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Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay is among the top 20 places checked in on Facebook and it’s easy to see why. As soon as you step foot in to the park you feel like you’ve been transported to another world. Picture Avatar mixed with Jurassic Park – – only without the carnivorous dinosaurs. Gardens by the Bay was actually the inspiration for the planet Xandar in Guardians of the Galaxy. Composed of 160 ft super trees, lush greenhouses, and acres of walkable gardens, Gardens by the Bay is a visual playground.
Super Tree Grove
The most iconic part of Gardens by the Bay is the Super Tree Grove. There are 12 ‘super trees’ in the garden; the tallest of them standing over 16 stories! The tree trunks are composed of various native flowers and plants while the canopies have panels to collect solar energy. There are over 200 species of plants between all of the super trees.
My favorite part of the Super Tree Grove is the OCBC Skyway. The skyway is 72-ft above the ground and connects two super trees. There are great aerial views of the surrounding super trees and downtown Singapore. It is a must do for anyone who loves heights!
Pro tip: Tripods are prohibited on the skywalk, so if you’re solo like me, you’ll have to ask someone to take your photo…or just sneak your mini tripod up there when the attendants aren’t looking 😊
One of my favorite parts about the Super Tree Grove was the rhapsody show, which plays twice nightly. The trees are completely stunning as they flicker in different colors. I brought a blanket and laid at the base of one of the trees. It made for an amazing view. Honestly there is no bad spot to watch the show from.
Admission to the Super Grove is free (including the nightly light show) but you have to purchase a ticket for the aerial walk.
Cloud Forest
The first thing that you notice when you enter the cloud forest is the enormous waterfall cascading down a lush backdrop of tropical plants. I was surprised to learn that this was in fact the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Experience nine unique botanical zones as you ascend the winding trails of the cloud walk. There are over 72,000 plants of over 2,600 species throughout the lush observatory. Literally every turn is Insta worthy!
Pro tip: The top of the cloud walk is the best spot to be during the misting, which occurs approximately every 2 hours.
Flower Dome
The Flower Dome is the (less humid) counterpart to the Cloud Forest. This conservatory showcases flowers and plants from Mediterranean and semi-arid environments. There was even a California section!
The main floral display in the Flower Dome changes each season. I visited during fall so the entire display was made up of hundreds of pumpkins.
My favorite part of the Flower Dome was actually appreciating the architecture of the conservatories. My mathematician side loved the concave design and the distinct curves created in the glass structures. (Excuse me while I nerd out for a second…) Seriously, hats off to the architects and engineers!
Fun Fact: 3,332 glass panels of 42 different shapes and sizes were needed to cover the whole 16,000m2 surface area of the dome.
Final Thoughts
Gardens by the Bay was easily one of my favorite parts of Singapore. It is truly a one of a kind experience that you almost have to see to believe. Personally, I enjoyed the Cloud Forest more than the Flower Dome. I definitely recommend choosing the Flower Dome if you have to pick between the two conservatories. If you have more time there are a lot more gardens to walk through, including a sculpture garden and a topiary garden!
Find out more about Gardens by the Bay tickets and times here.
Have you been to Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
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