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Bukit Timah

Bukit Timah

Bukit Timah is a centrally located suburb of Singapore. It derives its name from the Bukit Timah – the tallest hill of Singapore. In fact, Timah is derived from the Malay word ‘timak’, a name for the trees found in that area.

The hill lies to the east of Kranji River. In addition to the suburb, the hill also gives its name to the longest road in Singapore; the 25 km long Bukit Timah Road.

Bukit Timah Accommodation & Nature Reserve, Singapore

To the early settlers, Bukit Timah was a densely forested, tiger-infested area. Around 1845, when Singapore was formed, the British planned meticulously to eradicate the tigers in a bid for development. During the World War II, the Allied Forces lost the town to the Japanese. This resulted in all the farmland being replaced by high-rise residential apartments and factories.

In the 1960s, Bukit Timah was an industrial hub. However, it is now considered the most expensive residential hub in all of Singapore. It contains many posh condominiums and high-end bungalows typically housing expatriates and wealthy Singaporeans.

Bukit Timah has seven sub-zones: Coronation, Farrer Court, Hillcrest, Holland Road, Leedon Park, Swiss club and Ulu Pandan. It was later extended to include Upper Bukit Timah (District 21) as well.

Bukit Timah is home to the popular Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a 164-hectare protected rainforest with scenic hiking and mountain biking trails of varying difficulties. It is easily accessible from the city. The reserve contains a delightful variety of fauna and flora. Monkeys, monitor lizards, tree squirrels are commonly spotted. The Bukit Batok Nature Park is a kilometre away from Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and has a stunningly beautiful quarry lake.

The Bukit Timah Saddle club is a huge attraction for horse-lovers and is tied to the Equestrian Federation of Singapore. Shoppers can whet their shopping appetite at various shopping centres including the Courts Bukit Timah, Serene Center, and Bukit Timah Plaza.

If you are looking for accommodation in Bukit Timah, click the link below for the best deals.

About the author

Michael Jones

Michael created and runs the Singapore Travel Hub website, as well as the Holiday Point travel brand that incorporates a network of 16 location based travel information and attraction websites around Australia, Asia, and around the world.

With 25+ years of online experience and a passion for travel (having visited Singapore many times and experiencing a lot in the country), Michael not only researches and writes content for the website, he also tinkers behind the scenes with the website functionality & design.

Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions.

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