Lazarus, St John and Kusu: Southern Islands of Singapore

The Southern Islands of St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu are popular spots to get away from mainland Singapore and enjoy a slower pace of life, even if for just one day.

Located about a 45-minute ferry ride from Marina South Pier, heading to the islands is easy and makes for a relaxing weekend trip.

Thinking of visiting these offshore gems? This post shall show you how. Let’s go!

I visit Lazarus and St John’s frequently. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!

Background of the Southern Islands

Singapore has several islands off her southern coast, as listed below. But our focus of this post shall be on the ferry-accessible islands of St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu.

• Sentosa Island. A resort island connected to the mainland via the Sentosa Gateway and a cable car service from Mt Faber.
• Brani Island. Used to have a naval base. Currently houses a container terminal. Would be redeveloped into a resort island like Sentosa by 2027, once the containers are shifted to Tuas Mega Port.
• St John’s Island. St John Island is a resort island connected to Lazarus Island with beaches and lodges. One-third of the island is dedicated to aquaculture and marine research. Overnight camping is allowed on this island. Has a pier with daily ferry rides from Marina South Pier.
• Lazarus Island. Linked to St John’s Island via a bridge. Not all parts of the island are accessible.
• Seringat Island. Linked to Lazarus, and hence is confused as part of Lazarus Island. Has two glamping sites and several campsites and beaches.
• Kias Island. An artificial island connected to the north-western side of Seringat Island. There’s nothing on this island presently. It was mentioned that Kias was reclaimed from sunken coral dead reefs and was part of an ambitious plan to convert this part of Singapore into a resort island like Sentosa. 
• Kusu Island. Adjacent island from Lazarus. Known as Tortoise Island or Pulau Tembakul. Houses a Chinese temple, three Malay shrines and a tortoise sanctuary. Overnight camping isn’t allowed. The island has many pavilions for picnicking.
• Sister’s Islands. Singapore’s first marine park to conserve corals and promote marine-related research. Only the big island is free to visit. The small island is closed for turtle hatchery. The Big Island is known for scuba diving with demarcated dive trails.
• Pulau Hantu. A secluded island underneath the heavily industrialised cluster of islands for petrochemical industries. One of the known dive sites in Singapore.
• Tekukor Island. An unused island with corals between St John-Lazarus, Sister’s Islands and Sentosa.
• Semakau Island. An island meant for waste management.
• Pulau Jong. A small island – more like a rock island – in between heavily industrialised islands. Despite its location and petite size, the island is next to the deepest water in Singapore at 80 m! One of the dive sites in Singapore. 
• Sebarok Island. Heavily industrialised island beside Semakau, focusing on biofuels. 
• Pulau Bukom, Pulau Busing, Pulau Ular, and Pulau Bukom Kechil. A cluster of 4 joined islands focussing on petrochemical businesses.
• Pulau Sudong, Pulau Pawai, and Pulau Senang. Three separate off-limits islands for military exercises.
• Pulau Biola. Said to look like a violin. Also a known dive site.
• Pulau Satumu. The southernmost island of Singapore. Has one of the country’s oldest lighthouses since 1855. Another dive spot known for rich coral reefs. Visiting this island and its lighthouse is part of a tour organised by Singapore Maritime.
• Jurong Island. An amalgamation of seven islands to form one big island focussing on petrochemicals. Has Singapore’s first offshore power station, and is linked to the mainland by a 2.3 km causeway. Access is highly restricted.

---

St John’s Island

St John’s Island, also known as Pulau Sekijang Bendera, was the first place the ship carrying Sir Stamford Raffles was anchored, before heading to mainland Singapore the following day on 29 Jan 1819. The Malay name is loosely translated as a place of deers and a flag for the flagpole that used to be on the island from 1823 to 1833.

The island has a history of being a quarantine island from malicious epidemic diseases like cholera and leprosy when hordes of immigrants make their way or transit at the trading port.

When the need for a quarantine island decreased, St John’s was then repurposed to house political detainees and secret society bosses. Later, the place was converted into a drug rehabilitation centre, before finally becoming what it is known for now – a site for school camps, weekends away from the city, and holiday retreats.

Fun fact: Somehow the name St John, named after biblical images, stuck, while that of Mark and Matthew that Sister’s Islands were once called, and Luke for Pulau Tekukor did not, as written in this 2018 Biblioasia article.

---

Lazarus Island

Lazarus Island, known as Pulau Sakijang Pelepah, loosely translated as a place of deers and palm fronds, was also a quarantine centre and burial ground for passengers who died during quarantine.

---

Kusu Island

As with St John’s and Lazarus, Kusu, meaning tortoise in Hokkien dialect, was once a quarantine island.

It goes by another name, Pulau Tembakul, in Malay or Peak Island.

Unlike the other two islands that mostly attract beachgoers, Kusu has a working Chinese temple and three Malay shrines, making it a religious site for Chinese and Malay devotees to pray for health and wealth.

According to legends, the island came to be when a tortoise turned into an island to save shipwrecked sailors.

---

Getting to the Southern Islands

There’s only one way to reach the Southern Islands – via ferry or a sea vessel from the mainland.

Most visitors leave for the Southern Islands from the Marina South Pier. The Pier mostly supports domestic ferry rides to the Southern Islands. We saw international arrivals with luggage and immigration clearance to go through. I’m unsure where exactly these people hail from.

