Sentosa, which translates to
peace and tranquility in
MalayMalay is a group of languages closely related to each other to the point of mutual intelligibility but that linguists consider to be separate languages. They are grouped into a group called "Local Malay", part of a larger group called "Malayan" within the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the...
, is a popular
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
resortA resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company. Such a self-contained resort attempts to provide for most of a vacationer's wants while remaining on...
in
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
, visited by some five million people a year.
Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach,
Fort SilosoFort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II...
, two
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
courses and two
five-starStars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels...
hotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, and the upcoming Resort Worlds at Sentosa, featuring the new theme park
Universal Studios SingaporeUniversal Studios Singapore is a new theme park located within Resorts World on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It was a key component of Genting's bid for the right to build Singapore's second integrated resort...
.
Etymology
Sentosa was once known as
Pulau Blakang Mati,
which in
MalayMalay is a group of languages closely related to each other to the point of mutual intelligibility but that linguists consider to be separate languages. They are grouped into a group called "Local Malay", part of a larger group called "Malayan" within the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the...
means the "Island (
pulau) of Death (
mati) from Behind (
blakang)".
The name
Blakang Mati is rather old but may not have been founded in the nineteenth century as generally believed. In fact, there exists an island that was identified as
Blacan Mati in Manuel Gomes de Erédia's 1604 map of Singapore. Other early references to the island of Blakang Mati include
Burne Beard Island in Wilde's 1780 MS map,
Pulau Niry,
Nirifa from 1690 to 1700, and the nineteenth century reference as
Pulau Panjang (J.H. Moor). However, early maps did not separate Blakang Mati from the adjacent island of
Pulau BraniPulau Brani is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore, near Keppel Harbour. The island is situated between the main island of Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa, and is linked to the mainland via Brani Terminal Avenue...
, so it is uncertain to which island the sixteenth century place names referred.
The island has gone through several name changes. Up to 1830, it was called Pulau Panjang ("long island"). In an 1828 sketch of Singapore Island, the island is referred to as
Po. Panjang. According to Bennett (1834), the name Blakang Mati was only given to the
hillA hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of scarp slope without a well-defined summit A hill is a landform that extends above the...
on the island by the
MalayMalays are an ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
villagers on the island. The Malay name for this island is literally translated as "dead back" or "behind the dead";
blakang means "at the back" or "behind";
mati means "dead". It is also called the dead island or the island of the dead.
Different versions of how the island came to acquire such an unpropitious name abound. One account attributed the ominous name to
murderMurder, as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent , and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and
piracyPiracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the...
in the island's past. A second claimed that the island is the material paradise of
warriorAccording to the Random House Dictionary, the term warrior has two meanings. The first literal use refers to "a person engaged or experienced in warfare." The second figurative use refers to "a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics."...
spiritsA ghost has been defined as the disembodied spirit or soul of a deceased person, although in popular usage the term refers only to the apparition of such a person...
buried at Pulau Brani.
A third account claims that an outbreak of
diseaseA disease or medical condition isan abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs...
on the island in the late 1840s almost wiped out the original
BugisThe Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
settlers on the island. Dr Robert Little, a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
coronerA coroner or forensics examiner is an official chiefly responsible for investigating deaths, particularly some of those happening under unusual circumstances, and determining the cause of death. Depending on the jurisdiction, the coroner may adjudge the cause himself, or act as the presiding...
investigating the deaths, stumbled upon what was called Blakang Mati Fever, purportedly a type of
feverFever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal...
caused by
miasmaMiasma may refer to:* Miasma theory of disease, bad air causing disease* Miasms in Homeopathy, a specious cause of chronic disease* Miasma , 2005 album by the melodic death metal/hardcore band The Black Dahlia Murder...
stic fumes arising from decaying leaves and
swampA swamp is a wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a substantial number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types...
y water on the island. This event led to a controversy in medical circles at that time as to the causes of what was later recognised in 1898 as
malariaMalaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria, killing between one and...
spread by the
AnophelesAnopheles, , is a genus of mosquito. There are approximately 460 recognised species: while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30-40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium that cause malaria which affects humans in endemic areas...
mosquitoMosquito is a common insect in the family Culicidae...
. The government's malaria research station was originally located here.
A fourth interpretation is that "dead back island" was so-called because of the lack of fertile
soilSoil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics. It is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and...
on the hills.
In 1827, Captain Edward Lake of the
BengalBengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent...
