Lastly, from Mt. Faber, we then proceeded to the 74-hectare (183-acre) Botanic Garden. This combination of 4 hectares of primary jungle and elegantly planned and manicured gardens and greenhouses is home to 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids, including many rare specimens. Malaysia’s rubber industry had its origins here in the 19^th century when Henry Ridley successfully propagated and tapped Brazilian rubber trees from London’s Kew Gardens in 1877.

A high point of our visit here is the Victorian-style Orchid Pavilion with its 1,200 orchid plants, including the Vanda Miss Joaquim (honoring the daughter of a respected Armenian family), Singapore’s national flower, and a lilac bloom named after Singapore’s four millionth visitor, Jane Deny of Australia. A lake, home to waterfowl, ducks and kingfishers, adds to the serenity of the gardens. We also browse around at the RISIS Souvenir Shop.

After our city tour, we had lunch along Victoria St.

Botanic Garden: 1 Cluny Rd. cor. Napier St., Singapore 259569.  Tel: 6471 7361. Open daily, 5 AM-12 midnight. Admission is free.