Exploria at Mandai Wildlife Reserve
Parents with young children would be glad to know that yet another kid-friendly attraction is opening at Mandai Wildlife Reserve: Exploria. From the freezing Arctic to dark caves, your kids will get to explore and actually experience how creatures in extreme environments live.
We had a chance to take a sneak peek at what Exploria has to offer, and here’s everything you need to know to get the best out of your visit when the indoor attraction finally opens on 3rd March 2026.
What is Exploria?
We’ve seen tigers, orangutans, penguins… but now we can see something not yet covered by Singapore Zoo and Bird Paradise: creatures you have probably never seen IRL before.
It’s a 10,000sqm indoor nature attraction that lets you and your kids step into 5 immersive worlds, spotlighting creatures from hard-to-access habitats and even ones invisible to the naked eye. At Exploria, you can explore how they coexist within ecosystems through multimedia installations and interactive games.
Do note that you won’t find any live animals there, but don’t let that deter you from visiting. The simulations dial things up with extreme temperatures, wind, darkness, vibrations, mist, and light effects for a sensory adventure.
It’s the latest of the new offerings that have opened at Mandai Wildlife Reserve – alongside other attractions launched in 2025 like Mandai Rainforest Resort, Rainforest Wild Asia, and the other indoor attraction, Curiosity Cove.
Exploria is open from 11am to 8pm on weekdays and 11am to 9pm on weekends and public holidays.
How much are tickets to Exploria?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the ticket prices:
| Category | Standard price | WildPass holders (Mon – Fri) | WildPass holders (Sat, Sun & PH) |
| Adults | $38 | $34.20 | $36.10 |
| Children (3-12 years old) | $28 | $25.20 | $26.60 |
| Students (with valid student pass) | $28 | $25.20 | $26.60 |
| Seniors (≥60 years old) | – | $20 | $20 |
WildPass holders get to enjoy discounted rates, and the best part is that signing up for a membership is free. You’ll not only save some bucks when purchasing tickets to Exploria, but also enjoy discounts at other attractions at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
An alternative is to sign up for the Friends of Mandai Ultimate membership, which gives your family unlimited access to Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s 7 attractions, including Exploria. This membership starts from $64/month for a family of 2 adults and 1 child aged 3 to 17.
What to expect at Exploria
You’ll be able to collect Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) wristbands at the entrance of the attraction. Upon entering, you’ll see a tunnel lined with lit-up plus symbols – these are RFID scanners for you to scan your wristbands, and you’ll be greeted by loud, reverberating animal calls. The RFID chip is located under the QR code on your wristband.
2 main events happening every hour
Take note that there are 2 main events that will happen every hour alternately in Exploria.
The Planet Awakens show is played in Our Interconnected World – which we’ll cover more below – every alternate hour, at 11.15am, 1.15pm, 3.15pm and so on. It features lighting, projection, and surround sound audio that makes it feel like the creatures are moving around you. From the show, you’ll get a glimpse of what each of the worlds feature so it’s good to plan to arrive just in time to catch the show before exploring the different worlds.
Disruptive Moments happen at 12.15pm, 2.15pm, 4.15pm and so on. While the main show takes place in Our Interconnected World, the rest of the worlds will also be going through disruptive moments where everything stops for a moment, and the new storyline takes over. During this time, you could gather points to collect exclusive disruptive moment badges.
Our Interconnected World
Walk through the tunnel, and you’ll end up in the huge, dome-shaped Our Interconnected World – the starting point of Exploria. Here, a 4m LED globe with “living heartbeats” is the highlight, where your actions in each of Exploria’s 5 worlds will be fed back to the central LED globe.
As more visitors interact with exhibits in each world, more interconnected dots represented by the worlds’ varying colours will light up.
Pro tip: Use that to gauge the crowd levels in each world to decide where to head next.
Biopools for fun activities & to gain extra points
Surrounding the globe are 32 “biopools” you could use to create your digital avatars, track your progress, and complete quests for extra points. Or connect your phone to Exploria’s free Wi-Fi and scan the QR code on your wristband to access the biopool features on your phone.
There are 3 archetypes you could collect points for: explorer, mastermind, and protector. Discover new species in each of the worlds and collect badges to earn explorer points, solve quests on the biopools using your knowledge gained from the worlds to earn mastermind points, and collect badges by scanning your RFID in each of the 5 worlds when disruptive moments happen for protector points.
Look out for Hidden Gems to gain bonus points and claim secret badges too – they’re scattered throughout the worlds in inconspicuous locations. When you tap your wristband on Hidden Gems, they glow pink.
