Singapore has come a long way since its days as a simple British trading outpost. The country is now highly developed and is a global hub for commerce and technology. An array of activities and attractions make Singapore a terrific holiday destination anytime of the year. Tourists can visit Singapore’s bustling Chinatown for some shopping, enjoy a day with the animals at Singapore Zoo or soak up some local history at one of the museums found north of the Singapore River; the choices are endless! Hiking is another popular local activity that is suitable for all tourists looking for a change in scenery.
Although the island is highly urbanised, large portions of it are still covered in forests and there are quite a few exciting trails just waiting to be explored. While it is true that much of the primary rainforest was felled during the earlier part of the country’s history, some areas did escape relatively unscathed. The MacRitchie Forest was one of them thanks to the development of the MacRitchie Reservoir (established in 1868 it is the country’s first reservoir) which conferred protected status on the surrounding area as a water catchment reserve. Currently a large portion of primary rainforest thrives in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, especially around the MacRitchie Reservoir.
There are several trails that run through the MacRitchie Forest, differing in distance and difficulty. Route One (Green – three kilometres) and Route Two (Purple – 4.8 kilometres) are both graded easy and take approximately an hour and a half and two hours, respectively, to complete. Route Three (Blue – 10.3 kilometres) is roughly a four to five hour walk and is graded as moderate to difficult. Route Four (Yellow – eleven kilometres) is graded moderate and would take about four hours to complete. The walks are fun and relaxing and reveal a part of the country that has long disappeared under concrete.
One reason that the country remains a preferred tourist spot is its excellent infrastructure. All major attractions are easily and quickly accessible by public transport. Visitors can find a multitude of restaurants serving cuisine from all around the world. It is even easy to find Singapore hotels to fit any budget. The main thing tourists should keep in mind when booking hotels in Singapore is location. Located in key sites across the city, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Singapore offer centrally located accommodation within easy reach of public transport options as well.
