The Singapore Zoo is soon to open its fifth park in Mandai Wildlife West; Rainforest Wild ASIA. It proudly markets itself as Asia’s first wildlife adventure park!
Mark your calendars for March 12th, 2025 when the Singapore Zoo opens its doors to a new unique park where nature and wilderness are at the forefront; so much so that staff and construction workers preserved over 300 natural trees to keep this park authentic to the surrounding foliage that houses a number of indigenous species of animals and insects.
There are several ways to explore this new Singapore Zoo attraction; first through its elevated boardwalk that is accessible to wheelchair users and strollers. Second, the park can be explored through the orange paths, or rather natural trails that allow you to cross streams via wooden logs and climb over stones. You may encounter a deer and other animals as you walk these nature trails!
This Singapore blog post will cover the details about Rainforest Wild ASIA to include the animals present, what is included in your admission ticket, extra excursions and activities, ticket pricing, hours of operation, dining, things know before you go, how to get there, and dining.
The Animals
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Each time you visit Rainforest Wild ASIA, you will have a chance to see animals from different angels and viewpoints as their habitats were designed to be a wildlife exploration type of park where nature comes first, unlike a traditional zoo. I like to think of this park so as a hiking area with accessible or challenging trails for moderate exercise; the wildlife and animal spotting is a plus!
There are nearly 40 species at this Singapore Zoo park, so if you do not want spoilers, keep scrolling. If you want to start your checklist for your next visit, popular inhabitants include monkeys, tigers, deers, bears, hogs, scorpions, snakes, and tapirs, just to name a few.
What’s Included
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You admission ticket gives you access to the following:
- Access to seven of the orange-marked Forest Treks that allow you to explore the three-tiered rainforest
- Entry to the man-made 220m/722 ft cave that was heavily inspired by the the Mulu Caves in Sarawak, Malaysia; it features stalactites and stalagmites as well as a restaurant!
- A chance to spot 36 different species from various angles, perhaps even up-close and personal
- Eight daily Ranger Talk events as follows
- Asian Arowana, 9:30am & 1:30pm at the Entrance Pond
- Cavern, 1:15pm & 5:15pm at the Cavern
- Deers, 10:15am & 2:15pm at the Forest Floor
- Flexible Habitat, 10:45am & 2:45pm at the Rock Cascade
- Francois’ Langur, 9:45am & 1:45pm at the Karsts
- Langurs & Siamang, 11:30am & 3:30pm at the Canopy
- Malayan Sun Bear, 12:30pm & 4:30pm at the Watering Hole
- Malayan Tiger, 11am & 3pm at the Rock Cascade/Tiger Waterfall
- Sentinel, only 4pm at Sentinel Foodhall
Paid Attractions & Activities
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There are six main paid attractions at the new Singapore Zoo park, all of which are open daily. There are two categories of paid activities, the more kid-oriented Adventure+ which is open daily from 10am-6pm, with final entry at 5:30pm. Tickets for Adventure+ can be purchased ahead of time online with admission or onsite without a reservation; access to each Adventure+ attractions is based on capacity. Duration for all three Adventure+ activities is about 20 minutes.
The latter three attractions are the Black Adventure activities, which must be bundled or reserved ahead of time online when purchasing your admission ticket online. These are more physically demanding and geared towards teens and adults. Time slot reservations are also required as each activity can last up to 3 hours!
Please note that both sets of activities have certain height and/or weight requirements as detailed below. Plan on wearing sneakers and athletic clothing if you want to partake in a paid attraction, as this is the required attire. These attractions cannot be partaken in if attendee is pregnant, has underlying health issues/recent surgeries, and/or suffers from claustrophobia, anxiety, panic attacks, and/or has a fear of heights.
