Singapore day 1

If you haven't known, my mom is a Singaporean, hence that made me an Indoporean (half Indonesian, half Singaporean) lol. I visited Singapore many times when I was a kid, especially when my grandmother was still around. It's been forever now that I have not been to my mom's birth country (only went there for transits to other countries), and now I get the opportunity to visit Singapore again to attend my cousin (from my dad's side)'s wedding.

Singapore 2013/11/28

Singapore food at the airport food court for lunch : nasi briyani, prata cheese, carrot cake, pho, barley water

Traders Hotel, the hotel we stayed at

Traders Hotel, Singapore, sits in a prime location near Singapore’s famous Orchard Road. Surrounded by luxury retail shops, cafés, restaurants and in walking distance to the embassy district, this hotel satisfies the conditions of business travellers as well as holiday-makers.

Our room in the hotel - really nice and spacious (*´・ｖ・)

My sister Rania by the window (^・ω・^ )

Our window view

In the elevator with mommy, cousin Bayu and Rania (=^-ω-^=)

Walking to orchard

Singapore is a very green country

ION Orchard (★^O^★)

Formerly known as the Orchard Turn Development or Orchard Turn Site

is a shopping mall by Orchard Turn Developments Pte Ltd, a joint venture between CapitaLand and Sun Hung Kai Properties

It started operating on 21 July 2009, occupying 335 food and retail outlets. ＼(^▽^＠)ノ

To date, there are 15 flagship stores, 9 of which are duplex flagship stores, including, Topman, Topshop, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and Cartier. These flagship stores will take up a total of almost 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m²) of lettable area, or 30% of the retail area.

Met Muntu and Fred (both are Bayu's friends from Europe) while I was shopping at Sephora ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ

Went to Swensen's - ordered the macadamia & gula malaka ice cream :p~

The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay.

People video shooting behind Rania ლ(⌒▽⌒ლ)

Gardens by the Bay is a park spanning 101 hectares (1,010,000 m²) of reclaimed land.

The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.The largest of the three gardens is Bay South Garden, standing at 54 hectares.

Mom and Rania forming a heart ❤

Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden".

The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city.

Yellow ants decor ｡^‿^｡

Mommy sitting on the stone bench (　＾∇＾)

Located in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir

The interactive wall of the lifecycle and pollination of the baobab and banksia trees or the role of animals in the plant eco-system on the multimedia screens (*‿*✿)

The Flower Dome is the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres)

It replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions (e.g. parts of Australia, South America, South Africa).

The Flower Dome is 38 metres (125 ft) high and maintains a temperature between 23°C and 25°C, slightly lower at night.

The Flower Dome features 7 different "gardens" as well as an olive grove with a bistro and a central changing display field has also been incorporated to enable flower shows and displays to be held within the conservatory.

Step into the Flower Dome and you’ll be standing in awe of nature. (*＾▽＾)／

Spectacular and innovative in design, it is one of the icons of Bay South Garden.

Stop and smell the flowers in the colourful changing displays of the Flower Field, which reflects different seasons, festivals and themes. (*⌒∇⌒*)

A world of perpetual spring, where unique plants bloom in an ever changing display of flowers. (/^▽^)/

Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it showcases the adaptations of plants to arid environments.

You'll discover amazing plants and flowers from different corners of the globe, and you'll be amazed by how different parts of the trees are used in daily lives across different cultures.

It was during Christmas when we visited Singapore, and there was a red Christmas tree being displayed in the Flower Dome. (´⌣`ʃƪ)

Violet flowers

Really loved the fresh air in the Dome (´ヮ`)

Yellow flowers

Rania & plants (^-^*)/

The ancient Olive Trees from Spain, estimated to be over a thousand years old. Cultivated for over 10 thousand years in the Mediterranean, Olive Trees are a highly versatile and valuable crop, providing fruit, oil and leaves that are used for food, medicine, cosmetics and fuel.

Lovely red flowers (^∇^)

Me under the green tunnel（＾ｖ＾）

Just like we're in paradise (~‾⌣‾)~

A really big flower (∩_∩)

With 3,332 panels of 42 varying shapes and sizes of spectrally selective glass, the Flower Dome is like a giant puzzle!