EngineerEngineers are concerned with developing economical and safe solutions to practical problems, by applying mathematics and scientific knowledge while considering technical constraints. The term is derived from the Latin root "ingenium," meaning "cleverness"...
s in his report on
public worksPublic works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the state on behalf of the community.-Overview:The notion of internal improvements or public works is a concept in economics and politics...
and
fortificationFortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defense in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s had proposed an alternative name for Blakang Mati as the "Island of St George". However, the island was seen as too unhealthy for habitation and his proposed name was never realised.
In a 1972 contest organised by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, the island was renamed
Sentosa, a Malay word meaning "
peacePeace is commonly understood as the absence of hostility, or the existence of healthy or newly-healed interpersonal or international relationships, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political relationships and, in world matters,...
and
tranquillityTranquillity is the quality of calm experienced in places with mainly natural features and activities, free from disturbance from man-made areas.- Benefits :...
".
Pre-1945
In the nineteenth century, the island was considered important because it protected the passage into
Keppel HarbourKeppel Harbour is a stretch of water in Singapore between the mainland and the southern islands of Pulau Brani and Sentosa. Its naturally sheltered and deep waters was to meet the requirements of British colonists attempting to establish a Far East maritime colony in that part of the world, and...
. Plans to fortify the island as part of the defence plan for Singapore were drawn up as early as 1827, but few fortifications actually materialised until the 1880s, when the rapid growth of the harbour led to concern over the protection of
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
stocks against enemy attack. The forts built on the island were
Fort SilosoFort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II...
, Fort Serapong, Fort Connaught and the Mount Imbiah Battery.
The western end of Pulau Blakang Mati, the place where Fort Siloso is now, used to be called
sarang rimau (the
tigerThe tiger is a member of the Felidae family; the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore...
's den).
Salusuh is a kind of
herbA herb is a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities. Herbs are used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes....
used as a remedy in
childbirthChildbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, but there is no explanation of how the fort came to be so-called, the
orang laut of Kampong Kopit only knowing the place by the name of
sarang rimau. By the 1930s, the island was heavily fortified and a crucial component of Fortress Singapore, and the base of the
Royal ArtilleryThe Royal Artillery is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, an arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
.
During the Second World War, the island was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
military fortress. The British set up
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
guns in Fort Siloso that were then pointed to the south, facing the sea in expectation of a seaward
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese assault. However, the Japanese eventually invaded and captured Singapore from the north, after having done the same to
MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century. Before the formation of Malayan Union in 1946, the colonies were not placed under a single unified administration...
(now known as West or
Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia , also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Its area is 50,810 square miles . It accounts for the majority of Malaysia's...
). Following the surrender of the Allied Forces on February 15, 1942, the island became a
prisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a combatant who is held in continuing custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp, housing
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n and British prisoners of the Japanese.
During the
Japanese OccupationThe Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore...
, under the Sook Ching Operation,
ChineseChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
men who were suspected, often arbitrarily, of being involved in anti-Japanese activities were brutally killed. The beach at Pulau Blakang Mati was one of the killing fields.
1945-1972
After the
Japanese surrender*November 28, 1943 - Tehran Conference - Soviet Union agrees to invade Japan "after the defeat of Germany" - commence stockpiling resources in the Far East.*February 4, 1945 - Yalta Conference - Soviet Union agrees to invade Japan within 3 months of German surrender....
in 1945 and the return of Singapore to British rule, the island became the base of the locally enlisted First Singapore Regiment of the Royal Artillery (1st SRRA) in 1947. Other locally enlisted men from Singapore were sent to the island for
basic military trainingRecruit training is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel. It may be common to all recruits, officers being selected on the basis of competency shown during recruit training, or for the enlisted ranks only...
before being sent to other units of the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
in Singapore.
Ten years later, the 1st SRRA was disbanded and its guns dismantled. The coast
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
was replaced with
GurkhaGurkha, also spelled as Gorkha or Ghurka, are people from Nepal and northern India who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. His disciple Bappa Rawal, born Prince Kalbhoj/Prince Shailadhish, founded the house of Mewar, Rajasthan...
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
units, first the 2/7th
Duke of EdinburghThe Duke of Edinburgh is a dukedom associated with Edinburgh, Scotland. There have been three creations since 1726 . The current holder is Prince Philip, the husband of and royal consort to Queen Elizabeth II.-History of title:The dukedom was first created in July 26, 1726, in the Peerage of Great...
's own Gurkha Rifles and later the 2/10th Princess Mary's own Gurkha Rifles. Fort Siloso and Fort Serapong became a
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
retreat and a Protestant church house respectively. Fort Connaught was left in ruins.
