Kranji

Kranji is Singapore's farm country in the north-west: goat pens, a banana-leaf bistro on a working farm, a mangrove reserve with estuarine crocodiles and a Commonwealth war cemetery on a hill facing Johor. We'd start at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore's first ASEAN Heritage Park, which covers 202 hectares and is free to enter. It opens at 7am, with last entry at 6.30pm, and everyone has to be out by 7pm. Get there at opening, at low tide if you can, when the mudflats are out, and climb the 18-metre Aerie Tower for the view. Migratory shorebirds come through from August to April, so bring binoculars then and mosquito repellent all year. Pets, jogging, cycling, personal mobility devices (PMDs) and drones aren't allowed, and groups of more than 30 apply two weeks ahead.

Kranji Marshes, at 11 Neo Tiew Lane 2, is the freshwater side: 56.8 hectares, of which 8 hectares are open to the public from 7am to 7pm. Pets aren't allowed, and the Core Conservation Area opens only for walks approved by NParks. The 15-metre Raptor Tower is stairs only, and raptors pass through from November to March. The marshes are a taxi ride from Kranji MRT, so we'd give a morning to them or to Sungei Buloh rather than squeeze both in before lunch. Kranji War Cemetery, at 9 Woodlands Road, is a walk from the station instead. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission keeps it open daily from 8am to 6pm, and it's free. There are steps and no food or toilets, so use the station's before you set off.

The Kranji Countryside Association lists the working farms, and the two most visitors plan a morning around are Hay Dairies and Bollywood Farms, a taxi ride apart. Hay Dairies, at 250 Neo Tiew Crescent, is Singapore's goat farm. Come for milking, from 9am to 10.30am, and pick up some goat's milk afterwards. Fewer than 10 of you can just turn up; groups of 10 or more book and pay. Bollywood Farms, at 100 Neo Tiew Road, is free to walk round, and lunch is at Poison Ivy, its bistro. The farm's tenancy at Neo Tiew runs until 31 December, so check it's still on site before you take a taxi out.

Where to eat

• Poison Ivy, Bollywood Farms, 100 Neo Tiew Road: the farm lunch and the only meal near the wetlands. Book on 6898 5001; weekends are the easiest days