South East Asian Trips

The largest and best known of Singapore's offshore islands is also one of the closest to the mainland. Sentosa is a multi-million dollar pleasure resort girdled by a monorail and offering a wide range of activities and attractions. These include the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon, Images of Singapore, the recently upgraded Musical Fountain Show, the Maritime Museum; and the New Food Centre.

Lovely gardens, beautiful beaches and a plethora of restaurants and eating places all contribute to the island's popularity with tourists and locals alike. Many prefer to skip the theme park attractions and head straight for Sentosa's beaches Siloso, Central and Tanjong - where a wide range of watersports is available. These were built with imported white sand and are often crowded, especially at weekends.

The Sentosa Island is Singapore's premier island resort getaway with plenty of attractions and filled with events all year round. You can enjoy the Volcano Land, the Orchid Garden, the musical fountain, the wonderful golf course, beaches or just laze around the beautiful beaches.

How to Reach

You can walk there via the causeway bridge near VivoCity, take the Sentosa Express train (links HarbourFront, VivoCity and St. James Power Station to Sentosa), travel by car, taxi, public bus (Telok Blangah Road and then change to Sentosa Bus at HarbourFront Bus interchange), or just take the MRT and stop at HarbourFront MRT Station. You can also choose to take the cable car service if you're not afraid of height.

The Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom Museum

The Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom Museum is one of the largest collections of butterflies in the region with some 2,500 butterflies, and insects from more than 50 species including rhino beetles and scorpions. In an environment replicating nature as closely as possible, it is a monument built in remembrance of the hundreds and thousands of these tiny creatures lost due to increasing urbanisation and deforestation worldwide.

The Merlion

At 37 metres tall, the mystical Merlion stands guard over Singapore's good fortune. Different from the 8-metre tall statue standing at the Singapore River, this Merlion is a 12-storey high viewing tower and also one of the tallest free form structures in Asia. The Merlion also reveals many secrets from the sea-scores of beautiful tropical fish, a mysterious sunken pirate ship filled with treasure, and a huge array of surprises.

Windsurfing in Sentosa IslandArt finds a home at Sentosa Artists have found a new place where their creative juices can flow freely. Sentosa Artists Village is now home to five resident artists: Milenko Prvacki, Tay Bak Koi, Tan Kay Nguan, Teh Chan Kerk and Max Kong Kum Chuen.

This new art studio and gallery on Sentosa is the location where these men create and showcase their art works for the enjoyment of Singaporeans and foreign visitors alike.

The Merlion is considered to be the mascot of Singapore. It is said to be a mythical beast which is half lion and half fish. It symbolizes courage, resilience and strength of the citizens of Singapore. If you are interested to see this Merlion, there is a 8 meter high status standing at the mouth of the famous Singapore River.

Getting there : Walk along the riverfront from the Raffles Place MRT Station.

Activities

Apart from its natural advantages including sandy white beaches, there are numerous man-made attractions and lots of beach activities such as pedal cars, aqua-bikes, fun bugs, canoes, windsurfing and swimming. There is also fascinating flora and fauna, historical enclaves, adventure theme parks and golf.

With several five-star hotels, romantic dining under the stars and night time entertainment including a musical fountain, a night market and the Enchanted Grove of Tembusu, Sentosa has everything a visitor could desire in a holiday venue.