World's Largest Baby, Planet@ Gardens By The Bay - PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt theme : In a park/ Wither

Meet the world's largest baby! For this week's PhotoHunt theme, I went down to Gardens by the Bay to photograph “Planet”,  the giant sculpture of a 7-month old sleeping baby by British artist Marc Quinn. :)

Donated by Mr Putra Masagung, this 7 ton (383 cm by 353 cm by 926 cm) bronze cast sculpture which is a depiction of the artist's infant son Lucas, appears to float above the ground. It is one of over 40 artworks nestled among the horticultural splendour of Gardens by the Bay. It is now a prominent landmark to the Gardens' new city gateway.

You can see Planet at the Meadow, near the Colonial Garden. Against the backdrop of the city skyline, the blue sky and white clouds, the baby appears to be floating in the air.

We are experiencing hazy skies over Singapore and a burning smell in the air because of our Indonesia neighbour's forests burning in Sumatra.

I pray for rain during the weekend to wash away the pollution caused by the haze and that some of the withered plants during this traditional dry period could get some much needed moisture.

Cloud Forest @ Gardens By The Bay - WW

a mysterious world veiled in mist 

After visiting the Flower Dome, we proceeded to Cloud Forest through a side entrance. Greeting us was a 35-metre tall mountain covered in lush vegetation shrouding the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. It was a spectacular sight!

This waterfall showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level. High in tropical mountains, these plants would absorb the abundant rainfall, releasing the water gradually to create a constant, long-lasting supply for the land beneath them – supporting even more plants!

The densely planted 'mountain' has a mixture of fascinating orchids, delicate ferns, colourful bromeliads, dazzling begonias and menacing carnivorous pitcher plants. All of these are epiphytic and live on top of other plants in nature, requiring little substrate and are perfectly adapted for growing on vertical walls.

As we descended from the mountaintop via two walkways in the clouds, we took in the aerial view of the canopy and mountainside below. It was an incredible sensation walking on the suspended walkway. I was a little fearful and tried not to look down.

I tread carefully as I took photos for my superiors and a loving couple. The photos turned out incredibly beautiful. Some photos seemed to show us as if we are inside an UFO.

I can't upload the photos here as I do not have the permission of the subjects. I will return to shoot my personal photos. Must take pains to dress up for the photo shoot. :D   

We learn about unique biodiversity and geology of cloud forests and the environmental threats they face within the nine unique zones in this cool-moist Conservatory.

We also stopped by the Black Box and learnt about self-sustainability at Gardens by the Bay. The numerous ecological functions of our Supertrees, like capturing solar energy and serving as exhausts while supporting a green living skin was an eye-opener. It was an interesting find how Singapore’s parks and gardens provide discarded plant matter as fuel for a biomass furnace that provides energy to cool the air in both conservatories.

In September 2012, Prince William and Catherine visited Gardens by the Bay when they visited Singapore as part of a tour marking the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Hours: Opens 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily
Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM daily
Last admission at 8:30 PM daily

Local Resident Admission:
Adult $12
Senior Citizen* $8
Child** $8

Local Resident Admission (includes entry to Flower Dome):
Adult $20
Senior Citizen* $15
Child** $12

Standard Admission (includes entry to Flower Dome):
Adult $28
Senior Citizen* $28
Child** $15
* Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)
** Child (3 – 12 years old)

Ticketing Hub: Opens 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM daily

OCBC Skyway @Supertree Grove, Gardens By The Bay - WW

Supertree Grove

Found all around Gardens By The Bay in Singapore are these unique trees. Standing up to 16 storeys in height, they are an attraction in this gardens. There are 12 at the Supertree Grove, while the remaining 6 are placed in clusters of threes at the Golden and Silver Gardens. 

 

OCBC Skyway

As the sun set, we took a stroll along the OCBC Skyway (ticket : S$5 adult, S$3 kid), a 128-metre long walkway that connects the two 25-metre Supertrees at the Supertree Grove. Please avoid if you are scared of heights.

Some playful visitors started jumping and stomping on the skyway and it swayed, not too violently though. It is still quite steady.

As we walked along the skyway, we took pictures of the different views of the Gardens and our beautiful city. We were captivated by the stunning panoramic views of the Gardens as well as the surrounding Marina Bay area. 

A view of part of the Gardens, the Marina Bay and the Singapore Flyer.

A closer look of the Supertree.

For visitors, you might want to visit the cooled conservatories in the afternoon and stayed until the evening to take a stroll on the OCBC Skyway. Watch the beautiful sunset and when night falls, the gardens and Supertrees are lighted up. Lots of photo opportunities.

There are restaurants and cafes in the gardens should you need refreshments and take short rests in between your walk.

Supertree Grove
Hours: 5:00 AM - 2:00 AM daily
Admission: FREE

OCBC Skyway
Hours: Opens 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily

Monday - Friday
Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM
Last admission at 8:30 PM

Weekends and PH
Last ticket sale at 7:00 PM
Last admission at 7:30 PM

Admission:
Adult/Senior Citizen   $5
Child**                     $3

**Child (3 – 12 years old)
Ticketing Hub: Opens 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM daily

Winter Wonderland @Flower Dome, Gardens By the Bay - PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt theme : Trees/Bells

For our year end outing, my colleagues organized a Hi-tea and a tour of Gardens By The Bay. My third visit to Gardens By The Bay which was crowned World Building Of The Year 2012 at the prestigious World Architecture Festival, considered the Oscars of the architectural world. It also won the best display building for its conservatories, Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

We bought tickets to the cooled conservatories, Flower Dome and it includes entry to Cloud Forest. Ticket prices : S$20 for local adults, S$15 for local senior residents and S$28 for foreign visitors.

Gardens By The Bay was crowned World Building Of The Year 2012 

Stepping into the Flower Dome on a hot afternoon, we were welcomed by a replicate of the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy.

We stopped to take photos in front of a spectacular collection of plants from deserts all over the world. We discovered amazing plants and flowers from different corners of the globe, and we were amazed by how different parts of the trees are used in daily lives across different cultures.

To our delight, the Flower Field has been transformed into a magical Winter Wonderland. Amidst the background music of Jingle Bells, Santa Claus has arrived early in Singapore with presents for the good boys and girls!

We were awed by a spectacular floral display featuring some 2,000 poinsettias in hues of red, pink and white. We ladies had a memorable and fun moment having our pictures taken amidst adorable displays of penguins and polar bears as well as a grand Noble Fir.

It was cool to see our senior management took time from their busy schedules to stop and smell the flowers and enjoying themselves at this outing.

These unique trees of up to 16 storeys in height can be found all around the Gardens - 12 at the Supertree Grove, while the remaining 6 are placed in clusters of threes at the Golden and Silver Gardens.

We took a stroll along the OCBC Skyway (ticket S$5), a 128-metre long walkway that connects the two 25-metre Supertrees at the Supertree Grove, and taking in different views of the Gardens. As the sun set, we were captivated by the stunning panoramic views of the Gardens as well as the surrounding Marina Bay area.


Winter Wonderland @Flower Dome, Gardens By the Bay
1 Dec 2012 - 13 January 2013
9 am to 9 pm

Local Resident Admission (includes entry to Cloud Forest):
 Adult $20
 Senior Citizen* $15
 Child** $12

 Standard Admission (includes entry to Cloud Forest):
 Adult $28
 Senior Citizen* $28
 Child** $15

 * Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)
** Child (3 – 12 years old)