Southern Ridges

This is one of the most accessible hiking route on the island. The route traverses several ridges and is intersected by Henderson Road, Alexandra Road, South Buona Vista Road and Clementi Road. These roads are well served by public buses that will take us back to MRT stations at Harbourfront and Labrador and to the city. So the hiker can choose to break his walk and yet have access to public transport.

Cable cars linking Mount Faber to Sentosa

The Southern Ridges consist of Mount Faber, Henderson Ridge and Kent Ridge. The trail will take you 9 km across varied environment. One can start from Vivocity and then cllimb Mount Faber along the Marang Trail then westward to Kent Ridge and on to West Coast Park. Alternatively start at West Coast Park and walk toward Mt Faber.

Skyline from Mount Faber

Mount Faber
Assume you want to start off from the Mount Faber end. At Vivocity (buy your water here in case you did not bring any) look for exit D across the road from where the Marang Trail begins. It will be a steep climb up the slope. Walking shoes are advisable but I have seen a lady in heels - obviously she did not plan in advance. Bring an umbrella for sun and rain.

Henderson Waves

At the top of the ridge one will be rewarded with a mesmerizing view of the skyline. You can see and identify the Pinnacles in the distance and the colourful facade of the HDB flats in the nearby housing estates. On the seaward side you can see Sentosa and the other outlying islands. The trail will follow the Mount Faber Road on the ridge past the Cable Car Station where the Jewel Box restaurant is situated.

Forest Walk

After the Jewel Box you will come to a fork. The Mount Faber Road will continue on the right. On the left is Mount Faber Loop. Both roads will eventually meet. Continue your trek on the right and you will soon come to the Henderson Waves the highest pedestrian bridge that crosses Henderson Road. It is covered with wood providing a warm feeling. Many nearby residents like to come here in the evening when it is not so hot to enjoy the breeze, do their qigong and take in the sight.

Telok Blangah Hill Park
After crossing the bridge, you will come to Telok Blangah Green and past the Alkaff Mansion a place where you can experience fine dining in a park. Move on westward and you will come to an elevated metal structure (Forest Walk) that will take you among the treetops to see the flora and fauna there. Be careful about handling small items as it will drop through the metal grating. For the more adventurous there is a trail below the steel structure called the Earth Trail. Finally you will reach the Alexandra Arch, a bridge across Alexandra Road. This bridge is lit at night with a changing colourful display.

HortPark

At the other end of the bridge is HortPark a garden displaying a variety of plants and flowers with greenhouses nurturing new varieties of plant life. HortPark is where Nparks shares gardening-related activities to the public. It conducts courses and showcases industry ideas on gardening on its premises.

Kent Ridge Park
After passing HortPark you will come to a winding trail with switchback turns that will lead up to Kent Ridge Park. The highlights here are the Canopy Walk and the 'Reflections at Bukit Chandu' a museum dedicated to the Battle of Kent Ridge where our soldiers made their last stand during the Second World War. Exit Kent Ridge Park on the west at Vigilante Drive where you will turn right and follow South Buona Vista Road until you reach Kent Ridge Road.

Kent Ridge Park

National University of Singapore
Walk along Kent Ridge Road which lies on top of the ridge. This road is seldom used by students of National University of Singapore NUS as most student activities are centred on Lower Kent Ridge Road where the various Schools are located. While in the NUS, patronize the students' canteens for value-for-money food fare. At the end of this road you would have reached the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning CDTL and the Central Library.

View from West Coast Park

West Coast Park
For those still keen on walking you can proceed south along Clementi Road to the West Coast Park. Here one can see the boats of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, the Container Port and walk along the boardwalk in a mangrove swamp. By this time you would have walked about 10km. Have an enjoyable walk!

See Also:
Mount Faber to Berlayer Creek and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk
Sentosa Jungle Trails and Beach Walks 
Tanjong Rimau and Fort Siloso at Sentosa Island

Route

Map data ©2018 Google, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Mount Faber to Berlayer Creek and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk

The Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk
The Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk was officially opened on January 2. We decided to visit this area to see what was in store for us. Our plan was to start from Vivocity, walk up the Marang Trail then head west along Mount Faber Park to the Henderson Wave. From this bridge we would traverse the Telok Blangah Hill Park and access the Alexandra Garden Trail via the Forest Walk. This would then lead us to Berlayer Creek and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk. We would then walk past Reflections, Caribbean and Keppel Bay back to Vivocity, a distance of about 8km.

Marang Trail

Marang Trail
This trail is near exit D from the Harbourfront MRT Station. It is a steep climb up the slope of Mount Faber. There are two side trails with lower incline to allow one to catch his breath during the climb.

View from Mount Faber

Mount Faber Park
The main attraction is the cable car station from which one could ride to the World Trade Center and Sentosa Island. There is also the Jewel Box Restaurant and the several viewing areas on top of the ridge. Just after the Jewel Box the road splits into two to skirt around the hill. They will rejoin at Pender Road.

Forest Walk and Earth Trail below

Telok Blangah Hill Park
After crossing the Henderson Waves, the trail continued through this park in a westerly direction. Just before the Alexandra Arch bridge the trail became the Forest Walk, a man-made structure made of steel at treetop level to provide a different perspective. On the day of our walk it was closed and scheduled to be reopened the next day. We had to divert to Depot Road to access the Alexandra Garden Trail. There is an Earth Trail just below the Forest Walk. This trail follows the Forest Walk but at ground level giving a different feel of the surrounding. It is accessible from the steep staircase near the beginning of the Forest Walk and also from Alexandra Road.

Green Crested Lizard seen near the Earth Trail

Alexandra Garden Trail
Various types of flowering plants are grown here to attract butterflies. The fragrant smell of the pandan plant could be detected near the lower end of the trail. Some of the leaves were already cut by some cooking enthusiasts to enhance their dishes. The proper way of cutting is to cut off near the stem and avoid the young leaves near the top. The trail ends at Tanjong Pagar Road. Across the road next to the Labrador MRT Station is the beginning of the Berlayar Creek.

Berlayer Creek Boardwalk

Berlayer Creek
Wildlife is plentiful here, where numerous bird species, fish species and mangrove plants are found. To allow freedom of movement for wildlife, certain stretches of the boardwalk were elevated. Some parts were left without lamp posts to cater to nocturnal animals. Instead hidden LED lights were installed. The pandan plants are more numerous here. Several shelters provide rest and relief from the rain for visitors. Unfortunately during our walk some parts of the creek were covered by rust-coloured algae-like growth floating on the surface.

Bukit Chermin Boardwalk with Reflections in the background

Bukit Chermin Boardwalk
The view from here is exhilarating where one can see the Reflections, Keppel Bay Marina, Sentosa, Labrador Park and Bukit Chermin. After the boardwalk, one can continue walking along the promenade in front of the Reflections and Caribbean. You can also walk across the bridge to Keppel Island to visit the marina and relax in the park. We could see schools of fishes in the deep water around the island. A wide variety of boats could be seen at the marina, ranging from the smaller yachts to the luxurious type. Because of the rain, we had to cut short our walk and end it at Seah Imm hawker centre.

The Caribbean at Keppel

Marina at Keppel Bay

See Also:
Southern Ridges 
Sentosa Jungle Trails and Beach Walks 
Tanjong Rimau and Fort Siloso at Sentosa Island 

GPS Track

Map data ©2018 Google, Urban Redevelopment Authority