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Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

An ASEAN Heritage Park of mangrove and mudflat, where migratory shorebirds and saltwater crocodiles are the draw

Difficulty
Easy
Duration
1.5 to 2.5 hours for the main boardwalk loop

Sungei Buloh covers about 202 hectares of mangrove, mudflat and former prawn ponds in Singapore's north west, and was the country's first ASEAN Heritage Park. A network of boardwalks and hides lets visitors watch the tidal mudflats without disturbing them, which is the point: this is a stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and the mudflats themselves are the reserve's core, not a backdrop for a trail.

Highlights

  • Migratory shorebirds on the mudflats, September to March
  • Saltwater crocodiles basking along the mangrove creeks
  • The Main Bridge and hides overlooking the ponds
  • A living mangrove boardwalk rather than a planted display

Getting there

The reserve is about a 15 minute bus ride from Kranji MRT station, on the opposite side of the island from the city centre. There is a car park at the visitor centre for those driving.

Safety tips

The boardwalks are flat and easy, but wooden surfaces turn slippery in the frequent rain, and the mangrove sections are hot and still with little shade. Crocodiles are wild animals in a tidal system, not a display: stay on the boardwalk and take the hides' warning signs seriously.

What to bring

  • Sun protection and a hat: much of the boardwalk has no shade
  • Insect repellent for the still, humid mangrove air
  • Binoculars if you have them, for the shorebirds and the hides
  • Water, since there is little to buy past the visitor centre