Singapore Pulau Ubin Online

The quarrymen are gone now. The last mine shut in the 1990s. But their legacy remains in the island’s topography. Today, the flooded quarries—most famously Pekan Quarry and Ubin Quarry —are breathtakingly beautiful. Kettles of tea-green water sit inside sheer rock walls, framed by ferns and strangler figs. Dragonflies patrol the surface like tiny helicopters. If you stand still enough, you might spot a monitor lizard gliding into the depths.

Pulau Ubin has a rich and storied history that dates back to the 14th century. The island was an important stopover for traders and fishermen, and its strategic location made it a prized possession for various colonial powers. In the 19th century, Pulau Ubin was a major granite quarry site, with the British exploiting the island's natural resources to build many of Singapore's iconic landmarks, including the Singapore Harbour and the Istana. Today, remnants of the island's quarrying past can still be seen in the form of old quarry pits, now converted into serene lakes and ponds. singapore pulau ubin

For most visitors, the first order of business is transport. You rent a rusty bicycle from one of the elderly shopkeepers—$8 to $12 SGD for the day, helmet optional, prayers recommended. The bikes are battered, the gears often stripped, but they are the only passport you need to explore the island’s 1,020 hectares of secondary forest, abandoned quarries, and weathered wooden houses on stilts. The quarrymen are gone now