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So you think Bintan's got the best beaches, Tioman's got the coolest coves, Bali's got the finest sand. On the other hand, Singapore (yawn), is just a zero when it comes to escaping city life. But you thought wrong. Karen Soo invites you to leave your passport alone, pack your backpack and head south for a touch of the untouched.

To soak up mother nature's aura, take your pick of more than fifty islands located south of the main island of Singapore.

Some, like St John's, Seringat and Lazarus, are being developed into island resorts or nature parks right now. Others, such as Sisters' Island and Pulau Hantu, are being left as is.

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) runs and maintains 9 of them, but of these, only 4 - Kusu, St John's, Sisters' Island and Pulau Hantu - are open to visitors. We stop by each of them in turn.

Stop 1 - Kusu Island>>>
Stop 2 - St. John's Island>>>
Stop 3- Sisters' Island>>>
Stop 4- Pulau Hantu>>>

Prologue>>>

Hop on a ferry at World Trade Centre for a 45-minute ride to Kusu Island (adults pay fare $9, children $6 but you also get St John's Island thrown in) and feel the sun stinging your cheeks.

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, this month, the 9th lunar month when thousands of devotees flock there to pray for health, peace, happiness, good luck and prosperity.

Besides praying, you can also throw coins into the wishing well, play with the tortoises, if you can bear the stench of their poo, or shop for souvenirs.

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 Taoist faith.

Although the temple is devoid of any grandeur, it is a hit with avid devotees.

Tan Yeh Meng, 38, self-employed, who was there even before the 9th month began, said he was early to avoid the crowd.

"I come here every year because it's a tradition for me. My parents came here, my grandparents came here, so I'm here too."

His advice is worth heeding. In October, Taoist devotees are up before dawn at the ferry terminal standing by, ready to cram themselves on to this already tiny island. After all, they're not called devotees for nothing.

Walk towards the only hilly area on the island and you wander onto a flight of stairs which never seems to end its ascent. Brace yourself for a great workout for your legs before you reach the Malay "Kramat". The Kramat Kusu is coated in bright yellow paint (even the handle bars of the stairway are yellow!), which causes this Malay Shrine to stand out from the mass of banyan and rain trees sheltering it.

Built on a big piece of rock on the steep slope , and surrounded by trees, this temple does not look like one at all. A dingy looking place, it is brightened by worshippers' cheery chatter and friendly volunteers who hand out joss-sticks and incense to pray. Don't be too pleased to take everything. It's only after you light it that they ask for payment: $2 for incense, which is slightly steeper than the normal $1.80.

If you can bear with the commando mosquitoes, trek all the way down to take a rest at one of the two swimming lagoons situated at opposite sides of the island. The beaches here are definitely cleaner than those at Pasir Ris and East Coast Park.

Kusu has plenty of space around the lagoons for picnickers. Huge trees and scented flowers flourish, but it's not wilderness either: nature has been tamed here. Nevertheless, it's wonderful to see families playing together, away from the chaotic urban atmosphere. But of course not everyone who comes to Kusu is a tourist or pilgrim. Photographer Gwen Lim says she is here to study.

Gwen Lim

"I'm actually here for the second time and I brought all my University texts here to study. I come here to escape the frenzied life of mainland and I think it's a great place to mug. It's quiet. Peaceful. Very relaxing."

For 23-year-old German Romana Guertner, who is in Singapore on training, gushes, "It's a beautiful place and I think I can stay here for a few years!"
Worried about that urgent need? Fret not. All islands are equipped with basic toilets and changing rooms. These are really clean since not many people use them.

After a couple hours sun-tanning, picnicking or swimming, hop onto the next ferry, which comes at 2-hour intervals, to St. John's Island. The 2-way ticket purchased at WTC at $9 for adults takes you to St. John's in about 20 minutes. On weekdays and Saturdays, the ferries depart from WTC and heads to Kusu Island, then to St. John's, back to Kusu and loop back to mainland while on Sundays and public holidays, ferries only journey to Kusu, then to St. John's and straight back to Singapore.

Stop 2 - St. John's Island>>>
Stop 3- Sisters' Island>>>
Stop 4- Pulau Hantu>>>

Prologue>>>

St. John's Island would have been a doubtful place for a day trip if you were there in the 19th century, for this was for 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. It's much larger than Kusu Island, but not large enough to require a whole day of sightseeing.

