Objectives and information on Southern Islands Tour

Educational Tour of Southern Islands of Singapore 20 May 2004

Objectives - Pupils to
1. understand the role played by the southern islands in early Singapore;
2. learn about the present development of the southern islands; and
3. evaluate the value of the southern islands in the promotion of tourism in Singapore.
Kusu Island (Stopover 25 mins)

Kusu Island (previously called Pulau Tembakul) used to be a burial site of immigrants who died in quarantine on St. John's and Lazarus Islands. The name was changed to Kusu after the legend of a magic turtle, which transformed itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors, a Malay and a Chinese. This explains why a Malay shrine and a Chinese temple exist to remind us of that very day. Kusu Island was initially two small islands and a reef, but in 1975, reclaimed land merged it into a (very) little getaway island.

Once off the ferry, start exploring the place with the first stop, the Tua Pekong Temple. Housing two huge and sleeping pythons, a fine collection of Bonsai trees and hordes of tiny tortoises, this temple is packed to the rafters annually, during the 9th lunar month when thousands of devotees flock there to pray for health, peace, happiness, good luck and prosperity. There is the local god (also the fortune god), enshrined in the centre. The side halls house Avaloketisvara Bodhisattva (Buddha) and the eight immortals of the Toaist faith.

Sisters’ Island ( Stopover with lunch on board)
Spotting Sisters' Island is a piece of cake, since the pair sit beside each other and are similar in shape and size. They both boast of pristine beaches and peaceful tranquillity as well, not surprisingly, since they're deserted but filled with trees and lush greenery. The larger island is called Pulau Subar Laut, and the smaller Pulau Subar Darat. Each island has its own jetty.
The islands play host to a pack of monkeys who live on fruits trees on the island. The vegetation here is rather dense and made up mostly of casuarinas trees that sway in the wind, giving the place a rather haunted look. The islands are about 7.9 hectares, (about the size of 9 football fields) altogether.

St John’s Island (Cruise past)
In the 19th century, St John’s island was used to quarantine the Chinese immigrants sick with cholera. In the 1950s, it became a deportation centre for Chinese Mafia thugs and later it served as a rehabilitation centre for opium addicts. Today you'll find holiday camps, three lagoons, bungalows, basketball courts and much construction work going on.
Closer to one of the lagoons, the Tropical Marine Science Institute is under construction. This is a collaboration between Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), a pioneer venture which marks a considerable move to preserve an essential part of Singapore's geological heritage for the future generations.
Construction work is under the way to build a link from St Johns’ Island to Lazarus Island and plans are under way to develop the flora and fauna on St. John's Islands as well to develop these two islands into holiday getaways. The Southern Islands offer a unique opportunity to conserve and study endangered flora and fauna from Singapore.
Also scouring new grounds from human-polluted Singapore the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is also conducting research on deep-netcage farming at the Marine Aquaculture Centre on St John's Island. Cages about 7 m - 8 m deep rear fish such as seabass, pomfret and snapper in waters which are 15 m - 20 m deep.