Besides the theme-park delights and luxury hotels of Sentosa Island,
Singapore has several outlying islands that are less developed and
less crowded. They're great places to swim, sunbathe or even set
up camp amid peaceful and natural surroundings.
Kusu Island
According to legend, this island was once a giant turtle that transformed itself into a huge rock to help save shipwrecked
sailors. Today, the island is still embedded in various beliefs
and rituals. Taoists make their annual pilgrimage to the Toa
Pekong Temple near the ferry jetty during the ninth month of
the Chinese lunar calendar.
Malays visit Kramat Kusu, which is located on the top of
a hill. The kramat, or shrine, is dedicated to Syed Abdul Rahman,
his mother Nenek Ghalib and his sister Puteri Fatimah. It is common
for childless couples hoping to have children to visit this
shrine, where they leave white cloths tied to the nearby trees as
a token of the sincerity of their prayers.
If you're neither Taoist nor wishing to have kids, you can always
kick back and relax on a beach. The beaches at Kusu Island
have changing rooms, toilets, picnic spots and swimming areas.
Admission to the island, which includes the ferry charges, is SGD9
for adults and SGD6 for children. Ferries from the World
Trade Centre depart twice daily from Mondays to Saturdays, and six
times a day on Sundays and public holidays. The ferries stop at
St John's Island as well. Call 826-8322 and 275-0388 for more information.
St John's Island
This island has several good beaches for swimming, and provides
changing rooms, toilets, picnic spots and swimming areas. It is
a popular as a weekend getaway and for camping trips, but
you wish for something closer to civilisation there are always colonial
bungalows that you can rent. Check with the ticket counter at
the World Trade Centre.
Admission to the island, which includes the ferry charges, is SGD9
for adults and SGD6 for children. Ferries from the World
Trade Centre depart twice daily from Mondays to Saturdays, and six
times a day on Sundays and public holidays. The ferries stop at Kusu Island as well. Call 826-8322 and 275-0388 for more
information.
Pulau Ubin
This mangrove island has become highly popular as a weekend retreat
and offers an interesting variety of activities and sights. You
can rent a bike and go mountain-biking on the rocky trails
all over the island, go swimming, or camp the night.
You can also see traditional fishing villages, prawn and
fish farms, Chinese temples and limestone quarries. The seafood restaurants here are good, too.
Pulau
Ubin, left more or less undeveloped for the last 30 years, is home
to many interesting flora and fauna.You can also take a survival
course from the adventure school Outward Bound here. See
out Eco-Travel and Adventure section for more details.
To get to Pulau Ubin, take an exotic bum-boat ride for SGD1.50
from Changi jetty.
Sisters Island
Sisters Island is good for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. You can also enjoy a picnic on the grass
or the sandy beach. There is no regular ferry service to the island,
however, so you will have to rent a water taxi (at SGD50
per hour) at Jardine Steps or Clifford Pier. |
