Friday, December 10, 2021

Skyline Luge Sentosa - Thrill Ride and Skyride on Sentosa Island [Singapore]

Skyline Luge Sentosa isn't a new attraction on Singapore's most touristy island; starting operations in 2005 with just the luge track and a skyride, it has now been expanded to four different routes! 

I visited a long time ago and had in fact blogged briefly about it in 2009! Boy, so many things have changed since then; no more merlion, no more skytower. 

There were different pricing combos and on second thought; we should have just gone with the "4 luge and skyride" combo since it's just S$2 more and I can explore all four luge routes. 

Whatever the case, time to choose the correct helmet for the head. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, I am assuming they would be disinfected. If you are concerned, you are actually allow to bring your own helmet so long "it is not a full-face helmet, has a strap to secure it and assurance it stays firmly in place while riding the Luge".

As we bought the tickets from its Siloso Beach entrance, located at the bottom of the Luge track, we would have to take the skyride first to the Imbiah Lookout station. 

Skyride code of conduct - I just noted they don't allow handheld devices but I wasn't stopped despite holding on to the Dji Osmo Pocket 2

My fear for height isn't as bad these days but such a ride, with dangling legs and a horizontal bar acting as protection, has the ability to stuff my palpitating heart in my big mouth. 

Couple in front of us; I took the skyride three times and have plenty of photographs. There's something I just notice; what's that emergency tube behind the 4-seater chairlift?

Aside from ferrying passengers, the chairlift also helped to transport the luge, which is best described as a surfboard with wheels and handlebars! 

Let's get started; front and back view.

Remember to smile for the camera although cheapo me would never spend the money on the expensive printouts, whether physical or digital, in Singapore. 

Going higher, and higher.

According to a picture I shared earlier, the skyride is about 330 meters long and highest point is 24 meters, which is only about 10-storey HDB block.

While it's not exactly at a great height (it still was scary on the chairlift), the surrounding view, on top of a forest canopy, was still pretty good. Only issue; it was too hot! 

Bungy jump - one of the items on my bucket list! I was supposed to use my Singapore Rediscover vouchers for the jump but decided a staycation would be worth it. A short thrill versus a night stay at a neighborhood filled with good food; it's easy to make a decision.

The luge tracks beneath us! 

Singapore Cable Car - this 890-meter route is actually known as the Sentosa Line and surprisingly, it isn't connected to the old cable car line from Mount Faber to Sentosa Line. 

Opened in 2015, the intra-island line cost S$78 million and a key advantage is slightly better connectivity to Siloso Point. The reason why I said it's slightly better because there's a cost to taking the gondola lift and there are other free transport modes on the island. 

Towards the final half of our "journey", my eyes were more focused on the stretch of green nettings. If it's white, some people might think it's a massive cobweb! 

No prize for guessing the purpose of the nettings. 

One of the paragraphs on the code of conduct for taking the skyride mentioned that "passengers caught throwing litter or helmets will have their tickets revoked without refund".

While I don't think people will purposely throw helmets, an "accident" could result in injuries, especially with the roads beneath the skyride.

Sculpture along the luge track; if I recall correctly, this should be remnants from the old Sentosa concept, back when the now defunct Sentosa Monorail was the most popular transport mode.

Skyline for the central business district on mainland Singapore; this wouldn't look familiar to foreigners as it's considered the backside view.

About to arrive at the Imbiah Lookout station. 

This enclosure looked so much like a cage! As if it was preparing to house zombies ready for an epic war; reminded me of Left 4 Dead 2. Maybe I should play a game today. 

Other customers enjoying their luge! Since it's not my first time, I know what to expect and given my age, an exciting thrill would have to be balanced out with safety. Medical bills can be high but I am most worried for potential dental work, which can be exorbitant! 

Reaching the end of the skyride. 

The luges that took a ride on the chairlift would also be automatically released into their respective tracks, for use later; very neat. 

Cable system; there are actually two parallel skyrides and aside from a slight difference in length and height, I am not too sure what sets them apart.

That way towards the luge ride! 

Yes, you would find the photos taken during the skyride in the above structure, which you would have to walk through. Unlike pre-pandemic times, they don't print out the photos anymore as they figure locals wouldn't usually pay for the pictures. 

Photo packages for their reference. I understand that this would be another income source for the operators and hence, wouldn't judge. It's just that personally, I wouldn't really pay for it unless I look real good in the photo, which usually wouldn't be the case.

Same track for the luges from the skyride.

Code of Conduct for the Luge - I wonder how many people would actually take the time to read it. For one, I can bet with you that those travelling with friends would definitely race with one another! 

Time for us to embark the luge experience! As mentioned earlier, there are four tracks now and they are Kupu Kupu Trail at 638-meter long, Expedition Trail at 658-meter long, Jungle Trail at 628-meter long and lastly, the original Dragon Trail at 688m. 

We managed to conquer three trails as per our tickets; sadly, I am not allowed to take video for safety reasons. Maybe I should request in advance in the future. Nevertheless, it's so nice to have the wind brushing against my face as I sped down the track! 

As the tagline suggests, once is never enough.

Lastly, the different generations of luge; frankly, they didn't look much different for me. This is coming from a guy who see cars purely as a transportation mode, isn't acquainted with the many car models in the market.

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Location
Sentosa Island,
Singapore

Website

General Information
As above. 

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