The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the only large park in Southeast Asia with a landscape design in the British style, featuring sprawling lawns, winding paths, and a natural distribution of various plants. The main attractions in the park include tree-lined avenues, fountains, and lawns. The gardens also host many different species of plants, including some rare varieties, the most well-known of which is Singapore’s national flower, the orchid. Today, join us as we take a detailed look at the highlights of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, providing a guide to its tours, map, and how to best enjoy the orchids!
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What to See at Singapore Botanic Gardens: The National Orchid Garden
The National Orchid Garden within the Singapore Botanic Gardens is home to over 60,000 plants and orchids, making its scale one of the largest in the world. Before starting your tour, it’s worth knowing a little about the orchids here. An interesting fact is that the orchids are named after famous women from around the world. Visitors can find orchid varieties named after figures like Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, who both visited Singapore. To visit the National Orchid Garden, tourists need to purchase tickets. The price for foreign adult tourists is S$15, while students and seniors can enjoy a discounted price of S$3 with valid identification. Children under 12 can enter for free with valid proof of age.
What to See at Singapore Botanic Gardens: Urban Tropical Scenery
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a microcosm of a lush tropical island, combining pristine forests with specialized floral nurseries. It features over 20,000 species of subtropical and tropical exotic flowers and precious trees, categorized into sections such as tropical, subtropical evergreen trees, palms, bamboo, horticultural flowers, aquatic plants, marsh plants, parasitic plants, and desert plants, including many endangered species.
Furthermore, the Singapore Botanic Gardens successfully introduced and cultivated the Para rubber tree, originally from Brazil, which led to Malaysia and Indonesia becoming major rubber producers. In the 1880s and 1890s, the invention of sustainable rubber tapping techniques brought prosperity to the entire Malay Peninsula’s rubber industry, which is another reason the Singapore Botanic Gardens is worth visiting.
What to See at Singapore Botanic Gardens: British-Style Historical Architecture
The park was established in 1859 by designer Lawrence Niven, reflecting the influence of English leisure parks and garden styles. Over the decades, the garden’s layout has retained most of its original design with minimal changes. The garden is dotted with many historical buildings such as Ridley Hall, EJH Corner House, Holttum Hall, and Burkill Hall. Burkill Hall, in particular, is located within the National Orchid Garden and offers a view of the entire garden from its upper floor. The style of these buildings also provides a perfect setting for weddings and special occasions.
What to See at Singapore Botanic Gardens: The Experience of Free Concerts
At the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra frequently holds free concerts. Under the blue sky and white clouds, sitting on the lush green lawn, you can enjoy the dual pleasure of beautiful scenery and music. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is also a particularly popular spot for romantic dates. Couples can enjoy their leisure time at the picturesque Swan Lake gazebo, under the spectacular Banyan tree, or at the Bandstand, which is also one of the locations for concerts. Enjoying melodious music amidst beautiful scenery is undoubtedly a delightful experience.
What to See at Singapore Botanic Gardens: Other Interesting Places to Visit
The multimedia interactive exhibits at the Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Museum vividly detail the garden’s rich heritage for visitors, while the CDL Green Gallery showcases plant-related exhibits.
The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is a playground for children, perfect for parents to enjoy quality family time during the holidays. Here, parents can also teach their children about plant life in an entertaining and educational way, making for a fulfilling family vacation.
After learning about so many highlights of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, are you getting excited? Hold on! Check out our tour guide and map before you go for an even better experience. Here is a simple itinerary for your reference. Now, let’s continue reading!
Singapore Botanic Gardens Tour Guide and Map
The entire Singapore Botanic Gardens is divided into three main sections: the Tanglin Core, the Central Core, and the Bukit Timah Core. For tourists, it is highly recommended to focus on the Central Core, which is home to the National Orchid Garden, Burkill Hall, and the Evolution Garden. Here you can not only admire various beautiful orchids but also learn about the evolution of different plants, making it very worthwhile. If you are visiting with children, you can then head to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden located in the northern part of the Gardens. If you’re looking for a perfect romantic getaway, the Symphony Lake and Bandstand are excellent choices. After your tour, you can also visit a nearby restaurant in the Botanic Gardens to enjoy lunch or dinner surrounded by nature, concluding a fulfilling day.
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