Mother's Day at Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa

I have very fond memories of Pulau Ubin. It's the site of 2 OBS , once in Secondary where I first met Da, and another during JC. In uni, I went there quite a few times as I was training to be a nature guide there (though I didn't quite make it as I realised I really couldn't tell the different plants apart). That's also when Da and me officially started dating again.

Then, we stopped going there. And it's been so many years since we last stepped on the island. I had wanted to go so many times but request was turned down due to heat and inconvenience etc. Finally , one day before Mother's Day, my mum said she wanted to go to Pulau Ubin, Cayen should like the boat trip there. As it was her wish , that became the command for all to prepare for a Ubin trip the next morning . My bro in law had agreed readily initially , thinking we are going to eat Ubin seafood . Ha ! 

We took a boat ride there from Changi ferry terminal and reached there in around ten minutes I reckoned. We learned from one of the passengers that she went to Singapore main island to do her weekly marketing and actually the inhabitants on Pulau Ubin has reduced to under 20. (Seems too little!) 

When we reached, we were contemplating to cycle or not. My sis was super enthused given most people are there to explore the island on wheels. Unfortunately, the bicycles all have child seat perched at the front of the bicycles and we couldn't quite trust CAyen to sit still. Thankfully , we saw a third option - a minivan ! As the van trudged through the uneven roads, slopes, and long distance, we were so thankful to have made the right choice to take a minivan since we were travelling with old and young. 

After a 10-15 minutes' ride, we were all so glad that we took the minivan option. We reached a junction where we needed to go on foot to explore the Chek Jawa area. As we descended the van, we saw a family of wild boars running and playing around. What a sight ! And I think they were quite used to people so we were able to go up close and personal.

Check out the video : 

Then we explored the treks and saw a viewing tower. We climbed up to a gorgeous bird's eye view of the island and the canopy . The climb was worth it! Then, we continued on our way along the trek and next up, we saw this beautiful conservation house that used to be built as a holiday home. The interior design is very European style and even comes with a fireplace! (Though I can't think of why he thought it's necessary?!) 

Then, we went along another track and saw the original Chek Jawa that I had been to but now it's converted to a boardwalk. If you look closely, you can see so many crabs and animals scurrying around. It's amazing the amount of biodiversity that exists in such a small plot of land! If you have children, this is a wonderful place for them to get acquainted with nature and its splendours! We must come back again! 

Check out the video : 

Thankfully, we started the day early at 9am so by the time we were done, it was nearly noon and weather was so hot! If you can get to Ubin by 8am, you can join the 2 hour guided tour to Chek Jawa. Check out National Parks on how to do it :  https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/pulau-ubin-and-chek-jawa

After a fun filled morning, we went back to Singapore island for seafood - First Ubin seafood and lots of coconut juice as  it was so hot . 

Overall verdict: very interesting and educational. Worthwhile a revisit. Travel to Chek Jawa either by bicycle or minivan only. Good place for kids and families and anyone who can cycle. 







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