Sakura season is just starting in Japan, but for those of us not lucky enough to be visiting the Land of the Rising Sun, Gardens by the Bay is where to head for a taste of this ethereal experience!
As part of what has been termed an “experimental floral display”, the Flower Dome has been transformed and styled after a Japanese garden, complete with cherry blossom trees for Gardens by the Bay’s latest floral display, Blossom Beats. These trees have started blooming and the ephemeral cherry blossoms, oh they are a sight to behold! I was seeing shot after shot of the amazingly beautiful cherry blossoms from my friends on my Instagram feed till I could take it no longer and had to go down to check them out myself.
I went on Saturday and it was crrooooowwwwded! But I could understand the excitement. It was really like stepping into a part of Japan when we walked through the doors.
There were even groups of visitors who dressed up for the occasion. We spied a group of girls dressed in kimonos taking pics, and cosplayers gathered in another corner. How fun!
Visiting on a weekend meant that there were long queues everywhere, from the ticketing counter to lines entering the Flower Dome, and within the dome, queues to enter the paths around cherry blossoms on the Flower Bed as well. But at least it was all very smooth and orderly. And walking amongst the flowers was such a lovely experience. (Yes, even with tons of people around you!) There are more than 20 varieties of cherry blossoms and a number of peach blossoms in the display and they were simply breathtaking.
Not unexpectedly, my little flower-loving Mei went absolutely nuts when she spied all the gorgeous blooms. She begged a camera off my hands (I gave her my iPhone) and spent her time excitedly snapping away. I’ve now got a collection of her photos that I’ve compiled into a photobook for her. I can’t wait to give it to her when it arrives! I think she’s going to love it.
Blossom Beats is on only till 27 March 2016, such is the ephemeral nature of cherry blossoms. So this is the last weekend to catch this rare, never-before-seen-in-Singapore sight!
If you’re planning to head down, DO:
- Plan to go early. We have a 3-day weekend this Friday to Sunday because of Good Friday and you can probably expect a huge last minute crowd. The Flower Dome opens at 9am. Going early will probably be your best bet.
- Buy your tickets online before going down. This will save you time standing in the ticketing line, which can be long.
- Keep your snacks. No picnicking under the Sakura here, unfortunately. Food and drinks are not permitted within the conservatories.
- Dress appropriately. The domes can be cold, with the temperatures lowered to 19°C in the day, dropping to 12°C at night!
- Maintain a good attitude. It can be crowded but everyone wants to enjoy the flowers, just like you do, and take photos. Be patient.
- Consider going into the evening when the crowds are expected to thin. When light falls, you’ll see the blossoms in a different light — literally! And you can try your hand at taking some night shots of the cherry blossoms like those taken by our PM 🙂
- Enjoy yourself!
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