Old Sentosa in the 80s and 90s: Ferry, Monorail, Fantasy Island, Underwater World

The ferry and the monorail

The Sentosa ferry terminal opened in 1973, and for most of us the ride from the World Trade Centre, now HarbourFront, was the first sign the day was going to be good. A bridge to the island opened in 1992, but the ferry stayed the way families arrived for years after. The monorail opened in 1982 and ran its slow loop past the beaches, the fort and the fountain until March 2005. "Should have kept the old monorail" was the most-liked reaction on our post, and honestly, same.

What replaced it, the Sentosa Express from VivoCity, started running on 15 January 2007. It is faster and it is air-conditioned. It is also three stops, and nobody has ever felt anything on it.

Fountain Gardens and the beach

The Musical Fountain opened in 1982 and ran nightly shows of water, lights and, later, lasers until 25 March 2007. The long pool with the palm trees in our third photo is the Fountain Gardens leading up to it, and it is the picture people said they missed most. Siloso Beach in the fourth photo looks basically the same, minus the beach bars. If you want the current version of a Sentosa day, Grillfest on Siloso is the closest thing to that old family picnic energy.

Underwater World and Fantasy Island

Underwater World opened on 13 May 1991 and closed on 26 June 2016. The thing everyone remembers is the moving walkway through the acrylic tunnel, standing still while sharks and rays passed overhead. The Oceanarium at Resorts World is bigger and better in every measurable way, but it does not have the travelator, and the travelator was the point.

Fantasy Island opened on 8 December 1994 at a cost of $54 million across 7.1 hectares, with an eight-lane racing slide, a wave pool and rides called Medusa, Flashflood, Double Trouble and Wild Wild Wet. It closed on 2 November 2001 after two drownings, in 1998 and 2000, and years of falling crowds that never matched its entry price. Universal Studios Singapore now stands on that ground. That is the lazy river that, as our caption put it, does not hit the same anymore.

Why it does not hit the same

Adventure Cove has a real lazy river, and it is longer and safer than anything Fantasy Island had. The difference is not the ride. It is that going to Sentosa used to involve a ferry, a monorail and an arch on the way out that said "Thank you for visiting Sentosa", and that combination made a 15-minute trip feel like leaving the country. Now you walk out of VivoCity and you are there.

The good news is the beaches, the fort and the coastal walk cost nothing and look the same. If you want that day back on a budget, take the boardwalk from VivoCity on foot, which is free, and skip everything with a turnstile.

FAQs

When did the Sentosa monorail close?

The original Sentosa monorail opened in 1982 and stopped running in March 2005. The Sentosa Express from VivoCity replaced it on 15 January 2007.

What was Fantasy Island in Sentosa?

A $54 million water theme park that opened on 8 December 1994 and closed on 2 November 2001 after two drownings and falling attendance. Universal Studios Singapore now sits on the site.

When did Underwater World Singapore close?

Underwater World at Sentosa opened on 13 May 1991 and closed on 26 June 2016.

Is there still a ferry to Sentosa?

Not the old family ferry from the World Trade Centre. Today you reach Sentosa by the Sentosa Express monorail from VivoCity, the free boardwalk on foot, the cable car, bus or car.