Singapore’s Southern Ridges walk is an urban trail in the south of the island state. The walk links several parks in the area, including Mount Faber and Kent Ridge, and features several long elevated paths to keep walkers high above the city’s traffic.
Key Facts
Location: Singapore
Distance: ~10km
Days: 1
Difficulty: 2/5
Guidebook: The Rough Guide to Singapore
Accommodation: Options in Singapore
The full walk from Mount Faber to Kent Ridge is around 10km, but as the trail passes through (or rather, above) numerous populated areas, there are many opportunities to exit the walk early and escape the heat and humidity. The National Park’s division publishes handy maps with divide the trail into smaller sections including the Marang trail (15 mins) and the Forest Walk (20 mins). At most points the path is also close to a road (although not necessarily parking).
This being Singapore, the trail has many amenities including frequent rest benches, toilets, and even mini-exercise areas with equipment. There are also restaurants and cafes at several points. The trail is in excellent condition for the entire way – almost all paved – although it does perhaps suffer a little from being over signposted: at times we were confused just by the sheer number of options available to us.
Of course, the trail never takes walkers into true wilderness, and apart from monkeys and butterflies you are unlikely to see much in the way of wildlife. However, there are several shorter sections which are more forested. The eastern end of the trail near Faber Park climbs quickly and offers excellent views south over Sentosa Island and north towards the heart of Singapore. The densely packed apartment buildings which stretch to the horizon are a reminder than even a brief jaunt through the jungle is impressive in a major city like this. Towards the western end of the trail is Hort Park, which is home to several small but beautiful gardens including a butterfly garden. Other highlights include the Alexandra Arch and the extended series of gradually descending platforms just before Hort Park.
The Singapore Government’s National Parks division has some good information on the Southern Ridges walk, including detailed maps.
Southern Ridges hiking map
(Created using Garmin eTrex 30 GPS)
