Today was all about the Marina Park.
We met up with the other half of the group at the Gardens by the Bay.
The ‘Skytrees’ are much better in real life than in any of the pictures we saw prior to coming here. They are HUGE! And there is a whole ‘forest’ of them.
The largest tree had a terrace on top where you could see all around the bay and the city. Stunning view!
Next up was the first domed botanical garden: Cloud Forest. Absolutely breathtaking.
They created a full mountain ecosystem from forest floor all the way up to mountain top. ‘Floating’ pathways helped to understand the changing environment from close and from a distance as you went down.
Next was the Flower Dome with plants and flowers from all over the world.
After a quick lunch at Satay on the Bay we headed to the Arts and Science Museum, the one that looks like a giant lotus flower.
Sadly, they had ‘technical difficulties’ and most of the museum is closed this week.
Back in the city we had a ‘refreshment break’ before heading to the Singapore Flyer for our sunset champagne flight.
As luck would have it, our group ended up in a capsule by ourselves. A private flight.
The sights and views of Singapore from up in sky at sunset was such an indescribable experience.
All in all, a memorable and fun day packed full of ‘tourist’ must-do’s.
Our mountain path leads to one of Earth’s most fragile vegetation types. Cloud forest represents just 2.5% of the world’s tropical forests, but this habitat sustains exceptional species diversity.
Discover endemic, rare and endangered plant species that grow high up in the mountains, surrounded by mist.
A fantastic diversity of exotic orchids, resourceful bromeliads, fantastic ferns and mosses grows in habitats where moisture is always present.
Many of the Thai orchid species have developed fascinating characteristics to cope with a wide range of habitats, to attract pollinators and to conserve moisture and nutrients. These fascinating characteristics are often accentuated in a display of these orchid species and their hybrids, leaning towards a more naturalistic appearance.
For instance, many Thai orchids, such as vandaceous orchids, are epiphytes that are found growing on tree trunks and forks, absorbing scant moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water, or from decomposed leaf litter accumulating around it using long aerial roots. Mounting these orchids on tree trunks allows a cascade of long, trailing roots that creates a visual flow and gracefulness that is organic and natural.
Dendrobiums, with their arching flower sprays, are often used to create a mass of colourful, eye-catching flowers arranged in long, curved lines.
