Singapore Botanic Gardens
I’m a lover of quiet spaces in metropolitan cities. I’ve always been a bit envious of Singapore for its investment in green spaces in the midst of its towering skyscrapers because Manila doesn’t seem to have as many of them as I’d like. Despite having similar weather, we’ve built more airconditioned malls to satisfy our need for community spaces than we have parks.
On such space that I enjoyed going to was the Singapore Botanic Gardens. While not as popular as the famous Gardens by the Bay, it’s free, less crowded and is easily reached by public transportation. While it’s not the first garden you think of when you go to Singapore, it’s certainly one worth considering when thinking of an alternative place to stroll aside from Marina Bay.
Quick history
The garden was founded in 1859 and is the only tropical garden among the 3 gardens named as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the other two being the Orto botanico di Padova and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It’s also Singapore’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage site to date.
It played a key role in Singapore’s agricultural development and is known for its orchid hybridisation program which pioneered various invitro techniques!
Park details
Operation hours: 5am to 12am, 7 days a week
Entrance free: Free (but $5 if you enter the Orchid Garden)
How to get there
From Orchard Boulevard side you can look for buses going to Napier Road (7, 75, 77, 106, 105, 123, 174 and 174e). You can also ride the MRT to the Botanic Gardens MRT Station (Bukit Timah Gate).
What can you do there
Go on a guided tour. There are many free guided tours almost every saturday of the month. You have to register at the Visitor Service Center at the Nassim Gate at least 15 minutes before the tours to join.
Have a photo shoot. Clearly the foilage, various waterfalls and the lakes (there are three!) give enough of a mood for a nice afternoon of taking nice photos.
Have lunch at a cafe. The park has a several places like the Corner House, Bee’s Knees, Botanico, Casa Verde, Food for Thought, Canopy, Halia Restaurant and the Villa, The Provisions. The price ranges are varied and there’s a lot of space to relax from the heat.
Have a picnic. During the late afternoon, it would be a great idea to bring a picnic mat and just enjoy the greenery. I saw a lot of families with small children running around and couples enjoying quiet moments under the trees.
Check out their website for more upcoming events held in the park to make your visit more interesting!
