Trip - Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park and Jurong Hill Park

Hi Blog,

Merry Belated Christmas. Thanks to my blog for walking with my stupid boring journey. These days, I had been known among my friends for visiting unusual places and today is no exception, I managed to find one place guided by my friend and another one from JH. What a day to spend after Christmas!

Mr Sun was excited to visit those places with me

To my surprise, the trip was a short one but since JH drove a car so the road trip seemed easy and possible.

These days feeling lazy. Fat and untoned who cares.

I was excited to visit new places

First stop - Abandoned Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park

From outside, it seemed like a forested area.

But finding its entrance took no trouble for me

I was wondering why is this Park abandoned. If you googled it, most bloggers can't find enough detail about it besides trying to conserve it.

The entrance seemed like very unwelcoming.

But after you filled up your guts and entered, you will see a different look.

I wondered what had happened to this park... From my research, it was used to be named as Greenwood Park.

Reasons for us to explore this park is because we want to be there before it was gone. Who knows what will happen to this place in future.

Looking back, it is well concealed from outside.

After careful inspection, I realised the rocky formation of the stairs, are artificially created...

Just a few flights of stairs up, we had to decide which direction.

we took the right path, because it was a clear path.

Ooo a well! I wondered, is it a functionable or just for display.

Surrounded by the fake rock, I don't expect the well is real too; but at least, these pots are real.

(thanks JH for helping) well well, what an ugly fine gentleman.

Wanted to continue up this path after the well but JH got a bit worried due to the recent death of a hiker nearby... So I stopped here and returned to the left path.

We took the left path and not easy for the beginner hiker because you don't know what to expect ahead.

Be aware of this type of plant. JH got a scratch from it just now.

The clue to walk safely is to follow the lamp pole.

Not far, We saw a hut ahead.

Wanted to take a few photos while I stand in this hut, but JH felt that I should not.

It seemed like the path extended after the hut, seemed like not the right path. I checked the map again and decided to try the path on the right.

YES! I was right! Should be the RIGHT PATH!

The platform told me that, I am near to one of the MOST UNIQUE features of this abandoned park!

The "Torii Gates"! Singapore version!

Mr Sun was cheering for us. hahaha!

Torii gates - a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a shrine.

I doubt there is a shrine around but the idea to have Torii Gates in a park is a great one.

Best especially when we can't travel out during these days.

YES! I am in another world! I hope when I go to Japan, I will do this again.

I wondered how this table broke this way?

Try to snap a few pictures here

From another angle

(Thanks JH for helping) What a lucky day that we managed to find these gates. we bumped a few groups and they were still searching for it. :) Thank you Mother Nature for somehow guiding us to find this gem.

Well, it was a short hike and since it was near Bukit Gombak quarry aka Little Guilin, so let's visit there.

Perfect sun rise at Little Guilin

My phone lens got some issue but it turned out, making the sun rays looked dramatic.

(Thanks JH) Just me and Mr Sun with beautiful quarry. Nice way to celebrate a late Christmas.

Visited Little Guilin can't fill up the time. I suggested to JH, since he would be driving... Why don't we go to lighthouse which he has not visited at all, and at the same time, he suggested one more place nearby - Jurong Hill. I have never heard about it at all. So..... LET'S GO!

:) Glad to visit this lighthouse again. Today seemed so peaceful because not many visitors at the deck and perfect for...

(Thanks JH) ...More pictures XD I forgot to do a jump shot here.

Next stop - Jurong Hill aka Garden of Fame, which is situated near Jurong Bird Park; a steer hill beside it. It is great to visit places which are unknown to me.

What a quiet carpark on top of the hill.

It is also a small park with a look-out tower; also known as Bukit Peropok.

Garden of Fame?

oooooo! You can do some reading here. This park is a garden where trees planted by many famous foreign dignitaries and heads of states (thanks wiki) who visited Singapore.

A lonely guard house here, watching over the trees. And it is so secluded, you are having the whole park to yourself!

From here, you can see there are "tomb" in front of every trees. Hmmm... there are around 30 trees planted here.

Have a closer look, see who you will be able to recognize. I wonder, can I plant mine here? :3

Here is the highlight of the trip - the spiral Lookout Tower! Opened in 1970 after Jurong Town Corporation decided to convert it into a park in 1968.

I believe this place was a famous dating place for couples in the past and some for the present.

Before stepping up...

Let's check this area out first.

Looking out beyond the bar, you can see Jurong Port and Shipyard... Hmmm... Can't see much unless I visit at night which I wish I have a car.

Look like the time, just rest in the past. :)

Time to go up to the lookout tower.

A broad ramps which around three levels up. You can just run along with it, especially downwards is FUN!

Ahhh... Nothing special. LOL! As compared with open ocean or mountain.

What a beautiful decorative stained glass in the ceiling.

Feeling like carrying a big globe.

Looked like a UFO abduction scene. LOL! okay! I have to control my wild idea here.

(Thanks JH) I love the floor tiling so much, I asked JH to help me to take pictures on it. My mind just got wild and harden while waiting for JH to snap. Lucky, I got away from it. Embarrassing.

(Thanks JH) At the basement of the lookout tower, it was used to house a restaurant.

(Thanks JH) For me, it is a perfect scene for pictures but I am not in the center of the circle. Dxxm... I should retake but... I should not embarrass or trouble him anymore. Won't that be funny to have someone else to help me to take weird poses...

Anyway, today morning was well spent with so many places and I was so delightful to clear so many abandoned places this year - abandoned cars, abandoned studio, abandoned house, forgotten cemetery, lost fort, abandoned park and secluded park today. :D Satisfying experience. Hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Jeff