If you’ve been to Singapore before (or even if you haven’t), you might’ve heard of one of her famous attractions – Gardens By The Bay. Spanning over 100 hectares of reclaimed land in the Central Region of Singapore, this place is huge. Hence no wonder it took us a day to explore the attractions available.

The last time I came to Gardens By The Bay, I was by myself and only walked around the “free” part of the Garden City. This time though, since it was my honeymoon, I wanted to do the cheesy, lovey-dovey walkabout with my husband. It was not my usual style but since it was a special trip, I just had to do it. I hope you guys could bear the photos though.

Our outing took us both to Marina Bay in the afternoon where we visited the Gardens By The Bay and it ended at night at Marina Barrage where we spent our evening talking and stargazing.

Gardens By The Bay

Getting to Gardens By The Bay is fairly easy through the MRT to Marina Bay. If you’re planning to go to Marina Bay Sands/Shoppes, you must alight at Harbourfront MRT via the Circle Line which has direct access to Marina Bay Sands/Shoppes and not the Marina Bay MRT. If you did get off at Marina Bay MRT however (I know, it could be confusing), you can still walk to Marina Bay Sands/Shoppes but it would take a little while.

My husband and I were from Marina Bay Sands that morning so we took the Lions Bridge at Level 4 of Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. I found it easier this way but, there are also other ways to get to Gardens By The Bay. Read about another way to get to Gardens By The Bay.

There are so many attractions in Gardens By The Bay and if you have strong knees (which I didn’t!), you can explore each of them in one whole day. But do plan your time well and make sure you map your way out right so you do not waste time or energy getting from one place to another. The attractions available at Gardens By The Bay includes:

1. Cloud Forest
2. Flower Dome
3. OCBC Skyway
4. Supertree Grove
5. Bay East Garden
6. Heritage Gardens
7. Dragonfly & Kingfisher Lakes
8. Far East Organization Children’s Garden
9. World Of Plants
10. The Canyon
11. Sun Pavillion
12. Art Sculptures

Cloud Forest at Gardens By The Bay

Like I said above, Gardens By The Bay is huge and I wanted to spend time exploring it leisurely with my husband. So, we decided to go to Cloud Forest first, followed by the Flower Dome, the OCBC Skyway and maybe the rest of the bay.

Tickets are required for both Flower Dome and Cloud Forest which can be purchased at the same ticket counter. For non-Singaporean residents, you would have to purchase a ticket for both conservatories. Only Singapore Residents (including permanent residents, holders of employment passes, work permits or independent passes) have the option to purchase a ticket for one or both conservatories.

There’s no need to purchase online since purchasing at the ticket counter on the same day of the tour is fairly easy and quick – even though there were many visitors when we were there.

Upon entering Cloud Forest, you will be blown away (almost!) by the tall waterfall. The beautiful flowers, plants and greenery greeting you with a blast of cool air are also very welcoming. It took us more than one hour to finish the whole forest, at a medium pace.

We miscalculated the dates and came to Singapore when it was high season. So it was a little disappointing that we had to share the Cloud Forest with hundreds and hundreds of other people. If you would like to visit any of the attractions at Gardens By The Bay, do come when it is low season. You would be able to take photos leisurely at many beautiful places and backgrounds.

Flower Dome at Gardens By The Bay

The Flower Dome’s entrance is next to Cloud Forest’s entrance. We sort of flipped a coin and went to Cloud Forest first instead of Flower Dome. However, if I were to do it again, I would’ve chosen Flower Dome first instead.

When my husband and I visited Flower Dome, it was only a fortnight from Chinese New Year so it’s only fitting that the theme in Flower Dome was more to Chinese New Year.

The Flower Dome follows the Four Season yearly so you would be able to see Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter flowers and decorations throughout the year. There are also special themed designs during festivals. Sometimes, you might also find specific themed flowers like, “The Orchid Show”.

Walking around Flower Dome’s different levels and taking photos with some of its very interesting trees and plants – including the Baobab Tree – took us more than one hour as well.

Admission Hours:

Both Cloud Forest and Flower Dome operates from 9.00am – 9.00pm daily. (Last ticket sale: 8.00pm, Last admission: 8.00pm)

Admission Fee

Standard Rate – Two Conservatories (Cloud Forest and Flower Dome)
Adult/Senior: $28, Child (3-12 years old): $15

Heritage Gardens at Gardens By The Bay

After we left both the conservatories, we got lost – this is why I also said above you should plan where you want to go at Gardens By The Bay. So, instead of heading to the OCBC Skyway, we ended up at the Heritage Gardens instead.

It wasn’t very bad since the Heritage Gardens actually showcases the history of Singapore through the story of plants. There are four themed gardens at the Heritage Gardens encompassing the three main ethnic groups in Singapore: Malay, Chinese and Indian, as well as Singapore’s colonial past.

Each themed gardens have its own unique decorative motifs and iconic designs down to the smallest detail. If you choose to walk through these gardens, you have got to look out for the little things that make each themed garden unique. If you’re a photo enthusiast, these gardens are a must visit!

However, the gardens are out in the open and the air is quite humid especially during the day. So a portable fan and hat could be very useful.

We took about two hours to complete walking and exploring through the Heritage Gardens.

Admission Hours:

Open Daily, 5.00am – 2.00am

Admission Fee:

Free

OCBC Skyway at Gardens By The Bay

After our long exploration of the Heritage Gardens, we finally found the right turn to OCBC Skyway and spent a short time walking on the OCBC Skyways’ bridge. I loved the view from up on the Skyway bridge – overlooking the Supergrove Tree (at the front) and Marina Bay Sands Hotel (at the back).

There wasn’t anything else to see apart from walking from one end of the Skyway to the other end. Photo taking up here is awesome though so make sure to get some great angles!

Admission Hours:

OCBC Skyway opens 9.00am – 9.00pm daily (Last ticket sale: 8.00pm, Last admission: 8.00pm)

Admission Fee:

Adult: $8
Senior (≥60 years old): $8
Child (3-12 years old): $5

Hanging Out at Marina Barrage Singapore

After many hours of long walks in the cool conservatories and outside in the humid gardens, we were just thinking of resting our tired feet and spending the rest of the evening relaxing and chatting with each other.

We remembered the Marina Barrage, located not very far from Marina Bay Sands and thought of hanging out there for a while. We took a taxi to Marina Barrage and was so grateful to the perfect weather that evening.

The sky was clear, the light breeze coming at us from the sea, the stars were out twinkling as we looked at the skyline which is Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer and the skyscrapers that’s part of what makes Singapore what she is today.

I loved how peaceful it was from where we sat on the top level of the Marina Barrage and we could see the busy side of Marina Bay opposite us with cars, lights and sounds. I loved that Singapore made this for her people – a place to relax and unwind in the evening.

We walked along the bridge overlooking the Marina Channel’s reservoir and also saw many cyclists around. It felt safe and calm here. What a place to spend quality time with the loved one.

 

⇒ My husband and I started a travel-couple Instagram and has been sharing many of our travel photos there since early this year. Do follow us at SyaShaTravel Instagram for many nice photos and places to visit.