Botanical tourism in Singapore

For many Singapore may bring to mind skyscrapers with financial corporation headquarters, high-tech industry and one of the largest harbours in the world. And this is true, but Singapore is no concrete jungle — on the contrary it was the vision of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, that it should not be so. The Government often refers to Singapore as "City in a Garden" and that is largely true; there are plants and trees everywhere, even in the CBD, and apart from the many great parks there are also a number of wild, green patches. One patch, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve consists almost exclusively of primary rainforest, and is said to have more species living there than North America, and although that is debatable the biodiversity is indeed extremely high. Singapore has tropical rainforest within its city limits, and the Singapore Botanical Garden is one of only three botanical gardens to have UNESCO World heritage status (The other two being Kew Gardens in London and Padoa Botanical Garden in northern Italy). In Singapore you can board a train or bus and go directly to primary rainforest or mangrove swamp, and at the same time you don't really have to worry about horrid tropical diseases, poisonous snakes (do exist, but are quite rare) or giant spiders.

Singapore is part of the Indomalayan Realm, with South Asian wildlife.

Prepare
Singapore is generally an extremely safe place to be and very easy to navigate, and you can buy almost anything after arriving. But being placed in the "high tropics" just a few degrees north of equator you will need to deal with both heat (always) and strong sun (when the sky is clear, more rarely). Be sure to check the weather forecast particularly if you plan to visit in the afternoon or early evening where there is a higher probability of rain. Wherever you go into nature bring water. A cap is a good idea, as well as sunblock and covering but very light clothing. When going into nature you will need to balance between the long pants and sturdy shoes required by location, and the shorts and sandals required by the climate.

Also note that Singapore has (and enforces) very strict regulations on collecting plants and especially animals, and even on straying from the official paths - and this is good for there are a lot of people sharing the nature!

All publicly accessible nature comes well signed, and it pays off to read the information given as it will tell in those few cases where caution is needed!

For a high-tech country like Singapore, it is in some cases amazingly dependent on cash; when going into nature you will find soft drink vending machines in the most unlikely places (to avoid people dehydrating) but they usually accept only coins (≤$1) and small notes (~$2).

Changi airport
While not really a sight in itself, Changi airport is the point of entry for most visitors and deserves mention for the impressive greenery displays found everywhere in the airport - worth mentioning is a large stand of Agathis at immigration (one side). Jewel Changi Airport is a mixed-use development at Changi Airport in Singapore that opened in 2019. It includes gardens, a hotel, aviation facilities and 300 retail and dining facilities

Central and North

 * There are a number of special themed gardens within the garden
 * The Orchid Garden (8:30AM-7PM, $5 for nationals, $15 for foreigners): One of the worlds largest accessible collections of Orchids. Also features a bromeliad house, epiphyte house and coolhouse.
 * The Ginger garden: Collection of Zingiberales.
 * Evolution garden: Bryophytes, Lycophytes, Ferns, Cycads, Gymnosperms and basal angiosperms. The evolution trail also features models of Lepidodendron from the Carboniferous.
 * Healing garden: Collection of healing herbs.
 * Rainforest walk: Small patch of conserved primary rainforest. Focus on a number of common and some large trees and the processes in the forest floor. Near the entry to Liane Road is a 50 m high Terminalia subspathulata, the highest tree in the garden and one of the highest trees in Singapore.
 * Learning forest: Patch of secondary rainforest with small canopy walk.
 * Keppel Wetlands: Restored wetland area.
 * Keppel Wetlands: Restored wetland area.


 * The Gardens by the Bay includes a number of special attractions or themed gardens:
 * Super-Trees: Supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft). 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. There is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a panoramic aerial view of the Gardens. A food and beverage outlet is planned atop the 50-metre (160 ft) Supertree.
 * Flower Dome conservatory (09:00-21:00, entry fee): A cooled, dry conservatory replicating 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 the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres) and 38 metres (125 ft) high and maintains a temperature between 23 °C and 25 °C, slightly lower at night. The Flower Dome is the world's largest columnless glasshouse.
 * Cloud Forest conservatory (09:00-21:00, entry fee): A cooled, moist conservatory replicating 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. It features a 42-metre (138 ft) "Cloud Mountain", accessible by an elevator, and visitors will be able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre (115 ft) waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air. The "Cloud Mountain" itself is an intricate structure completely clad in epiphytes such as orchids, ferns, peacock ferns, spike- and clubmosses, bromeliads and anthuriums. It consists of a number of levels, each with a different theme, while the dome covers 0.8 hectares (2.0 acres).
 * Heritage Gardens: 4 historically themed gardens, Colonial Garden, Malay Garden, Chinese Garden and Indian Garden
 * World of Plants: 5-6 botanically themed gardens
 * World of Plants: 5-6 botanically themed gardens


 * Contains a number of more specific activities
 * MacRitchie Reservoir Park
 * The MacRitchie trails: E.g. Prunus trail and Chemperai trail
 * MacRitchie Treetop Walk (09:00 - 17:00, closed Mondays)
 * The MacRitchie trails: E.g. Prunus trail and Chemperai trail
 * MacRitchie Treetop Walk (09:00 - 17:00, closed Mondays)


 * There are a number of specific tree-trails in several places, below is listed a few of the more prominent
 * Civic District Tree Trail
 * Heritage Trees of Singapore Botanic Gardens Walking Trail
 * Trees of the Fort Trail in Fort Canning Park
 * Heritage Trees of Singapore Botanic Gardens Walking Trail
 * Trees of the Fort Trail in Fort Canning Park

The Southern Ridges
The Southern Ridges is a sequence of parks in the southern part of Singapore. The parks are connected by a system of paths known as the Southern Ridges Walk.

Nurseries
Singapore has extremely strict rules on collecting live plants as most nature in Singapore is either a garden, park or nature reserve. However there's a fair number of nurseries where you can by a huge number of tropical plants, often at bargain prices.

Sleep
Singapore is generally a hotel country, although hostels and B&Bs do exist too. But if you want to sleep in contact with nature the options are limited. The few available are listed below: