Dolphin Adventure on Dolphin Island, Adventure Cove Waterpark

There aren't many things that beat seeing dolphins in the flesh for the first time. After queuing for rides and keeping warm in the torrential rain by hiding in the lazy river at Adventure Cove Waterpark, it was 3.30pm.

It was time to interact with the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.

The staff, who have seen about a gazillion excited guests, were nice and understanding as they ushered us to to put on our wetsuits and rib-cage-crushing life-vests. I exaggerate, but it made me feel like an ancient Roman warrior wearing an armour. I felt buff.

After outlining the dos and don'ts, the trainers split us into groups of 4-5. The dolphins were curious as we walked by, swimming close to the edge of the pool.

Our trainer took great care to introduce us slowly to the dolphin, for her to get used to us and for us to get used to her. She was huge, smooth (apparently they exfoliate every two hours), powerful and gentle.

If I were to name an animal closest to her personality it would be that of a dog. She would be a huge sea dog.

We took turns to interact with her individually, doing tricks, from which we got to witness how dolphins communicate, how they move, how they eat. It was a very personal experience. Brings a smile to my face just thinking about it.

Two dolphins powering WK 

The highlight was having a pair of dolphins push you through the water. You get to experience how strong they are. That and their ability to do multiple flips in the air were a treat to watch. Also enjoyed the stories from the trainers about how the dolphins interacted and "felt" about each other, and how they have sexy times for fun.

The only thing that annoyed me was that the photographers weren't very professional. Our trainer had to get his attention. You weren't allowed cameras in there and the prints and digital copies came at an exorbitant price. For that amount of money, I expected way, way better.

When I was making the booking a couple of weeks prior, the number of programmes that I had to choose from literally made my head spin. The one I've written about here is the Dolphin Adventure ($128), which allows you to experience all these, and lasts for about 50 mins.

The package also includes a one-day pass to Adventure Cove Waterpark, which was pretty fun (except for the queues which were still too long IMO).

It was raining like crazy that day, and at times, downright freezing, but the low visibility, and how everything became more slippery made the rides more thrilling. Win-win.

Was a pretty memorable one-time experience hanging out with the cool kids of the sea, and a great way to kick off 2016!

Island-Hopping through St John's Island, the fabled Lazarus Island, Seringat Island and Kusu Island

The beach on Lazarus Island - a wide C-shape bay and more sand than most beaches in Singapore.

St John's Island, the fabled Lazarus Island and Seringat Island

The three islands are connected - Lazarus to St John's, Seringat to Lazarus. All you have to do is find your way to St John's and you'd have access to all of them! 

St John's Island

The most well-known of the three, the island has holiday bungalows for rent and well-loved beaches of its own to boast.

Partner-in-crime Thamsy in red carrying a foldable chair and food, among other things.

A landmark that you can spot from the boat, hundred meters before reaching the island.

My cousin mentioned that she used to stay in this house during Sec School badminton camp. There was a row of such houses, which we didn't have time to explore, but looked old and worn, like they had a story to tell.

A lookout point on the causeway to Lazarus. Amazing.

Lazarus Island

As with many experiences that people try to sell you, this one is a tad hyped up.

There're nothing (save for one shelter) on this beach, except sand, sea and trees so you're completely immersed in nature, which I was a happy with, but could be a bad thing for some people. It's on you to bring all you need to make yourself comfortable - a huge beach hat, 1.5l of water and sunblock, in whichever combined amount you would prefer (and I recommend equal), a mat, and some snacks.

When we were there the sun was so hot that you'd want to be in the water or under shelter.

If it weren't that hot, it would have been way more relaxing. It's a decent stretch of beach with white, fine sand, a view of the sea not littered with countless cargo ships and very few people. We visited it during the school holidays so there's no doubt that if you visited it on a normal week day, you'd see almost no one.

If you got a boat.

Seringat Island

Not much has been written about Seringat Island. It's even quieter than Lazarus, which has stolen the limelight for having "the best beach in Singapore". I much prefer it actually! There's a nice path that leads you around the island and a couple of picnic shelters facing the sea thrown in for good measure.

Thamsy and I ended up spending most of our time there, looking at the residential estates of Sentosa Cove and enjoying the food that he prepared. The aspiring home cook is a life saver. We'd be living on chips if he didn't have pursuits like these.

Kusu Island

On the way back to the mainland, the ferry dropped us off at Kusu Island for an hour. You could probably cover its perimeter in twenty minutes. We climbed up to Datuk Kong, which appeared to be a place for prayer, and chilled out by the beach. It gives off a bit of East Coast type of vibe, but more zen. 

