Tree top Walk MacRitchie

This is by far the most challenging of the walks we had done so far. Definitely not a flip flop type walk. I had put off going there when the Girl was younger even though I've heard really good reviews. From MacRitchie it's a 4.5km to the entrance of the Tree Top Walk making it 9km round trip - not your stroll in the park.

But I figured she's ready now & just in case, I roped in my nephew. So together with my brother, his family & us, we decided to do the Trail which ended up being 12km.

From MacRitchie Reservoir, head towards the canoeing sheds. Past that & the trail to the Tree Top Walk starts from there. If you want less of walk, there is another entrance from the carpark @ Venus Drive.

I always get excited when I find mushrooms

Can't help it

Water Storage Facility

The Tree Top Walk is only 250m & closed at 5pm so if you're going in the afternoon, make sure you factor that in. Another point to note is that it goes 1 direction only so make sure you enter from the entrance.

It's pretty awesome even tho it's only 250m

We're about 20 m off ground

Most of the trail is well paved unlike what I remember of the mud paths in the past

The last part of our walk

The beautifully manicured lawns of the golf course

My nephew's scooter

Not a good idea tho, my brother ended up carrying it most of the way. It would have been a nice shot if not for the green towel hanging on it, ah well. Despite the distance, the kids did pretty well.

It is beautiful

Water monitor lizard

(I believe that's what they are called

sorry I'm not much of a nature guide)

Meal at Little India

We were recently at Little India & chatting (rather animatedly I suppose) about going to Komala Villas when the assistant in the shop we had just past, stopped us & said we should try New Madras Woodlands instead. Every single one in the shop bobbed their head in agreement so that was how we found ourselves trying out a new restaurant one Saturday morning.

These steel trays may look sterile & prison like but I like it. What's an Indian meal in a restaurant without these trays. That's the idly set, by the way.

Forgot what these doughnut things are called

but we loved them so much, we had seconds & thirds

Cheese thosai

Mango lassi, yum

Playing with food ?

The entire meal for 4 adults & 2 children with drinks came up to $34.

Good & inexpensive

Walking the train tracks

If you live in Singapore, you can't miss all the excitement over the currently unused railway tracks. As of July 1st 2011, Tanjong Pagar station ceased operations & the Singapore-Malaysia railway terminal has relocated to Woodlands. That means there will only be 1 km of railway line in Singapore versus the 26km before.

The government has already announced that on July 18, dismantling of the tracks will begin so for now until then the railway line is open for the public to experience it one last time. Last weekend, we decided to walk the tracks, along with half of Singapore & their cameras.

Not kidding about the hordes of people

There were some who undertook to walk the entire way. We weren't that crazy. I thought Bukit Timah Station at King Albert Park would be a good start & from there, we headed in the direction of Tanjong Pagar.

I didn't see this until now but The Green Corridor just put up an excellent post with the map of the railway tracks breaking it down in sections, access points, highlighting photo op etc. Last Saturday's Straits Times had a good write up.

My advice is to start early, bring lots of water & wear a hat. The tracks are obviously not sheltered so it can get very hot. Make sure you wear track shoes.

The old station master's house

The platform @ Bukit Timah Station

Where possible, walk on the pathway that runs alongside

The novelty of walking on the tracks wore off very quickly

Looking at this, I realised how rare it is to see a monsoon drain

The children at play

Love the greenery along the way

Going pass housing estates

Beautiful homes

This has become a part of Singapore's heritage & a pity to remove it. I hope the government will come up with a plan to find some way of preserving this.

Graffiti in the underpass where we exit near Buona Vista station

What a great way to end a walk, with food