When in Singapore, Remember to Visit Sentosa

The last time I was in Singapore was when I was around 8 years old. Unfortunately, I do not remember anything from that trip. In a way, it did not matter as I have heard from others, that have been here only a few years ago, say Singapore has changed quite a bit.

Singapore is quite modern and multicultural for an Asian country. It is one of the few that is a city-state, that is, it is a country as well as a city. The first thing you will notice, besides it's beauty, is that it is extremely clean. Don't get me wrong, you will see little bits of rubbish here and there but they disappear quite quickly. We were heading to at a great place near our hotel that my dad found called Kopitiam for breakfast. It's a 24 hour food court and has a variety of food for all. About 20 metres away from the doors, there were all sorts of rubbish littered on the ground, mostly beer cans. It was something that was unexpected because it was rare to see even small bits of rubbish let alone a pretty big amount. We went in and ate our breakfast. It took probably no longer than 40 minutes and when we walked out by the same place, all that rubbish just vanished! I was quite impressed at how quickly this was taken care of. I've got to give kudos to those who do this job and do it so well!

The other thing you will notice around the city is the vast amounts of construction everywhere! I wouldn't have been able to see all of the constructions around the city except around our hotel (the construction was just outside our hotel and it would stop at 9:30 pm everyday while we were there) if it wasn't for the hop on and off bus via Hippo/Duck Tours. For $39 SD, we were able to take on 5 different routes available. I was hoping to get the $33 SD for 2 days as it was always advertised as that until the day we arrived! Sigh. Always happens that way eh? But still a great price for what you get. It's an open top double-decker bus with a pre-recorded audio bit during the rides. It's a great way to get around the city and a bonus was that we were able to also go on the shuttle bus to Sentosa!

What is Sentosa? I surely didn't know about it until people kept on asking me if I was going to Sentosa when I told them I was heading to Singapore.

You're going to Singapore? You should visit Sentosa!

What's Sentosa? I've never heard of this place.

There's a casino there!

Um ok. Great, but not my kind of thing so I think I'll pass. Thanks.

So I really was not planning to go there at all and even told my parents and aunt that it's ok if we skipped it. Then again, they LOVE the casino. They also said my uncle told them that a visit to Sentosa is a must. So in the end, I thought, I might as well check it out. It was really so my parents can check out the casino. But I am so glad I changed my mind!

Sentosa is basically a big playground that's an island. Anyone of any age would enjoy it. There is so much to see and do there. The biggest attraction would have to be the Universal Studios where you'll find rides and shops for the kids and the kid in you :) If that's not your thing and you would rather hang out, there's the beach. The beach area is perfect for doing nothing but to enjoy the hot, hot weather. If you can't sit still and would rather check things out, the whole island is at your disposal. There's a Merlion walk that you can take. We did this and it was so nice to be able to walk at your own pace and stop and smell the flowers, so to say, whenever you feel like it. There are benches everywhere for you to sit and rest up before continuing. And if you are tired, you can ride the beach tram! It's free too! You can also take the Sentosa Express. That too is free! I love it when things are free. And if one day isn't good enough for you, then there are plenty resorts you can stay at. Oh ... and there's a casino ;)