Southern Ridges in Singapore - the Green Heart of the city!

The Southern Ridges in Singapore was quite an unexpected discovery for me. Just when I thought that I had seen everything green in Singapore after visiting the Gardens by the Bay, but this opportunity made me even more impressed about how much nature is nurtured and preserved in this small country.

Running in a section of the of the Southern Ridges 

The Southern Ridges is a 9km stretch that connects numerous trails across the southern ridge of Singapore. Some of these are connected by bridges, some by steps, and the rest thorough narrow forest trails. The trails are many and quite spread out, and in the few hours that I spent here, I could walk on only some of them. I regretted not having time the next morning, else I would have come for a long jog in these ridges.

What also surprised me a little was how this part of Singapore was not as popular with the tourists, especially from India. I agree that even I didn't know about these when I came to Singapore, but I also think that this needs to change and hence this article :)

There are a total of three parks which are connected by these trails - Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill Park and the Kent Ridge Park. There is no specific beginning or the end of this trail and you can practically start and end anywhere you like.

Faber Trail

One of the most popular trails is called Faber trail (about 1km long) which goes through the Faber park and ends at the most iconic part of the trail - the Henderson Wave.

The Henderson Wave

At 36m, the Henderson Wave is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore and is also popular hangout destination for walkers to simply chill or do some photography. The Henderson Wave is shaped like a wave and hence the name. Its form is anchored by steel arches and filled in with curved ‘ribs’ – slats of Balau wood, a dense hardwood used in heavy construction and which is found only in Southeast Asia.

View of Singapore skyline

View of the bay...

Forest Walk

The Forest walk is about 1.3km long and cuts through dense forests through elevated walkways. You walk or run comfortably with greenery all around and to me this was the most impressive part of the ridges. It's quite a unique experience to even describe in words but if there is limited time, you must certainly do this stretch of the walk.

Entrance to the forest walk

Ah! The lovely green walk...

Henderson walk

Tall buildings near the forest - everything coexists here :)

The walk ends at the futuristic looking Alexandra Bridge. As I was by myself and basically just lazing around, many families requested me to take their family pictures :)

Have a look below at the bridge.

The Alexandra Bridge at the Southern Ridge

These are the two trails that I did, but there is so much more to be done and you must try and spend more than a day here, provided you have time, which I clearly didn't.

Another popular place where one can enjoy nature is Chestnut Nature Park. It's about 64 hectares in size and opened only in February 2017, do keep this in mind if you enjoy nature and travelling to Singapore :)

Practical information:

Park lighting hours and park opening hours:
Lighting hours for Alexandra Arch: changing LED lights: 7 pm – 12 am daily
Lighting hours for Forest Walk: 7 pm – 12 am & 5 am – 7 am daily
Lighting hours for Henderson Waves: 7 pm – 7 am daily
Safety LED lights on bridges: 7 pm – 7 am daily

Accessibility Info: No wheelchair access

Tips:

- Carry lots of water when you are on the trail - there are very places where you can buy it. I saw a few vending machines, but unfortunately they didn't work. There was another desperately thirsty guy with me and we both looked in vain for a water source.
- There is food and water on top of Faber Hills, so buy it there. There are a couple of more places which might look like food places on the map, but they usually host private parties and you can't just enter by yourself.
- If you plan to go to Sentosa after the walk, take the gondola from the top of the Faber Hills. I didn't do it as I had other plans, but it's certainly looked beautiful.
- Do not be afraid to walk alone into a forest trail - Singapore is extremely safe and you don't need to worry.
- Take a good camera if you love taking pictures - the place has great views everywhere.
- The place is also full of birds and the best place in Singapore for bird-watching.
- Carry a map of the trails - it can be very useful if you are looking for specify amenities.
- If you want, you can do the entire walk in about 3-4 hours, but it's best to go slow and do only as much as you can and enjoy the nature as you do it.
- Do not throw anything anywhere. Just like everywhere else in Singapore, it's prohibited here as well and you will promptly be fined.
- Admission is free, so make the most of it :)

Heritage Trees

Nature is cherished in Singapore and all efforts are made to conserve it, and that brings in the concept of Heritage Trees. If a tree has a girth of more than 5m and has botanical, social, historical, cultural and/or aesthetically value, it qualifies to be a heritage tree.

Read more about the National Parks of Singapore here.

My day ended with the sunset!