Plan a walk

Singapore is small, green and easy to cross by train, but it is hot every day of the year. A few habits make walking it much nicer.

When to go

Early or late. Before 9 am and after 5 pm the light is softer and the heat bearable. Midday is for food centres and museums.
Rain comes fast. Afternoon storms are common, especially from November to January. They rarely last more than an hour; wait them out under a covered walkway, a shophouse five-foot way or a food centre roof.
Lightning. The parks close shelters and some boardwalks during thunderstorms. On the ridges and the treetop trail, turn back when you hear thunder rather than after.
Haze. Some years bring smoke haze between June and October. Check the air quality reading before a long walk.

Every walk here starts at or near a train station. A contactless bank card works at the gates; there is no need for a separate ticket.
Buses fill the gaps and are air-conditioned to the point of cold; carry a light layer.
For Pulau Ubin, take a bus to Changi Village, then a bumboat from the jetty. Boats leave when they have twelve passengers.

Water, more than you think. Refill at food centres and park taps.
A hat, sunscreen and a small umbrella, which does for both sun and rain.
Shoes that can get wet. Reservoir trails are muddy after rain.
Some cash for older stalls and the island boat, although most places take cards.
For mosques and temples: something to cover shoulders and knees, and socks you don't mind showing, since shoes come off at the door.

Food centres are the reason to plan a walk around lunch. Look for the stall with the queue of office workers, not the one with the photos.
Tables are shared. A packet of tissues on a seat means it is taken.
Return your tray to the return points; it is the rule now, and the cleaners will remind you.
Each walk's route box names the food centre nearest to it.

Ask before photographing people, stallholders included. Most are happy to say yes.
Shophouse fronts are homes and offices; stay on the five-foot way and keep doorways clear.
In mosques and temples, photograph from the edges and never during prayers.
In the nature reserves, stay on marked paths and don't feed the monkeys, however patient they look.