Monday 21 July 2014

Exploration : Tanglin Hill Brunei Hostel

There are some days which we all ask our partners, "Where should we go today?". One of the days, the Mr and I asked each other this question and then we decided, let's go on an exploration! Read on to know more about our first Exploration post...


Built in the early fifties for Bruneian students, the hostel stands till today. You can read up more on its history on Remember Singapore. It's quite a large compound located among rows of private houses.

The neighbouring houses are all occupied . We were greeted by this pakcik who was looking after the opposite mansion. Do be considerate, respect the property and the others nearby, do not make excessive noise and clean up your rubbish before you leave :)

The following descriptions of the places might not be true historically but it is how we imagined them to be. So let your imagination wander along with us. Or comment and tell us what do you think!
No trespassing -  Enter at your own risk.  Rusted gate. And why is there a bucket?
The unit number 7-D, and probably the letterbox or slot to put in the daily newspaper.
I didn't expect the place to look so majestic. Even though there was a gate, there was this low wall at the side which we can easily step over to enter the compound. When we entered, the first thing that greeted us was the main building. It has a porch in the front which seemed to be in good condition :)

 The first building we saw.
The porch. Imagine in the past, old vehicles passing through here...
Being abandoned for over fifty years, nature has taken over most of what's left behind. There were so many things to see and absorb. If you and your partner are lovers of nature, you will simply love seeing how plants thrive and take over all these derelict structures. Makes you think about how strong the will of life is.
Look at the plant zigzagging it's way to the ground!
 Lush greenery everywhere, you'll somehow feel transported back in time.
 A really, really tall tree. I was crouching down when I took this photo, but even then I couldn't capture its entirety.
Overgrown with shrubs and ferns. I wish I could remember my ferns names to let you know what fern which is creeping along the railing is.
It is not recommended to enter the buildings themselves because remember, these are not maintained for so many years and may collapse in any time. Even though largely in ruins, there's a certain air of nostalgia which you'll definitely feel once you've stepped inside. It's like entering a different period of time and we can somehow imagine what it's like to be one of the students of this school, back when all these buildings were still in use.
 These steps were sturdy enough to climb, so we did.
This was what we saw inside. We didn't enter because the floor looks like it might collapse under our weight.
Side view of the main building. Windows are popular spots for hipster photos.
Above is the side view of the main building. The Mr went exploring first while I took some photos. We took some photos in the windows later on too.
The main building from the back.
Editing this photo could really make this look like something out of a horror movie. 
:O!!! I wouldn't want to come here at night.
Mossy ground. It was really covering the entire of what we thought to be the parade square.
Taken over by graffiti.
This building which we imagined to be the classrooms were mostly covered in graffiti. Some of the works of art found in her are quite impressive, though some may find it distasteful.


Creepy.
There were a few other buildings to explore there, so I'll just show you guys more of the photos we took with our phones.









Toilets?
And so... After that we decided that we would love to take some photos by the side window I'd mentioned earlier.


And before I end this post, let me entertain you guys with one last photo and a drawing I sketched of it!

The Real Deal
My sketch of the building, hope you like it!
Well that's all for this post! So next time, if you and your partner are up for some adventure, you both could go on down to Tanglin Hill and have the afternoon to do a little bit of unique sightseeing. This is definitely one of the places we would revisit ourselves. 

Once again, be mindful if you do visit. Remember that there are residents living nearby. Do not make loud noises and remove your litter before you leave. Do respect the property and do not cause more damage.

**Shoes are definitely recommended. Wear something comfortable and have mosquito repellent on hand if you're concerned about them pesky bugs. :)

Till our next post, have fun! 

4 comments:

  1. Love this idea of blog! Keep it going nini <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. May I know if I want to visit there, do we have to ask permission to take photos?

    ReplyDelete
  3. How do you get the access??

    ReplyDelete