The island of Pulau Ubin has the last of Singapore’s bygone village ‘kampong’ culture. Here you will experience a quaint kampong vibe and the laid-back lifestyle of the people living and working on their tropical island home, and see retro architecture. Much has remained unchanged and it still seems like a walk into the past, back to 1960’s Singapore. We start our walk into the rural countryside on Ubin’s Sensory Trail, bypassing bountiful kitchen gardens and fruit orchards. We peek over fences to look at wooden kampong houses and their outdoor kitchens and toilets.
Our route will go through a herb, spice and vegetable plot, and also coffee and jasmine plantations. We then walk on bunds through mangrove forests to spot mudskippers, kingfishers and tree-climbing crabs. Ubin is most likely the best place in the world to hear the incredible song of the globally endangered Straw-headed Bulbul. Our walk continues through lalang grassland where we can pause to play lalang arrows, and a coconut plantation. If time permits, we will visit the 2-storey kampong house of the late Mr Lim Chye Joo who was the lovely, wise village headman for the Chinese community on Ubin to have a look at his photo gallery. We return to the main village on the main road, walking under ancient durian trees.
Registration and more details on the
Cicada Tree Eco Place facebook event post.
Time: 9.30am - 12noon
Meeting point: We meet at street level main entrance of Changi Jetty (also known as Changi Point Ferry Terminal) at Lorong Bekukong, 5 mins walk away from Changi Village hawker centre.
Cost: $13 per pax (adult or kid). Free for participants’ kids aged 6 yrs and below. Payment in cash or cheque will be collected in person at the activity. Cheque to be made payable to: ‘Cicada Tree Eco-Place’
Website:
https://www.facebook.com/cicadatreeecoplace/
