Parks and Gardens in Singapore: Serenity
In Singapore, there are a lot of attractions you can check out to make the most of your stay. From the fun rides at the USS to the iconic Merlion Park, you've got unlimited options to have fun. However, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, you can find refuge in the following parks and gardens.
It seems ironic that in this small country, you can find charming parks where you can a savour tranquil moment. You can just sit back, relax and enjoy the awe-inspiring surroundings. So, here are five parks I highly recommend visiting when you're in Singapore. Some of these are free of charge whilst others have a minimal entrance fee.
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Botanic Gardens is considered as one of the most popular gardens in the country. Founded in 1859, the 74-hectare Gardens is a key recreational park and a popular tourist destination on the island. Botanic Gardens has an extensive collection of more than 60,000 plants and consists of different themed gardens such as: Orchid garden, performance state, Children's play area, three lakes, the SBD Heritage Museum and a cafe.
One of its key features is the colourful National Orchid Garden, which houses 1000 species of Orchids and 2000 Orchid hybrids. This is the only part of the gardens that has a small amount of entrance fee whilst all other attractions are FREE. Botanic Gardens a perfect place to escape the bustling city.
Chinese and Japanese Garden
As the name suggests, Chinese and Japanese Gardens are two charming gardens on two man-made islands in Jurong Lake, which are joined by the 13-arch "White Rainbow" bridge. This 13.5-hectare garden offers stunning examples of Asian design architecture.
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| Photo Credit: onlinecommunity.sg |
Some of the key features of the garden include the twin Pagodas, Peking style Stone Boat and Tea House, 7-storey Pagoda, four Chinese Pavilions, statues of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, Suzhou-style Bonsai Garden and the 100-year old pomegranate tree.
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| Photo Credit: guidegecko.com |
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is an important tourist destination in Singapore, which spreads over 101 hectares. One of its key attractions is the Supertrees (vertical tree shaped gardens 25 to 50 metres high), which offer great entertainment every night through a light show. If you want to see up close the trees, you can go up the OCBC Skywalk. It is an elevated walkway connecting 2 Super Groove trees. If you've watched the film "Hitman: Agent 47," there was a scene shot at the Skywalk.
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| Photo Credit: expedia.com.sg |
Some interesting attractions at the Gardens by the Bay include Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Children's Garden, Heritage Garden, and more.
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| Photo Credit: awards.sg |
Mount Faber Park
Mount Faber Park offers some of the spectacular views of Southern Singapore such as Sentosa Island, city, amazing bridges along the trail and greenery. This scenic hilltop park is one of the five parks that is linked by Singapore's Southern Ridges, which is a 10-km trail.
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| Photo Credit: mysingapore65 |
If you want to check out the Mouth Faber Park, you can take a 20-minute walk towards Henderson Waves - a 274 metre long pedestrian bridge (the highest in the country) that connects Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park. This park is a favourite among hikers, including me. I like this part of the park where I saw orange flowers on the walkway canopy. And best of all, you can get a captivating view of the sunset from here.
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| Photo Credit: sgtravelinfo.com |
Jurong Bird Park
I kind of hesitated to include Jurong Bird Park on this list, but I think it's worth mentioning. Unlike the other four entries, Jurong Bird Park is a little different. Aside from the fact that it has an entrance fee, it primarily focuses on different species of birds. And I mean a vast array of bird species - from the smallest and cutest birds like Parrots to big birds like Vultures!
Surely, guests will be entertained with fun exhibits, live shows and charming residents. Jurong Bird Park spreads across 20.2 hectares and is considered as the largest bird park in Asia with a collection of more than 5,000 birds from 400 different species. My favourite among all birds I've seen in the park are the Flamingos. They look so adorable and elegant with those high legs.
These are the top five parks and gardens in Singapore that I really enjoyed visiting. What are yours?