• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Domestic Diva Awards 2022
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Beauty & Health

3 Lesser-Known Hiking Trails To Explore In Singapore

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Fitness

3 Lesser-Known Hiking Trails To Explore In Singapore

Even gym bunnies need to get out of the aircon and out into nature sometimes. Here we suggest 3 lesser-known places to walk and hike.

November 7, 2022

keitma/123rf

We get it. Sweating it out at your favourite boxing gym in Singapore is a lot of fun, but sometimes you want to enjoy nature at a slow pace. So whether you’ve been boxing, doing Muay Thai, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at our studios, we recommend taking time to rest. 

But rest does not mean just sleeping it off. A great idea is to take a slow walk or go hiking in Singapore’s plentiful nature parks. Active recovery is often considered more beneficial than resting without movement since it can maintain blood flow and support muscle recovery. So if you’ve been hitting it hard at your mixed martial arts gym, it’s time to try a short hike for your next active rest day. 

Why Is Active Rest So Important? 

Anyone who participates in sports knows that regular training is necessary for optimal performance and improvement. However, rest and recovery are also essential since you need to give the body time to repair and strengthen itself between workouts. At Evolve MMA, we think spending time in nature is a great way to work in recovery time between high-octane martial arts classes.

READ NEXT

I Tried An MMA Class To See If It Can Suit A Busy Mum’s Schedule

How Martial Arts Helped Singer Sandra Riley Tang Overcome Body Image Issues

Here’s How Muay Thai Helped Transform This Supermodel’s Body Confidence

Our Top 3 Lesser-Known Places To Walk And Hike In Singapore

Singapore has many fantastic jungles, parks, coastal walks, and reservoirs open to the public. But it might be hard to avoid crowds, especially on the weekends. These three lesser-known hiking places may offer a respite for those trying to avoid the crowds but still want to get out and enjoy nature’s gifts. While the terrain in these spots is generally flat, steep inclines and muddy grounds are still present. Do wear a pair of good shoes, and put on your sun protection as it can get really sunny. There might be insects too, so remember your insect repellent. 

You might also encounter wildlife as these spots are their natural habitat. Remember not to approach them: instead, try to back away calmly and avoid the area. If you’re lucky, you might also come across gentle monitor lizards, turtles, and even otters basking in the sun!

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/fitness/3-lesser-known-hiking-trails-explore-singapore/
3 Lesser-Known Hiking Trails To Explore In Singapore
Labrador Park
custom

Labrador Park gives spectacular views of the coastline and sea on the edge of a secondary forest. The park is near VivoCity, so if you need to prepare snacks and drinks or head to the mall to cool down, it’s easily accessible. The nearest stop is Labrador Park MRT Station for those traveling via MRT.

If you start from there, the 2.1 km trail comprises three distinct segments – Alexandra Garden Trail, Berlayer Creek mangrove trail, and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk. Follow the path to witness marshes brimming with wildlife and find the only rocky sea cliff on Singapore’s main island at Bukit Chermin. If you want, you can enter the mangrove and coastal areas.

This tranquil nature spot contains 40% of Singapore’s endangered and vulnerable plant species. For history buffs, you can also walk through the smaller pathways when you’ve reached Labrador Nature Reserve. The trails lead to historic bunkers, tunnels, a fort, machine gun posts, and artillery remains that date back to 1892. You’ll spend about 45 minutes completing the entire route, but if you keep walking downhill, you can reach The Southern Ridges, which is also gorgeous.

Thomson Nature Park
custom

This trail is located between Old Upper Thomson Road and Upper Thomson Road. Opened in late 2019, it’s relatively new and unknown for now. If you’re arriving by MRT, stop at Lentor MRT and walk 2.3 km via Yio Chu Kang Road before you turn right into Upper Thomson Road. Another way is to enter via Old Upper Thomson Park Connector (enter via Macaque or Langur Trail).

