The first time I came to Labrador was back in 2007 when I was running a social event for an international congress at Villa Seafood Galleria on Labrador Villa Road. I remembered Labrador was such an inaccessible area as there wasn’t any MRT then and it was also a place that was quite unheard of in Singapore.
Today’s Labrador is a completely different picture with the new Labrador Park MRT situated just next to the nature reserve so getting there is a breeze. Plus there are so much more to see and do as you can now walk along the boardwalk and promenade on the coastline and marvel at the sights of the Keppel Bay, Sentosa island, the sea and the sky.
For our recent hiking expedition, the husband and I decided to go explore Labrador without knowing what to expect and we weren’t disappointed as it was truly an amazing experience. One of the most enjoyable hikes we had so far. In fact, the husband loves the place so much now, we are planning our second hike there soon, lol.
The moment you step out of Labrador Park MRT, you should see this on your right.
And behind the sign is this sheltered pavilion with wooden panels.
This part of Labrador also connects to the Southern Ridges trail so if you walk the other direction (to the right), you’ll get to Alexandra Arch –> Forest Walk –> Hilltop Walk –> Henderson Waves –> Mount Faber –> Marang Trail –> Harbourfront MRT.
From the side of the pavilion marks the entrance to the 960m Berlayer Creek so just follow this route and turn right.
Berlayer Creek was named after a historic rock formation called Batu Berlayer (“Sail Rock” in Malay) and it is currently one of the two remaining mangrove swamps in the south of Singapore.
The creek reeked of rubbish as the water was kind of stagnant and there were unwanted litter floating around. Thanks to inconsiderate people O_o
The reason why I really liked this trail was because it was really quiet and tranquil with the occasional jogger running by. All we heard were just sounds of nature. Absolutely calming and free.
This little furry friend was scavenging for food before it spotted us coming and started running up a tree branch. It’s so cute!
Barely a few metres away, I spotted another furry and feathery fellow perched on a fence motionlessly.
I thought it was asleep until it turned its head. It looked like a baby bird as the feathers weren’t fully grown yet.
And true enough, it flew clumsily and stumbled over its nest. At least, it managed to return home 🙂
We caught sight of this small monitor lizard too.
Right, and it stuck out its blue tongue at me just when I was snapping shots of it, lol.
At the end of the Berlayer Creek is…………..the sea!
I think this is a pretty good spot for picnics.
And on the left is the Bukit Chermin boardwalk that connects the Berlayer Creek mangrove trail to the promenade at the Reflections at Keppel Bay.
See what I mean when I say this area is really quiet? Not a single person in sight. And we were here on a weekend!
That’s Reflections at Keppel Bay in the background – a luxury waterfront residential complex. And in the foreground is Keppel Club. A poolside wedding was being held when we walked past.
This is the Marina at Keppel Bay that’s located on Keppel island.
So hubby, when are you getting us a unit here to live in? I want one with a good view please. Lol.
And on the opposite is Sentosa island.
And by the time we reached the end of Carribean at Keppel Bay, there really wasn’t anything worth exploring if we went forward (except to go Vivocity) so we retraced our steps back to where we came from just so we could go to the nature reserve side.
Basically, when you reach the end of Berlayer Creek and then you turn right (we went left first), you’re actually walking into Labrador Park (Nature Reserve).
Gran used to tell me when I was little that if I ever manage to find this flower with 6 petals, I should keep it in my wallet for good luck. She probably only found one before!
Great spot for fishing! The whole stretch here was lined with fishing rods.
Toilets and resting areas are conveniently located around the park so no worries if you have an emergency!
So this is the rock that Berlayer Creek was named after. Anyway, it’s not the real thing but a re-creation that sounded hollow inside when you knock on it.
Beacon
A nice spot to do some reading. I’m sure the sound of waves and the cool sea breeze will inspire anyone there.
The machine gun post in maintenance mode, lol.
On the left is actually a steep flight of steps that lead into the nature reserve which we gave a miss because the route looked kind of eerie…
One of my favourite shots of the day…pretty flowers make me smile!
And that concludes our journey.
For those who have never been here before or it has been years since your last visit, it’s probably time to stop by again just to get away from the urban hustle and bustle, surround yourself in nature and immerse in this serenity that’s absolutely calming for the senses.
I’m missing the little squirrel and furry bird already.
Till our next expedition, folks!