The first time I went to Pulau Ubin I got everything wrong. I turned up at Changi Point at noon in July with no cash, no water worth mentioning and a rented city bike that I assumed would behave like the one I ride to the MRT. By two o'clock I was sitting under a rain tree outside a village coffee shop, sweating through my shirt, eating a packet of crackers I had bought at triple the mainland price, and thinking that I had never been so happy. That is what this island does. It is ten minutes by boat from a country of six million people, and it still feels like somewhere your grandparents might have lived. This guide is everything I wish somebody had told me before that first trip, written for a full day out, and corrected for one thing the older version of this page got badly wrong: Pulau Ubin is in Singapore, off the north-eastern tip near Changi, not in Malaysia.
First, where Pulau Ubin actually is
Let me clear this up properly, because I have seen the mix-up more than once. Pulau Ubin is a granite island of roughly ten square kilometres lying in the Straits of Johor, just off the north-eastern corner of mainland Singapore. You reach it from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal, a small jetty next to a row of seafood restaurants and a hawker centre, in the Changi Village area. Malaysia is on the other side of the strait and you can see the Johor shoreline from parts of the island, which is probably where the confusion starts, but the island itself is Singaporean territory, managed by the National Parks Board and the Singapore Land Authority, and you do not need to clear any border to visit it.
The name is Malay. It comes from batu ubin, a word for the granite blocks and paving stones that were quarried here for more than a century. The stone that went into the Causeway and into the old Horsburgh Lighthouse came out of these hills, and the flooded quarries that remain are now some of the most photographed spots on the island. Quarrying stopped in the 1970s. Most villagers left in the following decades as the government resettled people into high-rise flats on the mainland, and what remains is a few dozen households, a handful of bike-rental shops, three or four places that will sell you a plate of rice, a temple, a mosque, a Chinese temple to the Datuk Kong guardian spirits and a great deal of green.
Because the island lies so close to Changi, it is also easy to combine with other things on the east side. If you land at Changi Airport with a long layover and a passport that lets you walk straight through immigration, Ubin is a perfectly reasonable half-day. If you need a visa to enter Singapore at all, check that before you plan any of this on our visa requirements pages, because a short island hop is a lot less fun if you are stuck explaining your paperwork at the counter. I come back to this near the end, with a note about how to handle onward-ticket proof for visa applications.
Getting there: Changi Point and the bumboat
Everyone reaches Ubin the same way. You take a bumboat, a wooden or fibreglass boat that seats about twelve passengers, from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. The crossing takes around ten minutes. The boats do not run to a timetable. They leave when twelve people are aboard, so on a quiet weekday morning you may sit and wait for a quarter of an hour while the boatman reads the paper, and on a Saturday you will be at the front of the queue and on the water in two minutes.
The fare is paid in cash and is roughly four or five Singapore dollars per person each way. I say roughly because it has crept up over the years, and boatmen can charge a little more if you charter the whole boat. Bring small notes. There is no card reader at the jetty, no ticket machine and no app. The boatman will usually take your fare at the Ubin end as you step off, and if you have a bicycle the question of whether he will carry it is a conversation you have on the spot. Bikes go on the boat, but the better plan, and the one I would recommend, is to rent one on the island itself.
Reaching Changi Point from town
Changi Point is not on the MRT. The simplest route from most of the island is to take the East-West Line to Tanah Merah, then bus 2 from the interchange bus terminal, which runs all the way to Changi Village Bus Terminal and takes about twenty-five minutes. From the terminal it is a five-minute walk to the jetty, past the hawker centre. From the airport, bus 36 also reaches the area, and a taxi or ride-hailing car from Changi Airport costs well under what most people expect. If you are carrying luggage from a late flight, the private arrival transfers, such as the Changi Airport to Singapore Downtown private transfer, are an easy way to skip the buses entirely, though for Ubin specifically I would simply catch a ride to the Changi Village side and send your bags ahead to your hotel first.
If you are using public transport, a stored-value card saves you fumbling for coins on the bus. The EZ-Link card is the standard one and the version on our site starts at S$12.00. Tap on at the front door of the bus, tap off at the rear door when you alight, and top it up at any MRT station machine. I keep mine in a waterproof pouch on Ubin days because the island is one place where a sudden thundershower will soak everything you own.
