A Simple Guide to Hiking Singapore’s Southern Ridges

Last Updated on April 7, 2024 by Adam Watts

This is your simple guide to the Southern Ridges, one of the most popular hiking routes in Singapore. Covering Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, and Kent Ridge Park via a series of elaborate trails, bridges, and connectors, the Southern Ridges is an incredible example of how even a densely-populated city like Singapore can have a lot of beautiful recreational space.

The Southern Ridges is perhaps the most notable and well-used part of Singapore’s Park Connector Network, but the total amount of connected spaces will be in the hundreds of kilometres in the next few years.

The Southern Ridges starting point can be a few different places, but this guide will take the route from Harbourfront MRT and end in Kent Ridge Park, but you can easily do the opposite route. Just scroll to the end and start reading backwards if you want a guide on doing that.

So come join me on the journey. We’ll enjoy a very wibbly-wobbly bridge, get some great views over Singapore, and have a lengthy discussion about signposting. I know, you’re really in for a treat.

Harbourfront to Mount Faber

Like I said already (pay attention!), the Southern Ridges starting point that we’re using is Harbourfront MRT station, so make your way there now. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Are you there yet?

What about now?

Now?

Okay, now you must be there, so let’s get going.

Take exit D out of the station and look for Marang Road, which leads to Marang Trail. You’ll pass this signpost, which is a teaser of things to come:

We’ll be covering everything mentioned on the right side, starting with Marang Trail, which is a delectable hors d’oeuvre before the main courses to follow.

Marang Trail is lush and green and uphill and quiet and serene and has many steps and has some flat bits too. Best of all, it offers some tantalizing views of the cable cars going up the hill.

(I forgot to mention you can take a cable car up the hill if you prefer. Sorry.)

At the end of Marang Trail is Mount Faber Park and the park has a peak and it’s called, logically, Mount Faber Peak. From here you can get a view over another side of Singapore, full of high-rise HDBs and other massive buildings.

Mount Faber Park also has a few eateries and amenities and other things that might be more accessible when the world gets back to normal. But let’s quickly move onto the next step.

Mount Faber to Telok Blangah

From Mount Faber Peak, it’s time to start noticing the signposts.

What I mean by that is not that they’re hard to spot and you need to keep your eyes peeled so you don’t get lost. Quite the opposite.

I’ve traveled a lot in my time, followed more than my fair share of walking trails, and more often than not, I have to second-guess the route because the signpost is covered in graffiti, or unreadable after four decades of wear and tear and no upkeep, or absent altogether because whoever was in charge of the signposting was abysmal at their job.

The Southern Ridges doesn’t have that problem.

And it’s not that they went too far in the opposite direction; there aren’t too many signposts, although it would be hysterical if there was a new map updating “you are here” every 10 metres.

No, the signposts on the Southern Ridges trail are notable because they are exactly adequate. At every intersection of path, at every stretch after which you start to think “is this right? Did I come the right way?” and blam, signpost. Fewer signposts would have been acceptable, a few more could have helped, but the end result is calculated to be exactly adequate.

And that feels very much like Singapore in general, particularly in official capacities. From riding public transport to applying for visas, it’s very much a no-frills activity. Don’t misunderstand, that’s not a criticism.

For example, when it comes to taking a bus, the last thing I want are frills. I want a pleasant and efficient experience, nothing more, nothing less.

In other places (coughNewYorkcough), you might define the public transport system as having “character” when a bus shows up twenty minutes late and then takes an unexpected detour completely avoiding the place you wanted to go.

That won’t happen in Singapore. Your journey won’t be memorable for being especially good or especially bad, only for being especially adequate, and that’s what Singapore offers in many ways, including the amount of signposting on the Southern Ridges.

Anyway, I digress. Let’s get back on the trail.

From Mount Faber, head to Henderson Waves, the tallest pedestrian bridge in Singapore at 36 metres above ground, and it’s 274 metres long.

