We are happy to be back in the cool observatories and this time we took on a "Flight of Fancy" as hot-air balloons hover over the fields in the Flower Dome. 

It is a shame that the haze that struck us unexpectedly earlier this week, has forced many outdoor and even indoor activities to be cancelled. As the PSI level rises from unhealthy into the hazardous range, gone are our clear blue skies and fresh air that we wake up to every morning.

Under this hazy weather condition, we can only continue to enjoy the beauty of nature within the cool observatories. 

Our family was lucky to make our trip here before the haze condition worsens... It was a pleasure admiring the floral displays and keeping ourselves cool under the blazing hot sun. This is a big playground for our kiddos.

 Denver & Gladys enjoying themselves @ the Flower Dome. There's always something new to surprise us on every visit.

 Taking flight....

My Prince & Princess. :)

A photo collection of the flowers I took during our walk at the Flight of Fancy.

Spotted these two beauties 'flying' within the floral field.  

 Which one do you like?

Flight of Fancy will continue to take flight at the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest from 3rd June to 21st July 2013. Definitely a great place to be, away from the heat and haze, to enjoy the lust greenery, beautiful flowers and fresh scent. 

There are various gardens sets within the Flower Dome where you can find plant and flower species from different countries. The Flower Field will have changing displays of flower beds to reflect different seasons and festivals.

Hubby recognised this special plant. If translated directly from Teochew, it is known as "铁钉草". Hubby says this leaf has herbal effect and it is a traditional remedy to treat injuries when people step on rusty nails in the older times.

Lotus look alike plant

Vibrant coloured flowers

I didn't recognise the names of these flowers but they are so pretty and each of them looks like a postcard.

This completes our WOC 2011 tour! We had a wonderful time! Not only did we took lots and lots of photographs within a day, it has been an eye-opener for us.

Check out the links below to recap our half day adventure!

World Orchid Conference 2011 - http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2011/11/20th-world-orchid-conference-2011-part.html
Preview of Gardens by the Bay - http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2011/11/preview-of-gardens-by-bay.html
Enchanting Flower Dome - http://bpdgtravels.blogspot.com/2011/11/enchanting-flower-dome-part-1.html

Gardens by the Bay is now closed but it is set to bloom again in June 2012! Check out the details at http://www.gardensbythebay.org.sg/. Till we meet again. :)

Within half a day, we covered the World Orchid Conference, Gardens of the Bay and we have come to our final chapter - The Flower Dome - one of two conservatories at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay.

It is extremely cooling and comfy inside the Flower Dome! According to the reports, "Advanced cooling techniques  are integrated into the conservatory to keep the plants healthy. The conservatory aims to replicate the cool dry conditions needed for the plants it houses. It is made up of glass panels that allow in more light than heat. When the sun's rays get too strong, sensors automatically trigger off shades to keep conditions stable.

The temperatures inside the conservatory are kept between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius. A process known as thermal stratification is used to ensure cool air settles in the lower zone and warm air is allowed to rise"

We spent about an hour, which is actually a very short time to look at all the plants that are being house within the 1.2 ha cavernous glass dome, slightly larger than the size of two football fields.

There are a variety of plants, ranging from cactus, olive and bottle trees to tulips and orchids.

Tall trees reaching up to the ceiling of the glass dome.

The oldest asset within the dome - Olive tree which is a thousand years old!

Great view of the Flower Dome! MBS, Supertrees and Singapore Flyer sets at the back.

Denver has been a great "model", he has been with us for the entire day and posing all kinds of funny shots interactively.

The largest orchid inside the Flower Dome. Great place to take a group photo.

Gladys was tired.. but she still has time and energy for hide-n-seek against one of the trees!

Notice any similarities with their smile in the photo? ^_^

Part 1 of the Flower Dome tour let us have a look at the overall landscape and display within. Coming up - part 2 will cover more close up photos of the flowers and plants.