Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay

18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953

Tel: 6420 6848

Website: http://www.christmaswonderland.sg/web

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasWonderlandSingapore

The Christmas Wonderland is Singapore's largest Yuletide fair aka Christmas bazaar / marketplace, and is located at none other than the Gardens by the Bay. It is an event that actually comprises different components such as Luminaire Light Scuplture, Festive Market, Chrstmas Fairgrounds (rides and carnival), Ice Palace, Spiegeltent and Christmas Toyland in The Flower Dome. I shall sectionalize it accordingly.

But first, feel free to check out my review on Gardens by the Bay (click here) for an introduction before we delve into the specifics.


Luminaire Lights Sculpture

For the Luminaire Lights Sculpture, it is a spellbinding Italian light-up illumination situated around the Gardens itself, so there are no charges to view this beauty. It is available from 7.00pm to 12.00am every evening, and will be showcased from 27 November 2015 to 3 January 2016.   Pity I was there during the daytime and didn't see any of the colorful lights.



Festive Market

The Festive Market is the European-style Christmas bazaar located at the Super Tree Grove, with lots of booths selling food, drnks, and other gift items such as scented candles, etc. Little booths were set up for the vendors, so that one could eat, drink and get some Christmas shopping done in the meantime. There are no charges for it except when you purchase something.   This event is available from 27 November 2015 to 27 December 2015. It is also another pity that I was there during the daytime, so nothing was opened yet.



Christmas Toyland

Event dates:                 21 November 2014 to 5 January 2016
Opening hours:             9.00am - 9.00pm daily
Tickets:                        Local Adults SGD$12.00 / Local Children SGD$8.00 / Local Senior Citizens                                              SGD$8.00 (if above age 65, admission is FOC because of SG50). Prices vary                                            depending on packages (if any) and if you are non-citizen or non-PR visitors.
Temperature:               23 - 25 degree celsius

Located in the very womb of Flower Dome is the Christmas Toyland.  It is beautifully decorated and made to resemble a wintry European town, laden with lots of exotic winter plants and flowers as well as large array of display of toys, reindeers etc.   Christmas carols / songs are played softly in the background as well.

The centre of it all, would be the 11-metres tall Christmas pyramid decked with toys. I don't know - with the "candles" around the edges it looked more like a huge tiered cake to me. The wooden German carousel wheel would also transform into a "live stage" for a series of Christmas performances.

There were many tall and magnificent Christmas trees lining the Dome, all decorated prettily in red and gold tones. The different sections here consisted of Santa's Workshop, Toys Galore, Santa's Sleigh, Candy Cane Lane etc. I especially loved the reindeers on snow grounds and the adorable stuffed bears - the latter looking so huggable I wondered if I could sneak it away.  Toy soldiers were abundant as well.

I also loved the :Wonderful Winter Blooms", where one could readily admire a variety of gorgeous plants and smell their fragrances, such as Christmas rose, poinsettias, winter heather and holly etc.  The amount of efforts getting these into local grounds and designing their positions must have been tremendous. The maintenance must also be notably tough, in order to ensure these beautiful plants thrive in our climate.

All in all, the entire place was gorgeous and invoked Christmas atmosphere easily. Lovers of this festive season should go visit and rub off some of the Chrismas spirit as well as indulge in some colorful feast for the eyes.

Gardens by the Bay Visits

18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953

Tel: 6420 6848

Website: http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/home.html

If one were to walk across the long linkway from Marina Bay Sands, you would come to a halcyon lake named "Dragonfly Lake", where the waters are calm and tranquil, and one could take it the sights of the lovely gardens as well as Singapore Flyer looming in the background.

The Bay East Garden is opened 24 hours, with no admission charges, so one may roam freely and admire the beautiful flowers, plants and sculptures along the way.

The Sun Pavilion is a rather new addition to the Gardens, with an extensive range of cacti in various shapes and forms.

The Kingfisher Lake is another serene spot to visit along the way, with a more lively lake filled with fish, tortoises and a pretty little fountain settled comfortably at the center of the lake.

Turning in, one finds themselves facing a small but rather deep Aquarium with a good mix of fish, swimming about in their beautiful, colorful forms.

Next, we would pass by the World of Plants, where the trees are made into adorable shapes of animals.

Some indoor sculptures of animals and tribal statues, and giant termites on trees, and one may continue on to the Heritage Gardens or Children's Garden, OCBC Skyway etc.

Finally, the famous Supertree Grove. These tall, vertical gardens are 25 - 50 metres tall in height, with large canopies providing shade in the day. By nightfall, they turn into the enchanting Garden Rhapsody as the trees are lit up in various colors.  The 11 Supertrees are embedded with environmentally-sustainable functions such as photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy. I heard they are used to capture rainwater as well.

If one wishes to walk amongst the OCBC Skyway, admission is SGD$5.00 for adults and senior citizens; and SGD$3.00 for children. The Skyway is opened daily from 9.00am - 9.00pm.

Taking a walk on the fringes of the gardens before heading into the paid areas. Up till this point, everything (except OCBC Skyway) is free of charge to view and appreciate, for phototaking, taking strolls or jogging about etc.

To enter into Flower Dome, the fees are SGD$12.00 for adults, and SGD$8.00 for senior citizens and children. The opening hours are from 9.00am - 10.00pm daily. We regret not having chosen this location to enter into, because during the Christmas season, it has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland.

To enter into Cloud Forest, the fees are SGD$12.00 for adults, and SGD$8.00 for senior citizens and children. The opening hours are from 9.00am  - 10.00pm daily.  Note that all pricing stated here are for local residents only (for foreigners, you may visit the link at the top of the post to check out the admission fees).

There are also bundled pricing for Flower Dome and Cloud Forest at SGD$20.00 for adults, SGD$15.00 for senior citizens and SGD$12.00 for children.

Anyway, one is greeted by a mysterious and cooling veil of mist upon entering Cloud Forest, featuring a 35-metre tall mountain wrapped in lush vegetation and featuring the world's tallest indoor waterfall. It is a planted wall as well, covered with many types of plants and there's a walkway leading up / down so visitors could appreciate all the various types of plants on the journey.

There is a small "Japanese town" - a miniature creation of beauty, with tiny houses, real plants and train that actually moves on the tracks.

A reflective lake sits on top as we made our ascent. It is so pretty and calming just to watch.

Then there is a tree in a cute mouse / vehicular shape. It is actually besides a hearth containing some plants but I did not manage to capture photos of that visionary.

Amongst all the beautiful plants, ferns and flowers, there are many species of orchids here. Here are shots of some of my favorite flowers including some Orchids and a Pitcher's Plant.

Next up, the Crystal Mountain showcasing a variety of stalacites, stalagmites and hollowed-out crystals, including my favorite amethyst. These rock formations are beautiful to watch, especially amongst the dimmed and cooled settings which is reminiscent to a cave's.

After watching a video screening in one of the rooms on environmental issues due to climate changes etc, we entered the Secret Garden - another scenic sight of stunning creations including a smaller man-made waterfall and sculptures of alligators etc.

Finally, we have come to the end of the visit of Cloud Forest @ Gardens by the Bay, and left the place still dazed by the beauty of the plantations herein.