We finally made it! Over the long Good Friday/ Easter weekend, we jiggled everyone’s busy schedules, squeezed a carload of adults with one preschooler and off we went to Holland! Well…sort of. We went to Gardens by the Bay for the much anticipated Tulipmania 2014!
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Tulipmania – 14 April to 4 May (9am to 9pm) |
Upon reaching, we were greeted by a car park queue that could be seen from space. The ticketing queue offered little consolation. But bent on making lemonade when life gives us lemons, my wife and I decided to make the best of this outing so that it will be enjoyable and meaningful for all…Surprisingly, it wasn’t all that difficult when you’re in the company of so many beautiful blooms.
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Picturesque Dutch Countryside |
You see, different flower evokes different emotions. From the romance of roses to the calming properties of lavender. Not forgetting the elegance of lilies and the cheerfulness of sunflowers…flowers are all made to interact and complement their environment. Stepping into the cool air-conditioned Flower Dome with the throng of crowd, it didn’t take me long to realize that the buzz and cacophony of chatter actually blended in well with the vibrancy of the florals in full bloom.
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Heavenly Hyacinths |
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Pink Tulips |
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Orange Tulips |
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Yellow Tulips |
Walking among the crowd, it was even more heartwarming to see the young, the old, people from all walks of life indulging in the beauty of the blooms beautiful tulips and relishing time spent together as a family on this public holiday! Oh what joy to see the very icons of Holland come to life – passion, love and new beginnings brought forth by the arrival of Spring!
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Dana with Great Grandma, Grandma and Grandaunt – multigenerational outing! |
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Colours inside the Flower Dome |
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Dutch Townhouses |
Stepping back to take in the overview of the Dutch canal scene where rows of tulips were planted in neat formations and enhanced by the mock-up iconic townhouses and windmills, I marveled at how wonderfully coincidental that the crowd and the host of vibrant tulips seem to have form an ‘ecosystem’ of sorts, each in a symbiotic relationship with one another: the crowd, the laughter, the chatter, the colours of a thousand blooms. Everyone was civilized and graceful – able to enjoy the tulips up close without any pushing or shoving. Shutterbugs abound but each respecting another’s space to immortalize the moment of beauty.
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As I saw Dana interacting, laughing and interacting with us and her Great Grandma, it warms my heart being reminded that like life itself and the manifold relationships it nurtures, tulips too grow, flourish then fade away…A visit to Tulipmania should ideally be done with loved ones as beautiful moments like these are meant to be shared.
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A kiss for Great Grandma |
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A shot with Mommy |
I equipped Dana with a lightweight, hardy, shockproof, waterproof Nikon AW120 camera for our family outing and she produced some incredible shots which makes this photographer Daddy immensely proud! Take a look.
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Top down shot of the Tulips |
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And Mommy told her to go closer… |
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Her decent attempt at macro-photography, excellent for a point-and-shoot! |
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Beautiful pot of peach Hyacinths… |
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Bright, vibrant colours all around… |
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Not too shabby eh? Taken by our 6 year old. |
Tulipmania ends its run on 4 May 2014. If you love flowers, you mustn’t miss it. A word of advice, purchase your tickets online if you are planning to visit on weekends or on Labor Day to skip the snaking queues. Plan to spend at least 3hours inside the Flower Dome. Trust me, with such colours for company, you’ll wouldn’t bear to leave any earlier. Senior Citizens above 60 years old enjoy a special 50% concession off the Tulipmania Admission Fees. Check out Garden by the Bay’s website or Facebook page for more information.
There’s a special ‘Meet & Greet’ Miffy session this Saturday (26 April 2014) at the following timings: 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Also check out the ‘Tulip Cheer’ fringe activities taking place this weekend (26 to 27 April 2014).
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Supertrees at Gardens By the Bay |

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