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 Beaufort 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 SGD120, 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 6.30 pm, though bare in mind that vehicles will have to leave the island before 3 am.

Admission to Sentosa Island is SGD6 for adults and SGD4 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.

Below is a list and information of the many attractions on Sentosa Island. For further details, you can call the Sentosa Information Office at 275 0388.

UNDERWATER WORLD
Sentosa's Underwater World, probably the most popular attraction on the island, draws in huge crowds every day. Touted as Asia's most exciting tropical oceanarium, it has an 80-metre transparent acrylic tunnel which allows you to view over 2,500 sea creatures in close proximity.

Being transported through the tunnel by a travellator, you get the impression of having stepped under water, deep into the ocean. Fearsome sharks, gigantic stingrays, moray eels, turtles, seadragons and fishes of all sizes, stripes and colours swim next to, and over you.

Be sure to catch the latest additions to the Underwater World family -- pink dolphins, electric eels, a dugong and piranhas. Don't miss feeding time, when a diver offers small fish to swarms of hungry sea creatures.

At the entrance of the oceanarium is a "touch" pool, where you may stick your hand underwater and feel the sealife.

Underwater World opens daily from 9 am to 9 PM Admission is SGD13 for adults and SGD7 for children below 12.

Last Minute Hotels

Savour Continental cuisine in style, with a superb view of the city skyline, at the Compass Rose set at the top -- that is, the 70th level -- of the Westin Stamford Hotel.

ADD : 2 Stamford Road, 4316156 CUISINE : a wide variety of local to international cuisine. BUDGET : High

 

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