Survival Guide: Sentosa’s Pokémon GO Safari Zone

The first-ever Pokémon GO Safari Zone event kicked off on 18 April to much fanfare as thousands of Pokémon GO players flocked Sentosa Island, Singapore.

The event is taking place on the island from 18 to 22 April 2019 at Palawan Beach and we were there at the morning launch at 10am on 18 April to check out the response:

The crowd at the event was not as bad as we thought it would be – definitely not as crazy as what’s going on at the Shilin Night Market happening over this weekend at Singapore Turf Club. There were ample parking and traffic as well as crowd control was well handled – kudos to the Sentosa operations team for a good job.

We put up a quick survival guide for those who are thinking of going for the event. Here’s what to expect and some tips and tricks for the best event experience.

What Pokémons can you expect to catch?

Safari Zone ticket-holders get to to catch rare Pokémon like Unown, region-specific Pokémons like Tropius and special shiny Pokémons like Shiny Shuckle and Shiny Lapras. There will be a lot of pop-up Pokéstops which only ticket-holders will get to see on the apps. These are mostly located along the coast of Palawan Beach within short walking distance from each other of no more than ten steps. As such, you don’t have to worry about running out of Pokéballs if you are a ticket-holder.

For non ticket-holders, there is nothing much else special to catch as you won’t be able to encounter the rare Pokémons like Lapras and Unown or the region-specific ones. Instead, you will see lots of Shuckle… keep catching them until you get a shiny one.

What’s there to do beside catching Pokémons?

Check out the world’s first 6-metre-tall Lapras inflatable at Palawan Beach, amongst Pokémon photo points spanning the Sentosa Boardwalk to Tanjong Beach.

Get up close to Pikachu in adorable costumes at free meet-and-greet sessions daily at Palawan Beach and Tanjong Beach. There will be three sessions at 11.30am, 2.30pm and 4pm every day during the event period.

Bring home official Pokémon plushies from the Pokémon pop-up store at Palawan Green or get some cool Pokémon shirts to wear to work.

Plus, swap tips, trade Pokémon, and take a break at the Players Lounges along Palawan and Tanjong Beach. Themed in the colours of the three teams – Mystic (Blue), Valor (Red), and Instinct (Yellow) – the Players Lounges are spaces where players can cool off, refuel and get together under the shade.

Those feeling peckish can also look forward to a selection of light bites at food carts located at Palawan Green, Palawan Beach and Tanjong Beach.

Pokémon photo opps everywhere

Other than the iconic giant Lapras inflatable float at Palawan Beach, there are lots of Pokémon cut-out standees sprinkled across the island which you can take pictures with.

How do ticket-holders check into the event?

Players who received your confirmation email for the event will receive a unique QR code in your email inbox on 12 April 2019. This QR code serves as the free ticket to Pokémon GO Safari Zone, Sentosa, and is required for check-in via the Pokémon GO app during the event. The QR code will only work once – on the pre-selected date Trainers had submitted during the ballot.

To check into the event, Pokémon GO Safari Zone, Sentosa participants are advised to print out your QR codes and head to either one of two virtual check-in PokéStops, located at Resorts World Sentosa and Palawan Green, before kick-starting your Pokémon GO adventure.

Players need not worry about missing the check-in area, as the location will be visible in the Pokémon GO app itself. At the check-in PokéStop, simply scan the printed QR code using the Pokémon GO app, and head off once the check-in process is completed.

How to get to the check-in PokéStops

Players and Pokémon fans are strongly encouraged to go car-light and enter the island via public transport due to limited parking space. Easily access the check-in PokéStops at Resorts World Sentosa and Palawan Green via multiple modes of entry:

Stroll in for FREE: From VivoCity, stroll across the Sentosa Boardwalk and straight to the first PokéStop at Resorts World Sentosa for free.

SBS Transit’s Bus 123: Entering the island via SBS Transit’s Service 123 takes you directly to Sentosa’s Beach Station bus terminal, a short walk to the check-in PokéStops at Palawan Green. Guests entering via Service 123 need only pay the prevailing distance-based bus fare, as no island admission fees apply.

Sentosa Express: Hop on the Sentosa Express at VivoCity to get to either one of the check-in PokéStops! Alight after one stop at the Resorts World Station, or three stops later at Beach Station to check in at Palawan Green.

Driving in: For those who still wish to drive in, there are parking facilities available across the island. Do note that once the car parks along the beach are filled, cars will be directed to park at Sentosa Cove Village. A dedicated free shuttle bus service between Sentosa Cove Arrival Plaza and Beach Station will be available from 9.30am to 9.30pm daily.

At the end of the adventure, guests may exit via the same way or catch the free shuttle bus from Beach Station to VivoCity, which will be available from 6pm to 10pm on Thursday and Monday, as well as from 4pm to 10pm from Friday to Sunday during the event period.

Dress light, be prepared for wet weather

It can be scorching hot, so dress light for the beach and bring lots of water to keep yourself hydated. It has also been raining a fair bit lately, so be prepared for wet weather as much of the event activities are in the open.

Be sure to bring lots of powerbanks and other juice sources to charge up your gaming devices! If you intend to stay throughout from 10am to 7pm, make sure you have enough juice to last through the day.

That’s it from us for our survivor guide!

Go have fun at Sentosa! If you are looking for other activities to do and are worried about the crowd, check out our survivor guide for visiting Jewel Changi Airport and our survivor guide for visiting the Shilin Night Market at Singapore Turf Club.