The next leg of the Southern Ridges trail begins from outside the Hort Park through the Alexandra Arch across Alexandra Road towards the Henderson Waves across Henderson Road.
The Alexandra Arch
The start of the trial takes us through the Forest Walk over the former Gillman Army Camp
The Gillman Barrack as it was previously known was built in 1927 in the defense of Singapore. It was named after Major General Webb Gillman. During the second world war, this place saw the fierce fighting between the British forces and the Malay Regiment against the Japanese invading forces.
In the 1970s, the camp was taken over by the Singapore Armed Forces and it became the Headquarters of the Singapore Combat Engineers. In the 1990s, the camp was disused and was renamed Gillman Village which houses eateries and other entertainment spots.
Gillman Village
The Gillman Village is undergoing the next phrase of development into Singapore latest Art destination.
Squirrel munching on the Banana Leaves
Saga Tree Pods
The ShopHouse in Gillman Village which offers recycled Indonesian Teakwood Furnitures
One of the former building of the Gillman Camp
The former Gillman Heights Apartments which has been demolished and the new condominum project, The Interlace is taking its place
The Former Fairways Condo along Telok Blangah Road
The PSA and NOL Buildings
HP Building at Alexandra Road
New public housing at Telok Blangah Heights
Approaching Telok Blangah Hill Park
Jackfruits
In the distance is Sentosa with part of the Resort World Sentosa being built. This is taken on September 1st 2008.
Telok Blangah Hill Park Garden
The Alkaff Mansion
The Alkaff Mansion was built in the early 1920s by Syed Abdul Rahman Alkaff primarily as a retreat for his family and to entertain clients and guests of different races. The Alkaffs were wealthy and hugely successful traders from Yemen who dabbled in the lucrative trading in spices, coffee and sugar between India and Indonesia. The Alkaffs were also involved in property developed.
After the second world war, the Alkaff Mansion was abandoned and the building went into despair. In 1986, the building was restored to its former glory under the care of the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board. In 2008 when I visited the place, the building went abandoned again.
In December 2011, the Alkaff Mansion was restored once again and is now home to an Italian Restaurant, Alkaff Mansion Ristorante.
Our journey ends here as we enter the next leg of the journey through the Henderson Waves
