©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 112

Northern & Central

Neighbourhood Top Five 1 Bukit Timah Nature fast with orang-utans at this from a dizzying new angle Reserve (p116) Trekking lush, engaging zoo. on the 25m-high Treetop through Singapore’s steamy 3 Night Safari (p115) Walk at this soul-tonic heart of darkness in this Spotting leopards and patch of greenery. listed Asean Heritage Park, dodging bats as you give 5 Lorong Buangkok home to one of the largest the tram tour the slip and (p118) Travelling back to surviving tracts of primary roam around this nocturnal humbler island days at rainforest on the island. animal park. Singapore’s last surviving 2 Singapore Zoo (p114) 4 MacRitchie Reservoir kampong (village). Treating your kids to break- (p116) Seeing the forest

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MacRitchie a Reservoir M BraddellRd Lornie R d PAYA LEBAR B uki tTim ahR d land Expwy (PIE) n Is Pa For more detail of this area see Map p205 A 113 Lonely Planet’s Explore: Northern & Central Top Tip Singapore Places like Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (p116), This wonderfully wild and gloriously green part of Sing- Chestnut Park (p117) and apore is packed with sights and activities that take time MacRitchie Reservoir (p116) to see and do, so unless you’re here for an extended stay Norther are by no means remote, you’re going to have to pick and choose carefully among but they can get exceedingly the main attractions. hot and humid, and once If you fancy taking advantage of the excellent walking you’re out on those walking

trails, try to get your hiking done early in the morning. n trails there’s nowhere to The weather will be cooler, and it will leave you most of & Ce buy anything. So as well as the rest of the day to do other sightseeing. remembering to don a hat

The Singapore Zoo (p114) and the Night Safari (p115) n

and slap on some mosquito tral Si are both crammed with restaurants and cafes, but if repellent, make sure you you’re visiting the other local sights, you might have to carry plenty of water, and do some planning around meal times. Eat before you set perhaps a few snacks to

off, bring some food with you – especially if you’re plan- n keep you going. ning to trek round MacRitchie Reservoir (p116) – or grab gapore something to eat at one of the MRT stations you’ll be passing through. Best Places

c  for Kids Local Life ¨¨Singapore Zoo (p114) ¨¨Night Safari (p115) ¨Into the wild Join local joggers, nature enthusiasts, ¨¨River Safari (p117) foragers and curious monkeys on the trails through the lush jungle of MacRitchie Reservoir, the Treetop Walk ¨¨MacRitchie Reservoir (p116) is a must for those not squemish about heights. (p116) ¨Suburban feasts Get sticky fingers in Singapore’s For reviews, see p116.A heartlands (internal suburban areas), packed with in- the-know, cult-status local eateries. One of the best is Mellben Seafood (p118), famed for its spicy, eggy chilli 1 Best Places crab and locals love to queue for tiny, crispy coin pratas for Adventure (mini fried flatheads) from Roti Prata (p118). ¨¨Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (p116) ¨¨MacRitchie Reservoir Getting There & Away (p116) ¨MRT Northern and central Singapore is encircled ¨¨Jungle Breakfast with by the North South Line, and the Downtown Line Wildlife (p114) services a few areas to the northwest. Bukit Timah ¨¨Chestnut Park (p117) Nature Reserve is easily accessible from Beauty City For reviews, see p116.A MRT station. Unfortunately, the rest of the areas are still a fair distance from MRT stations; however, they are close enough to limit your taxi costs or shorten your 1 Best bus rides. for History ¨Bus Bus 170 goes from Queen St terminal to Bukit ¨ Timah in around 50 minutes. Other buses depart from ¨Former Ford Factory the hubs at Toa Payoh or Ang Mo Kio MRT stations. (p116) ¨¨Lorong Buangkok (p118) ¨Train Woodlands Train Checkpoint (p183) is the Singapore terminus for the shuttle train service to ¨¨Lian Shan Shuang Lin Bahru in Malaysia. Monastery (p116) For reviews, see p116.A