Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Singapore: DORA Unleashed! (First Solo Travel)

My first SOLO travel was successfuL. 
Destination--> Pulau Ubin

An Escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, discovered the secluded and enchanting island of Pulau Ubin. The island is said to be the home of the last villages or "kampongs" in Singapore. Pulau Ubin is a throwback to Singapore in 1960's. It means "Granite Island" in Malay. Pulau also means "small" and ubin means "squared stone". 



On the day of my adventure, i hurriedly packed my backpack, brought third plus mini to capture memories and of course got my handy dandy MAP ready. Rode a bus bound to Changi Village Terminal, then went straight to the Jetty port to ride a bumboat which costs $2 and it's only a 10-minute ride from jetty going to the island. 
When i reached the island, Bike stores were everywhere. I rented a $6 bicycle for the whole day to explore the 7 by 3 kilometers island. Passed through different roads/tracks (smooth, bumpy, steep, name it pulau got it!haha) plus got LOST in the Forest a few times (ALONE) but that led me to discover and explore the island even more. The island is BREATHTAKING. It was really tiring but yet everything was all worth it.
The experience was really one of those things you can consider PRICELESS.

A cute note from my handy dandy map: "500 years ago, Christopher Columbus also didn't know geography but being Brave and Adventurous, He persevered Sailed on and discovered the America, the rest is history. So if you get lost, always remember: All roads lead back to Rome."

As for me, I will never stop discovering what life has to offer! Looking forward to my next Dora Adventure.. haha ♥


Itsy Bitsy must haves:
Insect repellant, must apply as often as needed. got lots of souvenir (insect bites) from the island. And i'm really serious about this, the marks are still visible up to now.
Food, and Water, biking will really drain your energy. And just to be ready in case you get lost in the forest. At least you won't starve.
MAP, must be provided when you rent a bike. You should get and save the numbers of the Police Station and the bike rental shop in case help is needed. 
Sunblock lotion, if you are very conscious about your skin. You'll really get tanned after the trip. haha
Towel and extra shirt, there are toilets you can use to if you want to change or wash-up. Clean toilets in Chek Jawa. 


Words are not enough to describe the place, i took some shots of the island to help you with your imagination. Be creative as you can be, you'll never know what this island has to offer! =)








BUMBOATS!
Adventure starts NOW...
Going gaga over Bikes, Bikes, Bikes and Bikes! Eenie Meenie Miney Mo?!?


Yes, we ARE! haha


In which Direction to go? Big (Y) Road. Better Learn to Trust your instincts.


The map of the whole Pulau Ubin Island.


My Backpack since I was in Grade School.
Sweet Graffiti! ohhh what love can do...


In Chek Jawa (i thought i was in Ireland. haha)
I called this the BLUE lake. It was picturesque! After a very steep and tiring bike trail, this view gave me NO reason to complain at all. Ah-ah. haha! 


The bumpy road track! It's not always a smooth ride.  
Before i bid goodbye to this magnificent island, i took my last look and uttered the words: "Until we meet again".


Yummy treat for myself for a JOB well done!


Of course, i wouldn't leave the island without a souvenir photo. Big thanks to my mini tripod for making this possible. haha!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Waaah! Dora, este kara, its really nice. Too bad, can't go there coz I don't know how to ride a bike. Wahahaha... Love your souvenir photo though... really professional looking...

Kara said...

hahaha! Really nice! "Learning how to Bike" should be a part of your bucket list from now on! Promise, you won't regret it. haha. Thank you very much wortz! =)