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...

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...

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...