New experiences impressed by nature and wildlife are arising at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which at present is the residence of Singapore’s wildlife parks – Bird Paradise, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Singapore Zoo. Later this 12 months, the public will have the ability to get pleasure from a freely accessible boardwalk, which has been constructed alongside the fringe of the Upper Seletar Reservoir. This shall be adopted by the opening of the much-anticipated Mandai Rainforest Resort operated by Banyan Tree in the first half of 2025. Singapore may even quickly welcome its fifth wildlife park, Rainforest Wild, the place guests shall be transported into the rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa.
There shall be a new vary of nature-based edutainment actions housed inside the indoor points of interest – Exploria and Curiosity Cove, which shall be conveniently situated exterior Singapore Zoo. The Mandai Wildlife Reserve shall be rounded off with the addition of Green Canvas – a gathering and conferencing facility; the Mandai Gallery – an exhibition house narrating the historical past of Singapore’s zoological parks; Singapore’s solely ZooCollege providing zoo-based journey programmes curated specifically for younger youngsters, in addition to two campsites that may function all through the 12 months. These thrilling additions are scheduled to progressively open in the coming years.
The Mandai Wildlife Reserve is being purposefully remodeled right into a 126-ha vacation spot teeming with an array of experiences that immerses its guests in the sights, sounds and scents of nature. In addition to the ticketed experiences which function curated adventures, there shall be freely accessible inexperienced areas with play areas and various eating offerings. A 3.3km-long boardwalk skirting the perimeter of River Wonders and Singapore Zoo will supply guests unparalleled views throughout the Upper Seletar Reservoir.
“While we continue to focus on expanding our positive impact in the fields of nature conservation, animal wildlife and zoological research, we are excited by the prospect of immersing our guests in a wide array of nature and wildlife experiences at the fully opened Mandai Wildlife Reserve”, mentioned Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. “This integrated destination will be a unique gateway to many inspiring and respectful interactions with nature and animals, that Singaporeans and guests from overseas can enjoy.”
He added: “We are excited to unveil new options for stayovers, with the Mandai Rainforest Resort acting as the perfect launch pad for exploring our wildlife parks and the many other offerings at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. We welcome Banyan Tree, the homegrown company with a globally renowned brand, as the operator of this new resort. We also look forward to presenting Rainforest Wild Asia, where parkgoers can navigate a Southeast Asian rainforest via various walkways that span the tree canopy, the forest floor, and a magical subterranean world of caverns.”
A ‘Conscious Stay’ at Mandai Rainforest Resort
Situated in the jap a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve and overlooking the Upper Seletar Reservoir, Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree marks a homecoming for hospitality firm, Banyan Group, as its inaugural resort for Singapore.
Sitting on a 4.6-hectare web site the place native tree species have been thoughtfully planted in concord with the forest scape, the 338-room resort includes a four-storey constructing with normal and household rooms, in addition to amenities like a ballroom and assembly rooms, a state-of-the-art gymnasium room and a rooftop swimming pool. Outside these are 24 elevated seed pod-shaped treehouses set amongst the timber, some searching to the reservoir. The idea of the resort is sympathetic to the present vegetation, treelines and pure topography. It is designed to be unobtrusive, sitting under the higher cover layer of the surrounding timber.
Biophilia deeply influences the resort’s structure and is infused in all programmes, signature facilities and service. Drawing inspiration from Banyan Group’s wealthy legacy of honouring the essence of the location it’s in, the distinctive traits of rainforests – from the forest flooring to the understorey, cover and emergent layers – are illustrated inside the rooms to encourage friends to understand the biodiversity surrounding them.
Within the resort are each an all-day eating in addition to a specialty restaurant the place sustainably sourced substances take centre stage. The resort may even supply a sensory journey via native artwork and design in addition to spa experiences. Guests will have the ability to discover native creations from group artists in the retail store. A signature Wellness Centre will supply friends a spread of holistic remedies crafted by Banyan Group’s famend spa specialists.
