I had a hard time leaving Pulau Ubin, one of the last areas in Singapore that has been reserved by the government from urban development.  It took me until 3:00 pm to bid goodbye to this amazing little island and set off to Gardens by the Bay. Since it was already late in the afternoon, I have to catch up on a quick visit to its famed cooled conservatories Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Yes, I was alone and again, I was so excited!

I skipped queuing up to the ticket booth because I bought my ticket at Klook for only P884.00 (S$25), a bit cheaper compared to the price in Gardens by the Bay (S$28). Booking was easy, fast, and convenient. I saved the voucher with the bar code on my cellphone and it was scanned at the entrance.

Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are two of the highlights of Bay South Garden in Gardens by the Bay. These two giant domes are columnless glasshouses each with different unique features and attractions.

I opted to visit Cloud Forest first because I was curious to marvel at its attractions, particularly the man-made waterfalls. 

Cloud Forest is higher than the Flower Dome but is slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares. Its humidity is from 80 to 90% and its temperature ranges from 23°C to 25°C.

It houses 9 unique zones. These are the Lost World, Cloud Walk, Treetop Walk, Crystal Mountain, The Cavern, The Secret Garden, Waterfall View, Cloud Forest Theatre, and Cloud Forest Gallery. All levels offer different horticultural wonders.

What is Cloud Forest?

According to Wikipedia, a Cloud Forest or water forest is generally tropical or sub-tropical and is characterized by a frequent seasonal low-level cloud cover with an altitude that varies from 500 meters to 4,000 meters above sea level.

Getting Inside

I was welcomed by a cool blast of air as I entered Cloud Forest. I stood in awe watching the Cloud Mountain surrounded by verdant vegetation and the spectacular 35-meter man-made waterfall which is said to be the tallest in the world. It was really an eye-catching sight and it took me more minutes gazing at the pouring water which was shrouded by mist before I do my descent shots.

With a towering height of 138 ft (42-metre), the Cloud Mountain is the key attraction inside the Cloud Forest. It can be accessed by elevator and from the top, the visitors will take the circular path in descending to different zones while being refreshed by the cool air.

I was warned that Cloud Forest is packed by visitors on weekends and afternoons. Well, this was very true because I mingled with a huge crowd queuing up in getting to the top of the mountain. The excitement began when we took the elevator and stopped at the 6th level. The first zone to visit is the Lost World.

The Lost World

Here I witnessed the uniqueness of the biodiversity of a cloud forest. I saw a lot of unique plants like the Venus-Fly-catcher and pitcher plants perched on a pond. There were beautiful flowers, ferns, and mosses too.

It was hard to take pictures as there were many people blocking the beautiful plants. It took me several minutes before I had my own photos. When I went near the glass wall, I saw the majestic views of the mountainside and the Marina Bay Waterfront.

Cloud Walk

I went out of the mountain and headed to the Cloud Walk. For those people with a fear of heights, it might be scary when you look down below as you walk to the metal walkway. It had full metal flooring in the middle but with screened-like matting on each side.

But don’t worry, the feat behind the construction of this walkway was firmed and strong. It does not shakes, moves nor sways like a typical hanging bridge. So stroll around and don’t look down below the ground so you will enjoy all the zones and views.

In Cloud Walk, I was delighted to see epiphyte plants. These plants grow from other plants rather than on soil and this includes varieties of ferns, orchids, begonias, and bromeliads.

Treetop Walk

It’s getting more and more excited entering a forest canopy high above the ground and enjoying the view of the treetops.

The Cavern

Before getting to the Waterfall View, I passed by the Cavern with walls of ferns and mosses. I had fear of heights, but here, I was able to look down below not only for a few seconds but at least for several minutes. I was so happy to capture a picture of the people below.

Crystal Mountain

I love exploring caves so I was so happy to see different shapes of stalactites and stalagmites in Crystal Mountain. You will discover more about geology in this zone which tells about the history of the earth as a whole, the evolutionary history of life, and even the earth’s past climates.

Waterfall View

There’s no way to escape from getting a little bit wet when you passed by at the Waterfall View. You will enjoy the refreshing feeling as you get close to it. And do remember to consider the importance of the earth’s sources of freshwater.

Secret Garden

After an exciting descent, I strolled at the intriguing Secret Garden at the ground level and saw the luscious foliage of plants like the begonia and the prehistoric ferns. There were artificial rivers in this garden with artificial crocodiles on the water.

Cloud Forest Gallery

I had my fill of the sights and wonder so it’s time now to go inside an exhibit gallery. Seeing the graphics, dioramas, and videos, I became more aware of environmental conversation and sustainability. I also learned from an informative post about the five mass extinctions that happened in the past.

Next in my itinerary, I will savor the sight and smell of beautiful flowers at Flower Dome!

Note:

• Avoid visiting the conservatory on the weekend as it is packed with visitors.
• Food and drinks are not allowed inside the conservatory.
• Make your visit in daylight to enjoy the sights and wonder.
• Don’t miss the Mist show which happens at 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM, and 8 PM.

Operating Hours:

• Open daily: 9.00am – 9.00pm
  Last ticket sale: 8.00pm
  Last admission: 8.30pm

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Related post:

Singapore’s Pulau Ubin-Part 2: A Memorable Walk at Chek Jawa Wetlands
Singapore’s Pulau Ubin-Part 1: The Treasure of the Past
Singapore Trip 2017-Part 1-My Second Visit
Singapore Family Trip-Part 4: Universal Studios Singapore

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