Singapore surprise

“If you don't like snakes, you better move because they're about to pull out a really big one from that hole.'' I nearly jumped out of my skin when Jo, our guide, whispered this in my ear.

If there is one thing I don't like in this world, it's the familia reptilia.

I had expected a beaver or a ferret, never a snake, when Sujatha, the host of the Creatures of the Night Show at the Singapore Zoo amphitheatre, announced: “One of our animal friends has got away from its pen and is somewhere among the audience.''

And lo, just a step below where we sat, they pulled out a 10-foot python! Eeeeeeee!

Python prank

Each night, the keepers and trainers at the Singapore Zoo pull the same trick on their unwary audience, picking out one person and having him or her hold the python.

We witnessed the discomfort of a six-foot-tall man — whose wife tricked him into it — as the snake sidled up and down his body, winding itself tighter (Eeeeeeee, again!).

I've never denied the fact that I'm an armchair adventurer. I have toured Kaziranga, a wildlife sanctuary in northeast India, seen the annual migration of the wildebeest in the Serengeti, done birdwatching in South Africa, enjoyed orang-utans playing in the jungles of Borneo — all from the safe confines of my sitting room.

So when it comes to eco-tourism or adventure travel or nature-based tourism (whatever you may call it), I'm practically a (TV) buff!

But what exactly is eco-tourism? In the words of the International Ecotourism Society, it is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people''.

For me, the better word for such travel would be nature-based tourism — that is, any activity or travel experience that focuses on nature (preferably, from the armchair in my sitting room).

Night safari

Later in the evening, we took a 45-minute night safari to watch some 900 nocturnal animals belonging to 130 species — from majestic lions and tigers to the humble mountain goats.

This was my closest physical encounter with the wild. As we rode in an open tram, on either side were wild creatures settling down for the night.

With the bare minimum lighting (only the glow of low-wattage bulbs, just enough to see the animals) and no fencing, it felt nothing like being in a zoo.

It was good to see wild animals in a harmonious habitat (I guess that's because a full belly is a happy belly). The trundling tram and the commentator alone made the only unnatural sounds in the otherwise silent night.

Reserve of thrills

The Singapore Zoo is part of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the biggest nature reserve in Singapore.

Spread over 2,000 hectares, it includes the forests Pierce, Upper Pierce, Seletar, and the MacRitchie Reservoir.

Remnants of 19th-century rubber plantations can be found in areas bordering the reservoir.

Boardwalks, ranging from 3 to 11km, border the reservoir and provide nature lovers a scope to experience the whole reserve.

Visitors can discover a variety of tropical foliage and some 500 insect and animal species, including the flying lemur, the oriental whip snake and even the pangolin, with the help of interpretative signboards that are placed along the way.

By the way, did you know that Singapore is one of only two cities in the world that have a large area of primary rainforest within its boundaries? I didn't. But then you learn something everyday.

Here are some places that offer a tryst with nature in Singapore:

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve: Turn on to one of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve's walking trails to soak in the beauty of nature.

The colour-coded trails provide different grades of difficulty. Or grab a cycle and ride the 6-km route.

Pulau Ubin: The 1,020-hectare Pulau Ubin Island, enclosed by granite quarries, coconut and rubber plantations, and mangrove swamps, gives a glimpse of rural life.

This island was once a cluster of five smaller ones separated by tidal rivers but the building of bunds for prawn farming has united them into a single island.

Rent a cycle or walk to visit the villages and plantations scattered around the island.

For a quick tour, taxi vans are also available on hire. Or take the 90-minute Sensory Trail to touch, see and smell fruit trees, spices and herbs.

Chek Jawa: This is a wetland treasure consisting of coastal forest, mangrove, sand bars, sea grass lagoon, rocky shore and coral rubble.

As Check Jawa is an intertidal area, its mysteries are best revealed at low tide.

Visitors can plan their tour, on foot or bicycle, or can take a guided tour.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve: Observe mangrove flora and fauna from hides and boardwalks. As the area is infested with mosquitoes, insect repellents are a good idea.

If you are there between September and March, look out for migratory shorebirds or waders.

Jurong BirdPark: No holiday to Singapore is complete without a visit to the Jurong BirdPark.

Home to as many as 9,000 birds of over 600 species, it is one of the world's best conservation and display of birds set in their natural habitat.

Underwater World, Sentosa Island: My one-to-one with nature in Singapore came to an end with a “voyage to the bottom of the sea'' at Sentosa Island's Underwater World.

The 83m-long acrylic tunnel is home to a variety of sea creatures — from sharks to sea horses.

The more enthusiastic can step into one of the two Magic-T (Mystical anti gravity interactive concept) tanks for close encounters with a variety of marine or freshwater fish. Or have the fish feed off them. But, that's another story.

Go there ... Singapore ... From the UAE

From Dubai

Package per person includes return economy class tickets on Singapore Airlines; four nights stay in a Tower Wing deluxe double room, on a double sharing basis, at The Shangri-La; daily breakfast; and return airport transfers.
Fare from Dh6,370

— Information courtesy: Dnata Holidays. Ph: 8008118

Information

As there are no agencies that organise tours to these places, Singapore Tourism Board recommends the following travel guides for nature tours:
 

Events this year

Coming soon

Moving towards Tourism 2015, Singapore Tourism Board targets to make visitors' stay more enjoyable:

The code of behaviour in Singapore's parks: