Kusu Island
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In addition to its wealth of heritage sites, Kusu Island is also a visitors’ favourite thanks to its picturesque lagoons, clean beaches and varied animal life.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles117 reviews
Excellent
34
Very good
43
Average
29
Poor
7
Terrible
4

Veron68
Singapore, Singapore351 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
A little tiny island with a traditional Chinese temple, some nice beach spot for swimming, good shelter hut, good for walking around the island, a nice picnic area with good view. Plus good photo taking spots.

Quite and peaceful and relaxing to spend some time here.
Written 8 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shambles R
SG42 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
I came to Kusu Island with my mom and dad. (There's no option for me to select "Family with Elderly" / "Family of Adults" type of visit, so I chose couples) Anyway... The trip was a fishing cum picnic day-trip.

Getting here: Singapore Island Cruise ferry from Marina South Pier. Tic price per person is S$18 round trip, for weekends. First boat on Sat left at 9am. Parking at the pier is very limited. I drove in at 815am just to make sure I'll get a lot.

So what should you know about coming to Kusu island?

1. Don't play hide and go seek.
Island is tiny. it'll take you less than 30mins to go round the whole island. And that's at a leisurely pace.

2. Pack your own food.
This is especially so if you have dietary restrictions. Except for a single small eatery within the Chinese Temple on the island there's no food. And since it's a Chinese place I'm not too sure you'll get halal food.

I believe it's run by a husband and wife team and whatever they were cooking when I walked by smelt yummy! I didn't get to try the food bec we'd packed some delicious home made tuna and mayo sandwiches 😁

3. Bring a book to read and enjoy the tranquility.
The temple is the only built up structure on this island. It's a place of pilgrimage for the Chinese during the month of Sept. Hint: don't come in Sept it'll be very crowded... (Unless you like crowds of course... then why leave the mainland in the first place? ;p) There are also nice beaches to swim in.

4. You'll be home by dinner.
There's no overnight camping in Kusu. You have to leave on the last boat from the island which is at 430pm on the weekends. If you're stranded there's an emergency coast guard contact by the jetty.

5. You won't go home covered in salt.
Toilets are clean and sanitary and there are shower stalls so you can clean yourself up, after romping on the beach, for that fab dinner you've got planned when you get back to the mainland.

6. BEWARE THE 2 MONKEYS!
So there are 2 resident monkeys on the island you have to be wary of. One is big, about the size of a small dog. and the other is smaller, size of your average cat. These guys are intelligent and will attack you. Especially if you attempt to take pictures of them. I dunno why they don't like cameras.

They will come to your rest area and if you're not looking they'll open your bag - they know how to work zippers - and take your stuff and run off. It's a good idea to have a stick with you to fend them off if necessary.

You just have to wave the stick at them and they'll keep away... For heaven's sake don't hurt them! WE are the visitors to their island...

Ok my ferry is reaching the mainland so am gonna end the review. Hope it was useful. 😊
Written 23 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Justmeplease
Brisbane, Australia322 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Friends
A ferry ride and some time on this tiny Island is a very relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The only thing on the Island is 2 temples and a tortoise sanctuary. There are no shops so make sure you bring some drinks and snacks with you. There are also toilet facilities and outdoor showers to rinse off if you decide to go swimming.

The Island has wide paved paths suitable for wheel chairs and strollers. There is also an abundance of picnic tables and chairs, all of which have a view of the ocean and a refreshing sea breeze.

It seems to be a popular spot for fishing and there were also people swimming near the beaches.
Bring a book to read, or some sports gear to pass the time or simply sit back admire the Singapore skyline from a different perspective and watch the boats go by.

The ferry ride will cost you $18.00 per adult from the Marina south pier. Check the timetable as the ferries are infrequent and you will be spending at least 2 hours on the island when you disembark. Best way to get to the ferry terminal is by taxi, or if you are not in a hurry there is the number 402 bus. The ferry also stops at St Johns Island and your fare will allow you to spend some time on both Islands.
Written 22 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CarolienBAC
Leuven, Belgium9,729 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
A charming little artificial island worth visiting if you have some time to spare. The journey to and from the island is not that agreeable since you are trapped inside the ferry with no possibility to go outside and enjoy the ride. The cabin of the ferry is drenched by the stench of the fumes from the motor. But it is the only way to get to the island, so you'll have the endure it.

