Ubin

Ubin Island is located at the northeast part of Singapore and is accessible via "bumboats" (essentially wooden boats with a diesel engine. What makes it unique is the used car tires at the boat sides allowing boats that are moored together to "bump" into each other without causing any damage) at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal, close proximity to Changi Point Bus Terminal and Changi Point Hawker Center.

Getting there and what to bring
By public transport;  Bus Services: 2, 29, 59, 109, will all end at the Changi Village Bus Terminal. If you are taking MRT on the East-West line, you can drop off at Tanah Merah MRT Station (EW4), then board Bus no 2 at Exit B to Changi Village Bus Interchange. Another bus option is bus no 9, but note that bus stops outside Changi Village (Stop ID: 99181 Before S'pore Aviation Academy). You can take buses no 2, 9 (from Tanah Merah MRT), no 19, 29 (from Tampines MRT) and finally Bus 89 from Hougang Central. Within the Ferry terminal itself, there are boats to Pengerang (a place in south Johor, Malaysia) and Ubin. It is clearly differentiated, but if you are a worry-monger, no worries -just ask the locals. The boat ride itself costs $3.00 one-way, and works with a system that once there are 12 pax, it will leave. If there are insufficient people, you can charter the entire boat for $36. 

Note that photo-taking in the waiting area of the Ferry Terminal is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. 

Update for July 2020: During Phase 2 of reopening, there are safe distancing measures in place. Other than wearing of mask, note that the boat ride now cost $4 one-way and a maximum of 9 pax can board only. If you want to go during weekends and public holidays, be prepared to wait...wait...wait. If you can't wait, why not try the Changi Point Coastal Walk. 

 

Ubin Jetty and Bumboat

Ubin Jetty in 1965

Attached are two pictures of the jetty taken at different periods of time. Hmm..i will write an article about this in the near future, but in meantime, once you arrived in the village, there are many modes of transport one could take: by bicycle, by Ubin's local van and the most friendliest way -take a leisurely stroll. The great news is no matter what your choice is, you will not get ripped off. [Update: If you are ordering Coconut from the bicycle shop cum drink shop in front of the Opera Stage, please check the price before ordering - SGD$6 for coconut to me is a blatant rip-off !! ] The people there are overall friendly and prices are fixed -no need to bargain. You can get all your essentials: water, raincoat, food, etc in the village center itself, but one thing you can't get is cash ! There are no Automatic Teller Machines (ATM's) there.

What to do and where to go
Birdwatching and the great seafood setting in a village by the sea is one of the main reason i go to Ubin all the time. You can pay a visit to the quarry and also Chek Jawa. 

Heritage and Nostalgia

Faces behind the Chinese Opera (Pulau Ubin)-Part I, posted on May 23,2016
Faces behind the Chinese Opera (Pulau Ubin)-Part II, posted on May 24,2016
Heritage Fest 2016 -Ubin, posted on May 20, 2016
Qing Ming in Ubin (April 10, 2016), posted on April 10, 2016
German Girl Shrine, posted on February 5, 2014
Ubin Island- one of the World's most secret island, posted on January 01, 2012
427 Pulau Ubin and the former village head, posted on November 16, 2011
Ubin Temple Festival, posted on May 19, 2011

Birdwatching

A morning in Ubin. (October 6, 2014), posted on October 6, 2014
2014 - A New Year at Ubin Island, posted on January 5, 2014
Ubin nature walk (10 November), posted on November 19, 2012
Ubin nature walk (13 October), posted on October 20, 2012
Oriental Pied Hornbill having a moth feast, posted on February 22, 2011
Ubin and Straw-headed Bulbul, posted on January 23,2011
Ubin revisited, posted on September 20,2010

Chek Jawa
Chek Jawa Wetland Tours (Pulau Ubin)-Part I, posted on June 18, 2017
Chek Jawa Wetland Tours (Pulau Ubin) -Part II, posted on June 18, 2017