THE CHARM OF PULAU UBIN

On 6 December, DS and I went to Pulau Ubin again, this time with a Singaporean friend of ours who had never been there before.  This was our third visit in two and a half years.

We departed from Changi Village jetty after a hearty buffet breakfast at Changi Village Hotel, and it was almost 11am by the time we reached there.  Given the rainy season at this time of the year, the weather that day was exceptionally beautiful – bright sunny day with beautiful blue sky and lots of white clouds!

Although it is now school holiday, Pulau Ubin was very quiet that day as compared to our past visits.  A resident chatting with his friends near the bicycle rental shops also commented the same, as I overheard.  Perhaps this is the reason why the costs of bicycle rental has dropped 50% to S$6 per day.

We went on the same cycling trail as before, and explored Chek Jawa wetlands too by foot.  I thought there was not much to expect now since it was already our third visit but I was wrong.   We had some pleasant surprises, and noticed some changes too.

Our first stop at House No. 1, a pre-war English Cottage near the information counter of Chek Jawa.  We missed this in our first visit in May 2009.

Lookout area in front of House No. 1.  Beautiful!

One of the three wild boars spotted near the information counter of Chek Jawa.  This was our first time to see wild boars in Pulau Ubin!

What a beautiful day!  This shot was taken from the Coastal Boardwalk of Chek Jawa.

It was low tide. I noticed that there were a lot more algae along the coast than our previous visits.

Flock of birds enjoying the beautiful weather!

I am not sure why but this floating platform along Coastal Boardwalk is now locked.  It was still opened in early 2010 when we were there for the second time.

Mangrove area seen from one end of the Coastal Boardwalk

This tree, which I called it 一枝独秀 is dying.  It looks so different now from my first visit.  Perhaps it may not be there anymore the next time I go again. 😦

Our biggest pleasant surprise for the day – lots of tiny crabs, of different species in the mangrove area.  We had not seen them in our past visits!  Some of them were colourful, and there was also a unique species with one exceptional huge claw as shown below.

There were even crabs with aqua colour shell.

This bird is real!  Spotted at the mangrove area.

Wild boar again, this time in the mangrove area!

Monitor Lizards seem common in Pulau Ubin. We spotted one in every visit, at different locations.  In fact, this one  seen in the mangrove area was not the biggest we had ever seen.

We gave the 21-m high Jejawi Tower a miss this time.

After Chek Jawa, we had a stopover at an abandoned quarry as we cycled back to the jetty.  This is another beautiful spot in Pulau Ubin.  I think the authority should consider doing up this place by providing some sheltered benches  for people to rest and enjoy the beauty of nature.

This drinks shop near the jetty was closed on the day of our visit.  I wonder if it is closed for good now.

It was still bright and hot by the time we bade goodbye to Pulau Ubin (before 4pm).  In fact, it was so hot that DS actually had some sunburn.  As I always do for outing, I went prepared with long sleeve jacket and sunblock lotion on my face, so I was spared from that. 😀

Goodbye Pulau Ubin!

Every visit to Pulau Ubin had been interesting but I think it will be a long, long time before we set foot on Pulau Ubin again.

After arriving back at Changi Village, we had an early dinner there and spent some time checking out the shops at Changi Village.

Our bonus for the day – beautiful sunset seen from the bus, as we headed home.

That night, I had my best sleep ever in a long time.  I must have been tired after the long outing! 🙂

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Click below for my previous posting on Pulau Ubin : –

Visit to Pulau Ubin – The Last Kampong in Singapore

RE-VISITING SOUTHERN RIDGES OF SINGAPORE

Today, riding on the luck of our friend from Sydney, DS and I went to Southern Ridges for the second time. It has been almost two years since we last explored Southern Ridges (time flies!) and if not for this friend, I wonder when we would ever make it there again.

Henderson Waves

Today’s outing was mainly for photography purpose as our friend is a keen photographer.

Unlike the last time, we started the trail from Mount Faber this time by giving Marang Trail a miss.  I wonder (I am a “wonder” woman!) if the Southern Ridges is gradually losing its “charms” as there were fewer people along the trail, although it was a Saturday morning.

This being a photography outing, needless to say, most of my shots today focused on nature.  I enjoy taking photos of flowers and plants in recent years although my skills are still far from good.  Recently, this thought came to my mind – How nice if I will reach a decent standard someday to be able to decorate our home with my very own photo shots, in addition to the the cross-stitch pieces that I have already put up.  The problem with me is that I enjoy looking at photos but dread the idea of reading up on photography.  I always find it too technical to comprehend.  Furthermore,  photography is an art, I know (unfortunately) I am never an artistic person!

Here are some of the shots I took today.

Five crows on the tree.  The morning was very hazy

Terrace Garden in Telok Blangah Hill Park

Can you spot an eagle just above the trees?

Alexandra Arch. There was not a single soul when we reached there.  What a difference from two years ago!

Following few shots were taken in Hortpark

This pot of flowers is now in my balcony.  I just hope that this plant will last long. Recently two of my pot plants had died of what I would describe as sudden death!  Don’t know why!

