July 24, 2012

Gardens by the Bay South and East



Marina Bay Sands Hotel

This route is the reverse of a walk we did earlier. See Gardens by the Bay East Marina Barrage. At that time, the Gardens Bay South was still under construction and we had to brave the Marina Station Road to go under the ECP to Lau Pa Sat. This time around there are three places where you can access the Gardens from the city area for those who walk. These are the Lions Bridge, the path under the ECP near the Helix Bridge and from the Bayfront MRT Station. So for this trip, we walked from Lau Pa Sat to Marina Bay Sands MBS to cross the Lions Bridge to the Gardens. After that we crossed the Barrage to Gardens by the Bay East to Tanjong Rhu. 

This also answers question raised by some cyclists whether they can cycle from East Coast Park to Gardens by the Bay South. Yes this can be done via Fort Road, Tanjong Rhu and the Marina Barrage.

Marina Bay Financial Centre
From Lau Pa Sat (after a satisfying meal), we moved along Marina Boulevard to the Marina Bay Financial Centre. We dropped in on the Marina Bay Link Mall to assess the place for future dining possibilities during visits to the Marina Bay area. This underground mall is linked by a passage to the Promenade so there was no need to cross the road. When we reached the Promenade we proceeded to MBS. There is a linkway all the way from Raffles Place MRT Station to this mall.


The Shoppes Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands
At MBS it was a bit difficult to locate the escalator to access the rooftop but the staff kindly told us to look for the escalator in a lobby next to the Chanel shop. There is also an elevator along Bayfront Drive to bring the visitor to the rooftop. We did find it hidden behind a wall. But finally we reached the 4th floor to cross the bridge over the Bayfront Avenue. This bridge leads through the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and overlooks the longest lobby in Singapore as this lobby connects three hotels.


Supertrees Gardens by the Bay South

Gardens by the Bay South
After crossing the hotel, the bridge extends over the ECP and ends at a circular viewing platform just after the escalator that will bring the visitor to the Gardens. Be careful here, as there is a 2-foot drop without warning. The view from here is indeed spectacular with the two glass-covered Domes and the 18 Supertrees.


Marina Barrage

We took the escalator to the Gardens at the ground level. We passed through the Malay, Chinese and Indian Gardens to the Canopy admiring the Supertrees  and Domes along the way. The Gardens has more than 5km of tracks and deserve more time by the individual to enjoy at this own leisure.


Marina Bay Sands and Garden Domes from Garden by the Bay East

Marina Barrage
We proceeded towards the Marina Barrage from the Canopy. Sighting the sloping eco-friendly grass-covered roof, we walked on it to reach the rooftop. This is a favourite spot for kite flyers. We walked across the Barrage past the boat hoist at the eastern end. This is used to move boats from the sea to the reservoir and back. The underwater highway is under construction with the eastern end completed and covered by the sea. The western part is still being constructed.


Gardens by the Bay East

Gardens by the Bay East
Here there is a road running parallel to the seafront all the way to Tanjong Rhu. With the plant life here, the skyline of the Marina Bay Sands and the two Garden Domes provide a picturesque backdrop to the bay area. We passed a bench where we noticed patches of blood which we surmised was where the wild dogs attacked a woman. After the Gardens, we followed the park connector along the Sungei Geylang to the hawker centre at Block 4A for a refreshing Tiger.

See Also:
East Coast Park to Gardens Bay East
Gardens by the Bay East Marina Barrage
Kallang Basin and Marina Reservoir Walk

GPS Track
 
Map data ©2020 Google URA