When a friend from overseas came to town recently, I suggested that we should go visit the Singapore Zoo which claimed to be the ‘World’s Best Rainforest Zoo’. I don’t know about that since I haven’t visited enough zoos to compare but I always have a good impression of our zoo because I like how the animals can roam freely in natural habitats and you just never know what you may spot up in the trees above as you walk around. That surprise element and that up-close-and-personal interaction with animals are just incredible experiences. Been 5 years since I came here and while there weren’t major changes, I had lots of fun exploring the park while learning new stuffs along the way 🙂

Turn left or right? Where do we start? I had an itinerary planned out the night before and surprisingly it worked out perfectly in terms of timing so we could catch all the shows, watch a couple of animal feedings, have lunch and still leisurely spend an entire day here.

For the zoo map, click here.

We headed towards the left of the park and kind of did a figure 8 trail so we managed to cover all exhibits and zones. Did so much walking so the tram (S$5 for unlimited rides) became a welcoming rest stop for us whenever we need a breather while we went round in circles lol – do pay for admission with the tram ride! – totally worth it 🙂

EXHIBITS / ZONES

The Treetops Trail was one area to look out for animals around us (obviously not the crocodile-like False Gharial that hadn’t quite woken up when we were there lol). A White-faced Saki Monkey was looking straight at my camera and then started posing when a group of people approached. The Mousedeer was having his breakfast.

One of my favourites would be the Otter exhibit. Aren’t they adorable? They frolicked in the water and then pranced up and down playfully.

Next, to the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia…

This little fellow spotted us and instead of running away or hiding, stood there for quite a while to let me capture a shot of him, lol.

The Nubian Ibexes (wild mountain goats) were right at the top of the cliff so we could barely see them except their horns that were sticking out. There was also a colony of probably a hundred Hamadryas Baboons – every one just doing his or her own thing – eating, scratching each other’s back, etc. How on earth can they all live together so peacefully?!

Next, moving on to the Australian Outback…

The Primate Kingdom is a free-ranging habitat that houses different species of monkeys.

Next, we stepped into Wild Africa…

Next, the Reptile Garden…

Another of my favourite zones was the Tropical Crops…

…where we could see an array of fruits, vegetables and herbs being cultivated.

Next, the Fragile Forest…

FEEDING TIMES

Most of the exhibits had similar signs like this so you can take note of the feeding times and check out those that interest you. For the complete list of feeding times, click here.

We made our way to catch the feeding of the White Tiger. It had to get into the water to be closer to the zoo keeper who was throwing chunks of meat down at it.

SHOWS

The best show of all in my opinion. High energy performance with sound effects will guarantee you a splashing good time!

The pace of this show was slower because the acts that the elephants had to do to show off their strength took time like lifting huge logs into the water or bringing them back. Quite boring actually, lol.

This was more of an informative show that showcased the wildlife of a rainforest and also kind of warned us the effects of deforestation that would cause these little animal friends to lose their homes.

KIDZWORLD

I was disappointed with the running of the show because it ended really abruptly without any climax. Only watched two dogs performing tricks for probably 5 minutes and then it was over. Nonetheless, I’m sure the kiddos will still love this because they can get the chance to mingle with the dogs at the end of the show.

Just a kampung house model that depicted life in the older days. I remembered that wooden washing board which we used to have in our house in the early 80s because clothes were mainly hand-washed then.

 

FOOD & BEVERAGE

This is the only main restaurant located in the middle of the park though there are other options (Ah Meng Kitchen, Chawang Bistro, The Wild Deli, etc) at the entrance area. But since we couldn’t leave and re-enter the park again, we had to pick between Ah Meng Restaurant or KFC at Kidzworld for lunch.

The various stations of food ranging from Malay, Indian, Chinese local fare to Western food. Prices start from S$6.50 for a chicken macaroni soup, S$9.80 for Chicken Rice or Nasi Briyani to S$11.90 for a Chicken Chop or Fish & Chips.

We ordered Mee Rebus that I felt was a tad too sweet for my liking as well as Nasi Lemak that was served cold with soggy rice. The generous piece of boneless chicken leg was tender though and the long beans with sambal chilli was quite tasty too. The Ice Lemon Tea (S$5) came in lovely souvenir cups which we brought home as mementos.

The queuing system really needs improvement because during peak lunch time when the whole restaurant was just packed, there was a long queue of people waiting to pay at the cashier and most of these people were carrying trays of food and drinks. I spotted a few people having had to rest their trays on that fence or onto other people’s tables because it was just too much to lift the heavy trays for a long time.

How could we miss out on a slushie that came in a nice long bottle like this? Perfectly refreshing in this vicious weather.

SOUVENIR / GIFT SHOP

We had a jolly good time and were really tired by the end of the day. For peeps visiting Singapore soon, I highly recommend you to plan a trip to the zoo. There are actually more things to do here like going on a Wild Discoverer Tour (go behind-the-scenes!) with a personal guide, have a jungle breakfast (buffet style) with wildlife at Ah Meng Restaurant, purchase food to feed certain animals (giraffe, white rhinoceros, elephant, giant tortoise, baboon) and/or bring your little ones to Kidzworld for pony rides, animal contact sessions or cool off at the wet animal wonderland.

For more information, check out the Singapore Zoo’s website.

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