The Southern Ridges, Singapore

Thanks to Lonely Planet, the then lonely Nils went and explored the Southern Ridges before he officially relocated to Singapore in 2013. Through these 7 years, those beautiful parks and bridges have witnessed many milestones (and achievements :)) of Nils, such as the first outdoor date with his girlfriend, relaxing walks with his slow-moving, elephantine pregnant wife, and first outdoor family photos when his baby daughter was barely 2 weeks old…

So what is so special about the Southern Ridges in Singapore? It's a trail consists of one of the highest hills in Singapore, Mount Faber, a series of spectacular walkways/bridges, and a few parks. If you have experience in any treetop walks and wish they were longer, this is for you - you will love the Forest Walk and Canopy Walk.

If you need shades but your kids are after outdoor play, go to Hort Park. You will find not only playground but also a Nature Playgarden for little adventurers and curious minds. You will be glad that they burn all their somewhat excessive energy and therefore sleep well at night without making a fuss.

In the event that you would like some peace and quiet time, you will enjoy the tranquillity of Kent Ridge Park. You can get into the zone practicing Tai Chi or yoga, or simply sit on one of those benches and enjoy free music brought to you by the birds, trees and wind, while you try and listen to what your heart has to say.

Here's a 5-minute timelapse video to give you an idea on how it looks like to walk from Mount Faber to Hort Park.

There are multiple entrances/exits and different levels of difficulty along the way (mainly referring to stairs; it's generally an easy walk). You can choose one section or do the entire trail. For Nils, his route has been adjusted several times over the years due to changing circumstances.

What's our route?

Before our daughter was born (i.e. If everyone can walk independently and stairs is not a problem)...Start with lunch at Vivo City, then move towards the starting point of the Marang Trail through Harbour Front station (Exit D). Challenge ourselves with the steps and reach Mt Faber. Takes about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy the views: Harbour Front and Sentosa on one side and city view on the other.

Tip: Visit the toilet at the Mt Faber cable car station (Faber Peak). You'll not be the only one taking photos!

If you prefer not to walk up to Mount Faber, or you have a pram/stroller or wheelchair, cable car is an option to skip the stairs. It takes you from Harbour Front Centre (next to Vivo City) to Mount Faber directly. The cable car ride only takes around 5 minutes, and it offers a different perspective of Singapore, but the fee is quite high for one-way or even round-trip tickets. If you are a resident of Singapore, we recommend that you purchase an annual pass. It gives you unlimited access to the 2 cable car lines. We find it very value for money.

Continue on through the photo hotspot, Henderson Waves - highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore - to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

Following the path, you will go down a rather steep slope and it gradually brings you up again. On your right, you will pass by the entrance to Alkaff Mansion, which was built by a prominent family about a hundred years ago, and it's now converted into a dining and event space.

You can go up to the Hilltop Walk when you see a split road. You can get down on the other side which is quite close to Forest Walk entrance.

After some winding, gentle uphill walk, you will reach the starting point of the Forest Walk.

For the next 30 minutes or so (or longer if you like birdwatching or ants hunting), you will walk on an elevated walkway with canopy on both sides at your eye level. It feels amazing to be in this place, where you "integrate" with the nature for a brief moment. It is not built with concrete and, as our daughter put it, there are "holes" at the bottom of the walkway , but don’t worry, you almost don’t feel it and can't really see the forest floor with all the trees around.

If you like birds, you can turn left here before the bamboo. It's a good bird watching spot.

Looks nice when the sun is getting ready for bed

The end of Forest Walk marks the beginning of Alexandra Arch, which is a bridge that brings you across the Alexandra Road.

You can see Hort Park from Alexandra Arch.

From there, you're within a short distance to Hort Park. Hort Park is quite a popular place for weddings and events. You will also find toilets, changing station, drinking water, vending machines and a restaurant within Hort Park.

You'd better prepare some S$1 coins if you're going with kids. You can get fish food and feed the fish and tortoises in the pond!

For those who go with kids, you may need to spend some time in Hort Park. Not only does it house multiple gardens with various types of plants, it's also equipped with playgrounds and a Nature Play Garden area for kids to explore. There is a sandplay area at the playground, but it's usually quite quiet as it isn't in the shade and it does get quite hot in the afternoon. Nature Play Garden is for older kids and it's not stroller friendly.

(Note: Now that we have a daughter and still need to bring a stroller with us, we only go until the greenhouses at Hort Park and then turn around and walk back to Mount Faber. Why? Read on, please.)

After passing by the greenhouses at Hort Park (most of them not open to the public), you'll walk up some gentle slopes and see a wooden walkway above you. That's the Canopy Walk.

Before embarking on the Canopy Walk, you'll first need to climb some stairs. Just 2 minutes up. We have yet to find a way to reach there without taking the steps - please let us know if you know of a stroller friendly solution...

Going up to the Canopy Walk

Canopy Walk begins!

The path leading up to Canopy Walk. View from Canopy Walk.

Canopy Walk is much shorter than Forest Walk, but it's a great experience to be there regardless. People rarely just simply walk pass without taking in the views.

Kent Ridge Park is there to welcome you when you have completed the Canopy Walk. Compare to all of the places mentioned above, Kent Ridge Park is the most quiet one and has lots of shades.

Depending on the weather and company, we get to our finish line differently. One option is to take the route on the left, which translates to a few flights of stairs down, a step slope down the Vigilante Drive, and a winding narrow pedestrian walkway along South Buona Vista Road with cars on the left and trees on the right.

Another option is to take the route on the right, which means going down some stairs and slope to reach a pond and then continue to walk through the Science Park.

Either way you'll reach the Kent Ridge MRT station (circle line). If you walk leisurely but not making many stops, it takes about 2.5 hours from Harbour Front to Kent Ridge MRT station. When it was just the two of us, we could easily complete within that timeframe. But when we went there with visiting friends and family, it usually ended up to be a 4-5 hours walk, with photo, toilet and snack breaks.

Generally speaking, it's an easy walk for the most part of it. However, if you go there with elderly and kids, or you need to avoid the stairs, then you can either take the cable car option mentioned above, or get to HortPark by bus/MRT (Pasir Panjang or Labrador Park station) and walk to Mount Faber and back. As long as you want to do it, it's possible! We have been there many times with a pram/stroller!

Here are some of the things you may want to bring with you: mosquito repellent, sunscreen, coins (vending machines and fish food), water/water bottle (there are a few drinking water fountains/dispensers), hat, and a camera. Comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended, though we have seen people wearing dress, heels and full makeup and seemed to be at ease...

Last but not least, since we're going through the toilet training challenge parenthood has kindly offered us, we are acutely aware of the needs to know the location of toilets...Basically there is at least one in each park, and they are up to around 35-40 minutes apart.

Mt Faber: Cable car station (Faber Peak) and a public toilet near the Mural Wall of Singapore History
Telok Blangah Hill Park: There is one between Henderson Waves and Forest Walk
Hort Park: There are two, one near the fish pond and restaurant, and another one near Nature Playgarden.
Kent Ridge Park: There are two