- Introduction
- The ULTIMATE Visiting Route
- 9:30 AM – Entrance Gorge
- 9:45 AM – The Karsts
- 10:15 AM – The Forest Floor
- 10:45 AM – Flexible Habitat @ Rock Cascade
- 11:00 AM – Malayan Tigers @ Rock Cascade
- 11:30 AM – The Canopy
- 12:30 PM – Malayan Sun Bear @ Watering Hole
- Lower Stream Trek – Tapirs
- 1:15 PM – The Cavern
- 1:30 PM – Cave Restaurant
- Root Hollow Trek
- 4:00 PM – Sentinel Foodhall
- 3-Hour Itinerary
- 3. Add-On Activities
- 4. Honest Thoughts
- Essential Tips
- Your Custom Map
- Conclusion
This is a blog version of my video guide published on YouTube:
Hello Adventurers,
Are you planning a visit to Singapore’s NEWEST Rainforest Zoo?
Then this guide is for you because I’m gonna share the ULTIMATE visiting route to see EVERYTHING in 1 day—plus spill the tea on the top things to do and to AVOID.
Let’s begin!
Introduction
Rainforest Wild Asia is the youngest of the four Mandai zoos—for now.
It focuses on animals UNIQUE to the rainforest biome, which is great for the animals because they’ll feel right at home in tropical Singapore.
This zoo also promised to be unlike any typical zoos you’ve visited. Beyond the wide and comfortable boardwalks, there are rugged adventure trails that makes you feel like you’re in a national park full of animals.
And that’s NOT all—see that tall mountain feature? You can climb that- But whether you should, I’ll get to that in a bit. For now, let’s start with the ULTIMATE visiting route:
The ULTIMATE Visiting Route
9:30 AM – Entrance Gorge
To get the MOST out of your visit and see the animals when they’re most active, I’ve arranged this route to coincide with ALL the keeper talks. This will give you more knowledgeable and memorable visit!
For a morning visit, enter the zoo by 9:30 AM.
Upon entry, you’ll be greeted by a gorgeous entrance gorge, home to VERY RARE Dragon Fishes, also known as the Asian Arowanas & the endangered Cambodian Terrapins. Both of which the ranger will love to share about at the 9:30 AM keeper talk.
9:45 AM – The Karsts
Next, head to the limestone tower called the Karsts—possibly the TOP attraction here. Here, you’ll find the Francois Langur, one of the rarest monkeys in the world. There are only 2,000 left in the wild, and you’re looking at three of them.
The boardwalk offers a MAGNIFICENT spot to take in ALL the Karsts and Langurs, but for a CLOSER look, get down the Karst Loop Trek.
10:15 AM – The Forest Floor
Circle back to the boardwalk and get to The Outpost to catch the 10:15 AM keeper talk about your DEAREST animal—the deer.
The best part of this section? You’re in the SAME space as the deer, instead of observing them from afar. It’s a completely different experience from most zoos—but of course, SOME animals are better observed from a distance…
10:45 AM – Flexible Habitat @ Rock Cascade
Continue down the boardwalk and take a left to catch the 10:45 AM keeper talk about the Flexible Habitat. This is the ONLY place where prey and predator rotate between enclosures, allowing you to observe very unique animal behaviors.
At the moment you’ll find the Red Dhole, Malayan Tiger, and Babirusa – BUT they are still acclimatising hence the rotation cycle has yet to occur.
11:00 AM – Malayan Tigers @ Rock Cascade
Next, meet the BIG BOYS—the Malayan Tigers. Catch the 11:00 AM keeper talk and watch them prowl. If you don’t see the tiger, just walk around the adventure paths to get a better angle.
11:30 AM – The Canopy
Go deeper into the jungle for the 11:30 AM keeper talk at The Canopy, home of what I call the CLOWN MONKEY— because they have very unique fur coloration! Here, you can also experience swinging like a monkey on the walking nets.
12:30 PM – Malayan Sun Bear @ Watering Hole
Now, circle back towards the Watering Hole for the 12:30 PM keeper talk about the Sun Bears. Fun fact: They get their name from the iconic crest on their chest that looks like a rising sun. It is said to be as unique as human fingerprints!
Lower Stream Trek – Tapirs
Very Important: We’re gonna catch the Tapirs- BUT the ONLY way to get a good look is to take the adventure path: Lower Stream Trek. Go further down the boardwalk from the Sun-Bear, but look for the stairs leading down into the Lower Stream Trek on your left.
This is where you’ll find the magnificent Malayan Tapirs—they kinda look like mini elephants. Sadly, there isn’t a keeper talk about them, which is a missed opportunity.
1:15 PM – The Cavern
Continue down the adventure path, but look out for the suspension bridge on your left. Carefully cross it—you don’t wanna get bitten by those crocs.
Now, head into The Cavern for the 1:15 PM keeper talk about creepy, slithery animals. Fun fact: This cavern was inspired by a REAL cave system—the Mulu Caves in Borneo. They even 3D scanned the real cave to recreate it to life-size.
1:30 PM – Cave Restaurant
Time for lunch inside an underground cave restaurant. I just LOVE how their menu is on theme. You can find food named as:
- Cave Smoked Rib
- Caveman Meat Skewer
- Stone Age Burger
- and more!!
Root Hollow Trek
After lunch TIGHTEN YOUR BOOTS because we’re not done yet. Get back into the zoo via the same entrance, but this time we’ll be taking the Root Hollow Trek.
