Names and identities unveiled for Singapore’s new offerings at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve
New experiences impressed by nature and wildlife are developing on the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which at present is the house of Singapore’s wildlife parks – Hen Paradise, Evening Safari, River Wonders, and Singapore Zoo. Later this yr, the general public will be capable to take pleasure in a freely accessible boardwalk, which has been constructed alongside the sting of the Higher Seletar Reservoir. This shall be adopted by the opening of the much-anticipated Mandai Rainforest Resort operated by Banyan Tree within the first half of 2025. Singapore can 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 brand new vary of nature-based edutainment actions housed inside the indoor points of interest – Exploria and Curiosity Cove, which shall be conveniently positioned outdoors Singapore Zoo. The Mandai Wildlife Reserve shall be rounded off with the addition of Inexperienced Canvas – a gathering and conferencing facility; the Mandai Gallery – an exhibition house narrating the historical past of Singapore’s zoological parks; Singapore’s solely ZooSchool providing zoo-based journey programmes curated specifically for younger youngsters, in addition to two campsites that may function all year long. These thrilling additions are scheduled to progressively open within 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 within the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Along with the ticketed experiences which characteristic curated adventures, there shall be freely accessible inexperienced areas with play areas and numerous eating choices. A 3.3km-long boardwalk skirting the perimeter of River Wonders and Singapore Zoo will provide guests unparalleled views throughout the Higher Seletar Reservoir.
“Whereas we proceed to concentrate on increasing our optimistic affect within the fields of nature conservation, animal wildlife and zoological analysis, we’re excited by the prospect of immersing our company in a wide selection of nature and wildlife experiences on the totally opened Mandai Wildlife Reserve”, stated Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. “This built-in vacation spot shall be a singular gateway to many inspiring and respectful interactions with nature and animals, that Singaporeans and company from abroad can take pleasure in.”
He added: “We’re excited to unveil new choices for stayovers, with the Mandai Rainforest Resort appearing as the proper launch pad for exploring our wildlife parks and the various different choices on the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. We welcome Banyan Tree, the homegrown firm with a globally famend model, because the operator of this new resort. We additionally stay up for presenting Rainforest Wild Asia, the place parkgoers can navigate a Southeast Asian rainforest through varied walkways that span the tree cover, the forest flooring, and a magical subterranean world of caverns.”
A ‘Acutely aware Keep’ at Mandai Rainforest Resort
Located within the japanese a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve and overlooking the Higher 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 contains a four-storey constructing with normal and household rooms, in addition to amenities like a ballroom and assembly rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center room and a rooftop swimming pool. Exterior these are 24 elevated seed pod-shaped treehouses set amongst the bushes, some searching to the reservoir. The idea of the resort is sympathetic to the prevailing vegetation, treelines and pure topography. It’s designed to be unobtrusive, sitting under the higher cover layer of the encircling bushes.
Biophilia deeply influences the resort’s structure and is infused in all programmes, signature facilities and repair. Drawing inspiration from Banyan Group’s wealthy legacy of honouring the essence of the placement 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 company to understand the biodiversity surrounding them.
Inside the resort are each an all-day eating in addition to a specialty restaurant the place sustainably sourced elements take centre stage. The resort can even provide a sensory journey by native artwork and design in addition to spa experiences. Company will be capable to discover native creations from neighborhood artists within the retail store. A signature Wellness Centre will provide company a spread of holistic remedies crafted by Banyan Group’s famend spa consultants.
Mandai Rainforest Resort additionally debuts because the first-ever Tremendous Low Power (SLE) resort within the nation that includes sensible 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 within the multi-layered rainforest
The sense of exploration and surprise of the pure world reaches new heights within the 12.6-ha Rainforest Wild Asia, the primary zoological park in Asia to combine journey components into its design. Quite a lot of paths will cater to completely different expeditions, with probability sightings of animals just like the Malayan tiger, Malayan solar bear and François’ langur – a species on exhibit in Singapore for the primary time.
Journey ranges begin with a leisurely stroll throughout a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk to soak up 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 across the park in security harnesses whereas they take pleasure in 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. That includes huge rock formations of stalactites and stalagmites, the cavern expertise is impressed by the Mulu Caves in Sarawak – dwelling to a few of the largest, magnificent, and numerous limestone caves on this planet.
Over at Rainforest Wild Africa, company will expertise an Afro-Tropical and Madagascar-inspired panorama with characteristic animals such because the Pygmy hippo and elusive Okapi, a species that can even be making its debut in Singapore. The panorama has unique elements that includes iconic bushes reflecting their geographical places, and ravine formations the place animal actions are orchestrated. Company also can benefit from the park by immersive aerial adventures.
Planet-loving experiences for all ages
Nestled within the japanese 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, Inexperienced Canvas and ZooSchool. Surrounding these buildings are verdant inexperienced areas and exercise lawns, which supply ample house for alfresco actions, meals and beverage decisions and shops, creating a fascinating setting 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 by digital expeditions. From a wonder-library of microorganisms to a simulation of utmost frontiers on Earth, they’re set to come across the planet’s most resilient and interesting species just about. Inside the similar constructing is Inexperienced Canvas, a collaborative house that invitations folks from all walks of life to its 2,800sqm occasion house, auditorium and assembly rooms. That is the place travelling exhibitions, nature-themed life-style occasions and stimulating talks shall be hosted, protecting quite a lot of matters, together with these geared toward inspiring its audiences to rally round and assist champion nature and wildlife conservation.
Within the adjoining constructing are Mandai Gallery, Curiosity Cove, ZooSchool. Embark on a journey by time and delve into the historical past and heritage of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve with a dynamic visible expertise within 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 degree of interplay that inculcates an early love for nature and wildlife by tactile play. From the woodlands the place arboreal natural world thrive, to the river of life within the wetlands – a sequence of multimedia-enriched sensory adventures encourage discovery by cultivating cognitive, social, motor and locomotor expertise towards an immersive indoor playscape. By means of outdoor-based discoveries and experiences set inside the distinctive canvas of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, ZooSchool will introduce youngsters to nature-based out of doors journey programmes that nurture their innate curiosity, resilience and sense of journey. With a tailor-made curriculum mixing out of doors and wildlife schooling, coupled with park visits, ZooSchool goals to instill in younger minds a profound appreciation and look after the pure world.