Boxing Day Outing: Explore The Southern Ridges

Have been thinking of going Southern Ridges since 2 years ago (yup, No Action, Think / Talk Only a.k.a. NATO), until the recent Boxing (Sun)Day, gathered a few friends & photo-kakis to go there for the first time. The Southern Ridges is a 9-kilometre trail that connects parks along the southern ridge of Singapore, connecting parks between West Coast Park & Harbour Front. Some attractions along this trail are not to be missed, which include its greenery & connecting bridges.

Preparing our gadgets...

I planned to start our journey from Kent Ridge Park. As such, we board public Bus 200 from the bus stop opposite Buona Vista MRT, alighted 6 stops later. The entrance of Kent Ridge Park via Vigilante Drive is just a few footsteps away, beside it is the National Leadership Institute. 

We chose to walk from West to East, hence our journey were as follows: 

Kent Ridge Park -> Reflection at Bukit Chandu -> Canopy Walk -> Flora Walk & Hort Park -> Alexandra Arch -> Forest Walk -> Hilltop Walk -> Henderson Wave -> Faber Walk -> Marang Trail -> Vivo City for lunch.

The paths along the trail are mostly disabled-friendly and equipped with signboards, so posed no problem to find out the routes for first-timers like us. 

Even Japanese also know how to explore the trail...

A great Sunday morning with fresh air, especially rain just ended a few hours ago

At Reflection at Bukit Chandu, houses the history of the Opium Hill and the battalion of the Malay Regiment in the Pasir Panjang Area during WWII

Met a pet dog, really cute. Enjoyed Georgie's massage (look at its big tummy, really 好吃好住 :D)

De Zien & Terry. Learnt plenty of photography knowledge & skills from them

Arrived at Hort Park, the only One-Stop gardening hub in Singapore with various Theme Gardens & Displays

子德: "这柱子甜甜的?"

Hort Park entrance from Alexandra Arch

Visualizing the freedom of life, spending time with children at own housing compound, live happily & healthy

Various floras & faunas all around

Walked through the Alexandra Arch, a very solid 80-metre long bridge. Very unique architecture, it looks like an opened leaf across Alexandra Road, with its curved deck intersecting an arch that is tilted at a 70-degree angle.

Saw a family of monyets (monkeys) at Forest Walk, one of them even peeing in front of us, yeee...Note the Elevated Walkway along the Walk, accessed by the metal bridge. These triangular metal gratings on the floors of the walkway were an inspiration from the triangular-shaped leaves of the fast-growing “Mile-a-Minute” plant that grows freely in the forest.

Here's another highlight of the journey: The Henderson Wave, 274 metres long, 36 metres above Henderson Road. It's the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore, connecting both Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park. Shelters between the bridge served as temporary pit stops for us to rest a while...

...but not during rains, haha...

City view from Mount Faber Park...HDB flats and look further, Central Business District area

After 4 hours of fruitful journey, we concluded our trip with lunch at Food Republic Vivo City. Aha, a great Sunday to sweat a bit, exercise our muscles and mix around with friends!!!

Source of information about The Southern Ridges can be found here or here (pdf format).

There are other interesting forest areas in Singapore that I haven't explored into, such as Bukit Timah Forest Reserve, Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserves, MacRitchie & Bedok Reservoir, Pulau Ubin, etc. Hemm, entering a good year of 2011, must invest some time wisely with friends to explore more the hidden treasures of Singapore (as well as to sharpen my photography skills)!!! :)