Pulau Ubin Off The Beaten Path

Come every Aug/Sep, Pulau Ubin would prepare itself for guests from the netherworld. Yes, you heard me correct. Aug is the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar Year and it's the month where the gates of Hell are open and ghosts roam freely. Kinda like Halloween, I reckon. During this season, the usually empty stage near the jetty will be prettily decked with lights and a full fledged opera performance will be staged...for the dead.

The Chinese Opera at Pulau Ubin was fascinating to watch. Never mind that it was performed for the dead! The performers were decked in heavy makeup , glittery ancient costumes as they sang in a forgotten Chinese dialect. There were no visible spectators that night but a row of empty chairs were laid out at the front. Of course, the nature group photographers and myself knew better than to take those seats. They're afterall meant for the dead.

Somewhere in Pulau Ubin, on the Chek Jawa beach, lies a colonial house, which has mock-Tudor gables and a chimney. It was formerly known as 'No 1' and was built more than 100 years ago. Nobody lives there now but it's open to the public for exploratory purpose. Of course, if you believe in rumours, this house is suitably haunted at night..

We are told wild boar can be seen on the island, but after 8 visits, I've only seen them once! Many tracks are not marked on the map, but you can still safely tread along the paths you see, as long as they look like proper tracks ,minor roads or loose gravel stoned paths. I spotted 2 wild boars on the way to Chek Jawa at about 1pm while walking along an unmarked gravel path. Too bad they were making their hasty exit or would have taken their picture!

Outward Bound Singapore is part of the international network of Outward Bound centres. While Outward Bound itself is well-established in many countries, Outward Bound Singapore has the distinction of having an 'Excellent' rating in terms of expertise, facilities and safety.

Despite being situated on Pulau Ubin on an area as large as 17 football fields, Outward Bound Singapore maintains strong ties to the People's Association, to which it belongs. In the peaceful and natural settings of Ubin, OBS educators are constantly welcoming and helping students, staff and leaders discover new heights through its various courses and expeditions.