Lazarus Island

Lazarus, or Pulau Sakijang Pelepah, holds the best beach in Singapore that most Singaporeans have not been to: a curve of pale sand in a sheltered bay on the eastern side, with clear-ish water and almost nobody on it during the week. There is nothing built on the island beyond paths and a jetty. It is reached by walking the causeway from St John's, which is what keeps the numbers down.

History

Formerly Pulau Sekijang Pelepah, the island of a deer and palms, the island and nearby St John's served as a penal colony and a quarantine station, a lazaretto, which may have given Lazarus its name; in 2006 it was linked to Pulau Seringat by a sand bank (Wikipedia, Lazarus Island).

What you'll find

• The beach - a curved bay of pale sand, the quietest in Singapore.
• The causeway walk - the link from St John's that keeps the crowds away.
• The city skyline - Singapore's towers visible across the water.
• The emptiness - an island with no development on it at all.

When to go

Year round; weekdays are near empty and weekends busier. Ferry times dictate the day. Afternoon storms are common and there is no shelter.

Practical notes

There are no facilities of any kind: no shop, no drinking water, no bins, and everything must be carried both ways. Ferries are infrequent. Shade is limited to the tree line.

Nearby

St John's is across the causeway, and Kusu is on the ferry route.

Key facts