18 July 2021
The Marsiling Tunnels is a deep and long underground tunnel near woodlands. You would have to crawl and descend through a narrow opening in the ground, which leads into big underground tunnel complex. If that doesn't already sound exciting then I don't know what is! As with all my urbex trips I would do my prior research before heading down, but for the Marsiling Tunnels, I only had a rough location so we had to do some exploration on the spot. Since then, I had actually been to the tunnels twice, so this will be a mixed account of both my trips there. On my first trip there, I only explored half the tunnel complex, since the friend I went with refused to enter too deep. And on my second trip there, I went in further to the end of the main tunnel section. The end of the main tunnel branches out into a left and right exit, but since the water level was getting too high and we didn't want to risk getting water into our boots, we didn't go further than that.
If you know anything about the Marsiling Tunnels you would know how dark and flooded it is. So the most important thing is to bring rubber boots and headlamps. While I was there, I had seen people walking around in slippers or sneakers, asking me to show them the direction to the tunnels, then giving up at the entrance. I was definitely judging them hard. Always be properly equipped!
History
Located on a small hill between Marsiling Cresent and Admiralty Road West (formerly named Naval Base Road), the WWII Marsiling Tunnels has remain hidden from view since the colonial days. It was only in the early 2000s when the entrances were discovered, unearthing a labyrinth of tunnels built by the British.
Several theories with regards to the existence and purpose of the hidden tunnel soon emerged, ranging from an underground tunnel that leads to Johor, an underground facility for the nearby View Road Mental Hospital, to a storage bunker for the British Army during WWII. It was later verified that the tunnels served as a pre-WWII fuel reserve depot for the Royal Air Force. (Adapted from: https://explorersg.com/the-history-behind-marsiling-tunnels/)
Map of Marsiling Tunnels from Urban Explorers of Singapore:
Exploring Marsiling Tunnels
1030 | Start our hike from Woodlands Waterfront Park |
1100 | Enter the smaller tunnel |
1230 | Explore the main tunnel |
1030 | Start our hike from Woodlands Waterfront Park
There are actually 2 tunnels in the area: a smaller tunnel that relatively dry, and the main tunnel that is 2 levels deep, and is muddy and flooded. We started the hike from Woodlands Waterfront Park, tracing the coast towards the checkpoint. The entrance was just across the road, a small unassuming trail that led into the forest. Although the tunnels are not too deep in, the route there can be still a bit of a maze and you definitely need to know where you are going.
1100 | Enter the smaller tunnel
On my first trip there we had a hard time finding the smaller tunnel, and located the main one first. We eventually realised we had missed a turn at the start after circling the area for a while. The smaller tunnel was actually nearer the start of the trail. The smaller tunnel had a wide entrance with a lone tree growing from the centre. From the entrance we couldn't see what was inside as it was pretty dark, so we switched on our headlamps before heading in. The path led into a big space, and we looked around and found an opening to a smaller tunnel on the right. We crawled into the smaller side tunnel and it was so narrow we had to squat and slowly waddle along. Although it was narrow, it wasn't too claustrophobic, and we could soon see the light at the end of the tunnel (literally). At the end of the tunnel was an opening at the top, a chimney that goes above ground. We had to hoist ourselves up and out. Since the ledge was up to my chest level, I definitely had a bit more difficulty with this.
1230 | Explore the main tunnel
The main tunnel was harder to spot since it was underground and you could only see the opening from a certain angle. But having been there a couple of times, I knew the landmarks I had to look out for, a few small chimneys that connect the underground tunnel to the air above ground.
After passing the chimneys, we turned a corner and found a small opening dug into the ground. We slowly lowered ourselves into the tunnel with the help of the rope. It was definitely a bit scary the first time going into the tunnel, as it was a pitch black abyss! We quickly switched on our headlamps to orientate ourselves. The floor was squishy with mud, but we were already prepared for this with our rubber boots. It was also surprisingly cooling within the tunnel (I somehow imagined that it would be stuffy). The first time I went, I found a bucket with a few halloween masks at the corner (I supposed they use this to scare people coming into the tunnels). From there we descended down 2 levels using the staircase to the main tunnel section, all the while trodding through the thick mud. At the bottom, we had to pass through a section half blocked by the landslide before the main tunnel section came into view.
During my first visit there, my friend decided to stop here, so I had to venture in on my own. I almost had the shock of my life... For context, the only source of light was from my headlamp, which means I could only see what was directly in front of me and not in the peripherals or in the distance. After walking about midway in, I turned back to check on my friend near the entrance, who was still unwilling to budge. And as I turned back to walk in further, I saw a mangled face staring right at me. I panicked and screamed at this point! When I regained composure, I saw it was a saw mask perched on one of the pipes omg. I don't know who put it there but it really got me, and of course the second time around I braced myself for the masks.
The tunnel had a number of cavities along the left wall which were valve chambers, and long pipes running along the entire length of the tunnel. On my 2nd trip there, I ventured further in and up a flight of steps towards the end of the tunnel. The staircase was similar to the ones at the entrance and led to another exit, but it was complete sealed with metal doors. There were some markings on the wall to warn of a hole in the ground midway through the tunnel, which was obscured by the flooded ground, so we were extra careful not to fall in. The water level got higher and higher the further in we walked, and at the end of the tunnel it was almost to the edge of my boots. Not wanting to get wet, we decided to turn back and not continue through the left and right split tunnels. I had also tried to climb over the pipes to check out the other side of the tunnel. The pipes were very slippery due to the mud and I am just glad I did not fall on my face. We then headed out of the tunnel the same way and climbed back above ground. It almost felt surreal to see the light of the day after being underground for sometime.
My Thoughts
The Marsiling Tunnels are one of the biggest tunnel complex that is still accessible (most others are already sealed off), and it was definitely a fun adventure exploring it! It definitely took a bit of guts going in the first time round, not quite knowing what to expect, but soon I found myself embracing and enjoying the cold air, calming silence, and the pitch darkness within the tunnels.
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