Mandai Rainforest Resort additionally debuts as the first-ever Super Low Energy (SLE) resort in the nation that includes good management methods, passive infrared occupancy sensors, and passive displacement air flow, an answer that cools air utilizing chilled water moderately than conventional air-con compressor models.
Adventures in the multi-layered rainforest
The sense of exploration and marvel of the pure world reaches new heights in the 12.6-ha Rainforest Wild Asia, the first zoological park in Asia to combine journey components into its design. Quite a lot of paths will cater to totally different expeditions, with likelihood sightings of animals like the Malayan tiger, Malayan solar bear and François’ langur – a species on exhibit in Singapore for the first time.
Adventure ranges begin with a leisurely stroll throughout a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk to absorb the sights and sounds of nature and wildlife, to exploring forest treks, crossing over streams, boulders and fallen logs on rainforest trails. Parkgoers also can select to embark on thrill-seeking adventures, climbing, leaping and abseiling round the park in security harnesses whereas they get pleasure from a few of the most picturesque views and distinctive encounters the rainforest has to supply.
The finale to the rainforest journey is a 220-metre cavern, inhabited by cave racer snakes, scorpions, hissing cockroaches, and quite a lot of different reptiles and invertebrates. Featuring large rock formations of stalactites and stalagmites, the cavern expertise is impressed by the Mulu Caves in Sarawak – residence to a few of the largest, magnificent, and various limestone caves in the world.
Over at Rainforest Wild Africa, friends will expertise an Afro-Tropical and Madagascar-inspired panorama with function animals equivalent to the Pygmy hippo and elusive Okapi, a species that may even be making its debut in Singapore. The panorama has unique elements that includes iconic timber reflecting their geographical areas, and ravine formations the place animal actions are orchestrated. Guests also can get pleasure from the park via immersive aerial adventures.
Planet-loving experiences for all ages
Nestled in the jap facet of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, adjoining to the resort, are two buildings devoted to immersive indoor experiences and areas – Exploria, Curiosity Cove, Mandai Gallery, Green Canvas and ZooCollege. Surrounding these constructions are verdant inexperienced areas and exercise lawns, which supply ample house for alfresco actions, meals and beverage decisions and shops, creating an interesting surroundings for play, exploration and schooling.
Designed to be immersive edutainment utilizing know-how, guests to Exploria will uncover real-life phenomena in hyper-natural environments throughout 5 worlds via digital expeditions. From a wonder-library of microorganisms to a simulation of maximum frontiers on Earth, they’re set to come across the planet’s most resilient and fascinating species nearly. Within the identical constructing is Green Canvas, a collaborative house that invitations individuals from all walks of life to its 2,800sqm occasion house, auditorium and assembly rooms. This is the place travelling exhibitions, nature-themed way of life occasions and stimulating talks shall be hosted, protecting quite a lot of matters, together with these aimed at inspiring its audiences to rally round and assist champion nature and wildlife conservation.
In the adjoining constructing are Mandai Gallery, Curiosity Cove, ZooCollege. Embark on a journey via time and delve into the historical past and heritage of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve with a dynamic visible expertise in the Mandai Gallery, a free-access everlasting exhibition. At Curiosity Cove, households shall be enveloped in an indoor nature setting that’s accessible for younger youngsters at a scale, tempo and stage of interplay that inculcates an early love for nature and wildlife via tactile play. From the woodlands the place arboreal flora and fauna thrive, to the river of life in the wetlands – a collection of multimedia-enriched sensory adventures encourage discovery by cultivating cognitive, social, motor and locomotor abilities towards an immersive indoor playscape. Through outdoor-based discoveries and experiences set inside the distinctive canvas of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, ZooCollege will introduce youngsters to nature-based outside journey programmes that nurture their innate curiosity, resilience and sense of journey. With a tailor-made curriculum mixing outside and wildlife schooling, coupled with park visits, ZooCollege goals to instill in younger minds a profound appreciation and care for the pure world.
