- Appeared on Singapore map in 1828 as Pulo Obin
- Known for its granite (during British period)
- Used in the contruction of Horsburgh Light house and also Singapore-Johor Causeway
- Farming and Fishing were the principal occupations of the inhabitants
- Kampongs on Pulau Ubin were either named after the first person who settled in the kampong or by some feature in the area
- On June 3, 2005, Singapore Government ordered that all poultry reared by farmers on the island were to be shipped to mainland Singapore and reared in the government approved farms by June 17, 2005, in the wake of the avian influenza.
- In exchange, the local inhabitants were offered HDB government housing packages, although they could choose to live on the island.
How to get there:
1.Take MRT to Tampines Station (EW2)
2.Take SBS Transit bus 29 to Changi Village bus interchange (take all the way and you’ll reach)
3.Go over to Changi Village Hawker Centre
4.Go to Changi Point Jetty (now called Changi Point Ferry Terminal)
5.Take a 10 minute boat ride
a.Details for the boat ride
i.Cost SGD 2.50
ii.Operates from 6.00am to 11.00pm
iii.Maximum 12 passengers
7.They also serve those going to Penggerang, Johor. Be sure to join the correct queue
8.The boat will only leave when there are 12 persons on the boat, or you can choose to pay SGD 30 to go straight away without waiting.
9.Special trips can be made with the operator after operation hours.
What to do in Pulau Ubin:
1.Chek Jawa
-Mangrove
-Coral rubbles area
-Sandy shore and sand bar
-Seagrass lagoon
-Rocky shores
2. Ubin town
-Famous shrine
-Eating place
-Wayang stage
3. Visit Local Agriculture
-Fruit orchids
-Prawn and fish farms
-Rubber plantation
4. Other activities
-Camping
-Kayaking
-Fishing
-Sailin
-Star gazing
-Crab catching
-Quarry sightseeing
5. How to get around in Pulau Ubin?
-Van services
-Cycling
-Walk!
____________________________________________
Ann Gie: Time to go to PULAN ubin
Vicky: PULAN ubin?
Ann Gie: Yes guys! Let’s go PULAN ubin!
Silvia, Wan Shi, Siyi : PULAU ubin !
Isaac: Sorry I could not make, had events going on.
Pulua Ubin – The Island Gateway
Members present: Ann Gie, Siyi, Silvia, Wanshi and Vicky (Isaac was absent due to prior commitment)
Pulau Ubin, also known as Granite Island, is located at the northeast side of Singapore. It has a shape of a boomerang and was once a cluster of 5 small islands, which was later separated by tidal rivers. Another two islands- Pulau ketam (Crab Island) and Pulau sekudu (Frog Island) are located at the south of Pulau Ubin. There are many activities that can be done on the island such as bicycling and fishing.
Time check: 7.00AM
My group mates - Silvia, Siyi, Wan Shi and I met at Changi Village Terminal at 7am to have our breakfast while Ann Gie was at home waiting for her father to drive her to meet us. She only arrived at 7.45am and caused us to wait an additional half an hour for her while she had her Carrot Cake breakfast.
Ann Gie: Sorry guys! I will try to be on time next time. By the way, Marina Country club also provides service for one to go to Pulau Ubin.
Isaac: Changi Village have lots of fantastic food!
Time check: 8.05AM
We walked around Changi Village ferry terminal to take some photographs before boarding the bumboat to Pulau Ubin. It took an extra 5 minutes before we can actually set off because the bumboat will only leave when there are exactly 12 passengers. There is no scheduled departure time to and from Pulau Ubin. As long as there are 12 passengers, they will start off. The operating time is from 6am to 8pm. Each trip costs $2.50 and an additional $2 will be charged if a mountain bike is bought along.
Wan Shi: We felt that it is more worth it to rent a bicycle there as it will be more convenient. The rental of a bicycle costs only $5 for the whole day! So why bother to spend that $4 transporting the bicycle to and from Pulau Ubin?
