Amazing Orchids

Both Mum and Dad have keen interest in orchids, so it seemed obvious to visit the National Orchid Garden located within Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Conveniently the train outside our apartment was on the same line as the gardens so we simply hopped on and then off again some 40 minutes later.

A 158 year old huge tropical garden, the Singapore Botanic Gardens has been honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage site, only 1 of 3 in the world. We scooted through slowly directly from the station to the Orchid Garden, with a short stop at the cafe for a cold drink.

The National Orchid Garden is at the forefront of orchid studies and cultivation. Boasting over 1,000 species of orchids and more than 2,000 hybrids. As we wandered around marvelling at all these beautiful and abundant blooms, we sought refuge in the shade form the hot sun. Despite several exhibits being closed due to renovations, we enjoyed the VIP exhibit in the Burkill Hall. Since 1956, over 200 hybrid orchids have been named after dignitaries,  celebrities and visiting heads of state as part of the Orchid diplomacy program. Around 20 of these were on display.

The heat was definitely quite energy sapping. After our finishing at the Orchid garden, we decided to head through the rainforest on our route back to the station with a lunch break at the cafe. All up a really nice day giving Mum and Dad some inspiration for their orchids back home!