Gardens by the Bay – Cloud Forest

Thanks to the folks from URA and Gardens by the Bay, I was invited on a guided tour to visit the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Supertree Grove, three of the gardens that form  Gardens by the Bay.

This is my second blog post on Gardens by the Bay, following my previous post on my visit to the Flower Dome with my wife and son.

After leaving the Flower Dome, we crossed over to the nearby Cloud Forest dome. Like the Flower Dome, temperature is kept at a cool and comfortable to emulate high altitude conditions. The difference is that the atmosphere is kept moist here instead of dry like in the Flower Dome.

Nonetheless, the cool-moist environment is still very cosy for Singaporeans to escape from the relentless heat in tropical Singapore.

Comprising a 35-metre tall mountain complete with the tallest indoor waterfall covered in lush vegetation, the Cloud Forest portrays plant life from about 2,000-metres above sea level at the top of the mountain to around 1,000-metres at the bottom of the ravine.

Upon stepping into the Cloud Forest dome, you will be immediately awestricken by the magnificent sight and sound of the large waterfall. Even my son Asher perked up and could not take his eyes off the waterfall once we entered!

The best way to experience the Cloud Forest is to take the lift up to the top floor and descend slowly through the two walkways. Alternatively, you can also walk up and take the lift down, but that will be much more tiring.

Highlights in the Cloud Forest (via the official website):

Waterfall

Treat your senses to the freshness and the soothing sounds of the waterfall. Cloud forests form in the high mountains where they can benefit by absorbing abundant rainfall. Plants, including trees, shrubs, ferns and moss absorb the water, releasing it gradually and creating a constant, long lasting water supply for the land beneath them.

Planted Walls

The sides of the mountain are planted with a dense mixture of moisture-loving plants, including fascinating orchids, delicate ferns, colourful bromeliads, gesneriads and the carnivourous pitcher plants. Most of the plants grown here are epiphytes, as they can live on top of other plants and not on the soil, and are suited for growing on vertical walls.

Pardon me for not getting the names of most of the flowers and plants. I love looking at them and enjoying their beauty, but I am not a botanist hobbyist. If you know the names of any of the flowers or plants below, do drop me a comment to share and I will amend them accordingly.

Rachel, Asher and I enjoyed ourselves in the Cloud Forest as much as the Flower Dome. Visit to both the two domes are highly recommended for a visit to Gardens by the Bay. The ticket prices are well worth their value. The two domes are vastly different in appeals and attractions, hence for Singaporeans, getting the joint admission bundle to both domes is recommended as it will save you S$2 in admission prices for each dome. 🙂

Cloud Forest Hours & Admission Fees:

Hours:
Opens 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily
Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM daily
Last admission at 8:30 PM daily

Local Resident Admission:
Adult $12
Senior Citizen* $8
Child** $8

Local Resident Admission
(includes entry to Flower Dome):
Adult $20
Senior Citizen* $15
Child** $12

Standard Admission
(includes entry to Flower Dome):
Adult $28
Senior Citizen* $28
Child** $15

* Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)
** Child (3 – 12 years old)

Ticketing Hub:
Opens 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM daily