Kusu Island itself is very beautiful. If you want to spend an afternoon on a quiet beach swimming and enjoying the sun, this place is perfect. There are two temples on the island: Tua Pek Kong Temple and Keramat Kusu. Both very different but well worth the visit, although you'll have to climb more than 100 stairs to get to the second one. We got a yellow ribbon tied around our wrist at the second one and received a blessing for good health and luck.

Kusu Island means Turtle Island, so naturally there are lot of turtles on this island.

When you don't plan on spending the day on the beach, two hours are enough for visiting this cute little island.
Written 1 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

orangemuffin
Singapore, Singapore288 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2014 • Family
Wanting to explore the islands in Singapore, we decided to research on how to get to Kusu Island and were pleasantly surprised to know that we were able to visit 2 islands on the South Island Ferry.

We were there on a Friday afternoon and the ferry leaves the Marina South Pier at 2pm. The ferry has an air-conditioned lower deck and the upper deck is shielded where you can enjoy the sea breeze. The upper deck definitely is a better option for snap happy visitors! First stop for the ferry is St John's Island and you can take a slow stroll or a quick dip in the sea before returning to the ferry at 2.40pm. It is onwards to Kusu Island after this and I never expected Kusu to be so clean and well maintained.

There are 2 temples on this island and the first one is visible after you embark from the ferry while the other is up on the hill. Echoing previous reviewers, there are many picnic areas and pavilions with tables and benches. Drinks are sold in the Chinese temple but no food is available.

If you have time to spare or desire a short getaway from the city, this may be a good choice!
Written 18 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mathew F
Seaford, Australia10 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Solo
I visited here in late August 2018. The were currently fixing up the location due to the finding of asbestos. As such, around 80% of the island cannot be accessed. A small Chinese temple, toilet block and a few turtles are all you can see on your current 2 hour stop. Wait until late October 2018 or after until the island is fully fixed. Then it should be a pleasant spot to visit. The closely located St Johns island has also suffered the same fate but has a longer wait. There is more to see on that island though. You have been warned...
Written 19 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SOH KIEN PENG
Singapore, Singapore9,283 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2018 • Friends
I was in Police Coast Guard between 1980 and 1987 and every year during October pilgrimage period, I will be deployed together with other officers for crowd control duty on the island. After I left Police Coast Guard, I did not make any further trip to the island until last Thursday when our Welfare organized an island hopping cruise to visit this island again.

As I walked down the lane leading to the Chinese Temple, a nostalgic memory flashed across my mind. 30 years ago, I was that smart looking, energetic and youthful officer standing on guard at this spot of the island directing the human traffic flow.

Today, I am just alone in plain attire walking down this memory lane looking at the same old Tua Pek Kong temple across the little pond. As I looked down at the reflection in the pond, I saw a man with a wrinkled face and bunch of white hair overgrown above his forehead.

Time flies but this Kusu Island seem the same Kusu island that I knew 30 years ago. The bold red and green roof temple building contrasted starkly with the surrounding, the Tortoise sanctuary, the keramat temple at the hill top, the long stretch of sandy beach and the many coconut and palm trees that wavered in the wind.

My colleagues went into the temple compound to pray to the two deities, the Tua Pek Gong and the Goddess of Mercy. The praying hall has not changed much and the sculpture of two tortoises still remained standing at the compound. The label on the sculpture showed that it was erected in 1976.

We walked up the stairs to the keramat Datuk Nenek temple at the hill-top. Despite having some back pain, I still managed to surmount the climb. The yellow painted praying area remained the same that I saw 30 years back and is still very well maintained.

From the keramat, we walked down to the beach. The area was full of trees and probably filled with positive ions. It is a healthy getaway for a half a day island hopping cruise to this island. No pollution from passing vehicles, no heavy traffic, no car horns, no noise pollution but just the rhyme of the splashing sea waves and the soothing wind that caressed my face. It was rejuvenating and a refreshing nostalgic outing. The atmosphere was serene and the scenery pristine.

