Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island, a vacationers’ paradise is situated ½ km from the southern shore of the Singapore mainland. Stretching over an expanse of 5 sq. km (500 hectares), Sentosa is a hub of tourist attractions.It includes innumerable theme parks such as the most famous Universal Studios, Madame Tussauds, etc; historical places like Fort Siloso; Southeast Asia’s first 4-dimensional theatre, Sentosa 4D adventure land; official mascot of Singapore, the gigantic Merlion; 2 golf courses, 2 casinos, and a man-made 2 km stretch sheltered beach.Prior to 1970, today’s Sentosa was referred to as Pulau Blakang Mati, which when translated means “Island of Death Behind” in Malay. It was historically used by the British as the military fortress till Second World War (1942) and later by the Japanese as a Prisoners-of-war camp until its surrender to the British in 1945.It served as the base for the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force, Maritime Training school, first naval Medical center, and the School of Field Engineers’ military base under independent Singapore Government, before transforming into Sentosa, a tourist hub around 1970-80.Sentosa, which literally means “Peace and tranquillity” in Malay, is the fourth largest island with 70% rainforest cover, topical landscapes, golden sandy beaches, and significant biodiversity.A $420 million private corpus fund along with $500 million Government sponsorship saw Sentosa transmogrify into a pagan’s paradise with award-winning Spas, plush hotels, sheltered coastlines, unabashed amusements, adrenaline-pumping games, gastronomic delights, and infinite shopping arcades.Visitors of all ages and tastes get more than their money’s worth of pleasure and amusement at Sentosa Island. The multitudes of attractions at the island are broadly segregated under the following heads - Family fun, Adventure Sports, Beaches, Iconic or historical sites, Museums, Natural & Wildlife Sanctuaries, Trails, and Shows.There are some free attractions too, where explorers can enjoy without buying any ticket such as Animal Encounters at Palawan Beach, Crane Dance, Lake of Dreams at Resorts World Sentosa, Fort Siloso and skywalk at Siloso point, Siloso Beach, Tanjong Beach, Sentosa Nature Discovery, etc.Recommended Read: Hidden Places in Singapore
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