Singapore’s parks tend toward the highly manicured and perfectly sculpted. You’ll usually find crowded parking lots alongside plenty of concrete and potable water. But in the early 2000s, someone had the bright idea of creating a park that would feel more natural: the underrated and little-known Tampines Eco Green.

What an unassuming park. At just about 90 acres, it’s manageable, but not enormous. It’s in the middle of Singapore’s third-largest planning area. It’s flat. The nearby MRT and highway mean that it’s far from quiet. But this has become one of my favorite parks on the island. It’s not crowded. It’s easy to slow down here. The paths are just that: paths, whether they be in the woods …

… or more out in the open:

Only this short stretch feels constructed in any way:

Tampines Eco Green has three trails — Forest, Marsh, and Diversity — that form a rough triangle. They all run through similar secondary forest, so it can be hard to tell one from the other. But there is so much beauty here (and the trails are so short) that it hardly seems to matter.

The park furniture (such as it is) has been built out of natural and recycled materials.

Very little here has been built up at all — it’s amazing to be in a Singapore park in which the landscaping virtually disappears. There is one space, though, with what appears to be wood art (or something else random; I really can’t tell):

Even the thunderstorm shelters here have green roofs, and the park is so proud of its composting toilet (the only one I’ve seen in Singapore) …

… that even the signposts advertise this feature:

Wildlife at Tampines Eco Green

All of this means that you’re likely to encounter plenty of wildlife. We saw a monitor lizard, many turtles, this fabulous hive crawling with stingless bees …

… a tiny lizard …

… and plenty of birds (including this white-breasted waterhen, which is common, but still fun):

This is a great place to see baya weavers — though you’ll want binoculars if you really want to see across the marshes to their nests.

They’ve built several bird hides here, but most have become so overgrown as to be pretty useless. Still, NParks says that over seventy-five species of birds have been spotted in the park.

There are many beautiful flowers at Tampines Eco Green (though it’s worth noting that the Eco Green has many non-native plantings — it’s like Singapore just can’t help itself).

You’ll find wonderful vines, trees, and grasses …

… including a great stand of bamboo hidden behind the trails (turn in when you get to the banana plants):

As a side point, if you love signs in Singapore, this park has one of my favorites:

When you’re standing in the middle of Tampines Eco Green, it’s easy to forget that you’re in Singapore. That rare experience alone makes this park worth a visit.

Visiting Tampines Eco Green

• Hours: Open 24 hours, but visitors are advised to leave by 7:00 p.m. because there is no lighting at night. Check the NParks website for any closures.
• How Much Walking: About 3 km if you walk every trail
• How Long to Spend: 1–2 hours
• How to Get There: By car or bus. The closest MRT station, Tampines, is a 20-minute walk away.

For more green spaces in Singapore, all of which can be accessed by MRT, see my post on 6 Parks for Easy Outdoor Adventures. You might also want to visit nearby Pasir Ris Park for more wildlife viewing.