Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
The gardens aren't that old, opened in 2012 as something for people in Singapore to do, it became a national icon (the super trees are definitely photographed widely). A very large space, the interior shuttle bus can be useful, but does cost per trip.The Arrival
I took the MRT (subway) to the Bayfront station, because it was workable from where I was staying. The gardens have their own stop, which is probably more reasonable for many people.Flower Dome
The Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse on the planet. There are 5 figures (maybe 6 depending on the season) of plants in here. It's climate controlled, and decidedly cooler than outside, plus a visual delight to behold. Various regions of the world are represented. Lots of arid plants to my surprise honestly.Cloud Forest
Hands down my favorite spot in the gardens, a very well done area semi-guided by terrain and pathways built into it, which was also amazing. The waterfall is the most astounding feature, but there is so much more to it.Floral Fantasy
The Floral Fantasy is a large flower garden, but also seems to have special events in it, this time it was a themed Disney display, that was really well done. Actual great artistic representation of characters.The Grounds
Now that I have covered the three main buildings, I'll do a bit around the grounds of the gardens. The Supertrees are the most visible feature, which are super as they contain thousands of plants inside of them, but at 100 degrees, I didn't feel like walking the catwalk on those that day. Other areas of pleasantness also abound.
Enter the largest glass greenhouse in the world
Entry colors, not sure what it adds to the flowers displays though
Seems nobody was too interested in the succulents
Cacti, prickly, like politicians
Shot across the dome
Intermixing minerals and plants for displays
Art and flowers, a common worldwide theme
The main feature of this season, over 10,000 tulips, which was an overwhelming impact
You know this sign is there because someone took a selfie that way
Enter on the ground level, You'll see why shortly
Quite sublime, but also impressive in power and breadth, this is the centerpiece of the Cloud Forest dome
Huge displays of orchids on the ground floor
I have never seen orchids that looked like this before
The range and colors of the orchids are amazing and I stood there a while admiring
Many walkways high above, where you now head to via elevators
From the top, we begin to make our way down. Mix of natural and manmade visual items
The views are also fairly impressive from here
Every single person in the dome seemed to have to take a selfie by the waterfall, this was a long time in waiting to photo
Views of the mountain from the walkways are pretty impressive"
The grottos in the mountain as you make your way down level by level
Large VR display with a floor that reacts to your movements
A climate change presentation showing how screwed we are
Micro orchids, the size of your fingernail
Looking out from one of the 'caves'
The jungles, the closest many here will get I imagine
The shop for this area of the gardens, some cool things in here
The path drawing you in, overloaded with flowers
I mean, I don't think I need to name the characters, just point out that they are all made from plants
Poison tree frogs, which are not poisonous in captivity
The shop by the display, very geared towards a younger audience
Summary
I have visited Singapore many times, this was my first real trip to the gardens and I'm a little annoyed with myself that I waited. This is an art museum made of living plants, and the Cloud Forest is in a class all its own. Just astoundingly well done.My tip: Get the combo pass that lets you see everything.