Singapore's TidbiTs

Singapore is not all concrete blocks and skyscrapers. You will be surprised there are nature reserves and parks all over the island, and one of the preserved nature areas is an island called Pulau Ubin or granite island. Singapore is actually made up of a total of 64 islands, though some islands have been combined so the number is lesser now. Do you know that the word pulau means island in Malay? And the word ubin means stones or specifically the Jubin tiles that used to come from the many stone quarries on the island. Pulau Ubin is a laid-back boomerang-shaped rustic looking island located at the eastern corner of Singapore. The island, about 1,000 hectares or ten times the size of Gardens by the Bay, is the only preserved kampung island left intact in urbanised Singapore. Previously Pulau Ubin supplied granite for major construction works in Singapore including the Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branch and the Raffles Lighthouse. The last active granite quarry on the island, Aik H...

Changi was famous for its coconut plantations in the 1800s. By 1845, Changi Point was already a fashionable retreat for picnics and beach parties. At Changi Village, also known as 14 1/2 milestone Changi Road, prior to World War II, many facilities sprouted to serve the British officers and families of the Royal Air Force. Before British colonisation, the area around Sungei Changi or more commonly knows as Changi Creek, which is a short river that runs next to Changi Beach Park, was inhabited by indigenous Malay communities. These kampongs or villages relied on the creek for fishing, which was the primary source of livelihood back then. The livelihoods of kampong residents living in Changi were shaped by the area’s resources and geographical landscape. While some villages were sustained by coastal trades, other inland villages relied on agriculture. Now, Changi Village is still a rustic village at the eastern corner of Singapore where the tallest building is barely five storey high d...

Sentosa means peaceful in Malay. The calm, peaceful and tranquil island on the southern part of mainland Singapore. Mainland Singapore is an island too. The original name of Sentosa Island, Pulau Blakang Mati, is definitely far from peaceful. 'Mati' means 'to die or dead'. 'Blakang' or 'belakang' means to be behind or at the back. So literally, Sentosa Island was formerly the island of death at the back or to die from behind. It is thought the original spooky name of Sentosa Island was due to the malaria outbreak that happened on the island in the mid-1800s that almost wiped out the inhabitants of the island. The earlier inhabitants were mostly Bugis community and the survivors moved to Singapore, and these settlers gave the island Balking Mati its name. Certainly not a name you want to attract hordes of visitors into. Some visitors called it expensive island thinking it is a man-made island with theme parks, hotels and casinos packed in. They even char...