South Singapore

Mount Faber

Located at the southern end of Singapore, overlooking Sentosa, Mount Faber is a great place to get some views of the city both during the day and at night. The park itself is also a nice place to take a stroll and there are a couple of restaurants and bars here where you can enjoy the evening air. Mount Faber is also the end-point of the cable car linking the mainland to Sentosa making it a good place to visit for dinner after a day on the island. Getting there: HarbourFront MRT Station or Cable Car from Sentosa and HarbourFront Centre. (back to top)

Telok Blangah Hill Park

Across an overhead bridge from Mt Faber, you’ll find Telok Blangah Hill Park. There are plans for a further bridge system to link both Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mt Faber to the nearby Kent Ridge Park as well which is going to make this a haven for nature lovers. At Telok Blangah Hill Park the main attraction is the terrace garden at the top. Reflecting the colonial history of the park, the terraces are covered in colorful Bougainvilleas and has lovely views of the surrounding city from the top. Also look out for Alkaff Mansion here. Built by the Arab Alkaff family of merchants and property developers here in 1918 due to the cooler air and spectacular views, the mansion is today a popular spot for weddings and formal functions. Getting there: Either walk over from Mt Faber or take bus 131, 145, 176 and 273 to Henderson Road. (back to top)

Labrador Park and Battery

Although not the largest of Singapore’s parks, Labrador Park is undoubtedly one of the more interesting ones. Today a stroll around here gives the visitor an experience mixing nice sea views with some of Singapore’s colonial military history. Along the sea front you can join the fishermen and women or just enjoy the view of nearby Sentosa and the many ships at anchor. Once you’ve taken in the view from sea level, walk up the hill where you’ll be taken on a history lesson of the Labrador Battery, one of few gun emplacements that survives today in Singapore from the British colonial period. Built between 1872-1878, the artillery fort was originally called Fort Pasir Panjang and joined several others, including the batteries at Fort Canning, Sentosa, Katong and Pulau Brani as the coastal defense system of the island. Originally the battery at Labrador worked in tandem with the one on Sentosa to defend Keppel Harbour from the many pirates that made these waters home. By the time the Second World War came along however and the Japanese invasion in 1942, the large immobile guns, while useful, proved ineffective against the quick and mobile Japanese army advancing up Pasir Panjang Road. Labrador Park is filled with interesting signboards detailing the history of these guns and those that worked here, making it a fascinating place to visit if you have any interest in the island’s history. Getting there: Buses 30, 51, 143, and 176 (It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the main road, so wear some good walking shoes and ask the bus driver to drop you at Labrador Villa Road). (back to top)

Kent Ridge Park

While Kent Ridge Park is one of the smaller of the southern parks in Singapore, it is most famous for one of the last battles that was fought for Singapore during the Japanese invasion in 1942. It was here that the local Malay Regiment held out unsuccessfully in defense of the harbour and its associated British Military depots. Today the park combines the memorial of this battle as well as some native flora and fauna and a good view of the southern outlying islands. There is also a nature trail here that takes you around a pond filled with turtles, and various fish. The park is also great for those looking for some exercise as it contains about 20 fitness stations which many Singapore National Servicemen use in preparation for their annual fitness tests. Also planned is a walkway linking Kent Ridge Park with Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mt Faber which promises to make the park a lot more accessible in the future. Getting there: Take bus 200 to the bottom of South Buona Vista Road, then walk up Vigilante Drive to the park. (back to top)