All these points and badges contribute to your place on the leaderboard and unlock special accessories to customise your avatar.
Here’s a tip from staff at Exploria: You could gain 1,000 points by collecting all the disruptive moment badges, so this is by far the most effective way to boost your points.
5 immersive worlds to explore
Realm of the Giants
Those with megalophobia, beware – in the Realm of the Giants, you’ll see life-sized models of animals from prehistoric eras in 1:1 scale.
Tap your wristbands on the scanners to learn more about each animal. There are also AR stations featuring layered visuals, sound, and vibration from the ground depending on the size of the animal.
The highlight here is The Giants Show: an 8-minute-long show on a giant lifting platform with mist, a 360° view screen, and immersive sound, lights, and projections. You’ll get to see around 5 eras from the birth of Earth 4.6 billion years ago to the age of dinosaurs, all the way to the modern world 10,000 years ago. You’ll even witness 2 mass extinctions.
Take note that slots for the show must be booked on Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s website 2 hours in advance, and children under 6 years old should be accompanied by an adult.
You’ll see your enlarged shadow as you walk out of the area, leaving you with a statement to ponder about the fact that humans are now the giants shaping the world.
Micro Worlds
The next space, Micro Worlds, enlarges microscopic organisms like slime mould, worms, and ants in illuminated glass orbs.
A fun feature at Exploria is Memory Hooks – photo stations in each of the 5 worlds that take your photos in unique ways based on the world.
For example, the one in Micro Worlds makes you look like bacteria in a petri dish. Taking photos at Memory Hooks in each world also gives you points.
Beyond the photo stations, there are also interactive activities in Micro Worlds, like multiple choice quiz stations and a station where you can move your body around based on on-screen instructions to get some blood flowing.
You’ll also find 3 gigantic orb stations where you can rotate a metal ball to move the projection on the screen and learn more about the microscopic creatures.
Extreme Frontiers
We then proceeded to Extreme Frontiers, where there are 4 rooms simulating different habitats that are hard for humans to live in.
Experience the Arctic where polar bears hunt for food – you’ll enter through 2 layers of doors to feel temperatures as low as 4°C, and enjoy a starry night sky and aurora borealis projections.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Desert room, perfect for warming up after being in the Arctic, with hot winds and simulation of desert temperatures that go up to 40°C. Singapore’s weather is warm enough, so we were glad to hear that the actual temperature of the room has been lowered below 40°C, as guests have shared that it was too hot previously.
Then, experience High Altitudes, where migratory demoiselle cranes soar through low-oxygen “death zones”. The use of mist and projections, and the simulation of wind speeds of up to 70km/h, will make you feel like you are flying. Again, the actual wind speed has been lowered for safety purposes.
Last is the City, where you’ll feel what a reticulated python feels when navigating underground beneath an urban city. The experience makes you feel like you’re under the MRT tunnel, as you’ll feel vibrations of trains passing.
World of Darkness
It’s quite dark in this world, obviously, so be careful when walking. The World of Darkness features animals that use echolocation, thermoreception, neuromasts, and other senses to make sense of their surroundings.
After going up an escalator, you’ll be greeted by the wondrous cave – a dimly lit, maze-like area where you will find a few interactive areas to discover these animals’ heightened senses in the dark. The floor and screen light up with your body’s thermal signatures, and the water projection reacts with ripples when you touch it.
Then, you’ll see the weird and wonderful – a dark, blue, aesthetic walkway where you can discover unidentified species in the deep sea. Here, you’ll find more interactive questions and game stations where you can move your hands and body to participate.
Through an inconspicuous doorway is the lights of the deep area – the perfect place to relax and sit down. Here, your movements will trigger jellyfish to appear.
Infinite Wonderland
This is one of the biggest worlds in Exploria – it’s totally possible to spend up to 2 hours exploring every corner of the Infinite Wonderland.
Upon going up the escalator, you’ll walk through a pitch-black monsoon storm simulation with strong winds, mist, and flashes of lightning.
Emerge into the rainforest canopy and wander through the area with environmental cues, where you’ll discover hidden animals. A crowd favourite here is the camouflage activity, where you use your RFID wristbands to find animals and collect points.
There is also a 360° room with screens where you’ll hear animal roars and sounds – spin around to spot them emerging from the foliage.
Return to the real world
Once you’ve explored all 5 worlds, you’ll find the exit tunnel right beside the entrance tunnel in Our Interconnected World, taking you to one last spot where you can scan your wristband. This is when you’ll get to see your avatar for the final time and check your scores on the leadership board.