Red Christmas tree made of red flowers or probably leaves (❁´‿`❁)*✲ﾟ*

Pink flowers (n˘v˘•)¬

My favorite colors - purple and pink（ｖ＾＿＾）ｖ

(ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Green tomatoes

Christmas theme *(*´∀｀*)☆

Me taken by Rania ＼(^ω^＼)

Rein-deers ^ ͜• ^

Miss Santa and Mrs Santa ~(‾⌣‾~)

Pinapple & strawberry

Another room filled with screens

Getting into the Cloud Forest

The waterfall ~ヾ＾∇＾

High in tropical mountains, these plants would absorb the abundant rainfall, releasing the water gradually to create a constant, long-lasting supply for the land beneath them – supporting even more plants! ┌(˘⌣˘)ʃ

Drinking the waterfall lol ＼(*T▽T*)／

The Cloud Forest is higher but slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares (2.0 acres)

Walkways in the clouds

The Cloud Forest replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Middle- and South America.

Visitors are be able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre (115 ft) waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air.

Pretty little flowers

Totem statues ヽ(‘ ∇‘ )ノ

The mountain has been densely planted with a mixture of fascinating orchids, delicate ferns, colourful bromeliads, dazzling begonias and menacing carnivorous pitcher plants. All of these are epiphytic and live on top of other plants in nature, requiring little substrate and are perfectly adapted for growing on vertical walls.

Me sitting down and the Totem statues behind ヾ（*⌒ヮ⌒*）ゞ

Could see the Singapore Flyer

The highest point of the mountain, which replicates the cloud forest vegetation at around 2,000m above sea level. ヾ(＠゜▽゜＠）ノ

These lights look like fireflies

Rania and mommy

Just like in Heaven ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

Mommy and me <3

This is where you can also enjoy fantastic views of the Marina Bay waterfront.

Mommy and me at the walkway ヾ(＾-＾)ノ

A closed-up view of the of epiphytes plant species that clad the side of the mountain.

Making our way down to the plateau below via the Cloud Walk

The sky is getting blue

Just like Rania's shirt ヽ(＾Д＾)ﾉ

Really amazing view of the Cloud Forest in the evening

Glaring lights ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

o(^▽^)o

Rania and the Supertree Grove о(ж＞▽＜)ｙ ☆

Me from far taken by Rania ヘ(^_^ヘ)

Beautiful sunset (๑✧◡✧๑)

Rania and the planted walls ( ʶ̷ ˡ̲̮ ؔʶ̷)✧

♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪

(๑^ں^๑)

☆*✲ﾟ*｡(((´♡‿♡`+)))｡*ﾟ✲*☆

∩˙▿˙∩

Can you see the Singapore Flyer? (｡´∀｀)ﾉ

Crystals? ( •᷄ὤ•᷅)？

Purple ❥ ᵕ

Marina Sands Bay as the background (｡’▽’｡)♡

⊂((・▽・))⊃

o((*^▽^*))o

(=^･ω･^)y＝

The Cloud Mountain

｡◕‿◕｡

Roof made of clear glass

Leaving the Cloud Mountain

My sweet lovely mommy (“⌒∇⌒”)

The Black Box (GB Model) where we can learn about self-sustainability at Gardens by the Bay. We get to discover the numerous ecological functions of the Supertrees like capturing solar energy and serving as exhausts all while supporting a green living skin. You get to find out how Singapore’s parks and gardens provide discarded plant matter as fuel for a biomass furnace that provides energy to cool the air in both conservatories.

End the journey in the Cloud Forest at the foot of the mountain is the Secret Garden. Go on a stroll through a gorge that will take you close to plants that belong to families that were once growing in abundance on earth, yet are increasingly rare today. You’ll see plants such as the Wollemi Pine from Australia, whose closest relatives may be the South American Araucaria such as the Monkey Puzzle Tree from Chile. Alongside these plants, Gingers and Heliconias surround you with amazing shades of colours, while Gunnera extends its wide umbrella leaves over the pathway. Look down and you’ll see ferns, begonias, peperomias, pileas, fittonia and other moisture-loving plants covering the ground with their fascinating foliage.

Rania and the Singapore flyer by night ((┌|o^▽^o|┘))♪

Architecture

The Supertree Grove from far

Me and my sis sitting on a crocodile bench ( ⌒o⌒)人(⌒-⌒ )v

Rawwwrrrrr.........(*･∀･)／＼(･∀･*).

A night view of the Supertrees.

Christmas tree lights (*^▽^*)

We went to a cafe nearby and ordered mushroom soup for dinner

Singapore curry chicken (￣▽+￣*)

Noodle

I swear we ate like monsters (~￣▽￣)~

Caesar salad

and cheng tng for dessert

Beautiful night lights

Supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft).

The yellow ants at night

Rania imitating the antenna of the ants (∩▂∩)

They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.

The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection of bromeliads such as Tillandsia, amongst other plants. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees – photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize; and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth.