Places to Visit in Singapore – National Orchid Garden

The National Orchid Garden is located within the Singapore Botanic Gardens and was open to visitors from 20th of October 1995. The garden is located in the highest hill in the Botanic gardens and is home to around 60,000 orchid plants of 1000 species and more than 2000 hybrids.

For a detailed itinerary of my Singapore trip read my following blog

 

 

After visiting “The Merlion park” (for more details read my blog) and a visit to the Thian Hock Keng Temple ( for more details read my blog), we headed towards the National Orchid Garden. The entire garden is built on a wide 3 hectares of tropical landscaped slopes and is a great place for nature lovers.

Opening hours:

• 8:30 AM to 7 PM daily. The last entry into the garden is at 6:00 PM
• Ticket prices : $5 for adults and free for children
• They charge a very nominal $1 for students and Senior citizens

 

 

The entire garden is based on 3 core concepts; Tanglin – The heritage core which retains that rustic charms of the historic gardens; Central – The tourist belt of the gardens and Bukit Timak – The educational and recreational zone. Even though many tourists visit this place every day, the garden does not look crowded and is neat and clean. Right from the ticking counter to the food court, everything is well planned and organized.

 

The park is divided into four zones,  the spring zone which has flowers exhibiting bright and lively shades of gold, yellow and creams; the summer zone with its tones of strong reds and pinks; the autumn zone with matured shades; and the winter zone of whites and cool blues.

 

 

 

One of the key attractions in the garden is Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse, which contains a colourful collection of hybrid offers. It also has a small collection of the orchids with fragrance “Vanda Mimi Palmer”

 

 

 

Another interesting place to check out inside the garden is the glass house which mimics the look and feel of a tropical forest. You will find an artificial miniature water-fall and mist all around you, thereby replicating the weather that one would find inside the deep tropical forests.

 

It was very heartening to see the young school kids taking a guides tour through the garden in their uniforms. Educating students about the flora and fauna around them is one of the key areas where educational institutions should focus. This would educate the next generation to be more appreciative about our environment and learn to respect Mother Nature.

 

 

Following are some of the recommendations from my side when you visit the garden:

• Wear light clothing – preferably cotton which will keep you cool. 
• Wear comfortable foot-ware, preferably sport shoes, as you will have to walk quite a bit inside the garden
• If you are with children, you might want to carry an insect repellent to keep them far away from your little ones
• Carry a bottle of water to keep you hydrated (Singapore in general is very humid) and carry your shades and an umbrella or hat. The sun is not harsh, but would not be a bad idea to wear your sun screen

 

I would not classify the National Orchid Garden as a must visit during your trip to Singapore as this place is for people who love to be closer to nature. My wife and I had a great time walking through the beautifully maintained garden and also learnt a lot about the flora and fauna of tropical forests – especially about the various hybrids of Orchids.

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