Sentosa is considered Singapore’s Island Resort home to a wide range of pricey attractions that’s catered mainly to tourists, or is it? Look closely and you can actually find a lot of great places and experiences that won’t cost a thing. Want to find out more? Read on.
Using Sentosa Boardwalk
Getting to the island itself may cost you a few bucks but there is a way on how to get there without spending a single admission fee. Using the Sentosa Boardwalk, a bridge parallel to the Sentosa Gateway from the VivoCity promenade, it lets you get into the island for just one dollar. A great thing about the boardwalk is that the whole bridge is lined with travellators (so you don’t have to walk all the way) and has a shelter to keep you away from the rain.
You can also soak in the wonderful views of the HarbourFront area, enjoy the various F&B establishments and buy tickets to certain attractions in advance along the boardwalk even before entering the island. Best of all, entry to Sentosa is free temporarily throughout the whole of 2016.
Free Multi-Visual Shows At Resorts World Sentosa
In Sentosa alone, there are plenty of great multi-visual shows that you can enjoy for a price. However, in Resorts World Sentosa, you can find two shows, both designed by award-winning creative geniuses, called Crane Dance and Lake Of Dreams for free. Sure, the shows may not be as big and massive as the paid ones found in other parts of Sentosa, but they still pack a punch when it comes to their entertainment value.
The Crane Dance, located near the Sentosa Boardwalk, shows a love story between two cranes modelled after real animal cranes and built using actual construction site cranes. The whole show is told by using an array of amazing effects like water, lights and modern machinery making the experience something that you have to see for yourself.
Lake Of Dreams
The Lake of Dreams on the other hand, is designed by multi-Emmy award winner, Jeremy Railton and it’s located nearer to the entrance of Universal Studios Singapore. Unlike Crane Dance which has a storyline, the Lake Of Dreams is a show which showcases its choreography using a mix of fire, water and lighting to wow the audiences. It’s definitely a multi-visual spectacle that’s worth catching as well.
However, do take note that both shows only play at night. With Crane Dance starting at 8pm and Lake Of Dreams starting at 9.30pm. You can find out more through the Resorts World Sentosa website here. Definitely a great way to spend time at Sentosa for the cost of nothing.
The Sentosa Walking Trail
Maybe it isn’t night time yet and you still have plenty of time to spend before the show starts. No worries, you can go through the Sentosa Walking Trail and find great stuff to discover. One of which was the Merlion.
Though the Merlion is a paid attraction, it is still possible to take photos with the Merlion from the outside. Best of all, the Merlion standing proud and tall against the bright blue sky makes it great for photo opportunities.
Interesting Water Stream Sculpture Thing
Walk further up and you will eventually find this cool water stream sculpture thing that trails along the pathway. It’s colourful, it’s artsy and it’s a wonderfully-designed sculpture. It’s also popular among visitors where they were busy snapping away with their cameras and taking selfies with it.
At the end of the trail, you will see an iron gate sculpture with an interesting design. It almost looks like there are plants growing around the iron gate. Though it looks quite eerie, it was still an interesting addition.
Walking Down The Most Colourful Wheelchair Ramp
Walk down the wheelchair ramp and you will find the Sentosa Express monorail station surrounded by a wide range of amenities, facilities and attractions. You can find food and beverage outlets, iFly Singapore and the Wings Of Time attraction.
Wait until night time and you will see the wheelchair ramp being lit up and changing to multiple colours every second. Sentosa is such a great place that they can even make a wheelchair ramp the centre of attraction.
The Orchid Connection
If you look closely underneath the tracks of the Sentosa Express monorail near the wheelchair ramp, you will find the Orchid Connection. Partially hidden from view, the garden makes it a great place to find out more about the wide variety of orchids available.
There were also signages that will provide you with some interesting fun facts about the orchids on display.
Exploring The Sentosa Beaches
Eventually, you will find the Sentosa Beaches. Comprising of three beaches, the party-oriented Siloso Beach, the family-oriented and kid-friendly Palawan Beach and the luxury-oriented Tanjong Beach, they can be considered the most well known free attraction in Sentosa Island.
I actually have written an article about the Sentosa Beaches which you can find right over here but anytime if you’re in the area, just remember to visit this particular attraction, the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia.
The Southernmost Post of Continental Asia is an islet that consists of two towers that overlook the sea on one side and overlook the whole Palawan Beach on the other. Getting there was also easy with a suspending rope bridge that connects the islet to the main Palawan beach. The view from the bridge is an already mesmerising (although slightly scary) experience on its own.
Awesome Sunset Views and Palm Trees
At the other side of the Sentosa Beaches is where you can find amazing views of the sunset with palm trees lined along the beach. It’s a great place to hang out with your friends and with the massive open field located adjacent to the line of palm trees, you can also enjoy a picnic under the nice sun.
With a wide variety of food establishments, a cafe and convenience stores located near the monorail station, you don’t even have to bring your own food (though buying from nearby VivoCity shopping mall is even cheaper) to enjoy your picnic.
Free Internal Shuttle Buses
Want to hear another thing that’s free? Free internal shuttle buses. After a day of walking, you can just simply hop on to any of the internal shuttle buses running around the island and explore the other parts although whether or not the attractions will be free will depend.
For the three Sentosa Beaches, there is a free shuttle bus as well called the Sentosa Beach Tram which is essentially a minibus that stops at bus stops along the beaches. The transfer point is located at the Sentosa Express monorail station named Beach Station which is also the place where you can transfer to two of the three internal shuttle buses.
Heading back? just hop on to the monorail back to VivoCity with no extra charges or transfer to the shuttle bus and alight at Resorts World Sentosa to use the Sentosa Boardwalk. Or, you can transfer to SMRT Service RWS8 from the Resorts World Sentosa basement back to VivoCity. The possibilities are endless when it comes to travelling around the island.
Overview
As mentioned earlier, Sentosa may be popular among tourists with its pricey attractions, but if you do some digging around, you will find that there are plenty of places to check out for the price of nothing.
With its easy accessibility thanks to the internal shuttle buses and free entry through Sentosa Boardwalk throughout the year, there is no reason not to visit the island more frequently than before. Got any more ideas on how to save money at Sentosa Island? Leave them in the comments section below! Want more Sentosa-related articles? Find them here!
Getting Here
Bus Services Available: RWS8, 188R, 963R, NR1, NR6 (Bus stop along Resorts World Sentosa Basement)
Nearest MRT Station: NE1/CC29 HarbourFront MRT Station (North East Line/Circle Line) (Transfer to Sentosa Express at VivoCity Level 3)
Website: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/ (Sentosa Website)
http://www.rwsentosa.com/ (Resorts World Sentosa Website)