Sentosa

Sentosa is a 500-hectare resort island just off Singapore's southern coast, reached from the HarbourFront area by road, monorail, cable car and a pedestrian boardwalk. Formerly called Pulau Blakang Mati and an important British military base from the 1880s, it took the name Sentosa after a nationwide contest, and the name was gazetted on 14 September 1970. The Sentosa Development Corporation, a statutory board, was set up on 1 September 1972 to develop, manage and promote the island.

The island holds Resorts World Sentosa, with Universal Studios Singapore and Singapore Oceanarium; Fort Siloso, a preserved coastal battery and national monument at its western tip; and the beaches of Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong. According to Sentosa's official site, island admission is free if you walk in on the Sentosa Boardwalk, which starts at VivoCity (Lobby F, Level 1), cycle in, or ride SBS Transit bus 123, where only the normal bus fare applies. The Sentosa Express monorail leaves from Level 3 of VivoCity, above HarbourFront MRT station, and stops at Resorts World, Imbiah and Beach stations. Once on the island, the Sentosa Bus, Sentosa Express and beach trams are free to ride. Individual attractions charge their own admission.

The cable car from Mount Faber, which began service in February 1974, gives a second way across the harbour and joins the island to the Southern Ridges walking route.