Singapore Cycling Tour (2): Bukit Batok East, Ulu Pandan and Jurong Park Connector

Date: 17 January 2009 and 7 February 2009
Location: Bukit Batok East, Ulu Pandan Park Connector, Jurong Park Connector

This is part of my Singapore Cycling Tour series:

1. East Coast Park and Coastal Park Connector

On 17 January 2009, I was cycling with Irza near our residence around Bukit Batok East, and found this Ulu Pandan Park Connector along Bukit Batok East heading southwest. On 7 February 2009, we tried to venture the park connector towards Jurong East.

However, I am a bit disappointed with this park connector. After greeted with a set of twelve zodiac-theme animal stone statues near Bukit Batok East Garden, we encountered very high stairs next to Keming Primary School. So both myself and Irza needed to carry the bicycles upstairs. Wished that we took the roadside instead.

Leaving Bukit Batok towards Jurong East, we had to bring our bicycles on the overhead bridge across the PIE. It was very hot, not many trees around the area. After crossing the PIE, we found out that there's a junction there and we can have two alternatives: continue along the Ulu Pandan Park Connector towards the AYE, or take the Jurong Park Connector towards Jurong Lake and Chinese Garden, and eventually to the newly-constructed Jurong Central Park near Boon Lay.

We decided to venture west along the Jurong Park Connector. This is a new extension to the Jurong Park Connector, which is not yet on the map shown at National Park Board's website (at the time of writing this entry). Since it's a new track, not much plantation along the way and since it was near afternoon at that time, it was quite hot.

Therefore, we decided to stop after reaching Jurong Town Hall Road and de-tour to the nearest McDonalds outlet at Jurong East St 24 (near Yuhua area). From there, we decided to go back home, not going through the same park connector route but following the normal roads, which is much faster. :)

Therefore, we haven't managed to reach the Chinese Garden / Jurong Lake area of the Jurong Park Connector, which I heard is the best part of the connector. I plan to mount our bicycles into our car's bike carrier and go straight there instead, to bypass the not-so-nice eastern part of the park connector.