Parks and Gardens
Singapore too has acquired a reputation as the "Garden State". Few of the famous gardens and parks in Singpore includes :

Jurong Bird Park
One of Asia Pacific's largest and most impressive bird parks, Jurong Bird Park is an entertaining as well as educational experience. Its landscaped environment is home to over 8,000 birds from 600 species, displayed in huge enclosures. The bird shows at the Pools Amphitheater featuring flamingoes, macaws, hornbills and cockatoos are both spectacular and rib-tickling a must for tiny tots. The Penguin Parade enclosure, in a re-created Antarctic setting, houses more than 200 penguins of five species. Within the Penguin Parade enclosure, there are some 50 other sea-birds such as the inca terns and puffins. The colourful Hornbills and Toucans form a part of the world's largest collection of Southeast Asian Hornbills.

The Southeast Asian Birds Aviary houses in its 24 individual aviaries and a main walk-in aviary, more than 100 species of birds from the equatorial jungles of Southeast Asia. The birds' natural equatorial habitat is re-created within this exhibit, including simulated tropical thunderstorms everyday at noon.

Chinese and Japanese Gardens
A 65 metre bridge links these two spacious gardens. Building bridges over international terrain seem harder so why not have bridges over gardens? The Chinese Garden portrays the Imperial Sung Dynasty style and echoes the grandeur of the Beijing Summer Palace. It has bridges, pagodas with excellent views, a stoneboat, a teahouse and other scenic spots. The latest attraction is a Penjing Garden "Yun Xiu Yuan" housing the Chinese Garden's collection of Penjing (Bonsai).

While the Chines Gardens have pagodas, stoneboat, a teahouse and other scenic spots, the Japanese Garden is a study in simplicity with stone lanterns, hillocks and a dry garden. The atmosphere is one of peace and tranquility.

Sungei Buloh Park
The Sungei Buloh Nature Park is Singapore's first and only protected wetland nature park. Its 87 hectares is a home to over 500 species of tropical flora and fauna. It is a "refuelling point" for birds on the East Asian Flyway. Carefully constructed hides and boardwalks provide a close-up view of the flora and fauna in the Park.

Singapore Botanic Gardens
These Gardens epitomise the tropical island's luxuriant parks. Spread over 52 hectares and close to the centre of the city, the Gardens is an amalgam of virgin primary forest and specialty gardens. Abounding in frangipanis, roses, ferns and desert plants, to name a few there are thousands of other plant species too, including many rare specimens which reflect the Gardens' diversity of its fauna and flora.

The present orchid enclosure has 20,000 orchid plants on display. The National Orchid Garden promises sprawling orchid displays, water features, and an exotic bromeliad collection from Central and South America. Other new attractions for visitors' enjoyment include Palm Valley, Eco-Lake and outdoor concerts on Symphony Lake.

Singapore Zoological Garden
Acclaimed as one of the world's most spectacular zoos the use of natural barriers like streams, rock walls and vegetation to separate animals from visitors enhances the "open" zoo concept. It is a home to more than 2,000 animals from over 240 species including 40 from the list of endangered species.

The only zoo in the world where you can enjoy breakfast with an orangutan, it;s in-house orangutan breeding programme has breathed life into this gentle but endangered species.

The breeding programme has also witnessed the first tropical birth of a polar bear. Other endangered species like the Malayan tiger, the golden tamarin, the cheetah and the sealion have also found a haven in the zoo.

A regular tram service that covers the entire zoo offers an excellent overview of the attractions. But to truly enjoy what the zoo has to offer, a walk around the zoo should definitely be undertaken.

The Zoo recently celebrated its Silver Jubilee on completing 25 years with a host of activities. We are sure that it will live to see another 100 years if not more.