Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
Recently, I had the opportunity of going to Singapore – finally. I had been to Changi International Airport several times – on my way to Durban, South Africa; Bali, Indonesia; and Melbourne, Australia.
The trip was part of the prize I won in the 13th Brightleaf Agriculture Journalism Awards. The trip was supposed to be in 2020 but due to the pandemic, it was delayed. When the travel ban was lifted, the winners were given a chance to go to a place somewhere in Asia.
I was totally excited when I learned that we were going to Singapore. Imagine having my first travel after the pandemic and it was in the country that I had been there yet! It was doubly invigorating.
We visited several during our three-day stay in Singapore. But what really fascinated me during our brief stint was the Gardens by the Bay, where we had the opportunity of getting up close to over 1.5 million plants from around the world in the gardens’ iconic cooled conservatories.
It is Singapore’s premier horticultural destination for all people, whether locals or foreigners. As its website explains, Gardens by the Bay is a “showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry that presents the plant kingdom in a whole new way, entertaining while educating visitors with plants seldom seen in this part of the world, ranging from species in cool, temperate climates to tropical forests and habitats.”
Due to its uniqueness and brilliant presentations, it has earned several accolades from various award-giving bodies. In 2012, it was given the World Building of the Year. In 2014, it was given the outstanding achievement award by the Theme Entertainment Association.
In 2015, the Garden landed the Guinness World Records as having the largest glass greenhouse (flower dome). Also in the same year, it was among the Top 20 most checked-in locations in the world on Facebook. In 2016, it got the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice in Singapore in 2022.
All in all, over 87 million visitors have gone to the place!
After seeing it personally, I can attest that it deserved those awards, accolades, and recognition. The Gardens by the Bay spans 101 hectares and is located in the central region of Singapore. It is adjacent to the marina reservoir. It is open from 9 in the morning until 8 in the evening.
It is free to visit the gardens. But once you enter the cloud forest, flower dome and breathtaking skyway, there is a respective entrance fee. The best time to visit is during weekdays when visitors are few. If you hate too much heat from the sun, then visit the place during the early morning or in the evening. If you want to see everything, it takes about 5 to 6 hours.
Beauty abounds in the gardens. In fact, visiting it is like entering another world dimension. It looks like a set of a science fiction with a surrounding that is totally surreal and out of this world.
There are actually three distinctive waterfront gardens: bay south, bay east, and bay central. Due to limited time, we visited only the bay south, which opened in 2012. It is home to Forest Cloud and Flower Dome, which are actually the top attractions of the gardens.
What made our visit interesting was the fact that at the Forest Cloud, Avatar: The Experience was in progress. It was totally a new experience as it invites guests to connect with the alien world of Pandora, its bioluminescent environments, mythical creatures, flora and captivate the culture of its indigenous people, the Navi.
Among those we encountered during the walk-tour at the cloud forest include the following: blue oil fern, pharaoh mask, blue tango, peacock spike moss, begonias, blue rain, jade vine, finger leaf philodendron, Seychelle stilt Palm, mother fern, and sarracenia cultivars.
Too bad we didn’t visit the place at night. As such, we failed to see Supertreee Grove come alive with an exhilarating light and musical show at night. Rising up to 50 meters above ground, these iconic giants provide shade during the day. Seven of the Supertrees are designed to harvest solar energy.
The Supertrees (the tallest is about the height of a 16-storey building) are sustainable vertical gardens housing over 162,900 plants of over 200 species.
Now, you know why Gardens by the Bay is the most fascinating place to visit when you are in Singapore! – ###
