Breakie
After spending so long cooped up in a plane I was ready and eager to get out and explore Singapore. I had no breakfast so walked out to a little bakery for some pastries. The bakery I went to was Tiong Bahru bakery and they had an impressive assortment of sweet and savoury breakfast options (I had a mushroom and brie croissant which was delicious). Being inside a shopping complex, the atmosphere wasn't brilliant but the food was well worth the trade off. Afterwards I headed to Pull and Bear and bought an alpaca tee, lobster purse and cactus necklace.
There were so many gorgeous buildings and little side streets in all different colours. One thing that was really lovely was how green every part of the city was. Modern buildings utilised space for both vertical and horizontal gardens and plants were potted outside the older, traditional buildings. The old building added pops of colour to the streets which were otherwise dotted with mostly black and white newer buildings.
During the hottest part of the day I went for a swim at the hotel before heading off on a long walk to Gardens by the Bay.
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay was definitely the highlight of the trip. There was an amazing integration of architectural design, sculpture and garden throughout and the result was absolutely stunning. Although the area was filled with tourists, everything was on such a large scale that it didn't take away from the beauty of the place. I went into the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and saw the Sky Trees come alight for the night time sound and light show. My only regret is that I didn't go earlier as you could so easily spend an entire day there. The Flower Dome was divided into a series of sections of different natural regions over two stories which ran into each other. There was an Australian, a South American and so on. The lower level was filled with flowers which were gorgeous but the sculpture was a bit kitsch for me so the cactus section was probably my favourite.
The Cloud Forest was also stunning (although not great for those who struggle with heights). It is basically a giant mound covered in plants with a waterfall and you go up an elevator inside it and then work your way down 7 levels with beautiful views of plants and the city. At the end of the trail there was a section dedicated to education about climate change and our environmental impact with a short film on what the world will be like in 2100 if we continue our unsustainable consumerism of the earth's resources. The Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are both ticketed but are 100% worth every cent.
The Sky Tree light show was lots of fun. The giant structures are lit in colourful lights which change to music for a fifteen minute show. It runs twice each evening and is free to watch so I highly recommend going to see it. One thing that's fantastic about it is that LED light displays are a much more environmentally friendly alternative to firework displays. Fireworks release harmful chemicals into the air and the noise can affect wildlife and is responsible for numerous missing domestic pets. LED light displays don't release dangerous chemicals into the air and they are just as, if not more, beautiful than fireworks. If you pay for a ticket you can also walk up high between them over bridges. Due to time constraints I didn't do this walk but I can see how it would be a lot of fun and have amazing views of the city.
If you plan on going to Singapore, definitely consider going to Gardens by the Bay - the photos just can't do it justice.