Singapore's TidbiTs

📍 Marina South Pier  |  🚢 Ferry from $15  |  ☀️ Best: Dry Season (Feb–Oct) Island Hopping 📋 Table of Contents -> Introduction -> Ferry Services & Booking -> Lazarus & St. John's Islands -> Sisters' Islands Marine Park -> Kusu Island -> Island Histories -> Wildlife & Nature -> Essential Tips Introduction Think Sentosa is Singapore's only island escape? Think again. Just off the southern coast lies an archipelago of hidden gems — pristine beaches, sacred shrines, and thriving marine life — all accessible by a short ferry ride from Marina South Pier. Beyond the well-trodden shores of Sentosa, Singapore's Southern Islands offer a completely different experience. These include St. John's Island , Lazarus Island (Pulau Se...

Kampong Gelam is one of the oldest settlements in Singapore, whose history dated before Raffles . This area was to become the home of Sultan Hussein Shah , whom Sir Stamford Raffles recognised as a legitimate successor to the Johor empire and, who in 1819 signed a treaty with the British East India Company, to establish a trading post in Singapore. Gazetted in 1989, Kampong Gelam is home to significant landmarks, including the Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan), which serves as a focal point for the Muslim community. Located near Bugis , the area is now a conservation area with art-deco, early, first and second transitional and late-style shophouses dotting the area. Shophouses which can be seen all around ethnic quarters including at Kampong Gelam, were built in rows and connected by sheltered walkways called the five-foot-way. Shophouses typically comprised of a shop doing business on the ground floor, with the upper floors occupied by people and families for residential purposes. Raffles...