Gardens by the Bay sounded like a place me and the kids would absolutely love, so I planned spending an entire day there. But who knew that a day wouldn’t even be enough to cover everything?
Here’s how our day at Gardens by the Bay went. Get ideas for your own visit and don’t forget to check out the tips below if you’re planning to go with kids as well!
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is a nature park in Singapore. There are many different attractions, both indoor and outdoor ones and they continue to open up new ones regularly.
A lot of the sections are free and open to the public. However, there are certain attractions that require an entrance fee.
Let’s Start with a Photoshoot!
We began our visit at Gardens by the Bay with a Sweet Escape photoshoot! Our photographer, Hisham, took us around many picture-perfect spots!
It was wonderful to start the day with the shoot because we also got to tour around these places that I wouldn’t have discovered by myself otherwise.
We got great shots with the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay and the Supertree Grove!
After going around the outdoor areas, we were all sweaty and begging to go indoors.
So we decided to continue the shoot inside the Flower Dome. And it was perfect. But more on the Flower Dome later (because we would go back in the afternoon!)
To find out more about having a Sweet Escape shoot and also to see more photos from our session, check out this article I wrote about our experience.
Lunch at Satay by the Bay
It was lunchtime after our photoshoot and we were starving. We asked around for the nearest dining option and people pointed us to Satay by the Bay, which is a hawker-style food court.
Surprisingly, not crowded at all when we went. But it was only probably because it was a weekday.
We were all thirsty and starving and ordered too much (the food on the photo is only half of what we ate) And as proof of how famished I was, I wasn’t able to take photos of our food anymore. Oops, sorry. Haha.
It was good though! 😀
Children’s Garden
After our meal, we decided to let Luke cool down at the Children’s Garden. We brought his swimwear specifically for this. Easily one of the highlights for him.
I personally love this place! I think if I lived in Singapore, I’d bring my kids here as often as I could.
Such a wonderful place for free play! Luke could have spent hours just running around the different fountains! He was so happy; you can tell right?
There’s also this area that’s a little more chill and great for smaller kids. That doesn’t stop the big kids from taking a breather here too though!
It took a while to convince Luke that it would be fun to go explore the gardens some more. But we eventually did! 😀
Back at the Flower Dome
The Flower Dome is an indoor garden and a paid attraction at Gardens by the Bay. I prebooked tickets online via Kkday and got the ticket that gives you access to both the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. No need to line up at the ticketing booth!
We went back because we were meeting our friends here.
The Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse in the world, as listed in the 2015 Guinness World Records. Amazing and so beautiful. It’s cool and dry inside, which makes it the perfect condition for many different exotic plants to thrive.
The Flower Dome is divided into different themed gardens. There’s the Olive Grove, Californian Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Flower Field, South American Garden, South African Garden, Australian Garden, The Baobabs and the Succulent Garden.
Talk about taking a tour around the world!
There are also character displays. When we went, they had Winnie the Pooh and “Aloes in Wonderland” Hehe.
I can never resist a good pun!
“Rose Romance”
The floral displays change here at the Flower Dome and they have specific themes that vary depending on the season. When we went, the theme was Rose Romance. It had a classic European aesthetic.
We had fun exploring the different alleys, with its medieval-like structures.
I really love the Flower Dome and how the whole place was so well-lit with natural lighting. I also love that it’s cool since it’s airconditioned. Haha.
Cloud Forest
Next we entered the Cloud Forest, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. It was really wonderful sight to behold!
Unfortunately, Dylan could not be bothered to stand in awe. He had other plans, which included me carrying him asleep almost all through out the attraction. 😀 Thankfully, Luke was just pretending here. Haha. I don’t think I could’ve managed!
The Cloud Forest attraction had a lot of beautiful points of interest. I love how the architecture blends in with the different floral and fauna. However, it always felt like there were too much people. It was a little distracting.
After seeing the waterfall from below, you are led to the elevator where you can reach the highest point of the mountain.
This place is called “Lost World.” Here, they showcase cloud forest vegetation typically found at around 2,000 metres above sea level. You also get to see carnivorous plants (eep!) like the famous Venus Flytrap! Dylan wasn’t impressed though, as you can see. Hehe.
Then go on a Cloud Walk and make your our way back down through a path.
At this point, both kids were already tired and to be honest, so were we (me mostly from carrying Dylan!) When we got to the end of the walk, we decided to take the elevator and exit.
Attractions We Missed
Despite spending the whole day at Gardens by the Bay, we were still not able to cover everything.
And I realize now that it’s actually quite impossible to do so with kids, unless you plan to just gloss everything over. We were already so tired after everything that even if we wanted to explore more, we physically couldn’t anymore! Haha.
There were still a few exhibits at the Cloud Forest that we were not able to cover such as the Secret Garden, Crystal Mountain and Tree Top Walk. Also, we weren’t able to visit these attractions at the gardens:
- Floral Fantasy: Latest attraction, with a 4D Ride (paid entrance)
- Serene Garden: Inspired by Japanese zen gardens
- OCBC Skyway: 128-metre long aerial walkway that goes through the Supertrees
- Sun Pavillion: Focuses on desert plants and landscapes
- Heritage Gardens: Learn about Singapore’s history and culture through plants
More reason to go back again next time!
Tips: Visiting Gardens by the Bay with Kids
Gardens by the Bay is a place I definitely recommend visiting if you’re traveling with kids to Singapore. Here are some tips that would hopefully help you during your visit:
- Prepare for the heat especially if you plan on doing a lot of outdoor exploring. Bring an extra set of clothes, water and a portable fan!
- Bring a stroller or a carrier (or both, like us) because there’s a lot of area to cover.
- Book your tickets ahead to avoid queueing. Don’t forget to check out Kkday for cheaper rates compared to the official prices.
- Accept that you won’t be able to cover everything! Choose ahead which attractions you want to visit and give yourself enough leeway for unforeseen circumstances.
And lastly, I just wanted to share that I was very happy seeing this baby room before we exited. It was spacious, clean and the changing pads were cushioned! So if you have a baby, don’t worry about it.
See you again soon, Gardens by the Bay!
Check out this related article: Should You Bring Your Baby to Universal Studios Singapore?
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