Lights, Action, and Supertrees!

One of my favorite places on this island was a place that I had checked out on many a Pinterest post before I ever got the plane tickets to Singapore into my hand.  It comes as no surprise that it was one of the first places I insisted we visit upon arrival, to which Kimono Hubby responded with less than impressive enthusiasm.  Nor is it a surprise that I keep going back to it, as recent as last week when my mom and cousin were visiting.  Gardens by the Bay is one of the most beautiful and interesting architectural wonders on this island, but you must time your visit just right.  

At any point on any given day, you can go see the Supertrees, the Flower Dome, the Could Forest, or any of the many outdoor gardens, but I personally recommend that you get there in the later afternoon.  Start with the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest and get tickets to both where you can see an incredible display of unique flora and plants the likes that are not typically seen in this part of the world.  Added bonus, they are also of significant preservation value.  We visited both for the Christmas "Gingerbread Mountain" (or something like that) floral show and, while it wasn't what I expected, it was...cute.  I don't think I would make it a point to go again for that particular season because you can still get in a pretty wonderful and very similar visit without pushing yourself during the holiday crush.  But if you insist on doing all (of the very few) things 'Christmas-y' here in Singapore, like we were then by all means, check it out.  After visiting the indoor gardens though, do stop for dinner in either Pollen, located inside the Flower Dome, or if you want even swankier, head out of the domes and over to the biggest Supertree, which houses the restaurant Indochine at the top.  Just make sure you are done before 7:30 so you can find yourself a good spot for the show.  

Now I get that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love this.  At exactly 7:45 every night, the Supertrees are lit into a “Garden Rhapsody” and they seem to come alive to musical compositions that have been inspired by tropical rainforests.  I’ve seen it at least four times since we arrived in Singapore.  Kimono Hubby and Kimono Peanut were perfectly over it after the first viewing.  Kimono Sweet Pea and I still lay there on our backs and watch the show with all the newness in our eyes as if it were our first viewing.  To be fair, he of course is only 2, so it might seem to him like it is the first viewing.  I prefer to think that he has inherited a smidge of my artistic side.  As I mentioned, my mom and cousin visited last week and they were just as in awe as I was.  I think it was one of the favorite things my mom saw here…besides the zoo…because the zoo does totally rock.  There is also a walkway in the upper tree line that loops around the trees, but I have yet to view the show from that angle.   

Cooler yet is the architectural part of the trees, buildings and the gardens.  They are all environmentally sustainable, some of the trees even imbedded with cells that harvest the solar energy that is used to light the trees up.  For the trees themselves, plants are chosen for particulars like they are soil-less or they are suitable for vertical planting and each tree has a color scheme. 

Now one thing I did just discover the other day is that there is a Children’s Garden, and like any good Singaporean destination, it is completed with a splash park play area.  I guess I would go during the day for this, but my real draw is the evening show so my kids would have to be awfully angelic for me to plan a longer trip that we usually do.  Although I am quite sure at least one of them is not going to get in the car so eagerly the next time I tell him, “hey!  Who wants to go to see the Supertrees?!”