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Do note that the Marang Trail

covers an elevation of 70 metres

(or the equivalent of a 24-storey

building), so this trail may not be

suitable for young children, the

elderly and the less fit.

A Guide toBukit Batok Nature Park

Walking Trail

How to get there

Park Etiquette

Walking Time : 12 hrs

Difficulty level : Easy to moderate

Terrain: Undulating. Some areas arenot wheelchair-friendly due to stairsand steep slopes.

Please dont pluck any owers or leavesas this may damage the plants.

There is enough food in the forests formonkeys, so please dont feed them asthis disrupts their natural behaviour.

Please help keep the park clean by notlittering.

If you are quiet, you will see morewildlife. When they appear, stand quietlyand observe them until they pass by.

Please don't release animals into theforest or pool as this disrupts the delicatebalance of the natural environment.

Bus services 61, 66, 157, 178, 852and 985 will take you to Bukit BatokEast Ave 6.

The park is also accessibl e via theentrance at Lorong Sesuai and fromHillview Park Connector.

If you are driving, you can park at thecar park along Bukit Batok East Ave 2.

Introduction

This 36-hectare park offers a trail that meandersthrough a well-established secondary forest. As youwalk through the forest, look out for interestingtrees highlighted in this guide. This park holdssome historical signicance. It was once minedfor granite; the quarry has since become a largereecting pool. As you embark on the ascent to thetop of the hill, stop at the lookout points that offer

vantage views of the quarry pool. This trail alsotakes you to a war memorial at the top of the hill,and to the quarry pool at its foot.

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Meeting Point 2

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BC

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D E

G

H

F

Meeting Point 3

LorongSesuai

Meeting Point 1

BukitBa

tokEast

Ave6

Bukit BatokTransmissionCentre

Plaza Area

Quarry

Cliff

BukitBatokEastAve

2

Ficus withaerial roots

Road/Track

Building/Plaza

Park Connector

Forest Track

Lawn Area

Stream

Staircase

Toilets

Fitness Corner

Drinking Fountain

Foot ReexologyPath/Area

WWII Memorial Site

Lookout Point

Shelter

Public Phone

Carpark

Bus Stop

Playground

Highlights

Walking along the forest tracks

through lush secondary forest

Looking at interesting species of treesand shrubs with their fruits and owers

Enjoying vantage views of the quarry

pool from lookout points Bird-watching along the trail and at

the bank of the quarry pool

Observing fauna such as squirrels, monkeys,monitor lizards, birds, dragonies,butteries and sh.

V isiting a World War II memorial site.

Plaza Area

Tembusu Durian Native mango Ficus rootsstrangling

rock

Monitorlizard

Tree fern and elephant fern

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TrailBegin your journey from the side entrance of thepark behind the car park. An interpretative signon the left side of the entrance illustrates thespecies of birds that you can see at the park. Tryto recognise these and see if you can nd them inthe park.

Take the uphill path immediately on your left. At

the junction, turn right and you will nd yourselfstanding in front of a tree with many browncords hanging down from its canopy. This tree isknown as curtain g (Ficus microcarpa), one ofthe several species found in the park; the browncords are its aerial roots . Figs are a botanicaloddity and their survival is entirely dependent ona tiny wasp for pollination. Some species of gs,especially the ones that are trees or stranglers,are considered keystone species as they providea precious food resource during lean periods inthe forest.

Follow this tarmac path to Shelter C. On your leftare tall shrubs with large leaves and bright yellowowers commonly known in Malay as Simpoh Air

. A thriving secondary forest species, it can beseen on several parts of the trail. Black harmlesscarpenter bees buzz amongst the owers of theSimpoh Air as they help in the pollination process.

The plot of land surrounding shelter C is asite where the National Parks Board carriesout reforestation efforts [see information onreforestation]. Continue along the tarmac road,and as you pass the junction, look out for adistinguished looking Tembusutree towering overyou . Easily recognized by its heavily ssureddark brown bark and low branching points, theTembusuis native to Singapore and blooms in May

and November with creamy, sweet-scented owers.

Soon you will see a sign stating Beware of fallingdurians . The King of Fruits exists because ofthe pollination service performed by nectar bats.Would we still enjoy durians without bats?

Around this area, there is a wide variety offruit trees. Can you spot the rambutan andbreadfruit on the left of the trail, and a nativemango tree on the right?

As you walk further, you will come across a strangelooking tree with gs on its trunk . This tree is a

common yellow stem g (Ficus fistulosa). There aremany such trees throughout the park, and you caneasily see them throughout the year.

Soon you will see a small natural stream thatows from the top of the hill and through thepark. Fresh water streams are a vital habitat for somany species such as sh, frogs and invertebrates.Monitor lizards are seen here too .

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At Shelter F, look closely at some tree ferns andelephant ferns . These ferns are termed livingfossils as they have evolved little since they rstappeared many millions of years ago.

Take the path into the forest. Both sides are thickwith rubber trees. Their trifoliate leaves makethem easy to identify. The invasive nature of rubbercan be seen by how successfully it has colonized

the forest.

There are a few large trees left standing amongstthe rubber, and these are native trees of thecoast, commonly known as Sea Apple ). Insectspollinate their creamy powderpuff-lookingowers. It was once planted next to forest reservesto serve as a re-break.

Once you exit the thick vegetation, you will reachan open lawn with Shelter E on the right and asingle rambutantree on the left . This tree is afavourite with the parks resident troop of long-tailed macaques during the fruiting season.

Behind Shelter E, a ight of stairs leads you up to thetwo scenic lookout points at Shelters G and H whereyou can enjoy vantage views of the quarry pool.

The thick vegetation and open sky above make thissegment of the trail a good place to watch birds.The number of species of birds seen in this park hasincreased over the years. See if you can spot any ofthe birds shown in the guide.

The trail peaks at the base of a long staircase. This

used to lead to the Syonan Chureito, a memorialbuilt by the Japanese to commemorate those whodied during a erce battle that took place thereduring World War II. It has since been destroyed,and in its place the Mediacorp Transmission Centrewas built. All that is left of the original shrine arethe steps and two short pillars at the base. Moredetails on the history behind the memorial areillustrated in the storyboard at the base of the

long ight of steps .

For the nal leg of your journey, make your wayback down the hill. At the bottom of the stairsby Shelter E, turn right and down towards thepond plaza. If you are still feeling energetic, tryexercising at the tness stations or enjoy thechildrens playground with your kids. If you feellike winding down, try the foot reexology pathor gaze at the beauty of the granite rock faceabove the reecting pool.

Reforestation Efforts

Parts of the secondary forest have been cleared

of invasive exotic species (such as rubber trees)and have been replanted with young saplings ofnative forest trees.

Methods such as these help improve thebiodiversity of the forest habitat and conservethe genetic diversity. Native ora is essential forthe regeneration and survival of native fauna.

A healthy native ecosystem is an asset to acountrys quality of life and builds her naturalheritage.

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