Southern Ridges
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Your Guide to unique outdoor experience in the southwest of Singapore. Tips for a safe and enjoyable trip • Do not feed the monkeys and refrain from bringing From the many architecturally striking bridges and walkways, trekkers can enjoy a panoramic food items or plastic bags into the Southern Ridges as the monkeys may snatch your food or bags and hurt view of the verdant greenery in the three parks and one nature reserve that make up the you in the process. Southern Ridges – the lush hilly parks of Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge, and • Activities such as poaching and releasing of animals, the rich flora and fauna of Labrador Nature Reserve. damaging or removing plants, and those that cause pollution are strictly prohibited. • Do your part to bring rubbish out of the park or Themed gardens in HortPark featuring the latest in garden and landscape designs will satisfy dispose of them at the nearest bin. • Do not speak or play music loudly. any gardening enthusiast or interest a curious trekker. • • Clean up after your pets and keep them leashed. Replace the sounds of the hustle and bustle of city life with the symphony of insects and birds, • Smoking is not allowed. • Camping is not allowed. and explore one of Singapore’s most exciting recreational destinations. Route A - From Mount Faber Park – Telok Blangah Hill Park – HortPark – Kent Ridge Park Route B - From Mount Faber Park – Telok Blangah Hill Park – Labrador Nature Reserve Moderate to Challenging Distance: 10km Walking time: 3–5hr 2 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Canopy Walk HortPark Alexandra Arch The Singing Forest Forest Walk Sembcorp Forest Henderson Waves Faber Walk Marang Trail of Giants HOW TO GET TO THE START POINT Route A: By car From Mount Faber Park – Telok Blangah Hill Park at Seah Im public carpark Park – HortPark – Kent Ridge Park (3–5hr) This route takes you on a trail from the eastern edge By MRT of the Southern Ridges to its west. You will go through Take the Circle Line or North East Mount Faber, past the iconic Henderson Waves and Line to HarbourFront MRT Station up Forest Walk. The route also brings you through (NE1/CC29). HortPark By bus ideas and solutions, and finishes at Canopy Walk in Therapeutic Take bus service numbers 10, 30, Kent Ridge Park. Garden 57, 61, 65, 80, 93, 97, 100, 131, 143, (Back to Introduction page) Faber Peak 145, 166, 300 and 855 to Singapore HarbourFront MRT Station. 10 30 57 61 65 80 97 100 131 143 145 166 855 HortPark 51 57 61 93 10 30 57 61 65 97 100 120 166 80 93 97 100 175 963 131 143 145 166 855 Cable Car Merlion Mural Butterfly Henderson Sembcorp Stream Station Sculpture Walk Trail Waves Forest of Giants Garden Terrace Forest The Singing Alexandra Canopy Walk World War II Mangrove Garden Walk Forest Arch Plaque Dragonfly Dragon's Red Machine Old Fort Pond Teeth Gate Beacon Gun Post Entrance Legend Shelter Toilet Food & Beverage Event Space Look-out Deck Carpark Bus Stop MRT Station Road Recommended Route Alternate Route Park Connector 3 1. Marang Trail Greater Racket-tailed Drongo View from Mount Faber Park 2 Faber Walk At the top of Marang Trail, the mostly sheltered Faber Walk takes you on a loop around the peak of Mount Faber. Follow the paved walkways to enjoy Saga Tree spectacular views of the southern part of Singapore and the Southern Islands. At night, the twinkling START POINT Route lights of the distant city mesmerises observers. Chill out with a beer or have an ice-cream at any 1 Marang Trail: Mount Faber Park USEFUL INFORMATION of the food and beverage establishments at Faber Peak The loud chirping of cicadas breaks the silence while enjoying breathtaking views of the harbour and : Moderate to Challenging Southern Islands. HarbourFront MRT Station and enter the Marang Distance : 0.35km Trail. If you are lucky, you might spot the Greater Walking time : 15min Highlights: Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), Black- • Bird’s eye view of Singapore’s waterfront and the naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) and other birds This trail is not lit after dark. Bring along a Southern Islands. amid the lush greenery. torch and take extra precaution if you wish to • Faber Peak, Singapore Cable Car explore the trail at night. Marang Trail covers an • Merlion Sculpture at Faber Point elevation of 70m (the equivalent of a 24-storey • Mural Walk depicting the early history of Highlights: building), so this trail may not be suitable for Singapore • Flora and fauna of secondary forest young children, the elderly and those who are • Rubber Trees and Angsanas are common in less fit. this area. USEFUL INFORMATION • Spot the Saga Tree (Adenanthera pavonina) Getting there: with its bright-red seeds, which are popularly 2. Faber Walk : Easy • By MRT – alight at HarbourFront MRT collected for use in jewellery and artwork and for Distance : 0.8km Station (NE1/CC29) and take Exit D, near symbolising passion and everlasting love. Walking time : 15min Marang Road. The trail begins right after you come out of the station. • Parking is available at the carpark on Seah Im Street. Bus services at the Bus Depot – 65, 93, 188, 855, 963. 