Sbg.org.sg.

Singapore has both old gardens and very modern ones. The Singapore Botanic Garden dates from 1859 and played a big part in the island nation’s history. Entry is free and it is open from 5am until midnight daily. It contains more than 10 000 species of plants and covers 82ha. The National Orchid Garden is here too, with 1 200 species of orchids and 2 000 hybrids. For more information, see

The Botanic Garden did much to create the modern “Garden City” of Singapore, where even the motorways are beautifully landscaped. One of the best modern attractions is the “Gardens by The Bay”, a nature park spanning 101ha of reclaimed land in central Singapore.

The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The largest of the gardens is Bay South Garden at 54ha. It also has two conservatories (Flower and Cloud Dome). See gardensbythebay.com.sg.

The cost of the airfare will depend on when you would like to travel. Singapore Airlines is running a promotion this month (September) for travel from October 16 until August 31 2017, with some dates excluded during December and Easter.

Add-on fares are available from Durban on South African Airways or British Airways via Johannesburg to connect to Singapore Airlines’s daily flights. The website link for the promotions is

I would so love to visit the gardens in Singapore but I would appreciate some advice on airfares and accommodation as a single, female traveller. I live in Durban. Would it be easier to travel from here instead of going through the Johannesburg...