#GardensInTheBay #Singapore

The one place that we had been looking forward to the most, was visiting the Gardens in the Bay. We still had use of our bus pass and used this to take us there. As you arrive it seems like any other park but as you get closer, you can see the first of several of the large plant like sculptures. 

​We decided to walk to the aerial walkway, which joins together some of these fantasy- based structures. When we arrived, we were disappointed to find that it was closed due to the threat of rain but as we waited the sky seemed to brighten up and  fortunately it soon opened. The views of the cityscape were  impressive; you could see the skyscrapers of the city in one direction and the rest of the park in the other. We spent an enjoyable hour wandering along the skyway walk, before descending at the other end.

As we wandered towards the large domed structures that held the inside gardens, we realised that there was a great variety of other things to see. We wandered through a sculpture trail and ended up at a play area for children. Here, they could run in and out of sprays of water, which sprang up around them; a fun way to cool off in the heat! 

We arrived at the large dome structures and purchased a ticket for both of them . As we entered the first one, The Cloud Forest, we were greeted by a large indoor waterfall, and realised that we had to work our way to the top of the large structure. This consisted of walkways and elevators. As we rose through the different walkways, the flowers and vegetation changed and there was something to see around every corner. When we reached the top we could look down over the city and the cascading waterfall. There were sculptures that enhanced the flowers and at intervals as we descended along the walkways, a mist was released, to give us the experience of a tropical landscape.

Next, was the Flower Dome. The sun was setting as we entered the dome. Here we  were greeted by an Alice in Wonderland theme, with figures interspersed with the plants. Further on, we came across other sculptures amongst the vegetation. The large Boab trees reminded me of the Day of the Triffids, standing brightly lit against a darkening skyline.

​As we wandered around we saw examples of gardens from different countries and the plants found there. An enjoyable couple of hours wandering around these two conservatories.

However, we were looking forward to the evening show and after covering ourselves with mosquito repellent, we stood waiting for the light show to begin. A large crowd stood in anticipation and as it started we weren't disappointed. The experience of synchronising music and lighting on the giant structures was impressive and will live long in our memories.

We have visited lots of different Gardens on our travels but this was by far the most impressive. A fantastic tourist attraction has been created by a great deal of imagination and reading recently in a newspaper, Singapore are looking to build a similar experience in their airport; that will be something to look forward to!