Field Trip to Marina Bay part 1

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Hello guys !
I'm back to show you more about Marina Bay and its attractions up close !
Just to let you guys know that i did not cover every single attractions up close at Marina like the Singapore Flyer and Merlion Park as it wasn't convenient and neither is it part of my route but i'll tell you guys about my previous experiences when i was there on my other post !


SO YA ,
i went to Marina Bay with a friend of mine Pearlyn as it would be a boring trip to not have someone alongside with you to do crazy stuff, doing stupid poses and be amazed at the same time.
On that day itself, before i left home for this adventure, i had a mission. My mission was.... to be as touristy as i can and drop my identity of being a Singaporean. HAHAHA. It was really a very good experience as you start to see things in a different point of view and perspectives.

Where is the attractions at Marina Bay ?  > click to see a preview of places around Marina Bay

On my previous post, i mentioned that Marina Bay has extensive transport network and seamless links to places to places. Instead of the usual stop to alight when you're taking the MRT Bayfront Station or Marina South Station . I alighted at City Hall Station which is a station on the red line. Actually, there is many ways and stations you can alight like Esplanade Station, Raffles Place Station and Promenade station. So i encourage people to plan their route before you embark on this journey !

So i decided to take a underground links that have many shops for me to look at and also have my lunch before i start to walk under the sun ): . The weather wasn't forgiving that day. i had sushi express due to cravings and the food at Marina Bay Sands was way beyond my budget but i'll dine there someday. :D

After lunch, the first attraction i went via the underpass was Theatre on the Bay ! A.K.A esplanade A.K.A durian . I like the ambiance there as it was peaceful and also artistic. The walls was well decorated and the facilities was well kept.

Their Forecourt is currently under some renovation in the making of a garden if i don't remember wrongly but ill visit again when its done!
Forecourt @ Esplanade
 The thing about Esplanade is that it can be quite confusing as i got lost . hahahahaha . Their main entrance was closed due to the renovation and i couldn't figure out where to exit to the outdoor theatre. The lady at the customer service saved my life,  the customer service was easily located right beside the main entrance. She was very friendly and gave me clear instructions on the direction i should go. While i was on my way out i noticed a few retail outlets and there was interesting stuff that actually caught my eyes.

This shop called ARCH, it sells handicraft that works as a very nice souvenir or gift as it showcase the heritage of Singapore via its art pieces. Not just that, they do customisation as well ! Their items range from photo frames to decorative and 3D miniatures.
2D Frames
Bookmark
Magnet
While i was still walking around in Esplanade i notice a lot of families and tourist are here. Families come here to watch shows at the outdoor theatre. Tourist here to take photo of this iconic durian as it has won many architecture and design awards . Like, RIBA International Awards year 2005
Esplanade has many workshops and have many annual festival around the year too. For instance, keep a look out for Flipside ! This festival caters towards family with children as its the June holidays its during 29 May to 7 June there are 100 ticketed and non-ticketed performances by international and Singapore artist for people to enjoy. Ranging from mine, puppetry, physical comedy and others. This is one festival that makes Esplanade quirkier .
To know more about Esplanade and its many concert halls, there is a Esplanade tour of 45min meeting them at the Information counter at level 1. However it is temporary close due to the renovation of refreshing Esplanade.
Outdoor Theatre @ Esplanade
By looking at the picture above, it means that i got my way out of the Esplanade ! :D
There was a performance going on and many locals were just enjoying the music. At this venue, you get to see a nice view of Marina Bay landscape, MBS and Merlion. There was many photographers around also. I'm not professional in photography but i tried. :/

nice right taken by me :D (Y)



So after capturing a few photographs, we continue our adventure by walking toward the Floating Platform and we saw fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood . I damn sad la, didn't get to eat anything just walk pass only because it wasn't opened yet. So many local delicacies right before my eyes . sigh.


Photosource: Makansutra website

Whats good at Makansutra Gluttons by the Bay?

