Solo Trip to Johor Bahru & Singapore (Part 3) – Gardens by the Bay

Previously: Nasi Lemak Qi Ji

When I first visited Singapore during a backpacking trip back in 2012 (read the journey here-in Bahasa), the Gardens by the Bay was still under construction. Since I still have plenty of time to kill, I thought “Well, maybe I should just take the MRT to the Gardens by the Bay and have a visit to the place”. I also thought that “what is all the hype about the place when it is just a man-made garden with a concrete tree?”.

Take Exit B to go to the Gardens by the Bay

So, off I went from Serangoon to the Gardens by the Bay. I took the Circle Line and disembarked at the Bayfront station which has a connection to the Gardens. I exited the platform area and looked at the signboard to determine which exit should I take to go to the Gardens. Yes, this is the most confusing part about the MRT stations in Singapore. They have so many exits and every exit will lead you to a different part of the place.

After I have decided that Exit B is the correct one, I walked along the underground pedestrian tunnel and took the escalator up. I turned right, walked a bit further and… Wow! I just could not believe my eyes. The outer part of the Gardens by the Bay area was so stunning. There is a lake with varieties of flowers and plants planted nearby. There are bridges namely the Dragonfly Bridge and Meadow Bridge that cut across the lake towards the main part of the Gardens. There were also people walking and jogging even under the scorching sun. The view was just remarkable.

I walked further and stopped on the bridge. I took some time to immerse myself in the moment. I looked around – the Conservatory nearby, the Singapore Eye on one side, the Marina Bay Sand on the other. The port, looking busy at the distance. It was so surreal. A walk into the Supertrees area was even more incredible. They were tall – super as their names suggested. Crawling plants were all over the ‘trunk’ of the Supertrees. Despite being man-made trees, their existence blended well with other natural plants and trees.

One of the attractions at the Gardens by the Bay that I really wanted to try is the OCBC Skyway since it is cheap and it offers magnificent view from a higher ground. I went to the counter selling the ticket and paid SGD 5 (it is SGD 8 now) for the entry ticket. There were some people already queueing to go up onto the Skyway, so I went and joined the queue. A few minutes later, it was my turn and I entered into the elevator and after a few seconds, “ding”, I have arrived.

The view from above was stunning. I could not describe how beautiful it was to see Singapore from the Skyway. I don’t think my description will serve justice to the amazing view that I had before my eyes. I spent some good 30 minutes enjoying the view before I decided to go down and gave the chance to the others to enjoy what I had just enjoyed.

“I heard there will be light shows after 7.00 pm”, I overheard a girl near me telling his partner. I looked at my watch. 6.40 pm. “Well, almost time and I should be able to make it”, I thought. I walked towards the Marina Bay Sands area when I saw that purple lights on the Supertrees were switched on. I took an elevator up and there were so many people already congregated there to watch the show. I saw an empty spot and I stood there, waiting for the show.

Soon, the show started. It was fun to see colourful lights from afar beautify the Supertress specifically and the Gardens generally. The lights dancing in a tempo and we enjoyed the show from the viewing spot. It was a great one and I really enjoyed my time watching the show.

As the skies turned dark, I felt tired. I wanted to go back to the hotel and rested my head on the pillow. But it was still too early, hence I decided to walk back to the MRT station at Raffles Place instead of the Marina Bay station. That means I would have to walk pass Marina Bay Sands, the Downtown area as well as the old part of the city. I was tired and to walk that distance would make me fatigue. Should I just walk? Or should I just take the MRT at Bayfront station back to Geylang?

Next: Night Walk at Downtown Singapore.

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Gardens by the Bay is a huge garden and conservatories located nearby Marina Bay Sands. While entrance to the Supertree Grove is free, entrance to the OCBC Skyway is SGD 8 as at December 2016 and entrance to the double conservatories is SGD 28.

Visitors can go to the Gardens by the Bay via the Circle Line by alighting at Bayfront station and exit at Exit B.