For the uninitiated, a kelong is an offshore wooden platform, upon which one can build living quarters. Stepping onto a kelong literally transports you back to a different time and place, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and into the easy-going serenity of a seaside kampong (Malay village).

Kelong are unique to Southeast Asia and their origins date back to pre-colonialisation. When Sir Stamford Raffles came to Singapore in 1819, there were approximately 1,000 people already living there, the majority of which were Malays who were orang laut, or sea nomads.

Interestingly enough, these orang laut lived not on land, but predominantly in boats or kelong.

From the 1960s to 1990s, kelong were popular vacation spots and seafood haunts. Today, they are used as living and fishing quarters for fishermen.

However, the rapid urbanisation that has come with Singapore’s economic success within the last 50 years has exacted a price. Now, due to the rising cost of wood needed to replace the wooden poles and the lack of new kelong licenses being issued, the number of kelong have dwindled from 45 to just 13.

While the fate of the kelong remain uncertain, it resembles the dilemma that Singapore herself faces between the reverence for tradition and rush for progress. So if you’re looking for the perfect place to find the road of the old just before it crosses the road of the new, the kelong is a great place to start with.