We’ve all heard about the National Orchid Gardens located within the Singapore Botanic Gardens but how many of us have actually visited this gem of a place? As a continuation of our ‘5 things to do at the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ blog post, we’ll be sharing about our xperience there.
About the National Orchid Garden
Located in the center of Singapore Botanic Gardens, the National Orchid Gardens was opened back in 1995 by the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.
Being one of the world’s largest orchid displays, you can expect to see over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids during your visit to the Orchid Garden. With the different zones of Orchid displays, it aims to simulate an ascending experience of the tropical cloud forest. Do note it is quite a distance from the Botanic Gardens MRT station!
Here are some things to note:
Opening Hours: 8.30am-7pm daily (Last admission may be at 4pm due to Covid-19 restrictions)
Tickets can be purchased at the entrance and pricing are as follows:
Singaporeans: $5 for adults, $1 for students/senior citizens
Standard pricing: $15 for adults and $3 for students/senior citizens
For more information, do visit their website.
Journey Around the Orchid Gardens
As we entered the Orchid Garden, we were welcomed by the beautiful sight of flora and fauna. The path leading up was surrounded by patches of orchids, which felt like a teaser of what’s to come in this expansive garden.
Burkill Hall
Walking down the path, we came across a while bungalow named Burkill Hall. Built back in the 1860s, it is the last surviving Anglo-Malayan plantation-style house in Southeast Asia.
Be sure not to miss the small flower cluster in front of Burkill Hall. It is definitely in the top 10 photo-worthy spots in this hidden gem.
In the VIP Orchid Garden, we saw many outstanding orchid hybrids named after honourable heads of state and distinguished guests such as Princess Diana and Ban Ki-moon. Such orchid diplomacy is seen as a gesture of friendship and goodwill between Singapore and other countries.
Pro Tip: Do come in the morning where the lighting will definitely help you capture the perfect shot!
Tropical Montane Orchidetum
The Tropical Montane Orchidetum simulates a tropical montane forest, featuring various orchid and plant species from a mid- to high-elevation forest. It comprises 3 display houses (Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection, Tan Hoon Siang Mist House and Sembcorp Cool House), and has undergone extensive expansion works in the past years.
1. Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection
This 620 sq metres mid-elevation forest environment showcases a diversity of neotropical plants such as bromeliads, orchids and other flowering plants. This plant species mainly come from the Central and South America region.
Do keep a lookout for a small kid statue in the midst of a water feature while walking through this garden.
2. Tan Hoon Siang Mist House
This 760 sq metres display area features award-winning hybrids and species from the National Orchid Garden’s collection and Singapore Botanic Garden’s orchid hybridisation programme.
The beauty of the orchids could be seen especially with the sunlight seeping through the glass window panes. Ranging from all sorts of colours and species, it was definitely a magical sight to see.
Spot these statues that showcase pollinators of orchids within the mist house!
This is also the house of Papilionanda Tan Chay Yan, the orchid that placed our little red dot in the spotlight for orchid cultivation.
Isn't it very chio?
3. Sembcorp Cool House
Upon exiting Tan Hoon Siang Mist House, we walked a boardwalk-like path down to the Sembcorp Cool House. The path is filled with a combination of lush greenery and different shades of orchids. As someone who loves nature and all things flower, this is definitely a sight to not be missed as it felt like stepping into another magical dimension.
With a surrounding temperature of 16 to 23 degree celsius, this place was definitely the coolest (geddit?) with its air-conditioning feature to emulate a high elevation montane forest (and to save us from the sweltering heat outdoors).
Upon entering the cool house, we were greeted with a blast of cold air. This 2-storey cool house is home to Asia’s largest collection of high-elevation motane orchids, with more than 1,000 species and hybrids from 5 biogeographical regions. Unlike the other display houses, the Sembcorp Cool House has a rocky terrain, which was a change of sight from the rest.
This location also housed one of the largest strings of orchids I had ever seen, in both white and purple variations.
Get a sneak peek of The Sembcorp Cool House here! ;)
Apart from visiting these attractions, there are other photo worthy spots that you won't want to miss out!
Our first spot may be familiar to some of you. If you have seen this but haven’t been there before, this is your sign to go 🤩 It felt a little like walking down the aisle with a beautifully decorated archway just for you (one can dream…).
Next on the list is a one-of-a-kind garden within a bird cage! Stepping inside the cage made me feel encapsulated by nature as it was literally plants everywhere I looked, 360 degrees.
Get the Xplorer App Today
Planning your trip to the National Orchid Garden? While you’re there, do check out the various attractions in Botanic Gardens. Download (App Store/Play Store) The Xplorer app to add a twist to your journey and enjoy a more immersive experience there as you complete the different challenges at the various checkpoints.
Happy Xploring! :D #xperiencethextraordinary
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