Interesting facts about Sentosa Island

• The Sentosa Island was once named was once known as  the dead island or the island of the dead. Its name was Pulau Belakang Mati (in malay Pulau means island, Belakang means death and Mati means from behind and can be translated as "dead back" or "behind the dead" ). There are several theories about the originals of this name. It is attributed to the murder and piracy in the island's past or the name is given because the island is the material paradise of warrior spirits buried at Pulau Brani. Another theory attributes the name to an outbreak of disease on the island in the late 1840s almost wiped out the original Bugis settlers on the island. But for some sources, the name is simply given by sailors because the island creates an area of dead water behind it with no wind!

• The island got the name "Sentosa" (which means “isle of tranquility”) only in 1972 after Singapore government decided to develop the island into a holiday resort for local visitors and tourists.

• Sentosa Island's Siloso Beach hosts one of Asia's biggest music dance festivals called ZoukOut,  organised by Zouk (club) Singapore. 

• Sentosa Island's Siloso Beach also hosts Asia's largest beach countdown party named Singapore Siloso Beach Countdown Party which starts at 06:00 PM of December 31st and lasts until 06:00 AM of January 1st of the new year.

•  A small islet off the coast of Palawan Beach, called Palawan Island is said to be the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia and the Asia's closest point to the Equator. But if you carefully examine the map of Sentosa or check google maps, you can see that this point is not the southern most point on the island (southern tip of Sentosa Cove is the southern most point of continental Asia). 

Siloso Beach in Sentosa, with the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa resort
overlooking the bay

• Sentosa Island houses Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park, Universal Studios Singapore, which was opened on 18 March 2010.

• Sentosa Island is known for its expensive 5-star luxurious hotels and resorts. But there is a cheaper accomodation option on the island on a hill overlooking Siloso Beach. Costa Sands Resort a number of chalets and 15 kampung-like huts and caters to those looking for a place in Sentosa Island for a limited budget.