What to See in Sentosa
Sentosa Island, which is hugely popular with both locals and tourists alike, is Singapore's mega theme-park on an island. The offshore island of Sentosa, once the domain of tropical forest and rocky coasts, has been redeveloped into a sprawling amusement park where you can swim, sunbathe, whizz down water slides, visit butterfly parks and wax museums, and eat to your heart's content.
Sentosa will take at least one whole day if you want to visit the various amusement sites. It's also a great place to stay overnight, to soak in the beach holiday mood and be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are camping grounds, a hostel and two luxury resorts, The Sentosa and the Shangri-La Sentosa Resort.
Going to Sentosa Island is all part of the fun if you go there by cable-car or ferry. The cable-car service is from the World Trade Centre, and you will get a good bird's eye view of Mount Faber, one of Singapore highest points, during the ride.
For SG$120, you can also experience a romantic "sky" dinner for two aboard the cable car on Friday and Saturday nights. Ferry rides, another enjoyable way to get to Sentosa, are also available from the World Trade Centre.
Alternatively, you could take one of the special buses running to-and-fro the mainland and Sentosa. You can take Sentosa Bus Service E from Orchard Road, Service C from Tiong Bahru MRT, or Service A from the World Trade Centre. You can also drive into Sentosa after 18:30, though bare in mind that vehicles will have to leave the island before 15:00.
Admission to Sentosa Island is SG$ 6 for adults and SG$ 4 for children between 3 and 12 years. There will be separate charges for the various attractions on the island.
Once on the island, there's a free bus service that runs round the island and departs every 10 minutes. There's also a free monorail service that makes a loop round the island, and gives you a scenic view of Sentosa. Otherwise, you could rent a bike from the kiosk near the ferry terminal.
Sentosa's Underwater World
This famous oceanarium offers a collection of about 2,500 marine creatures from 250 species as well as a popular dolphin show. One of its highlights is the walk-through tunnel which makes one really feel like being underwater. Among the interesting marine life are colourful tropical fishes, sharks, dugongs, rays and giant crabs.
Everyone enjoys the zoo's dolphin show with its pink dolphins doing tricks (tail-flapping and 'talking'), and some lucky visitors even get to swim with them. All in all it's great experience that shouldn’t be missed. Another fun and different alternative at Underwater World is the Fish Reflexology. Have your feet nibbled/massaged by Turkish Garra rufa fish at Singapore's first fish reflexology spa located inside the Underwater World.
Sentosa Luge & Skyride
Discover another fun experience while at Sentosa such as the Skyride – an open-air cable-driven chairlift. Then try the luge which is a non-motorised, three-wheel carrier (aka self-driving car system) going down a steep hill. Visitors will enjoy the tree-top view of the nearby beaches before screaming at the top of their lungs as they lurch down the 650-metre track which starts near the Imbiah Lookout and ends at the Siloso Beach.
Before the ride sets off, all riders are informed about how to use and control the luge which is pretty easy as the gears come in the form of handles, enabling riders to have full control. At the end of the trip, riders can go to the photo centre to see their fun-ride images. The photos can be printed on the spot too. Remember to bring sunblock, especially on sunny days.
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