What to do when you arrive
The boat lands at Ubin Town, a short concrete jetty with a small row of shopfronts directly opposite. Most of the bicycle shops are within a stone's throw. There are public toilets, an information kiosk run by the National Parks Board, a few food stalls and a pair of shaded benches where you can reorganise your bag. This is also the point of no return on food and drink, in the sense that prices climb once you are further in. Buy your water here.
When to go, and when to avoid it
Singapore has no real winter, but Ubin still has a good season and a miserable one. The island is open every day, and in my experience the days that work best are weekdays between February and early September, with a start before nine in the morning. The wet months, roughly November to January during the northeast monsoon, can bring heavy afternoon downpours and dark skies that spoil the mangroves for photography, though the island is quieter. June and July are hot and humid but typically drier. On a public holiday or a Sunday, bike shops can run out of bicycles by eleven o'clock, and the boat queue at Changi Point can stretch well past an hour.
If you are dropping in on a longer trip to the region, the broader numbers are worth knowing. Our itinerary notes put Singapore's best season at year-round with a drier stretch from December to June, a tropical climate with heat and humidity all through the year, a temperature range of roughly 25 to 32 degrees Celsius and the heaviest rain between November and January. Ubin follows the same pattern, but with less shade than the city, so you feel the heat more.
| Time of year | What to expect on Ubin | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| February to April | Drier trails, bright light, fewer showers | Best window for cycling and for Chek Jawa |
| May to August | Hot, humid, sudden storms in the late afternoon | Go early, finish by lunch, carry a poncho |
| September to October | Haze can drift in some years, mixed weather | Check the air quality reading before you leave |
| November to January | Monsoon rain, muddy trails, quiet jetty | Pick a clear morning, wear shoes that can get wet |
Bicycle or on foot? Honest advice
The honest answer is that most first-time visitors should rent a bicycle. The island is flat on the main road and undulating on the off-road trails, but the distances are large enough that walking from the jetty to Chek Jawa and back, which is the most popular thing to do, is a four to five kilometre one-way slog in full sun. On a bike you cover it in twenty minutes and spend your energy on actually looking at things.
Rental costs vary by shop and by bike type. A simple one-speed city bike is typically in the region of ten dollars for the day. Mountain bikes with front suspension and proper gears cost more, and electric bikes are not common here. Whatever you take, test the brakes, squeeze the tyres, check that the chain is oiled, and ask for a helmet. Good shops keep a small pump and a tool and will sort you out if something goes wrong. Take a photo of the bike before you ride off, as some shops will question scratches when you return it. Return times matter too, because the last boat back leaves late afternoon or early evening, and you do not want to be pushing a bike up a hill at half past five.
The all-in-one cycling day
If you would rather not organise rentals, boat tickets and meals on your own, there is a guided option that rolls it together. The Exploration on Bicycles, Laser Clay Shooting and Land ZOVBing package starts at S$149.00 and, according to the operator's description, covers the bumboat transfers, the bicycle rental, the two activities and some food tastings. It begins at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal and, at the time of writing, is listed for Sundays only, running through the day. Allow four to five hours. I would not call it the cheapest way to see Ubin, because a self-organised day costs far less, but if you are bringing a group of friends or a family with teenagers who need something to get them excited, the laser clay shooting and the land zorbing give them a reason to come off their phones. Check the listing for the details of who it is suited to and what is included before you commit.
The best route for a full day
There is no single correct way to do Ubin, but after four visits I have settled on a route that avoids backtracking and puts the hardest effort early, when it is cool. Treat the times below as a rough guide and not a schedule, because the bumboat queue will have its own opinion.
| Time | Where | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Changi Point | Breakfast at the hawker centre, buy water, withdraw cash |
| 8:45 | Ubin jetty | Rent bikes, check brakes, photograph the bike |
| 9:15 | Chek Jawa | Boardwalk, coastal loop and the tower |
| 11:30 | Ubin Town | Early lunch at a village coffee shop |
| 13:00 | Puaka Hill and the quarries | Short ride and a viewpoint over the water |
| 14:30 | West trails | Quieter mountain bike loops and the shrine |
| 16:00 | Ubin jetty | Return bikes, drink something cold, catch the boat |
Chek Jawa: the reason most people come
Chek Jawa is a wetland at the eastern end of the island, and it is the one place on Ubin that earns its fame. It is a rare piece of coastline where several habitats sit side by side: sandy beach, rocky shore, seagrass lagoon, coral rubble, mangrove and a coastal forest. The wetlands became national news in 2001 when plans to reclaim the area were reversed after a public campaign, and it has been protected ever since. The visitor centre at the entrance is a short, low building with a good map and some staff who are happy to tell you what is currently flowering or nesting.
