Gardens by the Bay

     We recently visited the 2 Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay - Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. 

     We first took a short ride on the Garden Cruiser to view the gardens before going into the conservatories.  The Marina Bay Sands serves as a background to the Super Trees - 25-50 meters tall structures that are actually vertical gardens.  Given a few more years, I imagine they will be lush with plants, and will provide shelter from the searing heat.

    About 20 minutes later, we were dropped off near the ticketing area of the domes.  We first went inside the Flower Dome and our jaws dropped.  It was so amazing, bordering on surreal.  Here's a very apt description from their website:

Step into the Flower Dome and you’ll be standing in awe of nature. Spectacular and innovative in design, it is one of the icons of Bay South Garden. The Flower Dome replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy. Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it showcases the adaptations of plants to arid environments. Stop and smell the flowers in the colourful changing displays of the Flower Field, which reflects different seasons, festivals and themes.

Enjoy a cooling and leisurely stroll through the Flower Dome and experience the eerie profile of the baobabs, surrounded by fascinating succulents. Immerse yourself in the spectacular view of the Marina reservoir skyline, as you embark on your journey through the Mediterranean Basin, South West Australia, South Africa, Central Chile and California.  You'll discover amazing plants and flowers from different corners of the globe, and you'll be amazed by how different parts of the trees are used in daily lives across different cultures.

 

     We ventured off to the Succulent Garden first and were amazed at the plant variety.  Some looked beautiful, some looked odd, and there's one particular plant that brought out a eeeuuuggghhhh reaction from me, so much so that I couldn't even take a photo of it.  You will just have to see for yourself :).  Forgive me for the photos, I'm a point and shoot person :).

     Baobab Garden (photo courtesy of B) -

     There are actually 8 different gardens in the Flower Dome.  We didn't have the time to explore each one in detail but here's a collage of photos taken during our visit:

     Next stop - Cloud Forest.

Enter the Cloud Forest, a mysterious world veiled in mist; entirely different from the Flower Dome. A 35-metre tall mountain covered in lush vegetation shrouding the world’s tallest indoor waterfall showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level.

Ascend to the mountaintop in comfort by lift before descending via two walkways in the clouds for an aerial view of the canopy and mountainside below. Learn about unique biodiversity and geology of cloud forests and the environmental threats they face within the nine unique zones in this cool-moist Conservatory.

 

     I loved the ferns and the way they unfurl :)

     Cloud Forest has 9 gardens and the plants are from tropical montane regions 1,000 to 3,5000 meters above sea level.  It also has a 35 meter tall man-made mountain with matching water fall.  Very impressive. 

     I wish we had more time to explore every nook and cranny of Gardens by the Bay.  Next time... :)

For more information, please visit Gardens by the Bay website at: http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/plan-your-visit/visitor-information.html#!/hour-admission