PULAU UBIN - Kampong days revisited
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pulau Ubin (or "Granite Island" in Malay) is an island in the Straits of Johor, separated from
mainland Singapore by a 15-minute bumboat ride.
Its Malay name stems from the many quarries where granite was mined until
the late 1990s. Agriculture also played an important role in the past, and coconut groves and rows of rubber trees, remnants
of those days gone by, can still be found on the island.
Today, Pulau Ubin is a laid-back island where life seems
to move at a slower pace. On Ubin one can still experience how life in a kampong (Malay for "village") must
have been in the sixties.
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the warbling of birds and the incessant choruses of the cicadas as ambient music, abandoned quarries
and plantations, mangrove swamps and prawn ponds set the stage for an idyllic getaway for urbanites.
The island is dotted
with majestic durian trees that tower over kampong houses with orchards full of banana, papaya or mango trees.
Pulau
Ubin is also one of the few places in Singapore where hornbills are sighted regularly. And don't be surprised if you chance upon
a wild boar crossing the road!
|
|
|
|
About the tour:
This approximately 2-hour walk is a bit like a journey into Pulau Ubins past. Get enchanted by the
rustic charm of the island and capture the tranquility of village life as we walk through shady coconut groves, along prawn
ponds lined with mangrove trees and past old kampong houses surrounded by vegetable gardens.
Tip: there's nothing more
refreshing after a long hike than a fresh coconut!
|
|
|
|
|
|
How to get to Pulau Ubin:
Pulau Ubin can only be reached via bumboat from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal
(see map),
located approximately 100 meters from the Changi Village Bus Terminal. The terminal is served by bus numbers 2, 29, 59 or 109.
Bumboats don't operate according to a fixed schedule - they depart whenever there's a full boatload of 12 passengers. The
single trip is S$3.00 per person, bicycles cost extra.
Once on Pulau Ubin, you can explore the island on foot or
rent bicycles.
Chek Jawa can be reached by a 40-minute hike.
| |
|
|
General information:
|
|
Things to bring:
- Drinking water
- Mosquito repellent
- Rain gear
- Sun protection
- Plastic bags to waterproof valuables and electronic gadgets
- Comfortable walking shoes (no sandals or flip flops)
- Binoculars (if you have)
|
|
|
|
|
|
print version