Blogger: Ian Robinson, Broads Area Manager
"I’ve recently got back from a month on Diego Garcia [often called DG] in the Indian Ocean. I had 2 days in Singapore before heading over to DG and managed to spend one of them on Pulua Ubin an island just north of Singapore – it is the last remnant of Tropical rainforest and gave some impression of what Singapore used to look like.
I arrived on Pulua Ubin by ‘bumboat’ from Singapore and spent a day walking the islands paths. Landing on the jetty you are immediately confronted by cycle hire shops, but after 100metres you are ‘in the forest.’
Creepers, Banyan trees, native vegetation, wild piglets, mangroves, abundant birdlife and other wildlife. Pulua Ubin is a bit of a conservation restoration showcase where the authorities are trying to maintain the native vegetation, whilst showing and explaining to visitors what work they’re doing.
Loud fluting calls emit from the undergrowth, sudden view of a white-rumped shama, and Oriental pied hornbill flies over, ashy tailorbirds within touching distance, views from the 30m tower of mangrove, estuary but above all natural forest.
A flavour of how the landscape used to look."
Let us know whether you have ever had any rainforest experiences.
Photo Credits: Ian Robinson (RSPB)