The Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

It is impossible not to be awe of the Gardens by the Bay…

Well you know how the saying goes – creating a Garden in the city? Well, at the gardens by the bay, it’s more like creating a City in a garden.

Seriously folks, of you have not been, you really need to go see this incredible city of epic proportions, that’s made up of every single imaginable, singular component of a garden.

Back in the year 2006, an international competition was held to get the participation of the world, to come in and propose a design plan for the gardens by the bay. In the end, there was only one winner – Grant Associates for Bay South and Gustafson Porter for Bay East, both from the UK.

And then in November 2007, the Gardens started its development. Today, some 300,000 members of the public visit the gardens daily and with such incredible statistics, of course CCFoodTravel had to go check it out, when we were in Singapore for the #YourSingapore Live event last week.

The Flower Dome – The Cool-Dry Conservatory

Stepping into the Flower Dome, is like entering a different world.The cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions that mimic South Africa, California and parts of Spain, Italy means you will hardly break a sweat, as you walk around the indoor gardens.

Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it showcases the adaptations of plants to arid environments. There are gorgeous flowers in every variety, shape and size imaginable and also the colourful changing displays of the Flower Field, which reflects different seasons, festivals and themes.

I love looking at the weird engorged trunk of the baobabs, prickly cactus or strange flowers, surrounded by a fascinating Marina reservoir skyline. I love the close proximity of the amazing plants and flowers from different corners of the globe, and I love the fact that I can read about all of it under one huge, glass roof.

Before exiting the Flower Dome, there is a rather well designed pit stop for kids and adults alike, who want to learn more about mother nature and how it works. In a dark room illuminated by a larger than life LCD projection, kids learn of the lifecycle and pollination of the baobab and banksia trees or the role of animals in the plant eco-system on the multimedia screens.

It’s so cool that kids can have hands-on fun playing with the interactive wall and discovering how the little things we do affect nature. I wish we had this in Malaysia too. Well the good news is that Singapore is not that far away!

Cloud Forest – The Cool-Moist Conservatory

Entering the Cloud Forest, be prepared for a baptism of water.. well not that bad – more like a light evian- like spray. This comes form 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. It’s huge, it’s impressive and I cannot but gape in awe at the carpet of flowers and vegetation that cover that super high wall. It’s just so mind boggling that that many plants can grow together in synergistic harmony. I am at a loss for words (rare if you ask my friends) 😛

the outside of the cloud forest dome

Yes that’s right, the mountainous wall has been densely planted with a mixture of fascinating orchids, delicate ferns, colourful bromeliads, dazzling begonias and menacing carnivorous pitcher plants. All of these are epiphytic and live on top of other plants in nature, requiring little substrate and are perfectly adapted for growing on vertical walls.

couldn’t resist a photo moment beneath the cascading waterfall

We got to the top of the mountaintop by lift, and then descending via two walkways in the clouds for an aerial view of the canopy and mountainside below.

I like that fact that the entire experience is aimed at educating people about the biodiversity and geology of forests and the environmental threats they face. It’s such an eye-opener and reminder of what a fragile earth we live in. Human beings should play their part in keeping the world as green as possible for as long as possible, and it starts with you and me.