Singapore's Southern Islands: Island-Hopping to St. John's, Lazarus, Kusu & Sisters' Islands

📍 Marina South Pier | 🚢 Ferry from $15 | ☀️ Best: Dry Season (Feb–Oct) Island Hopping

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 Sekijang Pelepah), Pulau Seringat, Kusu Island, Sisters' Islands (Pulau Subar Laut & Pulau Subar Darat), and Pulau Hantu. While some islands like Pulau Semakau (Singapore's landfill island) and the Raffles Lighthouse require special permits, the main four — St. John's, Lazarus, Kusu, and Sisters' — are easily reached via regular ferry services.

Each island carries a colourful history, from quarantine stations and prisoner-of-war camps to sacred pilgrimage sites and marine conservation parks. Whether you are after a lazy beach day, a nature walk, or a cultural experience, island-hopping here is one of Singapore's most underrated adventures.

The pristine lagoon at Lazarus Island — arguably the best beach in Singapore.

Ferry Services & Booking

All public ferries to the Southern Islands depart from Marina South Pier (31 Marina Coastal Drive), conveniently located right above Marina South Pier MRT Station (NS28). Take Exit A for direct access to the pier.

⚠️ Important Service Update (2025–2026)

St. John's Island Main Jetty is closed for enhancement works from 24 April 2025. All ferries now dock at Lazarus Island's Pulau Seringat Jetty instead. It is a 15–20 minute walk from the jetty to St. John's Island via the causeway.
Big Sister's Island ferry trips are temporarily suspended on weekdays (except Public Holidays) until further notice.
Sisters' Island is closed for maintenance on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Operator & Tickets

Singapore Island Cruise & Ferry Services is the appointed public ferry operator. Tickets are non-refundable and include a round trip with hop-on-hop-off flexibility on the same day.

Detail	Information
Operator	Singapore Island Cruise & Ferry Services
Location	Marina South Pier, #01-04 (bright orange booth)
Adult Fare	From ~S$15 (round trip)
Child Fare	From ~S$12 (round trip)
Booking	Online strongly recommended; walk-in available but not guaranteed
Contact	Tel: 6534 9339 \| Emergency: 8511 5551

Ferry Route

The standard route is: Marina South Pier → Kusu Island → Lazarus Island → return to Marina South Pier.

Note: There is no direct ferry service between Kusu Island and St. John's/Lazarus Island. If you wish to visit both Kusu and Lazarus in one day, you must return to Marina South Pier and board a subsequent ferry.

Sample Schedule

Schedules vary between weekdays and weekends. Always check the official Singapore Island Cruise website before your trip.

Day	Departures from Marina South Pier	Last Return
Weekdays	Approx. 10:00am, 11:00am, 2:00pm	4:15pm from Kusu Island
Weekends & PH	Approx. 8:30am, 9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm	Later evening returns

💡 Pro Tips

Arrive at least 25 minutes before departure to ensure smooth boarding.
On weekends, avoid arriving after 3pm — ferries operate on a first-come, first-served basis and queues can be long.
Expect possible delays on weekends and public holidays due to high passenger volume.
Your ticket is valid for any scheduled ferry on your selected travel date — you are not locked into a specific departure time.

Ferries depart from Marina South Pier, just steps from the MRT station.

Lazarus & St. John's Islands

🏝️ Lazarus Island

Connected to St. John's Island by a man-made causeway, Lazarus is home to what many consider the best beach in Singapore — a crescent of white sand lapped by surprisingly clear, turquoise water.

Highlights:

Pristine lagoon perfect for swimming and picnics
Grassy areas for camping and barbecues (permit required)
Peaceful, car-free environment

🏝️ St. John's Island

Once a quarantine station and detention centre, St. John's is now a peaceful retreat with lush greenery, mangroves, and an educational nature gallery.

Highlights:

Submerged boardwalk and mangrove areas
Mudskippers and small marine creatures at low tide
St. John's Island National Marine Laboratory
Holiday camps and chalets (check current availability)

There is no direct ferry to Lazarus Island. You must take the ferry to St. John's (now docking at Lazarus's Pulau Seringat Jetty during the jetty renovation) and walk approximately 10 minutes across the causeway. From the jetty, turn left and follow the signboards.

A Tale of Two Names

Lazarus Island's Malay name is Pulau Sekijang Pelepah — sekijang means "mouse deer" and pelepah means "palm leaf." In 1899, the British established a lazaretto (isolation hospital) on the island for beriberi patients, giving it the name "Lazarus." The island was also home to a thriving fishing village until the mid-1970s.

