Trip - Garden by the Bay Avatar the Experience

Hi Blog,

It's about the end of 2022, thought of what to do to end the year... Then XY asked to visit Garden by the Bay to practice his newly enquired photography skill and...

Since there was a new theme - Avatar the experience

Let's go there and take a look.

Preparing my camera and thanks Mr Sya for lending his lens.

Macro lens! First time trying this pro lens. Honestly... I don't know how well I can use it.

For now... I would also bring my kit lens 18-200mm that allowed me to zoom and wide shoots at ease.

Alright, no time wasted! Let's go!

To register to my knowledge... It is a long distance to walk from the nearest station to Garden by the Bay... Ended up, we walked for like 20mins+ to get there.

Sadly, I don't have time to admire this beauty...

Finally approaching... We realised going to Garden by the Bay during weekday evening to...

...cover two Domes is both impossible and possible; depending on the individual. Possible if you just stroll through the garden and impossible if you want to spend quality time snapping some flowers.

To top the worst, it was crowded and long queue at the entrance; it was understandable due to it was after Christmas (for those who wanted to catch up the festival), End of 2022 (catching up with friends and family) and lastly...

...the collaboration of today's title...

...the Avatar movie theme - the Avatar Experience.

First sight of the trip - Majestic forest waterfall in Cloud Dome and...

...the popular and crowded spot where always filled up with visitors who are trying to awe and snap pictures at.

Best of all, to pack the more crowds there, they have a Banshee guarding in front of the waterfall. So packed!

I wanted to snap a picture with the Banshee but there was a long unorganized queue so... I just checked around and found this big leaf philodendron waving at me.

Alright, I will take pictures with you :3

Oh yes, this special Maori sculpture is a special one, something representing the special relationship between Singapore and New Zealand.

(Credit XY) Alright! We managed to find a spot where we can have a picture for the Avatar theme.

Time to try my camera for some plants here before the night takes over

This one took from my kit lens 18-200mm which required me to hold my breath and pray for a crisp clear image.

With that Macro lens and the result is OMG! (My apology if my macro shot skill is still inferior to other professionals) I just love to see how detail and intricate the macro world is.

It is like a world within a world in a different another shared dimension with us and the fact is there are so many multi worlds within and above one another.

Oh wow, this is a Begonia Rex Escargot! Love its spiral leaf applying the perfect ratio. God is amazing.

There are many different types of begonia in the Cloud Dome. I wanted to capture-them-all but there was time constraint for us...

...so I just snapped the unique ones as I walked along. This spotted begonia Maculata looks interesting and cute; I wondered if I grow the same begonia type along the corridor, it will be an interesting sight.

Another different begonia with a different leaf style, honestly... I am not begonia expert so I won't be able to register or relate this as begonia... Who knows... It might not be begonia after all? Haha

I only know this is how a begonia leaf will look like.

And other similar type. Just like human, we are the same but there are different races.

Aww just look at the wall of beautiful Philodendron McDowell. How I wished it is my own garden. Okay I was dreaming.

Hmm... By looking at this Avatar sculpture, I can't relate. Haha as I have not watched the movie yet!

Because I was awed by the beauty of the plants here especially this one awesome Philodendron Verrucosum which I have difficulty to grow. I swear I will grow this one well in future.

An Avatar theme spiral structure captured my attention but...

...not as effective as this beautiful Sarracenia. Garden by the Bay please sponsor me a small space for building a display for other beautiful Sarracenia, please... 🙏🏼 I can only dream as to who am I for them to even consider? Haha. But XY took a very nice picture (right) with the blue light which made it avatar-ish.

When you combined plants with animals, it will look alien-ish and the world which I will love to study.

(Credit XY) Just like this Firey Leaf. Won't it be nice if this is real?

The "Firey Leaf" just brought out our imagination and creativity to match the Avatar theme. Haha.

Anything that glow belongs to Avatar, or the world which I will like to visit as the glow brings out the sense of a life force.

But that world will definitely have some fierce predators like this six-legged panther Thanator.

As we proceeded, there was a queue for the visitors to snap a photo with a baby avatar creature. We didn't have time for that before they left.

I was wondering, is it a Coincidence that this orchid colour just simply matched the avatar theme? After looking through my first visit to the Garden by the Bay in 2016 (blog post), I realised that its colour was like this in the beginning.

Another Avatar experience which we decided to give it a miss due to the long queue and time. It was a virtual display on your feature to make you an avatar.

Since I am forever alone then can I become a wizard?

Oooo what an amazing thorny leaf plant. I guess I am a foliage lover than a flower. I just love how much characteristics a leaf can display.

Even though aesthetically, most flowers' beauty is undeniable unbeatable but sadly, it won't last.

But leafy plants' characters are just awesome in their own way. Like when I shone my UV torch on this begonia, it will display another side of itself.

I tried to shine my UV onto the flowers, but they don't illuminate. That's bad... I thought the flower will also have its own "avatar" state. I suspected maybe it was just too bright here.

For now, we will just appreciate the flowers as it is.

What can you make out of from this woody structure?

There are many interesting sculptures hidden in the garden, hope you spot them all? The idea of capture-all is one way to entertain ourselves while we are there.

Oooo, glowing hill.

