Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (1 August 2017)
Gardens By The Bay (GPS: 1.28163, 103.86363) is a futuristic garden in
Marina Bay,
Singapore. It occupies a 101-hectare site surrounding the
Marina Channel.
Gardens By The Bay displays trees and flowering plants in climate-controlled environments. The cutting-edge gardens featuring climate-controlled conservatories and Flower Dome opened in time for the World Orchid Conference on 14-20 November, 2011. The Gardens is the centrepiece of the National Parks of Singapore and a new icon of the island nation.
Visiting the Gardens by the Bay
Going there by MRT
The
Circle Line is the most convenient MRT line to take. It goes to the
Bayfront MRT Station. Alighting from there and take Exit B. Follow the underground linkway to reach Gardens by the Bay. You can also take the
North-South Line to the
Marina Bay MRT Station, but the distance is farther.
Driving there
There are two main car parks at Gardens by the Bay. The Visitor Centre Basement Car Park, accessed via the Main Gate, has 420 parking bays while the Meadow Open-Air Car Park, accessed via the Meadow Gate, has 100 parking bays. There are also 50 coach bays at the Visitor Centre. The car parks are open 5:00 am to 2:00 am daily. Parking fee from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm is S$0.025 per minute for the first five hours and then S$0.05 per minute thereafter; from 6:00 pm until 2:00 pm, the rate is S$0.02 per minute for the first five hours and S$0.04 per minute thereafter.
Operating Hours
The Bay South Outdoor Gardens are open from 5:00 am to 2:00 pm daily; the Conservatories from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm daily; the OCBC Skyway from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm daily.
Entrance Fees
Singapore citizens, permanent residents and those holding employment pass are charged the Local Resident Rate while foreigner visitors charged Standard Rate. The Local Resident Rate for adults is S$12 for one Conservatory, S$20 for two Conservatories, S$5 for the OCBC Skyway and S$5 for the Garden Cruiser. The Local Resident Rate for children (3-12 years old) is S$8 for one Conservatory, S$12 for two Conservatories, S$3 for the OCBC Skyway and S$3 for the Garden Cruiser.
The Standard Rate for adults is S$28 for two Conservatories while the Standard Rate for children (3-12 years old) is S$15. The Standard Rate for the OCBC Skyway and the Garden Cruiser is the same as the Local Resident Rate for adults and children respectively.
Sections of Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay comprises three sections namely
Bay South Garden,
Bay East Garden and
Bay Central Garden. They will be interconnected by a series of pedestrian bridges around the Marina Channel waterfront.
Bay South is the main section of Gardens by the Bay. It covers 57 hectares - the approximate size of 72 football fields between between Marina Bay Sands and Marina Barrage. Bay South Garden opened on 29 June, 2012 to much fanfare, as it is the location for most of the iconic sights of the Gardens.
Among the highlights of Bay South Garden include the following:
Conservatory Complex
These are the armadillo-shaped glass structures beside Marina Channel. They will house two conservatories covering a total area of two hectares. Within this climate-controlled environment, visitors will get to admire plants from different environment including those found in the Mediterranean climate, in tropical montane forest as well as temperature annuals and other species of flowering plants.
Super Trees
Located between the Conservatory Complex and the Benjamin Sheares Bridge is a cluster of "Super Trees". Although these are man-made objects, they play an environmentally sensitive function, as receptacles for collecting rainwater to verticle ecologies and shade providers. The Super Trees will tower between 25 meters to 50 meters above the ground below. Their canopies will provide shade during the day and a display of lights during the night. Some of these Trees will also be connected by canopy walks.
OCBC Skyway
This is a semi-circular aerial walkway connecting a number of the Supertrees. It was funded by a major local bank, OCBC. The walkway is 128 meters long and is 22 meters above ground.
Horticultural Show Garden
This is a showcase of the best in botany. There will be two collections, to be called the
Heritage Gardens and the
World of Plants. The themes of this show garden are "Plants and People" and "Plants and Planet". Through the use of flowering plants and coloured foliage, the show garden attempts to show the interaction between plants and humans, and also between plants and the environment at large.
