As I stepped off the escalator onto the landing platform, the purple cable car thundered towards me – decked out with triangular red & white Singapore flags inside.

My heart skipped a beat. I was finally getting the chance to ride on the brand new Sentosa cable car Line – which connects Merlion Plaza to Siloso Point. The service was officially launched on the 14th of July by Mr S. Iswaran, Minister (Prime Minister’s Office) and Second Minister for Home Affairs and trade & Industry.

Mr S. Iswaran (centre) launching the new Sentosa Cable Car Line

There was no queue at the Siloso Point station. So I stepped immediately into the moving purple cable car. It was going slowly so I could easily hop inside. The young attendant smiled at me and wished me a good trip. Then the cable car door closed – and I was off.

I didn’t know what to expect at first. How long would the cable car ride take? And what would I be seeing out of the window? Questions were begging to be answered in my mind.

My purple cable car arriving…

Beautiful scenery greets me

There was a slight jerk as the cable car made its way up, up, up into the air. And then the bright sunlight greeted me. I looked out of the window. Below me, I was greeted by a beautiful lush green canopy of trees. It made me feel like I was gliding on treetops, with a brilliant, blue sky above.

Sitting in my purple Cable Car

Below, on my right side was the lovely, pristine Siloso Beach. And below, on my left was VivoCity and the Harbourfront Cruise Terminal – with one of the large, luxurious Star Cruises ships berthed there. My mind wandered for a moment and tried to imagine – what would it be like, to be relaxing on one of those ships, right now? But then I quickly snapped back to the pristine Beach staring at me from below the cable car.

Scenic view of the Siloso Point Station and the new Sentosa Line

I continued to take in these lovely sights for the next few minutes – and then I felt another jerk. That was because my purple cable car had arrived at the next station – the Imbiah Lookout, where I was getting off for a short while to have a quick walk outside. I was very loathed to leave the cable car behind, but I told myself that I would be able to board it again very soon, once I was done with my brief sightseeing stint.

The Sentosa Cable Cars in action

Cable car ride would take about 15 minutes

In all, the whole cable car ride takes about 15 minutes from Siloso Point to The Merlion and back again (without getting out), with the distance being 890 metres. There are three cable car stations serving the new Sentosa Line – The Merlion, Imbiah Lookout and Siloso Point Stations. Together with the beautiful scenery and spectacular views that awaits you on your ride, I think that the cable car ride is definitely worth checking out, if you want a new way to explore Sentosa island.

Beautiful View from the cable car

Other visitors who had also been trying out the Sentosa Line for the first time, also enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Said Eshwer Dhaliwal, 42, a Station Supervisor on holiday from Britain with his family, “It was terrific. The ride was very exciting and definitely worthwhile. In terms of the sightseeing and views, it was fantastic – a great way to see the whole of Sentosa Island in a few minutes. The length of the ride was also good – there was just enough time to lap it up, without it being too long.”

Refreshing the offerings on Sentosa Island

A $78 million investment, the Sentosa Line is one of the Sentosa Development Corporation’s (SDC) constant efforts to refresh the offerings on the island – and is one of several infrastructure enhancements that the SDC has embarked on, to enhance connectivity and accessibility on the island. The Sentosa Line comprises of 51 eight-seat cabins and can move about 2,200 people every hour in each direction.

View of the VivoCity Shopping Mall and Singapore

Said Mike Barcaly, CEO of Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), “The new Sentosa Cable Car line will add great value to our guests riding on our Singapore Cable Car Sky Network. It offers a serene ride over our beautiful island while also greatly improving access between Merlion Plaza, Mount Imbiah and Siloso Point.”

He added, “We expect it will become the preferred mode of transport for our guests wishing to access the western tip of Siloso Beach as well as the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Hotel, UnderWater World Singapore and Fort Siloso. It is also a great complement to our walking trails on Mount Imbiah and Siloso Point.”

A cable car cruising through the sky, taking its passengers with it on a sightseeing tour.

This means that the brand new Sentosa Line gives visitors the chance to easily access key attractions on the island, such as Resorts World Sentosa, Madame Tussaud’s Singapore, Wave House Sentosa, Images of Singapore LIVE and UnderWater World Singapore.

Can also take the existing Mount Faber cable car line

Besides the brand new Sentosa Line, there is also the existing 1.65km Sentosa-Mount Faber Cable Car Line. Currently a short walk is required to get from one line to the other. But the two lines will be inter-connected in the near future. To take both lines, a round trip costs $29 – through the purchase of a Cable Car Sky Pass.

Another daytime view from the cable car

The new Sentosa Line costs Singaporeans and Permanent Residents $9 and $5.50 for senior citizens and children. Non-locals pay $13 for adults and $8 for children.

Said Suzanne Ho, General Manager, Mount Faber Leisure Group – a wholly owned subsidiary of SDC, “Up here (in the cable car), you can join the park-goers on a different terrain that is also 100 metres above the sea where the weather is slightly cooler at the hilltop. In between their play day on Sentosa, guests can fly across to Faber Peak for a meal and back, or get to beach parties by ‘air.’”

Merlion Station is exactly opposite the Sentosa Merlion.

Visit the Fort Siloso Skywalk

Apart from the Sentosa Cable Car Line, visitors can also visit the Fort Siloso Skywalk, another new attraction on Sentosa. Featuring a 181-metre, 11-storey high aerial walking trail, visitors will have the chance to catch animals such as the pink-necked pigeon, the plantain squirrel and the white-bellied fishing eagle.

Spectacular view of the Sentosa Cable Car Line atop the Fort Siloso SkyWalk

And as a bonus, the Skywalk is free of charge for admission. Guided tours, however, will be available for a fee – for those who wish to have more sightseeing. And these tours will be offered to Singaporeans and PRs for free – between now till 10 August.

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