Lovely Outliers

I was taken by what Singapore had to offer during the day, but in my opinion, Singapore is a city that sparkles when the sun goes down. The SuperGrove of trees, part of the Gardens by the Bay are one of the most iconic sight in Singapore, and these high-tech “trees” are best enjoyed at night. These towering tree structure range from 25m-50m in height and are woven with plants, flowers, and vines. At night, the lights morph and change in mesmerizing ways, and if you time your visit right, you can catch the evening musical show, where the lights are synchronized with music (starting at 7:45pm). On, also “that building in Singapore with the ship on top” is the Marina Bay Sands hotel and skypark. For the privilege of enjoying the view, you need to pay approximately $25, which is much less than the cost of staying in the 5 star hotel that supports the “ship”. However, hotel guests can use the rooftop infinity pool, which does sound pretty incredible! When I am much wealthier, I might play to catch the Supergrove light show from the unparalleled vantage point of the infinity pool. If you are exceedingly rich, you could book rooms that come equipped with a baby grand and 24 hour butler service. The Supergrove has been engineered with environmental technology which mimics the activities of their low tech counterparts. Instead of photosynthetic cells, the Supergrove has photovoltaic cells to capture light energy. Supergrove trees also collect rain water, which is used thorough out the garden, and finally, they provide air intake and exhaust functions for the nearby greenhouses and conservatories. It is completely free to walk around the SuperGrove as well as the surrounding gardens – a greenhouse of succulents, landscaping surrounding the lake. In this way, the Gardens by the Bay felt like real public spaces, reflecting a commitment by the Singapore government to create beautiful green space accessible to all. This large structure behind the tree is one of the conservatories – you can pay to visit. The Cloud Forest features a massive indoor waterfall and tons of rare plants. Unfortunately, the ticket to enter was nearly $30, so I decided I would save the experience for another time. This is what the conservatory allegedly looks like inside:

You can also choose to head up the OCBC skyway, which is 22m above the ground and circles around several of the Super trees (approx $8).There are also little exhibits which are like gems scattered throughout the gardens, like this miniature diorama of Loch Ness. Considering my recent adventures near Loch Ness in Scotland, I was delighted to see this depiction so far away. The Helix (the DNA-inspired bridge) also comes alive at night, with different coloured lights representing the 4 nucleic acids upon which life is based.

This perhaps shows my amateur ignorance when it comes to things architectural and engineering, but this is the first curved bridge. It is clear there was a lot of thought invested in the design, as pedestrians can stop along the circular viewing platforms jutting out from the bridge to take pictures of the surrounding buildings, the stunning bridge, or pose for wedding portraits. I can’t say that I drank in all that a Singapore night has to offer – after walking around for miles on end, I was pretty ready for my hostel bed. I am sure there are all sorts of hip and cool things to do in Singapore after dark, but I was busy dreaming of super adventures amongst the supertrees.