Singapore - Mount Faber

On my last visit to Singapore, I trekked to Mount Faber peak to locate my 5^th Merlion. I started my grueling trip from HarbourFront.

By the way, if you have been to Sentosa Island, I am sure you have seen those cable cars crossing the waterway between the island and Singapore mainland. Those cable cars are passing through HarbourFront before reaching The Jewel Box at Mount Faber peak. It was pretty convenient to use the cable car from HarbourFront to Mount Faber but the thrill of exploring an unknown hill kept me from using it. Thus, after a sumptuous lunch at The Food Republic in Vivo city, I started my journey to Mount Faber.

main road

road before the peak

It never occurred to me that there are dedicated pedestrians pathways and stairs in going up to Mount Faber peak. I thought I simply need to follow the narrow winding and sloping road until I reach its peak. It is worth to mention that it is not advisable to explore this hill using the asphalt road since it is obvious that the road has been designed for vehicle traffic only due to unavailability of sidewalks; it is dangerous due to many blind curves. I was fortunate that there were less traffic when I started hiking through the main road.

Half-way, I saw Henderson waves. Out of curiosity, I explored that place. I was alone during that time and I can say that there was a slight fear inside me due to thick vegetation around, wild monkeys and the height of Henderson bridge. The bridge’s wooden floors seemed rickety and the strong wind generated a feeling of being thrown overboard. Because of this, I didn’t dare to cross its entire length. I opted to continue my journey to Mount Faber Peak since it was my primary objective in visiting this place.

After more than an hour of walking along the main road, I came to an intersection or summit before Mount Faber peak. I was stuck for another hour here due to incessant rain. Luckily, there are several shades located strategically along the road thus saving my DSLR from getting wet or damaged.

going to Manila?

Mount Faber Park

After the rain has ceased, I continued my approach to the peak. This time there is a small sidewalk for hikers in one side. Upon reaching the peak, I stopped myself from jumping due to sheer joy of seeing my last and 5^th Merlion. During my previous trips to Singapore, I got lost several times while searching for this Merlion thus I can’t contain my excitement upon seeing it at Mount Faber Park. Further, Mount Faber Park was a small and well manicured park and the view from here was stunning. There were locator arrows which point to different cities around Singapore. If I were Superman, I won’t get lost in coming back to Manila, I would simply follow this arrow, LOL. In addition, at the lower structure below the Merlion are walls with copper murals depicting several scenes of Singapore’s history.

the fish pond

the cable cars

After savoring my success, I started to explore the surrounding area. I paid a visit to The Jewel Box cable cars station. This place hosts several restaurants including fine dining and al fresco. There is also a bar with a small fish pond outside. I can assume that an evening here would be great due to panoramic view of the harbor and picturesque Singapore’s landscape. However, I have noticed that not many tourists are visiting this place hence it is one of the off-beaten paths in Singapore, if I may say so. You can't even catch a taxi from the peak. I saw two big buses of tourist aside from occasional private vehicles.

There is not much to see here aside from the Mount Faber Park where my 5^th Merlion is located and The Jewel Box.

I used the same road in going down. After several hundred meters, I saw an old lady traversing on some zig zag stairways and access paths downward. I followed her and reached the high way in no time. I remember reading about this access part on the net but it was confusing for new comers to locate these pedestrian paths anyway. Given these circumstances, I can say that I enjoyed trekking up to Mount Faber Park and visiting nearby places. Not to mention the calories I have burned.