The causeway linking St. John's and Lazarus Islands — a scenic 10-minute walk.

Sisters' Islands Marine Park

Singapore's first marine park, Sisters' Islands Marine Park comprises Big Sister's Island (Pulau Subar Laut) and Little Sister's Island (Pulau Subar Darat), separated by a narrow channel with strong currents. Only Big Sister's Island is open to the public.

📖 The Legend of the Sisters

Local folklore tells of two sisters, Minah and Linah, who were inseparable. When pirates came to abduct Linah, the sisters clung to each other and were torn apart. Minah swam after the boat but drowned; Linah leapt into the sea to join her. The next morning, two islands appeared where they had perished — forever side by side.

What to See

220-metre Floating Boardwalk: Stretches across the lagoon, offering close-up views of marine life.
Lagoon Tidal Pool: A sheltered water body that retains seawater during low tide, creating a living outdoor classroom with seagrass, corals, and mangrove propagules. An underwater camera lets you observe marine life without getting wet.
Marine Park Gallery: Educational exhibits about the park's conservation efforts.
Reef Enhancement Units: Artificial structures placed on lagoon seawalls to provide habitat for corals and marine creatures.
Kingfisher Burrows & Bee Hotels: Specially designed structures to support native wildlife.

Guided Intertidal Walks

NParks conducts free guided intertidal walks on days when tides recede to 0.4 metres or below for at least two hours during daylight. These walks are extremely popular and registration opens well in advance. You will need to wear proper covered footwear (rain boots or old sneakers) — no flip-flops or sandals allowed for safety.

During these walks, you may spot giant clams, brain corals, sea stars, nudibranchs, anemone shrimps, moon snails, and even small octopuses.

Big Sister's Island Jetty — gateway to Singapore's first marine park.

⚠️ Swimming Caution

The narrow channel between Big and Little Sister's Islands has dangerous currents. Swimmers and divers should exercise extreme caution and avoid the channel area.

Kusu Island

Kusu means "tortoise" or "turtle" in Chinese, and the island is also known as Pulau Tembakul (Peak Island) in Malay. Originally two tiny outcrops on a reef, it was enlarged through land reclamation into an 85,000-square-metre island resort.

📖 The Legend of Kusu

A Malay fisherman and a Chinese sailor were shipwrecked and saved by a giant turtle that transformed itself into an island. Grateful, the two men built a temple and shrine on the island, living there peacefully ever after. This legend is why Kusu Island is seen as a symbol of racial and religious harmony — it is home to both a Chinese temple and Malay shrines.

What to Do

Da Bo Gong Temple (Tua Pek Kong): A Chinese temple dedicated to the God of Prosperity and protector of seafarers. Devotees pray for wealth, health, children, and harmony.
Keramat Kusu: Climb 152 steps to the peak to visit the Malay shrines dedicated to Syed Abdul Rahman, his mother Nenek Ghalib, and his sister Puteri Fatimah. Yellow cloths tied to trees symbolise wishes made by believers.
Tortoise Sanctuary: The island is home to many live tortoises — a fitting mascot for an island named after them. In Chinese culture, the tortoise symbolises longevity and blessings.
Wishing Well: Toss a coin and try to hit the bell in the centre for good luck.
Picnic & Swim: There are lagoons and sheltered beaches for a relaxing day out.

Kusu Pilgrimage Season

Every year during the ninth lunar month (usually October to November), approximately 100,000 pilgrims visit Kusu Island. The 2025 season ran from 21 October to 19 November. During this period:

Ferry services may be restricted for the general public.
Only Singapore Island Cruise ferries are permitted to berth at the main jetty.
Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Overnight stays and pets are not permitted on Kusu Island at any time.

Kusu Island — the sacred "Tortoise Island" just 5.6 km south of mainland Singapore.

Island Histories

These islands are more than just weekend getaways — they are pages from Singapore's history book.

St. John's Island: Quarantine & Detention

St. John's Island served as a quarantine station from the late 1800s well into the 20th century. New migrants and returning pilgrims were held here if their ships carried infectious diseases such as cholera and smallpox. During the Japanese Occupation, it housed prisoners-of-war and mentally ill patients. After the war, it became a drug rehabilitation centre for opium addicts, and later a detention centre for political prisoners.