In the early 1960s, during the Indonesian Confrontation, the 2/10th unit defended the island against
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n saboteurs. With the end of the Confrontation in 1966 and the withdrawal of the Gurkha units from the island, the British handed over Sentosa to the
Singapore Armed ForcesThe Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
of the newly independent
Government of SingaporeThe Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
in 1967.
In 1967, Pulau Blakang Mati became the
baseA military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations.- Etymology :...
for the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force, which relocated there from its old base at
Telok AyerTelok Ayer is a historic district located in Singapore's Chinatown within the Central Business District, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urban planning zones.-Etymology:...
Basin. The School of Maritime Training was also set up there, as was the first Naval Medical Centre.
In the 1970s, the government decided to develop the island into a holiday resort for local visitors and tourists.
1972-Present
The island was renamed “Sentosa” in 1972, which means
peace and tranquillity in
MalayMalay is a group of languages closely related to each other to the point of mutual intelligibility but that linguists consider to be separate languages. They are grouped into a group called "Local Malay", part of a larger group called "Malayan" within the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the...
, from a suggestion by the public. The
Sentosa Development CorporationSentosa Development Corporation is a statutory board in Singapore, under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Industry....
was formed and incorporated on 1 September 1972 to oversee the development of the island. Since then, some S$420 million of private capital and another S$500 million of government funds have been invested to develop the island.
In 1974 the
Singapore Cable CarThe Singapore Cable Car provides an aerial link from Mount Faber on the main island of Singapore to the resort island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour. Opened on 15 February 1974, it was the first aerial ropeway system in the world to span a harbour. However, it is not the first aerial ropeway...
system was built, linking Sentosa to
Mount FaberMount Faber is a hill about 105 metres in height in Singapore, located near the Bukit Merah planning area in the Central Region. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area, and the western parts of the Central Area...
. A series of attractions were subsequently opened for visitors including
Fort SilosoFort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II...
, Surrender Chamber wax museum,
Musical FountainA musical fountain is a type of animated fountain for entertainment purposes that creates an aesthetic design and sometimes a three-dimensional image...
, and the
Underwater WorldUnderwater World Singapore Pte Ltd, commonly known as Underwater World is an oceanarium located on the offshore Singaporean island of Sentosa. Opened in 1991, it has more than 2,500 marine animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is underground and it is owned by...
. The causeway bridge was opened in 1992 connecting Sentosa to the
mainlandPulau Ujong or Singapore Island is the main island of the island country of Singapore. It forms the majority of the island country in terms of area and population...
.
The
Sentosa MonorailThe Sentosa Monorail was a monorail system which served as the main means of transportation on the island of Sentosa in Singapore...
system was opened in 1982 to transport visitors to various stations located around the island. On 16 March 2005, the monorail service was discontinued to make way for the new
Sentosa ExpressThe Sentosa Express is a monorail line connecting Sentosa to HarbourFront in Singapore.Built at a cost of S$140 million, it is the first system to use Hitachi's "small" straddle-type monorail...
, which commenced operations on 15 January 2007.
Geography
The island has an area of 5 square kilometres. It lies just half a kilometre (a quarter of a mile) away from the southern coast of the main island of Singapore. It is Singapore’s fourth largest island (excluding the
main islandPulau Ujong or Singapore Island is the main island of the island country of Singapore. It forms the majority of the island country in terms of area and population...
). 70% of the island is covered by secondary rainforest, the habitat of
monitor lizardMonitor lizards also known as bayawak or goannas, genus Varanus, are members of the family Varanidae. Varanus is a group of carnivorous lizards which includes the heaviest living lizard, the Komodo dragon and the crocodile monitor which is the longest lizard in the world...
s,
monkeyA monkey is any cercopithecoid or platyrrhine primate. All primates that are not prosimians or apes are monkeys. The 264 known extant monkey species represent two of the three groupings of simian primates...
s, peacocks,
parrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions. The order is subdivded in three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Nestoridae...
s as well as other native fauna and flora. The island also has 3.2 kilometre stretch of white sand beach. Significantly large portions of land are currently being added to Sentosa due to
land reclamationLand reclamation is either of two distinct practices. One involves creating new land from sea or riverbeds, the other refers to restoring an area to a more natural state have made it unusable, though its the former definition for which the phrase is most widely used.-Creating new land:-For...
.
Transport
Sentosa can be reached from the Singapore mainland via a short
causewayIn modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated on a sandbank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :...
or
Cable CarThe Singapore Cable Car provides an aerial link from Mount Faber on the main island of Singapore to the resort island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour. Opened on 15 February 1974, it was the first aerial ropeway system in the world to span a harbour. However, it is not the first aerial ropeway...
