SINGAPORE — As the year-end approaches, the spirit of Christmas can be seen across cities in Asia with stores putting up decorations, streets illuminated with colourful lights, people shopping for presents and Christmas songs hanging in the air.

But perhaps nowhere on the continent can the holiday spirit be felt as strongly as in Singapore. The people of the island-city have a special affection for Christmas, and the holiday has long been a cherished tradition among locals. It is at this time of the year that hundreds of thousands of people visit the Christmas Wonderland at Garden by the Bay.

The iconic park, a harmony between nature and man-made structures, transforms into a majestic sight as night falls. Thousands of lights turn the park into an illuminating wonderland. It is truly a sight to behold as you walk through the park along a street decorated with a dozen massive sparkling Christmas trees.

There is so much to do and explore once you are inside the park. There are numerous carnival games, a skating rink, a train that tours the park, inflatable houses and a bumper car track. The activities and attractions are meant for people of all ages to enjoy, especially families with young children.

Should you arrive a bit early, it is advisable to visit Santa’s Grotto before doing anything else, due to the large number of visitors who are often seen lining up to meet Santa in his grotto.

While it may seem crowded at times, rest assured that things are being looked after. The park has its own capacity control mechanism, which keeps the number of visitors in an area under certain limits. This is to ensure the park is an enjoyable experience for everyone, according to the organisers.

After the grotto, feel free to spend time exploring the park and playing carnival games. There are several rides and carousels for the kids to enjoy and trophies to be won at games for the adults if you feel up to the challenge. High on the to-do list should be the magic show performed by the quarterfinalist of America’s Got Talent 2018 Rob Lake. Let the magic take you away but do keep an eye out for the Garden Rhapsody Christmas Edition.

The Christmas special Rhapsody takes place at the Bay’s Supertree Grove. The Rhapsody is a performance of light and sound with a Christmas theme. After an hour, you may find it relaxing to just lay down under the gigantic grove and look up at a marvellous dance of lights while listening to the music.

The park offers a wide variety of food and beverages for visitors. You will find numerous food stands as you wander around. Not to your liking? Keep moving because eventually, you will stumble across something delicious. Among the many popular dishes are the Giant Turkey Leg and Truffle Pasta. Should you decide to go for the turkey, you’d better be hungry because it’s quite a big portion for one person. 

The heart of the Christmas Wonderland is the Luminarie Light Sculpture, a one-of-a-kind, Italian handcrafted structure of 21 metres tall – the tallest of its kind on the whole continent.

Whatever you do at the park, make sure you don’t miss Blizzard Time. During this special event, which only lasts for five minutes, fake snow falls around the Luminarie Light Sculpture. Considering we don’t get snow in the tropics, this is the next best thing. Blizzard Time is a good opportunity to take some great snapshots to remember your time at the park so have your cameras out and ready. If you happen to miss one, don’t worry as there are a total of five Blizzard Time events. Just keep an eye on the event’s schedule and try not to miss the next one.

Christmas Wonderland is especially enjoyable as a family experience. Beautiful as the park may be, there is no comparison to the spark that lights up in the eyes of a child at all the marvellous sights it has to offer.

Christmas Wonderland will be open until December 26. — VNS