On our second day in Singapore, we were firmly determined to visit the world-famous Universal Studios in Sentosa Island resort. Nowadays, it has been a travel trend for tourists to pay a visit to this theme park. Your trip to Singapore would not be authentic without a visit to this amusement park. Spreading over an area of 20 hectares within the Resorts World Sentosa on the southern island Sentosa, Universal Studios Singapore (USS) is the second Universal Studios in Asia after Japan, and it is the first one in Southeast Asia. As part of the US$ 4.5 billion Resorts World Sentosa development (with the owner Genting Singapore), the park began its construction on 19 April 2008 and was completed on 18 March 2010. Officially opened on May 28, 2011, within nine months from the first day of its opening, the USS has attracted over 2 million visitors. The park reputes itself as a one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia and will continue to be so in Southeast Asia for the next 30 years. Universal Studios Singapore accommodates 24 attractions, of which 18 are original. Besides that, there are also shows that can be enjoyed with family and friends. The park is largely divided into seven subthemes based on TV shows or blockbuster movies, with each features their own unique attractions, character appearances, dining and shopping areas. Those seven themed attractions encircle a picturesque central lagoon; they are Hollywood, Madagascar, Far Far Away, the Lost World, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City and New York City. Let’s join me embark on the journey and explore each zone.
Early in the morning around 9 am as soon as we finished our quick breakfast, we headed to Universal Studios to skip the long queue as we knew that that the park would always trim with crowds. To get there, we first took MTR and got off at Harbor Front station. We arrived at Vivo City, went to the 3rd level of Vivo City shopping mall and from there took Sentosa Express train to the Sentosa Resorts.
The view of Sentosa Island with the sea from inside the express train As soon as we arrived at Universal Studios, we took out our camera and got ready for some photographs. The iconic symbol of this park is a blue round globe that writes “Universal Studios”. The globe keeps rotating around the clock and it shows different letters according to the rotation. So, if you want to capture the best picture with the complete readable “Universal”, you must be patient to wait until the rotation shows the full word. There were so many visitors taking picture with this globe so even for this we had to queue.
Universal Studios Globe
My husband and I had to wait until the crowds dispersed but yet still we could not help with the sudden interruption. We asked one of the visitors to take our picture.
Since we had bought the tickets from a travel agent in Indonesia, we did not have to queue at the ticket counter. After all, the park tickets are sold on a specific date and might not be available at the gate so you must surely purchase them in advance via online or from your local tour agent.
The magnificent entrance gate to the Universal Studios 
Look at the long queue. They were already there even before the park was opened. Ready with their tickets in hands, they were waiting for the park to be opened.
Hollywood Zone
Hollywood is the first zone that welcomes visitors and is themed after the real Hollywood Boulevard of the 1970s. The zone is dotted with palm trees, a variety of souvenir shops and restaurants. It is the primary shopping area in the park. 
Monster Rock is the only attraction in Hollywood zone and it is patterned after the Broadway theater. It can accommodate up to 1,500 people inside. We did not enter to see it for it was the last attraction we visited. We were overtired and reluctant to go in.
Madagascar Zone
The second section we visited was Madagascar. This zone is originated from the famous movie “Madagascar” and features lush tropical jungle. Everything around here is designed in Madagascar style. We took our first ride in the park here, Madagascar: A Crate Adventure Ride, where we sat in a small boat and went through a dark tunnel that features Madagascar characters’ statues with digital projection, evocative sound and motion effects telling the story from the original movie. 
This go-around is called King Julien’s Beach Party Go-Round. I did not ride this for I thought it was childish, but yet my dear husband persisted to ride it… hahahaha 
The Madagascar section is mainly featured by the four zoo animal characters, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria. Actually, you have to line up to get this picture. The photo clerks there will take your photo with their camera and print it for a SGD 20 for each photo. However, we did not want to pay for that, we just asked for their help to take our photos with our camera. Far Far Away Zone
We then stepped into the Far Far Away zone, which is typically decorated with magnificent castles making me feel as if I were in a fairy tale world. 
Deriving its name from the kingdom featured in DreamWorks Animations’ Shrek, the main highlight of the zone is the 40-meters tall Far Far Away Castle. You can also find other character appearances such as Shrek, Donkey, Puss in Boots and Princess Fiona. 
The Shrek 4-D Adventure is something you must not miss here. The show is greatly enjoyed by the young and young at heart. You will sit in a cozy sofa and watch part of the Shrek movie from the world’s largest 4-D screen. It was about the story of Shrek trying to rescue his beloved Princess Fiona from the hand of the evil dead King’s spirit. 
