Sentosa Cove, a residential development on Sentosa Island in Singapore is marketed as “the world’s most desirable address.” There’s no doubt that Sentosa Cove is among the more exclusive developments in Southeast Asia, but is it really the world’s most exclusive address? We’ll let you decide.

Divided into two gated communities, covering 290 acres, Sentosa Cove has a members-only marina, berths for mega yachts, and W Hotel in the works. On the island there are 2 championship golf courses, and there are plans to build a resort featuring a casino and a Universal Studios theme park.

Of the 2,500 homes planned for completion, some of the more exciting projects include:

- An 18-villa community on Sandy Island, one of the manmade islands in the Cove, where villas will range in size from about 6,500 square feet to 12,000 square feet. Each will come with a boat berth and a private pool. Claudio Silvestrin, the architect, designs Georgio Armani’s stores.

- A 20-unit apartment development that will be the only property facing Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course. Each 6,000 square foot unit will have its own pool and an estimated price tag between 9-10 million Singapore dollars (about 6.25-6.95 million US).

- The Pinnacle Collection, a planned 20-story condominium structure that will be the tallest building on the island and will offer panoramic vistas of the South China Sea, the Southern Islands and the city skyline.

Although land sales in Sentosa Cove started off with a bust back in 2003 (in the midst of the SARS epidemic), land prices have since jumped from 350 Singapore dollars per square foot to 1,799 dollars per square foot.

Analysts estimate that Singapore’s property market will increase by as much as 30 percent this year. So far, Sentosa Cove has outpaced the rest of the Singapore market in appreciation, in part because it is the only place in Singapore where foreigners are allowed to buy landed properties.

But is it all enough to consider Sentosa Cove the world’s most desirable address? Developers in Dubai might have something to say about that.

More on Sentosa Island:

Sentosa, which means peace and tranquillity in Malay, is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year. Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses and two five-star hotels.

The island has an area of 5 square kilometres. It lies just half a kilometre (a quarter of a mile) away from the southern coast of the main island of Singapore. It is Singapore’s fourth largest island (excluding the main island). 70% of the island is covered by secondary rainforest, the habitat of monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks, parrots as well as other native fauna and flora. Significantly large portions of land are currently being added to Sentosa due to land reclamation.

Sentosa has a stretch of sheltered beach of more than two kilometres in length on its southern coast, divided into three portions: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach. These beaches are artificial, reclaimed using sand bought from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Sentosa Island is a short 15 minute drive from downtown Singapore, which makes the island a desirable location to own a home.

Over the last twenty years or so the Middle Eastern city of Dubai has become one of the hottest vacation and business locations in the world. It is a rapidly developing, fabulously wealthy futuristic city set within a centuries-old Arab culture. The traditional ways are still there if you look for them. But they are gradually being overtaken by the new attractions and developments springing up virtually every day.

Dubai is a city of fascinating contrasts. In Dubai one can see dusty traditional villages only minutes from fantastically luxurious residential districts. Rugged mountains and shifting sand dunes are only a few miles from pristine sandy beaches and lush green parks. Shoppers can savor Dubai’s traditional market places or visit some of the most modern and largest indoor shopping malls in the world.

Visitors to Dubai can choose to stay in one of its many luxury hotels. Or for a more authentic Dubai experience a person can rent a beautifully furnished apartment or villa in one of Dubai’s newer residential areas. Dubai apartment rentals offer the visitor more space for less money, and provide a different perspective on this unique city.

Development at a Hectic Pace

The almost frantic pace of new development taking place in Dubai has made it one of the most futuristic cities in the world. The city skyline now highlights sleek new skyscrapers such as the Emirates Towers and Burj Al-Arab, the world’s tallest hotel. The Mall of the Emirates which opened in 2005 is the largest shopping center outside of North. It features one one of the world’s only indoor ski slopes. And Dubai also boasts one of the few 18 hole golf courses in the world that is fully lit for nighttime golf.

Many other large developments and attractions are also underway in Dubai. Just a few of these are:

- Dubai Mall – projected to be the largest indoor mall in the world when completed.

- Burj Dubai – scheduled to be completed in 2008 – will be the tallest skyscraper in the world.

- Dubai World Central including the Dubai World Central International Airport – will be ten times larger than the current Dubai International Airport and Dubai Cargo Village combined.

- The Dubai Waterfront project will be the largest waterfront and largest man-made development in the world. It will be a series of canals and artificial islands housing a number of commercial, residential, and resort zones.

Center for Shopping Tourism

Shopping is far and away the most popular attraction in Dubai. Its malls and market places are stocked with an incredible Array of items from everywhere imaginable. Shopping tourists by the millions visit Dubai rom all parts of Europe and the Middle East and even come from as far away as Eastern Europe, India, and North America.

Dubai’s most interesting shopping is to be found in the souks, located on either side of Dubai creek that runs through the city. Two of the most popular are the Spice Souk and the Gold Souk. Bargaining in traditional middle eastern style is an important part of the shopping experience in the souks.

In recent years the traditional type of shopping has met with stiff competition from more western style stores. Fantastic shopping malls and upscale boutiques are now everywhere throughout the city and carry virtually any consumer item you can imagine: clothing, housewares, luxury items, cars, furnishings, jewellery, electronics, sporting equipment. You name it and you will probably find it in the boutiques and malls of Dubai.

The Dubai International Airport also is the home of the Duty Free complex – one of the most extensive and largest duty free shopping areas in the world. New developments such as the Dubai World Central International Airport will have even larger duty free areas to draw in even more shopping tourists.

These and many more attractions make Dubai a favorite destination of tourists and an important hub for business travelers from around the world. Future developments are likely to enhance Dubai’s status as a world class business center and a haven for tourists in search of a unique and exciting adventure.