I still remember the days when my family took me to outings in Sentosa. Back then, many years ago, one of the entrances to Sentosa is via ferry at the present Harborfront jetty. The ferry ride was a tad silly for me as sitting in the ferry, amidst 2 or 3 minutes of experiencing the rocking of the ferry, we reached Sentosa! Sentosa is just 600 metres away from mainland Singapore, thus the ferry ride to Sentosa was incredibly short.
A few years later, a road was created, linking the current Harborfront to Sentosa. Entering Sentosa has never become so easy before the construction of the road. The road made it possible for buses, cars and even pedestrians to head straight to the island. Thereafter, the ferry service was discontinued.
There has always been another entry mode into Sentosa, which is via the cable car. But the cable car rides were and are still pricey, the cabins not well-ventilated and the scenery not that appealing to me. Anyway, the cable car system is currently undergoing a revamp and overhaul, hope that things will get better at the relaunch of the cable cars! To experience an uplifting cable car experience, try Hong Kong’s Ocean Park and Ngong Ping 360 cable cars!
I missed the days of the simple monorail trains linking the various destinations in Sentosa. Though the monorail trains were non-air conditioned, there was ample breeze, sun rays which shone right into the cabins. Also to mention, the metallic shutter will often automatically closed in onto the window panes, threatening to ‘behead’ visitors jutting their heads out for a closer touch with nature.
The monorail train is similarly gone. What has replaced it is the Sentosa Express which was launched 3 to 4 years ago. I only rode on the Sentosa Express train when I took it to visit Sentosa last Saturday. The ticket fee was $3 for unlimited rides within the island on the day of purchase of the ticket. However there were just 4 pathetic stations (including a station under development).
I continue to miss my Sentosa monorail for it was a part of me as it has been for many other Singaporeans!
Comments