Kimi Tan, Author at Goody Feed

Have you always wanted to stay in a nature-themed resort in Bali or Sarawak, but you've never found the chance to? I have just the solution for you, right here in sunny Singapore. In the first half of 2025, Banyan Group's Mandai Rainforest Resort will be open for business, putting you a stone's throw away from its neighbouring attractions like the Singapore Zoo and River Wonders. Sitting on a 4.6-hectare site, the resort in the eastern part of Mandai Wildlife Reserve will overlook Upper Seletar Reservoir. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group Facilities Although it's called a rainforest resort, it doesn't mean you'll be thrown into a shabby room in the forest to fend for yourself. The resort will be complete with facilities and amenities to make you feel like you're on a luxurious, nature-centred getaway in Bali or Sarawak. The four-storey resort will have 338 rooms, including standard and family rooms. Each room is illustrated with the unique characteristics of rainforests, making you feel as if you're really living in the forest like Tarzan. But more luxuriously, of course. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group Though it's big, this resort is designed to be unobtrusive and sits below the upper canopy layer of surrounding trees. Guests can look forward to facilities such as a state-of-the-art gym room, a rooftop swimming pool, a ballroom, and meeting rooms. Amongst the trees, you'll find 24 elevated seed pod-shaped treehouses, some of which look out to the reservoir below, giving you a gorgeous view all day long. It's the perfect place to cuddle up with a good book and a cold glass of juice as you put your phone aside and just take a moment to relax. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group The resort also features an all-day dining and a specialty restaurant that places an emphasis on using sustainably sourced ingredients. Guests can also enjoy relaxation at the Wellness Centre, which will offer holistic treatments crafted by Banyan Group's renowned spa experts. At the resort's retail shop, guests can discover local creations and trinkets from community artists. First Super Low Energy Resort In Singapore Mandai Rainforest Resort will be the first ever Super Low Energy resort in Singapore. The resort will feature smart control strategies and passive infrared occupancy sensors, which can be used in automatic lighting applications. Don't expect your traditional air conditioning compressor units as the resort uses passive displacement ventilation to do the job. By using chilled-water to create air circulation through natural convection processes, cool air can be introduced without having to use a mechanical fan. Nearby Attractions Mandai Wildlife Reserve is home to Bird Paradise, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Singapore Zoo. Home to many gorgeous animals from Tasmanian devils and monkeys to anacondas and pandas, these four attractions feature many species that immerse you in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. If you're a big fan of nature, or have young kids who love animals, you've probably already visited all four of these. Reader: Yeah, sounds like my resort stay might be quite boring since I've already seen everything there. But wait, there'll be a fifth attraction opening soon! Rainforest Wild Rainforest Wild Asia The 12.6-hectare zoological park will be the first in asia to integrate adventure elements into its design. And when I say "adventure elements", I'm not kidding. We're talking forest treks. We're talking crossing over streams, boulders, and fallen logs on rainforest trails. It will truly give you the one-with-nature experience of a lifetime as you embark on thrill-seeking adventures across the park; climbing, jumping, and abseiling around the area. Of course, there are more family-friendly options for those with younger and older persons. A wheelchair-friendly boardwalk will show you all the sights and sounds of nature and wildlife as you take a leisurely stroll. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group You'll be able to spot species such as the Malayan tiger, Malayan sun bear, and François’ langur - a species on exhibit in Singapore for the first time. Image: Canva The park also features a 220-metre cavern with cave racer snakes, scorpions, hissing cockroaches, and a variety of other reptiles and invertebrates. The cavern features massive rock formations of stalactites and stalagmites that will drive rock-enthusiasts crazy (and Geography students too, but maybe not in a good way). If you've been to the Mulu Caves in Sarawak, you may feel as if you've been transported back there because this cavern experience is inspired by those caves, which are home to some of the largest, magnificent, and diverse limestone caves in the world. Reader: Next time don't need to travel overseas already, just go to Rainforest Wild can liao. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group Rainforest Wild Africa Over in Rainforest Wild Africa, be prepared to be transported into Madagascar. The Afro-Tropical and Madagascar-inspired landscape will feature animals such as the Pygmy hippo and okapi. While the okapi looks like the combination of a deer and a zebra, it's surprisingly not related to zebras! The okapi is actually the only living relative of the giraffe. A bit like how people always say you and your super pretty cousin don't look alike at all and you look more like a HDB rubbish chute, but you're somehow still related to your cousin anyway. Images: Canva Like Rainforest Wild Asia, guests in Rainforest Wild Africa will be able to enjoy the park through immersive aerial adventures, giving you a birds eye view of the park's exotic trees and ravine formations. Indoor Experiences And Spaces If you're tired of being a mosquito magnet, take a step indoors and enjoy nature via immersive indoor experiences and spaces. Exploria, Curiosity Cove, Mandai Gallery, Green Canvas, and ZooSchool are all nestled in the eastern side of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, so they're all really near the resort. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group Exploria uses technology to provide edutainment for guests, immersing guests in hyper-natural environments to discover real-life phenomena. The Green Canvas is within the same building. Its 2,800sqm event space, auditorium, and meeting rooms make it the perfect venue to host travelling exhibitions, nature-themed lifestyle events and stimulating talks. Mandai Gallery, Curiosity Cove, and ZooSchool are situated in the adjacent building. Mandai Gallery is a free-access permanent exhibition that allows guests to embark on a journey through time as they discover the history of Mandai Wildlife Reserve through a dynamic visual experience. Curiosity Cove is perfect for families with young children as its indoor nature setting makes it the perfect place to inculcate an early love for nature and wildlife through tactile play and a multimedia-enriched sensory adventure. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group ZooSchool's nature-based outdoor adventure programme nurtures the innate curiosity of children, building resilience and a sense of adventure. Mandai Boardwalk If you're interested in just a quick day trip to Mandai Wildlife Reserve, check out the 3.3-km long boardwalk skirting the perimeter of River Wonders and Singapore Zoo. This boardwalk will offer visitors unparalleled views across the Upper Seletar Reservoir, fully immersing you in the beauty of nature. Image: Mandai Wildlife Group This boardwalk will be open to the public later this year. “While we continue to focus on expanding our positive impact in the fields of nature conservation, animal wildlife and zoological research, we are excited by the prospect of immersing our guests in a wide array of nature and wildlife experiences at the fully opened Mandai Wildlife Reserve,” said Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. “This integrated destination will be a unique gateway to many inspiring and respectful interactions with nature and animals, that Singaporeans and guests from overseas can enjoy.”