Gardens by the Bay - Technology Binding People and Nature

Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is an ambitious project which brings together nature and people with the help of some cutting edge technology. It does not matter whether you love nature or not, these gardens are sure to astound you!

Here is my story from a recent visit there.

Cloud Forest - inside the dome

Singapore is a country full of surprises and biggest one of them is the amount of greenery you can see everywhere, even on the busiest streets. Since independence, they have actually increased their green cover and take pride in this achievement. However, the country didn’t just stop there but went many miles ahead and did something which no other had dared so far - it created an environment for trees from all the world to grow and thrive in this tropical country.

It was a hot day and Naseem and I were tired and sweating with just the walk to the ticket window. I saw a cafe there and was immediately tempted to try out some cold coffee, but the calling from the two big domes was way more intense and we decided to walk ahead.

So what are the ‘Gardens by the Bay’? These gardens are a part of the strategy of Singapore to convert itself from ‘Garden City’ to ‘City in a Garden’. The difference between the two is subtle, yet profound. Currently the gardens span over an area of 101 hectares (1,010,000 m2) on reclaimed land in central Singapore.

Check out the video on these Gardens I made on this visit. If you like the video, do give me a thumbs-up and also SUBSCRIBE to my channel :)

 

The gardens are spread over a large area, though its possible to walk across all of them in one day. The most impressive elements are the two Domes - Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. So what are these domes? The domes are these humongous air-conditioned structures which house trees, plants and forests inside them. These giant structures create the environment suitable for all the different flora within the same space. It’s a space which has to be seen to be believed - its an ambitious project which has been executed to perfection. Quite frankly even after spending hours walking through the two domes, I was just not done with them. I think I can go there again and again to learn more, and to empathise with these gorgeous beings from nature.

Gardens by the Bay from a distance

Flower Dome

The Flower Dome is larger of the two and houses trees from all across the world. Within the same space you can see gardens from Madagascar, Gardens from Australia, Gardens from California and so on. The trees are all real and you can witness them thriving in the man-made natural environment.

The phenomenal glass ceiling of the Flower Dome

Balboa trees in the Flower Dome

The central part of the dome also houses a constantly changing display and when I visited it was Tulips time there. I am a not huge fan of flowers, but loved them nevertheless. There were fairy tales installations all around and that made this section a huge hit with the kids. They didn’t appeal to me and I decided to move on and explore the second dome.

Cloud Forest

The second dome houses the Cloud Forest and replicated the cool and moist tropical climatic conditions. Slightly smaller than the Flower Dome, the Cloud forest is much higher. As you enter the dome, you immediately witness the large waterfalls which can wet you if you venture too close to it. As you walk around you will be stunned to see this mini-mountain full of lush green foliage, misty clouds, and walkways for people to walk down through them.

Flower Dome from below

Walkway at the Cloud Forest

To reach up you need to take the elevator to the top floor and then you can simply walk down. As you walk down, the surroundings change with each floor - exposing us to a verity of flora from SE Asia, Africa and South America. As you come down, you will also walk through some thick mist and it gives a very good overview of the actual forests.

Supertrees Grove: OCBC Skywalk

Just outside the two domes is another architectural marvel and I think, in times to come, this will become the symbol of Singapore across the world. This structure is called Supertrees Grove. These are tree-like structures which reach for the sky with heights ranging between 25m to 50m. The highest Supertree also houses a restaurant.

The walkway between Supertrees

Another view of the walkway

 
There is an elevated walk-way, called OCBC Skywalk, which connects the two big supertrees. You can reach the walk-way by taking a lift from one of them. Its a short walk, but the views from top are phenomenal. You can see the harbour on one side and the Singapore skyline dotted with skyscrapers on the other. The place becomes magical in the night and one must certainly come here for the evening light show.

Gorgeous Supertrees Grove

Food:

There are two options for food inside the Gardens by the Bay - there is Cafe Crema just close to the ticket counter and there is another cafe inside the Flower Dome called Pollen.

How to reach:

There are many ways of reaching the Gardens by the Bay:

• Walking
• Driving 
• Train or bus - Alight at Bayfront MRT Station (CE1/DT16) or Tanjong Pagar MRT Station (EW15)

Timings and fee:

Outdoor Gardens: 5AM - 2AM daily

Free

Conservatories: 9AM - 9PM daily

S$8 to S$28

OCBC Skyway: 9AM - 9PM 

S$5

Singapore offers!

This year Singapore is celebrating it’s fiftieth anniversary and to mark the occasion Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism have come together for Indian travellers. When you book your flights in May-June this year at Singapore Airlines, there are some cool deals that you can use. 

1. Fares starting from Rs 22,000

2. Complimentary admission to one of these three unique experiences - 

     - Universal Studios Singapore ( 1-Day pass) OR

     - Executive Lunch Set @ Punjab Grill Restaurant in Marina Bay Sands OR

     - Singapore Flyer (Moet & Chandon Champagne Flight)

3. SG50 bundle which highlights the cultural and heritage elements of Singapore

Read more about the deals here.