- AIA Vitality Bounce
- Located right by the entrance (near the Watering Hole), this attraction lets you explore the tree canopy 3-7m above the ground (10-23ft) on a series of bouncing nets
- S$15 per pax, booked on site or online
- Requirement of at least 0.9m/2’11” and max weight of 120kg/264.5 lbs
- Children under 1.35m/4’5″ must be accompanied by an adult
- Requirement of at least 0.9m/2’11” and max weight of 120kg/264.5 lbs
- Critter Crawl
- Navigate a tight and narrow 60m/197 ft cave tunnel at the Cavern, located at the eastern corner of the park
- S$20 per pax, booked on site or online
- Children under 1.15m/3’9″ must be accompanied by an adult
- No min/max weight requirements at this attraction
- Canopy Jump
- Located toward the northeastern end of the park at the Rock Cascade near the Sentinel Foodhall, this attraction will let you overcome your wildest fears by leaping off a 13m or 20m platform (42.5ft or 65.5ft) with controlled descent
- S$30 per pax, booked on site or online
- Min. height of 1.35m/4’5″ – Max. height of 2.1m/6’10”
- Min. weight of 20kg/44 lbs – Max. weight of 120kg/264.5 lbs
- Wild Apex Adventure
- Located behind the canopy, this attraction allows you to channel your inner monkey by getting to climb harnessed along cliffs and ladders
- 3 hr tour open daily with start times of 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm
- S$192 for adults/S$174 for kids (includes park admission and photo, must be booked ahead of time)
- Min. height of 1.35m/4’5″ – Max. height of 2.1m/6’10”
- Min. weight of 20kg/44 lbs – Max. weight of 120kg/264.5 lbs
- Wild Cavern Adventure
- Explore the cavern by climbing your way through its entirety over the course of 3 hours!
- Available daily with start times at 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm
- S$192 for adults/S$174 for kids (includes park admission and photo, must be booked ahead of time)
- Must be able to squeeze through a 45cm/18 inch gap
- Min. height of 1.35m/4’5″ – Max. height of 2.1m/6’10”
- Min. weight of 20kg/44 lbs – Max. weight of 120kg/264.5 lbs
- Adventure Base Camp – More details coming soon!
Tickets & Hours of Operation
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- Rainforest Wild ASIA is open daily form 9am-6pm, final admission at 5pm, located at Mandai Wildlife West across from Birds of Paradise on 20 Mandai Lake Road
- Adventure+ excursions are open daily starting at 10am with final admission at 5:30pm
- Black Adventure are also open daily, tour start times vary by attraction (see above)
- General admission is S$43 for adults, S$31 for children (ages 3-13), and S$20 for seniors, while park hopper bundles vary from S$50-S$110 for adults and S$50-S$80 for children. Ranger Talks, access to cavern and all trails and canopy walks is included with admission whilst Adventure+ & Black Adventure attractions are charged a-la-carte or bundled with an admission ticket.
- All tickets must be purchased online and ahead of time; only exception being Adventure+ attractions, although it is encouraged to also book ahead; Black Adventure attractions must be date/time reserved when purchasing admission tickets/bundles
Dining
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There are four dining options at Rainforest Wild Asia:
- Cavern Restaurant, situated inside the cavern. This dining option is actually open to the public as well.
- Open daily 11am-9pm
- Rangers Cafe at the Outpost, offers on-the-go options
- Open daily 9am-5:30pm
- Sentinel Foodhall, near the Canopy Jump offers Southeast Asian cuisine
- Open daily 9:30am-5:30pm
- Watering Hole Cafe offers all day dining
- Open daily 9:30am-5:30pm
Additional options right outside the park include the various restaurants near the Bird Paradise entrance just across the street! You do not need to purchase a Bird Paradise ticket to enjoy these dining options.
Know Before You Go
View map of the park here.
Rentals: You can rent strollers and wagons at each park; they can also be reserved online. Wheelchairs are provided for free! Rental storage lockers can be found at the River Wonders entrance.
