“We are pleased to be marking this 80th anniversary with various special celebrations for our customers, without whom this milestone would not have been possible. On 3 May 1933, a KLM Fokker F-18 landed in Singapore, making KLM the first western airline to serve Singapore with a scheduled service. Since then, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has been growing from strength to strength and we hope to continue soaring to greater heights with our customers!” --- Mr Domingo De Cola, General Manager (Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, the world's oldest still operatinng airline under its original name. In 2004, Air France and KLM merged to form AIR FRANCE KLM and focuses on 3 core businesses - passenger transport, cargo and aircraft maintenance.
In the early 1930s, KLM took the lead to recognise Singapore’s strategic location in the region and allowed this city to develop into the port of call and a convenient stopover point for flights heading between Europe and Australia.
During the reception, we were entertained by the historical Dutch street art, there was a grinder and street organ present that day, providing us with amazing music. I finally got to see the legendary book music in action and I was really tempted to go have a try myself, but feared spoiling it. LOL!
So, after a brief introduction, we were shown the beautiful garden behind where more than 40,000 tulips transformed the “Flower Dome” cooled conservatory into the largest tulip display in Singapore.
Held between 29 April to 20 May 2013, Tulipmania is a 3-week event courtesy of KLM which feature the captivating floral display of 20,000 tulip bulbs into a myriad of red, pink, yellow, white and purple, along with other beautiful spring blooms such as lilies, hyacinths, daffodils and muscari.
The name "Tulip" was derived from the shape of the flower which resembled the turban of the Sultan of Turkey. There were called "Tulipan" in Europe which then translated to the English name "Tulip".
The tulip's reputation grew to such heights that, by 1634, wealthy people who did not have a tulip collection were judged to have bad taste.
The demand for rare tulips increased so much in 1636, that they were traded on Amsterdam's Stock Exchange and in Rotterdam, Harlaem, Leyden, Alkmar, Hoorn, and other towns.
Did you know that Tulips come in a variety of vibrant colours? Black tulips are not completely black, but a deep shade of red or purple. To date, the missing colour for tulip is blue.
On 11 May, the Band of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is set to serenade and entertain visitors of Singapore Botanic Gardens for free. And on 12 May, music enthusiasts can enjoy a performance of the Band of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at the School of The Arts (SOTA) Concert Hall along with Singapore Wind Symphony. Dutch composer, Johan De Meij will be attending as a guest.
10 Reasons to visit Amsterdam this year
- KLM is the official carrier of “Amsterdam 2013″
- Visit 400 years of Amsterdam Canals – “Canal Ring” is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, various Canal Parade and Canals Festivals will be stage
- Rijksmuseum’s opening
- Concertgebouw’s 125th Anniversary
- The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s 125th Anniversary
- Frans Hals Museum’s 125th Anniversary
- Van Gogh Museum’s 40th Anniversary and reopening
- Netherlands / Russia-year / Hermitage Exhibit ‘Czar Peter the Great’
- Felix Meritis’s 225th Anniversary
- Artis Royal Zoo’s 175th Anniversary
For reservations, please call the KLM Service Centre at 6823 2220.
More photos of the beautiful flowers can be found in
my album here.
