic Gardens to
nature
preserves
like B ukit Timah and S ungei Buloh, where tropical rainforest and mangr ove
swamps are close enough to the city that y ou can visit them on a morning or afternoon
visit. Outside the city center you'll also find
historic sites
and temples
like the edifying
Changi Prison Museum and the S iong Lim Temple, as w ell as
museums
and
science
centers.
WESTERN SINGAPORE ATTRACTIONS
The attractions grouped in this section are on the west side of Singapore, beginning from
the Singapore Botanic Gardens at the edge of the urban ar ea all the way out to the S in-
gapore Discovery Centre past Jurong. Transportation can be pr oblematic in this par t of
the island; as the MRT system rarely goes directly to any of the main sights, taxis can be
hard to find, and bus r outes get mor e complex. K eep the telephone number for taxi
booking handy. Sometimes ticket salespeople at each attraction can help and make the
call for you.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is pur e primary
rainforest. Believed to be as old as 1 million y ears, it's the only place on the island with
vegetation that exists exactly as it was befor e the B ritish settled her e. The park is mor e
than 160 hectares (405 acres) of soaring canopy teeming with mammals and birds and a
lush undergrowth with more bugs, butterflies, and reptiles than you can shake a vine at.
Here you can see more than 700 plant species, many of which are exotic ferns, plus mam-
mals like long-tailed macaques, squirr els, and lemurs. There's a visitor center and four
well-marked paths, one of which leads to S ingapore's highest point. A t 163m (535 ft.)
above sea level, don't expect a nosebleed, but some of the scenic vie ws of the island ar e
really nice. Also at Bukit Timah is Hindhede Quarry, which filled up with water at some
point, so y ou can take a dip and cool off during y our hike. The National Parks Board
gives free guided tours on the first Sunday of the month at around 4pm; call
&
65/6554-
5127
to register.
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