They started with this weird thing.

Is it for us to touch? No time to test it out.

Weird floating plants like we are living in the water, and this is a water plant. After checking online, this one is called Panopyra which is supposed to glow.

Ooo, we had come to a spot where people had gathered... So what were they doing here? Ah! The Avatar characters were here.

What was amazing here, is that these Avatar sculptures will glow! Remember when I mentioned anything that glows tend to look as if they are alive. Those glow dots really made it convincing.

Oooo this amazing Hammerhead looked so beautiful but lack of the glow dots. Thanks XY for helping me to capture this.

Next beside the Hammerhead was this Fire Pod. Hmm what is it? The visitors were queuing and struck by the entrance, it seemed like there are something inside, holding the line.

Loved this web-like structure, how I wished it will be on the ground level.

Ooo, inside the pod, there was a fire pit in the center and...

...as you walked near the wall and the casted shadow will make you an avatar with a tail. But it was too crowded to enjoy this.

The mist started to spray to form a cloud and it started to turn dark. Can't snap many plants now...

Instead of complaining about the situation, perhaps I took it as an opportunity to experience the dome at night...

...and see what kind of challenge I will face. Hmm it seemed like the first challenge will be the harsh light on the subject and can't spot any small plants.

Reached the top of the dome and it was dark though...

...but I could spot a giant on top of it, I wonder what specie is that?

Ah, one unique flower here.l, it relies on its leaf to display itself.

During the day, it looks normal but at night, it is luminescent.

Not much but the most important part of it, perhaps it is to direct the insects to go for the right spot.

Like this, hypnosis us.

Even though it is impressive to check pitcher plant out under UV light but I will still prefer the look during the day because my eyes were built that way. I guess that is where it is amazing to know the plants communicate at different levels.

My UV torch can't work when there is bright light around.

Yeah, as mentioned, I just like to see colours.

Just so beautiful :) Can I have such a garden in my life?

So that I can admire them all day... to be honest, If I need, I can just pay to visit again without worrying or paying for its high maintenance. Or just stare at images online.

(Credit XY) Having a DSLR or good camera, can stay focus on your subject very well.

If not, our phone can only snap as whatever is in front of the lens.

(Credit XY) or focus on the plants or me 😅🤮

It seemed like we were short of time... I bought two tickets for two domes... No more time to hang around to experience avatar, hence we just snapped and left.

Water fall... Not as impressive as the day time.

This creature is called Ulu. What an adorable and docile creature.

Welcome to the place of light.

Wah... I wanted to snap some more here... but there was a queue and we were told to move forward...

(Credit XY ) For helping me to snap one pic here before we were chased out.

Remember glowing tends to make things look alive? I felt so alive in front of all the lights they produce but we can't stay too long here...

In the last section of the Cloud Dome, we saw this magnifying glass aiming at a spot...

Oh my! A small tiny Orchid!

They are so tiny! Mother Nature surely has installed things for everything.

They are just less than a cm. It is simply amazing.

They are called miniature orchids and will grow best under terrarium conditions with high humidity.

Last shot at the Cloud Dome, seriously, there were so many amazing plants but...

(Credit XY) ...we just had no time for the next one - Flower Dome.

Christmas was over but we can still enjoyed the decoration of red.

(Credit XY) Better to be present than late. Merry Christmas to my blog readers if any.

Beautiful. Night visits surely got something different for visitors. Lights' decoration was perfect for the season.

(Credit XY) My favourite for the year. This is what I loved about DSLR for portraits. Focus. Like a small space for myself. I know I am not handsome... But at least, a picture to remind me that I am good enough.

The year 2022 was going to end sooner... What is my next year's resolution? It got me thinking. I guess it is about time to move strongly towards the future. Lesser expectations and be contented.

(Credit XY) Wow... Under the light, the dragon looks awesome.

(Credit XY) Flower Dome focuses on plants like succulents and our varieties of flowered plants.

(Credit XY) Sometimes leafy plants too but not much.

(Credit XY) Xy surely had a lot of energy to snap. My social quota had drained completely... Too tired to snap. Maybe it was also due to nighttime, I just can't snap as many flowers as I wished for and this post was about Avatar Experience so I just wanted to stay focus on my content.

Maybe I can end my last post of 2022 with this Christmas Tree.

Thanks XY for accompanying me on this trip. Sooner, he will be leaving Singapore and returning to his country. Just a group picture together. Thanks bro.

Time flies so fast.

(Credit XY) I know I can't be what I wished to be when I was young. It was a past, time to wish for who I want to be now. Aware, Accept and Adjust; the three As. I am aware that I need to change, accept the fat and adjust myself for the future positively.

Lastly, before I exited, I saw these two plushies that my brother loves these characters so much, I bought them and gave them as a gift. Knowing the fact that my brother and I have a lot of uncommon views and styles towards our life, we are still brothers. Just like this Chip and Dale are two brothers with different personalities but they look after one another. I know I will be single for now... Time to take care of my family members.

Anyway, back to the topic. Overall, Avatar Experience at Garden by the Bay was interesting and many avatar-themed sculptures were here to spice up the Cloud Dome. Hope we have more time for it but the overall trip experience was well spent. Thank you, Garden by the Bay for this theme.

Jeff