Step onto the island to be greeted by the laughter and chatter from the campers who had stayed overnight. Kids frolic in the lagoons, fishermen await their catch. Grab a good pair of sandals because St. John's Island requires some determined walking.

Start with the centre of the island where you can see the dilapidated housing for the unfortunate patients of early days. The beds are still intact with bedsheets and all this is rather creepy. Construction work is taking place around the island as a few of buildings are being built to house Indian & Bangladeshi workers.

The place is laced with fences and barbed wires, giving a rather prison-like feel as you walk about. Trek around but be careful not to lose your way as some of the fences are locked and you might find yourself having to back-track or stumbling onto some creepy crawly on the way.

Closer to one of the lagoons, the Tropical Marine Science Institute is under construction. If you happen to wander into a scantuary where there are freshly painted buildings, don't think you are in heaven, you just stumbled onto a pair of research centres.

A collaboration between Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National University of Singapore (NUS, the pioneer venture 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. John's 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. Who knows maybe in a few years' time, we would have more alternatives in terms of weekend stays.

Dr Elizabeth Taylor of the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute said that Singapore's 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. The research buildings which are still under construction cost $33 million in total. Walk further onto the beach and you will see cages about 7 m - 8 m deep. These are to rear such fish as seabass, pomfret and snapper in waters which are 15 m - 20 m deep. Each cage can contain about 60,000 young fishes.

Near these cages is a little jetty where many people cramp a good spot for fishing and lazing around.
All in all, St. John's Island harbors rich historical traits and has that extra mystery surrounding it which makes it a great place to check out during the weekends. Mind you, you might just stumble onto a hidden treasure.

Stop 1 - Kusu Island>>>
Stop 3- Sisters' Island>>>
Stop 4- Pulau Hantu>>>

Prologue>>>

If you want more privacy, hire a bumboat at Clifford Pier and head down to Sisters' Island. Just ask any uncle sitting around, the price is about $50 per hour, including any waiting time the boatman has to incur to ferry you back, but you can pack about 10 people in the boat and split the costs. Do negotiate the price before jumping into any vessel and remember to BYOW (bring your own whatever). Sisters' Island has jetties and toilets constructed to entice more visitors to drop by, but you'll have to bring your own food, drinks and entertainment.

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 pristine beaches and peaceful tranquillity as well, not surprisingly, since they're deserted but filled with trees and lush greenery. The larger is called Pulau Subar Laut, and the smaller Pulau Subar Darat. Each island has its own jetty.

One person who can vouch for Sister's Island is Tan Meiling, 22, an undergraduate. She went there with a group of friends a few months ago.

She said, "The place is very quiet and relaxing. There wasn't anybody there except us…it's a great place for a private gathering. I couldn't believe it was part of Singapore really."

The islands play host to a pack of monkeys who greet every visitor, hang around the dustbins and toilets but they usually leave people alone. Signs say we're not to feed them as it will make the primates dependent on humans for food. The monkeys 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 Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) says that there are no snakes or wild beasts on the islands, so, if you don't have to have the Indiana Jones in you to do some exploring.

The islands are about 7.9 hectares, (about the size of 9 football fields) altogether, and in about half an hour, you can circle the entire larger island, which even has a paved walkway.

Feeling the scorching sun? There are more than 10 wooden shelters, littered on both islands or you can seize shade from those tall trees while you lay your groundsheet for a place to rest.
These shelters have 2 long benches and a table, so you can eat a meal comfortably here just like at East Coast Park.

Choose from 4 lagoons to take a cool dip or wade around in the clear water or build sandcastles. The sand is fine and amazingly clean.

There were barbecue pits near the lagoons just like all other islands and there are taps near them too, making it very convenient to clean up after eating, NSman, 20-year-old Warren Chao, who was there with friends a few months ago remarked, "It's a bit small but there's lots of privacy. You can hold a class gathering there like what my old classmates and I did."

Camping on the island overnight requires permission from the SDC.

Stop 1 - Kusu Island>>>
Stop 2 - St. John's Island>>>
Stop 4- Pulau Hantu>>>

Prologue>>>

Pulau Hantu Besar and Pulau Hantu Kechil, which sit across from each other have the same facilities as Sisters' Island. Getting to Pulau Hantu (Ghost island) require you to get a 2-way bumboat ride from the West Coast ferry terminal (60 West Coast Terminal Road, Tel: 6873 1851), near the West Coast Park. This boat ride will cost $100 to $140 for the entire day. You can also take a short ride on the dive boat from the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, which is a haunt for Singaporean divers. Pulau Hantu is about 30 minutes from the mainland of Singapore.

