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Gardens by the Bay

There is a sudden change in the atmosphere and the air feels refreshing and humid against my skin, I look up and notice some super trees which resembled just like taken out straight from some sci-fi movie. Yes! We have entered the high-tech botanical gardens of the future- Gardens by the Bay, Singapore. It felt like we left our world behind and stepped into the lush alien world of Pandora. 


Gardens by the Bay is a nature park and a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry spanning 101 hectares in the bay area of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden, hence, the name: Gardens by the Bay. When me with my family visited Singapore, it was not a part of our itinerary, but thanks to our tour guide who suggested us to spend a day in this lavish and jaw dropping garden as it is surreal and a sight to behold our entire life.

We started our walking tour of Gardens by the Bay and tried to cover all major attractions of the place which included:

Flower Dome: This dome is the largest greenhouse in the world and it intelligently replicates a cool-dry Mediterranean climate which we felt immediately on entering it. This enormous dome is home to beautiful flowers and plants from five continents ranging from thousand-year-old olive trees to magnolias and orchids. Being an absolute flower lover and keen in gardening, my mother L-O-V-E-D it, to say the least.

Cloud Forest Dome: A mysterious world veiled in mist; this was my favourite part of Gardens by the Bay. As soon as we entered the dome, we were welcomed by the gigantic tallest indoor waterfall falling from a height of 35-meter. My sister and I ran close to it and felt the droplets falling all over us; it was such a dreamy experience. This dome is like a big green and lush mountain covered in mist. The entire ambience, starting from the humidity, temperature, light etc. made us feel like we are in a dense, steamy tropical jungle like the Amazon, which was perfectly maintained for plant life from tropical mountain areas. Some orchids and flowers were so tiny that magnifying glasses were fitted at certain places to have a close, zoomed-in and detailed view of the plants, this amazed me a lot. 

Cloud Walk: From the Cloud Forest dome, we followed the walking path, called the cloud walk, which was an airy path on the outside of the big green mountain “Cloud Mountain” and it took us to the plateau below, (though I was afraid at first, but the view made me forget my fear instantly), the view is that spectacular. At the top of the Cloud Mountain, one more surprise was waiting for us, which is the Lost World and it showcased cloud forest vegetation found at 2000 meters above sea level. There is a fantastic view of Marina Bay, the Supertrees and the rest of the Gardens by the Bay from here.

Crystal Mountain Cave: Soon, we took the elevator and stepped inside our next destination, the Crystal Mountain Cave which displayed real stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes, how different continents are formed, the age of earth and the importance of fossils. Though, I have meager knowledge on geology, but I could understand that this cave is a geologist’s heaven.

Supertree Grove: As we took an exit from the dome, a grove of soaring, surreal structures greeted us, called the “Supertrees” which span 25 to 50 meters in height, two of which are connected by the dramatic arch of the OCBC Skyway. When dusk falls, the entire grove lights up and there is a show of light and sound called the “Garden Rhapsody” which is a must see. There is also a Supertree Observatory for an unforgettable view of Singapore. However, there is much more of the Supertrees that impressed me apart from the view, they are packed with environmental technologies like photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy to produce power that lights up the trees and which mimic the ecological function of real trees. These Supertrees collect rainwater used in irrigation like real trees and also help out with running and cooling the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest Dome.









Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s major attractions and is a storehouse of surprises for everyone, and a tour to Singapore without visiting it, is incomplete. For me, the star of Gardens by the Bay is undoubtedly the Supertree Grove and the Cloud Forest Dome. What’s yours? Explore Gardens by the Bay and find out.






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