  1. Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
  2. Pinoy BBQ restaurant Gerry's Grill
  3. Singapore's famous chilli crab & Sambal Stingray from Rong Guang BBQ seafood
  4. Godfather of Sum Lo Ho Fun 
  5. Prawn paste chicken from Old Hong Kong Street Chun Kee

Makansutra Gluttons by the Bay is surrounded by rectro push-cuts and whats even better , you get to eat and enjoy the wonderful skyline of Marina Bay . Shiok right. Its the place for visitors who like to enjoy local delicacies and locals who like to have supper ! 
Its opening hours 5pm-2am on Monday to Thursday, 5pm-3am on Friday and Saturday, 5pm - 1am on Sundays.
Better bring enough money to savor all these good food the budget you'll need is within $10-$30 .

Moving on, Pearlyn and i walked to the floating platform where the National Day Parade is held at. On the side note, we were quite fascinated that the floating platform could be used for other purpose.
There was a soccer training or friendly match going on at the platform. We were like , " the ball won't get kicked out of the floating platform meh, Omg i confirm laugh at how they are going to get the ball back." Just right after we said all these we realise that there was like a net to prevent the ball from going out of the platform to the river. #whywesoretarded


As you walk closer to the Floating platform, you'll see the Singapore Flyer right before you. 
At this point of our journey, we decided that we were each other's partner because we saw so many couples around too.

After walking past the Floating platform where events usually takes place here, we got the the entrance of the Helix bridge!
 
Helix Bridge symbolizes "life and continuity","renewal","everlasting abundance" and "growth". 
Its curve design is by two opposing steel metal held together by series of connecting struts like a DNA.
Fun fact : It might not seem like its long but its Singapore's longest pedestrian linkway of 280-metre 
I encourage visitors to go at night as its way more beautiful at night when it lights up . Nevertheless, 
This Helix Bridge have won plenty of awards like "World's Best Transport Building" award at the World Architecture Festival Award and been recognise by Building and Construction Authority(BCA) of BCA Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Award in 2011.

The Helix Bridge night view

You will see a uncle selling ice-cream via pushcarts, please help yourself like i did from the crazy weather.

While i'm walking on the bridge i see these little things on the ground pairs of colored letters c and g , a and t. I didn't know what was it till.. minutes ago it means cytosine, guanine, adenine and thymine. These are the 4 bases of DNA structure ! O: 



Art Science Museum at the background. The focus was the people there were mostly couples, families and photographers.

On the day i went of the field trip with Pearlyn, i didn't go to the Art Science Museum till the next day as i wanted  to go to Gardens by the Bay before the sky turned dark and so that i can get nice photos of pretty flowers or not get bitten by more mosquito.
I went to Gardens by the Bay via Marina Bay Sands, for people who didn't know you could do that. 
There's a bridge that connect brings you to Gardens by the Bay. 
Marina Bay Sands has very well directed sign boards to assist you around so don't worry you'll find it ! The lift up to the bridge is near the Taxi stand of Marina Bay Sand. Its called the Lions Bridge on level 6 opening from 8am -11pm daily connecting to the Dragonfly Bridge.



 Tadaaaaaaaa, its a better alternative towards Gardens by the Bay as you get to see nice landscape up here! 


While you're walking this bridge you get to sit down and relax for awhile after walking for a long distance from Theatre on the Bay you'll also get preview of the interior of Marina Bay Sands Hotel too ! 

By taking this route, you will be able to capture Gardens by the Bay in a photograph and see a full view of it from a macro perspective. Its breathtaking , i will let the picture do the talking because i took them hahahha. but its really beautiful . 3...2...1... 




Welcome to Gardens by the Bay !
Gardens by the Bay is my favorite place in Singapore. Its educational, its peaceful and also like your getaway place even when you want to do work. 
Its very accessible by car , bus, MRT or walking like how i did.
There are many expressways  to take for locals who live outside the city for instance East Coast Parkway (ECP), Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway ( KPE) continuing onto the new Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) exiting 3 onto Central Boulevard and  turn right to Marina Gardens Drive.
By bus, take 400 and alight along Marina Gardens Drive.
by MRT, Bayfront MRT Station either circle or downtown line.

