The Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves

A ridge-top walk through forest and parks, over a wave-shaped bridge high above the treetops and along elevated walkways to a hill with a wartime story.

Area

Green Singapore

Start from

Mount Faber or Kent Ridge

Distance

about 10 km on foot

Time needed

half a day to 1 day

Best season

All year; start early to avoid the midday heat

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

MRT to HarbourFront or Kent Ridge, or Labrador Park

Tickets & rules

None; tickets for the cable car and the Bukit Chandu museum

Why go

The Southern Ridges are a chain of green hills in the south of the island, linked by bridges and walkways into a continuous walking route of around 10 kilometres. It is the walk I recommend to anyone who thinks Singapore is all concrete: for most of the way you are among trees, with glimpses of the harbour, the container cranes and the islands beyond.

The highlight is the Henderson Waves, a pedestrian bridge whose wooden deck rises and falls in curved ribs like waves, about 36 metres above the road below. It is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore, and the wave shapes form little shaded alcoves with benches where you can rest and look over the forest canopy.

Further along, the Forest Walk is an elevated steel walkway that runs through the canopy of Telok Blangah Hill, then through the flower beds and themed gardens of HortPark, and on to Kent Ridge Park. It is varied, beautiful and surprisingly wild, with hornbills and monitor lizards if you are lucky.

The story

The ridges were once mostly forest, plantations and military land. The hilltop now called Mount Faber, named after a 19th-century colonial engineer, has a long view over the harbour, and in the colonial era it held a signal station that announced the arrival of ships to the town below.

Kent Ridge has a darker history. In February 1942, during the Japanese invasion of Singapore, soldiers of the Malay Regiment made a stand at Pasir Panjang and Bukit Chandu, 'opium hill', where there was an opium processing factory. Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and his men fought against far larger forces until they were overwhelmed. The museum at Reflections at Bukit Chandu tells their story in a restored colonial bungalow.

The connecting bridges and walkways were completed in the late 2000s as part of a plan to link the green spaces of the south into one long park. The Henderson Waves, opened in 2008, has become an icon in its own right; at night it is lit with soft lights and couples come to walk on it in the cooler air.

Telok Blangah Hill was also once home to a Malay ruler, the Temenggong, whose community lived in the area in the early 19th century before moving to Johor. The name Telok Blangah is often said to refer to a cooking pot, belanga, perhaps describing the shape of the bay.

Getting there

Start at HarbourFront MRT and walk up the steep path to Mount Faber, or take the cable car up from the HarbourFront Tower. You can also start from the other end at Kent Ridge MRT and walk in the opposite direction.

The route is well signposted. There are bus stops and MRT stations near the main road crossings if you want to shorten it.

A suggested plan

1. 7:30 amStart at HarbourFront and climb to Mount Faber for the view over the harbour and Sentosa.
2. 8:30 amWalk along the ridge to the Henderson Waves and rest in the shaded alcoves.
3. 9:30 amContinue onto the Forest Walk through Telok Blangah Hill.
4. 10:30 amCross the Alexandra Arch to HortPark and its gardens.
5. 11:30 amWalk the canopy walk to Kent Ridge Park and visit Reflections at Bukit Chandu.
6. 1:00 pmLunch nearby, then take the MRT from Kent Ridge or Pasir Panjang.

Where to stay

HarbourFront and the area around Tiong Bahru make a good base; Tiong Bahru, a short ride away, is also a lovely neighbourhood for dinner afterwards.

Good to know

• Bring at least 1.5 litres of water; there are few shops on the trail.
• The cable car from Mount Faber goes to Sentosa, a nice way to finish if you want to continue to the beach.
• Sections are steep with steps; wear trainers.
• The Henderson Waves is beautiful at night as well.