Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Gardens by the Bay has been described as a horticultural oasis in the heart of the city and it is set to become one of Singapore's main attractions.  Costing over $1 billion and spanning over 249 acres, this garden oasis in the Marina Bay area, is part of the government's plan to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in the Garden".  Despite Singapore being one of the most densely populated places in the world (last we checked it ranked 3rd behind Macau and Monaco), you don't get that sense because of the amazing job that the city planners have done by ensuring lots of greenery in the city and also keeping away from 100-story concrete buildings like those found in Hong Kong (Hong Kong ranks 4th in population density and it really does feel like a densely-populated concrete jungle).  

Gardens by the Bay consists of three main gardens - Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, with Bay South being the largest at 133 acres.  June 29th 2012 marked the official opening of Gardens by the Bay and the Bay South garden.  The gardens at Bay East and Bay Central will be developed after Bay South has taken shape.

The concept of Bay South was inspired by the Orchid, Singapore's national flower.  This garden features amongst other things, two conservatories; two lakes; themed gardens; The Meadow and the Supertrees.  Between the two conservatories, the 18 Supertrees and the rest of the outdoor gardens, there are some 700,000 plants from nearly every continent, except the Antarctica.  Gardens by the Bay was developed with the environment in mind and many environmentally sustainable technologies have been used in the gardens.  

We visited Gardens by the Bay twice, once on the opening day to see Jason Mraz in concert at The Meadow and then a few days later to visit the other attractions.  On both occasions we had an absolutely wonderful time and it is so inspiring to see this wonderful initiative come to fruition.  

The Conservatories
The two iconic domes named "Flower Dome" and "Cloud Forest", are cooled conservatories kept between 20-25 degrees Celsius.  The temperature in these conservatories are kept constant, as they house a range of flowers, plants and trees that would not otherwise survive in Singapore's humid climate.  Together the conservatories showcase over 225,000 plants from around the world.  The conservatories are very different from each other, but both so impressive in their own way.

Flower Dome Conservatory
The Flower Dome Conservatory spans two acres and replicates the cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean and semi-arid regions like South Africa and parts of Europe.  This conservatory houses amongst other things, 1000 year-old olive trees; the unusual Baobab trees endemic to Africa; Date Palm trees from the Canary Islands; flowers from around the world (including the Protea and Bird of Paradise flowers from South Africa); a large variety of succulents; and a huge flower field that changes according to the seasons.  This conservatory is absolutely beautiful and we were so impressed with the design of the conservatory, and also the variety of plants, trees and flowers.

Cloud Forest Conservatory
The Cloud Forest Conservatory is the smaller of the two conservatories spanning one acre, but it is the taller of the two.  This conservatory replicates the cool-moist climate of the Tropical Montane regions between 3,300-11,500 feet above sea level.  This conservatory features an impressive 98 feet waterfall and a 115 feet man-made mountain.  We were able to take an elevator and then stairs to reach the aerial walkways at the top and middle of the mountain.  The aerial walkways offer a stunning bird's-eye view of the conservatory and surrounding area.  

The Lakes
The two lakes of the Bay South Garden are named "Dragonfly Lake" and "Kingfisher Lake".  The "Dragonfly Lake" is the larger of the two and contains enough water to fill up to 192 Olympic-sized swimming pools and features a variety of water plants.  The lakes are also used to capture water run-off from within the Gardens.  This water is then cleansed by aquatic plants before being pumped into the nearby Marina Reservoir.

The Supertrees

The 18 Supertrees of the Bay South Garden are the landmarks and most prominent feature of the Gardens.  These Supertrees are vertical gardens ranging from 80 - 165 feet tall and are inspired by the trees in the rainforests.  Two of the 137 feet Supertrees are linked by an aerial walkway called The Skyway that is 72 feet high.  The Skyway provides visitors with a panoramic view of the gardens, the conservatories, the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Singapore Flyer.  
These tree-like structures showcase over 162,000 plants with over 200 species and varieties of orchids, bromelaids, ferns and tropical flowering climbers.  These Supertrees also serve as an energy source, harvesting solar energy using Photovoltaic cells that have been built into some of the canopies (used for shade during the day).  This solar energy is then used for lighting up the Supertrees at night.  The Supertrees are equally impressive when they are lit up and add another dimension to Singapore's beautiful skyline.