Friday, April 28, 2006

Upcoming Pedal Ubin Ride @ 13 May

Here's another chance to visit Ubin and learn about its natural and cultural heritage with the Pedal Ubin guides!


Pedalling on Ubin on April 9. Photo by Andy Dinesh

Explore Pulau Ubin on bicycle with trained guides from Pedal Ubin.

Date: 13 May 2006 Saturday
Time: 8.30am

Send an email with the following details to

1. Name
2. Email address where you can be reached
3. Mobile phone number
4. Cycling ability (wobbly, steady or wow!)
5. Emergency contact (name, relationship (e.g. mother/father/wife) and phone number
6. Date of preferred ride(s) - please refer to our 2006 calendar for the list of dates

You will receive an acknowledgement reply to confirm that there are still places available.

Confirmation and Payment (from May 2006)
The charge is S$10.50 (inclusive GST) per participant. If you bring your own bicycle, the charge is S$7.35. Payment covers the bumboat ride from Changi to Pulau Ubin (one-way) and whole day bicycle rental.

Payment is strictly non-refundable and can be made in cash or cheque. In the unlikely event that the trip is cancelled by Pedal Ubin! due to lightning threat or similar reasons (has not happened yet), a replacement ride will be arranged.

To find out more about how to make payments and other FAQ, please visit the pedal ubin website.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Ubin Stories gets a new look!

Ubin Stories gets a face lift this Earth Day!

How many places and items of Ubin can you find in the banner at the top of the website? Each of the photos represent a unique place, history or ecosystem of Ubin. See how many you can identify!

Post your answers in the comment section of this post.
Answers will be revealed in 2 weeks.


Happy Earth Day 2006!

After the rain, the wildlife roams

During the last Pedal Ubin ride on 9 April 2006 (Sunday), a heavy storm that lasted throughout the night made for an enticing morning to sleep in yet our amazing participants and guides actually got up in the wee hours of the rainy morning and came down to Changi Point Ferry Terminal in full force.

Prepared for a muddy ride, my group headed off with a family with 2 adorable boys and their Norwegian friends along with 2 other couples including a professional photographer Julian that probably knows more about Ubin than I do!

Our first surprise of the day started early as we were standing at the basketball court (Meeting Point 1), a huge silhouette appeared in the horizon. It was one of the hornbills! That was not to be the only time we see the hornbills that day. Later at the Thai temple we were treated to almost a half hour of watching two hornbills (one male and one female) feasting on the Bodhi Tree outside the temple. They were very close and absolutely unafraid. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera on me as I was thinking a rainy day on Ubin probably would not be condusive for photo taking. Well I was wrong! This is a lesson to all that after the rain, the animals come out to play!


Photo of Hornbill by Pedal Ubin Guide Andy Dinesh, 9 April 2006

Unfortunately it also brought out the ants! With the ants' nest flooded, all the ants were out to "play" too!

At Jelutong Bridge, we saw a Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) or what the malay know as the Raja Udang. (Did you know there is a road in Singapore off Balestier Road called Jalan Raja Udang and it was named after this bird!) It was the first time I saw this bird on the island as the Common Kingfisher is actually relatively uncommon in Singapore.

Throughout the trip, from Puaka Hill all the way up till the Thai temple, I continuously heard the strangled call of the Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) but nobody else in my group heard it. It was not until I demonstrated the call that everybody started noticing it too. Unfortunately we never got to see any that day!

Finally, on our way back to the jetty, we were graced by the presence of a monitor lizard sunning itself by the road side just outside the MCC Ubin Resort!


Photo of a sunning monitor lizard at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserves. The one we spotted at Ubin was doing the very same thing after a cold rainy morning! Photo by November, 4 Dec 2005

Despite my lack of camera, I'm glad that we had Julian with us. More photos from Julian to come!

Monday, April 17, 2006

A cafe-restaurant in Pulau Ubin? This survey wants to know

Lavinia Toh is conducting a new business feasability survey as part of her 3rd year graduation project with University of Bradford (offered by MDIS). Her research survey with locals and Ubin lovers intends to test the concept of a cafe-restaurant concept in Pulau Ubin.

She is inviting survey respondents to download and fill in a Word document survey form, She needs thee replies this week, by Thu 20 Apr 2006.

Right-click/Ctrl-click to download the survey form and send your replies to thelmama@yahoo.com