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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The Dark Side of Tourism: Animal Abuse

Animal abuse is a by product of Tourism.  But would you clap and cheer at an elephant who can paint, play football, do tricks or take a one hour ride at their back, if  you knew the horrifying cruelty the elephants are being subjected to?  I only mentioned elephants but how about "swim with the dolphins" programme and other animal circus shows? They are also animal cruelty in the name of entertainment.

The saddest part is that, as tourists, we are fueling these abuses. The animals may appear "cute" but what's the real story and history behind their training? After doing my research my first elephant encounter in Bali, Indonesia made me want to puke (my fist  and  last elephant ride).. I feel so sorry for contributing to the cruelty, and through my blog I want to partake in my small little way in supporting responsible tourism.

Here's an excerpt from the website of Elephant Rescue and Asia Survival Foundation regarding the phenomenon behind elephant painting:

It’s a myth that elephants are clever because they can paint. Please don’t think they are gifted or that it’s cute to watch this form of tourist ‘entertainment’. Here’s a few facts you need to know:

❖Elephants endure months of physical abuse to learn how to hold a paint brush, draw a straight line and paint flowers and leaves on trees
❖For years they then paint the same repetitive painting over and over again, every single day, sometimes twice or three times a day
❖When training an elephant to paint, a sharp metal bull hook or nail is used to guide the paintbrush
❖When the elephant paints incorrectly they are beaten as punishment, often the hook is rammed into the elephants ear or they are hit on their head or trunk
❖Look for scars or beatings on the top of an elephants head or trunk from metal bull hooks used to train elephants for human ‘entertainment’

Elephant paintings are a learned trick, a result of vigorous training by their handlers. As what I have read, the handlers will tap, hold the elephants ear or trunk to create a "correct" picture. Can you see the handlers holding their sticks? Now we know for what those are. Some websites have even more disgusting pictures of hooks being used to control these elephants. 

Below are the end product of their painting work, being sold for 2,000baht:

All of these photos are taken during my recent trip to Chiang Mai. I'd rather not name the camp for based on my readings,  the practice in the whole of Thailand is the same. 

   

Finally, at the end of the show is a realization that what we only want is just be "near' these beautiful creatures.  To watch them in their natural habitat, playing in the mud, running in the wild,  bathing in the river, to have their photo taken.  The reason why these animals are being mistreated is for our entertainment  but the truth is that it's the intimate experience that we want and seek. 

So as tourists, how can we help?  DON'T BUY Elephant paintings! And choose destinations that supports responsible Tourism. I do believe that we have the power to influence change, we are the reason for these cruelty anyway, so be a part of the change we want to see. Support CRUELTY-FREE encounter with the animals.

“Wild animals belong in the wild.”

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