Great escapes on Sentosa Island

The 500-hectare Sentosa Island has long been a famous resort island of Singapore, and it continues to evolve. Combined with the mega VivoCity mall and St James Power Station across the water, the Sentosa-HarbourFront area is generating quite a buzz.

There are many ways to get to Sentosa besides the famous cable car (S$10.90 or HK$56 per adult and S$5.50 per child for one-way from HarbourFront Tower Two; S$11.90 and S$6.50 for a round trip. For more information go to www.mountfaber.com.sg.

By MRT, you can take the North-East Line and alight at the HarbourFront Station to change to Sentosa Express train or the orange Sentosa bus. You can also take public buses 65, 80, 93 or 188, and alight along Telok Blangah Road to catch a connecting bus.

There are the touristy trimmings ranging from the butterfly park/insect kingdom and dolphin lagoon to the Merlion Walk and flying trapeze, but what's really enjoyable is the host of beachfront bars and restaurants at Siloso Beach and Tanjong Beach.

There are six resorts on Sentosa, including the Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort (tel: 65 62750100). It is offering a spa package at S$338 to S$528 per night, which includes accommodation, an hour of either a 'rest and relax spa package' or a clean and clarifying facial treatment (both inclusive of a eucalyptus foot bath), buffet breakfast, welcome fruit basket, a bottle of house wine on arrival, and 10 per cent off on additional spa treatments. This offer is valid until December20. The nice thing about Sentosa is that it offers the feeling of a getaway, yet it is so close to the city.

The Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa (tel: 65 68792538) accentuates this characteristic of the island. It is nestled on a scenic hillside and surrounded by 3.5 hectares of gardens and tropical rainforests, but is only a 10-minute drive from Singapore's central business district and three minutes' walk to Palawan beach.

Accommodation rates range from S$500 to S$2,500 a night.