Located only 500 meters from Singapore, Sentosa, the island of peace and tranquility, has not always had this pretty name. It was first called Pulau Blakang, meaning "the island of death". Pirates used to hide on nearby Pulau Brani, attacking merchant ships and dumping the dead bodies on Pulau Blakang. Raffles put a stop to this. In the 1880s, the British army built a military fortress, Fort Siloso, located at the northern tip of the island. It is the only surviving British fortification in Singapore. Between 1942 and 1945, under the Japanese occupation, the fort became a concentration camp for prisoners of war. In 1967, when the British troops withdrew after Singapore's declaration of independence, the island was returned to the new state government. Less than a decade later, the site was opened to the public to showcase part of Singapore's colonial and military past. Today, this small island of 3.5 km² has become a tourist resort with 100% artificial beaches and theme parks. To boost its appeal, Sentosa was given a gigantic complex that cost more than 4 billion dollars. After three years of construction, Resort World Sentosa opened in early 2010 with the casino as its main attraction; it also has six hotels, about 60 restaurants and four theme parks, including Universal Studios. If the parks and gambling hell don't appeal to you, you can always have lunch at the beach clubs on the south side of the island.

Weather at the moment

Loading...
Organize your trip with our partners Pulau Sentosa
Transportation
Accommodation & stays
Services / On site

Pulau Sentosa travel inspiration

Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners

Pictures and images Pulau Sentosa

Plage de l'île de Sentosa. Prasit Rodphan - Shutterstock.com
Plage de Palawan, île Sentosa. Marcin Stolarek - Shutterstock.com
Send a reply