Joining the National Parks Board has broadened my appreciation for greenery overnight. Now I look forward to every working trip to visit our parks and nature reserves, just to experience a world beyond the concrete jungle. That's why I jumped at the chance to explore the Southern Ridges with two friends, on the pretext of writing this article for you, my dear readers.

It's always hard to decide what to do on Saturday evenings. The choice of dinner, shopping, drinks or movies can present baffling options. But instead of the usual evening out in town, a bunch of adrenaline junkies gather every last Saturday night of the month for a good time in an inexpensive way: nightskating through the Park Connector network.

Six bicycle rental kiosks or 'PCN Pitstops' have been set up in four parks along the 42km Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network (PCN)

Given Singapore's renowned status for being an urban jungle, Fort Canning Park is a welcome respite from the concrete surroundings within the central area of the business district.

Light bossanova music greeted us when we stepped into the sleek, stylishly-decorated Kha restaurant at HortPark -The Gardening Hub. The dark mahogany furniture, long ceiling timber panels and exquisite mirror-framed lamps created a nice and intimate ambience as we tucked into some of the best modern Thai dishes in Singapore.

These popular city rides in the South are peppered with urban challenges, scenic river views, al fresco cafes and dining areas. For a nice adventure on these park connectors, start from Alexandra Linear Park, which is located behind Queenstown MRT. Cycle eastwards towards the Alexandra Park Connector, which ends at Zion Road (opposite Great World City).