Kayaks, Ketam and a Lighthouse

If you paddle once, we'd make it Sungei Simpang from Sembawang Park. Kayak Asia's four-hour guided trip goes into one of the last riverine mangroves on Singapore's shores, and it suits people who've never held a paddle. The catch is the tide: Kayak Asia runs it all year but only as the tides allow, and it takes bookings on WhatsApp. If you'd like a boat rather than a kayak, the Sultan Shoal Lighthouse tour is the way onto an island that's normally closed.

Sembawang's last mangrove creek

The Simpang River is one of Singapore's last remaining mangrove rivers, and the trip covers about 8 km in double kayaks from 7.15am to 11.45am. Kayakers learn about the giant fig, snails and lobsters, and why there are plenty of young ones in the mangrove. It costs S$105 for adults and S$75 for children under 12, children older than four can come, and a late breakfast is included.

For the same coast from a boat, the Coastal Life Boat Tour runs a daily morning session, 8.30am to 11.30am, from SAF Yacht Club onto the Johor Strait, developed with the Fish Farmers Association of Singapore. You watch fishermen haul in crab traps and cast nets for sea prawns, sail up to floating fish farms called kelongs, and taste freshly harvested mussels and seasonal seafood. It's S$150 a person when you book on the operator's own website, which saves S$10, and it needs at least four guests. Ponchos are provided if it rains.

Pulau Ubin by kayak

Kayak Asia lists Pasir Ris Park and Pulau Ubin for its Ubin 4Rivers Trail, a 12 km half-day paddle through the island's mangrove creeks from 7.30am to 12.30pm. The route may change depending on how the guides can find their way through the dense mangroves. It costs S$135 for adults and S$85 for children under 12, and it's one of six river trails in Ubin's mangrove interior.

The hard version is the Round Ubin trail, a 22 km half-marathon around the whole island, from 6.30am to 12.30pm. It's S$175 and listed under Punggol Beach Park and Pulau Ubin, and Kayak Asia designs it for friends who want a very challenging morning fitness paddle. The Northern Shores Trail also runs 22 km, from Changi to Sembawang, on the rare days when the currents and winds are forecast to help, with swimming stops at Coney Island, Punggol Settlement, Seletar Island and Sembawang Park. Confirm the meeting point for any of these on WhatsApp before you plan the journey.

Round Pulau Ketam

Pulau Ketam is an island just off the southwest of Pulau Ubin. Round Ketam Kayaking is an open-sea paddle that starts at Ubin's southern end and heads west along the coast to Ketam, where the guides point out the different mangroves. You might see grey herons, water monitor lizards or otters. It starts at 9am from 34 Pulau Ubin, a minute's walk from the jetty: cross the boardwalk, turn left and look for the white house on your right. It takes five hours, 3.5 of them on the water, and costs S$110 for adults and for children aged 7 to 12.

You do need a bumboat to reach it. The Pulau Ubin bumboat, a privately run boat, leaves Changi Point Ferry Terminal, next to Changi Village, when 12 people are aboard, and the 10-minute ride typically costs S$4 each way. Bumboats usually run on demand from 6am to 7pm. Book Round Ketam at least 48 hours ahead. It needs two adults, runs in wet or dry weather, and you will get wet, so wear covered shoes.

A ferry to Sultan Shoal

The Maritime and Port Authority's three-hour tour starts at Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal, 55 Pasir Panjang Road. Registration opens at 9am and the ferry leaves between 9.20am and 9.30am, with no boarding for latecomers. On the way you pass PSA's Pasir Panjang Terminal, Pulau Bukom and Jurong Island, then step onto a restricted island to see one of Singapore's oldest lighthouses, with the Tuas Port development in view.

Tickets start from about S$78, and the tour runs on set dates listed on MPA's Eventbrite page. It's for ages 12 and up, and under-18s need an adult. Wear covered shoes, with no sandals, skirts or dresses, because the ferry has steep stairs. Bring your own water, since the toilets are at the terminal and on the ferry and none work on the island. The ferry is air-conditioned, but a windbreaker helps out on the island, and tickets are non-refundable.

A flat-water paddle in the city

For a paddle without the tides, Kallang Basin Kayak rents sit-on-top kayaks and canoes from The Kallang's Water Sports Centre at 8 Stadium Walk, and you might spot the otters that live in the basin. It's walk-in only, so bring photo ID and fill in the indemnity form. Two hours cost an adult S$18 at peak times and S$15.50 off peak at the standard rate. It opens from 9am to 8pm with the last rental at 5pm, and it's shut on Tuesdays. Children must be 7 or older, with an adult from 7 to 12.

Booking Kayak Asia

Kayak Asia says light to medium rain isn't a problem. It asks you to book on WhatsApp, since the guides are often out paddling, and a half-day trip cancelled more than 48 hours ahead costs S$25 a person, with no refund after that. If Kayak Asia cancels with less than 48 hours' notice, you can take a refund or a voucher.