MacRitchie Reservoir is one of our favorite places in Singapore, and it’s definitely off-the-beaten-path, as most visitors in the country don’t have enough time to explore it. Luckily, we’ve been there already during our first visit and kept going back whether Karol worked in Singapore, or we just took a trip with our toddler to Singapore. If you want to see monitor lizards in the wild, this place is definitely for you 😉
How to Get to MacRitchie
The area is enormous, and there are numerous options to reach the Reservoir.
To TreeTop Walk
For example, the TreeTop Walk is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. To get to the TreeTop Walk, you will need to take a 2.5km trail from the car park at MacRitchie TreeTop Car Park on Upper Lornie Road. Count around 1 hour for this walk, and this is the shortest option.
By Public transit to the TreeTop Walk, you can take MRT to Marymount and walk from there or take a bus to Bef Windsor Pk Rd (near the above-mentioned car park) to shorten the walking distance. From the MRT it takes about 2 hours (7 kilometers at minimum) to reach the TreeTop Walk.
To Nature Trails
We usually used the above mentioned Marymount MRT stop and walked from there. There is a small outdoor exercise park too. If you walk towards the right side, you will end up on the boardwalks or you can follow the forest trail.
To the Main ‘Entrance.’
To get to MacRitchie Reservoir main ‘entrance’ by public transit, take any bus to the MacRitchie Reservoir stop on Lornie Road, or take the Circle Line to Caldecott MRT and from there it’s a ten-minute walk.
What to Do in MacRitchie Singapore?
If you have a day or two extra in Singapore, add the MacRitchie reservoir to your to-do list. Although it is time-consuming to get there, you won’t be disappointed if you like nature as much as we do.
Board Walks and Nature Trail
The water area has several parts, where you can alternatively walk on duckboards instead of the forest trails. We loved those, especially with kids. We often strolled around the boards near Marymount MRT. Part of it is a nature trail with explanatory boards.
TreeTop Walk
The TreeTop Walk is the most touristy attraction in the MacRitchie Reservoir, and we had to visit it too. 🙂 The bridge is 250 meters long, and you will walk between the canopy. It gives you a different perspective of the rainforest as you observe the flora and fauna 20-25 meters above the ground.
The TreeTop Walk is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 9 am (8:30 on weekends) and 5 pm. If the visibility is excellent, you can see the city in the far distance. Make sure you don’t come here where it’s pouring. 😉
The distance to the entrance of the TreeTop Walk is approximately 4.5 km (1.5 – 2 hr walk) from MacRitchie Reservoir Park and 2.5 km (45 mins – 1 hr walk) from the car park at Venus Drive. A round trip, including the TreeTop Walk, is about 7 km to 10 km (3-5 hrs depending on your walking pace).
How much does it cost?
It’s free, there is no entrance fee to the attraction.
Walking, Kayaking and Running
Singaporeans love visiting the green area of MacRitchie for leisure activities; kayaking, canoeing, and running are some of these. You can easily find trails for long runs too. For example, Karol completed some 20ish kilometers there while living in Singapore, but I’ve never been in shape for running in such a humid climate for longer distances.
Is MacRithie Dangerous? a.k.a. Wildlife of Monkeys and Lizards
The MacRitchie reservoir, as all Singapore, is considered a safe place. It is good to keep a distance from the wildlife as you would do anywhere else.
Probably it is obvious, but make sure the monkeys can’t steal your stuff. They can be very sneaky. We only lost a half package of crackers from our son that they happily consumed a couple of meters away from us.
The other, significantly more prominent, yet well-hiding animals are the monitor lizards. In Southeast Asia, you can see them everywhere. These animals aren’t as huge, as the Komodo dragons in Indonesia, but still better not to be surprised.
For general travel info, check out our Singapore Travel Guide as well!
About the Author
Katalin
Katalin is a Lapland-based outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking, road-tripping, and traveling with her family. She spends her free time far away from civilization in one of the national parks around the world, explores off-the-beaten-path places, or hops on a road trip with her kids in an RV.
Read more about her adventures and the blog.