We spent about an hour here but it was enough to refresh all my old memories. As the ferries departed from the jetty, I wondered when will I come again to this island that is far from the madding crowd.
Written 9 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Planitearth
Beaconsfield, UK48 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2016 • Solo
I did this on a weekday and used Singapore Island Cruises. The ticket can be bought on the day at ferry terminal at Marina South Pier. This is now directly accessible by MRT.
The ticket is $18 for an adult return.
On a weekday, it departs Marina South at 10am and 2pm and takes around 20 minutes to St John's. You can then either spend until either 10.45am or 2.45pm until the same or later ferry heads on to Kusu Island, which is 10 minutes away. From there, you have an hour to wander around before heading back to Marina South at 12pm/4pm. Take your own food and water as there is nowhere on St John or Lazarus to buy it.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that on the surface, 4 hours might be a long time on St John's. It seems as if there's a pleasant (but not amazing beach), some toilets (with simple showers) and a couple of trails, most of which come to a dead end or a sign saying that it's only open to people staying overnight in cabins. There is also a museum which I did not visit as well as plenty of shaded picnic benches to escape the sun.
Where the interesting bit begins is if you cross the concrete bridge across to Lazarus Island. There's a small beach just on your left but continue for another 10 minutes or so and there's an enormous C-shaped bay with proper white fine sand and clean water. This is where you want to go! I suggest that you take a look at Google maps before you go and get an idea of the size of this beach. There are 3 shelter huts - one at either end and one in the centre. I imagine that they would be pretty busy at weekends, so if you have kids or want to escape the sun, take your own beach umbrella / shade.
Once your time is up on St John's, it's a 10 minute boat ride around to Kusu, which is slightly more developed with a temple, a place to buy food (although it wasn't open) and a little turtle sanctuary. There is also a sheltered and pleasant bay where you could swim. The sea seemed quite low when I went and I'd had plenty of chill time at St John's / Lazarus so didn't go myself. I'd say that Kusu is more child friendly.
This little trio of islands is a great escape, especially given that mobile phone signal flips between Singapore and Indonesian networks so you're out of range for some of it!
Written 28 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JamesTanSL
Singapore, Singapore622 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2015 • Friends
This continues my journey of discovery to the many southern islands of Singapore.

Around this time of the year, there is an annual pilgrimage to a famous Chinese Temple on Kusu Island. This popular Chinese temple - Da Bo Gong 大伯公 or Tua Pek Kong (Grand Uncle) was built in 1923. The temple houses two main deities - the Da Bo Gong and Guan Yin 观音 (Goddess of Mercy). The former is highly regarded as having the power to confer prosperity, cure diseases, calm the sea and avert danger, while Guan Yin is known as the 'giver of sons'.

The quirky part of this pilgrimage, which I discovered, was that the same devotees to the Chinese temple would also climb up a small hilltop to pray for blessings at a Malay Kramats.

At the top of the rugged hillock on Kusu Island stands three kramats (or holy shrines of Malay saints) to commemorate a pious man (Syed Abdul Rahman), his mother (Nenek Ghalib) and sister (Puteri Fatimah) who lived in the 19th century. Many devotees will climb the 152 steps leading to the kramats to pray for wealth, good marriage, good health and harmony. The shrines are also popular with childless couples who would pray for children. Despite misconceptions, they do not pray to the kramats.

Kusu Island is one of the Southern Islands in Singapore, located about 5.6 kilometres to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The name means "Tortoise Island" or "Turtle Island" in Chinese; the island is also known as Peak Island or Pulau Tembakul in Malay.

From two tiny outcrops on a reef, the island was enlarged and transformed into an island holiday resort of 85,000 square metres.

Story passed down by both Malays and Chinese in Singapore says a magical tortoise turned itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors - a Malay and a Chinese.

It is popular for its lagoons, near empty beaches, rustic and tranquil settings. Visits are often made by ferry from the nearby Marina South Pier. Tickets to and fro to this island is S$18 for adults and S$12 for child. The same ferry ticket would also bring you to St. John Island and Larazus Island. However, during this period of the annual pilgrimage, the ferry only serves Kusu Island and the pier.

Afternoon picnics are also very popular. Overnight stay is not permitted on the island. However, most ferries to Kusu Island also take in Saint John's Island which does have overnight lodging.

Why would you want to visit this island? Honestly, to get away from the hustle and bustle of the fast pace city life on the main island of Singapore.

Note: The island does not sell any food or drinks throughout the year, except during the period of the pilgrimage. So bring your own.
Written 19 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TusharVig
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates532 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Couples
Take a 30 minute ferry from marina south pier ferry station(2 minute walk from marina south pier metro station) to kusu island. There are two ferries in a day at 10 am and 2 pm. On d way the ferry stops at St. John Island for 15 minutes and heads to kusu island. The island rejuvenates you as it takes you from roaming among the big towers in the city to green lush quite island with ocean all around. Kusu island has a shrine up the hill having 152 stairs - worth going. There is a restaurant - small cafe to get the water and local food, Better to get your own stuff to eat and drink. The island is clean and have awesome views both of the ocean and the city - one can see the marina bay sands buidling. The last ferry departs from Kusu island at 4pm - if missed then have to hire a private jetty to come back.
Written 30 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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