Mario Lee Blog

In March I wrote about Pulau Semakau, the landfill in the sea where mangroves, seagrass and corals grow. That article was based on research. Since then the island has stayed on my mind. I wanted to finally see it with my own eyes and show you my own photos.

I have been to Singapore seven times, also to visit my wife’s family. So I took heart and wrote to the National Environment Agency (NEA). I asked whether I could visit Semakau on my next trip.

NEA’s answer

After only a few days, a personal reply arrived from Singapore. It was friendly but clear: due to operational constraints, Semakau Landfill is closed to the public until further notice. So my visit is not possible at the moment.

If visits become possible again after 2027, NEA will announce it on its website. I will keep an eye on it and let you know.

And then came a nice surprise: NEA allowed me to translate its official visitor information sheet into German and publish it here. At the end, they even thanked me for helping to share the information with more people. That made me very happy.

Why the closure also has a good side

Of course I am a little disappointed. But Semakau is not a tourist attraction. It is a landfill that works every day. Singapore incinerates its waste, and the ash is shipped to the island. When operations don’t allow visitors, operations come first. And the fewer people come, the more peace the herons, sea stars and corals have.

For me, the answer also shows how Singapore works: open, friendly and reliable. I wrote as a blogger from Germany and got a personal reply within a few days.

NEA’s visitor information in short

Here is a short summary of NEA’s information sheet for visits to Semakau and the waste-to-energy plants. Please note: visits to Semakau are currently suspended. These rules apply again once the island reopens.

Programme of a Semakau visit

• Introduction with questions and answers: 40 minutes
• Gallery exhibition: 10 minutes
• Tour of the landfill, including 15 minutes at the southern tip: 50 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 40 minutes

Booking

• Groups book online through the NEA ePortal. Individuals cannot book there.
• Bookings must be made at least three weeks before the visit.
• Nobody gets onto the island without registration and a valid permit.
• Dates open quarter by quarter: January to March from late November of the previous year, April to June from late February, July to September from late May, October to December from late August.
• The tour is free of charge.

Important rules for Semakau

• Groups of at least 15 and at most 38 people.
• Visiting hours: weekdays 2 to 4 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 12 noon. No visits on Sundays and public holidays.
• Children under 7 are not allowed. Children aged 7 to 11 only with one adult per child. 12-year-olds must be accompanied by adults.
• The group charters its own ferry for the round trip, ideally only after confirmation and ideally from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal. The group pays for the ferry.
• Comfortable clothing and covered shoes. No high heels and no slippers.
• Bring drinks and light snacks, as there is no food on the island. Toilets are in the administration building and at two points along the tour.
• Snorkelling, swimming, fishing and camping are not allowed.
• If it rains, the bus tour still takes place, but there is no stop at the southern tip.
• NEA provides the guide, so you don’t need to bring your own.

What you experience on the tour

First, NEA explains how Singapore manages its waste and how Semakau was created. Then you see the gallery exhibition. After that, a bus drives across the landfill and shows the facilities. If the weather allows, you get off at the southern tip. That is the most beautiful part of the island, with a sea breeze and a great view for photos.

Intertidal walk on the western shore

The western shore of Semakau has mangroves, seagrass meadows and a large reef flat. At low tide below 0.5 metres you can do an intertidal walk there. It is not part of the NEA tour. You need a licensed nature guide, suitable shoes and a separate NEA permit for the date, the jetty and access to the shore. As examples, NEA names the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and The Nature Workshop.

Visiting a waste-to-energy plant

The information sheet also covers Singapore’s waste-to-energy plants. There, groups of 25 to 40 people are required, visitors must be at least 12 or 13 years old, and photos are not allowed during the tour. Visits take place on weekdays from 10 to 11:30 am and from 2:30 to 4 pm. The group arrives by its own bus, and visitors wear long trousers and non-slip shoes.

Individuals have a small chance through the Clean and Green Singapore programme: in the second half of the year there are sometimes dates you can sign up for on your own. Announcements are posted on the Clean and Green Singapore Facebook page.

My conclusion

Semakau has to wait, but I am not giving up. As soon as NEA offers visits again, I will plan my trip and report to you live from the island. Until then, Semakau remains my favourite example that waste and nature don’t have to exclude each other.

Have you ever written to an authority abroad? Tell me in the comments! 👇

Source: National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore: „Public Visits to Waste-To-Energy Plants and Semakau Landfill“. Original (PDF). Summary by Mario Lee, shared with NEA’s permission. German version of this post.