Sunday 3 June 2012

Holidays Are Here !

In twinkle of an eye, we are already into the middle of the year. How time flies especially when one is very busy with work. The school children here are having a mid year break from studies. It is also a time for a short getaway to rest, play and relax. For parents who prefer not to skip town but also enjoy the luxury of a hotel. Just check into a posh hotel for a stay-cation.

Take on a heritage trail in the city or a nature trail at one of our nature reserves, teeming with wild life and biodiversity to experience the rich ecosystems.

The boardwalks will leads you through mangrove areas and marine life in their natural habitat. Yes . . be surprised our island still has some very interesting and lovely nature places to explore. These are the best places to get close to nature. Be prepared to rough it at these wetlands.
                                                           

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
is located on the north-western of the island. It covers an area of 130 hectares and is an important stopover place for migratory birds during the winter months. It is named after a river which flows through it. 'Sungei' means river in Malay, while 'Buloh' means bamboo. There are 3 trails for the visitor to choose from. NParks launched a new wireless learning trail to give on-the-spot information about the flora and fauna using our smart phones and tablet computers. All the visitors have to do, is download the ColorCode barcodes that they spot along the trail onto their devices and will receive videos, images, music & quizzes. This is an exciting and engaging experience for the students out on their field trips here. It enables them learn better by identifying plants animals and listening to different types bird calls.

Take a trek down the boardwalk, through the mangroves, you'll spot monitor lizards, mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, cranes, egrets, etc.


Chek Java
Low tide is the best time to be at this place. Situated in the far south-east of Pulau Ubin, a small island off the main isle of Singapore, is a 100 hectare wetland comprising of six interdependent ecosystems. Namely, Coastal Hill Forest, Mangrove Forest, Sandy Share, Rocky Shore & Sand Bar, Seagrass Lagoon and Carol Rubble.They are all within walking distance of each other. Within each of the above ecosystem is an abundance of  unique group of wildlife. You can find sand dollars on the sand bar, sponges in the coral rubble area. Getting to Chek Jawa means getting up really early. A bumboat ride from Changi Village to get there. On reaching jetty, another 40 minute walk from the main village or hop into a taxi or rent a bicycle to get there.

Seagrass Lagoon

Crab

Shell Fish

So don't forget your sunblock, mozzies repellent, lots of water, digital camera, smart phones, appropriate footware. It is going to be a wonderful trip exploring at these nature reserves. There are some clips on Youtube for you to check it out. I can't possibly put out every picture.

+ TooDeLoo +