Kukup

Kukup is a fishing village near the south-western corner of the peninsula, settled by Teochew Chinese and built almost entirely on piles over the water and the mudflat, with a single main street of plank and concrete walkway and the houses, shops and restaurants standing on legs on either side. The economy is fish farming - floating kelong pens out in the channel - and seafood, and eating is what brings most visitors, usually Singaporeans and Johor families at weekends, to restaurants built out over the water where the tanks are alongside the tables. Boats run out to the kelongs and across to Pulau Kukup, the uninhabited mangrove island opposite, which is a Ramsar site and a national park. Firefly trips run in the mangrove after dark from some operators.

What you actually see

• A village on stilts - the whole settlement standing over water and mud.
• Floating fish farms - the kelong pens out in the channel, visited by boat.
• Seafood restaurants over the water - the main reason people drive out.
• Pulau Kukup opposite - the uninhabited mangrove island and national park.

When to go

All year; weekdays to avoid the crowds. A day.

Honest expectations

Weekends are very busy with Singaporean day-trippers and restaurants fill up. At low tide the mud smells strongly. The walkways are narrow. You need a car; buses are impractical.

Nearby

Tanjung Piai, the southernmost point of continental Asia, is a short drive.