, which originates on
Mount FaberMount Faber is a hill about 105 metres in height in Singapore, located near the Bukit Merah planning area in the Central Region. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area, and the western parts of the Central Area...
and passes through
HarbourFrontHarbourFront is a district situated in southern Singapore, within the Bukit Merah Planning Area. Harbourfront is also the gateway to Sentosa....
en route.
The island is also accessible by the SGD$140 million
Sentosa ExpressThe Sentosa Express is a monorail line connecting Sentosa to HarbourFront in Singapore.Built at a cost of S$140 million, it is the first system to use Hitachi's "small" straddle-type monorail...
monorail, which has four stations on Sentosa. Opened in 15 January 2007, the terminus of the line is at the
VivoCityVivoCity is the largest shopping mall in Singapore, located at the HarbourFront precinct . Opened on 7 October 2006, it marked the completion of the main structure by a topping-out ceremony on 18 April 2006 and was officially opened on 1 December 2006...
shopping mall on the mainland, which is in turn served by the
HarbourFront MRT StationThe HarbourFront MRT Station ' is an underground Mass Rapid Transit interchange station between the North East Line and the future Circle Line in Singapore. It is located in the south of Singapore next to the HarbourFront Centre, previously known as the Singapore World Trade Centre...
of the
North East MRT LineThe North East MRT Line is the third Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore and the world's longest fully-underground, automated and driverless rapid transit line. The line is 20 km long with 16 stations and operated by SBS Transit. Travelling from one end of this line to the other end takes around...
. The journey takes four minutes. The
WaterFront StationWaterfront Station is the future second station of Sentosa Express monorail in Singapore. While a skeletal station structure was built for the initial opening of the line in January 2007, it never opened to the public, and the station was dismantled in December 2007 to make way for the construction...
of the monorail is expected to open in 2010.
Within Sentosa there are three
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
services, identified as Blue, Yellow and Red lines, and a tram service called the Beach Train. Since 1998, passenger cars have been allowed to enter the island.
Attractions
Sentosa offers a variety of attractions, museums and other facilities to provide a variety of experiences, recreation and entertainment to visitors.
Tiger Sky Tower
The Tiger Sky Tower (previously known as the Carlsberg Sky Tower) is free-standing observation tower on Sentosa. At a height of 110 metres above ground and 131 metres above sea level, it offers visitors a panoramic view of Sentosa, Singapore, and the Southern Islands. On a clear day, the view extends to parts of
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
and
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. At ground level, visitors enter a large disc-shaped airconditioned cabin fitted with glass windows all round. The cabin then revolves slowly as it ascends the column of the tower. The cabin has a capacity of 72 visitors.
The Sky Tower was opened on 7 February 2004, is situated in the Imbiah Lookout zone in the centre of Sentosa and can be reached by
Cable CarThe Singapore Cable Car provides an aerial link from Mount Faber on the main island of Singapore to the resort island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour. Opened on 15 February 1974, it was the first aerial ropeway system in the world to span a harbour. However, it is not the first aerial ropeway...
,
Sentosa Luge Chair LiftSentosa Luge is a luge located in Sentosa, Singapore. It opened in the second half of 2005. The luge is situated on the Imbiah Lookout cluster opposite the Tiger Sky Tower, and has a length of 650 metres. The luge is a self-driving car system in which riders control the speed by pushing a pair of...
, by
Sentosa ExpressThe Sentosa Express is a monorail line connecting Sentosa to HarbourFront in Singapore.Built at a cost of S$140 million, it is the first system to use Hitachi's "small" straddle-type monorail...
or by bus.
Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom
The Butterfly Park is a landscape garden with over 15,000 live butterflies, representing more than fifty
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
. Housed in a cool outdoor conservatory, these butterflies range from the 25 millimetre (1 in)
Eurema sari to the 150 mm (6 in)
Papilio iswaraPapilio is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae. It includes a number of well-known North American species such as the Western Tiger Swallowtail...
.
The Insect Kingdom houses some 3,000 species of rare insects from around the world, including a 160 mm
Dynastes HerculesThe Hercules beetle is the most famous and largest of the rhinoceros beetles. It is native to the rainforests of Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles . Their title is well deserved, with some males reaching 6.75 inches in length...
beetle.
Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon
Underwater WorldUnderwater World Singapore Pte Ltd, commonly known as Underwater World is an oceanarium located on the offshore Singaporean island of Sentosa. Opened in 1991, it has more than 2,500 marine animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is underground and it is owned by...
is an
oceanariumThe term oceanarium is not well defined. It can either mean a marine mammal park such as Marineland of Florida or a large-scale aquarium such as the Lisbon Oceanarium presenting an ocean habitat with marine animals, especially large ocean dwellers The term oceanarium is not well defined. It can...
located on the western part of Sentosa. Opened in 1991, the living museum has more than 2,500 marine and fresh-water animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is underground and has an 83 metre long travelator that moves visitors along a submerged glass-windowed tunnel from which they can look at an array of marine life including a
coral reefCoral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters containing few nutrients. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate...
,
stringrayBatoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish containing more than 500 described species in thirteen families. They are commonly known as rays, but that term is also used specifically for batoids in the order Rajiformes, the "true rays"...
s,
moray eelMoray eels are huge cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera. The typical length of a moray is 1.5 m , with the longest being the slender giant moray, Strophidon sathete, at up to 4 m , and the largest, in terms of total mass being the...
s,
turtleTurtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s,
sharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs....
s, and other fishes. In the 'Dive-with-the-Sharks' program visitors can scuba dive in the large oceanarium, even if they are not scuba qualified. Qualified scuba divers can also 'Dive-with-the-Dugong".
The Underwater World also includes a Dolphin Lagoon which is home to some Indo-Pacific
humpback dolphinThe Humpback Dolphin is a member of the genus Sousa. These dolphins are characterized by the conspicuous humps and elongated dorsal fins found on the back of adult members of the species...
s, also known as the pink dolphins. Several "Meet-the-Dolphins" sessions are held daily to allow visitors to enter the waist-deep pool and interact with the dolphins at close proximity. A more involved "Swim-with-the-Dolphins' program, where visitors can interact extensively with the dolphins, is also available.
Songs of the Sea
The Songs of the Sea show, started on 26 March 2007, replaced the 25-year-old Musical Fountain show. This showcase is a key $30 million investment by Sentosa to enhance its entertainment product offerings and to attract more tourists. It is the world’s only permanent show set in the sea - boasting spectacular pyrotechnics displays, a live cast and an open-air viewing gallery which can comfortably accommodate 2,500 visitors. The show runs twice a night at 7.40pm and 8.40pm and lasts 25 minutes. An entry fee of S$10.00 per person (w.e.f. 1 April 2009) is required for the show.
Sentosa 4D Magix
The Sentosa 4D Magix is
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
's first and
Southeast Asia'sManila
Bangkok
Ho Chi Minh City
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Yangon
Bandung
Hanoi
Surabaya
Taichung
Kaohsiung
Medan|-|}...
original 4-dimensional theatre.
Opened in January 2006 at the cost of S$3.5 million, the theatre is equipped with state-of-the-art Digital Projection and DTS 6.1 sound system.
Guests will be seated on a motion based chair in a typical movie theatre watching a 3D show with visual effects popping out of the screen coupled with environmental effects providing a life-like feel. The current show is the 'Pirates!' in 4D comedy, as offered in other theme parks around the world.
Sentosa CineBlast
Opened in June 2007, the CineBlast is Singapore's only cinema ride. Equipped with the latest high definition wide-screen projection, digital technologies and state-of-the-art 6 axis motion systems, unique sound and light technology that is found in theme parks such as
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the cinema simulation ride will bring visitors on a log ride, beginning with a pre-ride show that will excite the riders before experiencing the ride before transporting the visitors into a
virtual worldA virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. These avatars are usually depicted as textual, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional graphical representations, although other forms are possible...
of thrilling experiences. Guests will be seated in capsules of 6, with each capsule costing over
S$The dollar is the currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
150 000, making the costs of all capsules in CineBlast to be over S$1 million.
Fort Siloso
In the west of the island stand the guns of preserved
Fort SilosoFort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II...
which guarded the western approaches to Singapore during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Fort Siloso was built by the British in 1880s to guard the narrow western entrance to
Keppel HarbourKeppel Harbour is a stretch of water in Singapore between the mainland and the southern islands of Pulau Brani and Sentosa. Its naturally sheltered and deep waters was to meet the requirements of British colonists attempting to establish a Far East maritime colony in that part of the world, and...
. It was later modernised and by 1939 was armed with two 6-inch Mark2 guns and two rapid firing 12-pounder guns. Fort Siloso is now the only surviving coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries that made up Fortress Singapore at the start of the war.
