Let’s check out the Gardens by The Bay Cloud Forest Avatar The Experience today with a walk through and exploration of the exhibits. Till end next March 2023, the cloud forest conservatory had been transformed the into a world like Pandora, complete with interactive exhibits, static and animatronic displays and funky cool lighting. Let’s take an explore!
Transformed Cloud forest, Avatar- style
Moreover, also known as Gardens by the Bay Cloud Forest featuring Avatar: The Experience. On entering the venue, a Mountain Banshee, a flying mount in Pandora greets you at the entrance of the Cloud forest conservatory.
Additionally, it sits with the Cloud Forest’s central mountain and fountain as a backdrop which resonates well given the mountains are typical homes of Banshees. Also, notably the waterfall here is the tallest indoor man-made waterfall in the world.
Notably, to prepare for the new attraction, the entrance of the Cloud forest now has entrance queue lines, with the entrance signage of the conservatory is now adored with the Avatar experience deco. Furthermore, much of the Cloud forest’s interior vegetation is now themed to a small recreation of the Pandora alien forest. Notably, the event is produced and curated by the Cityneon Group.
Also, your Pandora Avatar journey flows through the regular cloud forest tour passageway, which had been unchanged since the attraction first opened when we visited it 10 years ago on 2012.
In addition to the Mountain Banshee, here you can find snippets of Pandora native animals such as Prolemuris, a Titanothere, Thanator Viper Wolves, as well as the sentient Navi. Notably, the Prolemuris are similar to the monkeys and apes on Earth.
Also, the Hammerhead Titanothere, is a rhino-like animal of the beast, which are known to be pretty aggressive forest-bashers when provoked.
Bio luminescent spectacle
Furthermore, the alien world of Pandora as we remember from the 2009 James Cameron movie is known for its beauty and bioluminescent environments. Also, this includes mystical creatures, flora, and the captivating culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.
Moreover, the cloud forest central mountain is lit with a bio luminescent flair. Moreover, the exterior of the concrete mountains structure has an array of light tubes mounted on it as well as a number of alien-looking mushroom pieces. Also, notably, a number of spot lights on the upper walkway are turned off, also as not to distract from the blue and purple luminescent display below.
360 degree panorama of the Avatar themed Cloud Forest mountain
Additionally, the exhibition is best experienced at night, where you can truly appreciate the bio-luminescent lighting which would otherwise be off or less impactful in the day.
An elevator ride up to the top 6th floor of the concrete mountain and a stair climb up brings you up to the familiar open top tranquil space of the lost world. Also, the route to the suspended broadwalk starts up here. Speaking of the central mountain, it takes the center piece here. Notably, this cloud mountain is a man-made concrete structure made to simulate the tropical highlands of South East Asia.
An interactive one too
Moreover, the exhibition has a coverage of some interactive elements which uses video and image analytics. An example is the Avatar transformation booths. Here, you can find a row of stand-up terminals with screens and booth cameras which captures an image of you and render it to your avatar liking on the spot into the blue Navi aliens native on the moon planet.
Additionally, the Fire Pod hut attraction is another tad a gimmicky small interactive attraction, it uses motion control allowing you to paint ambers of fire on simulated projected cloth scenes. Also, going back into the cloud forest mountain, the central event space located in the mountain is now home to some photo opportunities and a flight gaming try-out area.
Also, you might remember the spot being the open space which hosted the national geographic Weird but true kids activity area before it is now transformed to the Avatar-themed activity space we see here.
Giant animatronic Leonopteryx
Also, here, within the mountain structure, interactive elements here include a Flying a banshee game, which you can fly a character using body motion control. In addition, in typical James Cameron style, taking center stage here is an impressive large animatronic Giant Leonopteryx. It is complete with growling sound and movement effects. Notably not only the mouth but the eyes also moves, complete with thundering roars.
Interestingly, here there is also a photobooth where you can have photos with a baby puppet Leonopteryx with RDA staff.
Moreover, the Avatar exhibits are add-ons are in addition to the regular cloud forest, which is largely untouched. Also, the resident geode displays residing here by the tree-top walk are now all moved to the outer perimeter of the event space. These geodes are essentially hollow rock lined with an inside layer of sparkling crystals.
Also, the tree top walk is one of the best places to see the conservatory misting, which happens hourly. The misting controls the humidity levels in the dry air-conditioned environment to that of tropical highland climates. It is quite an impressive sight.
Seas of Pandora
Going in the likes of the Avatar franchise covering ocean life cover a static exhibition of Pandora marine life. Following the flight in the mountains, you descend into the bowels of the cloud forest mountain into the basement areas. Also, this sector previously covered the garden’s environment and sustainability effort. This is told through informatic displays which are now revamped into the Avatar ocean gallery.
Furthermore, here, you can find a model of an Ilu which first appeared in Avatar’s Flight of Passage. It is a sleek and lithe aquatic reptilian-like animal with a long neck, six flippers and rudder-like tail. It is akin to Dolphins and is intelligent, sociable, easily domesticated and serves the Navi reef clans.
Additionally, in addition to the Ilu is the tulkun, a large whale-like creature native to Pandora oceans. Also, the tulkun is highly intelligent. Do feel free to have a chat with the enthusiastic staff, who are equally excited for the Avatar movie release Way of the water running up this coming December.
Moreover, you can find more interactive elements like an animated wall with elements you can move via body motion tracking. Also, these dangling led lights are similar to the ones we last saw at the Future World exhibition at Marina Bay sands. I found these closing exhibits tad gimmicky, and pretty much a re-purposing of commercial light and sound elements to best suit the avatar theme.
Chase forest Wood sprites
The avatar displays ends with a rework of the original cloud forest 1.5 degree audio visual show. In place, now you get an avatar movie trailer-like short video which transitions to an interactive motion-tracked visual display of floating sparkles and Woodsprites where you can gesture around.
Also, notably, Woodsprites are the seed of the Tree of Souls consciousness (Eywa). They are similar in appearance to small deep-sea jellyfish, but they float on the wind like dandelion seeds. Also, at times, random brightly coloured Fan Lizards will pop out from the sea of Wood sprites, much to the delight of kids here.
Additionally, the cloud forest basement Secret Garden is home to a number laid out in a small waterfall garden with flowing streams. Also, here you can find a variety of wet and marshland plants, also including a selection of climbers such as flowering orchids on occasions growing in moss-load beds.
For a limited time till next March
Wrapping up, the temporary Avatar attraction runs for a limited period from 28 Oct 2022 to the 31st of Mar 2023. With the conservatories open daily from 9am to 9pm. Also, the entrance fees are notably more expensive than your regular Cloud forest entrance fees. It costs $27 for residents for the cloud forest alone, and $35 for both Flower Dome + Cloud Forest ($53 for non-residents). Do note that there is no re-entry allowed back into the conservatory. You exit out of the attraction into the attraction giftshop hawking a quirky collection of limited edition Gardens by the Bay Avatar and Merlion merchandise.
All in all, the Avatar: The Experience at the Cloud Forest is one to visit till March next year when you are at the Gardens by the Bay. One to visit if you are an avatar fan leading to the release of the movie this year end.
