The Supertrees, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

For sure you have heard of Superman, Supergirl and krypto the superdog? How about the Supertrees? Yap you've read that right, Supertrees! They may look like trees from the movie Avatar or a sci Fi film but these trees do have super powers, well they generate solar power, they act as air venting ducts for the conservatories of Gardens by the Bay and, they also collect rainwater! Supertrees indeed!

The Supertrees are best visited at night, their height is around 16 storeys  and they come alive with amazing display of light and sound at night. So for this post let me share my night shots of the Supertrees.

 

The Supertree on the right side of the picture above is their 50-metre Supertree-top bistro. A good place to have a sumptuous dinner amidst the panoramic views of the Gardens and Marina bay.

Can you see the thing that connects the Supertrees? That's the OCBC Skyway, for just $5 you can access the 128-metre long walkway with a height of 22-metres that connects two Supertrees at the Supertree Grove, and take in a different view of the Gardens.

The Supertrees are not 100%  man-made, they are made of four parts: reinforcement concrete core, trunk, planting panels of the living skin, and canopy. The trunk has over 162,900 plants comprising more than 200 species and varieties of bromeliads, ferns, orchids and other tropical plants.

From the background you will see the Marina Bay Sands. The Supertree Grove is accessible to the public for free. You only need to pay $5 if you want to access the skyway.

Here's us, setting up the camera for my night shots, we arrived just in time! I hope you enjoyed the photos! Till next time! Ciao!


Camera used: Lumix DMC-FZ35
Photographer: Vivi

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Gardens by the Bay: Flower Dome

Curious to know what those strange looking trees are? Well, those are African Baobab, they are the largest trees in the Flower Dome of Gardens by the Bay. Their huge trunks collects moisture so they can survive in times of drought in the desert. Interesting right? Well, the dome offers more.

Flower dome is the world’s largest columnless greenhouse with an impressive footprint of  1.2 hectares (approx. 2.2 football fields) and a height of 38 m.  Similar to the Cloud Forest, Flower dome is made out of steel and metal, they used 3,332 glass panels of 42 varying shapes and sizes for this dome alone.

From the above picture of Gardens by the Bay I took from the viewing deck of Marina Bay Sands, you will see the cooled conservatories opposite the Supertrees. On the left side is Flower Dome which is bigger than the Cloud Forest on the right side, but the latter is higher at 58 meters to accommodate the highest indoor waterfall.  

Flower dome display trees, plants and flowers from the Mediterranean-type climatic regions. Similar to the Cloud Forest, temperature being maintained here is 23°C to 25°C , a great escape from the 35°C typical Singapore weather!

The dome is separated into 8 gardens:

• Baobabs and Bottle Trees
• Succulent Garden
• Australian Garden
• South African Garden
• South American Garden
• Californian Garden
• Mediterranean Garden
• Olive Grove

Let me share some of my shots of  flowers, plants and trees I've seen from the dome:

And of course a time for photo opt! We went there few months before Christmas which explains their decorations all throughout the dome, they even have a huge Christmas Tree and a Snowman made of flowers.

Is it worth your time? Yes! Definitely a must visit even if you are not a lover of nature, just the thought of an air-conditioned garden where you can hang out with family and friends is a great alternative than the fully crowded malls.

Hours and Admission Fees:

Hours:

    Opens 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily

    Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM daily

    Last admission at 8:30 PM daily

Local Resident Admission:      

• Adult                  $12             
• Senior Citizen*     $8            
• Child**                $8               

Local Resident Admission

(includes entry to Cloud Forest):

• Adult                     $20          
• Senior Citizen*      $15            
• Child**                 $12              

Standard Admission

(includes entry to Cloud Forest):

• Adult                     $28          
• Senior Citizen*      $28            
• Child**                 $15

* Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)

** Child (3 – 12 years old)

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Gardens by the Bay - Cloud Forest

Singapore is undoubtedly one of the greenest city in the world. In line with the government's vision to improve the quality of life in Singapore amidst the harsh urban jungle, they created Gardens by The Bay.  The park is in integral  part of their Singapore's transformation from being the "Garden City"  to a "City in a Garden".

Gardens by the Bay from the viewing deck of Marina Bay Sands

Gardens by the Bay is Singapore’s new icon, a 101-hectare horticultural attraction located in central Singapore which is adjacent to Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.

For this post let me share one of the park's key attraction, the Cloud Forest which is a part of Bay South Garden.

Cloud Forest is an experience beyond compare,   it will let you explore the highlands that seems to be floating in the clouds.  It is as close as it gets to being up a mountain in a rainforest type environment, the cool-moist dome will definitely uplift your spirit.

For those architecture enthusiast, this dome is worth seeing. The conservatories including the Flower Dome, designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects are constructed out of steel and metal. The Cloud Forest  is 58 meters high and made of metal frames with 2,577 glass panels of 690 varying shapes and sizes.  Volume is 153,000 m³ (approx. 60 Olympic swimming pools) with  temperature of 23°C to 25°C.

Let me tour you to the dome step by step:

1)  Upon entering the dome, you will be refreshed by the world's tallest indoor waterfall!

world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 35 metre tall

2) on the other side of the Cloud Mountain  take the lift to the 6th floor

3)  A flight of stairs takes you to the top, known as The Lost World which replicates the cloud forest vegetation at around 2,000m above sea level.

at the Lost World

4) then take the stairs down to the Cloud Walk, a walkway around the upper portion of the mountain.

The Cloud Mountain

The Cloud Mountain is  35-metre tall mountain covered in lush vegetation showcasing plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level. The mountain has been densely planted with a mixture of fascinating orchids, ferns and  pitcher plants.

for my hubby who is scared of heights, the walkway in itself is already an adventure!

5) then down to the Cavern and Crystal Mountain. Since caves are a common feature of mountains, they included this part,  it contains exhibitions of real stalactites and stalagmites.

6) You then go to the Treetop Walk, a walkway around the lower part, an eye level to the canopy of trees. 

7) Earth Check and +5 degrees    - At the end of Treetop Walk is a small museum named the Earth Check.  It is an educational programme for everyone, to reflect on our attitudes towards the earth, how are we destroying our environment and what we can do to preserve it.

+5 degrees is a very interesting room explaining the self sustainability concept of Gardens by the Bay. You will also virtually experience here the effect of temperature increase around the planet and what will happen if the temperate of the planet rises with an average of 5 degrees Celsius due to global warming.


9) The Secret Garden - Also a 'Misty' Garden, you’ll see  moisture-loving plants covering the ground, it also contains plants from ravines and tree ferns from New Zealand.

Sharing here some of the beautiful  and colorful flowers and pitcher plants you will see inside the dome:

Hours:

• Opens 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily
• Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM daily
• Last admission at 8:30 PM daily

Local Resident Admission:       

Adult                             $12
Senior Citizen*               $ 8
Child**                          $ 8


Local Resident Admission
(includes entry to Flower Dome):

Adult                             $20
Senior Citizen*              $15
Child**                         $12


Standard Admission
(includes entry to Flower Dome):

Adult                             $28
Senior Citizen*              $28
Child**                         $15


* Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)
** Child (3 – 12 years old)

The most important thing of all of course is the quality time spent with your loveone. So what are you waiting for? Include this place in your itinerary for your next visit to Singapore!

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