Kusu Island

Kusu means tortoise, and for eleven months of the year the island keeps to that pace.

Timing decides this one. Kusu Pilgrimage Season 2026 is on now and runs until Sunday 8 November, with dates that follow the ninth lunar month. For these weeks the island's Da Bo Gong temple and hilltop keramat draw devotees by the boatload, praying for health, luck and prosperity. Go now if you want to see Kusu at its most alive and don't mind sharing it; wait until 9 November if you want the lagoon and the tortoises in peace.

The legend is the island's whole personality. A magical tortoise, the story goes, turned itself into land to save two shipwrecked sailors. Today the island is sacred to both Chinese and Malay worshippers. The Da Bo Gong temple, built in 1923, houses Da Bo Gong, believed to bring prosperity and calm the seas, and Guan Yin. Up 152 steep steps, three shrines honour Syed Abdul Rahman, his mother Nenek Ghalib and his sister Puteri Fatimah, and are popular with couples hoping for children. The keramat was damaged by fire in 2022; SLA's 2026 notice says the stairs are open for this season.

Outside the pilgrimage, Kusu is an 8.5-hectare island you can walk around in about 40 minutes. There are two lagoons, the northern one facing the CBD skyline, with small fish and crabs that make a snorkel mask worth packing. The sunken tortoise sanctuary in the middle is the one thing not to miss. A lotus-shaped wishing well stands on the walkway to the temple, though its bells are long gone.

There are toilets and sheltered picnic tables. Food isn't sold on the island outside the pilgrimage – the temporary hawker centre that feeds pilgrims mainly runs during the season – so pack lunch and water if you go after 9 November.

Getting there is different for the season. Regular public ferries don't stop at Kusu until 9 November; Singapore Island Cruise is the only operator allowed to carry passengers to the main jetty, from Marina South Pier, and private bumboats are out because the bumboat jetty has been closed since April 2025. Fares are in the facts box. If you want one more reason to go during the season, Siong Leng Musical Association gives a nanyin performance at the temple on Saturday 7 November, the last weekend; plan for it to be the fullest one.

Kusu suits anyone curious about Singapore's living faiths, and families who want a short island trip with tortoises at the end of it. Go during the pilgrimage for the spectacle, dressed for a temple and ready for steps, or later in November for the lagoon.

Good to know Pilgrimage season (10 Oct–8 Nov 2026): ferries run hourly from Marina South Pier with Singapore Island Cruise, from 7am to 5pm out and until 7pm back. If you book online at islandcruise.com.sg, exchange your confirmation email for tickets at the SIC counter at the pier. No pets and no overnight stays. Regular Marina South Ferries services to Kusu resume on 9 November.

Kusu Island | Southern Islands | Nearest MRT: Marina South Pier (ferry from Marina South Pier)