MacRitchie Reservoir and the TreeTop Walk

A long rainforest loop around the city's oldest reservoir, with a swaying suspension bridge high in the treetops and monkeys, monitor lizards and kingfishers along the way.

Area

Green Singapore

Start from

Central Singapore

Distance

about 10–11 km loop on foot

Time needed

half a day

Best season

All year; early mornings, and avoid stormy afternoons

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

MRT to Caldecott or Marymount, or bus to the Lornie Road entrance

Tickets & rules

None; the TreeTop Walk is free but closed on Mondays

Why go

MacRitchie is where Singaporeans go to remember that they live in the tropics. A network of trails and boardwalks wraps around the reservoir through real secondary rainforest, part of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, and on a weekday morning you can walk for an hour seeing only a few runners, a squirrel and the occasional heron on the water.

The highlight is the TreeTop Walk, a suspension bridge around 250 metres long that hangs about 25 metres above the forest floor, linking two of the highest points in the reserve. It sways slightly as you walk, and from it you look straight into the canopy, at birds' nests, strangler figs and the crowns of tall dipterocarp trees.

The full loop is long and humid, but the boardwalks along the edge of the reservoir are flat and beautiful, with the water reflecting the trees and pavilions where you can rest. It is a perfect counterweight to a day of museums and malls.

The story

MacRitchie Reservoir is the oldest reservoir in Singapore, created in the 1860s by damming a stream to supply water to the growing town. It was later enlarged and named after James MacRitchie, a municipal engineer who worked on it in the 1890s. Today Singapore collects rainwater from a large part of its surface, and the forested catchment around MacRitchie is protected precisely to keep that water clean.

The forest here was partly cleared for plantations and villages in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but it has grown back over the decades and now shelters an astonishing variety of life: long-tailed macaques, colugos (flying lemurs), monitor lizards, snakes, and a wide range of birds, from kingfishers to hornbills.

Close by is Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which protects one of the largest remaining patches of primary rainforest in Singapore, and Bukit Timah Hill, at about 163 metres the highest natural point on the island. Botanists say that this small patch contains more tree species than the whole of North America, an often-quoted comparison that gives you a sense of how rich tropical forest is.

The TreeTop Walk was opened in 2004 and is one-way, so walkers do not have to squeeze past each other on the narrow bridge.

Getting there

Take the MRT to Caldecott station and walk to the Venus Drive or Lornie trail entrances, or take a bus to the main MacRitchie Reservoir Park entrance on Lornie Road.

Taxis can drop you at the main car park, where there are toilets, a small café and maps.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00 amStart at the main MacRitchie entrance and walk the boardwalk along the reservoir edge.
2. 8:00 amFollow the trail through the forest towards the TreeTop Walk.
3. 9:00 amCross the TreeTop Walk and take a break at the ranger station.
4. 10:00 amComplete the loop back via the Sime Track or the Lornie Trail.
5. 11:30 amReturn to the car park for a cold drink and a rest.

Where to stay

There is nothing to stay at by the reservoir itself; any base along the Circle or Thomson-East Coast line makes it easy to reach.

Good to know

• Start early; the trail is shaded but very humid by late morning.
• Bring at least a litre and a half of water per person.
• Wear trainers with grip; the trails are muddy after rain.
• Insect repellent is essential.