The boardwalk is the headline. It runs for about a kilometre over the intertidal flats, partly across mangrove and partly across open sea, and it is shaded in places and baking in others. At low tide the exposed flats are crowded with small creatures: sand dollars, sea stars, hermit crabs, mud lobsters and horseshoe crabs. At high tide you see the water lapping close under the planks and, if you are lucky, a kingfisher on one of the posts. Check the tide table before you go, because a low tide in the morning makes for a very different visit from a high tide at noon. The National Parks Board publishes tide information for Chek Jawa on its website, and I always look at it the night before.
The Jejawi Tower, a tall observation tower in the middle of the boardwalk, gives you an elevated view of the whole coastline and across to Pulau Sekudu and the Malaysian shore. Climb it in the morning when the light comes in from the east and the haze has not yet built up. There is also a coastal loop through the forest that takes about twenty minutes at a gentle pace, and a short sensory trail aimed at children. Do not touch or pick up the marine animals on the intertidal flats unless a guide instructs you, because the creatures are fragile and the rules are enforced.
The other trails and places worth your time
Puaka Hill and the quarries
The quarries are flooded pits with water in colours that range from deep green to an almost milky turquoise. Puaka Hill, one of the highest points on the island, has a lookout over one of them. The climb is short but sharp, and you will be glad of a bicycle bell and a water bottle. The old quarry workings are sealed off with fences, so stay behind the rails. Swimming is not allowed and the water is deeper than it looks.
The German Girl Shrine
Tucked off a side path near the quarries is a small shrine with a story. The legend, as locals tell it, is that a German girl fell from a cliff while running from the police during the First World War and died. Her ghost is said to haunt the area. A shrine was built for her, and her devotees now leave offerings of fruit, flowers and incense. Whether or not you believe the ghost story, the place is worth visiting for the contrast of a mossy Malay-Chinese shrine tucked into rainforest, and for the way local culture has absorbed the tale. Keep your voice low, do not move the offerings, and do not photograph anyone praying.
The Ketam Mountain Bike Park
If you ride seriously, the Ketam Mountain Bike Park has marked trails in a graded set from beginner to expert, mostly over packed earth and roots. It is where Singapore's off-road riders train. Beginners can enjoy the easy loops, but be aware that the descents can be steep and slippery after rain. A helmet is not optional.
Ubin Town and its coffee shops
The village around the jetty still has the feel of a fishing community. The shops are low, tin-roofed buildings, and the people running them are proud of their island. I always stop for a coffee in the old style, thick and sweet, and some kaya toast. It reminds me of the kopitiams of my childhood on the mainland that no longer exist. There is a small provision shop that sells cold drinks, ice cream and basic supplies, and a seafood restaurant that serves meals in a more formal sit-down setting.
Wild boar, hornbills and monitor lizards
The wildlife on Ubin is the best reason to go slowly. You will almost certainly see long-tailed macaques and monitor lizards. You have a good chance of spotting wild boar on the quieter trails, usually a mother with several striped piglets. Oriental pied hornbills, which were once almost extinct in Singapore, have been successfully reintroduced here and nest in the forest. Do not feed any animal. Keep your distance from the boar, especially if there are young ones. Never leave food in an open bag on your bicycle basket, because macaques will help themselves.
Eating and drinking on the island
There are no supermarkets, no convenience stores and no fast-food chains on Ubin. What you do find are a few small eateries serving simple, honest food: fried rice, noodles, fish, a decent cup of coffee and a lot of cold canned drinks. Prices are higher than on the mainland because everything has to come across by boat, and some places accept only cash. Do not expect a long menu. If you fancy proper hawker food, eat at Changi Village before you cross or after you return. The hawker centre next to the ferry terminal has some of the best nasi lemak in the east.
Fresh water is the thing most visitors underestimate. Bring at least a litre and a half per person, and more in the hot months. I freeze one bottle the night before so that it melts through the morning and stays cold for lunch. A packed picnic works well, but take all your rubbish home. There are few bins on the island, and the monkeys will tear open any bag they find.
