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 Our last remaining villages or "kampongs" can still be found on Pulau Ubin, a small island off the north-eastern corner of mainland Singapore. A trip to Ubin is like going back in time to Singapore in the 1960’s. Its natural and rustic charms are a huge contrast to the concrete jungle of mainland Singapore and this little haven provides an "off the beaten track" experience that is not to be missed!
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How to get there
- Hop onto SBS Bus 2 outside Tanah Merah MRT or SBS Bus 29 from Tampines Bus interchange (next to Tampines MRT station).
- Alight at Changi Village Bus Terminal.
- Walk to Changi jetty which is nearby and hop on to a bumboat to Pulau Ubin.
The bumboat ride costs S$2 per trip (one-way). Extra S$2 for your bicycle if you are bring one over.
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Opening Hours
Bumboats operates from 6.00am to 8.00pm daily. Bumboats will set off once the boat is filled up with 12 passengers. As it gets later, there may not be enough passengers to fill up the boat. You may need to book the whole bumboat to get back to mainland Singapore.
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Entrance Fees
Free
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A trip to Ubin begins with a bumboat ride from Changi jetty at Changi Village. If you have time, spend some time walking around Changi Village. Enjoy a meal at the Changi Village hawker center where you can find one of the popular nasi lemak stall in Singapore. Changi Village is a HDB Housing estate with a laid-back village atmosphere, especially at night when the coffeeshops are buzzing with people and most open till the wee hours in the morning.
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  For the S$2 bumboat ride, you will enjoy ten minutes of loud engine noise, diesel fumes smell and salty sea water spraying on your face.
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As you embark on Ubin island, stroll through the small village centre. Be it on foot or by bicycle, take your time to explore the island. The best way to explore the island is by bicycle. Bicycles can be rented at the many bicycle shops at the village center. Rental rate starts from S$6 for a normal bike for the whole day.
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 Have a photo with this weather-beaten old motorbike (plate number PU 27Z) which is always parked at the Ubin jetty, waiting for its owner.
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Climb Puaka hill (75m), the highest hill in Ubin, to spot the pitcher plants on the hill and get a bird’s eye view of the granite quarries. The quarries provided most of the granite demand in Singapore since 1848 until the last quarry closed in 1999.
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  Visit the various temples or shrines on this little island.
 One tiny shrine is said to house the remains of a German girl who perished during World War I. When the war was declared, the British came to take over the girl’s father plantation and she fell off the cliff while running away.
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Pick some rubber seeds at the abandoned rubber plantations.
A peacock and a lily pond await you at the orchid farm.
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  Take a break, have a cold drink or a freshly-plucked kampong coconut from the coconut plantation.
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 Check out the kampong toilet where your waste will end up as feed for the fishes. Flush toilet can be found at the visitor centre.
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 Drop by Chek Jawa , the natural wetlands, where you can see 6 different eco-systems. Be amazed by the rich biodiversity at the rocky shore, coastal hill forest, mangroves, sandy eco-system, sea grass lagoon and coral rubble.
 Take a stroll down the beach during low tide (less than 0.8 m tide). Spot the sea anemones, starfish, mangrove trees with breathing roots and much much more......
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 Previously, if you are lucky, you may bump into Chek Jawa's resident wild boar, Priscilla, looking for her breakfast on the beach. However, recently Priscilla has been found dead. It is truly sad news for all Chek Jawa fans!
 Look out for this strange fruit that is harvested for the "attap seeds". Try the popular local dessert ice kacang when you are back at Changi Village hawker center and you will find the attap seeds below the cone of shaved ice topped with colorful syrup.
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 Check out the English cottage near Chek Jawa too. This pre-war cottage at No. 1 Pulau Ubin was built between 1920 -1930s with a concrete jetty. There is even a fireplace in the living room! Who needs a fireplace in a tropical country like Singapore?
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 There are more to discover in Ubin and you would not want to leave but the sun is setting...it’s time to go home (but... "I’ll be back!")
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