Sentosa

Sentosa is a small island of about 4.7 square kilometres, separated from the main island by the narrow Keppel Harbour. Its name means peace and tranquillity in Malay, chosen in 1972 for what had been a British military fortress; Fort Siloso, with its 19th-century coastal guns, still stands at the western end.

You arrive by cable car from Mount Faber over the harbour, by the Sentosa Express from VivoCity, on foot along the Sentosa Boardwalk, or by car across the causeway. The south coast has three beaches: Siloso for sport and activity, Palawan for families, with a suspension bridge to a small islet, and Tanjong, the quietest, on a curved bay.

Resorts World Sentosa is home to Universal Studios Singapore, opened in 2010, with seven zones, the newest Minion Land, opened in February 2025. Beside it are the Singapore Oceanarium, formerly the S.E.A. Aquarium, and Adventure Cove Waterpark.

None of the hotels we currently recommend is on the island, so we arrange Sentosa as a full day from the city with a private car: the cable car in the morning, the beach at sunset. Private yachts to the Southern Islands also leave from the marina at Sentosa Cove.