When you're there, do help yourself with a brochure in getting you way around Gardens by the Bay as its very useful and informative of places to go and prices for admission ticket or plan your trip before hand on their website ! Gardens by the Bay website
Its outdoor gardens are free admission. However, to enter the conservatories cost $12 for each and $20 for both for adults. To go on OCBC skyway cost $5. There are audio tours available as well which cos $8 for adults and $3 for a child. There is also shuttle service which is $2 for 2 rides.
I love Gardens by the Bay as it has a diverse range of plant life from the world's 4 corner, making it much to explore. They bring in exotic species which we don't see in our everyday life in the cool conservatories.

Must go in Gardens by the Bay;

  1. Flower Dome
  2. Cloud Forest
  3. The supertrees 
  4. Heritage Gardens
  5. World of plant
  6. Dragonfly lake
  7. Far East Organisation Children's Garden
  8. Sun pavillion






The first garden i went was the Heritage garden, it showcase the different ethnic group in Singapore and their plants, their historical significance in Singapore's city state. From Chinese garden, Malay Garden and also Indian Garden. 
At the Malay garden you will learn some food and medicine you can take or useful plants. For instance i learnt that , Belimbing is high in acid juice which can be use as a stain remover and its flower can be use as cough syrup ! 

I've also visited the Far East Organisation Children's Garden

It caters to family with kids, the facilities given was exactly what the audience actually need. There's a Children's Garden Cafe, toilets , open shower, lockers and also covered amphitheatre capacity of 300 people for mum and dads to grab a light snack and watch their kids soak up in fun.

Fun fact, The Water Play is linked with sensors which detect the movement of children to create a corresponding sequence of water effect ! 



There's treehouses for children to play too ! Its purpose of the playground design is to enhance Child's  physical and cognitive through sensory playtime element ! 



Although i did not manage to go into the conservatories when i was there but i went for it last year during christmas when they had the Winter Wonderland Event.
The thing about Gardens by the Bay is that they or vigilant in changing its events according to festive seasons and themes in their Domes. 
For instance, they have the flowery fun times garden trial in Flower Dome along with its Nursery rhyme floral display where you'll see Mary and her Little Lamb. 
Flower Dome replicate the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy, What you'll see is the eerie experience of the baobabs and amazing plants and flowers from all over the globe. 
Flower Dome won Guiness World records 2015 of World's Largest Glass Greenhouse ! 

Cloud forest is the cool-moist conservatory with one of world's tallest indoor waterfall showcasing plants life of tropical highlands up to 2000 metrers above sea level. Cloud Dome depicts of a 35 metre tall mountain covered in lush vegetation. It has also a restaurant called the Pollen in the Dome.
GB Model, like a black box to educate people of current global warming issue and learn ecological functions of the super trees like how it capture solar energy ! 


There is many places to Dine too at Gardens by the Bay like

  1. Supertree Dining which will cause people to be indecisive in what they want to eat as there is local and international delights
  2. Cafe Crema which is a Italian style cafe where its nice to have a coffee at.
  3. Bakerzin 
  4. Satay by the Bay which is similar to Makansutra i mentioned earlier on.
Among all these nice places to go in Gardens by the Bay, you can also hold your corporate event here or concerts ! 
I recently went to a EDM concert performed by world number 1 dj Hardwell ! He was very good . It was held at The Meadow where its 22,000 square metre and able to accommodate 30000 people with a panoramic backdrop of the Conservatories, Supertrees and Marina Bay landscape.

There are 3 more event venues 
  1. Flower field hall which is 1,200 square metre in the Flower Dome
  2. Waterview Room overlooking Marina Bay water front which is 600 square metre
  3. Silver leaf which is a outdoor space overlooking the dragonfly lake and it 600 square metre.
I've been the gift shop at Gardens by the Bay and wasn't allowed to take any photos but manage to know what was the popular item sold there. Its called La Belle. The lady mentioned that the flowers are real and tourist like to buy this back for display purposes. Its not cheap to buy one of this , it cost around $40 for something small. The gift shop sells, ice cream, beverages , book marks , shirts , candies and many more.

Only photo i took there before the lady said i couldn't take a photo of the stuff in there



All in all, i felt that the service given was great. Staffs are professional and well dressed in same uniforms. The place is well kept as its clean even the toilets were clean. There are water coolers for people to fill up their water bottles too ! 

Wait for my next post of Marina Bay Sands and my trip to Arts Science Museum ! 






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Vanessa ' 97 baby !
tertiary student in Temasek Poly
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