The best things to see, do, and eat at Singapore’s star animal attraction
The Singapore Zoo in Mandai Wildlife Reserve is a fantastic option for a wholesome day out. And we do mean a whole day out because there’s lots to see – from majestic lions and zebras at the Wild Africa exhibit to fascinating reptiles in Reptopia. Both adults and kids also stand to learn from the majestic animals, their keepers, and an array of interactive animal presentations and talks.
If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve narrowed down the best things to see, do, and eat at the Singapore Zoo. Once you’ve conquered this wildlife attraction, don’t forget – there’s Night Safari, River Wonders, and Bird Paradise to check out just a short distance away.
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Hop over to Australasia at the Singapore Zoo to check out adorable marsupials from Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and its surrounding islands. While many will be familiar with the land-dwelling grey kangaroos found here, some may not know of the tree kangaroos from Papua New Guinea. At this zone, you can meet a small tree kangaroo family (Makaia, Nupela, and their joey) as well as wallabies from Australia.
Get a slice of Ethiopia’s dramatic landscapes at the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia exhibit. Here, agile Nubian ibexes and Hamadryas baboons deftly navigate steep rock faces. Look out for more critters in the crags of the exhibit: meerkats, rock hyraxes, and South African ground squirrels are some you might see. Don’t forget to visit the dwelling huts made of mud and stone to see what life is like in Ethiopia’s Konso and Amharic villages too.
Primates rule at the Primate Kingdom! Here, each species of monkey, lemur, and tamarin gets its own island where they play, rest, and forage. Watch the unusual white-faced saki monkey as it leaps from tree to tree and keep your ears out for the black howler monkey. The primates here tend to be active and frisky, making this zone a must-visit.
Slither and slide to RepTopia, where more than 60 species of reptilians and amphibians reside. Here’s where you can see the majestic king cobras and reticulated pythons up close. There are many colourful creatures too: like the electric blue gecko, golden poison frog, Amazon milk frog, and ever-changing veiled chameleon.
Love Disney’s The Lion King? You can meet Singapore’s very own Simba (now quite grown-up) at Wild Africa. He stalks this zone with four other majestic lions, alongside the fastest animal on land, the cheetah. Funny enough, these big cats live almost next door to their natural prey like zebras and giraffes. Don’t overlook the beautiful African painted dogs and mysterious fossas too.
Your trip to the zoo is not complete without watching Splash Safari. This presentation stars a lively Californian sea lion doing what it does best – making a splash! Watch the sea lion glide and leap through the water, balance a ball on its nose, and perform other entertaining tricks. Presentations happen daily at 10.30am and 5pm at the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre – come prepared to get wet.
There’s no one better to learn about the zoo’s animals than the keepers. These experts care for their charges day in and day out – and are more than happy to share through the zoo’s keeper talks. Multiple talks are held across the zoo’s zones: learn about cute meerkats at Wild Africa (1.30pm daily), majestic Malayan tigers at the tiger exhibit (2.40pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday), friendly elephants at Elephants of Asia (11.30am daily), and more. Check out all the keeper talks here.
Know a kid who dreams of being a zookeeper? Treat them to the experience of a lifetime at Singapore Zoo’s Zookeeper for a Day programme. They’ll get the chance to go behind the scenes with the zoo’s animal care team to learn the ins and outs of animal husbandry and enrichment. The program caters to both kids (6 to 12 years old) and juniors (13 years old and above).
Meet lovely barn animals at Rainforest KidzWorld, a special section in the zoo for family-friendly animal experiences. Besides goat feeding and falabella (the world’s smallest breed of horse) grooming demonstrations, kids can also pet rabbits and guinea pigs at Buddy’s Barn. Parents, a word of warning, your kids may ask to adopt a rabbit after this experience.
Located at the park’s entrance, Inuka Café a stop to make for local snacks and dishes. Fuel up on traditional kaya toast and half-boiled eggs, or have some small dim sum bites. Inuka Café has both hot and cold drinks, ranging from canned drinks to traditional coffees and teas, to quench your thirst.
For a heartier meal, head to Chawang Bistro. This restaurant has Western-style eats like hot dogs, pasta, and soups. Vegans and vegetarians, there’s something for you too. Dig into salads and Impossible meat options like pies and burgers.
You’re bound to work up a sweat after tramping around the zoo all day. Cool off at Häagen Dazs ice cream shop, where you can pick up a cone of its clean and classic flavours. You can’t go wrong with Häagen Dazs vanilla, strawberry, coffee, or rum and raisin ice cream.
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