Previously, I have written two articles on Gardens By The Bay also known as Singapore's second botanical gardens. The first one was about my visit during the sneak preview in 2011 and the other one was about my visit in July 2012, a few days after it officially opened. In today's article, I'll be writing about another article related to Gardens By The Bay. However, this is a little bit different because I will be concentrating more on the eastern part also known as Gardens By The Bay East. This one is located slightly closer to the Tanjong Rhu area. Read on further to check out my adventures at this stunning garden.
Reaching The Gardens
Getting to Gardens By The Bay East was not really that easy as compared to getting to the main Gardens By The Bay (also known as Gardens By The Bay South). What I did was I took bus service 158 and alighted at the bus stop at the looping point known as Rhu Cross. If you want an easier way to get here, you can take bus 400 from Marina Bay MRT Station and alight at Marina Barrage and use the bridge to get here.
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The Visitor Centre
After I have successfully reached the place, I was greeted with this stunning visitor centre. The Visitor Centre has some really cool features like transparent glass ceilings, potted plants, small fountains, lots of small plants with big leaves located on the sides of it and so much more. It was a great place for first time visitors as there is a toilet, some comfortable seats, a vending machine to satisfy your thirst and a big map board which can help you navigate the Gardens easily.
Beautiful Walkway
After going through the Visitor Centre, it was time for me to enter the Gardens. This beautiful walkway lead visitors to the Gardens. What I liked about this walkway was that there were pretty trees and plants placed on the sides. Everything was all lush and peaceful when walking here. It's great to get out of the stress and noise pollution once in a while. Gardens By The Bay East is certainly one of the great places to visit when you want to get some peace and quiet.
Helpful Signboards
Although Gardens By The Bay East is pretty easy to navigate, there were plenty of signboards scattered around the garden. Let's say that you want to get to the Visitor Centre and you are unsure how to get there. Just use any of these signboards as a guide and you will be on your way. Plus, the signboards have these pretty patterns and shapes located above the words.
Beautiful Skyline Scenery
As I was walking along the garden, I saw this beautiful scenery of the Singapore skyline. I could see the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands and the Central Business District all in a distance. However, I do recommend you to visit the garden during the non-F1 season because the last time I visited the area, I could here the noise from F1 cars that were zooming past near the Singapore Flyer. It's a little bit ironic since this place is a great place to stay away from the busy traffic noise and I was there listening to noisy F1 cars. It's no wonder the spectators had to wear earplugs. Anyway, try visiting Gardens By The Bay East during the non-F1 season. It's much more peaceful.
Weird Looking Drains
As I was taking a walk along the garden, I noticed that the drains were covered by small little pink rocks. I'm not entirely sure why but I guess that they do this so that visitors don't have to look at ugly metal drain grilles. I'm not 100% accurate so let me know if you know anything about why there are pink rocks on top of the drain covers.
The Pathway Along the Gardens
When you're at Gardens By The Bay East, this is what the pathway will look like. To me it looks a little bit like a road but with no lane markings and it's only used for people not cars and other vehicles (Well, except maybe maintenance vehicles). When you're walking along the pathway, on the left are some smaller scale gardens that each have their own unique features like sustainability and the likes. On the right, there are some bushes and a beautiful view of the Singapore city skyline which I have already shown to you above. It's nice and relaxing to walk along this pathway and it's even better if it's sunny or windy. It's even better when it's both.
Sections Found at the Gardens
Like what I have mentioned earlier on, there are smaller sections at Gardens By The Bay East on the left side of the pathway. Each section concentrates on different features of the garden. For example, the section above talks about Water Sustainability. Each section also has an array of beautiful plants along with the plants that are found in the pond. Looking at these smaller gardens make me feel very relaxed and it just feels therapeutic.
The Other Sections
Other than the Water Sustainability section as seen from above, there are others which you can also check out. Some of them even have small wooden bridges which make you feel like you are over a river when you're standing on the bridge itself. Some of them also have unique looking shelters which gives you protection from the sun while looking aesthetically pleasing. You can have a small picnic here with a small group of friends. If you're feeling a little thirsty, you can always head back to the Visitor Centre and get yourself an ice cold drink from the vending machine or the water cooler.
The Linking Pathway
Other than the main pathway on the right side of the Gardens By The Bay East, there are also pathways that link from one section to another as seen from the picture above. Just follow the curly concrete paths and you get to see all the beautiful plants found at each section of Gardens By The Bay East.
It's Time to Leave the Premises
After walking all the way to the other end of Gardens By The Bay East, it's time to say goodbye. All is not lost however because the pathway will eventually lead visitors to the nearby Marina Barrage. Just use the link bridge that is found at the end of Gardens By The Bay East in order to get there. Once you're at the Marina Barrage, you may want to know how it looks like and what kind of activities you may want to carry out while you're there by clicking here. From the Marina Barrage, you can also head to the main part of Gardens By The Bay also known as Bay South which you can also find out more by clicking here. It's great that they all link up together making it easy to explore. Now, if only they can make a pathway that links from East Coast Park all the way to Gardens By The Bay East.
In A Nutshell
Overall, Gardens By The Bay is a truly awesome place to chill out and relax because it's all quiet and peaceful. If you want to find a place that is quiet and want to get away from all the traffic noise and stress, look no further than Gardens By The Bay East. And if you're feeling adventurous, you can walk all the way to the Marina Barrage and Gardens By The Bay South using the link bridge. It's also a great place to have a picnic and learn more about the plants that can be found over here. Gardens By The Bay East is a must visit especially if you have the free time.
Getting Here
Bus services available: 158 (Bus stop along Rhu Cross opp. Costa Rhu Condo)
Nearest MRT Station: Not available
Website: http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/attractions/bay-east-garden.html
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