Kusu Island means "Turtle Island" and there were tales of how the turtle saved early sailors who reached its shores and the island's mystical healing powers. With more time it I would have liked to soak up the cultural heritage of the place.

Iconic Chinese temple in the background, and one of the many homages to turtles on the island.

Thamsy doing his best to be the last picture in Tyra's hands so he would not have to pack his bags and go home.

How to get there:

The ferry schedule as of June 2015.

1. 

Charter a yacht. Waiting for Thamsy to become a millionaire for this. Or more economically:

2.
Singapore Island Cruise will bring you to St John's Island and back for $18, stopping by Kusu Island for about an hour on the way back.

A typical weekday trip will see you leaving Marina South Pier (which you can get to via MRT to the station of the same name) at 10am and coming back to the mainland at 4.15pm. The weekends offer more timings, which you can check out here.

Resources:

Straits Times: Lazarus Island's laid-back charm
Expat Living Singapore: A step-by-step guide to finding Singapore's best beach

Getting closer to wildlife at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

When it comes to places for spotting wildlife, not many places in Singapore come close to Sungei Buloh. In fact, it's so popular with nature photographers that just before I visited, I came across this disheartening article on their actions stressing animals just to catch the perfect shot. As such, I resolved to stay on the path, not disturb any living things and leave good photos to chance.  

Part I - The Boardwalk

Enter the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre via Kranji Way to gain access to the new boardwalk which was opened to visitors late last year. The route through this area is full of lookouts, and you'd be able to see the Johor Straits, and the mud levels. 

I enjoyed this part tremendously because of the beautifully designed, vaguely conical lookouts which reminded me of both acorns and birds' nests. The structures blended perfectly with the surroundings and made for some interesting photos.  

This area was also particularly rich in wildlife, with familiar animals such as crabs, mudskippers, spiders, wild dogs, birds, monitor lizards and I've heard that you can even catch sight of a crocodile if you're lucky! We didn't, despite our best efforts, so we might have to go back there to give it another go. 

The red pincers gave it away.

A pretty shy mudskipper.

I spy a spider.

There were quite a few of these lookout points along the boardwalk.

The steps going up and down through the reserve made it a real "Jungle Gym".

The pretty shaky rope bridge was amusing to cross.

Part II - Mangrove

The reserve can be accessed by another entrance, with parking, via Neo Tiew Crescent.

The bridge that links the visitor centre to the reserve.

This part was significantly different. It was no longer a wooden boardwalk structure. Instead, we found ourselves walking on a dirt track that led us round the perimeter of the mangrove.

From one of the lookout towers. Spotted some white birds from here.

At this point we were probably a tad tired out from the noon sun and the initial exploration at the board walk. However before we left, one of  the inhabitants at this small pond with "deep water", came by to say bye.

Sungei Buloh is huge and if you really want to see it all, it would probably take 4-5 hours. Also, it is no Bishan-AMK park. There aren't any food places around, so you might want to bring along some snacks and drinks for the walk.

Resources:
NParks - https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/sungei-buloh-wetland-reserve 
Straits Times - Get closer to nature at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

From Buona to Tanjong Pagar on the Green Corridor

Earlier in April, I explored part of the Green Corridor, from Buona Vista to The Rail Mall, which you can read here. 

Curious about the other half which runs from Buona Vista to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, I set a date with Thamsy to take on this 6km route. 

The journey down south had ample greenery and snaked through the back of some of the older HDB estates which looked as if time had stood still since the 90s, especially when it was quiet in the morning. We had an enjoyable time walking, but what we saw became rather repetitive. Comparatively, going northwards was more interesting - with highlights such as the Bukit Timah Railway Station and some parts of the railway which was still intact. 

Our end point, Tanjong Pagar Railway station, now only opens during public holidays and special occasions. It became a bit of a disappointment as we had to make our way out of a fenced-up dead end - a field - that didn't offer much. Hence, if you're thinking of trying this route, and you can check out some maps here, it would be more rewarding if you went on a day where the Tanjong Pagar Railway station was open. It would really be the perfect end to this long walk.

Nevertheless, here are some things you can expect to see while making your way down this route:

Graffiti my soul.

"I'm not religious, but it feels so good, makes me want to pray, pray you'll always be here."

The old and the (relatively) new.

The black dog actually invited us to be part of their "entourage" but we were too slow.

The Interlace, one of my favourite residential projects. The stacking blocks amaze me always.

From an overhead bridge

This would probably be a barrier for the train which runs through the track, now just a brown path on the left

Said disappointing field that marked the end of our journey, but was relieved to have ended the long walk!

Next up, an entry on Sungei Buloh! If you can't wait, you can check out my instagram for some pictures to tide you over till then.