The Singapore Model Part 2

An island guarded by a Merlion (half mermaid, half lion), Sentosa is a manmade wonderland for grownups and kids alike. While the view isn't all that pretty (it's of the Singapore Port, the world's busiest in terms of tonnage) -- Sentosa is about the only option that Singaporeans and visitors have for R&R en plein air. 

The most amazing thing about the island is that it turns a pretty penny for the state bank. The island is accessible by a bridge, monorail and, on weekends, about 5,000-10,000 guests make the jump via cable car each paying $13 SGD to take the roundtrip ride. Once there, rest assured that the majority of these visitors take the luge down to the beach ($10 SGD) and then buy some nosh ($8 SGD) and might even catch a ride on the Tiger sponsored Watchtower (priceless -- actually, I passed so don't know the cost). 

The island got an injection of hotels and themed activities about 4-years ago. The word on the street is that the guy responsible is an Aussie and that he was recently plucked by developers from the UAE to come do for the Emirates what he did for Sentosa.