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Singapore Travel Guide

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About Singapore      Things To See      Sentosa Island
About Sentosa Island

Sentosa IslandSentosa, which means peace and tranquillity in Malay, is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year. Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses and two five-star hotels, and the upcoming Resort Worlds at Sentosa, featuring the new theme park Universal Studios Singapore. The island has an area of 5 square kilometres. It lies just half a kilometre (a quarter of a mile) away from the southern coast of the main island of Singapore. It is Singapore’s fourth largest island (excluding the main island). 70% of the island is covered by secondary rainforest, the habitat of monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks, parrots as well as other native fauna and flora. The island also has 3.2 kilometre stretch of white sand beach. Significantly large portions of land are currently being added to Sentosa due to land reclamation.

Getting There & Around

Sentosa MonorailSentosa can be reached from the Singapore mainland via a short causeway or Cable Car, which originates on Mount Faber and passes through HarbourFront en route. The island is also accessible by the Sentosa Express monorail, which has four stations on Sentosa. Opened in 15 January 2007, the terminus of the line is at the VivoCity shopping mall on the mainland, which is in turn served by the HarbourFront MRT Station of the North East MRT Line. The journey takes four minutes. Within Sentosa there are three bus services, identified as Blue, Yellow and Red lines, and a tram service called the Beach Train. Passenger cars and taxis are allowed to enter the island. The Island has an admission fee.

Visitor Attractions

Sentosa offers a variety of attractions, museums and other facilities to provide a variety of experiences, recreation and entertainment to visitors.

Tiger Sky TowerTiger Sky Tower

The Tiger Sky Tower is free-standing observation tower on Sentosa. At a height of 110 metres above ground and 131 metres above sea level, it offers visitors a panoramic view of Sentosa, Singapore, and the Southern Islands. On a clear day, the view extends to parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. At ground level, visitors enter a large disc-shaped air conditioned cabin fitted with glass windows all round. The cabin then revolves slowly as it ascends the column of the tower. The cabin has a capacity of 72 visitors. The Sky Tower is situated in the Imbiah Lookout zone in the centre of Sentosa and can be reached by Cable Car, Sentosa Luge Chair Lift, by Sentosa Express or by bus.

Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom

The Butterfly Park is a landscape garden with over 15,000 live butterflies, representing more than fifty species. Housed in a cool outdoor conservatory, these butterflies range from the 25 millimetre (1 in) Eurema sari to the 150 mm (6 in) Papilio iswara. The Insect Kingdom houses some 3,000 species of rare insects from around the world, including a 160 mm Dynastes Hercules beetle.

Underwater WorldUnderwater World and Dolphin Lagoon

Underwater World is an oceanarium located on the western part of Sentosa. The living museum has more than 2,500 marine and fresh-water animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is underground and has an 83 metre long travelator that moves visitors along a submerged glass-windowed tunnel from which they can look at an array of marine life including a coral reef, stringrays, moray eels, turtles, sharks, and other fishes. Dolphin LagoonIn the 'Dive-with-the-Sharks' program visitors can scuba dive in the large oceanarium, even if they are not scuba qualified. Qualified scuba divers can also 'Dive-with-the-Dugong". The Underwater World also includes a Dolphin Lagoon which is home to some Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, also known as the pink dolphins. Several "Meet-the-Dolphins" sessions are held daily to allow visitors to enter the waist-deep pool and interact with the dolphins at close proximity. A more involved "Swim-with-the-Dolphins' program, where visitors can interact extensively with the dolphins, is also available.

Songs O The SeaSongs of the Sea

The Songs of the Sea show is the world’s only permanent show set in the sea - boasting spectacular pyrotechnics displays, a live cast and an open-air viewing gallery which can comfortably accommodate 2,500 visitors.

Sentosa 4D Max

The Sentosa 4D Magix is Singapore's first and Southeast Asia's original 4-dimensional theatre. The theatre is equipped with state-of-the-art Digital Projection and DTS 6.1 sound system. The highlight of the theatre is the special seats. Each seat comes equipped with special effects: in-built speakers, seat vibration, leg ticklers, water features and base shaker features. The movement effect is received directly by each rider via the individually controlled seat. The entire theatre and all its effects are coordinated through a show control system which ensures a precise coordination of the special effects of the show.

Fort SilosoFort Siloso

In the west of the island stand the guns of preserved Fort Siloso which guarded the western approaches to Singapore during World War II. Fort Siloso was built by the British in 1880s to guard the narrow western entrance to Keppel Harbour. It was later modernized and by 1939 was armed with two 6-inch Mark2 guns and two rapid firing 12-pounder guns. Fort Siloso is now the only surviving coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries that made up Fortress Singapore at the start of the war. The ammunition bunkers, barracks, tunnels, and gun emplacements of the fort are now open to visitors, as a military-themed attraction. Also on display is a collection of artillery guns dating from the 17th century to World War II. Life-sized replicas of British soldiers and other people were on display to depict lives at the fort in the past. There is also an exhibition with a large collection of photographs, documents and film clips.

MerlionSentosa LugeMerlion

The Merlion statue recalls the story of the legendary Sang Nila Utama, who saw a lion in Singapore (originally known as Temasek) while hunting. The 37 metre (12 storey) high statue can be entered through the ground floor, and one can take the lift up to 12th floor to view the city state. It is the tallest Merlion in Singapore.

Sentosa Luge & Skyride

The Sentosa Luge & Skyride is a self-steering, gravity-driven three-wheel cart. Originated from New Zealand, the non-motorized cart allows rider to speed down a hill over a course of 650 m ending at the Siloso Beach.

Sentosa BeachBeaches in Sentosa Island

Sentosa has a stretch of sheltered beach of more than two kilometres in length on its southern coast, divided into three portions: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach. These beaches are artificial, reclaimed using sand bought from Indonesia and Malaysia. Palawan Beach lies in the centre of the southern coast of Sentosa. There is a suspension bridge that leads to a small islet off the coast which is said to be the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia, or Asia's closest point to the Equator. Siloso Beach lies on the west portion of the southern coast and it is known as the place for beach volleyball and other outdoor activities such as canoeing, skim boarding, mountain biking or rollerblading. There are also dining and shopping outlets along the beach. The Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort is located at the western end of Siloso Beach.

 

Tips for Travelers

Sentosa Island is a must for travelers visiting Singapore. There is a whole lot of things to do and see for everyone. It is advised to spend a complete day to enjoy most of Sentosa Island.