Northern Route at Pulau Ubin, Singapore

Northern Route at Ubin

The longer Northern Route takes you through Ubin Town along Jalan Ubin towards two loops. One along Jalan Durian bring you to the old Kampung Melayu (Malay Village). The other along Jalan Sam Heng and Jalan Mamam to Mamam Beach, via the mangroves to Jalan Noordin and Noordin Beach, then back to Town via Jalan Noordin, Jalan Batu Ubin and Jalan Jelutong.

Some of the major sights on your journey North include

Ubin Town: the heart of Ubin.

Farms along Jalan Ubin include poultry farms with chickens, ducks and even a turkey; and a fish farm with its tranquil waters. Fruits trees right alongside the road gives you a closer look at chempedak (jackfruit), bananas, durian and custard apple.

Heading north along Jalan Ubin are rambutan and durian plantations: fruits are sold on site during the season. But off season, the private properties should be left alone.

At the junction of Jalan Ubin, Jalan Sam Heng and Jalan Durian are malay kampung houses, resplendent and colourful with well tended flower gardens. Get a cold drink in outdoor seating on weekends.

Here too the rubber plantations are more obvious. Elsewhere, the recovering forest obscures these trees. Some may even still have rubber-tapping marks on their trunks.

Heading down Jalan Durian brings you to the old location of Kampung Melayu and Kampung Surau. Passing Jalan Durian, there are tall stands of Nipah palm, which produce our favourite attap chee, gula melaka and leaves for attap thatching.

Following in the dirt road heading inland brings you through secondary forest and the coastal road to Chek Jawa. Pass the 30m tall Pulai Tree, which sticks out of the canopy and can be seen even from Ubin Jetty.

Returning from Chek Jawa along the quarry road brings you over several hilly portions with views of the abandoned quarries. The path leads you back to the junction of Jalan Sam Heng and Jalan Mamam.

The metalled road brings you past secondary forests to Mamam Beach: a view of Johor, picnic spot with toilets nearby.

Following the dirt road along Sungei Mamam brings you to the old Orchid Farm, a popular stop for a refreshing drink on weekends. Here, view mangroves, vegetables being grown, poultry such as quails being reared. The farm also has peacocks and other exotic birds, as well as a male wild boar.

The dirt road loops back to the junction passing through a prawn farm with its sluice gate, and more mangroves.

Or you can head West along the dirt road towards Noordin Beach, although this beach is now closed. From Noordin Beach, head back to Town along Jalan Noording past more mangroves and fruit plantations. On Jalan Jelutong, stop to view Pekan Quarry where herons sometimes rest among the drowned trees in numbers.