Trip - Abandoned Keppel Hill Reservoir

Good Afternoon Blog,

Yesterday Az supposed to bring me to Keppel Hill Reservoir and we decided to do it today afternoon. Finally got a chance to visit that popular place.

Good weather too!

This Keppel Hill Reservoir, also known as "the forgotten reservoir" but you still can find it on Google Map. It is actually quite easy but a guide will ensure that I am not lost. :)

I am all ready :) to recover from yesterday disappointing trip.

But I will wear a top over into such thick wood

During CB heightened, we can only pack our food back as no dining here

Anyway, before finding the abandoned reservoir, there is a bunker somewhere too.

And the journey can start from this point onwards to get to the bunker first.

It seemed like we are not alone.

Be aware of this thorny tree.

And thankful to this tree, we can access the bunker at ease.

We were greeted by a small stream of water guarded by the mosquitoes!

Easy trail to get in and in about less than 2mins...

We arrived at Seah Im Bunker! Based on remembersingapore.org, not much information about this bunker besides knowing it was built before WWII and might use as storage equipment and ammunition.

Az brought me in to explore the bunker, he entered like a regular. But in my mind, I pictured it differently... like worrying what will be in there...

When I stepped in, it is just a simple tunnel and not as wild as I imagined. :) That chair was placed in the center of the tunnel, felt loneliness... and time just slowly decaying it.

(Picture credit to Az) But if the atmosphere is creepy if you came alone and stared at this chair like that motionlessly... when another hiker dropped in and witnessed the scene... you can give out that creepy vibe.

Be careful your head especially for tall people.

Alright, Bunker cleared, Next!

Next was to climb up the steep slope

it is like a roughly 65 degree slope

Thanks to whoever did this

Looking back, going down will be a challenging one, so climbing upwards will be advisable.

From this point, the trail was decent.

There are many strangler figs here which leave me a lot of imaginations.

After five mins and don't let Az waiting for me

When you stepped out, you will see this concrete pavement. Left to exit this place, Right belongs to a some rich people property.

To visit that reservoir, we will take the left direction and you will find another V-path to another pavement.

After a short turn...

We will see the wild growth and on the right side has a small path formed by visitors.

Left is a dead-end and Right path will be a muddy one.

Yup Muddy, lucky no rain since yesterday.

The thick vegetation is trying to stop anyone from entering

Hi Hi Every plants here.

Trash is untreated so we don't leave our trash here. Number one rule for visitor/hiker.

Az told me that we were near the reservoir.

After we crossed a drainage and...

shortly, we had arrived to that place.

A big opened stagnant water - Looks motionless and forgotten...

Like a place where carries memories of people in the past but they just left it unchaperoned.

Like the leaves... the newer leaves swimming in a pool of older ones...

Then sank into the abyss...

Many water striders on this water where they can feed, breed and live in an undisturbed environment.

I wondered what is this stair for?

Not for swimming? but...

It does look welcoming to dive in like a professional swimmer.

(Thanks Az for helping) But for me to pose for a shot! :D

(Thanks Az) Or sit like a throne

(Thanks Az) or lookout like a fat tarzan

On the left side of the reservoir, there is a strangler fig which has a beautiful root network covering the ground.

hmmm... Should have taken from top angle.

On the right side, there is a stair...

Where it will lead to?

Wow! There are many strangler figs here! My imagination ran wild.

Be aware of the fallen Trees here

As we climbed up higher, we will come to a flight of stair

Here, there is a Japanese tomb and written in Chinese words than Japanese.

Hmmm... (Pray)

Perhaps next time, I will spend some time to copy/understand the Chinese text on this tomb.

More uphill

After a short while...

Walking through thick vegetation.

Finally...

We had reached the top of the hill

We had reached to Mount Faber Station and where Poland's Bells of Happiness is. A place filled with bells, what a cool place!

It seemed like a very short hike even though we took like 1hr + to complete the hike (to return to the train station) Hmmm... based on this map, the left side of the reservoir has a path too. :) I shall try that next time. After that, Az needed to return home for work. I told myself... there was some unfinished business there... I shall return to the place again.

My second visit there seemed like no more visitors. You can imagine if you are being captured here in the past. I just took this chance to familiarse the place.

To confirm, this place is best to hike when there is no rain on the day before and even on that day. It is too slippery to climb up here.

Where the risk of slip will be reduced.

Take my own sweet time to snap some pictures.

Where no one will judge me.

The strangler figs seemed it was alive.

I guess time and my imagination will tell.

I found another easier way to enter to find that reservoir in a short time but this can only reduce the amount of mud you get.

Overall... hiking without the top shirt is such a relief to me. The warm sweat on my back and sticky shirt are annoying.

This trip was my first and will have more next time. I will visit again :) It seemed like many Singaporeans started to know this place and sooner, it won't be that popular anymore but it is worth for a short hike.

Jeff