Written by Merey Tan
Photos by Intan Krishanty
Just ten minutes’ bumboat ride from mainland Singapore, Pulau Ubin is a close representation of Singapore in the 1960s, preserving the rustic, undeveloped kampong (village) life that the mainland lost to rapid modernisation.
Pesta Ubin is a ground-up community festival made possible by the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN), with the strong support and collaboration of the National Parks Board (NParks). It is organized by passionate volunteers, villagers, and various nature and heritage interest groups. Ubin Day on 20 June 2026 celebrated the finale of Pesta Ubin.
This year, Cicada Tree Eco-Place (CTEP) organised a guided walk to explore the fascinating world of cicadas and butterflies in one of Singapore’s most unique natural habitats.
All 50 participants gathered at Ubin Gallery before we started on our trails. Hang Chong was the guide for Group A, which focused on cicadas and butterflies, while Andrew was the guide for Group B, exploring the sensory trail and the local villagers’ house.
Starting with the sensory trail, participants in Group B saw many herbs and fruit trees such as papaya, banana, rambutan and breadfruit etc.
Science came alive for 14 year-old Yves Leonard and Zach Tan, as they learnt more about the plants which were used in Southeast Asian cooking, like the lemongrass, pandan leaf and fruits/ leaves of the Asam Gelugor. Resembling a small pumpkin, the Asam Gelugor adds a sour tang to curries.
Zach felt that the most memorable part of the Ubin trip was the visit to the kampung house, where he saw many household items that he had not seen before.
A walk down memory lane, evoking feelings of nostalgia in the village charm was Teck Seng’s Place – a conserved 1970s Chinese kampong house. Once owned by a local provision shop owner, it is now an open-house heritage museum that lets visitors experience nostalgic village life. The coal-fired iron, stone mortar, Singer sewing machine, red wooden clogs, and even a ‘bridal chamber’ – remnants of yesteryears where life was simpler.
Group A went to Butterfly Hill, where lots of Black-veined Tiger Butterflies were having a party! According to NParks, this sanctuary is home to over 140 unique butterfly species in Pulau Ubin itself!
Victoria Lim shared, “Andrew is a very knowledgeable guide who brought us along the sensory trail and introduced us to many spices and wildlife that Pulau Ubin has to offer. Though the weather was hot, we were sheltered by trees most of the way, making the walk decently comfortable, but bring mosquito repellent!”
“Thanks to Hang Chong and Intan for the sharing. It was a wonderful learning and exploration experience!”, said Janus Goh.
Indeed, Ubin is worth many visits for its flora and fauna, and facets of village life. So this year’s slogan : “Share the island, Shape the Future” is very apt!
