There's this island just north east of Singapore Island that has the reputation for being "Singapore as it once was", a Singapore of kampungs, or Malay villages. This island is said to be just 10 minutes from Singapore by boat, but a world away in terms of development and amenities. This all sounds romantic and appealing but we had our doubts. There is no way that an island that is part of Singapore and separated by just a small canal of water could be so undeveloped and wild. Fortunately, we were wrong to doubt all that we had read. Pulau Ubin, compared to Singapore, is another world. It's wooden homes, village atmosphere, rural setting, and unspoilt nature could not be any more different from the modernity and manicured-feel of Singapore. 
We needed a weekend away, a weekend in a simple, natural setting and we got it on Pulau Ubin. Our first camping experience in Singapore was a memorable one on the north side of the island, with views across the Strait of Johor to Malaysia. Meanwhile, outside of the tiny village at the boat pier, we ran into more monitor lizards and wild pigs on the island's dirt roads than we did other people. The boys were ecstatic about our first camping weekend in Singapore and loved cruising around in the child seats on our rented bikes. It was a great weekend -- one we're sure to soon replicate.
No comments:
Post a Comment