“Lion City” – ‘Isle at the end of the peninsula’ By Arundathie Abeysinghe – Part III
Gardens by the Bay
Spanning 101 hectares and located in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to Marina Reservoir, Gardens by the Bay is a nature park comprising three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.
For avifauna enthusiasts, the latest attraction, the Kingfisher Wetlands is a freshwater sanctuary with vistas of flourishing diversity of exotic flora and fauna, a haven in the city center. The new Wildlife Lookout deck is a location to spot birds.
As there are newly-created water cascades and streamlets, the Wetlands is a microhabitat for biodiversity to flourish.
Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in the Gardens by the Bay are the world’s largest columnless greenhouses, considered as architectural wonders…
The terrain of the Gardens by the Bay changes as you stroll through the gardens…
Flower Dome
A photographer’s paradise and a marvelous glass greenhouse located in Gardens by the Bay, visited by each and every tourist, the Flower Dome is a nature park spanning 101 hectares. The Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are two cooled conservatories within the Gardens. Home to plants from five continents and displayed in nine different gardens: the Australian Garden, South American Garden, Californian Garden, Mediterranean Garden, South African Garden, Olive Grove, Baobabs, Succulent Garden and the Changing Flower Field Display is a haven for a world of perpetual spring, where unique plants bloom in an ever-changing display of flowers, each offering a unique horticultural experience.
Replicating the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions with a burst of color from the ever-changing display of flowers and plants, the Flower Dome is also an extraordinary feat of engineering and design, with an interior without columns offering unobstructed views of the themed gardens and the Marina Bay skyline.
Supertree Canopy
Also known as “Supertree Grove” and considered as a “perfect balance between nature and technology”, visitors can admire the bird’s eye view from the Supertree Observatory, towering 25-50 meters above ground. These trees have become one of the most iconic attractions. There are 18 Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay. Offering a serene 360-degree view of the Gardens by the Bay, all trees have diverse roles or functions to play, stimulated by the true nature of the environment, tourists are mesmerized by these iconic structures…
Two of the Supertrees are connected by a 128-meter aerial platform known as the OCBC Skyway.
Located at the tallest Supertree’s canopy, the Supertree Observatory, the Gardens’ highest point is a location with endless photo opportunities offering unparalleled views of Gardens by the Bay’s lush surroundings and the Marina Bay area.
Breathing life into Singapore’s ‘City in a Garden’ concept and opened in December, 2019, the colossal solar-powered Supertrees are located in the Bay South Garden. Varying between 25 and 50 meters in height, each supertree features tropical flowers and diverse ferns climbing across its steel framework. The large canopies also operate as temperature moderators, absorbing and dispersing heat, providing shelter from the hot temperatures of Singapore’s climate to visitors walking beneath.
Connecting several of the higher 50-meter Supertrees, there are bridges dubbed as “skywalks” erected to let visitors stroll between them and view the gardens from dizzying spectacular heights.
Each Supertree is made up of four major components: reinforcement concrete core, the trunk, planting panels and a canopy. Designed to resemble natural trees, they function like them. Some are equipped with solar panels to store energy for the nightly light show, whereas others are utilized as air exhaust receptacles to help cool the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest conservatories. These Supertrees collect rainwater for irrigation purposes and fountain displays including photosynthesis, cooling the air as well as storing rainwater, similar to natural trees.
Every night, Supertrees come alive with the Garden Rhapsody light show (which is free) and starts around 7:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.
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With thick trunks and network of thin neuron-like branches, Supertrees are almost similar to *baobab trees.
OCBC Skyway
Opened on June 29, 2012 and located 22 meters above ground with a 128m-long aerial walkway and set in the heart of downtown Marina Bay, the OCBC Skyway, suspended between two Supertrees offers spectacular vistas including opportunities to capture postcard-worthy shots of the Gardens by the Bay and its lush surroundings.
Cloud Forest featuring Avatar
Located at Cloud Forest with its iconic vision of waterfalls including spiraling walkways and a unique architectural glass greenhouse, Avatar invites tourists to connect with the alien world of Pandora, mystical creatures, flora, bioluminescent environments as well as the captivating culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.
The remainder of the Bay South Garden symbolizes ethnic makeup of Singapore, especially, the Heritage Gardens where visitors can explore the Colonial-themed areas, Indian, Chinese as well as Malay and Singapore’s history. The rest of the 103-acre Bay South Park are sprawling areas with lakes and bridges.
Floral Fantasy
Reopened in late November this year, an overlap of flora, art and technology which creates a fantastical experience for visitors, Floral Fantasy in the Gardens by the Bay is divided into four gorgeous landscapes: Dance, Waltz, Drift, Float Floral Fantasy.
Directions: Visitors can visit the Gardens by the Bay by utilizing a taxi. To visit Gardens by the Bay via public transport, the easiest way is by MRT. Take the Downtown or Circle Line to Bayfront MRT Station and walk through the underground linkway till you emerge at the outer gardens. From there, take a shuttle or walk across to Gardens by the Bay via the Dragonfly Bridge or Meadows Bridge.
Baobab Tree – iconic landmark in Mannar – By Arundathie Abeysinghe January 31, 2021
https://www.elanka.com.au/baobab-tree-iconic-landmark-in-mannar-by-arundathie-abeysinghe/
NEXT: Other attractions in Singapore