Silvia: I think so too. The bike that we rented was $5. You can get cheaper ones at $3 and $4, but the conditions are not as good. Whats more? You do not have to clean the bike if you dirty it, unlike your own.
Siyi: I agree. Furthermore, the lady boss trusted us with the bicycles. We don’t even have to leave our identifications there like in Singapore!
Isaac: Yup, they are not as "Kiasu" as Singaporeans.
Time check: 8.25AM
After 10 minutes of wobbly ride on the bumboat, we finally reached our destination – Pulau Ubin. Van catering services, snack stalls and numerous bicycle rental shops can be found at Ubin town (the first place that you will see when you reached). We encourage visitors to use either the van service – (for sightseeing) or bicycle – (for trail adventure) as the island measures about 10.20km2.
We started hunting for bicycles as our transportation around the island. Almost all the bicycle rental shops hung signs written “From $2 onwards” (“$2” was drawn really big while “onwards” was so small that it could hardly be read).
Wan Shi: The signs are only used for competition purposes only. When I asked the owner where the $2 bicycles are, she said there isn’t any and the cheapest is $3! That’s why I always said, never judge a sign by its words!
Silvia: They have to make a living after all. $3 is actually considered very cheap if you compared that to bicycle rental shops in Singapore. Do remember to ask for those with baskets because it really doesn’t feel good having to carry your bags on when you are sweating. But, if you’re going with your friends who rented bicycles with baskets, you can put it in their baskets, provided they are kind enough to let you do so. Thanks Wan Shi!
Siyi: Hey, I helped you too! Your bag was tied to the back of my bicycle, remember?
After getting our bicycles, we set off on our journey to the Balai quarry lake. On our way there, we went past Belatok Hut, Murai Hut and Beberek hut while riding through the Jalan Ubin and Jalan Sam Heng routes. The journey to our destination was a tough one as we need to travel past small hills and slopes. Extra precautions must be taken when coming down the slopes. If you are not confident of riding or braking at slopes, dismount your bicycle and push!
Ann Gie: This is an important point. Don’t try to be a hero or you will end up falling like me. Trust me, you do not want this to happen, falling down hurts.
Siyi: Yes, I remember how pain you looked.
Silvia: And it wastes resources like plasters and water.
Isaac: Wow, you guys look like a bicycle gang above. Nice picture taken for they scenery.
Time check: 9.10AM
When we reach the Balai quarry, everyone was tired and sweaty. However, our hard work paid off when we saw the magnificent view of the quarry. We climbed over the fence and took a few photos of the lake. (insert pics) After 5-10 minutes of resting at the Balai quarry, we continued our journey to Chek Jawa. Chek Jawa is one of the major tourist attractions of Pulau Ubin which consisted of a coastal walk and a mangrove walk.
Silvia: We didn’t really climb over the fence. One side of the fence was sort of torn down (this is definitely not done by us, because we are not strong enough).
Siyi: The view was really great there!
Time check: 9.45 AM
We took about 45 minutes to reach Chek Jawa from Ubin town. No bicycles were allowed in Chek Jawa, so we had to park our bicycles at the entrance and explore it by foot. (pics of chek jawa-opening time) Do remember how your bicycle looked like as there will be a lot of bicycle parked there! There is a visitor centre located in Chek Jawa so not to be worried when you are lost. ( daily tide is written there as well) A vending machine is also available at the visitor centre so you can take a break and relax there.
Ann Gie: The bottle may leak so check it before putting it in your bag.
Silvia: I have to clarify something. The leaking was not the bottle’s fault. It was due to the negligence of Ann Gie. (Do not)Put the blame on me! – By the bottle (100plus).
Siyi: That was really funny Silvia! The people at the centre were really friendly, they answered to our never-ending quedtions!
Isaac: Ahh, the pictures of the creatures are really interesting.
Time check: 9.55AM
After taking a short break, we went to the mangrove walk and came across Jejawi tower which is around 4 to 5 storey tall. We climbed to the top and received a great reward - a breathtaking seaside view of Chek Jawa.