Pulau Hantu is a popular destination with divers because the seabed around the island is low and flat, and safe as a training and leisure spot for newcomers to the activity.

Once at Pulau Hantu, check out the shore at low tide. If you're lucky, there could be hermit crabs wandering about or maybe shrimps wiggling about and even mudskippers jumping on the mudflats.

A huge mangrove swamp compensates for the lack of a forest. Spend the entire afternoon exploring the swamp. There is a lot more than meets the eye if you look hard enough. Don't just walk around and see, peer more closely onto the ground and you might spot some starfish buried in the mud.

As with Sisters' Island, you'll find many coconut palms and casuarinas trees planted everywhere, making the place shady.

Cranes, herons and magpies are some of the migratory birds that inhabit the island during certain times of the year.

You can also camp this island if you have permission from the SDC.

Stop 1 - Kusu Island>>>
Stop 2 - St. John's Island>>>
Stop 3- Sisters' Island>>>

Prologue>>>

After a day's island-hopping, Karen Soo gives you the lowdown on the quartet Southern Islands.

Southern Charts

Kusu island

Ambience: 2/5
The tortoise sanctuary was undergoing some construction, the turtle lagoon was rather stinky and workmen were drilling away at the drainage pipes, most probably in preparation for the onslaught of humans this month. However, brownie points for the brilliant view of Singapore, though a 5.6km distance from mainland, the scenery was breathtaking.

Cleanliness: 3/5
The place was not as clean compared to the rest of the islands due to the large number of visitors to Kusu. But the toilets scored because they were amazingly clean and well supplied with toilet paper.

Variety: 3/5
With two temples catering to the major races in Singapore and the usual fare found on the islands like lagoons and picnic areas, Kusu is overall an average place to seek some relaxation and fun under the sun.

Overall grading : 3/5

St. John's Island

Ambience: 2/5
Noise pollution from major construction work going on due to the linking of Lazarus Island to St. John and the ongoing building of the Institute of Marine Science, Also the barbed wires surrounding the place wasn't very appealing and made it rather hard to navigate around the island. But if you're an explorer by nature, it's a great place to trek and explore unexplored areas.

Cleanliness: 3/5
Campers hog the lagoon areas leaving much litter around. However, the centre of the island is much cleaner.

Variety: 4/5
St. John's definitely has secrets to reveal. A project to breed fishes is still under wraps but if you're curious, head on down to take a peek. There is also a football field and basketball court there. If one day of trekking, swimming and fishing is not enough, you still can book a bungalow and stay overnight. These bungalows have refrigerators, cooking utensils and furniture, and can house more than 5 persons. However, what was disappointing was the cafeteria at the top of a hill which was closed 24 hours a day. Somebody should remove the sign.

Overall grading: 3.5/5

Sister's Island

Ambience: 4/5
Cool, calm and composed. Sisters' Island has the most rustic ambience of all with the subtle breeze and the sheer privacy that it provides. Nothing better than a day out on a beach with your loved ones.

Cleanliness: 4/5
No need to brag about the relative lack of rubbish on Sisters' since so few people actually bother to head down here. The place was spic and span save for the occasional mineral water bottle that got washed up on the beach

Variety: 2/5
Hmmm…basically, you can only sun-tan, swim and picnic.

Overall grading: 4/5

Pulau Hantu

Ambience: 4/5
Yes, if a rustic ambience turns you on. The sheer silence of this place calms a troubled heart and soothes the soul. Great for stressed out spirits and those recovering from heartbreak?!

Cleanliness: 4/5
Seems the further you are from Singapore, the cleaner things are. Quite an irony, considering how we pride ourselves on having a clean and green home. Probably most of the damage is done underwater, since this place is a hit with divers.

Variety: 2.5/5
Swim, tan and snorkel. These are the main activities you head out here for. If you are here for the underwater adventure, it's definitely unforgettable. If you are here for the land adventure, you get as much action on Sisters' Island.

Overall grading: 4/5

Stop 1 - Kusu Island>>>
Stop 2 - St. John's Island>>>
Stop 3- Sisters' Island>>>
Stop 4 - Pulau Hantu>>>