Services: Prayer rooms, nursing rooms, diaper changing stations, first aid areas, and water fountains are located in each park, as well as free wifi, ATMs, and lost & found services. You will likely have decent cell service while inside the parks despite being in the wilderness!
Duration: This depends on you and what else you plan on doing while inside the park, but reserve about four hours, more if you plan on partaking in a Black Adventure activity.
What to bring/wear: Sneakers and sports attire is highly recommended for this park, especially if you plan on doing a paid adventure add-on. Although available for purchase, rain gear is highly recommended. Please also bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, bug repellent, water, a bag for your rain poncho/umbrella, and a handheld fan, if you’re fancy. For this park in particular, if you have binoculars, I would recommend those as well. An extra pair of socks, or better yet, waterproof shoes/socks are best. Wear breathable material as a majority of the park is outdoors and air con areas are more sparse.
Accessibility/Mobility: This park wheelchair and stroller accessible due to its universal canopy walkway; this park does not have tram/shuttle services. Please also know that there many slopes, tight walkways, and some shortcuts/lookout points that may only be accessible by staircase. Though many of the trails/walkways are paved or are boardwalks, some parts of the park have added cosmetic ridges and grooves on the sidewalk to make the experience more immersive but this is perhaps a bit challenging for wheelchair users and parents who push strollers.
Payment: Foreign bank cards/credit cards may only work on certain vending machines if any, so bring some change. Even foreign Apple Pay or Google Pay when used via a smart device is hit or miss when using a non-Asian device/card at vending machines. Otherwise, I had no issues paying for tickets, food, and gifts inside the park with foreign cards. I’ll reiterate, admission tickets and activities must be purchased and/or reserved online; no admission tickets are sold on site, and if the park is at capacity when you show up, you are out of luck.
Learn more about the other parks and the Mandai Wildlife Reserve here.
How To Get There
- MRT/Khatib Shuttle: Take the Northsouth line to Khatib Station (NS14). You will see signs for the Mandai Reserve Khatib Shuttle; they run about every 20 minutes and make stops at Bird Paradise/Rainforest Wild Asia (Maindai West) and the Singapore Zoo/River Wonders/Night Safari (Mandai East).
- First shuttle to Mandai is at 8:30 am, last shuttle to st 11:40pm; first shuttle back to Khatib MRT is at 8:50am, while the last ride to the MRT station is at midnight. The bus ride takes about 20-30 minutes. The official Mandai website states that the Khatib Shuttle costs S$2.50 per person ages 7 and up (card only), but I was never charged for this service. The shuttle is free of charge for guests transiting between Maindai East & West. This shuttle has been reported as not being wheelchair accessible.
- The Khatib Shuttle is free of charge when moving between Mandai East and West once on property.
- Other MRT & Bus Routes:
- Take the Northsouth line to Ang Mo Kim (NS16) and take bus line 138.
- Take the Northsouth line to Choa Chu Kang (NS4) and take bus line 927.
- Take the Thomson East Coast Line to Springleaf (TE4) and take bus line 138.
- Mandai City Express: Runs during certain times on Thursdays-Sundays. It costs S$8 for one way and S$16 for a roundtrip for anyone above the age of 3. The bonus about this shuttle is that it picks up guests from hotels in the city centre.
- Taxis/Grabs: Please note that taking a ride-share to, from, and around the parks will require a S$5 surcharge during the hours of 1pm-11:59pm daily. Mandai Wildlife West is located at 20 Mandai Lake Road.
- Parking is free at Mandai West nightly starting at 6 pm until midnight (no purchase required), so if you are simply looking to dine or take your personal vehicle to attend Night Safari, then this option is free!
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
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Thank you for taking the time to inform yourself about the newest park at the Singapore Zoo/Mandai Wildlife Reserve. This park will let you appreciate the indigenous plants and animals that are native to South and Southeast Asia. I hope you make the best of your visit and enjoy all that Mandai has to offer!
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