Here is a travel distance table to other parts of Ubin for your convenience.

Update: 21 Mar 2011

Direction signposts with distance are now erected at major junctions which makes easier to get around Pulau Ubin. You may print out a detailed map of Pulau Ubin as free maps are no longer given out.

Sunset at equatorial Singapore is around 7pm so give yourself plenty of daylight time to walk back to Ubin jetty before it gets too dark or to catch the last ferry. Bring a flashlight just in case and jot down emergency numbers from here. Go back the same way from the path you took. Ignore Nparks traffic directions as they are meant for vehicles plus you have to walk up and down 3 slopes.

I went back to take more pictures but they aren’t there anymore. I guess I would have to wait until their next mating season.

As luck would have it. They are found in large numbers as in last week (28 Feb). You can photograph them in mid flight like what one of my party member did. Sort of aerial and macro photography rolled into one.

Photo by Kelvin Tan.

These wasps are natural agents in the control of grubs in the soil. These digger wasps do not sting people unless they are aggravated or captured by hand. Spare them by not complaining to Nparks who will dispatch foggers to annihilate them. Fogging is done indiscriminately in Singapore to control dengue fever and is doing serious damage to other insects and animals that feed on them.

Fishing is good in Ubin now. Most likely due to devotees seeking merit by releasing live seafood in the sea. They should have built reef sanctuaries for the fish to hide and seek freedom in. Many bumboats were chartered out and visitors have to wait more than a hour for a boat to get back to mainland.

Live seafood set free

Large grouper caught at Marman river and steam-cooked for our delight.
Updated: June 2010
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Update: 7 Feb 2010. Extremely lucky guy caught a large sea-bass at Marman beach.


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The best chance to catch fish is to paddle some distance away from shore.

Unfortunately Ubin marine life is slowly choked by pollution. The water cannot renew itself by tidal directions due to the causeway cutting off the straits. Water run-offs from ship repairs contribute to the pollution also. Sea-horses have long since disappeared. During heavy rains, salinity levels dropped so much that fish farms lost their livestock. The other is plankton bloom causing huge numbers of dead fish. They can’t sell their fish anyway as the water is declared unclean by the authorities.

Below picture: Serene beach at Outward Bound School (No trespassing). Pasir Gudang Port can be seen in the background.

Fishing from the jetty
For first timers, best bet is still at Ubin jetty using live baits which you can buy at Changi village. You can get lucky if fish were released by Buddhist groups.

Other fishing spots.
Ubin disused granite quarries are fenced up and trespassing is not allowed. Good fishing spots if they are opened to public. Snakeheads or Toman fish are seen there including Kois.

Click here for google searches on latest discussion from fishingkaki.com. Like many of their members have observed, you need to be hardy to bear with mosquitoes and trek to remote spots. The taxi uncles knows where are the good spots if you charter their van-taxis. According to them, best lunar dates are 8-12, 24-28 when current are not too strong.

Fishing at night.
Although there are boats leaving for Ubin at night, its harder to fill up with passengers so waiting is necessary. Best is go on weekend eve or public holidays arriving at Changi Point Ferry before 8pm. Share costs of chartering the boat if there are not enough passengers. Bring enough food and drinks to last you the next morning.

Crabs, shellfish and prawn fishing

You can get large crabs like this for dinner and other shellfish. But that involves stomping in mud at low tides.

As for prawns, I have seen some anglers who got lucky and caught large ones while fishing during at the abandoned prawn farms during high tide.

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Other restrictions
Fishing at Chek Jawa is not allowed. Use small pen knives or razors to cut baits instead of large filleting knives to avoid being hassled unnecessarily by Aetos guys manning the x-ray counter.

Update: 21 Mar 2011

Direction signposts with distance are now erected at major junctions which makes easier to get around Pulau Ubin.

There are basically 4 main directions. East, West, and two separate directions towards north.

West
The West ends at Kekek Quarry (4km by road/track from Ubin jetty), where ‘Thai temple’ once stood. This important landmark is now lost forever except for the road named after it – Jalan Wat Siam. The distance is longest and is best visited on wheels. There is a vehicle barrier at the end of the road but adventurous cyclists are still able to cycle up further. Some would swim at Kekek quarry to cool off. But it’s considered illegal trespass. The long downhill slope next to the Chinese cemetery (now renamed “coffee hill” probably see the most nasty bike falls so be careful.

The German girl shrine is also located west within Ketam mountain bike park, with its cycling trails graded by level of difficulties, although it is not safe to take them at face value.

Also, one should stop midway at ‘y u so like dat’ for drinks and a scenic view of Ubin Quarry. Puaka hill is nearby which is worth climbing to the top.

Picture below. Thai monk sitting in front of his demolished temple.

East
The path East ends at Chek Jawa (4 km by road from Ubin jetty). First timers should go there first especially when tides are at their lowest. You can also sign up for Chek Jawa tours organized by Naked Hermit Crabs.

You will be passing the Malay kampung on the way to Chek Jawa. Worth stopping for refreshments and a relaxing view. There is a gaggle of hornbills that make their appearance around 5pm.

North (Marman beach)

Marman beach is further up north from the Malay kampung. It used to be scenic until ugly fences were put as border barriers. From there, you can follow the river bank towards “Orchid Farm”, taking a shortcut by going through the rubber plantation and back to the Malay kampung.

Marman beach

North (Noordin beach)

The other trip north (3.2km by road from Ubin jetty) ends at Noordin beach. The trip requires some steep cycling which already caused some nasty accidents. Probably not worth going as the view at the beach itself is also marred by fences. Its popular among anglers and campers however. On Saturday nights you can hear dangdut music blaring away from the Malaysian side. Mosquitoes can be a nuisance due to nearby mangroves. A spooky place. Was referred as Noordin kampong on old maps. Used to have a Muslim cemetery nearby.

Old map of Noordin beach(1000 metre scale)

NPCC campsite is also located at Noordin Beach. Its also probably the most environmental unfriendly place in Ubin. Its all built up with its own concrete parade square. Its floodlights are turned on the whole night, disrupting roosting birds. The camp is fogged regularly for mosquitoes, exterminating other insects and affecting its natural predators. There is a lightning detector that runs loud warnings on an endless loops. It should seriously consider relocating back to the mainland.

Click on the map below to enlarge.

This is Jack. This wild boar was a piglet when it was injured and rescued about 14 years ago. Today, Jack’s growing tusk is about poke into its cheeks, causing lots of discomfort. Its about time for it to be cut.

Update: 9 February 2009. Jack should be happier now. It was sedated before several volunteers were able to hold it still before cutting its tusks.

Some visitors felt that Jack should be returned back to the wild. Its too domesticated for that now. Ubin lovers remember Priscilla, the female boar at Chek Jawa.

Photo courtesy of Wild Shores of Singapore

You can see Jack at “Orchid Farm”, 180 meters south of Maman beach. Make sure you collect lots of rubber seeds from the rubber trees nearby that area. Jack loves them.

Here is a link of another picture of Jack by Thomas Hoven. We all shared his feelings of Ubin.