Mandai Road, Singapore
Did you know that the demand for water in Singapore exceeds the total volume of more than 750 Olympic-sized swimming pools? Water from local catchment areas is a pillar of our sustainable water supply. Upper Seletar Reservoir is one of the 17 reservoirs designated as national water catchment areas at the point of writing, managed by the Public Utilities Board.
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SIN: Upper Seletar Reservoir <YOU ARE HERE!>
SIN: Bedok Reservoir
SIN: Pandan Reservoir
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Last year saw me going to Upper Seletar Reservoir Park for the first time. From Ang Mo Kio MRT station, I went to the bus interchange and took Bus 138.
The tranquil park, which is located on the eastern bank of the reservoir, covers an area of 15 hectares.
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| The reservoir was built in 1920 by damming up the mouth of Seletar River. |
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| Fishing is allowed only at designated spots. |
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| Ordeal trees are fast-growing, sun-loving trees originating from Africa. |
There's a sign that says not to touch copper sulfate, but I couldn't see any of the blue-coloured substance nearby, which is commonly used as a herbicide.
Let's follow the track southwest.
Formerly called Seletar Reservoir until it was renamed in 1992, it was the third reservoir to be constructed in Singapore after MacRitchie Reservoir and Lower Peirce Reservoir.
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| There's no tree cover along the path. |
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| "Why is my reflection someone I don't know?" |
To the left is Mandai Executive Golf Course.
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| It's a 9-hole, Par 29 public course that's been in operation since 1993. |
I had the opportunity to observe a dragonfly along the way.
There's an iconic rocket-shaped tower at the park, which was built in the 1960s at the same time when expansion works were done to the reservoir.
You should definitely climb up the tower if you can to enjoy the breathtaking view from above.
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| I was somehow reminded of windmills in the Netherlands. |
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| Some eyewitnesses mentioned that there were crocodiles living in the reservoir, but no evidence has been found. |
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| I wasn't looking so happy because of all the trash that people left behind at the platform. |
I suppose it'd been a while since I last took a panorama shot.
Completed in 1940, the construction of the reservoir took about 20 years. Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, officiated the opening of the reservoir the day after she attended Singapore's National Day Parade as the principal guest.
Making a run to the toilet, I spotted a heritage tree. A kapok tree can reach up to 40 m in height, having branches arranged in a tiered fashion that resembles a pagoda. Originating from tropical America, it's the national tree of Puerto Rico.
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| One of its particularly long roots can be seen clearly. |
Prior to visiting the park, I'd seen the highly Instagrammable 'lone' casuarina tree quite a few times online.
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| Apparently it's not alone as there's its smaller sibling nearby. |
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| I'd definitely love to go back during sunset to capture a nice photo of the tree against the blazing sky. |
It felt so great to unwind there, freeing myself from the stresses of life.
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| Can anyone help me identify this particular species? Thank you! |
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| I wonder if the bird was looking for its friend that was moving ahead way faster. |
I did walk to the end of the park before going all the way back to where I started.
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Far ahead on the margins of the reservoir is The Singapore Zoo.
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| Seletar Airport is around 10 km away from the reservoir. |
The park can be accessed 24/7 with lighting hours from 7.00pm to 7.00am. Besides that, it's wheelchair-accessible.
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