Botanical Gardens, SingaporeOur favourite activity on our first full day in Singapore is a visit to the Botanical Gardens. When you've just come off a long-haul flight and are still pretty jet-lagged, nothing clears the mind more than a stroll around this beautiful city park. The majority of the garden is in the English style (i.e. green lawns and trees, not regimentally designed) however, there are also smaller themed gardens, such as the Rainforest (Singapore is one of only 2 cities in the world with a rainforest within the city limits) Ginger and Orchid Gardens. Allow at least a few hours for your visit or take a picnic for the whole day - this green oasis is a beautiful space to relax and recharge. Open from 5 am until midnight, the chances are that the park will be open whatever time you wake up! The park itself is a short taxi ride or pleasant 2 km walk from Orchard Road, where the Grand Hyatt is situated. From elsewhere in the city, you can take the metro to the Botanic Gardens stop on the circle line. The majority of the park is free to enter - only the National Orchid Gardens charge a modest fee of 5 SGD (reduced to 1 SGD for students or those over 60 - children can enter free of charge).
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No first-time visit to the botanical gardens can be complete without marvelling at the vast array of orchids on display in their own garden. With over 1000 different species and 2000 hybrids, the National Orchid Garden in Singapore displays more of this flower than anywhere else in the world. We had no idea so many different kinds of orchids existed! A huge variety of colours, shapes and sizes are on show, catering to every taste. If you have flown in from cooler climes, you will likely find yourself lingering in the cool house, where carnivorous plants mingle with interesting orchids, so different to those we are used to seeing in the West. Also not to be missed is the Tan Hoon Siang mist hall, where a collection of rare flowers nestle amongst much foliage. The scented orchid area is mostly a delight, although be aware of the foul smelling Bulbophyllum genus of blooms.
Towards the back of the garden, you will find the colonial Burkill Hall, around which are planted the Celebrity and VIP Orchid Gardens. Here, you can spot spectacular flowers named after diverse characters, such as the pink Margaret Thatcher complete with twirly spikes, the beautiful purple Ban Ki-Moon Yoo Soon-Taek or the vivid Jackie Chan. |