Check out the merchandise store at Exploria
When you exit Exploria, you’ll end up in a merchandise store, where there are plenty of cute animal merchandise to purchase before leaving, such as water bottles, enamel pins, tote bags, and clothing.
Look out for the most popular Mandai x Mighty Jaxx Plush Keychain Blind Box ($19), featuring 6 different animal plush from the Exploria worlds.
You can even customise your plush with food-themed plush charms ($6) based on the animals’ diets, or environment-themed patchwork badge charms ($6) showing their habitats. There’s a mix-and-match promo available where you can purchase 2 food charms and 1 environment badge for $12 (U.P. $18).
Or catch the Exploria & Mighty Jaxx Bundle promo from now till 31st May 2026, where you can purchase a set of 1 adult Exploria ticket and 1 Mighty Jaxx blind box for $48 (U.P. $57) or a set of 1 child ticket and 1 Mighty Jaxx blind box for $38 (U.P. $47). This promotion should be purchased online via the Mandai Wildlife Reserve website beforehand, together with your entrance tickets.
Are there any kid-friendly amenities at Exploria?
Exploria has toilets and water refill stations scattered throughout the 5 worlds. There are also nursing rooms available.
At the time of writing, lockers have not yet been installed, so you might need to pack light.
The areas in Exploria are wide, making it convenient for parents with kids in strollers and wheelchair users. There are even stroller parking areas around, so you can set your strollers aside as your kids explore the interactive activities. Lifts lead up to World of Darkness and Infinite Wonderland as well – there’s no need to worry about taking the escalators with your strollers.
What are the food options near Exploria?
Chimi’s.
Image credit: Mandai Wildlife Reserve
Food Village is nearest to Exploria if you’re starving and want to grab a snack immediately. They’ve got food kiosks like Chimi’s, Churros Republic and Munchi Pancakes, as well as drink kiosks like Boost Juice for healthy fruit juice and CHICHA San Chen for freshly brewed bubble tea.
Dining Alley is also right beside it – there’s Watami Japanese Dining, as well as restaurants with kid-friendly food options like Roberta’s Pizza and Sushiro.
Image credit: The Courtyard Cafe via Google Maps
There’s also The Courtyard Cafe at Concourse Level, serving Singaporean breakfast in the morning and Asian buffet from $23 in the evening.
Image credit: Allan Llegado via Google Maps
If the myriad of food choices is making your head spin, head to the good old McDonald’s at Curiosity Cove, which has Happy Meals for your kids.
How to get to Exploria?
Image credit: Mandai Wildlife Reserve
Exploria is located outside Singapore Zoo, on the Eastern side of Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Singapore Zoo (48131) bus stop.
Image credit: zxcvbnm via Google Maps
You can take the train to MRT stations like Choa Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, or Springleaf, before taking connecting buses 927 from Choa Chu Kang or 138 from Ang Mo Kio and Springleaf to Mandai Wildlife EAST, alighting at Singapore Zoo (48131).
Drop off and pick up point at Khatib MRT station for Mandai Khatib Bus.
Screenshot from: Google Maps
An alternative is to take the Mandai Khatib Bus from Khatib MRT station. This shuttle service operates daily from 8.30am to 12am and arrives every 15 to 20 minutes. However, it’s slightly more expensive than your typical public bus fare, costing $2.50/pax, although it’s free for children under 7 years old. The bus will drop you off at Mandai Transport Hub Coach Bay Lot #3 in Mandai Wildlife EAST.
Screenshot from: Google Maps
If you are driving or arriving by car, drop off or park at Mandai Wildlife EAST Carpark (Car Park 2). The car park charges $3 for the first hour and $2/hour subsequently.
Do note that due to a high demand for taxis, there is a taxi surcharge of $5 for all hired taxis departing from Mandai Wildlife Reserve between 1pm and 11.59pm. This surcharge is also applicable to taxis booked under private hire apps like Grab, TADA and Gojek, but not applicable to private hire vehicles.
Exploria – The Smart Local review
Exploria provides a completely safe, fun, and educational experience for kids to learn more about the lesser-known creatures in this world. The gamified score system also creates friendly competition to encourage you and your kids to explore every single activity and station.
Plus, displays and text explanation move at a slow, relaxed pace, allowing your kid to absorb the information, while the games keep it engaging enough so your little ones don’t get bored. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for somewhere new to bring curious children.
Even if you’re just there for yourself, every corner is an IG-worthy photo spot.
Get tickets to Exploria
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More things to do at Mandai Wildlife Reserve:
- KidzWorld reopens at Singapore Zoo
- Rainforest Wild ASIA
- Bird Paradise & Mandai Wildlife West, Singapore
Photography by Shannon Tan.