Kelong Boat Tour Singapore: Pulau Ubin & Johor Straits
Watch Singapore's disappearing maritime heritage from the water
A 3-hour guided boat tour around Pulau Ubin and the Johor Straits that explores Singapore's vanishing kelong structures, floating fish farms, and coastal heritage. The boat passes Sembawang, Seletar Island, Punggol, and Pulau Ketam, with a stop at Smith Marine Floating Restaurant. A licensed guide in English or Chinese narrates the history and ecology of each stretch. The route varies with tide and weather, and the tour requires a minimum of 4 paying guests to depart.
Step-by-step itinerary
Boat tour around Pulau Ubin and kelongs
- Meet Captain Robin at SAF Yacht Club
- Receive safety briefing and board boat
- Cruise past Sembawang coastline, hear naval stories
- Pass waters around Seletar Island, learn about kelongs
- Stop to learn about Pasir Gudang ports
- Cruise along Punggol coastline, hear waterfront history
- Pass Pulau Ubin waters, see rustic kelong and Outward Bound site
- Cruise around Pulau Ketam, see floating homes and mangroves
- Visit Smith Marine Floating Restaurant, learn about fish farming
- Return cruise with sea breeze and coastal views
- Sembawang Park 10m
- Pasir Gudang 15m
- The Punggol Settlement 10m
What’s included
- 3-hour guided boat tour around Pulau Ubin and the Johor Straits with a licensed guide speaking English or Chinese.
- stop at Smith Marine Floating Restaurant, a kelong-style fish farm and seafood restaurant.
- safety briefing onboard before departure.
- views of traditional kelongs, floating fish farms, mangrove coastlines, and coastal heritage sites including Sembawang, Seletar Island, Punggol, and Pulau Ketam.
- Every day 08:30 16:00
Information
Boat tour around Pulau Ubin and the Johor Straits with a licensed guide: cruise past traditional kelongs, floating fish farms.
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The experience
Kelongs (traditional wooden fishing structures that once dotted Singapore's coast) are nearly gone, and this tour moves through the waters where they still exist or once stood. You board at the SAF Yacht Club's Quarterdeck Building for a safety briefing, then cruise into northern coastal waters with a licensed local guide and seasoned boat captain. The boat passes the Sembawang coastline, where a former British naval base and old smuggling routes shaped Singapore's maritime past, then moves toward Seletar Island to see Ah Hua Kelong and modern floating fish farms that have replaced the wooden structures of decades past.
The route unfolds along Punggol's waterfront, where old seafood restaurants and kampong life have given way to new developments. Depending on the time of day and sea activity, you may spot grey herons or Malaysian fishermen hauling nets. You cruise around Pulau Ubin without landing on it, passing a rustic kelong no longer in operation and glimpsing Outward Bound Singapore's site on the island. Near Pulau Ketam, a small mangrove-fringed island, you see rustic wooden floating homes and fishing structures: rare remnants of an older coastal way of life. The boat then stops at Smith Marine Floating Restaurant, a kelong-style fish farm and seafood restaurant where you can use the restroom. Meals and drinks are at your own expense for afternoon departures, and not available for morning ones. The return cruise gives you time to absorb the coastal views and sea breeze before heading back.
The tour runs 3 hours and the route may shift depending on tide, weather, and sea conditions. Light rain does not automatically cancel it, but unsafe conditions will trigger a reschedule. You may be asked to remove footwear before boarding, as is standard on private boats. Arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in and the safety briefing, and note that infants must sit on an adult's lap. The guide speaks English or Chinese.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Chinese.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What are kelongs and why are they disappearing from Singapore?
Kelongs are traditional wooden fishing structures and fish farms that once lined Singapore's coast. Your guide explains how they have changed over decades, why modern floating fish farms differ from the old wooden structures, and the challenges that have led to their disappearance: a story the boat tour traces through the waters where they still exist or once stood.
Will we land on Pulau Ubin during the tour?
No, this is a boat tour around Pulau Ubin and the Johor Straits. You cruise past the island and see Outward Bound Singapore's site and rustic kelong structures from the water, but do not land on it.
What wildlife or fishing activity might we see on the water?
Depending on the time of day and sea activity, you may spot grey herons, Malaysian fishermen hauling nets for fresh sea prawns, crab traps, or boats bringing in the day's catch: sightings vary with tide and season.
What happens at Smith Marine Floating Restaurant?
Smith Marine is a kelong-style fish farm and seafood restaurant where the boat stops so you can use the restroom and learn how live seafood is reared in modern floating farms. Meals and drinks are at your own expense for afternoon departures. For morning departures, meals are not available and drinks are also at your own expense.
How does weather or tide affect the tour route?
The route may vary depending on tide, weather, sea conditions, and operational factors. Light rain does not automatically cancel the tour, but if conditions become unsafe, the operator will reschedule the departure in advance.
What should I know about boarding and what to bring?
Arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time for check-in, boarding, and a safety briefing. Late arrivals may be treated as no-shows. You may be asked to remove footwear before boarding, as is standard on private boats. The tour requires a minimum of 4 paying guests to depart. If the minimum is not met, the operator will contact you in advance with options including rescheduling, a full refund, or topping up the difference.
Operated by Let's Go Tour. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Kelong Boat Tour Singapore: Pulau Ubin & Johor Straits
3h · EN +1
from S$ 275 per person
≈ US$ 219 in your currency
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