4 4. Sembcorp Forest of Giants 3. Henderson Waves Tualang Jelutong 4 Sembcorp Forest of Giants 5 3 Henderson Waves: Telok Blangah Hill Park Brahminy Kite Past the Henderson Waves and on the right is A hundred metres from Sembcorp Forest of Giants At the start of Henderson Waves (Mount Faber Plaza) Sembcorp Forest of Giants, a living gallery of giant stands a nutmeg tree – a symbol of this area’s past tree species that are threatened in the region. Blangah Green. This unique conservation mansion when it was a nutmeg plantation. Walk a little further Sponsored by Sembcorp via NParks' registered restored by the Singapore Tourism Board serves and you will see the distinctive wave-like structure charity and IPC, Garden City Fund, the forest has a delectable cuisine to visitors drawn to its of the 274m-long pedestrian bridge that matches its collection of more than 600 trees that were planted historic charm. name perfectly. to educate people about these towering species and A panoramic view of Singapore can be enjoyed This charming, wood-panelled bridge was built Highlights: raise awareness for reforestation. from the semicircular terraces of the Terrace to improve connectivity between nature areas. • Tallest pedestrian bridge in Singapore The restroom next to the Sembcorp Forest of Garden, which is the vantage point of Telok Blangah A series of seven undulating “ribs” double up as • Award-winning architecture Giants is a good place to take a break before you Hill Park. alcoves and provide shelter. Between 7pm to 7am • Look out for carvings on the slats that mark out continue to the next attraction. the height at various points on the bridge. Highlights: wave-form lit up by attractive LED lights. • Good spot for viewing migratory birds of prey Highlights: • Birdwatchers visiting between September and • Wheelchair-friendly • Giant native trees can grow as tall as 60–80m April get to spot various birds, such as Brahminy when they mature. clients and guests. Their American guests would Kite (Haliastur indus), raptors and other winter USEFUL INFORMATION • Look out for Tualang (Koompassia excelsa), sometimes refer to the hill as Mount Washington. visitors, from atop the bridge. Take a quick breather Kempas (Koompassia malaccensis) and Jelutong at the old guard house and hydrate yourself before : Easy (Dyera costulata). carrying on with the journey. Distance : 0.3km Walking time : 10min 5 Pink-necked Green Pigeon Straw-headed Bulbul 7. The Singing Forest 6. Forest Walk 6 Forest Walk Take a stroll on the step-free elevated Forest Walk Common Iora Brown-throated Sunbird Dollarbird White-throated Kingfisher 8. Alexandra Arch of Telok Blangah Hill Park. Enjoy 1.3km of lush secondary forest canopy before moving on to 7 The Singing Forest 8 Alexandra Arch Alexandra Arch. Midway through Forest Walk, you will find the Alexandra Arch links Forest Walk to Floral Walk at The triangular-shaped leaves of the fast-growing Singing Forest, an area with more than 200 bird- HortPark. This 80m-long bridge opens like a leaf “Mile-a-Minute” plant (Mikania micrantha) inspired attracting trees native to the region. over Alexandra Road. In the evening, attractive the elevated floors of the walkway. From there, While there is no guarantee that any particular colour-changing LED lights on the bridge you can spot Simpoh Air (Dillenia indica), a large Simpoh air bird species will lend its voice to the Singing Forest, complement the dusk falling over the forested hill common shrub. In the past, hawkers and villagers NParks’ tree planning ensures that food sources for parks. It is a dazzling sight you do not want to miss! used its leaves to wrap food items. them are increased so as to attract a larger number and a wider variety of birds. USEFUL INFORMATION Highlights: • Rich biodiversity Highlights: : Easy USEFUL INFORMATION • The elevated walkway is an excellent platform • Bird species spotted here are the Common Distance : 80m for spotting birds such as the Pink-necked Green : Easy (Elevated walkway), Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), White-throated Walking time : 2min Pigeon (Treron vernans), Yellow-vented Bulbul Moderate (Earth trail) Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) and Dollarbird (Pycnonotus goiavier), Common Iora (Aegithina Distance : 1.3km (Eurystomus orientalis). tiphia), Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes Walking time : 35min malacensis), Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis), Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) and Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus). 6 Upd a t e d as a t Nov e mb e r 201 3 9.