This site used to be a former Hainanese village, so the park is designed to give visitors an experience of kampung life before the 1980s. There are five trails that you can take. If you like to see the remains of the Hainanese village, explore the Ruins and Figs Trails, which will lead you past building foundations, a well, and stone walls of the former village.

There’s also a wide variety of floral and fauna. Take the Stream and Ferns Trail, which lets visitors appreciate the freshwater habitat in Thomson Nature Park and observe the diversity of ferns and aquatic animals.

If you are reasonably fit, this 50-hectare park will not take more than an hour to explore. But seeing that it’s near the famous Casuarina Prata at Upper Thomson and a few MRT stops from Springleaf Prata, perhaps it’s not a bad idea to ‘balik kampung’ (Malay for going home) and enjoy a well-deserved roti prata.

Windsor Nature Park
custom

Another hiking trail near Thomson, Windsor Nature Park Hike is larger at 75 hectares compared to the Thomson Nature Park walk. The park is also more secluded. Visitors must walk from Upper Thomson MRT station and turn into Venus Drive.

It’s a Central Catchment Nature Reserve buffer park and features three hiking trails. If you prefer to walk on pavement, this trail suits you. But there are also jungle tracks for those who enjoy being fully immersed in nature.

The three trails offer a different experience. The short Hanguana Trail has rare native plants, while the Drongo Trail is a 150 meters sub-canopy walk on a raised boardwalk. Visitors can admire the understorey of the secondary forest and enjoy the cool sheltered air. If you can continue, take the left turn at the end of Drongo to conquer the MacRitchie Treetop walk.

Text: Evolve MMA

Evolve MMA is Asia’s top martial arts academy to house the most number of world champions across all major martial arts disciplines.

Read Next

10 Secret Nature Spots In Singapore For A Relaxing Hike

Actor Ji Chang-Wook Beats Covid-19 Then Literally Made It Take A Hike

10 Fast And Easy Ways To Get Slimmer Legs By Walking

But for the daring, take a right turn into Venus Loop, the marsh habitat of Windsor, with several freshwater streams. It’s relatively isolated since it can get muddy, but it’s a beautiful photo spot.

In total, it’ll take you about an hour to explore Hanguana and Drongo! But if you continue, you can walk past MacRitchie Treetop Walk and to Bukit Timah. That’ll take you an additional two hours.

There are many other spots in Singapore to be enveloped by nature. But if being in nature isn’t your cup of tea on your rest days, we recommend these low-impact active rest activities. Active rest, particularly those that are low-impact, can help the body adapt, rebuild muscle and provide time for body tissue to repair itself.

  • TAGS:
  • best hiking trails singapore
  • hiking
  • hiking trails
  • walking
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Fitness

15 Low Impact Workouts To Do On Your Res...

Fitness

Postpartum Fitness Tips And Exercises Fo...

Fitness

3 Lesser-Known Hiking Trails To Explore ...

Fitness

Burn Fat And Get Your Heart Rate Up With...

Fitness

13 Practical Gifts For Your Fitness-Obse...

Fitness

Here's How Kegel Exercises Can Be Benefi...

Fitness

How These 3 HDB Flats Became The Perfect...

Fitness

These Training Sessions Are Perfect For ...

Fitness

9 Lunchtime Workouts You Can Actually Do...

Fitness

How Organised Events Can Be A Starting P...

Fitness

13 Self-Defence Tips Every Woman Should ...

Editor’s Picks
  • Diet & Nutrition Going From 92 To 61kg: How She Reached Her Weight Goal With Help Of A Friend ...
  • Fitness 15 Low Impact Workouts To Do On Your Rest Days
  • Gadgets & Toys Best Valentine’s Day Gifts Under $50 For Him And Her
  • Fitness Postpartum Fitness Tips And Exercises For New Mums
  • Fitness 3 Lesser-Known Hiking Trails To Explore In Singapore
  • Beauty & Health Early 11.11 Sale: Fitness Deals You'll Want To Buy
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.