Curious to know what those strange looking trees are? Well, those are African Baobab, they are the largest trees in the Flower Dome of Gardens by the Bay. Their huge trunks collects moisture so they can survive in times of drought in the desert. Interesting right? Well, the dome offers more.
Flower dome is the world’s largest columnless greenhouse with an impressive footprint of 1.2 hectares (approx. 2.2 football fields) and a height of 38 m. Similar to the Cloud Forest, Flower dome is made out of steel and metal, they used 3,332 glass panels of 42 varying shapes and sizes for this dome alone.
From the above picture of Gardens by the Bay I took from the viewing deck of Marina Bay Sands, you will see the cooled conservatories opposite the Supertrees. On the left side is Flower Dome which is bigger than the Cloud Forest on the right side, but the latter is higher at 58 meters to accommodate the highest indoor waterfall.
Flower dome display trees, plants and flowers from the Mediterranean-type climatic regions. Similar to the Cloud Forest, temperature being maintained here is 23°C to 25°C , a great escape from the 35°C typical Singapore weather!
The dome is separated into 8 gardens:
- Baobabs and Bottle Trees
- Succulent Garden
- Australian Garden
- South African Garden
- South American Garden
- Californian Garden
- Mediterranean Garden
- Olive Grove
Let me share some of my shots of flowers, plants and trees I've seen from the dome:
And of course a time for photo opt! We went there few months before Christmas which explains their decorations all throughout the dome, they even have a huge Christmas Tree and a Snowman made of flowers.
Is it worth your time? Yes! Definitely a must visit even if you are not a lover of nature, just the thought of an air-conditioned garden where you can hang out with family and friends is a great alternative than the fully crowded malls.
Hours and Admission Fees:
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 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)
