Dover Forest West — Attraction in Singapore

Made my visit on Labour Day, May 2024

Construction and destruction works at Dover forest have made access difficult, with previous trails into the forest, to my knowlege, now sealed off. I had to forge a path from the park connector, up a slope with giant yam plants to reach a sea of grass. I waded through the knee high grass for about 5 minutes to reach the forest and found it...a bit boring.

I am not a fan of plants or insects and was in search of remnants of the Chua villagers, but found little physical trace of their existence. I found 2 concrete well like structures roughly in the center of Dover forest, where large trees from long ago still stood. I noticed that some of the trees looked like they were grown in a row, perhaps they were rubber trees of the former plantation? The 2 well like structures could be wells, or open water tanks, or, based on the fact there's a pair and they were next to what may have been a dried up stream, possibly sewage tanks. Other traces like the middens of trash typically left everywhere were nowhere to be seen here, strangely. I could only find a few small artifacts here like the broken plate.

While I am kind of disappointed, those with a love of nature will probably still enjoy a trek here, as the trees here are of a significant girth and height, truly magnificent trees. Regrettably, they will likely be left standing amidst a sea of concrete in a few more years, given the government's aversion to nature. A visit should be made, while you can, to see this place in its natural, non manicured state.

Update: After seeking my elderly father's advice on the two well like structures, he said that they are likely to be old kampong sewage tanks, as they were typically built in pairs, often near drains. The remnants of pipes inside one of them strengthened the case that these are sewage tanks, plus they are near what might have been a stream/drain to release their contents. Probably best not to...

After exploring a number of Singapore’s nature parks with designated paths or well-marked walking trails, it is new experience for me trying to explore Dover Forest. I was expecting thick undergrowth of a typical tropical forest as I immersed myself into its depths, but was pleasantly surprised by many segments of relatively sparse and dry undergrowth. There was no “bashing through thick vegetation” initially, but as I ventured deeper and encountered some areas not passable due to soft mud, the options left were to either backtrack the long distance where I came in, or to cut through some dense vegetation for a quicker exit. In the absence of well-marked trials, the quicker exit method can be determined through identification of own GPS position on digital map and orientation using a compass ( a general north direction leads to Ulu Pandan Park Connector ). However, consideration was given not to disturb the fragile eco-balance and back-tracking was the better choice. In terms of wildlife sighting, I was able to spot some very interesting insects, including the Sumatran paper wasp and Harpactorinae...

The lesser explored forest in Singapore which is going to be gone soon. The forest is true to it’s name and as close to natural as possible due to less hikers coming. There are no visible trails except for the entrance and some exits, this place is only for the experienced.

The ground is covered with leaves, protruding roots, low dangling vines and full of ants. There are also muddy grounds which can be pretty slippery. The environment inside the forest is quite dangerous as there are hazards all over, any miss steps can result in a hard fall and injury.

At some parts of the forest, the bushes are as tall or taller than an average man’s height. I would highly recommend you to be well geared and covered to prevent cuts and bites. This challenging terrain is unique and I don’t think can be found in other parts of Singapore, I felt pretty good and had a sense of achievement after clearing this location. Come challenge yourself before this wonderful place is cleared for residential development from late...