If you want to make a longer day of it
Some people book a hearty breakfast at Mandai before heading east, and that is a reasonable plan if your main goal is nature, since the Mandai wildlife parks are in the north and a cab or ride-hailing car to Changi takes under an hour in light traffic. The Breakfast in the Wild session at Singapore Zoo starts at S$40.51 and puts you among orangutans and macaws over a buffet before the day gets hot. It is a different mood from Ubin, more organised and more comfortable, and I would not combine the two on the same day unless you start very early and have an easy pace.
What it costs: a realistic budget
One of the nicest things about Ubin is that entry is free. You pay for the boat, the bike and your food, and that is about it. The numbers below are my own estimates from recent trips and they will drift upwards over time, so treat them as a sense of scale and not as a quotation.
| Item | Approximate cost per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bumboat return | S$8 to S$10 | Cash only, leaves when full |
| Bicycle rental | S$10 to S$20 | Higher for mountain bikes |
| Lunch and drinks | S$10 to S$20 | More if you eat at the sit-down restaurant |
| Bus fare to Changi Village | Under S$3 each way | Less with a stored-value card |
| Chek Jawa and the trails | Free | Check opening hours for the visitor centre |
| Guided cycling package | From S$149.00 | Optional; includes activities |
Compare that with the general budget guidance for a day in the city, which our notes put at roughly S$150 to S$400 per person per day including hotels and attractions. Ubin is a bargain by comparison. You can have a very fulfilling day for under S$50 if you plan well.
Pairing Ubin with the rest of the east side
Because Changi Point is on the far east, the day naturally pairs with other sights in the neighbourhood. Here is what I would do with a free afternoon before or after.
Changi Chapel and Museum
The Changi Chapel and Museum is a fifteen-minute drive from Changi Village and starts at S$10.00. It tells the story of prisoners of war and civilians interned at Changi during the Japanese Occupation. It is a quiet, serious place and I would recommend going on a weekday morning. The listed opening hours run from mid-morning to the late afternoon on most days, and guided tours are offered during the day. Plan for around ninety minutes to two hours. It is a good counterweight to a day outdoors, and it adds context to a part of the island that many people only know for its airport.
Jewel Changi and the Canopy Park
The Canopy Park at Jewel is a large indoor-outdoor garden with bouncing nets, mazes and walking bridges, and it works well for children who have been told they must be calm on the island. Tickets start at S$31.72 through our Canopy Park page. If your flight has a long layover, this is also a very good way to spend it, as long as you have the right entry permissions to leave the transit area.
Batam by ferry
Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal is only a few minutes from Changi Point, and fast ferries to Batam in Indonesia leave from there. If you want a second country on the same trip, the Batam Fast ferry from Tanah Merah starts at S$43.00, with the crossing taking about 45 minutes according to the operator. Remember that a ferry to Batam is an international crossing, and passport and entry rules for Indonesia are separate from anything in Singapore. Our Harbourfront departures are an alternative if you are staying in town.
What to bring: my packing list
After a few trips, I have the packing list down to a routine. Our regional notes list sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, a reusable water bottle, a power bank, light breathable clothing, insect repellent, a wide-brimmed hat and swimwear, and for Ubin I agree with almost all of it, except that I leave the swimwear at home because swimming is not really on offer. A few additions, based on hard experience:
- Cash in small notes. The boat, the bike shop and the village stalls mostly deal in cash. There is no cash machine on the island.
- Closed shoes. Sandals are fine on the boardwalk, but tree roots and gravel on the trails are unkind to bare toes.
- Insect repellent. The mangroves and the forest trails are home to mosquitoes in good numbers. Apply it before you leave the jetty.
- A light rain jacket or poncho. A storm can arrive in minutes.
- A power bank. The camera and map will eat your battery.
- A small bag with a zip. To keep macaws out of your snacks.
- A mobile data plan. Coverage on the island is generally fine, and a mobile connection helps with maps, tide checks and ride-hailing home. A tourist eSIM, like the Airalo Singapore eSIM from S$4.24, saves you from roaming charges.
Safety, manners and the local rules
The island is safe, and the main risks are sunburn, dehydration and falling off a bicycle. Our general notes for Singapore recommend travel insurance with medical cover, and I would second that for anyone planning to ride on the off-road trails. The emergency numbers are 999 for the police and 995 for ambulance and fire. Save them before you cross.
