5 air-conditioned places to experience nature indoors

Love nature but can’t take the heat? Today we bring you five air-conditioned places where you can enjoy nature without burning in the hot sun.

For today’s mGuides, we showcase five air-conditioned places to experience nature indoors. These places are sure to keep you cool in Singapore’s increasingly hot weather while you enjoy the wonders of nature.

National Orchid Garden

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CRq_c5lHJKp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==[/embed]

While most of the National Orchid Garden is outdoors, their newest installation, the Sembcorp Cool House, is enclosed and air-conditioned. Built with the conditions of a high-elevation montane forest in mind, this cool house is always at a cool 16 to 23 degrees Celsius.

The cool house's main attraction is its massive collection of orchids from all over the world, including Southeast Asia. Here, you'll be able to examine orchids that can only be found naturally in mountainous regions, seeing them up close and alive.

Do take your time to relax in the air-conditioning while learning more about the nearly 1,000 orchid species and hybrids on display. Admission for locals is $5 for adults, $1 for seniors and students, and free for children below 12 years old.

Address: 1 Cluny Rd, Singapore 259569 (within Singapore Botanic Gardens, Tyersall Entrance)

Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:30am to 7pm. Ticket sales and entry end at 6pm.

Parking: Tyersall Gate Carpark. Monday to Sunday, 7am to 10:30pm, $0.02 per minute. $1 entrance/exit charge from 8am to 9am.

Cloud Forest & Flower Dome

Located at the Gardens by the Bay, the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are a pair of fully air-conditioned domes perfect for lovers of nature. Both domes are set at a cool temperature and have enough biodiversity for an entire day of learning.

Visit the Cloud Forest and you will find one of the world's tallest indoor waterfalls. Beware of its overspray! It is also home to an artificial mountain structure that has plants from all over the world wrapped around it. Once you're done, walk over next door to the Flower Dome to see flowers you've probably never seen before, in the world's largest greenhouse. For locals, a combined ticket for both domes is $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $27 for children.

Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953 (within Gardens by the Bay)

Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 am to 9 pm. Entry ends at 8:30pm.

Parking: Main Entrance Basement Carpark. Monday to Sunday, 5am to 2am, $0.035 per minute for cars, capped at $30. $1.20 per entry for motorcycles.

Floral Fantasy

While you're in Gardens by the Bay, drop by their Floral Fantasy installation near Bayfront MRT station. Focused on garden landscapes, Floral Fantasy is a large air-conditioned garden with beautiful flowers for you to enjoy.

The arrangement of flowers here is more creative and experimental, showcasing the endless possibilities when a garden is 1,500 square feet in size. Home to 15,000 preserved flowers, bouquets hanging from the ceiling and beautiful flower arrangements populate the space. Amphibian lovers can check out the tiny poison dart frogs in the vivarium. For locals, a ticket is $12 for adults and $8 for seniors and children.

Address: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore 018953

Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm. Entry ends at 6:30 pm. Saturday to Sunday & Public Holidays, 10am to 8pm. Entry ends at 7:30pm. 

Parking: Bayfront Plaza Carpark. Monday to Sunday, 5am to 2am, $0.035 per minute for cars, capped at $30. $1.20 per entry for motorcycles.

Shiseido Forest Valley

One of the hallmark attractions of Jewel Changi Airport is its rain vortex. Surrounding it is the Shiseido Forest Valley, a lush and multi-layered forest that makes you feel like you’re in the mountains.

Lit up by natural sunlight coming from the glass ceiling, the Forest Valley is a breathtaking sight for those who love nature. The rain vortex in the centre adds to the cool temperature, making you feel comfortable even though you feel like you’re in a forest. Plants from all over the world can be found here, with more than 900 trees and 60,000 shrubs. This indoor garden also has trails that you can explore, which last around half an hour each. The best part is, admission is free for all!

Address: 78 Airport Blvd (within Jewel Changi Airport)

Operating Hours: 24 hours

Parking: Jewel Carpark B3 to B5. 24 hours, $0.04 per minute for cars. $1.30 per day for motorcycles.

Canopy Park

Since you’re already at Jewel Changi Airport, you can head up to Level 5 to visit Canopy Park, located on Jewel’s very top floor. Filled with nature-themed attractions suited for children and adults alike, it’s a perfect place to take the family on a trip.

You will see fun attractions such as mazes and bouncing nets here, which are perfect for children. There are also creative garden trails for nature lovers, where you can admire the beautiful plants away from the hot sun.

Resembling a large rock, the Discovery Slides is an interactive art installation that serves as a playground. There’s also the Petal Garden, home to seasonal flowers from all over the world, and the Topiary Walk which has animal sculptures made out of flowers. Admission for locals is $6 for all ages.

Address: 78 Airport Blvd (within Jewel Changi Airport)

Operating hours: Monday to Thursday, 10am to 10pm. Friday to Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays and Public Holidays, 10am to 11pm. 

Parking: Jewel Carpark B3 to B5. 24 hours, $0.04 per minute for cars. $1.30 per day for motorcycles.

Combined itinerary

We have plotted out the locations of where all these air-conditioned attractions are located, so do give them a visit and let us know what you think of our picks!

ALSO READ: Don't have a green thumb? Try out these hardy plants first

This article was first published in Motorist.