Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa

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mostlyharmless

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Trail stats

Distance: 5.42 mi
Elevation gain: 308 ft
Technical difficulty: Moderate
Elevation loss: 308 ft
Max elevation: 113 ft
TrailRank: 58 5
Min elevation: 0 ft
Trail type: Loop

Moving time: one hour 38 minutes
Time: 2 hours 22 minutes
Coordinates: 1480
Uploaded: November 16, 2021
Recorded: November 2021

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near Pulau Ubin Village, SG.02 (Sïngäpûru)

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Trail photos

Itinerary description

Pulau Ubin was first claimed by the British in 1825. In the early 1850s, the colonial administration encouraged Malay settlers to colonise the island to prevent pirates from using the island as a hideout, and most settlers became fishermen.
By 1847, Pulau Ubin was settled by the Chinese who started private quarrying companies on the island to quarry granite and feed the demand for stone and large-scale granite quarrying operations on Pulau Ubin supported the construction of the Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca, the Raffes Lighthouse, the Causeway, Pearl’s Hill Reservoir, Fort Canning and its reservoir, and the Singapore Harbour.
In the early 1900's, land on the island was cleared for coffee, nutmeg, pineapple, coconut, tobacco and rubber plantations but only rubber remained profitable. The introduction of prawn farms to Pulau Ubin in the 1950s caused many of the mangrove swamps to be drained. Gradually, quarrying and agriculture became less viable and with a large scale exodus of the population, by the mid-1990s, the population of Pulau Ubin was approximately 400. By 2001, the population fell to below 200 and it has remained that way ever since. (roots)
This walk takes the easterly path towards Chek Jawa, returning with a short detour around the sensory trail.

Waypoints

Branch off for the sensory trail

Overarching trees

Former Headman's house

This two-story house belongs to the former island headman Lim Chye Joo, who died in 2006 at the age of 101. With a well and a woodstove out back framed by fruit trees and a vegetable patch, the house paints a complete picture of self-sufficient rural living.

Sun filtering through the leaves

Ubin Fruit Orchard

Early morning calm

Waypoint

Serenity in the trees

Jalan Durian

Nipah Palms

Tranquility on Jalan Durian

Waypoint

Wilderness hut

Waypoint

Heritage tree

The common pulai is a mid canopy tree up to 40 m in height with pagoda shaped crown. Its simple leaves are arranged in whorls, exudes latex when broken. The trunk is deeply fluted and buttressed. It produces creamy, fragrant flowers. Common Pulai is native to Singapore and self-sown Common Pulai can sometimes be seen in secondary forests. This particular specimen, though, is hardly worthy of the name "common"!

Chek Jawa entrance

One of Singapore's richest ecosystems, Chek Jawa is a unique natural area where six major habitats meet and mix. The amenities, including a visitor centre with a viewing jetty, over 1 kilometres of boardwalk (Mangrove and Coastal Loops), and a 20 metre tall Jejawi Tower, are accessible from this entrance which only opens at 9 am. Chek Jawa is an intertidal area, with various ecosystems unveiled at low tides of 0.5 metres and below. The best views of the undulating shores are at low tide. (nParks).

Entrance to the Chek Jawa boardwalk

Rich formation of rocks

Looking back at the boardwalk

Chek Jawa boardwalk (high tide)

Covering approximately 100 hectares in area, Chek Jawa is a unique natural area, where six major ecosystems – sandy beach, rocky beach, seagrass lagoon, coral rubble, mangroves and coastal forest - meet! (nParks)

Chek Jawa boardwalk (high tide)

From the visitor centre, you can choose to experience the Chek Jawa Wetlands via two routes: the Coastal Loop (600m) and Mangrove Loop (500m) boardwalk with lookout platforms, a floating pontoon, and shelters. (nParks)

Chek Jawa boardwalk (high tide)

Mangrove ecosystem

The Mangrove Loop boardwalk

Nipah Palms

Jejawi tower

Meeting the seven-storey high (21m) Jejawi Tower to view the tree canopy and observe the biodiversity, such as birdlife. The viewing tower is named after the native tree (Malayan Banyan) that grows just beside the tower. (nParks)

The Chek Jawa Visitor Centre

The Chek Jawa Visitor Centre (House No. 1) is Singapore's only remaining authentic Tudor-style house with a fireplace. House No.1 was built in the 1930s as a holiday retreat for the Chief Surveyor of Singapore, Landon Williams. When restoration efforts began in 2005, it was necessary to replace damaged roof trusses and termite-infested floorboards to restore the Chek Jawa Visitor Centre's original façade. Plastered stone and brickwork had to be stripped and reinstated with original finishes. (roots)