Happy New Year! Or as the locals say, 新年快乐. The kids are home from school for a few days, and the city has been bustling with New Year’s preparations for weeks now. Last night was New Year’s Day, so we decided to head out to Gardens by the Bay after dark to check out its festive trappings.

Like its neighbor the Marina Bay Sands hotel, Gardens by the Bay is situated on reclaimed land at the southern tip of Singapore’s main island. Built at a cost of one billion Singapore dollars (only $750 million US), the Marina Bay complex opened merely ten years ago. Both the distinctive hotel and and Gardens quickly became the defining images of Singapore to the rest of the world.

The Gardens consist of numerous exhibits like the Cloud Forest, Floral Fantasy, and the famous Supertrees. Each of those exhibits requires separate admissions tickets, and we knew in advance that we would arrive too late for the last admission. Our plan was to simply wander the grounds, get a general idea of what the Gardens offer, and enjoy the festive decorations and illuminations without the punishing sun of a daytime visit.

So we started meandering, and snapping photos, and noting that wearing anything red will not help your family members locate you in the crowds in case you get separated.

After about 90 minutes in the Gardens we strolled through the lobby of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Then we headed home, happy with our brief visit and looking forward to the next time.