Siyi: It was really tall there, but some steps were pretty wobbly!
Wanshi: Also, the carrying capacity of the tower is about 20 people and viewing of the tower is not allowed during raining days for safety purposes.
We went deeper into the mangrove walk where we got to see organisms at their natural habitat. Some of the animals we saw were mudskippers, small crabs, fishes and a wild boar! (The boar’s name is call Pricilla and we were considered lucky to encounter one as it is considered a rare case!)The mangrove walk linked us to the costal walk where we should be able to see coastal rubbles. Unfortunately, we did not manage to have a glance of the coastal rubble because the sea tide level was too high and covered everything. So do remember to check out the tide level before going down to the coastal walk. Or else, your effort will be wasted as the coastal rubble is the highlight at Chek Jawa.
Ann Gie: Other than the Coastal rubbles, the costal walk also provides a space for one to fish or to view the beautiful sea.
Silvia: It is a good thing that Ann Gie brought mosquito bite cream (Wu Bi Gao), but prevention is always better than cure. Bringing insect repellant is encouraged.
Isaac: Remeber! Use environmental friendly repellants.
Interesting:
While walking along the coastal walk, we noticed that there were continuous barking and whining, so we checked it out and discovered that there were puppies trapped in a cave-like hole.
A China national noticed that as well and decided to save the puppies. However, the puppies refused and even snap at him. There were about 4 to 5 puppies in the cave and from what the man saw, there was one puppy stuck in the cave but he could not reach the puppy as the rest were crowding around it. Furthermore, it was trapped under a huge stone. He pulled one out and it ran away. He could not do anything about the others as they tried to bite him.
Siyi: The whining puppies were really pitiful!
Time check: 12.00AM
Wondering whether there are any adventurous places to stay over in Pulau Ubin? There are 2 camp sites in Pulau Ubin, namely the Noordin campsite and the Mamam campsite. After the tiring Chek Jawa trip, we rode to Noordin campsite which is less than 10 minutes away and explore. Something interesting we found out was that, their rooms and facilities (e.g. Toilet) are solar powered! We saw a few tourists looking around and some were even pitching their tents to prepare for their night out.
Wan Shi: (Growl) I’M VERY HUNGRY!
For our lunch, we cycled all the way back to where we first started, which is the Ubin Town for the most famous restaurant in Pulau Ubin – Ubin First Stop restaurant. They are famous for their seafood, especially flower crab. Yummy! As we were money restricted (except for Silvia who bought her entire property), we decided to order an individual share rather than sharing dishes. It cost us about average of less than $10 per person when we ordered about 7 to 8 ala carted dishes.
Silvia: Did anyone mention my name? Anyway we (Me and Siyi) did share dishes, and you (Vicky) share a plate of Potato leaves (vegetables)with us.
Siyi: Silvia, is your bag heavy? I heard you bought all your property here. I can help you with it if it’s too heavy!
Time check: 1.07pm
After satisfying our hunger pangs and resting our tiring legs, we moved on to our next 2 main accommodations in Pulau Ubin – Ubin lodge and Celestial Resort. It is a 5 minutes bicycle ride away from Ubin Town and it is a little deserted. You will have to book the lodge for a minimum of 3 days and kayak services are available for rental as well. The area is restricted to those who stay at the lodge. Thus, we had no choice but to leave the place without visiting the facilities.
However, the moment we turned our head around, we saw Secret Garden! It sounds dramatic and dreamy and when we search the map for the garden, we realized that it was not indicated. Maybe that is the reason why it is called Secret Garden. There is a wide variety of plants available there, such as Curry leaves, Papaya Tree, Lady’s finger and many others. There was also a Henna plant; it was used for the well-known Indian Henna. Most of them were labelled with their names and some of them even have aids to help the blind to read.
Siyi: I really like the Henna plant! I’m wondering the process from the plant to the henna itself.
Isaac: Why didn't you drop into the well? Haha.
