A blast of gushing waters and whipping breeze greeted us as we entered the second dome at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. From the entry point I can see why they dubbed it as the Cloud Forest as I craned my neck upwards to the circling pathways way way above from where I was standing.

The 115-foot artificial waterfalls cascades down from a multi-level platform holding Cloud Forest’s very own mountain. The environment here feels very wet, true to the dome’s supposed reproduction of tropical mountain regions a thousand meters and more above sea level.

Wooden icons on intricate tribal totem poles stared blindly at us as we passed through the lower jungle floor, circling the area, looking for the access path to the clouds above. The temperature is as cool as that of the Flower Dome, even colder perhaps.

Cloud Forest’s mountain is divided into five levels and can be accessed by an elevator which would take you to the mountain’s peak. The whole structure is covered by a plethora of plant life; begonias, orchids, bromeliads, ferns and even the carnivorous simple-looking pitcher plant, replicating the flora surviving in wet rainforests.

At last finding the lift, we zoomed upwards thousands of feet into the air and found ourselves above everything. The peak is dubbed as the Lost World and it probably has one of the grandest views of the Gardens and its surrounding areas.
The majestic three-towered Marina Bay Sands looms on the horizon with its ship sailing over the sky. Look down and it’s a dizzying drop below. It’s time to take the Cloud Walk, the snaking pathways that wind downwards to the lower portions of the mountain.

The pathway is made of metal and is held by tubular steel posts attached the sides of the mountain. It almost gives the illusion of floating through the mountainsides. It might be a nightmare for people with fear of heights but R of The Traveling Dork, who has such fear, conquered it without breaking a sweat. I think haha.

Below the Lost World is the Crystal Mountain. Mimicking the caves found on most mountain systems, it holds a collection of real stalactites and stalagmites. I usually see these formations in the darkness of caves and it is quite interesting to see them in brighter lighting conditions.

Moving downwards, we accessed another long trail of floating walkways; the Treetop Walk. We were coming closer to the ground and from here I can actually appreciate the grandness and engineering marvel of the steel canopy enveloping the whole Cloud Forest.

Passing through the bowels of the mountain, we passed Earth Check and +5 Degrees where statistics and facts about the Earth’s environmental problems are displayed and discussed through figures and film showings. A huge miniaturized diorama and the story of Gardens by the Bay is also on exhibit.

A gushing underground waterfall surprised us as we emerged from the darkness of the underground and into the light of the Gardens. Our journey from the highest mountain peak of Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest to its underground bowels is now complete.

Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome
Address: 97 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore
Telephone: (+65) 6420 6848 | (+65) 6420 6841
E-mail: feedback@gardensbythebay.com.sg
Open Hours: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Daily
Rates: Click Here

GPS Coordinates: 1.284746,103.864735
View Location on Google Maps: Click Here

THIS SINGAPORE TRIP IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:
AIRASIA PHILIPPINES – NOW FLYING DIRECTLY TO SINGAPORE
HOTEL AND TRAVEL PACKAGE BY AIRASIAGO
SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD

       THREE DAYS IN SINGAPORE TRIP ITINERARY & SUMMARY
       MANILA – CLARK – SINGAPORE | PERANAKAN LUNCH AT BLUE GINGER RESTAURANT | THE FLOWER DOME AT GARDENS BY THE BAY
       ABOVE AND BELOW GARDENS BY THE BAY’S CLOUD FOREST | FLYING HIGH AT THE SINGAPORE FLYER
       A NOCTURNAL RIDE AT THE NIGHT SAFARI | NIGHTS AT THE ROYAL PLAZA ON SCOTTS HOTEL
       AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE RIVER SAFARI’S GIANT PANDAS | LUNCH AT SENTOSA’S TASTES OF ASIA
       AN EVENING WALK AT THE ORCHARD ROAD | ELECTRIC NIGHTS AT THE MARINA BAY | HAWKERS HUNT FOR A FREEZING BOWL OF CHENDOL
       STARBUCKS GLOBAL ICON CITY MUG PLUS A FEW MORE | SINGAPORE – CLARK