I'm pretty sure I've already outlined my 6-year old twins' fascination with going to the Beach. If I start any sentence with "what should we do this weekend?", the answer will inevitably be "let's go to the beach!". If there is any talk of arranging a playdate, they will chime in with suggestions of going to the beach. If I ask them how they want to spend their birthday, there will be some mention of going to the beach on their elaborate agenda. They wait for their school holidays solely for the prospect of spending a day at the beach. They sometimes even offer me "bribes" in the form of artwork for an exchange trip to the beach! My husband and I were discussing this in amused tones and we realized that our last 5 family holidays have turned out to be beach holidays. Such is our offsprings love for sun, sand and sea!
When you think of Singapore, you tend to picture the spectacular skyline, the iconic Merlion, the world-class Singapore Zoo, the futuristic Gardens by the Bay or the more recent marvel, Jewel Changi. A beach does not come to mind at all. I think it is a well-established fact that Singapore does not have good beaches to its credit. If you look at neighboring Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand which are all well-renowned beach destinations, then Singapore falls short. But then again, Singapore does not promote itself as a beach destination (and rightly so!).
Singapore is one of the world's busiest ports and extensive land reclamation has resulted in many man-made beaches. In any beach on the island, it is common to see numerous ships and vessels dotting the horizon, the waters are not as clean or clear, the sand isn't as fine or powdery as you would hope for, the waves are virtually non-existent and there have been reports of jellyfish sightings. As a result of all this, water sports aren't all that popular and neither is sunbathing.
But as is human nature, we make do with what we have and so, trips to the beach are a popular weekend activity with Singaporean families especially those with young children.
Of all the beaches in Singapore, my favourite would have to be Tanjong Beach, tucked away on Sentosa Island. This beach happens to be a family favourite as it serves as a secluded getaway from the hullabaloo of the city.
The placid sea, tame waves, relatively clear waters, shady palm trees and surrounding greenery makes it a picturesque spot. Don't you think so?
Unlike the other two Sentosa beaches, Siloso and Palawan, Tanjong beach has fewer commercial activities, making it the perfect destination for people who like to take a dip in the shallow waters, laze around, read a book, or take as leisurely stroll along the coastline.
The girls had their term break holidays and on a impulse, I and my husband decided to take the day off and turn it into a family outing. Knowing our daughters proclivity to go to Sentosa, we decided to take them to Tanjong beach.
Visiting Sentosa beaches on weekdays doesn't require a reservation. You can tell why right? 😃
The sun was out in formidable force but despite the risk of sunburn, I was mostly glad because the past few weeks had seen gloomy skies and incessant rain. All of us slathered on liberal amounts of sunblock and took full advantage of the sunny day.
