City Of Recreation

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SINGAPORE is well-known as a rapidly developing country and adopts the latest technologies in offering tourism attractions.

Despite the small size of the country compared to Malaysia, Singapore has taken a technological approach to provide more attractive options for tourists.

Recently, a visit to the country across the Johor Causeway led the author to another unique tourist attraction, Gardens by the Bay, located on Marina Gardens Drive, near the iconic Marina Bay Sands building.

View before entering the Gardens by the Bay. PHOTO NSTP 
With a high cost of construction of around SG $ 1.035 billion (RM3.17 billion) and annual operating costs of SG $ 58 million (RM177.4 million), it has managed to record 50 million visitors so far.

At the beginning of its announcement in 2005, Gardens by the Bay was targeted for a premium city recreation and was adopted as a national icon.

During a recent visit to Singapore, the authors lined up two exhibits at Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome and Cloud Forest.

A 35-foot waterfall welcomes visitors to the Cloud Forest entrance. PHOTO NSTP
Flower Dome is a 1,300-square-foot space that can accommodate up to 1,000 visitors at a time.

It features plants from the Mediterranean and the subtropical countries, where the plants shown can change with the seasons and festivals.

To ensure that the plant remains protected, the required temperature is between 23oC and 25oC with a humidity of between 60 percent and 80 percent.

VENUS flytrap or name. PHOTO NSTP 
In this space, visitors will have the opportunity to see nine gardens decorated with exotic flowers and exotic plants from the Mediterranean and semi-arid countries on five different continents.

Among the plants found in the Flower Dome are Adansonia grandidieri, Adansonia madagascariensis, Camellia japonica, Carnegiea gigantea and Ferocactus glaucescens.

There are also various types of cactus and succulents ranging from small coins to high coconut trees.

A mini PLACE located in Cloud Forest. PHOTO NSTP
In the Cloud Forest, visitors can enjoy a cozy and relaxing atmosphere where the temperature in the location is the same as in the tropical rainforest.

The 35-foot waterfall sounds inviting visitors to the main entrance to create a peaceful atmosphere.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to see different themed spaces including The Lost World, The Cavern, The Waterfall View, The Crystal Mountain, The Cloud Forest Gallery, The Cloud Forest Theater and The Secret Garden lined with a variety of plants.

What's interesting is that in Cloud Forest, for the first time, the author has the opportunity to see plants that 'swallow' their prey.

ALL sizes and shapes decorate space. PHOTO NSTP 
Venus flytrap or its scientific name, Dionaea muscipula is a carnivorous plant and is commonly found in the eastern United States coastal area of ​​North Carolina and South Carolina.

It 'traps' its prey consisting of insects and spiders through leaves with fine hairs on its surface.

A warning was also placed in the exhibit area to prevent visitors from placing their fingers on the plant.

CANOPY Park, located at Jewel Changi Airport, offers a variety of flora. PHOTO NSTP 
Whether working as a landscape designer, horticulturist, garden management expert or just a fan of orchids, roses and cactuses, Gardens by the Bay is a must-visit destination.

Make sure your smartphone's battery is full before you get there as hundreds of pictures will surely be remembered as a visit here.

If you have a chance to Singapore but can't visit Gardens by the Bay, you can also try 'washing' at Jewel located at Changi Airport.

Make sure you have enough time before flight time as the journey to this location takes about 15 minutes by walking from the Terminal 3 airport.

There you can visit Canopy Park, which offers a variety of flora with an admission ticket of just SG $ 5 (RM15.30).

Visitors also have access to Discovery Slides, Foggy Bowls, Petal Garden and Topiary Walk with the same admission ticket.

View at Cloud Forest. PHOTO NSTP 
Also, don't miss the chance to see the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world's tallest waterfall in Jewel.

Open daily from 9am to 11:30pm, guests also have the opportunity to enjoy an hour-long presentation of lights and sounds.

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