"Hey let's head to Sentosa beach for a chillout weekend", that will sound familiar to most people. But the nature side of the island, that may not be the first thing to appear in one's mind. So in the coming mini-series, we will take you through the few nature walks of Sentosa. And first off, we will head to the free ancient Imbiah Nature Trail. Why ancient you may ask, some of us may know this as the "Dragon Trail" from the good old days.
The start point of the ancient journey is just a stone's throw away from Sentosa express Imbiah station and cable cars terminal depending on the mode of entering the island. Here you will find the beautiful beaches, the Madame Tussand Museum, 4D rides attraction and of course the Imbiah trail.
If you are coming from Imbiah Station, simply follow the sign that leads you towards the cable car station.
After clearing the steps, you will reach a carpark that leads you toward the Madame Tussand Museum.
When all the elements are aligned, you will be received by the unexpected staff welcoming you.
The landmark for the start point of the Imbiah trail is the "Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom Sentosa Singapore"
At the end of the broadwalk trail, you will find this signage, head left (follow sign direction to Imbiah falls).
At a distance of 2.3 km, the Imbiah trail is an easy trail suitable for young and old, family and friends. A good pair of footwear is still recommended as the path consist of both paved, broadwalk and dirt track. It will be a bit of a workout if you decide to bring the baby stroller along due to the prominent tree roots.
For starters, you will meet the "prehistoric" giant pandan (not giant panda). Keep your eyes peeled for the giant pandan along the path.
As you venture further into the Imbiah Nature Trail, you will encounter the giant slab of rib standing on the path!
Not far ahead the fossil of the ancient dragon (dinosaur) fossil awaits your arrival.
Deeper into the trail you will meet the ancient one - the Dragon of the Imbiah Trail! Worry not the dragon will not spit fire, but instead, it spits water! For some, the combination of dragon and water is irresistible to those who seek lucky numbers (no guarantee).
Along the entire trail, you will find three waterfalls and please resist from blessing them with your coins! There are also small mushroom "cafes" along the way, do note that it is a self-supply cafe.
Coming towards the finale of the ancient trail, you will find a bird-watching tower but we see more cable cars and ships at the watching tower. Go ahead and scale it to enjoy a birds-eye view of cable cars, the endless ships queue along the Sentosa coastline.
Just below the bird-watching tower, lies the remnants of World War II. The Mount Imbiah battery was built in the 1880s along with the Siloso batteries. These are both part of the coastal defenses overseeing the safety of the western entrance to the harbour.
After exiting the artillery site, you will choose between a narrow path on the left and a wider path on the right. Being bored, we chose the narrow path. Both path will lead you to the same point eventually.
Going down the steps will lead you to the opening where the buggies are parked. Please do not drive them off!
You will encounter the dragon gate while you descend down a the road towards to bus stop at the foot of the hill.
Towards the end of the trail, you will encounter the dragon gate and continue on to reach the bus stop where Bus A and C await. This trail really has quite a few dragons and live up to being ancient!
Did you manage to spot the hornbill, lion and pigeon along the trail?
Follow us on the trail here (2.3km): Sentosa Imbiah Trail - Google My Maps
Nearest MRT: Habourfront Station (Take Sentosa express from Vivocity to Imbiah station)
Nearest Carpark: Imbiah lookout carpark