The
ammunitionAmmunition, often informally referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
bunkerA military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s, barracks, tunnels, and gun emplacements of the fort are now open to visitors, as a military-themed attraction. Also on display is a collection of artillery guns dating from the 17th century to World War II. Life-sized replicas of British soldiers and other people were on display to depict lives at the fort in the past. There is also an exhibition with a large collection of photographs, documents and film clips.
The fort served as the place of
internmentInternment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of ‘interning’; confinement within the limits of a country or place"...
of the Singaporean
political prisonerA political prisoner is someone held in prison or otherwise detained, perhaps under house arrest, for his or her involvement in political activity.-"Political" prisoner:...
Chia Thye PohChia Thye Poh was the longest-serving political prisoner in the history of Singapore and perhaps the longest-serving prisoner of conscience of the 20th century, or if not, one of its longest-serving political prisoners....
in the period from 1989 to 1993.
MEGAZIP
The MEGAZIP is a 450-metre
Zip-lineA zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline...
. It is one of the longest and steepest zipwire descents in Asia. It was opened in mid-2009.
Merlion
The
MerlionThe Merlion is an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Its name combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion". The fish body comes from Singapore's ancient name back when it was a fishing village — Temasek — meaning "sea town" in Javanese...
statue recalls the story of the legendary
Sang Nila UtamaAccording to legend, Sang Nila Utama, also known as Sri Tri Buana, was a prince from Palembang who founded ancient Singapore. According to the Malay Annals, the prince ruled the island from 1299 to 1347.-The Founding Of Temasek :...
, who saw a lion in Singapore (originally known as
TemasekTemasek was the name of an early city on the site of modern Singapore. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit and means "Lion City"...
) while hunting. The 37 metre (12 storey) high statue can be entered through the ground floor, and one can take the lift up to 12th floor to view the city state. Opened in 1996, it is the tallest Merlion in the whole Singapore. It is also very popular.
Sentosa Luge & Skyride
The
Sentosa Luge & SkyrideSentosa Luge is a luge located in Sentosa, Singapore. It opened in the second half of 2005. The luge is situated on the Imbiah Lookout cluster opposite the Tiger Sky Tower, and has a length of 650 metres. The luge is a self-driving car system in which riders control the speed by pushing a pair of...
is a self-steering, gravity-driven three-wheel cart. Originated from New Zealand, the non-motorised cart allows rider to speed down a hill over a course of 650 m ending at the Siloso Beach.
The Flying Trapeze
The Flying Trapeze is a form of
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
and
recreationRecreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. While leisure is more likely a form of entertainment or sleep, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner...
that helps develop one's mind, body and coordination. It also helps conquer one's fear of height.
Sijori Wondergolf
Sijori Wondergolf is a miniature
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
park. There are 54 landscaped greens set in three different 18-hole courses.
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island was a water based theme park in Sentosa. Opened in 1994 at a cost of S$54 million, it had numerous water slides and other features. Once a very popular park, it was plagued by several accidents, including two fatalities, and was eventually closed on 2 November 2002.
Sentosa Monorail
The Sentosa Monorail circled Sentosa until it closed in 2005. Most of the island monorail was dismantled though parts of the original track structure still remain. The monorail was replaced by the red, blue and white bus lines. The monorail service from the main island of Singapore to Sentosa still remains in service.
Volcanoland
Volcanoland featured an artificial
volcano3. Conduit
4. Base
5. Sill
6. Dike
7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano
8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano
10. Throat
11. Parasitic cone
12. Lava flow
13. Vent
14. Crater
15...
along with
MayanThe Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Preclassic period , many Maya cities reached their highest...
motifs and scenery. The integrated resort will be built over this site.
Musical Fountain
After operating for 25 years, the Musical Fountain went into the history of Sentosa when its last show was staged on 25 March 2007. It is now being replaced by
The Songs of the Sea show. This nightly show that was staged in the past was used as a water fountain, with
laserA laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. Laser light is usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as lenses...
s and music. The refractive and
reflectiveReflection is the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two differentmedia so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves...
effect of the lasers against
waterWater is an ubiquitous chemical substance that is composed of hydrogen and oxygen and is essential for all known forms of life.In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam. Water covers 71%...
particles from several directions create a three-dimensional image.
Beaches
Sentosa has a stretch of sheltered beach of more than two kilometres in length on its southern coast, divided into three portions: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach. These beaches are artificial, reclaimed using sand bought from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Palawan Beach
Palawan Beach lies in the centre of the southern coast of Sentosa. There is a suspension bridge that leads to a small islet off the coast which is said to be the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia, or Asia's closest point to the
EquatorThe equator is the intersection of the Earth's surface with the plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis of rotation and containing the Earth's center of mass. In simpler language, it is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface equidistant from the North Pole and South Pole that divides the Earth...
