Pulau Ubin Jetty

Bumboat that brings you to and back from Pulau Ubin.

Have a feel of Singapore in its 1960s with a 10 minutes boat ride from Changi Jetty to Pulau Ubin. This small island north-east of Singapore is the home to the last villages in Singapore. The difference is immediately apparent upon stepping onto Pulau Ubin jetty. There are no tall buildings in sight and there are only rows of shophouses selling provisions and bicycle rental. A few hundred meters away from the jetty and the shophouses are out of sight, replaced by vegetation on both sides of the road. The roads led to scattered houses, small villages and temples that still remain on the island.

From the jetty, there are two main roads to choose, north or west, each with its own attractions. The road up north leads to Mamam campsite. At a junction that branches westward along the road and near the former Headman's House, turn left and turn right again at the next junction will lead to Noordin beach. This road will pass through mudflats and mangrove swamp separated by bunds and ends at Noordin beach. From Noordin and Mamam beach, the land across the water is Malaysia.

The western part of the island is where most of the larger quarries and temples are located. This route is also much longer. Taking the road to the west, you will pass by the Pekan Quarry a short distance from the main village. To continue to the western part of the island, you will need to take a left turn at the next junction where you will pass by Puaka Hill, the highest point of Pulau Ubin standing at a mere 75 m. Climb to the top of Puaka Hill and you will be rewarded by the view of Ubin Quarry from a different perspective. This road will also take you to the German Girl Shrine. The history of this shrine has been traced back to World War I. There is an urn in the shrine that is supposed to belong to a German girl who died while trying to escape from the British military who rounded up her family [Ref. 1, 2]. Story is that the girl was given a proper burial on a hill. However, in 1974 a granite quarry company took over the hill and her remains were shifted to the current location. It is believed that she is worshipped as a kind of Taoist deity as she has brought good luck to Chinese punters. Today, rumour is that the original urn has been stolen and what is left is its replica. Although it is not clear whether the urn is original or a replica, there is nothing in the urn [Ref 1]. Moving further west and the road ends at the largest quarry on Pulau Ubin, the Ketam Quarry. You may either turn back after viewing the Ketam Quarry or continue on the mountain bike trails that run round the quarry.

Chek Jawa Wetlands, one of the most popular sites to visit on Pulau Ubin is located at the eastern end of the island. Time your trip to Chek Jawa to coincide with the low tide. This is when the rocky shore and seagrass are exposed and the animals are most active. There is a 1.1 km long boardwalk that runs along the coast which will give you a good view of the habitat without damaging the land. To reach the wetland, you will need to take the north road and turn east at the junction where Murai Hut is located.

Pulau Ubin has seen a lot of changes since 2000s with improvements in the road and adding facilities to make the place more convenient and accessible to visitors. Restrictions and rules are now in place to cater for the expected larger numbers of visitors. Although this ensures the safety and sustainability of the land, outdoor adventurers have lost the last "playground" and a place to practise outdoors survival skill in Singapore. For a start, camping is now restricted to Jelutong and Mamam Beach (Noordin Campsite has been closed due to erosion of the shoreline). Camping permit is not required here although for large groups of more than 20 campers, it is advisable to write to NParks (https://www.nparks.gov.sg/contact-us) in case there are other large groups planning to use the site at the same time. Open fire is also limited to designated fire pits although it is still fine to cook using stove.