I remember when I first came across this place on other websites and blogs, I found it so intriguing! I never knew that such a place existed! I’m talking about the abandoned torii gates in Singapore. Tucked away in a forest that is mere steps away from a residential neighbourhood is a hidden gem worth exploring.

Before I go any further, I also vlogged my adventure at this place and two other quarries in the area, all of which I will be talking about in today’s post. Feel free to watch the vlog below or on my youtube channel :)

Bukit Batok Hillside Park

The torii gates, reminiscent of the ones in Japan are located at the Bukit Batok hillside park.

The best way to get there by public transport is by bus that stops at Opp Blk 305, Stop ID: 43479 or Blk 306, Stop ID: 43471. There is also parking at the HDB block (Blk 305 and 306 Bukit Batok) that is opposite the park. (click links for google map)

I recommend bringing insect/mosquito repellent because you will most likely get bitten in the forest! A good pair of walking/hiking shoes is also advised and not open toed footwear as there are a lot of broken planks/debris where the torii gates are and risk getting cut by it.

As you walk towards the road sign (see below image), you’ll come across a peculiar orange hazard cone and a beaten path into the bushes.

This might not seem like much but as you make your way into the bushes, you will be greeted by what looks like a whole other place.

I came to film and photograph this place by myself on a weekday morning (around 8.30am). It was eerily quiet and I don’t recommend you explore this place by yourself (if you are a lady/girl) for safety reasons because it’s a rather secluded place and if you run into any trouble, you might not be able to get help from passerbys (unless they are exploring this place at the same time as you).

The first time I explored this place was with two of my friends on a weekend morning. We came across two groups of people (one while we were there and another as we were leaving) so that might be a better option if you want to explore this place by yourself and want to be in the ‘safety’ of other groups.

My friends and I were intrigued and thought that all these formations were natural but it turns out that they are man made! We came across little holes that people seemed to have disfigured which is a bit of a shame.

As you keep following the stairs and path forward, you will come across this fallen branch (see image below). Beside it is a clearing which may not seem obvious at first but there is a marker that indicates that this is the beaten path to the abandoned torii gates.

Notice the red and white bow that is tied to a tree trunk.

Thankfully, we came across a group of young adults who were also exploring the place on a weekend. They, like us, thought that the path to the torii gates was past the well but they realised that it was taking them further into the jungle so they backtracked. This was when we met them and was shown the actual way to the torii gates. But before that, you should check out the man-made well. Although it has been filled with soil, the landscaping of the area still looks pretty cool! A bit like an Atlantis (if it were on land), lost city kind of vibe going on here.

I really wish people didn’t deface this place..

How pretty is the light as it peeks through the leaves of the forest?!

As mentioned earlier, the path ahead (past the well) is not the way to the torii gates so make sure to back track!

I felt a little bit disoriented when I first walked into the forest because there’s a whole lot of bush and trees! Thankfully there are red/white markers to show you the way to the torii gates.

You will come across this wooden deck that is covered by a bed of leaves. Amongst the trees as you peer off into the distance are the torii gates!

Follow the path up and you will come across the jigsaw puzzle of wooden planks that will take you to the gates.

Be careful as you manoeuvre your way onto the planks because one wrong step might send your leg into the ground below (this plank flooring is elevated above ground).

It was quite cool to see seating made into the rock face. I always wondered how infrastructure gets carried into forests or how it is design and made in the forest (if it wasn’t made beforehand).

By now, you would probably have been attacked by the resident mozzies which is the only gripe I have about this place and my friends and I couldn’t remain here for too long.

The place does feel a little eerie if you are there by yourself because it’s pretty quiet. I kept hearing rustling sounds, only to realise that it was falling leaves. I actually saw a man coming out from the forest on the hill but because I was by myself and in such a secluded place, I didn’t feel safe or wanted to take the risk so I bolted for the exit.

I saw the man coming out from up this hilly forest

The Little Guilin

Not too far from the Bukit Batok Hillside Park is the Little Guilin (click link for google map). It’s a pretty cool spot in the midst of the heartland housing estates. I decided to walk there because it was going to take the same amount of time walking there direct or taking a bus then walking from the bus stop. The commute is about 18 minutes.

There’s a lot of food options as you cut through the housing estate to get to Bukit Gombak, which is the nearest mrt station to the Little Guilin. I passed by a few coffeeshops as well as a Macdonald’s.

Maccas in the vicinity of Bukit Gombak mrt station

The Bukit Gombak Active SG stadium is next to the mrt station and next to the stadium is the Little Guilin

I noticed quite a number of spider web clusters on the grass hill where the stadium was. It was pretty interesting to see.

The park has two facings of the Little Guilin. If you take the stairs up (this is before you hit the main entrance, if you are walking from the Bukit Gombak mrt station), you’ll see Little Guilin from its side. When I was there, there was a bunch of bird photographers who had their luggages scattered around the ground and huge telephoto lenses on hand.

My favourite part of this area are the (what I think are) willow trees that are found towards the back. I noticed that whenever the wind blows, the leaves would fall and it would look like a scene out of a movie.. it’s pretty cool!

If you head back to the main entrance, you will see the Little Guilin from the front. The leaves also give movie magic whenever they fall in this part of the park too.

My favourite part about this side of the park, apart from the way the trees have been landscaped to make it seem like you are overseas is this half-moon dome that has vines growing on it. I love the way the stone bench and table are designed too!

Bukit Batok Nature Park

The last location I wanted to show you which is also in the area (about a 20 minute walk or short bus ride away) is the Bukit Batok Nature Park (click link for google map) which is home to another quarry! Beside this sign (see image below) is one of the entrances to the park and a direct beeline to where the quarry is located, which is at the end of this path.

I thought the split lighting created by the trees was pretty cool so I captured it

Unlike the Bukit Batok hillside park and Little Guilin, the Bukit Batok Nature Park has a public restroom, drink fountains to refill your water bottles and a vending machine for drinks. By the time I got to this park, it was almost noon and scorching hot. I really wished I carried small change on me so that I could buy a cold drink to rehydrate as this vending machine only accepts cash and coins.

This park is popular with families and the elderly as there is a playground and fitness facility (imagine those aunties and uncles using it to get a good workout) just outside the public restroom.

You might notice the huge orange rock formation in the distance as you peer through this clearing which is on the way to the cul de sac where the main attraction of this park lies — the quarry!