Hi there! The first two articles I wrote when I started blogging was about my Singapore trip with my two sisters and niece, but I feel that the places we went to have not been fully described or shared properly, hence I am writing new ones to share places in particular.
This article then will be about the Gardens By The Bay, which I believe, has now become synonymous with Singapore, becoming one of its most iconic landmarks. So let me take you on a tour again, as I share some information regarding the place and the facilities there.
Gardens By The Bay is a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry that showcases plants in a whole new level, if I must say. This iconic garden was first opened to the public in October 2011.
But first, let me tell you how we got there. Singapore is very accessible, thanks to its ultra-modern transportation system. So we just took the subway, and one can take either the Circle Line or Downtown Line and get off at Bayfront MRT station, take exit B and then follow the underground linkway.
That linkway is filled with colorful paintings along the way so one doesn't get bored while walking, and it is quite a walk to the gardens, but it is fun because you get to see these paintings and you can also take pictures.
When we got out of the linkway, this building is what we saw first, which is the Marina Bay Sands hotel, another landmark, and can be seen from the Promenade as well.
As you get nearer you see these flowers, but we were so excited what was ahead of us so we quickly walked on, only stopping by to take quick pictures.
From a distance, this is how it looks like. We see what they call the supertrees.
I like the contrast of the wild flowers and the artificial trees in the background. Nature meets modernity, so to speak.
There were a lot of people visiting the place, tourists and locals alike and we had to fall in line for our turn. Admission to the gardens is free, except for the featured displays like the Flower Dome, the OCBC Skyway, the Conservatory Cloud Forest, the Waterplay.
One thing I will say about the time we were there. It was super hot, as in the heat was debilitating, and we were constantly trying to look for shade, and we were so tired and again unable to fully enjoy the place. There were so many areas we were unable to see because we were so tired.
Anyways, these are what they call the supertrees. These supertrees are as high as 25-50 meters tall. Over 162,000 plants and more than 200 species have been planted on the super trees, which are literally vertical gardens. The plant varieties were chosen by color, by their ability to survive, and things like that.
The supertrees are embedded with environmentally sustainable functions like photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy, which is used to light the gardens at night. Cool, eh?
The supertrees are made up of four parts, which are the core, which is concrete, the trunk, the planting panels and the canopy. Whoever designed these trees did a very good job, I must say, as they took into consideration the sustainability and everything else.
The Gardens by the Bay was featured in the Hollywood movie Agent 47. When I saw parts of the movie and I saw the supertrees, I was thinking to myself, where is this place?When I found out it was in Singapore, I knew I had to go see it for myself.
The OCBC Skyway, meanwhile is an elevated walkway that is 22 meters high, that provides panoramic views and perfect vantage point for picture taking.
There was an elevated walkway that was open to the public, and we gladly explored this area, and looked at the various plants exhibited in this area. When you're walking around, there are water fountains where you can refill your water bottles to prevent dehydration and there are also toilets around, to make exploring an enjoyable experience.
From the experience that we had, I would think the best time to visit would be late in the afternoon, that way it would not be too hot, plus one can wait until night time and also experience the light show at 7:45 and 8:45 PM respectively, which again, we did not get to see.
These are fruits we saw as children, and we were marveling that we could see them in Singapore.
We could take pictures up close because we were walking on an elevated walkway. There were so many plants and trees that all you do is admire them.
We were here right after lunch, which was around so it was really the hottest time of day. We were so drained from the heat.
This is another plant from my childhood. We call this plant cadena de amor, which, now that I know Spanish, means chain of love.
There are a total of 18 supertrees in the garden, and the walkway we see in the picture is the OCBC Skyway. It must be so cool to see it at night. Walking on the walkway gives people the sensation that they are floating on air.
Different varieties of orchids and other plants surround the supertrees and it is really a feast for the eyes, just being there.
This is the Dragonfly and Kingfisher lakes, which is a scenic treat, just by looking at this picture taken from the elevated walkway. The lake has a diverse ecosystem, from birds to insects to aquatic life.
Another fruit from my childhood. In our local dialect we call it 'bua' and in English it is called the betel nut or the areca nut. As kids we ate this fruit, which when chewed gives off a bitter taste at first, but as you spit the juice out, the flesh is chewy, and becomes good afterwards, ha ha ha. When the fruit is matured though, it becomes very hard, and I remember old people chewing it as a substitute for cigarettes.
See how many childhood memories were evoked during our time there? We sisters kept on talking about the fruits and plants we were seeing and our niece was enjoying all the stories we were sharing.
From this platform, one can take a leisurely walk and take time taking photos. We did not do so as there was practically no shade at the time we were there and we did not want to be baked by the blazing sun.
So we just took a few pictures and moved on, but the overall ambiance of the lake is really very peaceful, not to mention that it is beautiful as well.
More orchids. There are more varieties in the Flower Dome, I would suppose. These would just be the common orchids and the ones that are really special and rare would be in that exhibit.
The colors were just vibrant and eye catching that it was really such a pleasant experience to have.
Another picture of the serene lake, and we see one of the Domes in the distance.
Finally a picture of me on the elevated walkway. We got burned by the end of the day.
There's my younger sister sitting below one of the supertrees, asking for a picture to be taken.
Couldn't get enough pictures. You just want to take them from different angles.
And here is my older sister posing in front of the orchids, braving the sun.
There is a light show at night which is spectacular so if you go, you may want to go in the late afternoon and wait for the light show as well so you get to see it.
I definitely recommend this place as a must-see, when one is visiting Singapore. This is a testament that even in such a small country like Singapore, it is possible to build a garden in the midst of the city that provides relaxation and respite for all people who want to visit.
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