A little spot of Haven in Upper Bukit Timah

When I first saw the theme that Sarah created for the latest series of blog hops. I thought that it will be really interesting to read about wat the other SMBs have to say about their spots in Singapore. It took me a while to convince myself that I could write anything mildly interesting about the area I live.

The thing is where I live isn’t just ordinary. It’s just well…boring and familiar. Maybe it’s the familiarity that makes my eyes gloss over the surface of things, thinking that I have seen these things before. 

Getting into the swing of this exercise, I realized that walking around the neighborhood helped me to dig deeper into things, challenge myself to re-discover my surroundings.

So what I really love about this area where I live? Let me list the things…

Sights

I love having nature at my doorstep and squirrels, iguanas, strange looking birds and monkeys for neighbors. Just a stone’s throw away from my home is Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Hinhede Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve retains the only substantial area of rainforest left in Singapore and has the most diverse ecological system in the world. It is a botanical collecting ground for more than a century. An eminent conservationists has even pointed out before, that the number of tree species growing in a mere hectare of the Reserve is more than the total number of tree species in all of North America!

There are so much to see and explore in these nature parks. All you need are a set of eyes that see and not just look, and God’s wonderful creations will not cease to amaze you with their intricate little details.

Eats

I love that there are no lack of eateries to choose from. Like many residential areas in Singapore, there are many places in the vicinity where you can find local food any time of the day.

There’s Rail Mall, where there are two 24 hour cafes serving local fare, pubs serving bar food, and a supermarket, sandwich cafe, Thai fusion food, as well as a Italian restaurant.

And Cheong Chin Nam Road opposite Beauty World Centre,

Where you can find Chicken Rice, Korean Food, Chinese ‘Zi Char’ or simple Malay fare at a 24 Hour Prata shop which has a really extensive menu of Malay food. My favorites at the Malay Prata shop include, the height-defying ‘Prata Tissue’ and mouth watering ‘Ayam Pemyat’.

History

– Memories at the Old Ford Factory

I love that despite all the new developments in the area, there are still that little bit of history and nostalgia retained here.

Nestled along the junction right before Hume Avenue, is a building whose history dates back to 1941. The Ford Factory’s origins started as the first vehicle assembly plant for Ford in Southeast Asia, and more notably was used as the venue for the formal surrender of Malaya by the British to the Japanese.

The Ford Factory was rebuilt in 2004-05, and it serves as an permanent exhibition gallery of the memories and reflection of the hardships faced by the SIngaporeans who lived through the darkest years of Singapore history during the Japanese occupation.

Right behind the Old Ford Factory building is a quiet garden known as Syonan Garden. Where you will find an assortment of “food crops” like Tapioca, sweet potato, yam, banana, coconut, pineapple and rice, crops which were grown during the Japanese Occupation.

Nostalgia

– The Old Railway

We used to take short hikes into Dairy Farm Nature Park, wandered off the beaten track to a little bridge where we will be able to see the KTM train passed below the bridge. I can still recall the sight of the train and sound of the train driver blasting the horn, each time he caught a glimpse of people on the bridge looking down to the passing train below.

The old Railway ceased operations in July 2011 and only 400m of the railway tracks were retained. This is part of the Upper Bukit Timah track, next to the classic cast iron bridge on the far right of Rail Mall.

Looking to the southbound side of the tracks, all that is left of the track is a long gravel track stretching for miles ahead.

– Beauty World Centre

Way back in the 60s, Beauty World Park was a popular shopping destination in Singapore, where there were over a hundred stalls that sold fresh produce, household items, textiles and stationery. The park experienced many incidences of fire during that time and thus most of the stall-holders were relocated to the Beauty World Centre. The former Beauty World Park site is now an open field and car park.

There is an open air food centre on the 4th floor of Beauty World Centre where you can find yummy Satay Bee Hoon, Mutton Soup, Thai Food, Handmade noodles and Xiao Long Pau.

I can’t help but ending off this post with food again, I guess the way to most Singaporeans’ hearts have to be most definitely through their stomachs

So u know who to find next time if you do come around Upper Bukit Timah after your nature or nostalgia walk and need a lunch/dinner partner, I will be more than happy to join you for a good meal!

This post is part of the series of posts hosted by Sarah of The Playful Parents. Do check out the rest of the blog posts in this series to uncover all the little gems found in various neighborhoods of Singapore.

The next stop on our ‘Loving My Spot’ blog train will be Regina of MummyMoo.

Regina documents her little family as they grow as one, charting everyday mundane events to milestones that will chart the shape of their future. She is enjoying being a wife and mother, two personae that she has never thought of becoming – in the past. She takes pride in being a working class stiff trying to be a first class Mum!

Regina shares her thoughts about parenting and personal experiences as : MummyMoo

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