Sentosa — Travel Guide
Sentosa is a popular island in Singapore, visited by some twenty million people a year. The name Sentosa translates as "peace and tranquility" in Malay, which was in turn derived from the Sanskrit term Santosha, meaning "contentment, satisfaction". Sentosa was formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati which in Malay means the "Island of Death from Behind". The name Blakang Mati is rather old but may not have been founded in the nineteenth century as generally believed. In fact, there exists an island that was identified as Blacan Mati in Manuel Gomes de Eredia's 1604 map of Singapore. Pulau Niry, Nirifa from 1690 to 1700, and the nineteenth century reference as Pulau Panjang (J.H. Moor). However, early maps did not separate Blakang Mati from the adjacent island of Pulau Brani, so it is uncertain to which island the sixteenth century place names referred. The island has gone through several name changes. Up to 1830, it was called Pulau Panjang ("long island"). In an 1828 sketch of Singapore Island, the island is referred to as Po. Panjang. According to Bennett (1834), the name Blakang Mati was only given to the hill on the island by the Malay villagers on the island. The Malay name for this island is literally translated as "dead back" or "behind the dead"; blakang means "at the back" or "behind" or "after"; mati means "dead". It is also called the "dead island" or the "island of the dead" or perhaps "island of after death".
The best time to visit October to March.
By Air
You canreach Sentosa by any International flight reaching the Singapore Airport.
By Water
You can also travel by the ferries shuttling between the mainland and the island.
Sentosa, the buzzing leisure destination at the southern tip of Singapore, isn’t just all fun and games. It also boasts quite a shopping scene both in and around the island, and you can pick up anything from travel essentials and the latest fashion finds, to souvenirs and designer wares. Here are our top spots in this edition of Hood Goods. It offers an unbridled selection of sharply tailored suits, bespoke shirts, custom-made leather brogues, and handsome accessories that might just te
Tour Packages from Sentosa
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