3 Offshore Singapore Islands to visit- no passport required

Like everyone else, my carry-on has been sitting pretty and collecting dust on top of my cupboard. I have even forgotten what was inside them. I long to feel like I am travelling, even missing the security checks. The thing I missed the most over the past year was to swiftly pack a bag and set off on a quick unplanned weekend away. Now, a year without travelling or even a weekend away has made us look around as to what we can do to cure the travel or explorer itch, right here.

Living in Singapore, there is only that much to do, or so you might think. Start digging, and you will discover a treasure trove of adventures that await you on this island nation. 

 There are fantastic staycation options and cruises to nowhere, but I looked for off the beaten path adventures/experiences. And I found a few right here in Singapore, places or experiences you probably never heard of or have but, like me, forgot about. The first is the Singapore Southern Islands, and no, not Sentosa, although they have surprising beautiful nature trails (I will get to that in another article). 

So let’s start with, ‘Did you know?’

Did you know?

Singapore consists of 64 islands, yes 64! As mentioned before, we all know Sentosa and Pulau Ubin, and even Coney island. But did you know there are a few other islands you can visit like the one boasting a stretch of pristine sand and palm trees as if you are on a beach holiday? Without even taking your passport out and dusting off the cobwebs, you can jump on a ferry and visit these islands.

Singapore Southern Islands – a day of island hopping

Our morning started early. We arrived 25min before our departure time of 9am. So excited, we almost skipped over to the counter to collect our tickets. From here, darting over to the ‘Departure gate’ and the security check. Gosh, how I missed this feeling.

On the ferry, we sat down on the left next to the window to get a good view of Marina Bay Sands as we cruised away from the main island. Memories of the Philippines flickered through my thoughts, an early morning ferry ride to Bohol. Pure bliss.

A short 30 min later, we docked at St John’s ferry point. Everyone disembarked casually and made their way off in various directions. We opted to go right while most went left to Lazarus island. Leisurely strolling along, we explored the coast and watched Singapore in the distance. After wandering through St John’s pathways, we decided to head over to the beach on Lazarus island. Forget about a leisurely stroll across; we crossed the bund with a brisk walk in search of shade. The bund has no cover, and the sun pounds down on you as well as bounces up from the tar.

After a 20min walk, we arrived at a pristine beach stretch with turquoise water and soft white sand. Who would have guessed that Singapore had such a beautiful beach without any man made structures, only palm trees and nature wrapping it in? 

After finding a spot in the shade and making sure there are no coconut trees in sight, definitely don’t want one of those dropping on you. We laid down our blankets, kicked off our shoes and settled down to the sound of the waves and the occasional sound of music from the yachts anchored in the cove.

After a while of absorbing the peace and tranquillity, we unpacked our lunch from our tiffin carrier. We made sure we had enough food and, most importantly, water, as there are no shops or vending machines. Also, all were packed in eco-friendly ware, with no plastic thus ensuring no waste as we have to take our containers with us.

Taking the 2:45pm ferry over to Kusu, we explored and wandered around this little island with about an hour to spare before our 4pm departure back to the main island. Dotted all along the boarder are little huts to relax in, this island was way less crowded than Lazarus. As 4pm drew closer we visited to small turtle sanctuary and temple before saying farewell and back to the hustle and bustle of the city.

The 3 Singapore islands and their history in short

St John’s island

Situated 6.5km south of the main island, it is less than a 30 min ferry ride away. For such a small island, it has quite some history over the past 200 years. St. John’s island was where Sir Stamford Raffles first anchored in 1819 before heading over to the main island the following day. Since then, the island was a screening and quarantine centre from the late 1800s onwards. From the mid-1950 to the 1970s, it was a rehabilitation centre for drug(opium) addicts. And after 1975, it was converted into a holiday campsite; you can still hire one of the bungalows. Today St John’s island National Marine Laboratory is situated on this island as well.

Lazarus and Seringat island

Lazarus island is now known for its pristine beach with beautiful turquoise water. The best part is it is relatively peaceful. This little island also has a fascinating history. Formally known as Pulau Sakijang Pelepah, I read that a fire destroyed prisoner huts in the early 1900s. With a second, much larger fire about 12 years later, most of the vegetation was destroyed. Through the 1900s, the island community grew but were rehoused to the main island by the end of the century. 

Lazarus and Seringat islands were connected to make one larger island, initially planned for resort/housing development, but that did not happen. Now it is a beautiful nature retreat. 

Learn more about this interesting island here.

Kusu island

Kusu island has a few stories about how it came about, you can read about them on the board as you enter the island from the pier. One being two fishermen got shipwrecked around the Kusu area. A giant tortoise saw them and transformed into an island to provide shelter for these fishermen. Kusu in Chinese means Tortoise; the island has a small tortoise sanctuary and next to it the Chinese Tua Pek Kong temple. As well as 3 Malay shrines at the top of the hill, which are accessible by the many stairs. The Chinese Tua Pek Kong temple was built in 1923, and sees an annual pilgrimage during the 9th moon of the lunar calendar. 

What to do 

Picnic

Be it next to the beach on Lazarus or beneath the trees in one of the huts along the islands, a picnic is always a good idea. Bring enough food and especially water for the day as there are no shops or vending machines on the islands. Make sure to clean up afterwards and take any trash back with you to the main island. Best to pack in your own reusable ware.

Relax on the beach, take a dip

With beautiful clear water this beach is probably my favourite in Singapore, it gives the feeling of being on a beach in Thailand or Langkawi with no big resorts or buildings behind it. 

Explore

There are many short trails (all together about 2.8km) on St John’s and Lazarus island. Try to spot some birds and the heritage trees. NParks have a DIY walking trail you can use with all the information on the plants and animals in certain areas.    

Guided tour

They also offer a free guided tour every first Sunday of a month. It works on a first come basis, and takes about 90min. Register here.  

Private yacht

Fancy a day on the water, you can always hire a private yacht for the day and enjoy lunch or sundowners anchored in the bay.

Logistics 

How to get there

Situated 6.5km south of the main island, ferries depart from Marina South Pier daily. The ferries make the +-30min trip over to St John’s first before departing from there for a 15min ride to Kusu island. You can either stay on St. John’s the whole day and take a direct ferry back or do a short stop on Kusu island before heading back to the Marina South pier. Make sure to check the schedule as the week differs from the weekend.

To get to Lazarus island you need to cross over the paved bund which takes about 10+min from St John’s pier. To reach the beach is another 5 min walk. 

Purchase your ticket online to make sure you get your spot. 

What to take

There are no convenient shops, cafes or vending machines on any of these islands, so you will have to take everything you need with you that includes water and food. When you leave make sure to take any rubbish with you as there are almost no bins on these islands.

St John’s and Kusu have some shelter huts but you will probably be walking around or lounging by the beach, plus the walk over from St John’s to Lazarus has little to no shade, so best to take a hat or umbrella.

Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, opt for a mineral based sunscreen as the sun can get scorchingly hot.

And lastly, as a rule of thumb, I always take mozzie repellent with, living in the tropics with tropical rain storms and humidity those little critters might just be around. My first visit they loved me, the last none no bites. 

Take note

There are no shops, cafes or vending machines. Also only St John’s and at Seringat island’s pier will you find toilets, there are none on Lazarus. (see the map above for the locations)

xxx

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*Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are my own