Welcome to the Southern Ridges! The Ridges are a series of seven connected hill and coastal parks that span the length of Singapore’s south-western coastline. The full length of the hike from end-to-end is about 9 kilometres or about 3 – 5 hours walking time. Beginning with a hike up to Mount Faber Park, the path winds through Telok Blangah Hill Park before either turning south to Labrador Park via the Alexandra Floral Trail and Berlayer Creek Boardwalk, or continuing west to HortPark. After that, the route rises to cut across Kent Ridge Park and NUS Kent Ridge Campus before descending through Clementi Woods to West Coast Park.
The Southern Ridges can be traversed on foot or on bike, and are suitable for all ages and abilities. These parks feature both natural and urban beauty spots – ranging from serene forest walks through regenerating secondary forests to unique architectural gems. Most sections of the Southern Ridges are open 24 hours every day, except for HortPark which is open from 6 am – 11 pm daily.
This series of caches will highlight the various attractions you can find along the ridges, and help you learn more about these places and locales. Bring your family and camera along, and enjoy the hike through a scenic park of the island. We hope you will enjoy the walk as much as we did!
Stage 1: Marang Trail
The Marang Trail is where you begin your journey into the Southern Ridges. Conveniently located near Harbourfront MRT Station, the trail is an excellent place to start your hike. Be sure to stock up on water and other neccesities before heading out.
The loud chirping of cicadas breaks the silence of the forest as you step off the escalator exiting HarbourFront MRT Station and enter the Marang Trail. If you are lucky, you might spot the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), Blacknaped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) and other birds amid the lush greenery.
This trail is not lit after dark. Bring along a torch and take extra precaution if you wish to explore the trail at night. Marang Trail covers an elevation of 70m (the equivalent of a 24-storey building), so be prepared for some moderately strenous exercise.
You'll find this cache greeting you at the trailhead. Be sure to be on your guard! The road ahead is not easy!