SINGAPORE’S ORCHID GARDEN – A flower lovers heaven
A stroll through a colorful and blooming oasis –
Singapore’s Orchid Garden
We are no experts in flowers (unfortunately) but we absolutely enjoy having them around us. I love to put my nose into a flower and to not only see its beauty but also to smell its very own odor.
It was no surprise that the over 150 years old Botanic Gardens were on our bucket list while visiting Singapore. As I mentioned in our post about Singapore Zoo, we like the hustle and bustle of big cities but we also enjoy tranquil moments in nature every now and then.
National Orchid Garden – Heaven for orchid lovers
We took the MRT to the Singapore Botanic Gardens and wanted to start with one of the garden’s highlights: the Singapore Orchid Garden. It boasts the world’s largest orchid display, with over 60,000 plants and orchids. That’s an incredible large amount and we had no clue that there are sooo many different kinds of orchids; Singapore Orchid Garden features 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrids.
As soon as we entered the National Orchid Garden we were welcomed by the “Dancing Lady”, a beautiful yellow, brown and white orchid that looks like the skirt of evening gowns. When hundreds of them are on a single spike, it’s like the celebration of a festival. Do you recognize it?
The National Orchid Garden is a beautifully designed garden where you can see orchids wherever you look and walk. We made our way to Burkil Hall, a two-storey colonial style house built in 1868 that used to be the Garden’s Director’s house. It is the oldest surviving building in the Gardens and gives a little impression about how life looked like in Singapore more than 100 years ago. It is a beautiful house that used to be used by the Singapore Government for honoring visiting heads of states and other guests by naming selected orchid hybrids after them since 1956.
The collection of those named orchids can be found in the VIP Orchid Garden right behind Burkill Hall. And it seems that every famous person has been there already such as Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana, Elton John, our German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Kate Middleton & Prince William, and many more.
All in all, there are more than 200 orchids named after distinguished guests so far.
The orchid named after Kate Middleton & Prince William
When leaving the VIP Orchid Garden we passed Singapore’s National Flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim; a beautiful white and pink orchid.
From there we took the way to the Garden’s Mist House which displays rare orchids from different parts of the world. The Mist House is full of incredible beautiful orchids and we spent some time admiring the incredible colors and shapes. Have a look at those beauties:
The nearby Cool House is dressed to look like a tropical forest that shows orchids and carnivorous plants surrounded by cool misty air. Don’t forget to give your camera some time in its bag to adjust to the strong change in temperature when leaving the Cool House; otherwise it can get foggy.
You can easily spend 1.5 to 2 hours in the Orchid Garden and the S$5 for the entrance ticket is almost too low. It is absolute worth spending those few dollars.
Perfect for relaxation – the Singapore Botanic Gardens
But the Singapore Botanic Gardens have more to offer; and the best off all: it’s totally free.
With its 74 hectares you find a lot of space for yummy picnics, evening workouts or walks along the lakes and lawns. Also kids have fun a lot of fun in the Children’s Garden (closed on Mondays).
Botanic Gardens feature three lakes such as the Swan Lake which is home to a pair of beautiful Mute Swans from Amsterdam, the Netherlands that glide gracefully across the lake.
We also liked the Bonsai House with some really great looking exemplars. And golf ball BoB had a lot of fun trying to climb up one of those little trees which were giants for BoB. ?
But guess what my personal highlight was? I found MY WAY, Liane Road, at the garden’s Rain Forest! ?
Every now and then you hear birds singing their songs, see squirrels looking for food and butterflies flying around blossoms. There is such a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere in the Gardens. And if you want to see all of the garden’s highlights, you should plan to spend one day there.
When you get bit hungry after spending some time in the Gardens, like us, different cafes and restaurants offer delicious snacks or proper dishes. We kind of stumbled upon a small food court were we enjoyed a great lunch for just a few dollars.
All in all, I can say that Singapore Botanic Gardens are definitely a MUST-SEE when you are a flower lover. But even when you have to kill some time or just want to relax and escape city life this is the right place to be. The gardens open from 5am till 12 midnight daily.
For more information about Singapore Botanic Gardens please visit their website.
Do you know Singapore Botanic Gardens and the amazing National Orchid Garden? Did you find an orchid that became your personal favorite? I am looking forward to your comments!
Thanks for reading,
Liane
Thanks to National Orchid Garden for the invitation and for an insight into the colorful and beautiful world of orchids. All opinions are, as always, our own.