The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a widespread tourist destination in the city-state and an iconic part of its history. This garden is a 3 Michelin star experience and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The 158-year-old gardens are located at the edge of the Orchard Road shopping district and are home to Singapore’s world-famous Orchid Garden. Spread over 82 hectares, the garden has more than 10,000 different species of plants and flowers and attracts millions of tourists to the island every year.
What makes the Singapore Botanic Gardens special?
Here are ten reasons why we think the Gardens is a place that should be included on your itinerary:
1. There is a complete orchid garden inside this place
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That’s right, the botanical gardens are so huge that there’s a garden inside them. The Orchid Garden of Singapore is spread over three hectares and several hills and is the star attraction for tourists visiting the garden complex.
Home to over 1000 species and 2000 orchid hybrids, this garden is a beautiful place. The orchid hybrids developed here are displayed on the ground floor along with information about them.
2. These gardens hold a special place in the history of Singapore
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The first version of the gardens, the “Botanical and Experimental Garden”, was established by Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded the port city and was himself a keen horticulturist. The park was established on Government Hill at Fort Canning and its main objective was to develop and research cultivated crops such as fruits and vegetables. This ancestor of the Botanical Garden was closed in the year 1829.
Furthermore, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is the country’s first entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
3. You can visit VIP flowers here!
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The VIP Gardens are located behind Birkin Hall and contain one of the most spectacular displays of orchids and hybrids in the entire world. Some of the VIP orchids on display were named after international dignitaries who have visited the Gardens, including Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, this obvious honor of naming an orchid after a visiting dignitary has been called Singapore’s Orchid Diplomacy and over 100 have been honored in this way.
4. There is also a complete rainforest in the garden
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The Singapore Botanic Gardens has a lovely tropical rainforest which is approximately 14 acres in size. Rainforests actually predate the gardens by many centuries and have been preserved over the years by the people who run the gardens. In fact, the city is one of only two cities in the world that has tropical forests within its borders. You can venture a little into the jungles here for an authentic tropical jungle experience.
5. This place played a huge role in shaping the latex industry of Southeast Asia
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The history of Singapore Botanic Garden is quite interesting. Established in its present form in 1859 by the Agro-Horticultural Society, the Garden attempted to perfect the technique of extracting rubber from the plant under the leadership of its first scientific advisor, Henry Nicholas Ridley. The technique is still used today, and Garden’s efforts to popularize it led to such a large expansion of rubber production in the Malaysian peninsula that half of the world’s latex was produced there in the 1920s.
6. The Garden hosts many events every year
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At any given time, there are a number of walks, tours, events, music shows, etc. taking place in these complexes. You can check for Singapore Botanic Garden programs online, which will not only give you the opportunity to meet new people and enjoy different experiences, but also get closer to nature.
7. You can take your kids for a picnic here
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Named after a philanthropist who donated to the gardens, the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is a perfect spot for a low-key picnic. Located near the northern end, the Gardens also have a separate visitor center and a small café. There is also a water play center and children’s playground which includes cute little tree houses, slides and mazes. Apart from all this, you can also invite your family to feed the swans and fish in the ponds surrounding the gardens.
The garden also includes a group of educational tutorials, for example there are educational multimedia exhibitions for children about photosynthesis, the use of flowers for dyes and herbs and others.
8. Botany Center and Tanglin Gate is a must-see for everyone
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Tanglin Gate is one of the oldest attractions in the Botanic Park. The cast iron gate has now been replaced by a silver door with a green leaf motif. Two brand new buildings here now house the Garden’s main botanical centre. It contains the Botany and Horticulture Library and the Singapore Herbarium.
The Green Pavilion is the first of all green roofs in Singapore, completely covered with plants and other weeds. There is a café called Food for Thought in the basement of the pavilion, which is the perfect place to view the beauty of the Singapore Botanic Gardens at night.
9. You can relax around Saraca Stream
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Saraca Stream Trail is one of the important features on the Singapore Botanic Gardens map. Near Tanglin Gate, this area is most popular for the yellow and red Saraca trees that line the banks of the small stream here. The shady area is a great place to spend the day. The musical breath of the water here is a place to steal a few moments away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.
10. Gardens are open most days
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The opening hours of the Singapore Botanic Garden are unique by every standard around the world. You can visit this place anytime between 5 am to midnight every day throughout the year, which means the gardens are accessible around the clock. You can come here almost any time of the day for jogging, picnic, stroll or get together.
Fun facts: The entry fee to the Singapore Botanic Garden itself is very low, but entering the Orchid Garden will only cost you Rs 50 per person.
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Both the Singapore Botanical Gardens and the Marina Bay Gardens feature prominently on every must-see list in the country. Whether you are a nature lover or not, you must include it in your Singapore tour itinerary!
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