Exploring Cloud Forest & The Flower Dome in Singapore!

Hi Steemians! Today I would like to share some of our amazing trip to Singapore with you all! We went to the amazing Cloud Forest and Flower Domes and they blew me away! I hope you enjoy the post! - Verity x

When we were lucky enough to get the chance to go to Singapore last year we just couldn't wait to explore this amazing country. We were slowly getting used to the heat and heavy rain showers and loving every minute. We were out there for around 12 days so plenty of time to see all the sights! We had heard a lot about the Gardens by the Bay and the amazing nature domes they had so were eager to go check them out! We decided to go on a rainy day as most of the day would be spent indoors anyway! The first that greets you as you arrives are the amazing trees at Garden by the Bay. I think one of the reasons we fell in love with Singapore so much was how they are trying to bring back the wildlife and nature to create a city within a garden instead of the other way around. This massive job to take on was so impressive and seems to be working very well!

We were excited to get to go into the Cloud Forest dome! Cloud Forest is about 2 acres inside and replicates the cool moist temperatures of tropical mountain regions, so when we went inside we were expecting it to be more humid that it was outside but in fact it was really cool! A nice escape from the climate in Singapore!

We entered and this is the view we were greeted with :

As it is suppose to replicate a high up rain forest there is a veil of mist in the air and the air itself is so fresh and nice to breathe in! I couldn't believe the scale of the amazing green waterfall structure - Cloud Mountains - in the middle, it took my breath away. Even though we knew it was a man made structure there was something so natural about it that made you think it had been there for years and years.

It had a very peaceful feel about the place and because the dome was so big it didn't feel like you were enclosed at all, it was hard to explain but it felt really open. It was amazing looking right up at the top of the waterfall and watching the water fall slowly down to the bottom. It wasn't so much water where you would be able to feel the force of the water falling either it was a slow moving waterfall with just enough water to create a cascade. It must be the perfect place for all these plants to grow!

There were lots of amazing sculptures made out of wood around the place. They had thought of everything to make walking around this amazing place really enjoyable! It was more of an experience walking around the dome than just visiting a tourist site!

I was in my element so close to all these amazing plants and nature! It was so pretty! The whole of the Cloud Mountain was clad with orchids, ferns and loads of different kinds of plants.

The plants looked like they were thriving. The amazing walkway takes through the Cloud Mountain and to the top and each level had a different theme, so the flowers and plants changed as you went on.

Everywhere you looked there were just more and more plants! It really did give you a sense of what it would be like to walk through a high up rainforest!

Then you would come across more amazing sculptures like this one!

We started to get more views of the high up walkways and were getting a little nervous and they looked very high!!

It really was such a nice experience to explore this amazing place. With views to the outside of the rain falling down it was nice to feel like we were outside but weren't getting wet!

This amazing orchid sculpture was really pretty and one that complemented its surroundings.

More views of the high up walkways which we were going to go on! We were getting more and more nervous as we are both so awful with heights!

This was my favourite sculpture in the dome. I loved how all the animals and figures were all intertwined it must have taken so long to do and you could tell was really well made. I liked how most of the sculptures were made of wood, it just added to the natural environment of the dome.

All of the sculptures and figures around the dome went towards creating a really lovely atmosphere and made you think you were exploring somewhere magical for the first time.

So we had started our ascent up the Cloud Mountain which gave amazing views through the waterfall among all the plants. You were up close and personal with nature and it was a really amazing experience. We were trying not to look down too much though but it was hard not to, you wanted to peer over the edge and look down at the waterfall and the plants!

This next plant was huge. It looked like it had collected lots of water and was really beautiful.

This is at the top the mountain and here they have created an amazing pond like feature with hundreds and hundreds of orchids everywhere. I have never seen so many. All of them looked so healthy and well maintained too. Being on the top of the mountain had a similar feel to being on top of an actual mountain! The air was fresh with the gently mist rolling in.

I loved the little warning signs to put people off touching the plants too!

The incredible dome structure was creating amazing reflections everywhere. It was such a huge fete of engineering and gave such an impact! I've no idea how it was built, the shape isn't completely round instead its a more natural curved shaped the whole way round.

The time had come to walk on the highest walkway! And it must have taken us a good minute to put our feet onto the platform!! I didn't realise but either side of the walkway was this grated steel floor which you could see all the way down through!! So it was quite scary because while you were walking on the walkway either side you could see right down to the floor!

But we were so glad we did it, it really did give you a feel of being up in the clouds and I think that's why they made it so open and clean looking so that it was the best way to feel like there wasn't much around you but just clouds! After walking around the top floor you go back into the mountain and explore more of the science and history behind it all. It was amazing to see all the stalagmites and stalagtites.

You then exit the mountain into the dome and onto another walkway with more amazing views of the dome.

We had felt like we had been walking around for a while but all the time we kept seeing new views and new perspectives of the dome, it really was amazing! I feel like you could go to this place a few times and not ever get the same shots! I think the light would effect the dome a lot too, I have seen online a few photos of the dome with the sun shinning through the glass roof which look amazing, this day however there was no sun whatsoever so no light for us to play with, but it still looked amazing!

As you leave the Cloud Forest you see this amazing eagle sculpture, another one of my favourites!

After the Cloud Forest Dome we headed to the Flower Dome which is very close in the same complex. The flower dome is lower down than the Cloud Forest dome but a lot larger overall! It is around 2 acres and replicates a mild dry climates of areas from around the World. It hosts flowers and plants from places like the Mediterranean, Australia, and South America. So it was amazing to almost get a sense of what it would be like to walk around in these places without even going there! This dome was slightly warmer than the Cloud Forest one at 23-25 degrees C. Temperatures that back in the UK we jump up and down at!! But still much colder than the actual temperature outside in Singapore so we were more than grateful!

The amazing view across the dome was so impressive. A vast sea of trees and plants. I loved how all the trees were this amazing green grey colour and against the curve of the roof made such an amazing view. It really was a surreal view as I just couldn't believe we were inside a huge dome!

This dome had a completely different feel to it, it really did feel like we were in the Med on holiday, it was warm and bright, with palm trees and more sculptures around.

I loved these 2 sculptures especially! A lot of thought had gone into how to decorate and lay out all the different species of plants and it all worked so well. I think they hold weddings in this dome, I would imagine it would look so good !!

Even though it was still really warm outside in the Singapore fresh air it didn't particularity look that appealing from inside this warm dry dome! We were really glad to be inside and pretending we were somewhere sunnier!

We were glad to see a lovely cafe aptly called Pollen in this dome so we stopped here for some cake and tea which was well needed!

By the time we left it was quite dark so it was amazing to get to see this place all lit up. Our cameras were steaming up like crazy as going from all the different climates back to the one outside is definitely not good for them! I managed to get this shot and then left it at that. If you try and cleaner a lens with too much water on it its never a good idea, something you just have to deal with in this kind of country I guess!

I think the whole Gardens by the Bay was one of the best places I have been too. You can really see how much they are trying to help the environment as a country and it is something to really inspire towards. In the Cloud Forest they had videos and installations to show how much we are destroying our natural World and it really did make us sad. It made us think what we could do to help and we are always trying to do our bit, but if we really want to make a different its going to take more and more countries to adopt methods like they have in Singapore and I just hope that they do it soon enough.

- Verity x

Photography by me and my husband @skiesandsports and copyrighted to us.
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