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Why You Should Spend One Weekend Exploring This Singapore Island: The Kusu Island
The Kusu Island
Singapore is neither about the main island nor the Sentosa island. You may have heard about the Pulau Ubin, and Coney Islands, but one of the southern islands of Singapore is also worth the word of mouth. Truth be told, it’s much more than that: the Kusu island, despite its simplicity and humbling beauty, is worth the time and effort. Kusu means "Tortoise" or "Turtle" in Chinese; the island is known as Peak Island or Pulau Tembakul in Malay. If you own two very itchy feet (like me), exploring this pocket-sized island, which is a complete opposite of the main island, is a good idea.
This 85,000 square meters island is a place where people would traditionally give thanks and prayers during the eleventh month of the lunar calendar which is also known as the "Kusu" season. Nowadays, it’s a place where you will find adventurers and nature lovers who are keen on stepping out from the Singapore bustle, and stepping inside the realm of peace.
One noisy and hectic weekend afternoon, I found myself on a cruise headed to the Kusu Island. This landmass houses temple of two main deities - the Da Bo Gong and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). Philosophy, history, and activity, yes. How to get to the Kusu Island? It’s easy as any other commute around Singapore.
As the yacht docked on the island’s shores, I could hear faint party sounds from a nearby yacht that’s just moving past ours. It’s pretty fascinating to know that senses get heightened up when you’re in a strikingly quiet place. I could clearly notice the island’s lagoons, pristine beach areas and tranquil areas. I swear, I could see the island’s end to end in one panoramic glance. Yes, it’s that small, and yes, it’s that worth-checking-out.
One noisy and hectic weekend afternoon, I found myself on a cruise headed to the Kusu Island. This landmass houses temple of two main deities - the Da Bo Gong and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). Philosophy, history, and activity, yes. How to get to the Kusu Island? It’s easy as any other commute around Singapore.
As the yacht docked on the island’s shores, I could hear faint party sounds from a nearby yacht that’s just moving past ours. It’s pretty fascinating to know that senses get heightened up when you’re in a strikingly quiet place. I could clearly notice the island’s lagoons, pristine beach areas and tranquil areas. I swear, I could see the island’s end to end in one panoramic glance. Yes, it’s that small, and yes, it’s that worth-checking-out.
Unlike the St John Island or the Sisters’ Island, where you can easily find bigger crowds and adventurous eyes, the Kusu Island is much more serene, where spending time over picnics, chats, and casual nature tripping are ubiquitous. But don’t be fooled though – I recommend it will take at least a bare minimum of three hours to stay here – relaxing, sitting, sleeping, turtle-ing, and siesta-ing. This one is crawling with postcard worthy views, without trying hard to find one; a few people, in a turtle’s pace, are enjoying the place of rest and relaxation. The next time you elect to explore a different side of Singapore, it’s a blameless idea to do a free and easy island cruise to the Kusu Island. It’s time for some tortoise quality time, make a wish thru the wishing pond, and see the Singapore skyline from a different vantage point, yes?
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