The
Heritage Garden takes visitors on a botanical journey through the history of Singapore. There is a
Malay Garden showing herbal plants and shrubs found in a kampong, from kacip fatimah to tongkat ali and pandan. The
Chinese Garden celebrates the role of garden design in Chinese culture, and how it inspired Chinese poets, authors and artists. The
Colonial Garden recounts plants and trees that were part and parcel of the colonial enterprise, from the spices to the commodity crops.
The
World of Plants displays the diversity of plant life found throughout the world, with emphasis on the unusual.
Dragonfly Lake
This is a string of man-made lakes stretching along Bay South Garden. A walkway skirts part of the lake. From here, one can get nice views of the Conservatories and Supertrees.
Dragonfly Bridge
This is a pedestrian broadwalk through the Dragonfly Lake part of Gardens by the Bay. It provides a view of the gardens below with the Supertrees in the distance.
Main Events Space
A central arena of 2 hectares will be an area in
Gardens by the Bay South for the staging of events. The area can accommodate up to 7,000 spectators and performers, and will include a stage with retractable canopy.
Flower Market
For the benefit of flower enthusiasts, a Flower Market will be created near the entrance to the Gardens by the Bay. There will be a retail area supplemented by indoor event spaces, eateries and restaurants. There will be an underpass connecting it with the Marina Bayfront MRT Station and to Marina Bay Sands.
Bay East is a 32-hectare linear park along the Marina Channel Promenade. This uninterrupted garden area will link to the East Coast Park. The following are the key features of Bay East:
- Food Gardens
The theme of this garden are plants, herbs and spices that go into cooking the various cuisine of Singapore and Southeast Asia. After admiring the plants, you can proceed to the foot outlets to enjoy some delicious Singapore fare.
- Water Gardens
This section combines recreation with education. There will be a cascading waterfall that empties into a shallow wave pool. At the same time, the landscaping will showcase wetland and aquatic plants.
- Boating Quay
A new quayside for dragon boats and canoes, the Boating Quay is planned as a venue for future watersports activities. For the comfort and convenience of event participants, the site will include supporting amenities such as changing rooms and clubhouse.
- Theme Building
This will, when completed, be another highlight of Gardens by the Bay. The building will house an interactive centre that showcases the vital relationship between water, plants and animals. Visitors will be able to learn how this affects their lives and livelihood.
Central Bay is a 15-hectare linear park linking
Bay South with
Bay East. At The cutting-edge gardens featuring climate-controlled conservatories and Flower Dome are expected to open for the World Orchid Conference on 14-20 November, 2011. However the official opening of Phase 1 of Gardens by the Bay will only happen no earlier than June 2012.epresent, this part of the garden is still in the planning stage, as the Jury of the Gardens by the Bay competition has decided not to make use of the winning design. They are looking into integrating elements from the winning design with ideas from the other submissions, as well as feedback from the public, to come out with the design of this section of the garden.
Pond at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (1 August 2017)
Grass landscaping at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (1 August 2017)
Escalator to Dragonfly Bridge at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (1 August 2017)
View of Gardens by the Bay with Bayfront Plaza on the left. (1 August 2017)
View of the lake at Gardens by the Bay looking north. (1 August 2017)
View of the lake at Gardens by the Bay looking south. (1 August 2017)
Signages at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay (1 August 2017)
Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay (1 August 2017)
Another view of the Supertrees. (1 August 2017)
Walkway between the Supertrees. (1 August 2017)
Closeup of a Supertree. (1 August 2017)
The Supertree grove at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
Approaching Shake Shack at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
Sun Pavilion at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
The Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
Close-up view of Cloud Forest dome. (1 August 2017)
The porch area between the two domes at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
The Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
Silver Gardens at Gardens by the Bay. (1 August 2017)
Gardens by the Bay on Google Street View
Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay.