Which Mandai Wildlife Park to Choose

I have visited Singapore twice in the last two months and I made it my mission to test out all five of the Mandai Wildlife Parks.

This meant I could compare each one, work out how many could fit in each day and find the best ways to go to and from the park – all so that I can help you to choose the right Mandai Wildlife Park for your visit.

How I Rank the Parks

Deciding which Mandai park is best is a challenge. While this is a bit of a personal preference and will be different for others, this is how I rank the parks.

1. Singapore Zoo
2. Bird Paradise
3. River Wonders
4. Rainforest Wild Asia
5. Night Safari

If it was all about the animal experiences, I would swap the last two because there aren’t so many animals at Rainforest Wild Asia – but it’s a lot of fun with all the adventure elements.

While I have put Night Safari last, it is a unique experience so I still think it’s worth it. All five of these parks are more highly rated than many other wildlife parks I’ve visited around the world.

Read on to find out exactly why, and decide if my rankings suit your style.

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The Five Mandai Wildlife Parks

Let’s take a quick look at what each of the five Mandai wildlife parks offers.

1. Singapore Zoo

This is one of the best zoos in the world, with animals living in spacious, natural-looking enclosures. You can see orangutans swinging overhead, spot white tigers, and even have breakfast while watching animals nearby.

2. Night Safari

A unique wildlife park that only opens after dark! Hop on a tram or walk the trails to see nocturnal animals like lions, leopards, and elephants in action under soft, moonlit-style lighting.

3. River Wonders

This park is all about animals that live near rivers – think giant pandas, manatees, and freshwater stingrays. You can also take a boat ride through an Amazon-themed zone.

4. Bird Paradise

Singapore’s brand new bird park, filled with huge walk-through aviaries. You’ll see colourful parrots, flamingos, and even hornbills up close. It’s a great spot for bird lovers.

5. Rainforest Wild Asia

This newest park lets you walk through lush rainforest areas alongside animals like otters, gibbons, and tapirs. The paths feel like jungle trails, and you’ll feel like you’re exploring the wild.

At a Glance

Park	Main Animal Focus	Opening Hours	Highlights	Recommended Visit Time	Kid-Friendly?
Singapore Zoo	Wide variety (primates, big cats, reptiles)	8:30 am–6:00 pm	Breakfast with animals, Fragile Forest	4–5 hours	Yes – great for all ages
Night Safari	Nocturnal animals (leopards, owls, elephants)	6:30 pm–12:00 am	Tram ride, walking trails at night	2–3 hours	Yes – but can be late for little ones
River Wonders	River animals (pandas, manatees, fish)	10:00 am–7:00 pm	Panda Forest, Amazon River Quest boat ride	2–3 hours	Yes – gentle and educational
Bird Paradise	Birds from around the world	9:00 am–6:00 pm	Giant aviaries, bird shows, feeding sessions	3–4 hours	Yes – lots of interaction
Rainforest Wild Asia	Asian rainforest animals (gibbons, tapirs)	9:00 am–6:00 pm	Walkable rainforest trails, immersive setting	2–3 hours	Yes – quieter and less crowded

Which Wildlife Park Matches Your Travel Style?

Here’s a guide to help you pick the park that fits you best – because it’s not just about the animals, it’s about the kind of experience you’re after.

“We’re travelling with kids and want to keep it fun + manageable”

Go with Singapore Zoo – easy layout, lots of crowd-pleasers, and room to move.
Bonus: It’s stroller-friendly and has water play zones.

“We love nature and quiet walks – no crowds, just vibes”

River Wonders is calm, compact, and scenic.
Bonus: Pandas and manatees without the chaos.

“I’m here for the visuals and Insta moments”

Choose Bird Paradise – colourful, open-air aviaries with perfect photo ops.
Tip: Go early for better light and fewer crowds.

“We’ve done zoos. Give us something unique.”

The Night Safari is your pick. It’s immersive, atmospheric, and totally different.
Tip: Combine the tram + walking trails for the full experience.

“We only have a few hours – what’s the most efficient?”

