Singapore: The Road Less Traveled (Part 1)

As I have said before, I've been to Singapore four times and only on my last visit have I truly explored and tasted this island city-state. There's so much more to Singapore than just the Universal Studios or the Marina Bay or the Zoo. There are still places that needed to be discovered and what's even more amazing is they are so cheap or even free. 

So, follow me and let's go explore the Merlion City by the road less traveled.

Let's go hiking!

Unbeknownst to everyone, Singapore actually has a lot of places or spots where you can jog, run, picnic or hike. It has a few outdoor spots where you can read a book or just stroll. The last time I was in Singapore, one of our goals was to go somewhere we haven't been to and without spending much. Somewhere where we won't have to pay for entrance fees. So, I scoured the internet for places in the Merlion city we could explore. And walah, my search turned up a few hits. There were a few blogs that mentioned places we haven't been to and we need not break the bank. Here are some of the places we went to which are really good hiking and nature trails. Best of all, you won't have to go too far. It's within a bus or an MRT ride. You would only need to bring a bottle of water, a  change of shirt and wear your rubber shoes. You don't even have to be a hardcore hiker to finish the trail. It's like a walk in the park and you can take lots of selfies and pictures in between. So, lace up those trainers and let's start. 

Marang Trail 

The starting point of this leisure hike is the Marang Trail. You have to take a bus or an  MRT to Harbourpoint. It's the same stop if you want to go to Sentosa Island. Once  you have reached Harbourpoint, take Exit D to Marang Road. Just read the signs where Exit D is and you'll be sure to find it. You have to cross via the walkway and be on the opposite side of Harbourpoint.

You will know you've reached the beginning of the trail because you will see this sign post and lots of parked bicycles. Well, it's actually beside a parking lot.

The trail consists of stairs and a paved path. Mind you though, you will notice that the walk is going to be uphill. 

Along the way, you will see plants and trees. The trail is a bit shaded so you won't have to worry about being under too much heat. But it's best too wear sunscreen also or a hat or any other headgear. Best also to start early in the morning. For us, we arrived around 7am at the foot of the Marang Trail. 

As I have mentioned, the trail starts to incline, you will know this when you reach the part where you will have to climb stairs. Don't worry, the view is nice. You can start too see the opposite side which is Sentosa. 

It would be just stairs until you reach the end of the trail. At the top would be Mt. Faber, the second highest peak in Singapore. This is where you will see one of the Merlion statues. There's also a restaurant here, a park and you can actually ride a cable car to reach Mt. Faber. I didn't mention the cable car earlier because it's too easy. It's more fun hiking and it's a lot cheaper. 

Mt. Faber

From Mt. faber, you will see an amazing panoramic view of Sentosa, Harbourpoint and it's neighboring places. It's a different view of Singapore which you don't get to see everyday, unless you climb Mt. Faber everyday or work at Mt. Faber.

From Mt.  Faber to the next  part of this hike is a plain paved road. Be sure to stay on the sidewalk though as there are many vehicles passing this area. Along the way, you will have a lot of spots where you can take selfies. I mentioned a cable car earlier, right? You can take a selfie while inside a cable car here, only it's not moving.

You will also see this very colorful set of stairs. You can't climb it though as the access gate is locked. 

Henderson Waves

Next stop is the Henderson Waves. It's actually a bridge that has a very unique architectural design. Yes, like waves. Obviously! It's the highest pedestrian bridge that connects Mt. Faber to Telok Blangah Hill. It's about 276 meters long and 36 meters above Henderson Road or about 77 meters above sea level.

This is the start of the Henderson Waves Bridge. When we were there, there were a few people doing all sorts of things. Some, just like us, are tourists  exploring. There were also locals exercising. There were groups of teenagers just strolling. There was even a couple who was doing their pre-nup pictorial.

Down below, you will see a very good bird eye's view of Henderson Road.

Forest Walk

The next leg is the Forest walk. You have to pass through a parking lot and paved roads to get there. 

This is the Alkaff Mansion. We passed it on our way to the Treetop Walk. No, we didn't get inside.

McRitchie Nature Trail/Treetop Walk

The McRitchie Reservoir is the oldest water reservoir in Singapore. We didn't take this trail but the Treetop walk. As its name suggests, it's a suspended 250 meter walkway made of mesh steel. A good nature walk where you can see various plants, birds and flowers. We didn't get to see a lot of birds when we were there but the view was very refreshing. It's a totally different side of Singapore. It's a forest in the middle of the city. 

Traversing the suspended walkway wasn't scary at all. Yes, it was way up there and you can see below vegetation and trees. The bridge is very sturdy and I trust that the Singaporean engineers and architect who designed the bridge have taken into account the amount of stress, weight and pressure the bridge can withstand. So, I wasn't worried at all.

The whole length, from Mt. Faber to the end of the Treetop Walk is about 9 kilometers. I don't think it was that long. Maybe, we took a shortcut or something but it sure didn't feel like we walked that whole length. We finished the hike in about 3 hours that's because we took lots of pictures, stopped to take breaks and just enjoyed the views and people-watched. Just another great day at the park. It was a fun and a different way to experience Singapore. Especially, when at the end of it you will see a cute squirrel. It was a like a good reward for finishing the walk. And nothing beats a good lunch at the hawker stalls in Harbourpoint after. 


How about you? Have you been to any place in Singapore where only a few people know? Have you walked the path that's less travelled?

Up next...part 2. Let's go biking this time. Yes, still in Singapore, the road less travelled.