CNA explores Singapore on foot (day 4): get into hot waters and look for crocodiles

SINGAPORE: On the morning of his 38th birthday, he found Mr. Lim Zi Yuan barefoot with a newly bought red bucket at his side.

“We went to Lazarus Island and Kusu (Island) on Tuesday, we went to Coney Island yesterday … so it’s really Singapore from end to end,” Lim said, when I asked him why he and his wife had decided to Drive to Sembawang Hot Spring Park from his home in Farrer Park.

“We thought we would arrive at this strange time, when it was warmer, but we were surprised by the number of people.”

He wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

Our penultimate day of hiking around the island had seen us arrive at the hot springs around 10am. And what would be more rewarding than dipping our battered, blistered and bruised feet in the steaming water of the hot spring?

READ: Sembawang Hot Spring Park Reopens with Cascading Pool, Coffee, and Flower Walk

Well, first we had to queue. It might have been mid-morning on a weekday, but the chatter of conversation emanating from inside the park as we entered was a clear sign that we would not be alone.

Having reopened earlier this year, the 1.1-hectare park is clearly a success, and the cascading pool is the most popular spot in the park. The water cools naturally as it flows through a four-tier pool, starting at 70 degrees Celsius at the top and reaching the bottom at 40 degrees Celsius.

However, I had to bide my time before I could slide into a spot on the perimeter of the pool.

Happiness. Well first a little pain when I almost scared my feet, but shortly after that, bliss.

The park is another example of a (somewhat) hidden gem lurking in Singapore, which perhaps many people have yet to experience. If you want to try something different, it’s worth it.

THE ENDLESS ROAD

Pleasure came first, but then pain. We had a stretch of about 15km waiting for us between the hot springs and our next major pit stop: the Sungei Buloh wetland reserve.

We had mentally prepared ourselves for this one. There would be little to see, but a lot to walk. As we marked the MRT stations on the North-South line, things seemed to be going well.

But when the sun was out and our muscles ached, the hike became a hike. We began to see a change in the landscape as the HDB blocks slowly disappeared into the distance and construction sites emerged in their place.

We passed dormitories and factories, excavators and trucks, a side of Singapore that is rarely seen and often forgotten.

And yet, even as the heat and monotony threatened to take its toll, my mind began to wander. All these factories and industrial facilities have a story to tell, and I couldn’t help but think about what they show about Singapore’s history.

For example, there were construction companies that seemed to have been around for decades and must have played a role in Singapore’s development since independence. So too workers who work in the sun, their efforts are often overlooked.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend visiting the area, but I quite enjoyed seeing a part of Singapore far removed from the glittering modern metropolis of CBD or some of the natural sights we had experienced earlier on the hike.

READ: CNA explores Singapore on foot (Day 3): The generosity of strangers and walking with a star

Passing through the peaceful Kranji Reservoir Park, in the distance we spot the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Finally some respite came.

MANGROVES AND MUTES

My last visit to the reserve was when it was still known as Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, it was renamed in 2002. Some time had passed.

So I was pleasantly surprised as we strolled through the park, there were new trails, new boardwalks, and new rest stops.

We embarked on the coastal path of the park, taking a route that skirted its edge, facing an impressive network of mangroves. The song of migratory birds and the buzz of cicadas marked the silence as we observed each log-like object, hoping to meet one of the park’s resident crocodiles.

With little time still to walk to our accommodation for the night in Lim Chu Kang, we decided to give our crocodile hunting one last chance and follow the park’s mangrove boardwalk.

There are no dice yet. But just as we were about to leave, we came across probably our best sighting of the day – a pair of hornbills peering at us from the foliage.

As we had learned so many times during our walk around the island, sometimes the best surprises come when one least expects it.