Tampines Eco Green
- S. N. Linn
- Jun 28
- 3 min read
We’ve been to Tampines Eco Green before, but every return visit has been worthwhile. A small piece of nature tucked away in a land of HDBs, it really is a hidden gem for those who love nature.
Even the journey there is enjoyable. The route follows a wide park connector bordered by a variety of plants on one side and a large canal on the other. On rainy days, water rushes through the canal between clusters of wild vegetation. After particularly heavy rain, the canal transforms into something resembling a fast-moving river, with many of the plants completely submerged beneath the current. Alex and I loved gazing at the canal back when we used to hike along this route.
Our helper sometimes joined us on these walks, and she was always excited to identify edible plants along the route. According to her, Tampines Eco Green has even more of such plants. I once brought her and my parents there, and their entire conversation revolved around which plants could be cooked, eaten, or used as medicine. They could probably survive in the wild with their botanical knowledge, in contrast to someone like me who simply thinks, “Oh, how pretty!” or “Wow, so green!” having no idea of what I’m actually looking at. The only edible plants I can identify in the wild are probably kang kong, papaya, or mango—but even then, only when there’s fruit hanging from the tree.
On the day we filmed this video, it was just Alex, my husband, and me. Since it had been a while since our last visit, we were excited to return. We arrived around 8:30 in the morning, and the weather was surprisingly comfortable thanks to the shade provided by the trees lining the trails. You can go earlier too, but note that there is no artificial lighting in this nature park. So if you arrive before sunrise, the park will still be dark.
The two things we saw most often along the hiking trail were butterflies and birds. Try as I might, I couldn’t capture the butterflies quickly enough with my gimbal—or perhaps my filming skills simply weren’t good enough. I did manage to get one shot with a butterfly in it, although it was fluttering around the edge of the frame.
We were also thrilled to spot a few hanging bird nests. No wonder we saw birdwatchers along the way. Although we weren’t specifically searching for birds, we still encountered quite a variety of them.
Because certain parts of the park are made up of marshlands, there are several freshwater ponds scattered throughout the area. We hoped to a monitor lizard near one of them, but we didn’t see any until we were farther along the trail. We eventually spotted one, but it was too far away for me to film.
The only downside of the visit was the mosquitoes in some areas. We hadn’t experienced this on our previous visits, and we’ve been there many times. Perhaps recent hot weather had increased their numbers. Either way, if you plan to visit, I strongly recommend long pants and a good bottle of mosquito repellent.
For those of us who spend most of our days staring at computer screens, spending a few hours surrounded by nature can be surprisingly refreshing. Sometimes, that's all we really need.
👩🏻💻 Search the adventures by Singapore District: Humble Journey Index
