So far on our journey through Southeast Asia, we had been pretty lucky with the weather. That’s not to say that the weather had been perfect. It hadn’t. However, we had expected to see more rain. Fortunately the rain we experienced happened mostly in the evening or overnight so we were able to see what we wanted to see in the daytime. Then we arrived in Singapore, and our luck changed. It rained. All day. Thankfully we were able to stay dry by visiting the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome.
These two places are part of the Gardens by the Bay. This location offers a number of different sights and experiences. Honestly it is not a cheap place to visit. Nevertheless as one of the main attractions of Singapore, we felt it was an experience we couldn’t ignore. It turned out to be really great on such a rainy day.
After breakfast on our first full day in Singapore, we needed to figure out the light rail system. We could have taken a bus to the nearby station, but as usual, we chose to walk. It was about five blocks away. There was a little rain along the way, but not too bad. It turned out that buying tickets is not complicated, and we didn’t need to change trains to get to our destination. On the train it was interesting to see how similar people are everywhere you travel.
We got off to find a long hallway in a mall area. We followed signs to get us out into the gardens. The outdoor gardens were quite interesting. We could see some of the tall structures including the tall tree-like towers which they refer to as supertrees. We saw some unique art pieces and of course the famous Great Sands Hotel. The weather didn’t help us take very great photos, but we did our best. However, it began to rain heavier so we decided it was time to head to the domed Cloud Forest.
Upon entering the Cloud Forest, visitors are greeted with a very tall indoor waterfall. Of course everyone is vying to have their photo taken in front of the falls. It is a great scene, and you begin to realize what the location has to offer as you see people up high in the waterfall. Last January we visited the Amazon Spheres which we thoroughly enjoyed. However, the Cloud Forest takes that concept of an indoor garden and really amps it up.
The first section shows a large variety of plants with unusual leaves. The color and variety of leaves was pretty incredible. The plants cover the walls around the waterfall. Some flowers peeked out occasionally, but the leaves are what really stood out. Art work is interspersed throughout the gardens. In this area some handcrafted monkeys lurk among the plants.
After the entry space visitors move through Orchid Haven. The number of orchids one sees here is amazing. Who knew there was such a variety of colors and sizes of orchids? Some of the fun orchids were the smaller ones which were often in large clusters. The area was a little congested as people were stopping and taking so many photos. The art work in this area included water buffaloes and birds.
We discovered more than just orchids in this level. Above us we could see a walkway. After climbing a few stairs we could look out through the waterfall and see the entrance area. There was beauty all around with the large number of tropical plants.
After walking around and seeing the orchids, we took an elevator up to the top floor of the dome. This was an area named the Lost World. As we entered this space, we saw a number of colorful flowers. Some were insect eating plants which are always interesting to observe.
The most surprising thing here was a pond with a glass art structure by Dale Chihuly. Chihuly is an artist from our area in Washington. In the summer of 2023 I traveled to nearby Tacoma to see some of his glass art work and shared about it in this blog post. I know he is an international artist, but it still surprised me to find his work here.
At this upper level it was apparent why this is called the Cloud Forest. Misters provide the moisture in the air to keep the humidity high. This mist creates a cloud like experience. From a high point one can look down and see the mist in the air. For a different view one can look out through the glass in the dome and see unique views of the nearby structures. The heavy rain of this day distorted the views.
From the Lost World the trail down breaks out over the plaza below. One can look down to those coming into the dome as well as others in lower walkways.
From the walkway one gets views of the green mountain wall at the center of it all. There are many green plants along with some flowering plants growing out of this green wall. Up high one can see the pipes for the waterfall.
The path goes into the mountain at one point, but there are windows where one can look out and see the water falling as well as the dome structure.
Eventually the path leads to Crystal Mountain which is a most interesting virtual experience. In a darkened room with a jungle like environment projected around the space, one can cause flowers to pop up on the wall. At certain locations if you step on the right spot, a flower image flows onto the wall. Kids were particularly enjoying it running around and jumping on the spots. However, adults, including myself, were having fun with it as well.
My photos hint at the experience, but Silvette’s video below gives a better understanding of what happens in the room.
Leaving the Crystal Mountain, I thought we were pretty much done, but it tuns out there is a major garden on a lower level. It is called the Secret Garden and is full of unique plants. It is behind the base of the waterfall. There are orchids so small here that magnifying glasses are placed in front of them so visitors can see them better. There were also art pieces here as well including one of a layered man in the room just before the garden.. I felt we were a lot closer to the plants in this garden so I especially enjoyed this area.
Leaving this space was the end of the Cloud Forest experience. While our visit to the nearby Flower Dome was the same day, this post already has so many photos, I decided to wait until next week to share about the Flower Dome. So join me next week to see more flowers and some unusual art at Singapore’s Flower Dome.