I am looking forward to more photography on flowers and plants at the Singapore Garden Festival 2010 in July.  This year’s event is said to be even more spectacular than the last two and I already have my tickets booked! 🙂

Southern Ridges of Singapore – 25 May 2008

A FINE DAY AT MACRITCHIE

After talking about it for over a year, DS and I finally made it to the MacRitchie trails yesterday, for the first time in our lives!

Our first attempt to go on the MacRitchie trails in November 2008 was unsuccessful due to the rainy weather. Thank God for the very beautiful weather yesterday despite it being rainy season now, and it was like a dream come true for me. However, it turned out that the trails were not as interesting as Pulau Ubin and Southern Ridges. Furthermore, the only attraction for us, the HSBC Tree Top Walk was also not as spectacular as we had anticipated. So, that was a slight disappointment.

The HSBC Treetop Walk is about 45 minutes’ walk from the Venus entrance.

Entrance to HSBC Treetop Walk which is open from 9am to 5pm, Tuesdays to Sundays. It closes on Mondays except Public Holidays.

Officially opened in November 2004, this suspension bridge is of 250m long, and up to 25m above ground level

MacRitchie Reservoir, seen from HSBC Treetop Walk

Lots of up-and-down steps right after the Treetop Walk

Oh, there is a well but no water in it!

This part of the path is a more pleasant one, and it reminds me of the walk-board at Pulau Ubin

Monkeys (Macaque), monitor lizards and lots of ants can be found along the way. These monkeys remind us of the Botanical Garden in Penang

This ant is really huge. Wonder if it is poisonous?

We had an interesting discovery – the existence of inedible durians!

Then there was a stream

Remnants of one of the hardwood timber species. Once a giant tree, this timber is now home to simple plants, insects, fungus and other microorganisms

The Jelutong Tower seems to be another attraction. We did not make it up there as it was packed with lots of school students when we reached there

We finally reached the MacRitchie Reservoir and the scenery from this point on is beautiful. Many students seemed to enjoy having a break by the reservoir though the sun was scorching hot. I was hiding under the shade when this shot was taken.

MacRitchie Reservoir next to SICC (Singapore Island Country Club) is the most beautiful part of the entire trail

SICC – beautiful green and lovely sky. What a beautiful day!

If you are considering going on the trails, be prepared for very long walk with some rough paths along the way. There is only one toilet stop at the Rangers’ Stations before the HSBC Treetop Walk and hardly any resting place. It is also important to bring along enough drinking water.

The early part of our trails was like walking in the jungle, far away from civilization

Rangers’ Station before the Treetop Walk. The only toilet stop is available here. They also provide water coolers here.

More uneven paths on the last leg of our trails

In about one and a half hours, we walked a distance of nearly 8km, 13,324 steps and burned 373 calories.

I think it is good to experience the MacRitchie trails for once but I would say, that’s enough for us. Unlike Pulau Ubin or Southern Ridges, I don’t think we would ever consider going on the MacRitchie trails again. I am sure there are better nature trails in Singapore that we can explore in future.

VISIT TO PULAU UBIN – THE LAST “KAMPUNG” IN SINGAPORE

I had been wanting to visit Pulau Ubin, a very small island situated just off the northeastern corner of mainland Singapore, for a long time. Yesterday, DS and I finally set foot on the island (@ 9:37am!) and went on a cycling adventure there, together with our friend YP.

Ubin Jetty

Pulau Ubin are Malay words literally mean Granite Island. It is a great place for nature lovers. It is also a place to experience “kampung” setting in Singapore. Kampung is another Malay word meaning village. Quoting from National Park Singapore Website …A trip to Pulau Ubin is a throwback to Singapore to the 1960’s. The island is home to Singapore’s last villages or “kampungs”.

On chatting with the gentleman manning the Information Kiosk on the island, I learned that the population of Pulau Ubin is only in the region between 60-100 people, or 0.06 to 0.10 people per hectare!

Quite a number of bicycle rental shops are found at Ubin Town, the main village of Pulau Ubin located just a very short walk away from Ubin jetty. This explains the popularity of cycling activities amongst the tourists on this island.

We rented 3 bicycles for a total price of S$30 (with a slight discount after some bargaining). These purple bicycles are the most expensive – S$12 each per day.

We spent about four and a half hours on Pulau Ubin, mainly to explore Chek Jawa Wetlands which is on the eastern part of Pulau Ubin. It was a very enjoyable outing, I think partly for the reason that I enjoyed cycling a lot and it is rare for me to have the opportunity to cycle here in Singapore. Cycling also brings back many memories of my secondary and high school days when bicycle was my main means of transportation in the small town where I grew up.

In the early part of our cycling adventure along Jalan Ubin, we passed by some fruit plantations. There were durian, rambutan, nangka (jackfruit), coconut trees.

See how lucky we were! We found a durian by the roadside but it was a prematured one! This durian caught the attention of quite a number of villagers at Ubin Town when I cycled back. When I gave it to the lady at the bicycle rental shop, she told me to return to Ubin next month for free durians!

