Friday, February 24, 2012

Pulau Ubin

A small island situated north east of Singapore, this is in essence the kampong of Singapore. A stroll through Ubin is like going back in time to Singapore in the 1960’s with the simpler pleasures of life.

Pulau Ubin literally means “Granite Island” in Malay. Currently, the island still maintains it’s wooden houses, jetties, preserved wildlife and plantations. But one will never know when the Government will step in and re-develop the island.

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Thankfully Kless is also a nature-loving girl, Ubin has therefore become one of our favourite hang out place when we are on leave. One of our ritual will be to stop by Changi Village Hawker Centre for breakfast before heading over to the island. The Nasi Lemak here is sedap!

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The only way to get across to Pulau Ubin is by bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal.

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For $2.50 per trip, you get a chance to enjoy the breeze and the occasional seawater.

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Welcome to Pulau Ubin.

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Ubin is a great place to spend the day walking or cycling through the rustic roads.

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If you are tired or still can’t get rid of the “city” need, taxi services are readily available too.

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But the best way to really explore Ubin is by bike, for $2-5 you can rent a mountain bike for the entire day.

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If you are there for some photography like us, I suggest you skip the bike for the first hour or so, and explore by foot. You will have lesser chance to miss out on the beautiful landscape.

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This is the main area in Ubin, you can find 2 seafood restaurants and a few mama shops.

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After you are done with the photo-taking part, rent a bike to cycle deeper into the island to explore the few famous tourism places like Chek Jawa & Bukit Puaka.

Because of the rugged roads and tough terrains, you have to be a good cyclist, at least you won’t fall off easily lah.. Negative example…

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We visited the newly open Bukit Puaka. It is the tallest point in Pulau Ubin at 74m. Take the left route when you pass the row of shops near the jetty and cycle for about 1.9km. You will see this Merbah Hut where you can park your bikes and walk the rest of the way up to the top.

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The view from the top.

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After a great morning walk and cycling, the best way to cool off is to enjoy a chilled coconut.

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Time to go home, I’m sure we will be back for more.

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6 comments:

  1. Must you use that photo of ME as negative example hur hur hur??!

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  2. http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com

    You can bring the kids for a guided tour at Chek Jawa. (free but must register first, and unfortunately cannot get your feet wet). But should still be fun. (we going 10Mar.)

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  3. ya, we have been there before, but never had a chance to try the guided tour..should plan for one..

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  4. Hey. Can I know how long it takes to trek up the Bukit Puaka till the summit? I've been up there but that was 7 years ago and I completely forgotten how long it took. Would appreciate a prompt reply because I'll be going there this Saturday. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Nurul, the climb up is not too long, probably about 15-20mins, depending on whether you would be stopping along the way to enjoy the view and take some photos...just rem to wear shoes since the road is slightly uneven..

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  5. Thank you so much for the info!

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