With all the ongoing indulgence I am receiving, my obsession with Sakuras sees no end!
It all began in Okinawa (overdue blog post) where I first sighted wild Sakura trees at Nago. The view was majestic and beautiful at the same time, the deities of the trees. When I came back from my vacation, I found Sakura stickers and chops from Daiso, Sakura themed beauty products and Sakura themed Starbucks merchandises. It’s like my heart had a burst of Sakura petals and my wallet turned cash notes into these pretty pink flowers 😛
So when we found out that Gardens by the Bay Singapore is having a Sakura floral installation at the flower dome, we knew we had to go!
We wanted to ensure that we are viewing these little flower fairies in it’s best state, fresh to the public, so we went on day 2 of the opening. The Gardens by the Bay Sakura festival, or Sakura Matsuri will be opened from 16 March to 8 April 2018, 9am to 9pm. Here are some quick tips before you go:
- Skip the ticketing booth queue and purchase your tickets online. You’ll need to print it out and it will be stamped at the conservatories’ entrance.
- Plan the dates of your visits well. Expect the weekends to be very crowded thus if you wish to take photos with the flowers, we recommend going during the early mornings on the weekends. If you wish to take part in the Japanese Tea Ceremony or some of the activities at the Sakura Japan Fair, they are mostly happening during the weekends. Also find out the dates of celebrity Cosplayers and Japanese singers appearance.
- Check the state of the blooms on Gardens By The Bay Facebook page.Currently they are blooming faster than expected and most are already in full bloom so visit fast! If the flowers are reported to be shedding, it might be better to visit next year’s festival instead.
- Plan the timing of your visit according to the activities and read up on the different variations of Sakuras at Gardens By The Bay website.
- The FlowerDome conservatory is constantly kept at temperatures below 19°C to ensure the survival of the Sakuras but not Singaporean humans. So bring a jacket (and a thicker one too).
- You may not bring home any of the Sakuras but you may bring home pictures, so bring your best camera. Preferably one that has a good zoom or a portrait lens (to blur away the sea of people at the background).
- Respect the exhibition and do not touch the Sakuras!
Here are some of our flower shots and activities we enjoyed! All photos taken using Olympus Mark II portrait lens.
While the Sakuras are obviously getting most of our attention, don’t miss out on the other sights such as the 10 miniature Japanese Kimono dolls that are worth thousands of dollars each and the other florals also blooming at the flower dome.
Overall while we felt that Gardens By The Bay Sakura Installation misses the mark of glory compared to what we saw in Okinawa, we were still nonetheless mesmerised by it’s beauty. It was great to be able to see Sakuras the second time again this year and we hope to be able to see a different set of varieties again next year! Let us know if you have seen real Sakuras and your thoughts compared to the ones at Sakura Matsuri 🙂 If you wish to see my daily updates and daily life, follow me on Instagram, I update everyday!
