Gardens by the Bay: Singapore's Colossal Terrarium
On your first visit to Singapore, you’ll instantly notice the sheer amount of greenery. Trees, parks and gardens are plentiful and you’ll find pristine wildlife, jungles and swamps in certain areas. This is quite impressive when you consider the size of the nation and how it has managed to balance urban development comfortably with the abundance of nature.
Gardens by the Bay
As stated, besides the natural landscape, Singapore has some impressive man-made natural parks and its crowning achievement has to be Gardens by the Bay. Built on reclaimed land at a size of 250 acres, it consists of three sections, Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.
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The logic behind its construction is quite fantastic. As Singapore has been universally dubbed the ‘Garden City’, the aim of the project is to make Singapore into a ‘City in a Garden’. In effect, a sort of antediluvian paradise in an effort to re-imagine the cityscape for a new generation and age.
Big garden dreams
Besides housing all manner of horticulture, one of its stated goals is also preservation and conservation. The natural environment of the flora and fauna is maintained in its original habitat for visitors to see and observe. For example in Bay South Garden – the largest of the three – we have Cloud Mountain, which mimics the cool and wet conditions of tropical mountainous areas capable of sustaining unique wildlife.
Each area has a function and purpose – including the popular Flower Dome, the largest glass greenhouse on the globe that mimics spring conditions in nine different gardens. Expect to see some unusual species here, such as Baobabs from Madagascar and some really wizened trees from five different continents around the world.
Avatar-like Supertree Grove
Another iconic attraction from Gardens by the Bay is the Supertree Grove. This magnificent creation supports all sorts of lush foliage and comes alive at night with beautiful displays of light and sonic creativity. Another popular attraction is the Skywalk that links two of the trees, as seen in the movie Hitman: Agent 47. See the incredible landscape from above and marvel at the beauty all around.
This massive monument is dedicated to creating a lasting and pivotal relationship between nature and mankind, illustrating how important it is that we maintain this.
The educational aspect has been ingenuously built-in to the relatively small confines of this space, showing visitors that we have some great natural wonders across the world. It promotes a better understanding of nature as humans become more technologically-dependent and move further into the realm of the concrete jungle, as opposed to the wild jungle that has been a key part of humanity’s imagination for a long time.
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meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
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