Singapore — Beach in Singapore — Sentosa Island
Going to the beach in Singapore
May 2015
I found a beach (of sorts) in Singapore on Sentosa Island.
Well, I say beach, but it is artificial. It has been produced using what I call ‘sharp’ or ‘builders’ sand; that is, the sand is ‘sharp’ — it hurts the feet when you walk on it.
Sentosa Island is located on the southern tip of Singapore Island. You can get to the Island by car, train, or cable car. It is a rather odd place as it is a sort of ‘Singapore Disneyland’ where Singaporeans go to have fun.
I found it all a bit weird.
When I was on Sentosa Island, there seemed to be a lot of runners doing a cow-themed fun run. Very odd.
The beach looked good, but it was heavily managed as the sand was tightly packed, and it was obvious that the sand had been shipped in.
The view from Sentosa Island was not great, unless you like big ships, as the island is located near the mouth of the main harbour.
The walkway in the photo below leads to what is claimed to be the most southerly point in continental Asia.
I can assure you it is not, as the most southerly point in mainland Asia is in Malaysia at Tanjung Piai National Park.
You must cross two bridges to get to the ‘most southerly point in continental Asia’ in Singapore. Besides, just down along the coast from the point claiming to be the most southerly point is a section of road that is further south.
If you go out to the alleged most southerly point, a couple of viewing towers will allow you to look back at Sentosa Island.
Sentosa island is popular with Singaporeans and has marked-off swimming areas and beach patrols.
During the Second World War, the island was mainly a military base, and some defences are still visible. The role of the island was to protect the harbour and to prevent invasion by sea.
Besides the beach, the island does have some other attractions. One that seemed quite popular was the cable car and cart run.
However, many of the visitors just liked to play and lounge around on the beach or by the pools of the nearby hotels.
And apparently, there is even some wildlife on the island — however, I saw no sign of any monkeys on my visit.
Sentosa Island is best described as a play area for Singaporeans. It is a rather odd mix of beach-type fun things to do, from volleyball and cart rides to swimming and lounging on the beach. I found it all strange and artificial as it seemed to be a prescribed ‘this is a place where you will have fun, and this is what you will do’.
Will I be back? Well, I missed out on going to Fort Siloso, which is something I would like to look at, so I guess I will come back at least once more.
