Forum: Time to start walking and explore the country

Straits Times deputy Opinion editor Bhavan Jaipragas struck a chord with my two groups of regular walkers with his piece “

Despite the heat, Singapore is still a great walking city

” (Oct 18).

Come rain or shine, I walk regularly with my friends every week. We have, over the past four years, covered the various trails and walking routes in Singapore and the outer islands.

We are grateful that the authorities have made our small island an ever-expanding haven of trails by not just improving the physical infrastructure, but also adding world-class amenities and landscape features.

There are now many easily accessible as well as harder-to-reach routes, such as those in the Park Connector Network, the Round Island Route (meant mainly for cyclists as a continuous 150km network that can also be walked) and the Coast-to-Coast Trail. These routes of varying difficulty and terrains range from urban to rural, from the well-developed cityscapes to the hilly and forested areas deep within Singapore.

Besides the significant health benefits, our regular walks have also brought us intangible benefits. Sharing fond memories and jokes as we walk, as well as the snacks we pack with coffee and beer, we have forged closer bonds of friendship.

Our walks have led to us knowing and understanding our island nation more as we explore new places. These walks have also given us different perspectives of a country that we have always taken for granted.

Recently, while walking at Dairy Farm Nature Park to reach the Singapore Quarry, we came across a group of enthusiastic photographers who pointed out a white-bellied sea eagle hunting for fish.

Then, as we continued to Rifle Range Nature Park, we discovered that a seniors’ bowling tournament was being held at Temasek Club. We were happy to watch a major competition live, a rare treat.

We also time our walks to visit art exhibitions held at the Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

Serendipity has always been the first word of our adventurous walks and trails.

To all those who say Singapore is boring, my friends and I say it is time to get out of their comfort zone and be adventurous, and start exploring and making new discoveries on every walk.

Harry Tong