This is the ONLY way to get a closer look at the Flexible Habitat and see another Malayan Tiger and the Babirusa (pig-deer hybrid).
4:00 PM – Sentinel Foodhall
End your visit by catching the 4:00 PM keeper talk at Sentinel Foodhall. Theres the snake glass exhibit inside AND the aviary with Bali Mynah and Squirrel outside.
3-Hour Itinerary
If you’re short on time, just ignore the timings and follow the route because this is the most optimal route to see everything in one go. You’ll be able to finish everything within 3 hours.
3. Add-On Activities
Canopy Jump
Want some freefall action? Try the Canopy Jump—a 20m drop that simulates a safe freefall. There’s a shorter 13m option, but they charge the same price, so might as well take the 20m.
Initially, I thought it’s very sus because the people jumping looks like they were being GENTLY lowered to the ground. However, I did feel a good 2 seconds of thrill on my way down. So I think this is a suitable activity if you want a safe space to conquer your fear of height – or looking for a little thrill
Personally, I only tried it because there was a $30 promo (instead of the usual $45).
Black Adventures
If you’ve seen those cave exploration horror stories—now you can try it yourself here. The Wild Cavern Adventure lets you dive into dark caves, but you might starve for the next week because it costs $200 per person. The trip down into the cavern also includes the “Critter Crawl” experience where you get to explore an additional dark alley full of insects. Don’t worry they’re separated by a layer of glass.
If you prefer climbing up heights over diving into dark holes, join the Wild Apex Adventure. Basically you get to climb up and over the karst. Plus an exclusive access to the observation deck at the canopy, where you’ll do trust hang over the ledge.
4. Honest Thoughts
Who this is GOOD for
Mandai did not pay me to visit, so I can be more candid. Speaking as both fan of Mandai Zoos and a paying customer: The Rainforest Wild will be great for you if you like the idea of hiking along natural looking environment while spotting animals along the way.
I feel that they did an impressive job with The Karsts, the rock cascade, and the Caverns. I even overheard people in The Cavern asking each other “is this cave real???”.
However, I feel that the ANIMAL experience in this zoo is abit lacking. Most of the exhibits are very large but not very populated. I mean It’s nice that the animals get a lot of space to roam around, buuut it just feels very EMPTY to me.
I also find it difficult to watch the animals from some of the trails due to the terrain height difference.
Especially in comparison to the other Mandai Zoos: In Singapore zoos most of the animals are very lively without looking cramped or unnatural. In Bird Paradise they managed to fill up the big spaces with many birds of different species just fine.
PERHAPS the situation will improve, because some of the keepers said more animals are coming in. They are making sure the animals are well acclimatised to their new homes before introducing more neighbours. So maybe I’ll pay another visit next time.
Regarding the $200 adventure packs…
It’s also very good if you like the array of adventure they are offering and have the budget to do it However, neither actually gives you any unique viewing point of the animals. The Karst Loop Trek already provide all round view and the langurs mostly hang out along the walkways already. Hence I don’t feel like this is worth spending 200 $ on.
UNLESS… you are looking for a very safe place to do these risky activities. Singapore is very strict with safety, hence might be the BEST place to let your children try out riskier play.
I actually wanted to give this a shot with the opening promo, but it was very upsetting. Residents like me only get 10% off while non residents get 50% off single tickets.
ANYWAY, there are WAY more affordable places to do all these adventurous activities like the MegaAdventure in Sentosa or just go to any climbing gym and you get to climb for a WHOLE day.
It’s not just the money cost. With each activity taking 3 hours, you don’t have much time left to explore the zoo or attend the keeper talks.
Compared to visits to the Singapore Zoo or BIrd Paradise, for just $8 you can experience an UNFORGETTABLE animal feeding session. Really puts to perspective how humble that $8 is now.
I feel that the cost of the activities OR the entrance fee should be adjusted to manage guests’ expectations.
If you prefer to see more animals than adventure,
OR it’s your first time in Mandai: the Singapore Zoo or Bird Paradise might be more suitable.
Essential Tips
Getting There
The best way to get here:
- Take the train to Khatib MRT
- Board the Mandai Shuttle ($2.50 per way)
You can leave the same way, BUT note that there are extra charges for leaving Mandai by taxi.
What to Pack
They aren’t lying when they say RAIN-forest wild, because the day I visited it rained on & off at least thrice. To PROTECT your day from disasters, pack an umbrella which gives you option to take shelter or continue in case of rain.
UNFORTUNATELY… if it’s not raining, it’s BLAZING hot. Therefore, put on a good sunblock and bring along your sunnies, hat, and WATER BOTTLE. You can find water refill stations near the toilets in the park.
Combo Visit
Since you’re travelling all the way to Mandai, combine your visit to Rainforest Wild with other Mandai Zoos to make it worth your while.
For a FULL DAY packed itinerary:
- AM: Bird Paradise
- 3PM~ ish: Rainforest Wild Asia
- Evening: Night Safari
Your Custom Map
If you like candid review and guide like this, please consider booking your ticket with my affiliate link here.
You can also get a better price by using my discount code: DASHINGHEIGHTSKLOOK
Anyways, here’s a download link to the map for your easier reference:
Conclusion
And CONGRATULATIONS!! You’re now an expert on Rainforest Wild Asia. If you wanna explore more of Mandai, check out my ULTIMATE guide to the other Mandai Zoos. See you there!
Dashing Heights 