Pulau Ubin
Singapore's last "kampong" — a 1,036 ha boomerang-shaped island a 10-minute bumboat ride from Changi Village. Granite quarries, forest trails, the Chek Jawa wetlands, and a village where the old way of life still survives. The opposite of the airport, in every way.
1,036 ha
Island size
10 min
Bumboat crossing
S$4
Each way
6 AM–7 PM
Boat hours
A kampong across the strait
Pulau Ubin sits just off Singapore's northeastern corner. It was once a cluster of five smaller islands separated by tidal rivers, united into one by bunds built for prawn farming. Its granite hills once supported a few thousand settlers who quarried stone — much of early Singapore was built with Ubin granite. Today the quarries are flooded relics, the farms have grown over, and a handful of residents still live in wooden kampong houses among fruit trees.
It is the closest you can get to pre-1960s Singapore without leaving the country: no high-rises, no air-conditioning, dirt tracks, and the sea on every side. A day trip here is a day trip to a slower, quieter place — best paired with a morning nasi lemak at Changi Village before the boat.
Getting there
Get to Changi Point Ferry Terminal
51 Lorong Bekukong, next to Changi Village. By bus: 2, 29, 59, 109 to Changi Village Bus Interchange. By MRT + bus: Tampines East (DT33)→59, Tampines (EW2/DT32)→29, Tanah Merah (EW4)→2. By taxi: set destination to the ferry terminal address.
Board the bumboat
Bumboats run on demand, roughly 6 AM–7 PM daily, departing when 12 passengers are aboard. 10-minute crossing. S$4 per person each way, S$2 extra for a bicycle. Pay on board.
Explore the island
Walk, hire a bicycle, or take a local van service. The island is 1,036 ha — shaped like a boomerang — with granite quarries, forest, kampong houses and the Chek Jawa wetlands.
On the island
Chek Jawa
Intertidal wetlands on the southeastern corner with a boardwalk over mangroves, a seagrass lagoon and coral rubble — one of Singapore's richest surviving natural shores. Best at low tide.
Granite quarries
Pulau Ubin once supported a few thousand settlers on granite mining. The abandoned quarries now remain as picturesque, water-filled relics of the island's past.
Cycling & trails
Hire a bike near the jetty to ride the designated trails through forest and former villages. Bring water — facilities are basic and spread out.
Kampong houses
Ubin is the last place in Singapore where a kampong (village) way of life survives. A handful of residents still live in wooden houses among fruit trees.
Camping
Designated campsites are available for camping, including open-fire cooking at the campfire area. Check the NParks site for permits and current guidelines.
Food on Ubin
Four restaurants plus drink and provision shops near the jetty and village centre — mostly cash-only seafood and Malay hawker food. Details from the NParks Pulau Ubin site.
Encik Hassan's shop
Next to the Ubin Jetty, 30+ years old, recently resumed weekend operation. Homemade Malay dishes — mee rebus, mee siam, nasi lemak.
Cheong Lian Yuen
Near the jetty. Seafood with a small alfresco dining area in front.
Sin Nam Huat
Opposite the Wayang stage. Run by two sisters, the walls covered in snapshots of Ubin history. Seafood, traditional kopi and teh.
Season Live Seafood
On the road toward Ubin Volunteer Hub. Alfresco dining with a sea view facing the Ubin Jetty and mainland Singapore.
Village drink & provision shops
Snacks, drinks and desserts (chendol, ice kacang, ice cream). Seasonal fruits — durian, rambutan, mangosteen, chempedak — sold ad hoc when in season.