Don't be deceived by the name.
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Bollywood Veggies neither screens any movies from India nor does it import its vegetables from India! Despite the veggies tag, it does not even grow many vegetables to speak of in the first place!
But, is it still worth a visit? Definitely!
And we shall let the following pictures explain why.
And we shall let the following pictures explain why.
This was obviously the main entrance yet it put people off by placing the big "No Entry" sign across the gate. I seriously thought the place was out of bounds when i first arrived!
However, there was another sign at the side indicating an entry fees of S$2 [no one seemed to be collecting them though and i strolled in without paying a single cent. Yoohoo]! Free entry is given to children below twelve years old, senior citizens above sixty years old and visitors who were transported by Kranji Express
Central walkway that cuts across the farm with interconnecting paths allowing you to have a perimeter tour of the entire place!
A normal walk will take roughly thirty minutes even though for kampong boys like myself, i took 47 minutes and left with the impression that i should have stayed a tad longer.
Original custard apple! The bigger, greenish ones we see in the market nowadays are hybrids and they come with lesser seeds.
The wooden signs labeling the trees and plants are very beneficial for visitors who are ignorant yet interested to know the source for some of their favourite fruits and vegetables.
To take an example, could you guess the purpose for this structure?
It's a metal support net for pumpkins! And all the while, i have assumed that pumpkins grow on the ground like watermelons!
One of the many dirt paths in the farm. When i was living in the kampong, a keen eye was required whenever i came to a dirt path. You never know what kind of shit you would step on; literally.
Iguana enjoying the sun tanning! The peacefulness of a quiet Saturday made it really conducive to spot little reptiles, insects and mammals. I was lucky i didn't encounter any snake!
Papaya tree! My father's family was involved in the fruit business and papaya was fondly remembered as one fruit commonly found in the huge garage that also served as a holding warehouse for fruits.
Modern technology that made watering a breeze! Another advantage to installing these water sprinklers was to provide visitors a temporary cooling relief from the scorching hot sun!
Clusters of banana trees! Bollywood Veggies is the largest banana grower in Singapore and it's not hard to see why with two large plots of land reserved specifically to grow bananas.
Banana flowers - there is an old saying that spirits love to reside in the banana flowers and you could force them to do your bidding by tying one end of a red string to your big toe. The other end must be threaded to a needle and has to be stuck in the heart of the flower.
I was dumbfounded to see the above transformation.
Stupid me have no idea that bananas come from the flowers! It was embarrassing as we used to have banana trees in the compound of our kampong house!
One of Bollywood Veggies owners, a gungho lady by the name of Ivy Singh Lim, is one quirky person and her sense of humour can be seen, often in very subtle forms, around the farm.
Custard apple trees that were still in their infancy stage! Honestly, it has been a long time since i last ate any original custard apple! It could easily be more than ten years ago.
For a moment, i thought these were just gigantic green lime but was proven wrong; they were young lemons. By the way, this is not a fruit picking farm and you should not attempt to pluck the fruits yourselves!
More banana trees.
A rustic shack to shield you from the sunlight and occasional rain! Don't bother sheltering yourself in the shack during heavy thunderstorms as the roof was simply covered with just a black piece of plastic sheet!
I might be alone but it didn't stop me from having a go at the swing; it felt so good to relive my childhood memories! Maybe i should bring the kids here when they are slightly older.
If you look closer, you would notice that the boundaries of the dirt tracks were in fact planks of natural wood.
Pond that collects rainwater for irrigation uses. Contrary to what the sign says, water is necessary to life! When was this fact ever a secret in the first place?!
I bypassed this area thinking i should not walk beyond the half opened gate at the end. There was absolutely no one in the vicinity and safety should always be the top priority in such situation!
Curiousity abandons all rational decisions; i marched straight into the mysterious Sanctuary.
The first thing that almost caused by eyeballs to drop was the above declaration that nudity is allowed! And this is Singapore where conservative Asian values are still highly regarded!
Tough luck - i saw only one human and he was fully clothed with a camera in his hands. Bet he had the same intention as me when he saw that nudity board.
Crystal fruits - i am not sure if they are edible although they appear to look like a mini version of those rambutan like fruits with hard spiky casing.
Another pond fully covered with wilting lotus leaves and flowers!
As my visit was during the hot summer season, i am guessing that the wilting was just a natural cycle of renewal for a dazzling display in the near future!
Pointy thorns on a tree trunk. Dislike someone? You may 'playfully' push that person towards the trunk and feign ignorance after that!
Out of the Sanctuary since the dead quietness of the place unnerved me. At this section known as Truly Fruitti, you can find information sheets explaining the fruits, their nutritional benefits and alternate uses.
The one and only scarecrow in the farm; clearly placed for aesthetic purpose in the context of a rural village and as an additional spot for photo taking opportunities.
Is there any difference between a Bali tapioca and a normal tapioca? Whatever since i have never fancied tapioca in my whole life!
Cotton plants!
Other common crops. Wait, there was a pumpkin plant as well! Does that mean that pumpkins grow on ground as well, similar to watermelons?
A wishing well; yet another installment for aesthetic purpose.
Failed version though as it is certainly not a well! Cannot imagine that there were actually people willing to toss coins into the shallow water for a wish!
Located right outside the Poison Ivy Bistro was this aromatic garden that did a fantastic job in creating a "strong smelling" environment. *p.s. i chanced upon this garden as i needed to use the restroom*
Another visit would be planned to dine at the bistro! Kindly note that dinner is not available as it closes at 6.30pm!
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Location
100 Neo Tiew Road
Opening Hours
9am - 6.30pm
[closed on Mondays and Tuesdays except Public Holidays]
Website
Guiding Map for the Farm
As above.
Cavin ah boy, when you make a visit there, always try their banana bread. you MUST.
ReplyDeleteMs Bun,
DeleteTried before liao! Hahaha. How can i not patronise the poison ivy cafe with its array of weirdly named dishes. :P click http://cavinteo.blogspot.sg/2013/06/poison-ivy-bistro-bollywood-veggies.html.