.
There are several bars along the beach offering food and beverage to visitors as well as
Beach StationBeach Station is the fourth and last station along the Sentosa Express in Singapore. It is located between Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach in Sentosa...
of
Sentosa ExpressThe Sentosa Express is a monorail line connecting Sentosa to HarbourFront in Singapore.Built at a cost of S$140 million, it is the first system to use Hitachi's "small" straddle-type monorail...
.
Siloso Beach
Siloso Beach lies on the west portion of the southern coast and it is known as the place for beach volleyball and other outdoor activities such as canoeing, skim boarding, mountain biking or rollerblading. There are also dining and shopping outlets along the beach. The Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort is located at the western end of Siloso Beach.
Tanjong Beach
Tanjong Beach is a relatively more secluded part of the southern coast. The crescent-shaped beach is sometimes used for special events or parties. The beach bar 'KM8' is located at the beach. KM8 had his last party and closed down on 28.03.2009.
Hotels
There are seven hotels and resorts in Sentosa:
- Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa is a beachfront five-star hotel located at the western tip of Siloso beach, with 459 rooms and suite
A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation, denotes a class of luxury accommodations, the key feature of which is multiple rooms. Many properties have one or more "honeymoon suites", and sometimes the best accommodation is called the "presidential suite".Suites offer multiple rooms, with more...
s.
- The Sentosa Resort & Spa is a five-star hotel with 214 rooms and suites.
- Costa Sands Resort operates a number of chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house in the Alpine region made of wood.-Definition and origin:Webster's Dictionary defines a chalet as "A wooden dwelling with a sloping roof and widely overhanging eaves, common in Switzerland and other Alpine regions." The term can...
s and 15 kampung-like huts. It is located on a hill overlooking Siloso Beach.
- Treasure Resort (formerly known as Sijori Resort) is a 64 room hotel located behind the Merlion together with the Sijori WonderGolf facility.
- Siloso Beach Resort opened in July 2006. It has 182 rooms to choose from their Superior, Deluxe, Family, and Roof Garden Suite. And 12 Villas. In line with ecologically friendly carbon credit practices, over 600 of the original trees that are native to Sentosa island were preserved. 1000 more fruit trees, flowering plants, exotic ferns, and herbs were planted. With the deliberate architecture of the Resort to circumnavigate and protect these trees.
- Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa has five-star hotel facilities, and 121 rooms to offer.
- Capella Singapore is a luxury resort with 112 rooms designed by Lord Norman Foster. It is developed by Pontiac Land. It was officially opened on March 2009.
Upcoming accommodation
- Resorts World at Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa is an integrated resort in development stages on the island of Sentosa, off the southern coast of Singapore. Resorts World Sentosa is a collection of resorts and attractions, including a Universal Studios theme park and the world's largest oceanarium...
(Chinese: 圣淘沙名胜世界) is the name of the integrated resort in development stages on the island of Sentosa, off the southern coast of Singapore. The S$5.2 billion dollar integrated resort is currently being built by Genting International and Star Cruises, who hold a 75% and 25% stake in the project, respectively. The 49 hectare integrated resort will cost S$600 million solely for land, and S$1.6 billion just on a Universal Studios theme park called Universal Studios Singapore. The Theme Park together with 4 hotels and a Casino will be opened in 1Q 2010.
Spa
- Fish Reflexology is a unique foot massage where Turkish spa fish or African spa fish nibble on the dead skin of one's feet, making the skin smooth. This is followed by a Reflexology session. This is available in the Underwater World
Underwater World Singapore Pte Ltd, commonly known as Underwater World is an oceanarium located on the offshore Singaporean island of Sentosa. Opened in 1991, it has more than 2,500 marine animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is underground and it is owned by...
.
- Health Club and Spa consists of three deluxe suites, one of which has a private whirlpool
A whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft...
and steam facility, seven single treatment rooms with attached showers and a Thai Pavilion, which is a private, open air garden unit perched over a fish pond and water fall.
- Spa Botanica is set in the Sentosa Resort & Spa. It has facilities including mud pools and Turkish-styled steam baths.
Barclays Singapore Open
The
Barclays Singapore OpenThe Singapore Open is an Asian Tour golf tournament in Singapore. It was founded in 1961 and was staged annually until 2001, when it was won by Thaworn Wiratchant. It was then cancelled for lack of sponsorship...
golf event is held yearly at the Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong Course. It is the richest golf tournament which is exclusive to the Asian Tour with a US$2 million prize fund. The Barclays Singapore Open 2007, which will be held from November 1-4, offers US$4 million in total prize money.
