Back in 2003, the first time I visited Singapore, the main attractions were the Merlion, the shops along Orchard Road, and the marvelous Night Safari (which are all still there and still worth visiting, I might add). When I arrived in November 2017 there was a new show in town, a massive land reclamation project called the Gardens by the Bay that is easily the tiny island-nation’s showpiece.
Located along the southern shore near the cruise ship port, this public plaza with a dose of sci-fi is a great place to wander. I myself did my wanderings late at night, when the humidity was down .3% from during the day going from 1,000% to a mere 997%. There were few tourists and the lighting was surreal, though for dining and photography, I’d also recommend coming during the day. But in the glow of the nighttime, the analogies of the title came clearly into focus.
Some of my favorite computer games growing up were the MYST series, where players must explore multi-tiered worlds of unique structures and mazes. Gardens by the Bay specifically reminded me of Riven, where you have to navigate a jungle of passages and walkways (some over the top of others). The other sci-fi analogy prompted by the scene were the jungles of the fictional planet of Pandora from the movie Avatar – particularly the phosphorescent colors at night, which are resplendent in the Gardens’ premier attraction – the Supertrees.
These futuristic marvels of varying heights (25 to 50 meters tall) house many plants along with environmentally-friendly solar cells, but mostly they just look really cool – especially when lit up at night. There’s a free light and sound show among the trees at 7:45PM and 8:45PM, and if you get there before 9PM you can take a stroll on a 128 meter long aerial walkway (for about $8) for a closer look and an out-of-this-world experience. With the massive (and very chic) Marina Bay Sands hotel looming in the background, this is arguably one of the best views in the city.
There’s a ton of other attractions not only contained within the Gardens, but also nearby, including a rather cool helix-shaped bridge and water views of the famous Merlion. For more information, check out the official website here.
I’ve previously mentioned that Singapore is a great place to visit (See the post A Boring Place to Visit But A Great Place to Live?). With the addition of Gardens by the Bay, that conclusion has doubled, and I heartily recommend a visit here to anyone considering a trip to Southeast Asia.
Have you been to Gardens by the Bay? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.
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