Sentosa Island is extremely well known to Malaysians and Singaporeans, but you would be surprised by the number of other visitors who visit Singapore without making it to this innovative island during their stay. What’s all the hype about anyway? Well, with an area of roughly 5 km2 at a distance of only 0.5 km away from the southern tip of Singapore City it is arguably the most convenient tourist destination in South East Asia. Loaded with family tourist attractions, fine restaurants, superb hotels and beautiful sea views, it would be hard to find an island with more sites over such a small area of land. If you are not super familiar with the isle, here are five reasons why you want to visit Singapore’s Sentosa Island:
1. Excellent City Views
Singapore boasts one of the nicest skylines in the world. Therefore, before you leave the city make sure that you capture at least a few panoramic shots of the impressive business district and harbor area. Fortunately, there are a few excellent options on Sentosa Island for this. The tip of 37-meter tall Merlion is an ideal vantage point that offers 360◦ of breathtaking views. If the fish-lion hybrid sort of freaks you out, another great option is the Tiger Sky Tower. Soaring 131 meters above sea level, you may even be able to see Malaysia and Indonesia from its viewing cabin. If you want to add a little more excitement to your trip to Sentosa Island, consider viewing the famous skyline as you travel on Singapore’s Cable Car ride from Mount Faber to Sentosa. It’s important to compare hotel locations before you decide where to stay. Click here to use a convenient map (and satellite) tool that categorizes hotels based on their location.
2. Exhilarating Theme Parks
If theme parks are your thing, then it would be almost impossible not to like Sentosa Island. The big headliners are Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore. But, there are many other activities to attempt outside of these parks. Universal Studios alone has 24 unique rides and tourist attractions to try out. Needless to say, there are rides for visitors of all ages and that’s why the island is often referred to as “Asia’s Favourite Playground.”
3. You Can Fly
One of the unique activities to try out during your visit to Sentosa Island is iFly Singapore. Regarded as the world’s largest wind tunnel designed for skydiving, iFly Singapore provides the opportunity for you to fly at a fraction of the cost of a tandem jump from a plane. If you are not too scared, peer out of the window to capture an awesome view of the South China Sea.
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4. Nice Beaches
Most tourists consider Singapore to be a place to shop and sample first-class restaurants. Few, however, would even know that there are beaches to check out only minutes away from the downtown region of the city. Sentosa’s southern shoreline has 3.2 km of beautiful white sand to enjoy for a day or two. There are three different beaches on Sentosa Island: Palawan, Siloso, and Tanjong. Palawan has a family friendly vibe, whereas Siloso is known for its hot beach volleyball action. Tanjong is often regarded as the most romantic of the three with tranquil sea views.
5. Super Convenient Accessibility from Singapore City
Sometimes it’s just nice to go somewhere super convenient without having to spend days planning your trip. Sentosa Island sets the tourism standard when it comes to accessibility. Determine your budget and there is an option for you. If you have got the cash and want a bit of excitement then take the Singapore Cable Car. If you want to burn some additional calories on the way over you can now walk or jog via the Sentosa Boardwalk. Budget travelers are not excluded from Sentosa. The public MRT system and public bus routes seamlessly connect with the Sentosa Express which travels direct to Sentosa Island from VivoCity on the mainland.
Want to find Singapore’s best rooms? Here are Some Tips.
I would suggest starting your search with this effective price comparison site. If you are not satisfied, then give these sites a try: www.agoda.com and/or www.booking.com. All three of these providers are large enough to provide a wide range of rooms and they have been part of Singapore’s accommodation industry for many years.
Singapore is known for expensive accommodation, therefore be sure to compare prices and check out other verified guest reviews prior to confirming your reservation.
Top Rated Properties in Singapore Based on Verified Guest Reviews
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| Star/Budget Range | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 1 | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agoda.com (Singapore) | Booking.com (Singapore) | ||
| 5 stars/Luxury | Raffles Singapore – 9.2/10 | The Ritz-Calton Millenia Singapore – 9.2/10 | |
| 4stars/Comfort | The Club – 9.0/10 | Holiday in Express Singapore Clarke Quay – 8.6/10 | |
| 3 stars/Mid-range | Premier Inn Singapore Beach Road – 8.3/10 | Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen – 8.2/10 | |
| 2 star/ Budget | Chic Capsules – 8.9/10 | Capsule Pod Boutique Hostel – 8.9/10 | |
| 1 star/ Strict Budget | Dream Lodge – 9.3/10 | Fisher BnB – 9.2/10 | |
| Compare all room prices in Singapore using www.agoda.com | Compare all room prices in Singapore using booking.com |
Criteria:
- Properties rated based on ‘overall’ review scores from each respective website’s verified guests.
- Minimum of 50 verified guest reviews required to be considered eligible for comparison.
- All star ratings and verified guest review scores are tallied at the time of writing, and therefore, are subject to change.
Hi George! Well actually there is indeed a Merlion in the harbour area and it's easy to think it is the only one in the city. This is due to the fact that it is one of the iconic symbols of Singapore. The smaller Merlion in the harbour is located in a prime position for tourists without even having to travel out of the city center. Cheers
Great article. I originally thought the only Merlion was in the habour area. I guess I was wrong!!