The GINGER: Diary

After anticipating this moment for quite some time, March 2020 schedule granted me the opportunity to visit Singapore. In this post, I’ve compiled photos from my explorations in the city, so please enjoy!

This marks my second official visit to this country, yet it feels like the first, given the opportunity to truly experience and create lasting memories on this occasion. During the 24-hour layover, on the second day following our arrival, my colleague, Samira, and I took the opportunity to go and explore the city.

We reached the renowned Marina Bay Sands easily by metro and our initial destination, The Shoppes, situated within the iconic Marina Bay Sands complex, captivated us with its expansive mall with numerous high-end shops, top-notch restaurants, and elegant cafes and bars. Following a brief exploration and a refreshing drink, we decided to continue our journey to the enchanting Gardens by the Bay. This attraction, known for its breathtaking Supertree Grove and futuristic Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, presented a harmonious blend of nature and innovative design.

It seemed as though we were contributors to a splendid symphony, where the Supertrees served as instruments and the people played the roles of orchestral musicians.

After a short walk, we stopped by the ‘Arrival Gift Shop’ to pick up some souvenirs. We got lovely butterfly-print scarves, magnets, and photo frames.

I was fascinated to discover that atop the tallest Supertree in Supertree Grove, an open-air rooftop deck has been constructed, providing visitors with the opportunity to relax and partake in observatory space experiences. While I have yet to experience it personally, it is a priority for my next visit. Despite initially presuming that a single day would be enough to explore everything, we efficiently covered all attractions within a few hours, which was great. Next time, I’d love to take a walk along the OCBC Skyway to get a better view of the Gardens. This elevated walkway links two of those impressive Supertrees. The skyway has a 128-meter-long walk, and I look forward to capturing the beautiful scenery and the surrounding flora.

I would like to mention that Gardens by the Bay Park and the Supertree Grove are free of charge, while it does cost to go into the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. We did not visit the Flower Dome this time because it was too late and we also had Marina Bay on the list.

I’d describe Gardens by the Bay as a therapeutic garden. Much of this is attributed to the positive responses humans naturally have to nature. Additionally, the presence of water at the flowing fountain and the soothing music were key elements that contributed to the sense of inner peace I experienced.

After the avalanche of photos in the Gardens, the 300 large inflated egg-shaped lights floating on the Lake at Gardens by the Bay became the stars of the evening. I found out that when people touch the oval structures located on the lake’s boardwalk, those beautiful lights change colors and in that moment each egg emits a musical note depending on the color. For me, that moment was one of the most relaxing things I’ve seen lately. Those floating eggs represent a work entitled Autonomous Resonating Life on the Water and Resonating Trees and is one of seven interactive exhibits at Gardens by the Bay’s new art exhibition. Now we need to discover the other wonderful exhibits.  Singapore is full of surprises.

We left the wonderful Gardens by The Bay very relaxed and headed directly to Marina Bay rooftop, at the CE LA VI Restaurant and Skybar.

The entry was complimentary, instead, we had to spend a minimum of $20-$28. This sky bar is located at Bayfront Avenue Level 57 inside the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Hotel Tower 3.

There we met our friend, Nikola, who was waiting for us. We enjoyed our cocktails and some spicy french fries while taking an unparalleled view of Singapore and hundreds of photos. 

The hotel has an exclusive swimming pool accessible only to its guests. If you are planning to spend more than one hour here, simply grab your Mojito and find a cozy spot where you can enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

The city felt like a fairy tale, thanks to the vibrant energy absorbed from the Gardens by the Bay.

PS: During my visit to Singapore on March 15, 2020, the city seemed unaffected, but by the end of the month, the situation had drastically changed due to the pandemic.