Visit River Wonders or Bird Paradise – both are shorter, easier to navigate, and feel complete in ~2 hours.

“We want it all and we’ve got the time”

Go all in with Singapore Zoo + River Wonders by day, and Night Safari at night.
Just pace yourself and factor in breaks – it’s a big day!

Getting Your Mandai Wildlife Reserve Tickets

I booked all of my tickets on the Klook app, both times purchasing a bundle to save a little on the prices.

You do then need to exchange the Klook voucher (online) for the date and time you wish to enter the individual parks.

I found this easy to do, and then I just scanned the QR code at the gate each time to get in.

You can also get tickets to the individual parks on Klook too. Click here for the ones you want >> Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, River Wonders, Rainforest Wild Asia, Night Safari

You can also get your individual tickets at the gate on the day if you prefer, but there is always the chance of the parks being full, so it’s good to know you have tickets before coming all the way out here.

Klook.com

My Thoughts on Each Park

I visited all five parks over a two-month period fom May-July 2025. Here are my quick thoughts on each of them.

Note I did not have kids with me during my visits.

1. Singapore Zoo

This was my second visit to the zoo – we first came here about 15 years ago when my kids we young tweens/teenagers. They absolutely loved it then, and we enjoyed it a lot again now.

The park is spacious and open, with large, leafy enclosures and I was never left worrying about animal welfare – in fact, that goes for all five parks.

There is a train to help with getting around the park, but we didn’t use it, we stayed on foot instead.

We arrived about 8:45 and stayed – including having lunch – until about 2pm before moving on to the next park.

We really could have stayed an hour longer though at a minimum because we did rush through some sections knowing we were on a schedule.

My favourite part was the Splash Safari with Diego the Californian Sea Lion. I have seen so many of these types of shows over the years and this one was just so much fun.

Be warned if you sit in the splash zone at the front – you will get soaked. But that might be nice in the heat.

2. River Wonders

From the Zoo we went straight to River Wonders.

This one is part aquarium, part zoo, with the zones based around some of the worlds largest rivers. The zones include the Nile, Amazon, Congo, Yangtze and Mekong – even our little old Murray here in Australia got a mention.

The highlights for me here were the pandas (even if we do have pandas here in Adelaide, they are always cute) and the manatees, which were just awesome.

There is a boat ride almost like a theme park ride through the Amazonian jungle that is fun and shouldn’t be missed.

Sadly the show here was all booked out by the time we arrived – so I recommend booking that on the app as soon as it’s available (two hours before the show).

We spent around 2 hours here and that is really all that is needed – perhaps a little more if you attend the show.

3. Night Safari

We followed River Wonders with the Night Safari. This was another one we had visited before with our kids.

Now I think we did this one wrong. We waited in line for the train ride first, then saw the Creatures of the Night show then went for a walk – but as you can imagine, we were pretty worn out by then so didn’t walk the whole park.

Instead, I would not waste time waiting for the train, I would walk some of the trails first. This will allow the rush for the train to be over, and when you come back you should be able to jump right on.

I would book for the last Creatures of the Night show (can be booked 2 hours before on the app).

I personally thought this show was just okay, but it’s a nice opportunity to rest your legs after a huge day of walking before heading home.

4. Bird Paradise

This used to be called Jurong bird Park and located in a different part of Singapore but moved here in late 2022. We had visited it there, but this was our first visit in the new location.

The first thing that really impressed me was how huge the aviaries are. The biggest one is a whole wetland area with a 20m tall waterfall – which visitors can walk behind, perfect on a hot day for some cooling spray!

There are so many exotic and colourful birds here thoughtfully “displayed”.

I love that each of the huge walk-through aviaries is connected by walking through an air-conditioned inside space, each of which includes information about all different aspects of bird life.

We were able to view both shows which I think are worthwhile too if you can fit them in.

We combined Bird Paradise with Rainforest Wild Asia, visiting the latter in the morning and Bird Paradise in the afternoon. We spent about 4.5 hours here.

5. Rainforest Wild Asia

This is the newest park, opening in March 2025.

