Singapore’s Sentosa Island is the
southernmost point of Continental Asia. Connected to the main island by a
causeway, you can also get there via a monorail called the Sentosa Express or
the Singapore Cable Car. If you decide to walk along the causeway, be aware
that there’s still a charge. It is the cheapest option however, costing $1.00
while the monorail cost $3 and the Cable Car costs $29 for adults and $18 for
children. The Cable Car is the most expensive but also the most spectacular.
For the most convenient option, choose the monorail.
Sentosa means “peace and tranquillity” in
Malay. A name that can be well applied to the white sandy beaches that line the
south-west coast, but the island is also host to a lot adventures that will get
your heart racing.
The first stop in the monorail line is
Resorts World Sentosa. Opened in 2010 it includes a casino, a theme park, an
aquarium, a museum, shops and restaurants. A visit to Universal Studios is
essential for anyone visiting Singapore. An ultra-modern theme park, it
features state of the art rides like the Transformers ride, which is a cross
between a 3D movie and roller-coaster and the Mummy ride, which is a
roller-coaster that has entire sections of complete darkness. There are also plenty
of rides for younger kids and of course those that can’t stomach a high speed
roller-coaster. Also worth witnessing at Resorts World is the largest
oceanarium in the world, containing 45 million litres of water, 100,000 marine
animals across 800 species and the world’s largest viewing panel. At 36-metre
wide and 8.3-metre tall, it is intended to give visitors the feeling of being
on the ocean floor. Marine Life Park is home to the only giant oceanic manta
ray in captivity. It also showcases 24 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins,
scalloped hammerhead sharks, the Japanese spider crab, and relatively
uncommonly-exhibited species such as the guitarfish and the chambered nautilus.
Connected to the oceanarium is Adventure Cove Waterpark, featuring the region’s
first hydro-magnetic water-coaster. While you’re there make sure you try and
have a meal at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. With a total of 28 Michelin Stars, Joël
Robuchon has more than any other chef in the world.
The second stop is Imbiah Monorail Station.
Here you will find a large collection of Sentosa attractions. Learn to fly in
the iFly, an indoor wind tunnel that can reach speeds of over 200km/h, although
it will only be going about 80km/h when you use it. With an hour training
required before entering the tunnel, this is serious business and not like a
normal hop-on-hop-off ride. That being said, anyone can do it, young and old,
just pay attention to your instructor or be prepaid to fall straight into the
safety net. Around the corner from the iFlyer is the Sentosa Luge. Like a mix
between a toboggan and a go-kart, control your speed and steering while gravity
pulls you down one of the two routes built onto the hill. Next to Sentosa Luge
is the Tiger Sky Tower, Singapore’s highest observation tower. Just board the
air-conditioned viewing platform on the ground level and the entire thing will
ascend 91 metres while slowly revolving, giving 360° views of Sentosa, the
southern part of Singapore and on a clear day parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
And of course while you’re in this part of Sentosa you have to pay a visit to
the Merlion statue. Standing at a spectacular 37 metres tall, this dwarves all
other Merlion statues and even has viewing platforms in its mouth and on its
head. For something a bit more educational check out Images of Singapore. A
museum dedicated to Singaporean history. For even more history, venture north
to find Fort Siloso. This is the actual fort that was manned by the British
during World War II. It was because they were so preoccupied with the
expectation of a sea attack that Japanese troops were able to invade from the
north and occupy Singapore for three years.
The last stop on the line is Beach Monorail
Station. From here you can transfer to the blue beach trams to get to Siloso
Beach or the green trams to get to Palawan Beach and Tanjong Beach. Siloso
Beach is the one to go to for activities such as beach volleyball, canoeing,
mountain biking and rollerblading. It’s also the location of Songs of the Sea,
an hour-long music, fire, water and laser spectacular that is performed every
night. You can also make up for the lack of waves by riding the artificial surf
at the Wave House. The next beach along is Palawan Beach. Stop here for one of
the numerous bars that sit practically on the sand. The last beach is Tanjong
Beach. The smallest and most secluded of the three, this is the perfect place
to chill out and maybe try the amazing food at the Tanjong Beach Club.
All these attractions are only a fraction
of what’s on offer on the west side of Sentosa. Make sure you plan ahead as you
may need tickets and bookings for some places. There are also plenty of hotels
on Sentosa which offer perfect access to all the island’s treasures. The east
side of Sentosa is mainly made up of private housing, a marina and a massive
golf course. With wide quiet roads, don’t be afraid to explore this part of the
island, the best way being by bicycle. With so much to do on Sentosa, you need
more than a day to see everything. Luckily the transport system makes it easily
accessible from anywhere in Singapore.
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