I’ve realised that I’ve never written a post about my adventures in London. I guess since I am living in London, I am guilty of taking things around me for granted. It’s just those things that I do on weekends, I say. Places that I’ve visited many times. No big deal. But I know that I’d be heart broken many years later when I flip through my blog posts and realise that I hadn’t written anything on London to remind me of those happy days.
So things are about to change.
First up, is Kew Gardens where I spent part of my Saturday a few weeks back, surrounded by flora and fauna.
It was the end of summer bank holiday weekend and for many in the UK, Monday was a bank holiday. It’s also school break, so many Londoners opted to travel abroad for the holidays. Not just holiday prices were expensive during that period, I’d rather avoid the massive crowd and the long queues at the airport. For that matter, I decided to stay in London. But it would be a crime to stay indoors and not enjoy the last of the summer days. So, my friend Ezma, Elly and I decided to head over to Kew Gardens.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew or more well known to people as Kew Gardens has one of the world’s biggest collection of living plants. It is now considered a UNESCO World Heritage site. The garden span an area of 300 acres, so if you’re planning on a trip to Kew Gardens, my utmost advice would be: wear comfortable walking shoes! Getting off the District line at Kew Gardens station, it was about 10 minutes walk to Victoria Gate, the main gate to the gardens.
While we only got there closer to 15:00, if you do plan to visit Kew Gardens and wish to see most of it, I’d suggest you start the day early and check out their official website for any upcoming events, expected closure, etc. Normally, the gardens are open from 10:00 to 17:30 but in the summer, opening hours are extended to 20:30.
So what did we do at Kew Gardens? In order of the places we visited…
King William’s Temple
On our way to the Treetop Walkway, we stopped by King William’s Temple for a quick photo snap. The temple was built for Queen Victoria in memory of William IV. The temple stands in the centre of the Mediterranean Garden.
Treetop Walkway
This is my favorite. It’s also very popular among the visitors so you might need to time yourself and go very early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowd. Situated in the Arboretum, a spiral staircase takes you 18 metres up into the canopy of trees. High above in the trees, there’s a circular, open air walkway from where you can touch the top of the trees, inspect the birds and insects from close quarter or simply to marvel at the great view of the park from high above. The floor is made of metal mesh so you can see right through it. If you’re afraid of heights but somehow managed to brave your self and got to the walkway, don’t look down! The structure is designed to flex slightly in the wind. Don’t be afraid. It’s designed to the highest safety standard (that’s what I was told!) and allowing it to flex in the wind ensures that it would not break at high wind speeds. The floor will also flex and pop underneath your feet. I loved it. It was all a bit of an adventure for me. But poor Ezma who is afraid of heights found it challenging. Despite the fact, she mustered the courage and walked the walk. Atta girl!
Temperate House
We swung by the Temperate House eager to see the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse only to find out that it is closed for restoration until 2018. When it reopens, it will definitely be one of the major attraction at Kew.
Pagoda
The pagoda is also undergoing a two year restoration project and will reopen in 2018. However, it is still worth visiting the area as the ten-storey octagonal structure is a sight to behold even from the outside. It stands surrounded by a Japanese garden. The pagoda was built in 1762 and there were 80 dragons statues in total, one on each corner of the roof. The dragons were said to be carved from wood and gilded with real gold but were removed in 1784 when the pagoda was undergoing repairs and were never re-installed. As part of the current restoration program, it is said that they are finally set to return.
Lion Gate
Besides Victoria Gate, visitors coming from Richmond tube station can enter the gardens via the Lion Gate. Across the top of the gate is a tablet of Portland stone on which a stone lion sits. My attention got diverted to the flowerbed nearby, specifically to the bees buzzing away sucking nectar from the flowers.
Victoria Plaza Cafe and Shop
By then we’d walked a bit and used that excuse for a coffee break. So we headed to the Victoria Plaza Cafe. I love the decor of this cafe/shop.
Palm House
The Palm House was next.
The Palm House was first built to accommodate exotic palms that were being collected and introduced to Europe during the Victorian times. Inside, we found this.
All Ezma and I could think of was jantung pisang with sambal belacan.
Princess of Wales Conservatory
We (or more like, I) wanted to see the Princess of Wales Conservatory, but alas, it was closed by then. So we only managed to see the outside…
The Hive
Step inside and discover the secret lives of the bees. The multi award-winning Hive is on display from June 2016 to November 2017. It was inspired by scientific research into the health and role of the honey bees in feeding the planet, as well as the challenges they face today.
Kew Palace
By then, the palace was already closed to visitors for the day so we only wandered around the compound. Kew Palace used to be the royal family’s summer retreat. It only opens to visitors from end of March to early October.
The Walk
We walked a little bit more but with by then, many of the attractions were starting to close for the day. We soon made our way back too. It was closer to 20:00 by then.
So that wraps up our visit to Kew Gardens. I am already considering getting the annual pass so that I can visit the gardens every season.
