A Slow Island Day: My Pulau Ubin Journey

There’s a particular kind of quiet that greets you when you step off the bumboat onto Pulau Ubin. For me, that moment came just after a short 10‑minute boat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal, where the rhythm of waiting for the boat to fill and watching water lap against the hull felt more like part of the journey than something to rush.

Part 1 - Arrival & Boats

That first bumboat ride was more than transport. It felt like a gentle bridge from city pace to island pace. There is no strict timetable, just waiting until there’s enough company on the ride over. Ten minutes later, the shoreline appears; quiet, slow, inviting.

Part 2 - Village Vibes & Bicycles

Right past the jetty, Pulau Ubin’s old‑world charm settles in. Rows of bicycle rental shops line the entrance.

Part 3 - Trails, Ponds & Wildlife

As you walking deeper in, the island seems to open its arms. Wandering trails tuck you between forests and ponds that mirror the sky.

Part 4 - Chek Jawa’s Boardwalks & Mangroves

Chek Jawa consists of six ecosystems coexisting in one place, from mangroves to rocky shores. Walking the boardwalks, you almost feel the earth breathe under your feet. The visitor centre, which is a quiet house full of stories, helped me appreciate how close we are to nature. The boardwalk is also a good place for plane sightings.

Part 5 — Quiet Moments

By the end of the adventure, it wasn’t about places anymore. It was about moments: a bike resting under a tree, a boardwalk empty except for your footsteps, the sky turning gold, a plane dissolving into clouds. These were the memories that stayed with me.

Pulau Ubin taught me that travel doesn’t always have to be about seeing. Sometimes it’s about slowing down enough to feel it happening. If you enjoyed this journey, follow along on Instagram @TravelBytez or TikTok @TravelBytez_for all the photos and videos from this series and many more slow‑travel stories to come!

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When travel collides with a byte, a unit of information made up of bits, TravelBytez is formed: snippets of ramblings on travel, food, shopping, living and anything else that comes to mind.