Time check: 01.48pm
Time to head back for another the celestial resort! On our way there, we decided to have a short break in a mini drink stall – Ah Ma Drink Stall. The owner is a grandmother who owns a few stray dogs.
The stall sells mainly coconuts (sold at $2.50 each) which are refreshing and the flesh is tender and nice.
The grandmother is really friendly, informative and would not hesitate to offer directions to lost tourists. While heading towards our final destination – the celestial resorts, we rode pass the Ubin quarry which is one of the five main quarry in Pulau Ubin.
Ann Gie: Balai quarry is nicer, it looks so blue.
Siyi: No, the grandmother was nicer. I would go back Palau Ubin for her!
Time check 2.08pm.
The differences between celestial resorts and Ubin lodge left us speechless for a few seconds. Celestial Resort is big, well built, and full of facilities. It will meet needs and wants like adventurous and relaxing environment. There are fun activities such as rock climbing, fishing, high elements such as flying fox and beach volley ball as well. The rooms vary in different sizes and there are single and double storeys. After that, we rode all the way back to Ubin Town as it was time for us to leave.
Silvia: There is also fish spa! It is a pity we do not have time to enjoy it.
Siyi: I heard they help get rid of Hong Kong feet. Who has it here?
Time check: 2.25pm
We went over to the Information counter near the entrance, where maps and information about the island are provided. Right behind it, is a police station. This will ensure your security and a place to go if you lost anything on the island. Furthermore, it creates a sense of safety in the residents as well as the tourists.
Silvia: I took photo with a super old police car! (Or was it a police van?)
Time check: 2.47pm
We decided to end our journey after having a fruitful day at Pulau Ubin. It will definitely be an ideal place for people who are adventurous and willing to take up challenges. The mystic mangroves forests, beautiful seaside, magical quarry and magnificent forest will allow one to feel relaxed and calmed. It will also soothed the nerves and provide us an escape from our hectic city life.
It is a pity though that we did not manage to visit the Ketam Mountain Bike Trial which is located at the other end of Pulau Ubin from Chek Jawa. This is because we were warned of the dangerous routes and accidents that happened before.
Overall, this trip to Pulau Ubin was exciting as we were keen to explore the popular places such as Chek Jawa after we did some research on it. However, the process of reaching the destination was tedious and hard!
Ann Gie: For those advanced biker who find riding around Pulau Ubin easy, maybe you should try going at night.
This is because Pulau Ubin is supposedly haunted and with the minimal amount of street lights on the trail, it will definitely be a good place for thrill seeker to go too.
Wanshi : I agree it would be fun! But always remember, safety is always most important.
And also, we felt that you should bring/wear these items:
- Water bottle
- Insect repellent
- First aid box or plasters
- Sun glasses (optional)
- Cap (optional)
- Camera
- Money (at least 20)
- Sport shoes
- Outdoor wear / comfortable clothes
Itinery:
9am – 10am
Go to the information counter, take a look at the pictures and know a little more about pulau ubin before proceeding. Ask things that you are unsure about first. Then, start to rent bicycles and get a little small bite from stalls that you will be able to see when you turn to your left. This is to ensure that you will have enough energy to do the activities.
10am – 10.30am
Take a quick ride to Secret Garden and have deep breathe in environment full of plants and flowers.
10.30 am - 1.30pm
Start your journey to take a find the route to Chek Jawa ! It is the best place in pulau ubin to relax yourself. With the seriously big and large water area.
Ride will take about 45 minutes.
1.30pm – 2.30pm
Take your ride back to Pulau ubin entrance and have a small bite again, so that you can proceed on to other places to visit.
2.30pm – 3.30pm
Ride to celestial resort and take a look at their facilities available. It might even interest you to stay a few days in Pulau Ubin ! On the way, you can try the coconut drink from Ah Ma Drink Stall !
3.30pm – 5.00pm
If you are energetic enough, you might want to try the Mountain Bike Trial located at the another end of Pulau Ubin.
5.00pm – 6.00pm
Ride all the way back to Ubin Town and end your tiring day with meal at Ubin First Stop Restaurant.
