Don’t Say Bojio: Free Admission to Botanic Gardens’ National Orchid Garden (Till 30 June)

We all know what Singapore Botanic Garden is.

It is, after all, one of only three gardens worldwide, and the only tropical garden, to have been honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 160-year-old garden has also been ranked Asia’s top park attraction since 2013, by TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.

It was also declared the inaugural Garden of the Year by International Garden Tourism Awards in 2012, and received a Michelin’s three-star rating in 2008.

No easy feat I reckon to curate this comprehensive list of accolades; not to mention maintaining the ever-burgeoning floral variety garden-wide.

In any case, as part of their 160th anniversary, the National Orchid Garden is running a School Holiday Promotion to entice visitors to take in the sights and smells of its delightful floral collection.

School Holiday Promotion at National Orchid Garden

The promotion runs from 25 May – 30 June, and students, Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and Work Permit Holders are able to enter the garden Free Of Charge.

Did I say FOC?

That’s right.

The normal admission charges range from $1 to $5, and while is not indecently expensive, still comes at a cost and as they say “every cent counts.”

That said, here are the associated Terms and Conditions of the promotion.

Terms and Conditions

1. Students are required to present valid student cards

2. Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, Work Permit Holders and Dependent Pass Holders are required to present their ID cards or relevant documentation

3. Not applicable to tour groups, tickets purchased in advance and other promotions.

*Last entry to the National Orchid Garden is 6 pm daily.

If you don’t believe my word for it, you can check it out here.

National Orchid Garden

A product of the Singapore Botanic Garden’s orchid breeding programme that was seeded in 1928, the National Orchid Garden was opened in 1995, by none other than our late Ah Gong, LKY, and now houses over a 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids.

Of which, about 600 of the variety is on full display.

The garden is visually divided into four zones alongside coloured/seasonal themes:

• “spring” zone with its prevailing colours of bright and lively shades of gold, yellow and creams
• “summer” zone with its major tones of strong reds and pinks
• “autumn” zone of matured shades
• “winter” zone of whites and cool violet shades

Which means you can humblebrag to your foreign friends that Singapore too has four seasons, in the National Orchid Garden that is.

No, this doesn’t count

If you don’t know, Singapore’s national flower is the Vanda Miss Joaquim and I’m not jokin’, orchids are as integral to our identity as much as the Merlion is.

Which is to say… very… a…little..lot..who…knows…?

So, if you like free things, orchids, or have time to kill, why not head on down to the National Orchid Garden this weekend?

See you there!