Since we arrived in Singapore, the last stop of our visit to Southeast Asia, it hadn’t stopped raining. Nevertheless, we headed down to the famous Gardens by the Bay, and earlier in the day we kept dry inside the Cloud Forest, a dome covered tropical garden. We would spend our afternoon time inside the neighboring Flower Dome.
First, however, we needed to get something to eat. When we came out of the Cloud Forest, right in front of us was a Shake Shack. We figured this would be a great place for a nice lunch until we got inside. It was crowded, very crowded. We debated staying, but we didn’t know where else to go so we decided to tough it out. There were no seats available. I stood in line to order while Silvette kept her eyes open for an empty table. We didn’t get a table but did nab two seats at a bar looking outside. We enjoyed our meal, but we were glad to escape the noisy crowd when we had finished.
It was a short walk over to the Flower Dome where we entered a hallway with colorful flower photos. When we actually entered the dome itself, I was a little surprised. Since the name was Flower Dome, I expected to see a very colorful display of flowers all across the dome. That wasn’t what we saw. While we did see colorful flowers here and there, it was mostly just a large diverse garden with a wide variety of plants.
We turned right and entered an area that was one of the largest sections of the Flower Dome, an area of cactus and succulents. While cactus can have flowers, that’s not the first thing we normally think of, and there were not a lot of flowers in this area. Nevertheless it was an interesting section of the dome.
The first garden we came to was dedicated to the story of Alice in Wonderland. There were a number of small statues of some of the characters in the story among the plants. It was an unexpected touch to the gardens.
After the ode to Alice in Wonderland was a section of cactus. The gardens had a number of interesting species. I always enjoy taking photos of cactus as they are often so geometrical in shape.
We were following a ramp which was gradually going higher. The plants changed from cactus to succulents which often had thick somewhat waxy leaves. We also saw some flowers among the succulents..
The upper area included some taller trees not just low lying plants. One of the trees was the boabab tree which Andrea had seen in Madagascar. The art work here included a number of different media, and it was an eclectic mixture of pieces from different cultures.
From our high perch we could look down at some of the other areas in the main part of the Flower Dome as well as along the side of the dome.
As we began going back down the ramp, we saw more succulents as well as more cactus. The number of specimens here is really quite impressive.
Back at the entrance we then began to explore the other side of the Flower Dome. On this side the gardens were divided into some different regions. The first one was Australia. It wasn’t an area that we found very inspiring although there were some unusual flowers.
Up next was a garden indicative of South Africa. Here it was the art which we found interesting. A number of different animals were represented in the art pieces and different media was used..
We then wandered into the Mediterranean garden which had palm trees shading the area. Here I saw one of my favorite flowers, a hydrangea.
From this garden we could look down into the colorful flower display below, and we found ourselves wanting to check that out. This area seems to be a seasonal area of rotating plants and displays. On one side there was a display of lighted homes like one might see in various parts of Asia. They were interesting to see. A larger pagoda style structure seemed to be displayed for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration.
In this section of the Flower Dome were also the most colorful flowers which is what I had expected to see from the beginning. However, the most eye-catching element was a unique art piece. It was a portrait of an Asian woman. I really don’t know what the piece was made from although my guess was natural elements. In the photos you will notice an artist still working on the piece at the bottom.
Underneath the succulent and cactus area is an exhibit hall. Here they have changing shows happening throughout the year. When we were there, the exhibit focused on the artistry of Claude Monet. The beginning of the exhibit seemed to be about colors as there were areas of strong color in the room. In the next rooms the exhibit recreated some famous scenes from Monet’s paintings. Visitors could take photos of themselves or others placed in the scene. In the final area were images of Monet’s works shown on walls with beanbag type chairs to sit and watch the changing images.
After we visited the Monet exhibit, we decided it was time to bid farewell to the Flower Dome and make our way back to our hotel. However, on the map we noted a nearby Starbucks so we decided to indulge and get some hot coffee before heading back. We walked through the pouring rain to find the shop. The Starbucks itself was fairly quiet, and we were able to easily get Silvette her SIngapore mug and me my gift card using a credit card to finish paying. It was a relief after the hassle we had in Kuala Lumpur with the gift cards.
After resting a bit over our coffee, we headed to the light rail station. We needed to decide what to do for dinner. There was a “fast food” shop on the corner near our hotel. I decided to get something there. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing. After observing those in front of me, I ordered chicken with rice and green beans. They pulled everything out and threw it on a paper then wrapped it up like a package. That was my dinner. It tasted fine and seemed healthy enough.
There are a lot of things to do in Singapore, but the rain was not stopping so it limited our options. Join me next week as we continue our rainy visit to Singapore.
Be sure to share any experiences you have had in the Gardens by the Bay in the comment box below. I’d love to hear your impressions and experiences, especially if you did some of the other activities like the Supertrees.