Best of all is the Night Safari at the Zoo where several species of animals play out their nocturnal routines - one of the world's few open zoos, where moats are preferred to cages and spacious exhibits approximate the natural habitats of the animals - viewable both by tram and on foot. It also includes an Animal Show that is very entertaining.

The Botanical Gardens - an open space in the midst of the concrete jungle, complete with a National Orchid Garden featuring products of the gardens orchid breeding programme including orchid hybrids named after VIP's such as Queen Elizabeth, Margaret Thatcher & Princess Diana, is well worth a walk round.

A little unknown museum based in the National University of Singapore is the 'Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research' with a zoological reference collection (stuffed and preserved specimens) of south-east asia fauna and flora. Very interesting, especially for the biologists, but unlikely to be found unless you know someone who works or studies at the university.

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve - BTNR is 1 of only 2 rainforests in the world found within city boundaries and is the only patch of primary rainforest left on Singapore Island. I went for a mini jungle trek through the reserve and had a close encounter of the personal kind with a troop of Long-tailed Macaques (native monkeys) and also saw a tree shrew.

Intro | Islands | Nature | Misc