Being the OG of all parks and gardens, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a place where even our grandparents used to visit back in their days. This 160-year old garden has been revamped over the years, integrating both nostalgia and modernity.
About the Singapore Botanic Gardens
Established back in 1859, this historically rich garden earned its title of being the first and only tropical botanic garden in Asia on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Doesn’t that make you beam with #SGpride?
With that, here’s a guide on 5 things to do at the Botanic Gardens - instead of binging on Netflix at home (well at least I’m guilty of that) :
Activity #1 - Visit an Expansive Range of Gardens
As part of our #XploreFridays, we decided to Xplore around the Botanic Gardens. Although our trip there was cut short with the unexpected heavy downpour, we’ll be covering some of our favourite gardens that you can check out!
Eco-Garden
In the eco-lake, you get to see a family of elegant Black Swans from Western Australia! There is a shelter nearby for those who would like to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and just chill.
If you spot a crowd with their phones out, it probably means they’ve been spotted (we’re guilty of doing that as well oops).
Palm Valley
This has to be one of my favourite places at the Botanic Gardens.
Right from Palm Valley, you get a great view of the Symphony stage. Apart from being the ideal spot for outdoor concerts, this sheltered stage also serves as a nice, cooling picnic spot for visitors (be sure to go there early to chope this perfect location).
If it wasn’t raining that day, I would have loved to sit there and take in the beauty of nature that encapsulated me.
National Orchid Garden
How can we not include the astounding National Orchid Garden in our list?
Having undergone enhancement works over the past few years, the National Orchid Garden has recently opened up several new display houses as part of the “Tropical Montane Orchidetum”.
Accommodating over 1,000 orchid species and hybrids, some of these attractions include:
1. Tan Hoon Siang Mist House
This house features unique hybrids of orchids; with varying shades of colour and design. Stunning!
2. Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection
This 620 sq metres display house contains plants from Central and South America.
Overall, the garden offers some of the most IG-worthy spots so be sure to add this to the top of your list to complete the full Botanics Xperience.
However, some things to note:
An admission fee is applicable (a small price to pay for a beautiful garden😉)
Due to Covid-19, waiting time can go up to 1-2 hours in view of safe distancing measures
We will be posting another article to showcase more of the National Orchid Garden, so do stay tuned!
Swan Lake
Before we headed home, we walked past Swan Lake and saw the iconic Bandstand landmark. The flowers leading up to the Bandstand are so chio you guys must be there to see it yourself (and take your OOTDs cuz #doitforthegram).
Activity #2 - Finding thé Perfect Spot for a Picnic
When the sun is out and the birds are chirping - you know it's a perfect day to have a picnic!
As we were entering from the Bukit Timah Entrance, we spotted people of all ages with their cute picnic setups. The palm valley and open space near the eco-lake are perfect spots for your picnic setups. Lay out your mats, play some board games and just have fun! :D
Pro tip: Check the weather forecast if you’re worried the rain might ruin your picnic dreams. If it does rain unexpectedly, fret not, there are shelters located close by!
Activity #3 - Dining within Nature
For all you food lovers, we’ve got you covered! You may dine and unwind at one of the many food establishments at the Botanic Gardens.
The Garage has two establishments located within Singapore Botanic Gardens, namely Bee’s Knees at Level 1 with a cafe concept and Botanico at Level 2, a garden restaurant.
1. Bee’s Knees
One of the establishments under The Garage, “Bee’s Knees”, has its name inspired from the highly social and evolved behaviour of bees. It is a family and pet-friendly garden cafe that allows you to bring your furry friends to dine with you <3
This café offers Western cuisine with an Asian fusion. Here are some of the mouth-watering dishes they offer: Salmon Bagel Eggs Benny, Smoked Chicken Mayo Pizza and Truffle Carbonara.
📍 50 Cluny Park Rd, Level 1 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 257488
Opens at 8am-10pm (Daily)
Source: National Parks and Bees Knees Instagram
2. The Halia
The Halia, which means ginger in Malay, is located in the Ginger Garden.
The restaurant is halal-certified and serves European cuisine catering to both meat and vegetarian lovers. Do try out their all-time favourite dishes, Chilli Crab Spaghettini and Sticky Toffee Pudding instilduring your visit.
📍1 Cluny Rd, Ginger Garden Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569
Opens at 9am-9pm (Mon-Fri), 10am-9pm (Sat and Sun)
Source: The Halia Facebook
3. Food for Tots
Food for Tots is a family-friendly café that aims to instil an appreciation for the environment in children. It also has various parent-child activities happening quarterly so do keep a lookout for them on their website!
Some of their must-try dishes include Lemon Dill Fish & Chips, Chicken Avocado Burger and a Garden City Pesto Spaghetti.
📍 1H, Cluny Rd, Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, #01-K1, Singapore 259604
Opens from 9am-5pm (Tues-Sun), Closed on Mondays
Source: Food for Tots Facebook
Activity #4 - Learn the History behind Botanic Gardens
The following Botanical Art Gallery and Forest Discovery Centre are part of the new Gallop Extension that was opened to the public in March this year.
1. Botanical Art Gallery
The Botanical Art Gallery is the first permanent display of botanical art in Singapore which highlights the significant role art plays in plant documentation.
Source: Channel News Asia
Visitors can expect to see Botanical paintings, drawings and photographs on display. Some works even date back to the 1890s so do head down to check them out!
2. Forest Discovery Centre
The Forest Discovery Centre showcases Singapore's forests to educate the public about its biodiversity and the importance of conserving our ecosystems.
Source: Channel News Asia
You can expect to learn and discover through a series of interactive and interpretive displays found within the discovery centre.
3. The Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Museum
Constructed in the 1920s, the Heritage Museum is now a place to discover Singapore’s rich history of Botanic Gardens. This is a place all you history lovers wouldn’t want to miss!
Source: National Park
Located near the Tanglin Entrance, visitors can expect to see interactive exhibits with old photographs, artefacts and botanical paintings on display.
Activity #5 - Xplore Botanic Gardens using the Xplorer App
Are you a big fan of adventures? Want to embark on a fun and immersive journey at the Botanic Gardens? Simply download the Xplorer app, choose “Singapore Botanic Garden'' under “Practice Races” and you’re good to go!
You can challenge yourself (and your friends) by completing photo, quiz and physical challenges at the different checkpoints. The Xplorer App also offers many other practice races for you to choose from (Psst...it’s free!). Head over to “How to use the app” to find out more!
Happy Xploring! :D #xperiencethextraordinary
To find out more about the different Xplorer avatars, click here.