Time travel to Pulau Ubin

We've been wanting to go there for so long. And now we finally made it. Pulau Ubin. A small island off Singapore where time seems to have stood still in the 1960s. There are only 100 residents living on the island in small huts. Authentic and untouched. Everything is relaxed and somehow different from fast-paced, modern Singapore. Life here seems to have a different pace, with nature almost untouched.

We took the bus to the ferry terminal. Once we arrived, we waited until 12 people gathered so the boat could cross. Even the 10-minute ride on the small bumboat was amazing, and Jakob loved how the boat made waves.

Arriving at Pulau Ubin, we found ourselves in the heart of the village. A seafood restaurant, several bike rentals. That was about it. The mostly older residents sat comfortably on their chairs, chatting and drinking tea together. Even in the village, there were only a handful of people to be seen. We rented two bikes with child seats and started cycling. The paths were partly paved, partly simple gravel paths. We passed by hidden houses that seemed to belong to another time. Fruits and vegetables were grown in the gardens. Cars were few and far between, as the island is not very big.

We cycled through the jungle in 33-degree heat, and soon the first wild horde of monkeys blocked the path. The first time, we were a bit scared and stopped. We already knew wild monkeys from Bali, where they were really aggressive and thieving. Back then, we were even advised to get vaccinated against rabies... but the next few times, we were braver and just rode past them. Still, we felt uneasy, knowing that they could jump at us at any moment. Especially since we had food with us, which also attracted wild boars. We saw many of them by the roadside or right on the path in front of us. Once, a whole herd ran from right to left right in front of us. Definitely impressive how close you are to the animals here. We also saw huge butterflies and heard the most amazing bird songs. We saw mangroves and giant palm trees.

We also stopped at a temple, an observation tower, and made a stop at the German Girl Shrine for our picnic. There, a wild boar immediately came to visit, hoping to get something.

In total, we spent about 4 hours cycling. Up and down hills. I was actually expecting to have a terrible muscle ache. But since I'm so athletic, luckily it didn't happen............

Overall, it was a really nice day on the island, and if we ever come back here, we will definitely visit Pulau Ubin again.