The 21-metre high Jejawi viewing tower at Chek Jawa Wetlands. Don’t miss climbing all the way up to catch a good view of this area. Note that cycling is not allowed in Chek Jawa Wetlands. It is a long walk in this area but definitely worth the effort! The Chek Jawa Wetlands was officially opened in July 2007.

Views from Jejawi viewing tower

Next was an interesting walk down the mangrove. This part of the Chek Jawa Wetlands reminds me of one of my field trips to study the characteristics and behaviours of mangrove plants many years ago back in Malaysia. Then I was doing a module on Botany in my first year of tertiary education.A word of caution though. There are some mosquitos at the mangrove area. Hence, it is better to bring along mosquito repellent or anti-mosquito patches when visiting this place.

The long Coastal Walkboard is a great place to enjoy sea breeze and beautiful seaview. I think it would have been better if National Parks had built a few more shelters (instead of just one) along this walkboard so that more people can stop at different spots to rest and to appreciate the scenery.

Leaving Coastal Walkboard to pick up our bicycles.

Looks like it is very safe in Pulau Ubin! We parked our bicycles without having to lock them at all. In fact, none of our bicycles came with a lock!

After Chek Jawa Wetlands, we continued our cycling adventure and made a couple of quick stops before heading back to Ubin town.

Balai Quarry

Mamam Campsite

A large monitor lizard seen along Jalan Ubin

We noticed that there aren’t many vehicles on the island. I think most of them are old vans for the visitors to hire. I don’t remember seeing any car at all. I think cycling is definitely very enjoyable at Pulau Ubin but some safety concerns need to be better taken care of by the authority concerned. I think National Parks needs to consider doing up the cycling tracks to make them friendlier and safer for the visitors, especially for the fact that there had been cases of death and accidents reported. My observation is that some parts of the tracks are rather uneven and dangerous.

Our outing was completed with a meal at an old seafood restaurant by the seaside. Quite frankly, we were a little concerned about the hygiene standard of the restaurant, so we made sure that we had all our spoons and folks cleaned with antiseptic wet tissues before we used them!

Seafood restaurant by the seaside, at Ubin Town

Our seafood lunch costs us about S$46, inclusive of 2 x fresh coconut juice and 2 cans of soft drinks. I think the price was reasonable but the food was nothing outstanding. We can certainly get much better seafood in mainland Singapore.

We will be interested to explore the other parts of Pulau Ubin the next time we go there. I think year-end when the weather is cooler, will be a better timing.

A LONG OVERDUE VISIT TO THE BOTANIC GARDENS

Two days ago (26 October), DS and I, together with SK and HL, had a photography outing at Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Tanglin Gate of Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Well, I would say this was a long overdue outing. It has been 19 years since DS and I last visited the Botanic Gardens. What a long time!! It is a place that holds a special memory for DS and I.

If not for the hot and humid weather in Singapore, we would appreciate going to the Botanic Gardens more! I still remember how we had thoroughly enjoyed a very pleasant visit to the Kew Gardens in London, even on a summer day, when we toured England and Scotland in year 2000. How I wish we are living in a cool country with more space and nature for leisure!

Breakfast at Casa Verde Cafe (near Nassim Gate) before we set off for our photography adventure. Casa Verde is the only F&B outlet in Botanic Gardens that serves breakfast from 7:30am.

(Above) My ‘BIG” breakfast 🙂 and (Below) DS’ French Toasts. DS said the French Toasts were delicious!

This being a photography outing, needless to say, most of our time was spent making many stops to capture the beauty of God’s creations. DS and I had a total of about 700 shots taken in the approximate 5 hours spent there! This wouldn’t have been possible without the existence of digital cameras – one of the greatest inventions in the 21st century, I think.

I was having some difficulties using the Macro and Super Macro functions (on my four-year-old Canon S2IS) which I seldom make use of. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised that some of my close-up shots turned out better than expected. DS teased that it was attributed to the good camera I have! Perhaps he is right but I hope that I will be able to produce some real impressive shots someday! 🙂

Above and Below : Lotus on Symphony Lake

Below : A pink dragonfly? May be this is Trithemis Kirbyi or Kirby’s Dropwing (in English), a type of dragonfly.

Below : Vanda Miss Joachim, National Flower of Singapore

Below : Lotus at Sundial Garden

How do you find these shots? I have uploaded about 160 shots onto my Picasa Web Album entitled Singapore Botanic Gardens. Please feel free to browse.

As we were making our exit towards Tanglin Gate, I was a little surprised to see that the Botanic Gardens has become a hangout place for foreign maids and workers on Sundays. It wasn’t a pretty sight but I can understand how ideal the garden is for them to meet. There was even an individual man walking around by himself, holding a bottle of wine in his hand even on a bright daylight. Well, I guess this is one of the inevitable social effects of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers in Singapore.

DS and I certainly look forward to our next visit to the Botanic Gardens. We are sure that will not take another 19 years!!

National Orchid Gardens in Singapore Botanic Gardens.