Mandai Rainforest Resort eco-resort to open in the first half of 2025

SINGAPORE – With 24 tree houses nestled among the foliage and 338 rooms in total, the next eco-resort in Mandai will be called Mandai Rainforest Resort and will open in the first half of 2025.

Operated by local luxury hotel chain Banyan Tree, the resort will be located in the middle of five natural parks. These are Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and the upcoming Rainforest Wild, Mandai Wildlife Group said on May 9.

The complex was initially set to open in 2023, but delays caused by the impact of Covid-19 on the construction sector pushed back the opening date. Other areas of Mandai district, such as Bird Paradise, which opened in May 2023, were also affected.

The new resort overlooking the Upper Seletar Reservoir is located on a 4.6 hectare site, comprising a four-storey building with standard and family rooms, as well as facilities such as a ballroom and meeting rooms, a gym and a rooftop pool. In addition to all-day dining, it will also house a specialty restaurant that will highlight sustainably sourced ingredients.

It will also have 24 elevated treehouses in the shape of seed pods located within the existing vegetation, tree lines and natural topography of the area, some with views of the reservoir.

An opening date has yet to be announced for the 12.6-hectare Rainforest Wild, which is modeled after the rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa.

At Rainforest Wild Asia, visitors will be able to navigate the various layers of the rainforest ecosystem, via wheelchair-friendly walkways and forest trails closer to the ground, or higher up near the canopy, where they will be able to climb, jump and rappelling with safety harnesses.

Another layer houses a 220m-long cave experience, inspired by Sarawak’s Mulu limestone caves, which will feature cave-racing snakes, scorpions, hissing cockroaches and a variety of other reptiles and invertebrates.

A Francois’ langur, a species on display for the first time in Singapore, will join the likes of the sun tiger and sun bear among animal sightings at the wildlife park.

Rainforest Wild Africa will feature the okapi alongside animals like the pygmy hippopotamus in an Afrotropical, Madagascar-inspired landscape.

Starting in late 2024, the public will also be able to enjoy a free-access 3.3km boardwalk, built along the edge of the Upper Seletar Reservoir and bordering the perimeter of River Wonders and Singapore Zoo.

Also on the cards for the venue are indoor nature-based experiences and an outdoor activity center for children, all located near the eco-resort.

Family spaces like Curiosity Cove host an interactive playscape of hypernatural landscapes, designed for children to foster a love of nature and wildlife through play and imagination. Meanwhile, ZooSchool will introduce children to nature-based outdoor adventure programs, Mandai Wildlife Group said.

Mike Barclay, CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group, said: “While we continue to focus on expanding our positive impact in the fields of nature conservation, wildlife and zoological research, we are excited at the prospect of immersing our guests on a wide range of nature and wildlife experiences at the fully open Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

“We are excited to introduce new options for stays, with Mandai Rainforest Resort acting as the perfect launching pad to explore our wildlife parks and the many other offerings at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.”