Rainforest Wild Asia mostly feels like a hike in the rainforest with occasional glimpses of animals, like you would expect in the wild.

There are two options for the paths, more natural with rocks and river crossings, or there is an elevated walkway that is accessible to all of those with mobility issues, strollers, or those who are just struggling with the heat.

The enclosures are huge and almost not like enclosures at all, they just blend into the surroundings. Some do have obvious fencing, like the tiger, others – like the siamang – roam freely over the walkway if they wish.

The cavern area at the end was a surprise and the first time I’ve ever seen this sort of environment in a wildlife park. And yes, there are a few animals displayed in here too – like fish who live in caves, scorpions, bats and more.

This park is all about being active, with river crossings and swing bridges standard, but there are also some fun activities too – like the Wild Apex (rock climbing) or Wild Cavern (caving) adventures.

There’s also the Canopy Jump, a controlled bungy jump, and Vitality Bounce, some huge trampoline-like nets.

We spent about 2.5 hours here, but you could spend longer if you wanted to try some of the adventure experiences too.

Planning Your Visit

I visited all five parks over two days and while it is incredibly busy, it is also absolutely doable if you want to do the same.

The Mandai Parks area is divided into two zones, East and West, and that’s how I split up my visits.

Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari are located in the East zone all have entrances in a similar area and it’s easy to get between them on foot in just a few minutes.

From there it is a short bus ride or a walk along the Mandai Boardwalk to get to the West zone, where the entrances are to Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild Asia.

The parks’ hours are also best set up to visit the Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari in a single day if you wish.

The Zoo opens earliest, at 8:30, closing at 6 pm, River Wonders stays open until 7 pm to overlap with Night Safari that opens at 6:30 pm.

I’m not sure I would plan all five parks over two days with young kids – I think that would be a bit much, so perhaps think carefully about which parks are more appealing.

I would even go so far as to say Night Safari might be too much after a day at another park. We saw some very tired and overwhelmed youngsters while there.

Where to Stay

The best way to visit the Mandai Wildlife Reserve into incorporate your visits here into a stay in Singapore city. There are good transport options to make getting here easy.

There is only one accommodation option, and it’s a special one, staying right here at Mandai itself.

Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree is a hotel located within the Mandai precinct.

It’s designed with sustainability in mind and built to blend in with nature. It gives guests easy access to all the parks and the nearby rainforest trails.

The resort offers comfortable, modern rooms with views of the forest, designed for a relaxing and peaceful stay. For a special stay, consider a stunning Mandai Treehouse, with your own private pool.

Take a look at this beautiful property here.

Getting to Mandai Wildlife Parks

If, like most of us, you are not staying at the stunning onsite Mandai Rainforest Resort you will need to travel from the centre of Singapore.

Both times I visited I used public transport – but two different routes.

The first time we caught the red MRT line to Khatib station where we caught the Mandai Shuttle straight to the parks. It makes a stop at Mandai West before continuing to Mandai East.

The second time we caught the brown MRT line to Springleaf station where we swapped to the local 138 bus. We got off outside Bird Paradise at Mandai West.

Each of these was cheap and easy, taking about 1 hr 15 minutes each time, and costing about $5-8SGD.

The trip via Khatib and the Mandai shuttle was a little more because the shuttle was $2.50SGD rather than standard transport rates.

The shuttle can be paid for the same way you paid for the MRT – for me that was my EZ-link card, but you can also use any contactless card or even your phone.

You can, of course, take a taxi or a Grab. Checking a dummy booking from Chinatown to Singapore Zoo, a Grab looks to be around $30SGD for a standard car and takes a little over half an hour.

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Overall, the Mandai Wildlife Parks are a unique and fun way to spend some time in Singapore.

I don’t think I would include them in a 1-2 day itinerary unless they are a top priority, but I think once you are spending 4+ days here, you should visit at least one of the parks.

If I had to pick just one to visit, I still have to recommend the Singapore Zoo for the best overall experience.

Here are the ticket options again if you’re now ready to look at further details and book.

Klook.com

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