Sentosa

Understand

Formerly a malarial swamp known by the rather unattractive name of Pulau Belakang Mati ("The Island of Death From Behind" in Malay) and the centrepiece of Britain's spectacularly unsuccessful "Fortress Singapore" strategy in World War II, Sentosa has been renamed after the Malay word for "tranquillity" and remade into one big tourist attraction, popular among Singaporeans as a quick island getaway. The jewel in the crown is Resorts World Sentosa, an enormous complex comprising of the Universal Studios theme park, S.E.A. Aquarium, the Adventure Cove water park, a casino, shopping malls and hotels. At the eastern tip of the island is Sentosa Cove, Singapore's poshest residential neighborhood, where prices for a modest bungalow start at $10 million and climb into the stratosphere. The small southern islets of Kusu Island, St. John's Island, the Sisters Islands and Pulau Hantu (literally "Ghost Island") are a little to the southeast of Sentosa. Various plans to develop them have not come to much and they remain off the beaten track, but by no means undiscovered. The first three can be reached by public ferry, while Pulau Hantu can only be reached by chartered boat.

Getting there

The island is open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Entry fee for admission into Sentosa via most modes of transport have been reinstated since 1 April 2023; however, walking or biking is free, hotel guests can get their admission waived, and Sentosa Islander "Insider" members get free entry and parking.

By train Take the North-East (Purple) Line or Circle (Yellow) Line of the MRT to Harbourfront MRT station. Make your way up to Level 3 via Lobby L to take the Sentosa Express monorail into Sentosa. The fare including Sentosa island entry is $4, payable at the gates by tapping your EZ-Link or credit card. Children under 0.9m tall are free. The monorail operates from 7AM to midnight, and as tickets are only checked at Harbourfront MRT station, taking the monorail from Sentosa to the mainland is free.

By bus Bus 123 connects Orchard Road and Tiong Bahru directly to Sentosa, while bus RWS8 connects from Harbourfront/Vivocity. Standard bus fares apply. For access to Sentosa Cove, there is a private shuttle bus ($2) that operates every 30 min or so from HarbourFront Bus Terminal.

By cable car Alight at Harbourfront MRT and take Exit B to Harbourfront Centre. Take the cable car from Harbourfront Tower II via the Mount Faber line. The Mount Faber Line covers three stations: Mount Faber Peak, Harbourfront and Sentosa. Located within a 3-5min walk from Sentosa Cable Car Station, the Imbiah Lookout Cable Car Station is part of the Sentosa Line, which covers Merlion (closed), Imbiah Lookout and Siloso Point Cable Car Stations.

By car or taxi Entry fee for cars and taxis range from $2 (noon-2PM, 5PM-7AM) to $6 (7AM-noon, 2-5PM). Island Admission can be auto deducted via the CashCard inserted in the in-vehicle unit (I.U.) or via cash paid to the counters at the gantry. Parking lots can be found at Beach Station, Imbiah, Tanjong Beach, Palawan Beach and Sentosa Cove Village Parks. Carpark charges are $1.20 per hour (7AM-5PM) and $2.40 per entry (5PM-7AM)

Getting around

All transportation around Sentosa (except taxis, private hire and the cable car) is free. This includes taking the Sentosa Express back to the mainland. Beach Station is the terminus of the Sentosa Express monorail and the primary transport hub for the island, with connections to all other bus services. As the name hints, it's walking distance to both Siloso and Palawan beach, or you can hop on the open-air beach trams that shuttle people between Beach Station and all three beaches every 10 minutes. For long distances, there are three shuttle buses on the island, coded as Bus A, B, and C. All bus services come every 15 minutes, with Buses A and B operating from 7AM to 12:10AM daily, while Bus C operates from 8AM to 10PM daily. There is also an internal shuttle service within Sentosa Cove, but it's open to residents with access cards only.

Buy

Every corner of Sentosa is inundated with gift shops filled with all the plush Merlion toys you will ever need (and then some).

1 Quayside Isle, 31 Ocean Way (Bus B from Beach Station), ☏ +65 6887 3502. 10AM–10PM daily. Sentosa's only shopping mall caters primarily to the wealthy residents of Sentosa Cove. However, there are plenty of dining choices as well as the only full-fledged supermarket on the island (NTUC Fairprice). (updated Aug 2023) 2 VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, ☏ +65 6377 6870. 10AM­­–10PM daily. This giant complex on the mainland just next to the Sentosa bridge is Singapore's largest shopping mall, featuring anchor tenants like the enormous Fairprice Xtra hypermarket, Golden Village cineplx, two food courts and creative landscaping. The Sentosa Express monorail station is integrated into the mall, the ticketing station can be found on the 3rd floor beside the Food Republic retro theme food court. Next door, Harbourfront Ferry Terminal is connected to VivoCity via a bridge. (updated Aug 2023)

Eat

As you might expect from a giant amusement park, food on Sentosa is (by Singaporean standards) rather pricey and mediocre. Local chains have some outlets, though. Since the opening of the casinos, good (though very expensive) fine dining options are available at Resorts World Sentosa. For cheaper food options, grab a bite at either VivoCity or HarbourFront Centre.

Budget 1 Seah Im Food Centre, Seah Im Rd (across from Vivocity). Popular with locals, this small hawker centre (non-air conditioned) has a range of Indian Muslim food stalls and a variety of local cuisine. $4~6. (updated Aug 2023) 2 Food Republic VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-01. Retro themed like a collection of 1960s hawkers, only with air-conditioning (and hygiene). Slightly expensive for a food court, but the selection is good and it's usually packed. $5-7. (updated Aug 2023) 3 Malaysian Food Street, Resorts World Sentosa. M Tu Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 9AM-11PM, Su 9AM-10PM, closed on Wednesday. Notable for its retro 1970s depiction of Malaysia, with food hawkers selling Penang laksa and KL hokkien mee. Fits in with the theme park facade, but any good foodie would rather head across the causeway for the real thing. $6-9. (updated Aug 2023)

Mid-range 4 Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro, 109 Mount Faber Rd, Faber Peak, ☏ +65 6361 0088. M–F noon–10:30PM, Sa Su public holidays 8:30AM–10:30PM. Accessible via the cable car or an uphill walk from Harbourfront MRT. Western classics and Asian delights $18-26. (updated Aug 2023) CHIFA!, Resorts World Sentosa, ☏ +65 6577 6558, M Tu Th F noon–3PM, 6–11PM; Sa Su noon–11PM (closed on W). Peruvian-Chinese cuisine food $18-24. Gin Khao Bistro, #01-12 Quayside Isle, 31 Ocean Way, ☏ +65 6570 2208, M–Th noon–3PM, 5:30–10PM; F Sa noon–10:30PM; Su noon–10PM. Thai cuisine food is priced between $15~25. Kailash Parbat, 42 Imbiah Road, ☏ +65 6592 5545, 10AM–10PM daily. Indian vegetarian food items served at prices bet