Islet-hopping, canopy walks and trams: New developments unveiled for Sentosa and Pulau Brani

Islet-hopping, canopy walks and trams: New developments unveiled for Sentosa and Pulau Brani Sentosa and Pulau Brani will be linked by the Island Heart Transport Hub, the main arrival point for Greater Sentosa. SINGAPORE: From an islet-hopping experience along 3km of beaches to elevated forest canopy walks, visitors to Sentosa and Pulau Brani can look forward to more leisure and lifestyle experiences as new developments start to open from the early 2030s. These upcoming attractions form the next chapter of the Greater Sentosa Master Plan, which will unfold over two decades. The blueprint was unveiled by the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) on Friday (Jul 3). As part of the plan, a new transport hub featuring a tram system will also link the two islands and serve as the gateway to the area, with water taxis being explored as an option, the SDC said. When completed, the Greater Sentosa area, which comprises Sentosa and the 120-hectare Pulau Brani, is projected to attract around 32 million visitors a year, twice the number Sentosa currently receives. Calling it Sentosa's "boldest vision yet", Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu said the plan will redefine the area as Singapore's "island playground" and make it "livelier and more exciting than ever before". She was speaking at the launch of an exhibition at VivoCity on Friday, where the public can view the master plan, explore Sentosa’s history and share their views on what they hope Greater Sentosa will look like. The exhibition will move to Our Tampines Hub, Jurong Point and Waterway Point before returning to Sentosa in October. Ms Fu said: “Sentosa holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans. Many of us have fond memories here – family outings at the beach, school trips, celebrations with loved ones.” She said while the island has been a getaway for Singaporeans across generations, Sentosa also has to refresh its experiences and strengthen its appeal as tourism demand grows. “Today, we are not just celebrating what Sentosa is. We are reimagining what it can be for decades to come – an island transformed, connected and sustained,” she said. The plan to integrate Sentosa and Pulau Brani was first announced by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 2019 National Day Rally. As part of the master plan, SDC said on Friday that commuting to the island will be an experience in itself. The existing Sentosa Express monorail will be replaced by a new "people-mover" system, which SDC said will be a tram system with greater carrying capacity to cater to the anticipated growth in visitor numbers. By bringing Pulau Brani into the fold, there will be "space to imagine new possibilities and experiences that will strengthen Singapore’s destination appeal," said SDC’s chief executive officer Thien Kwee Eng. REJUVENATING SENTOSA New experiences and concepts are being studied for Sentosa’s beaches, including plans to connect islets through a floating boardwalk, said SDC. The islets were built to dissipate wave energy so that the beaches would not be eroded, and are largely inaccessible to the public at this point. When completed, visitors will be able to visit these islets for the first time and hop between them along the 3km stretch of Sentosa’s beaches and get up close to the water. There could be beach clubs built around sunrise and sunset views, or treetop dining to make the beaches more “vibrant and flexible spaces” around the clock. A beachfront landmark called the Sensorium, which will include indoor attractions and a multipurpose venue for events and festivals, is also in the works. It will be designed with green spaces to keep the building cool. Further inland, a new sheltered elevated forest canopy walk, the Imbiah Lookout Walk, is likely to be ready from the early 2030s. Another landmark in the works is Imbiah Canopy, a vantage point atop Mount Imbiah that will have dining and retail options as well as sheltered event spaces. Ms Fu said the developments will be "dovetailed" with coastal protection measures, which can take decades to implement. "Sustainable development does not constrain our ambitions. It is the foundation that makes them possible," she said. To this end, SDC said it has conducted environmental studies and nature group engagements to integrate the new experiences sensitively with Sentosa’s ridgelines, greenery, coastlines and heritage, and will plan further studies. SDC added that some businesses on Sentosa will have to close amid the redevelopment and the closures will be timed to coincide with the expiry of leases. Sufficient notice will be given to those affected, said SDC. GAME-CHANGING ATTRACTIONS AT BRANI WEST Over on Brani, SDC said the western part of the island, Brani West, is one of the largest sites earmarked for attractions development. Engagements with potential partners are underway, supporting the broader ambition of introducing new and refreshed experiences to increase Greater Sentosa’s appeal to locals and tourists. SDC did not identify the parties that have expressed interest in Brani West, but described the upcoming attractions as “game-changing”. In 2019, then Prime Minister Lee said Pulau Brani could house an attraction similar to Universal Studios Singapore, as well as a new resort called Downtown South for National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) members. Pulau Brani is currently occupied by the Brani Port Terminal, but port operations are expected to move to Tuas in 2027. Apart from these large-scale attractions, the master plan sets out how the various forests across Pulau Brani, Serapong and Imbiah may be linked in the future, and how nature trails could connect to the Southern Ridges on Singapore’s mainland. Ms Fu said the Greater Sentosa Master Plan is Sentosa’s vision to create a world-class destination that Singaporeans can call their own. “A place where we can find new adventures, reconnect with nature and create new memories with families and friends,” she said. SDC’s Ms Thien said the master plan will shape the future of Sentosa while staying true to what visitors have loved about it over the years. “We want to create the next generation of world-class experiences inspired by our beautiful coastlines, our greenery, our heritage, our sense of escape, as well as a Singapore identity,” she said.