It is also where Sir Stamford Raffles anchored his vessel when he arrived in Singapore in 1819 — a quiet historical footnote to the island's more sombre later chapters.

Lazarus Island: Isolation & Fishing Village

As mentioned, Lazarus was named after the lazaretto (isolation hospital) built there in 1899 for beriberi patients. Before land reclamation linked it to St. John's, it supported a large fishing village until the mid-1970s.

Kusu Island: Sacred Ground

Kusu's temples and shrines date back over a century. The island's unique position as a site of worship for both Chinese Taoists and Malay Muslims makes it a powerful symbol of Singapore's multicultural heritage.

Wildlife & Nature

🐒 Long-Tailed Macaques

The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), also known as the crab-eating macaque, is abundant on the Southern Islands — especially Big Sister's Island. They are bold and will approach humans in search of food.

⚠️ Macaque Safety

Do not feed them. It is illegal to feed wildlife in Singapore, and offenders face fines.
Keep all food, plastic bags, and drinks sealed and out of sight.
Do not make eye contact or show your teeth — macaques interpret this as aggression.
If a macaque approaches, stay calm, back away slowly, and do not run.

The islands have plenty of natural food sources, including sea almond trees (ketapang in Malay) and coconuts, so the monkeys do not need human handouts.

🌿 Flora

The sea almond tree is easily recognisable by its large leaves and the almond seeds scattered on the ground. Coconut palms and other coastal vegetation provide shade and habitat for island wildlife.

🦀 Marine Life

At low tide, the mudflats and lagoons reveal a hidden world: mudskippers skipping across the mud, crabs scuttling between rocks, and small fish darting in tidal pools. St. John's Island's mangroves are particularly rich in these creatures.

Long-tailed macaques are a common sight on the Southern Islands — but keep your distance and your snacks hidden.

Essential Visitor Tips

🎒 What to Bring

Plenty of water — there are no shops on most islands
Snacks or a picnic lunch
Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses
Swimwear and towel — the lagoons are perfect for a dip
Insect repellent
Covered footwear — essential for Sisters' Islands intertidal walks
Trash bags — carry all rubbish back to the mainland
Cash — for ferry tickets and temple donations

🚫 What NOT to Bring

Alcohol — not permitted on the islands
Pets — not allowed on Kusu Island
Plastic bags exposed — macaques will target them
Skates, scooters, or bicycles
Drones without prior approval

Facilities

Island	Toilets	Shelters	Shops / Food
Lazarus Island	✅ Yes	✅ Limited	❌ None — bring your own
St. John's Island	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ None
Kusu Island	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ None
Sisters' Islands	✅ Yes	✅ Limited	❌ None

Getting to Marina South Pier

MRT: North-South Line to Marina South Pier (NS28). Take Exit A for direct access to the ferry terminal.
Bus: Services 400 and 402 stop at Marina South Pier.
Car: Parking is available but extremely limited. Public transport is strongly recommended.

Best Time to Visit

Weather: February to October offers the driest conditions. Avoid the November–January monsoon season when ferry services may be disrupted by rough seas.
Day of week: Weekdays are significantly less crowded, especially at Lazarus Beach.
Time of day: Morning ferries (9am–11am) give you the most time to explore before the midday heat.
Tide times: For Sisters' Islands, plan around low tide for the best intertidal experience.

💡 Island-Hopping Strategy

Because there is no ferry connection between Kusu and Lazarus, you cannot easily visit both on the same ticket unless you time it carefully. The most efficient one-day itinerary is:

Take the morning ferry to Kusu Island (explore the temple, shrines, and beach).
Return to Marina South Pier on the same ferry.
Board the next ferry to Lazarus Island (beach, swim, picnic).
Walk across the causeway to St. John's Island for a short nature walk.
Return to the mainland on the last ferry.

Alternatively, dedicate one trip to Kusu and another to Lazarus/St. John's for a more relaxed pace.

Final Thoughts

Singapore's Southern Islands are a reminder that the city-state is more than just glass towers and shopping malls. In under an hour, you can trade concrete for white sand, swap traffic noise for the sound of waves, and walk through layers of history that stretch from Raffles' arrival to WWII detention camps to modern marine conservation.

Whether you are swimming in Lazarus's turquoise lagoon, spotting starfish on Sisters' Islands, or tossing a coin into Kusu's wishing well, these islands offer an escape that feels worlds away — even though you are only 5.6 kilometres from the mainland.

So pack your sunscreen, book your ferry tickets online, and set sail. The turtles are waiting.