Pulau Ubin Dec’20 – ‘the return’

Do you remember our last trip to Pulau Ubin with torrential rain and winds? It literally was like a scene from the Perfect Storm. Well, today was a lot different. We tracked today to be a 20% chance of rai and we nailed it. It was a stunning day. So stunning in fact we all got a little sunburnt.

It nearly started as a disaster though. We arrived at 1130 on our bumboat and thought let’s lunch, then bike hire, and then have dinner at Changi Village. We walked from the pier to the restaurant to see it closed on Tuesdays, holy shit. We had espied a rather small place before with some old Aunties and Uncles beering it at 1130am (my kind of people) so we went back to try. Not open until midday but we could grab a table to wait and get some drinks from the bike hire place next door. What transpired was clearly fate.

The view was as good if you can get a table outside.

People watching was ACE too as you are on the main corridor from the pier to the town square to cycle-pathways.

A bloody food Mecca – doesn’t look like much, but believe me, it is bloody good. We will not be going to any other place when we visit Pulau Ubin. This is now our one and only choice!!! Great service and amazing food and incredible prices. Can’t beat that holy trinity right?

Wifey got stuck into the Swimmer Crab (AKA Flower Crab) and said it was super-fresh and amazingly delicious – that’s that then the restaurant has the seal of approval from The Philippines Fishery Dept. Good job guys. We had this insanely good fried chicken amongst other things and my highlight of the day (2 dishes worth) was the potato leaves with garlic – best veggie dish EVER. Holy cow!!!

I could have sat here all day people watching, munching and supping ice-cold libations and chatting to the family. I am in my heavenly space. I am relaxed. I am chilled. I don’t have a care in the world. I feel my blood pressure reducing by the minute…

We noticed that the bike shop next door was part of the restaurant so we rented from there – less than 1/2 the price of the bike hire in the square, and better quality bikes too. Double whammy bonus from these guys.

Finally, I believe this place was the very same place I came here with my brother and sister about 10 years ago. See what I mean re fated.

We will only be eating and renting from here from now on… That’s for certain. LOVE this place!!! I suggest you do too.

Some major video content from my Co-Pilot Jude Jude today – yes I left him ‘in control’ of content today and it is bloody funny. If you have a spare 30-minutes watch the video. The mind of this 7-year-old is pouring out in his Vlogs – it really is bloody funny. I have broken them down to three sessions.

CLICK HERE for part #1 – ‘The Return’

CLICK HERE for part #2 – ‘Wetlands’

CLICK HERE for part #3 – ‘The Way Home’

We saw birds, fish, turtles, crabs, monitor lizards, mud-skippers, wild pigs, monkeys and and and… A really cool Natural History day today. A die, die must try rating goes to the Wetlands Walk. It is just superb. You ride your bike to this gate, park up and then walk in a big loop through swamp, seaside and jungle and even up a viewing tower to something like 6 stories to see varying levels of the jungle canopy. It’s just brilliant. And, apart from the bike rental, it is all FREE!!!

It’s a jungle out there.

On the bikes now and in the jungley bit. We stop at the big mother of a tree. It ain’t no Giant Redwood, but I’ll have to say that is bloody impressive for Singapore. It must be hundreds of years old. Look how nature works with no branches that can’t get access to light – all focus at growth and energy generation is at uppermost points in the canopy.

Jude Jude and I go into the jungle to explore the Muslim Cemetry and it got a little spooky in there. I can only assume the cemetery is there from the days when the outlying islands of Singapore were used as ‘hospitals or disease ‘quarantine’ locations.

One, two, tree, three, four, five family members – love this photo…

Queen of the swampland…

We then went off to the swampy boardwalk bit and found this rather beautiful inhabitant of the swamps swinging from a tree. Notice how she blends into the background with her nature’s camouflage of bright orange to hide from predators.

It surely is showing off how Singapore was ‘made’ back in the day. We were just one big mangrove swamp in a cool area for shipping congregation – sort of the Venice of Asia.

Crappy blurry photo sorry, and damn you iPhone. But look in the middle. See the grey water and mud in amongst all the brown? That is a mud-skipper digging out its hole at low tide. I was watching it gulp up mud and then spit it out, hence the grey pile of soil – look closely and you can see its head and two big bulgy eyes.

Up we climb to the top of the viewing tower through many layers of the canopy to an incredible perspective and view at the top.

I think we all nearly passed out walking up this. Something like 6 stories in height but in the humidity and heat, OMG. We walked passed a load of guys walking up when we left and equally they were struggling big-time. Proud to say though I made it up first with Jude Jude and then the girls in all their fancy lycra came up about 10-minutes later… light-weights.

Just me or is Wifey levitating…?

A cracker of a photo with Wifey and a beautiful firey Phoenix flying above us (WOW!!!).

And a quick turn around and there is the jungle side of the viewing tower – we are at the top and above the canopy. It really was a WOW moment and worth the pain of getting up there.

And, spin around again and here is the seaside view. Now that is not bad, is it?

Out of the mangrove swamps now and onto the seaside section.

Superb boardwalks all through the jungle, swamps and seaside and so much to see. Look about halfway up the boardwalk on the right-hand side. Can you see the Monitor Lizard? He’s lost his keyboard though.

Now exposed to the sun. Man, it is HOT though, a bit like the Wifey haha… Beautiful too, again just like the Wifey.

My co-pilot becomes a photographer as well as videographer. He did a great job today. Nice snaps Jude Jude.

OK, the last one as I am getting sunburnt now…

Love this snap – I m calling this; “Then and Now”…

Stunning little crabs. Zoom in. The males are brightly coloured with one massively oversized claw to impress and fight for the ladies. We saw these last in the mangrove swamps of Langkawi. Wifey informs me they also get these in the Philippines. SEA crabs you don’t mind getting perhaps…

The old quarries now become natural lakes teeming with wildlife.

Back on the bikes now and up a wee hill or two to the quarries, now stunning topaz blue lakes. Originally quarry sites for extracting granite and as they closed natural filling of water occurred to form these wildlife-rich scenic spots. Here you can see the Giant-bearded Kenneth and the Horn-Headed Jude Jude.

Yep, I’ll steal this Plano from Strawberry Blonde – cracker!!!

A couple of things though – words of advice;

Lather yourself up in mosquito spray – they’re intense in the swampy bits.

Lather yourself up in suntan lotion – it gets super-hot and super-exposed on the seaside walkway parts.

Bring water. You’ll need to hydrate a lot as it is super-hot and super-humid.

Back we came after the riding for a much needed cooling and refreshing libation and little rest before we depart on the boats back to Changi Village.

These guys behind Jude Jude have been there since 1130am – I am impressed haha. Again, I could sit here all day watching the world go by. $6 beers, great food and people and my wonderful family having fun and recalling the events of the day. Yeah, life is good sometimes!!!

And then onto the bumboat back to the mainland – Jude Jude and were getting splashed as the boat crossed another boat’s wake. Such a giggle.

Wave-catchers. Such a giggle and very cooling to get cool sea-water splashes and a lovely sea-breeze wafting us as we whizz back to Changi Village. The end of a great and just simply splendid day.

How we have never got to cycle to and then walk the Wetlands Walk before is beyond me. Well, we have only lived here 13 years or so haha – so the title is apt Pulau Ubin Dec’20 – ‘the return’. This was the VERY best trip to Pulau Ubin ever what with the weather and the things we did today. Watch the videos and copy our itinerary. It was a marvellous day. We all were full of delicious food, stories, smiles and memories. Copy what we did and you will enjoy, in fact, I guarantee you will – ENJOY!!!