You could book your tickets online in advance, and the return ticket includes drop-offs at St John’s, which is linked to Lazarus, and Kusu Island, and a S$ 3 Gong Cha voucher (2024).

The Marina South Pier is next to the MRT station sharing the same name. Apart from being a pier, the building has a Singapore Maritime Gallery on the top floor, and some shops selling snacks and drinks for last-minute purchases.

The Singapore Maritime Gallery has free guided tours organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Aside from the gallery, MPA provides informative tours of the Southern islands, lighthouses and maritime heritage trails.

This pier is not to be confused with the bigger Marina Bay Cruise Centre, located 10 minutes walk from the dock, which serves cruises from overseas stopping by in Singapore.

There are also weekend rides from Sentosa Jetty Cove to St John’s.

Alternatively, grab a few friends and charter a yacht around the Southern Islands!

---

Attractions within the Southern Islands

St John’s Island

Aside from cycling, picnicking, suntanning or playing by the beach, St John is also a popular retreat away from mainland Singapore with a handful of places to stay, including a bungalow that can sleep 10 and lodges with beds that can hold up to 132!

Singapore’s only offshore marine research centre, The St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, is located in the southern part of the island. It has a gallery, free for public visits every day from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Linked to the research centre is a 2.8 km trail (opens to a pdf) exploring some of the natural sights of St John’s, such as mangroves, heritage trees, and animals one might encounter along the way, like the resident Brahminy Kite. A 90 mins-long free guided walk occurs on the first Sunday of every month at 10 AM. Registration is required on a first-come-first-serve basis.

St John’s Island is also a venue for Vipassana courses in Singapore.

---

Lazarus

Just a bridge from St John’s, Lazarus now houses two luxury accommodation sites –  tiny houses and a row of glamp tents facing a beach.

For other penny-pinchers, such as me, Lazarus is the only island out of St John’s and Kusu that allows camping!

While facilities may be lacking here compared to Pulau Ubin and mainland Singapore, we get considerably fewer crowds and more peace camping in Lazarus.

Book your campsite with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) via Singpass here.

As with St John’s, Lazarus is the place to escape from the murmurings of traffic and crowds of mainland Singapore. Cycle, stroll, swim, or fish in Lazarus.

---

Kusu Island

Kusu Island was vividly remembered as a tortoise island when I visited the island on a school trip decades ago. For the pre-teen me, that island has tortoises everywhere – the most I’ve ever seen then – which explains why that core memory stuck.

The Chinese temple and three Malay shrines on the islands are the main highlights, especially during the pilgrimage season between September and October.

During my last visit to Kusu Island on a Sunday morning in June 2024, I saw people praying in the Chinese temple and a wall filled with wishes from past patrons, praying for health, wealth, peace and careers.

The three Malay shrines, or kramats, occupy the top of Kusu’s hill, requiring 152 steps or around 5 mins to climb. The Kramats commemorate a religious family who lived in the 19th century. As with the Chinese temple, devotees pray for the same items.

Aside from the turtle lagoon facing the front of the Chinese temple, there is also a tortoise sanctuary beside an empty hawker centre that will only be revived during the pilgrimage period.

Kusu Island has two lagoons and several pavilions for picnics and beach activities.

Tempting as it may be for the ample shade from towering trees, overnight camping is not allowed on the island.

---

Pointers to Note

Living in convenient Singapore where comfort is just a short walk away, the Southern Islands of St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu are all but that.

• Food and Drinks. There are no provision stores or food options, so it’s best to prepare the food and water you’d anticipate for your plans, cue the stores by Marina South Pier. The one convenience store in Lazarus beside the tiny houses is your last resort, with items selling at highly inflated prices.
• Water. Not treated and may not be safe for consumption. Have to be boiled before serving.
• Toilets. Near the main jetties, but far if you’re camping in the designated spots at Lazarus.
• Sun protection. Shade is lacking once you move out of the forested area, which is frequent. Think of the long walk across the bridge between St John’s and Lazarus.
• Insect protection. While the mosquitoes in Lazarus are comparatively lesser than those in Pulau Ubin, a mozzie magnet, aka me, could still score a handful of bites, especially at dusk.
• Campsites and lodges. Book yours in advance from SLA to avoid disappointment. Even those luxurious ones costing at least S$280 a night get snapped out quickly.
• Arrive early. Book your ferry tickets early to secure your spots before the crowd descends, especially during the weekends.

---

Conclusion/ Rambles

St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands are Singapore’s last idyllic spots away from towering skyscrapers, the rumblings of vehicles and the mass of people.

With that, these three islands are popular spots for foreigners working in Singapore on the weekends, especially Sundays.

As we left the islands after a night’s camp on the first few ferries, we were always welcomed by large crowds heading in the opposite direction.

A commonality is the sight of beautifully dressed ladies in summer dresses and hats leaving the ferries. Alongside the visibly cheery women were trolleys, luggage or cooler bins heavy with snacks and chilled drinks.

Indeed, these three islands are perfect spots to relax amongst friends for those wanting to take a breather and escape the city for just one day.

The same goes for me. The islands are perfect to camp and enjoy peace away from the city lights.