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SINGAPORE – Wind in my hair, paddles cutting through water, seawater splashing my legs and shoulders. Taste the salt on my lips and I feel a delicious burning in my arms. There is something about physical rigor that makes one feel alive.
Perched in an inflatable kayak, paddling through the gulf of water that separates Labrador Park from Sentosa, I’m surprised I haven’t felt this way in a long time.
Kayaking, along with other outdoor activities like hiking, scuba diving, and rafting, are not things that I normally associate with Singapore.
Today’s expedition with Ninja Kayakers, a small team founded by Clarence Chua, 37, seems set to debunk that.
Our first stop, a rocky beach called Tanjong Rimau at the western end of Sentosa, calls out to us as we approach, blow by laborious blow.
Once there, a scramble over moss-covered rocks leads to a secluded beach surrounded by turrets from WWII, repainted a cheery blue and yellow.
We make our way through slippery rocks and climb a steep dirt slope to the towers, and are rewarded with a postcard-worthy view, all the more precious because there is no one else around.
This is the eternal paradox of travel: we seek to discover places off the radar, but we hate sharing them with the masses.
“This is the best brunch spot in Singapore,” declares Mr. Chua, handing out ham and cheese sandwiches for our first break of the day.
Places like these are exactly what you were looking to discover when you bought your first inflatable kayak in 2010.
“Many years ago, I didn’t have a kayak and I was riding a bumboat to Pulau Ubin. I saw this guy kayaking alone, near the shore. It was like a vision from a dream. There were no roads and I was free to go wherever I wanted “says the father of two, who is also the CEO of landscaping company Country Cousins.
Having explored numerous rivers and reservoirs over the years with friends and family, he created Ninja Kayakers in July after friends approached him for a tour of them.
There are two types of routes available: the rural ones around Pulau Ubin and Coney Island, where “you don’t see a single building,” and the urban routes like the one we are on, which offer an alternate view of familiar places.
Full-day and overnight adventures are available, and enthusiasts can even customize their own expedition.
Inflatable kayaks, no less stable than the rigid variety, offer more flexibility. They unfold more easily and can be stowed last, so there’s no need to make the return trip with jelly arms.
We don’t face that risk as our 2.5km Secret Sentosa route is the shortest available.
Still, there’s plenty to see, including the manicured grounds of Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa and beaches dotted with inflatable slides, volleyball courts, and bikini-clad loungers.
From afar, I see a brave soul dangling by the ankles in AJ Hackett’s bungee jump. My partner and I make a pact to go back and do it together.
With the wind at our backs, we arrived too early at our penultimate stop, a breakwater on an islet off Siloso beach. The water is clear and the waves of pristine sand on the semicircular beach that we can make out with the rising tide.
So many times, I have looked at these breakwaters and wondered if it would be possible to swim across from Sentosa. Turns out they are another little slice of paradise.
I climb some rocks to a plateau to find Mr. Clement Chua, 31, Clarence’s younger brother who helps on the tours, who already mixes two pots of pasta on outdoor stoves. He has even brought condiments, Parmesan cheese, cold drinks, and beer.
After the morning efforts, simple food tastes good. It’s been hours since I last looked at my phone.
Behind us, the island vibrates with human activity. But looking out, the view is all sea and sky.
The Sentosa name translates to peace and quiet. In searching the island’s secrets, I have experienced exactly what its name means.
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