Day 74: Singapore: The Marina Bay Sands and Botanical Gardens

 


Three of Singapore's most iconic sights are the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) resort, Gardens By The Bay (Super Trees and Cloud Dome), and the Flyer. Here's a little bit of history and some pictures of each.

1/ The Marina Bay Sands. This structure is visible from many parts of the city. Opened in 2010, it is the world's most expensive standalone casino. It possesses over 2,500 rooms, a huge 120,000 m2 convention center (I've taught and given a keynote there in the past), and a massive shopping center. The cherry on top, so to speak, is the Sands Skypark. That boat-like thing that sits atop the three towers. It's over 1100 feet long and technically has a capacity of almost 4,000 people. It's centered around a 500-foot infinity pool, offering a majestic view of Singapore - if you can beat your way through the Japanese tourists taking pictures with selfie sticks. Actually that no longer happens, the stick were banned a few years ago - there is now just a mass of humanity. But get there at a quiet time and it is superb. Did I mention that there is an indoor skating up there as well, which was opened by Michelle Kwan? Kudos to the overall resort designer, Moshe Safdie, who says he was inspired by decks of cards.

2/ The Singapore Flyer. This is one of the largest Ferris/Observation wheels in the world. By comparison - it's almost 100 feet taller than the London Eye. The Flyer opened up in 2008 and has 28 *air-conditioned* carriages, each of which carries up to 28 passengers (although that's a bit crowded and only at peak times). It's an engineering marvel in its own right, as - in true Singaporean fashion - it's over-engineered to maintain stability and rotate smoothly even in high winds. You get an amazing panoramic view of downtown and the shipping lanes as it slowly rotates counter-clockwise (on the advice of local feng-shui masters) 


3/ Gardens By The Bay. This is a huge nature park located behind the aforementioned Marina Bay Sands. It's 250 acres of flowers, shrubs, and engineering! It's an integral part of the city's plan to become a "City In A Garden" rather than a "Garden City." There are two large domed conservatories - the Flower Dome and the Cloud Dome. Both are almost 3 acres in size, and the Cloud Dome is the world's largest columnless glasshouse - plus it features its very own waterfall. The Cloud Mountain, inside the Dome, has an elevated walkway that simulates walking down a mountain from 2,000m (6600 ft) to ground level. The flora changes as you move down the levels. The final major item is the eighteen Supertrees. These are vertical gardens, which also assist in air intake, cooling, and providing shade. Each tree varies from 80 to 160 feet. I also got to walk on a skyway connecting two of the trees and had a coffee at the top of the observation tower. All must-do items when visiting. And - once again - great photo opportunities. 


A/ Entrance
B/ Approaching the Cloud Dome
C/ The Inside Waterfall
D/ Artsy MBS shot from inside the Dome
E/ Selfie from the Skyway Walk








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