Apart from the Shrek 4-D Adventure there is another show too called the Donkey LIVE. The show is about a talking donkey animation that sings and dances to entertain visitors. It features the voice talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz. However, I personally found it a bit boring. Besides the shows, you can also enjoy the rides here such as Enchanted Airways and Magic Potion Spin. We skipped the rides to avoid wasting our time in lining up for something not interesting. 
The Princess Fiona’s royal cart 
The entrance gate to Far Far Away zone 
The Lost World Zone
The Lost World consists of two smaller themed regions : Jurassic Park and Waterworld. Waterworld, based on the film Waterworld starring Kevin Costner, is one of the attractions in the Lost World Zone. It is a stadium with a live show performance. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived there, it was closed so we were not allowed to see what is inside. 
The Lost World is the section in the Universal Studios that has the most attractions. Based on the popular movie franchise by Steven Spielberg and novels by Michael Crichton, this zone is designed in Jurassic Park style. Explore the zone and be immersed in gripping suspense and adrenaline pumping action at Jurassic Park and Waterworld.
Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is another attraction in this zone that attracts plenty of brave riders. It is a white water raft system with circular rafts that toss and twirl through waterways within the prehistoric-themed Jurassic compound. Only my husband rode it as at that time I was a bit dizzy and the ride is prohibited for people with dizziness. He had to queue for almost 1 hour to get in the raft. And if you want to ride this attraction, be sure to bring extra clothes and leave your camera or other electrical devices in a safe place. You do not want any of your precious belongings get broken because of the water. Other attractions in this zone are Canopy Flyer, Dino-Soarin and Amber Rock Climb.
Ancient Egypt Zone
As the name suggests, the Ancient Egypt section is modeled after the architecture of the ancient Egyptian civilization dating back over 5000 years ago. Everything in this zone is built up with similar structure and architecture like the original masterpieces in Egypt. This section reminds me of my last trip to Egypt in 2010. I found this section the most interesting and cultural of all. I love the way they made the statues and temples that look like the original models. The zone is inspired from the movie setting “The Mummy” starring Brendan Fraser. I love the movie so much!!! 
We did not ride any attraction here for most of them were frightening roller coasters. The attractions here include Revenge of the Mummy and Treasure Hunters. In Treasure Hunters, visitors will drive vintage motorcars into sandy, ancient Egypt and through an abandoned excavation site.
The modern Cairo market that sells various drinks
The wall relief and the giant statues depict the god of Anubis, which is the god in Ancient Egyptian that was believed to protect the spirit of the dead. 
The replica of the wall relief of Pharaoh…
This is obelisk, which is typical of Ancient Egypt. It is said that there are also pyramids and Pharaoh’s Tombs. Unfortunately, we did not see any of them there. I wonder where they are actually.
Sci-Fi City Zone
Modeled after the structure of future cities and metropolis, this zone is uniquely designed in such a way that makes you feel being in a modern world. Equipped with space-age technologies, it hosts the world’s tallest pair of dueling roller coasters standing at the height of 42.7 meters. 
Inspired by the famous TV series Battlestar Galactica, these pairs of dueling roller coasters are the tallest one in the world. It depicts the battle between human and cylon in high-speed shuttles twist and spin through more than two kilometers of rail. Thrill-seekers will find this attraction very interesting. The roller coasters consist of two colors, red and blue. The red rail represents the human race while the blue rail the Cylons. The Cylons are especially designed for thrill-seekers.
We did not ride any attraction here because again I did not dare to take the risk of riding the roller coasters.
Other attractions in this zone are Transformers the Ride : The Ultimate 3D Battle and Accelerator
New York City Zone
Themed after the original post-modern New York City that features various icons portrayed in movies including city skyline, neon lights, sidewalks and classic landmarks. 
We watched a live modern dance performance at the World Premier in this section. There were so many spectators and most of them were youngsters. The performers danced so attractively and interacted with the audience very well. The show lasted for half an hour and gained a big applause from the audience. 
Replica of the famous New York Public Library with two lion statues at its entrance
Universal Studios Singapore has over 30 restaurants and food carts, together with 20 unique retail stores and carts located around the park
After exploring the whole theme park, I have slightly different opinions about the park. It is indeed a beautiful and interesting park that could entertain visitors with various attractions and shows. However, the park is most suitable for children and thrill-seekers for most of the attractions there are roller coasters that pump up adrenaline. During our visit to the park, we mostly watched shows and took photos but hardly enjoyed any rides. We skipped most of the attractions there. I think in the next future I will not visit the park unless someone treats me… hehehe….
Sources:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles
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