Looking at the picture you’ll notice its height is not its most striking feature. Its most striking feature is that it looks like a giant worm, but Giant Worm Bridge was too exciting a name for this no-frills, exactly-adequate naming committee. So Henderson Waves it is.

In ordinary times, the “shells” have seating in them but at the time of my visit were blocked off for social distancing reasons.

Telok Blangah to HortPark

Giant Worm Bridge (sorry, Henderson Waves) connects one hill to another, Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

Telok Blangah Hill Park has a number of sub-gardens and attractions within it, notably the Terrace Garden (pictured below) and Alkaff Mansion (closed at the time of my visit). It’s definitely somewhere to take your time over and get some rest because we have a decent walk ahead of us.

After resting up in Telok Blangah Hill Park, follow signs towards Forest Walk and/or HortPark.

The Forest Walk was my personal highlight from the Southern Ridges trail. It’s a neat juxtaposition of elevated metal walkway versus an ocean of trees, harsh lines versus soft leaves, man versus nature.

At the end of the Forest Walk is Alexandra Arch, another stylish pedestrian bridge.

After Alexandra Arch, I’ll be honest with you, you could pack up and go home. The remainder is for the real enthusiasts: fans of plants, parks, and (really terrible) portmanteaus.

HortPark to Kent Ridge Park

Welcome to HortPark.

I’ve written the name of this park a few times in this post already and, in case you were wondering, the lack of a space is intentional. It is, I assume – although I can’t find an official source of this – a portmanteau of “horticulture” and “park”. But it doesn’t exactly sound great, does it? Like any teen romance, it’s very clumsy and awkward.

It also reminds me of Thorpe Park, self-described as “the UK’s most thrilling theme park”, which is an unfortunate comparison because HortPark has less thrills than a bag of mixed nuts.

(Although admittedly, finding a surprise macadamia is quite a thrill.)

The portmanteau-ing doesn’t stop with just the name of the park. Within HortPark you can enjoy HortCentre, HortLawn, and HortGiftShop (I made one of those up, but I won’t say which one).

HortPark features a lot of whimsically-named sub-gardens for your enjoyment. There’s the Edible Garden, My Backyard Kitchen, Floral Walk, and the almost vomit-inducing Pitter Patter Potter Garden.

But I’m being unfair. In a world full of stress and horror and tragedy, some time in a Pitter Patter Potter Garden is the perfect respite for us all.

When you’re done in HortPark, follow the signs to KentRidgePark.

Wait, sorry, we’re done with portmanteaus now, it’s Kent Ridge Park.

You’ll get there via Canopy Walk, which is rather a grandiose term for a knock-off version of the Forest Walk we’ve already enjoyed, but it’s pleasant. And in a description that will make my secondary school English teacher wince, it’s nice. Just nice.

And now we’re at the end, so find a bench and sit down. Rest those weary legs and celebrate the walk.

Kent Ridge Park is a fitting place to end the Southern Ridges Trail, as it offers similar views over the harbour in the distance as we had from the Marang Trail and Mount Faber a few hours ago.

But ending at Kent Ridge is like getting a piece of carrot cake for dessert. In theory it makes sense, since it has the sweetness you’re craving, but it’s underwhelming. Any other option would be better.

(I don’t know why I’m hating on carrot cake, it’s not even that bad, especially if you replace the carrots with chocolate chips.)

Simple Guide to the Southern Ridges

So there you have it, folks. That’s your simple guide to hiking the Southern Ridges.

As you saw, going this way we top-loaded. We enjoyed an amazing starter at Mount Faber Peak, journeyed with exactly adequate signposting across Henderson Waves and the Forest Walk as our main course, then ended with a piece of dry fruit cake at Kent Ridge Park.

But you can of course do the opposite. Kent Ridge Park can be your pea soup and Mount Faber Peak can be a double chocolate fudge lava cake to end with. Delicious.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m hungry. Bye.

---

For some actual helpful, practical advice on the Southern Ridges, let this Wikitravel article be your friend.

For more hiking content, learn why hiking to the highest point in Singapore is a disappointment or try and spot some crocodiles at the wetlands.