Ridge and famous: Southern Ridges trails

Visitors are flocking to the Southern Ridges, a series of hill trails linking Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge parks, to take in the beautiful scenery
Tay Suan Chiang, Straits Times 1 Jun 08;

Move over, Singapore Flyer. The latest view to a thrill in Singapore is the Southern Ridges, a 9km series of hill trails with West Coast Park and HarbourFront MRT station at either end.

The final pieces of this ridge-to-ridge ramble through Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge parks fell into place last month with the opening of two pedestrian bridges - the Alexandra Arch and the Henderson Waves - and an elevated 1.3km walkway called the Forest Walk.

The links are the completion of a two-year, $25.5-million project by the Urban Redevelopment Authority that is part of a wider scheme where one day nature lovers will be able to do a circuit of the whole island.

Since the opening of the new links three weekends ago, Singaporeans have been flocking to explore the delights of the Southern Ridges.

Couples getting married, joggers, retirees, families with kids and shutterbugs are among those LifeStyle spotted taking in the sights, where once just nearby residents ventured for a short, quiet stroll.

The most popular destination is the distinctive wave-shaped, steel-and-timber Henderson Waves, a pedestrian bridge spanning 274m across Henderson Road and which links Telok Blangah Hill Park to Mount Faber. At a height of 36m, it is Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge.

Polytechnic lecturer Low Hann Ming, 38, was there with his family of nine one Saturday morning.

'We live opposite and can see the bridge from our flat so we decided to check it out,' he says, adding that the bridge is beautiful and the views are amazing.

With the school holidays now on, housewife Tan Tiong Gek, 61, took her two grandsons to Henderson Waves.

'The kids love it here as they can run around and the view is fantastic,' says the Bukit Merah View resident. 'We've taken more than 20 photographs already.'

The bridge's wave-like design is by British architects IJP Corporation and Singapore's RSP Architects Planners and Engineers, which won the bid to design it in a competition.

The bridge has seven undulating, curved ribs that rise over and under the bridge deck. The ribs form alcoves, providing visitors with shelter and seats within.

'The ribs make a dramatic backdrop,' says wedding photographer Ng Lam, 42, who took newlyweds Stella Lim and Wilson Ooi there to take pictures.

'It's a new location for wedding photography, otherwise it will be the usual spots such as Sentosa or Botanic Gardens,' says Mr Ng.

Another popular spot among visitors is the newly opened HortPark which boasts themed gardens.

The Southern Ridges offer breathtaking views of the Telok Blangah area, and also provide an up-close-and-personal experience of nature as the trails cut through lush greenery.

Walk through the forested areas and you can hear cricket calls and birds chirping. Monkeys have also been spotted, especially at the new elevated walkway heading to Alexandra Arch, designed by local company Look Architects.

The 80m-long Arch goes across Alexandra Road to the meandering walkway that eventually leads to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

One fan of the ridges is housewife Mary Lim, 44. The Bukit Merah resident often goes there for her thrice-weekly walks.

'It has got a lot more crowded now, but it's good that more Singaporeans are discovering such beautiful spots,' she says.

Architecture buffs will enjoy visiting two historical buildings, including Alkaff Mansion at Telok Blangah Hill. The now-abandoned mansion was built in the 1920s by Yemeni businessman Syed Abdul Rahman Alkaff as a family retreat.

The other historical building is the Danish Seamen's Church, near Mount Faber Park, formerly a private residence. Built in 1909, the Victorian house has many fine details, such as a corner circular tower and unique star-shape holes in cornices.

The area is not just attracting nearby residents.

Last weekend, LifeStyle bumped into secretary Yvonne Soh, 34, who came all the way from Woodlands with a group of friends to check it out. The first-time visitors started their walk at Harbourfront and planned to walk to Kent Ridge Park. The trip takes 21/2 hours.

'It's an easy and relaxing walk and also something new to see for all of us,' she says.