Singapore Outback

Breaking out from the cover of rainforest, we found ourselves exposed to the withering equatorial sun. But the heat was mitigated by the view from the bridge above the treetops. Giant hardwood trees punched up through the canopy, while a white-bellied eagle circled and bounced on the thermals. At my feet, a scorpion smaller than a fingernail nudged past - its mandibles raised in Lilliputian defiance.

Were you to guess which South-East Asian country I was exploring, you could suggest maybe seven wrong answers before arriving, correctly, at Singapore. We can all be forgiven for overlooking the wildlife merits of this city-state; after all, the tourist industry has historically pointed visitors towards Orchard Road rather than wild orchids.