Sentosa Balloon Hats Festival
The Sentosa Balloon Hats Festival began in 2004. It is a gathering of local secondary school bands who would do display marches along the beach from Tanjong Beach to Palawan Beach before a mass display event. The participants would wear balloon hats made by themselves and each school comes up with their unique design. At the end of the event, all the students would pop their balloons followed by a release of a large number of balloons into the air. The event began as part of an attempt to create the world record for the gathering of the largest number of balloon hats. But since then, it had developed into a full scale annual event with performances around the whole island before the marching event began.
Beach parties
The Siloso Beach in Sentosa is host to the annual
ZoukOut beach dance party organised by
ZoukZouk is a nightclub in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The club is named after the French Creole word for 'party'.-Locations:The three old warehouses that make up the original Zouk were built in 1919 on the Singapore River...
nightclub. On 10 December 2005, some 18,000 people attended the event.
A new year eve party,
Siloso NYE Splash is also held annually at the Siloso Beach. On 31 December 2005, the party attracted some 15,000 people.
Sentosa Flowers
Beginning in February 2005, the Sentosa Flowers event is held at the Fountain Gardens, exhibiting a variety of flora and herbs. The festival, which coincides with the
Chinese New YearChinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year, especially by people in mainland China and Taiwan. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the...
or the "Spring Festival" celebration in Singapore, hosts other activities including a mural painting competition, photograph competitions and a festival market for gardening enthusiasts.
SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball
The SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2007 was held during 24-27 May at the Siloso Beach. This is the first ever Women’s world tour event and was the biggest ever beach lifestyle event hosted on the island. This is also the first time Olympic qualification as well as Olympic level athletes compete on Singapore soil for Beach Volleyball.
Future development
Future plans by the government for Sentosa aims to establish it as one of the world's most luxurious holiday locations, with a
SGDThe dollar is the currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
$10 billion masterplan for the future involving the construction of private housing at the
Sentosa CoveSentosa Cove is a residential enclave in the East of Sentosa Island in Singapore, eventually housing about 2,500 units when fully developed. Largely made-up of reclaimed land, it is being marketed as a "exclusive oceanfront residential community" and the "only true seafront residential property"...
, the aforementioned partial redevelopment of Siloso Beach, and Asia's first
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
academy. These large scale island redevelopment projects are expected to complete in 2012.
Resorts World at Sentosa
The largest impact is expected to be from a family-oriented
Integrated ResortAn Integrated Resort is a Singaporean euphemism for a casino-based vacation resort. To date, licenses have been awarded to The Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa...
, with a
casinoA casino is a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions...
at its core. This Integrated Resort is expected to be completed in late 2009 or the beginning of 2010. A resort developer and operator was chosen on 8 December, 2006. The winning proposal was the
GentingGenting may refer to:*Genting Group, a Malaysian company*Genting Highlands, a mountain resort in Malaysia**Genting Sempah, the mountain on which the Genting Highlands resort is situated*Genting Sempah-Genting Highlands Highway, a federal highway in Malaysia...
/
Star CruisesStar Cruises is the third-largest cruise line in the world behind Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises, and dominates the Asia-Pacific market. Star Cruises owns 50 % of the Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, and 100 % of Cruise Ferries brands with a total combined fleet of 22 ships...
consortium in their bid for
Resorts WorldResorts World may refer to:* Resorts World at Sentosa, sub-company of Genting Bhd that manages the future integrated casino resort at Sentosa Island, Singapore...
Sentosa. It will have a Universal Studios Theme Park, to be known as
Universal Studios SingaporeUniversal Studios Singapore is a new theme park located within Resorts World on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It was a key component of Genting's bid for the right to build Singapore's second integrated resort...
which will occupy nearly half of the resort space. Development of the resort will be financed privately at a cost of $GD5.75 billion and will not receive any government subsidies. The proposal for a casino has met with extensive opposition from many
conservativeConservatism is the diverse political and social philosophy that supports tradition and the status quo, or that calls for a return to the values and society of an earlier age, the status quo ante. However, the term has been used by politicians and political commentators with a variety of meanings...
critics. Nevertheless, the government has constantly reassured that there would be stringent measures in place, to maintain the social fabric of the nation Singapore, and to prevent problems such as gambling
addictionThe term "addiction" is used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, or excessive psychological dependence, such as: drug addiction The term "addiction" is used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, or excessive psychological dependence, such as: drug addiction The...
.
External links