Some points of etiquette matter. The residents are a small community who live on the island because they choose to, so do not wander into private compounds, and ask before photographing people or their homes. Keep to marked paths in the forest and mangroves, because the ecology is delicate. Take your rubbish with you. Do not feed the animals. And a point that applies across Singapore: littering draws heavy fines, and jaywalking and smoking in non-designated areas are also penalised.
A note on visas and onward tickets
If you are visiting from overseas, check your entry rules well before you travel. Most nationalities receive a visit pass on arrival, but travellers from some countries need a visa arranged through an authorised agent, and the official record we maintain lists the processing time as around three to five working days, with a longer wait during peak periods. Every short-term visitor must also submit the SG Arrival Card before arrival. Our visa requirements section explains who needs what, with sources and dates.
One more point many people forget: embassies and airlines often want proof of onward travel when you apply for a visa. If you are building an application and have not yet bought a flight you can change, our flight reservation service provides a flight reservation for visa applications. It is a reservation, not an issued ticket, and it is handled by people rather than by a booking engine, so allow time for it to be prepared. It does not guarantee visa approval, and you should not treat it as a purchased flight.
Wet weather and plan B
If the morning dawns with black clouds, do not cancel. The storms on this coast are often quick, and the trails smell wonderful afterwards. But if the forecast is truly grim, swap Ubin for an indoor day. The Big Bus tour from S$58.34 gives you the main sights from a covered seat, and a hop-on day can be a gentle way to see Marina Bay for people who do not want to cycle.
Another idea for a hot afternoon is a long meal. The Food Discovery Pass on Sentosa is listed from S$48.47 and gives you a flexible way to try several places over a long stretch. It is not about nature, but if your group is tired and sunburned, it is a kind way to end the trip.
My own mistakes, so you can skip them
Here are the errors I made, in the order I made them. First, I arrived late. By noon the sun is brutal and the bikes are gone. Second, I did not carry enough cash, and found that the nearest cash machine was a bus ride away. Third, I took a cheap bike with a loose seat post and spent the afternoon with the saddle sinking by the kilometre. Fourth, I ate at the first shop I saw, and paid more than I needed to. Fifth, I forgot to check the tide at Chek Jawa and arrived at high water, when the flats were hidden. Sixth, I wore white. The red earth of the trails stains everything.
There is a seventh, and it was the most useful. I tried to see everything. Ubin is a place to go slowly. Pick Chek Jawa and one other trail, stop for coffee, sit by the water and watch a monitor lizard doing nothing. The island rewards patience, and that is the whole point of coming.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pulau Ubin in Malaysia?
No. It lies in Singapore waters, off the north-eastern coast near Changi. You can see Malaysia across the Straits of Johor, but you do not cross a border to reach the island.
How do I get to Pulau Ubin?
Go to the Changi Point Ferry Terminal in Changi Village and take a bumboat. The crossing takes about ten minutes and the boats leave when they are full. Pay in cash.
How long do I need?
A half day is enough for Chek Jawa and a coffee. A full day lets you add the quarries, the shrine and a longer ride. A guided cycling package such as the one listed on our site is described as taking four to five hours.
Can I swim on Pulau Ubin?
Swimming in the quarries is not allowed, and the tidal flats and mangroves are not swimming areas. Some visitors paddle at the beaches, but check signs and conditions first.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, with a bit of planning. The Chek Jawa boardwalk is flat and shaded in parts, and kids love the creatures on the flats. Avoid the steeper mountain bike trails with young riders, bring plenty of water and keep hands off the wildlife.
Do I need cash?
Yes. The boat fare, bicycle rental and most food stalls take cash, and there is no cash machine on the island. Withdraw before you cross.
What if I need a visa to enter Singapore?
Check the rules for your passport on our visa requirements pages before you plan the trip. If your application needs proof of onward travel, our flight reservation service may help.
What is the best time of day to go?
Early. Arrive before nine on a weekday if you can. The light is soft, the trails are cool, the wildlife is active and the bike shops still have a full stock.
Featured experiences in this guide
Plan your Ubin day with HolidaySG
If you would rather have the bumboat, bikes and activities arranged in one go, take a look at the Pulau Ubin cycling and adventure package, listed from S$149.00. E-tickets are emailed after our team confirms your booking. Heading in from abroad? Check visa requirements first, and if you need a flight reservation for your application, start at our flight reservation page.