Guide To Rainforest Wild Asia – Forest Treks, Caves & A 20m-Tall Canopy Jump

Rainforest Wild ASIA

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A visit to the family-favourite Mandai Wildlife Reserve is as fool-proof as it gets, when it comes to planning the perfect outing. You get to wave hello to furry, feathered, and scaly inhabitants of  parks such as the Singapore Zoo and Bird Paradise, but for those looking for an experience that brings you a lil closer to life on the wild side, you’re in luck.

Singapore’s 5th zoological park, Rainforest Wild ASIA is poised to be up and running pretty soon, and we had the chance to take a good and surprisingly active first look at its fresh new premises. From taking 20m-tall leaps from the treetops to navigating through forest trails down below, here’s what you can expect when the park officially opens this March.

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What is Rainforest Wild ASIA?

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Rainforest Wild ASIA is Mandai Wildlife Group’s newest zoological park that’s opening its doors to the public on 12th March 2025. The park doesn’t just give visitors a glimpse into the fascinating Southeast Asian rainforests; it invites them to appreciate the vibrant ecosystem that’s teeming with life first-hand.

Park-goers can opt to conquer forest treks by crossing logs and hopping on stones to get across flowing streams, or take part in a slew of add-on activities that will give them an even more involved experience.

These are called Adventure Plus and Black Adventure activities; some to look forward to include leaps off the towering Canopy Jump and a cave spelunking expedition as part of the Wild Cavern Adventure.

Image credit: Mandai Wildlife Group

Of course, you’ll get to see your fair share of wildlife on your journey through Rainforest Wild ASIA. Species from Southeast Asia take centre stage here; expect to snap pics of the elusive Malayan Sun Bear and a pair of majestic Malayan Tigers. The François’ Langur and the Philippine Spotted Deer are also new-to-Singapore additions that you’ll want to keep a finger on the shutter for.

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How much are tickets to Rainforest Wild ASIA?

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Image credit: Mandai Wildlife Group

Once Rainforest Wild ASIA is open to the public, the park will be open daily from 9am to 6pm, with 5pm being the latest admission into the park. Single-park admission into Rainforest Wild Asia is priced at $43 for adults, $31 for children aged 3 to 12, and $20 for local senior citizens. You can start booking your tickets now, by visiting Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s website.

However, the park is having an ongoing promotion to celebrate its opening. From 12th February-31st March 2025, local residents can enjoy a special admission rate of $33/adult and $21/child. Also, kids aged 3-12 enter for free with every 2 paying adults, from now till 30th April 2025.

Additionally, visitors can sign up for Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s free WildPass digital membership to score even more discounts. For instance, WildPass members enjoy a 10% discount on the aforementioned Adventure Plus activities at Rainforest Wild ASIA.

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How to get to Rainforest Wild ASIA?

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Getting to Rainforest Wild ASIA is no hassle at all. It’s over at Mandai Wildlife WEST, the same public space within Mandai Wildlife Reserve which also plays host to Bird Paradise.

Children under 7 years old can ride the Mandai Khatib shuttle bus for free.
Image credit: Buses In Lion City via Facebook

As for getting to Mandai Wildlife WEST, you can take the Mandai Khatib shuttle bus ($2.50/trip) which brings you from Khatib MRT station’s passenger pick-up point at Exit A to Mandai Wildlife WEST. Do note that this shuttle bus service does not accept cash, so you’ll have to pay using contactless payment modes such as credit cards, EZ-Link, and Apple Pay.

Other public bus services you can take to get you to Mandai Wildlife WEST are bus no. 138 that you can take from Ang Mo Kio bus interchange and Springleaf MRT station, and bus no. 927 which departs from Choa Chu Kang bus interchange.

The pick-up/drop-off point at Carpark 1. The Mandai Wildlife West bus stop (bus stop 48111) is also located in the vicinity. 

If you’re taking a private hire vehicle or are driving to Rainforest Wild ASIA yourself, you’ll want to drop-off or park at Mandai Wildlife West’s Carpark 1. There’ll be tons of signs pointing you towards Rainforest Wild ASIA’s direction; follow them and you don’t have to worry about getting lost.

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What to pack for Rainforest Wild ASIA?

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Since Rainforest Wild ASIA is mostly an outdoors wildlife park, you’re going to be doing a lot of walking at the mercy of Singapore’s blistering heat. This means a good layer of sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from any UV damage. Staying hydrated is also of utmost importance, so pack a large, heat insulating tumbler to keep your drinks icy cold.

We also recommend bringing a powerful handheld electric fan to keep yourself sufficiently cool, and perhaps don a sun hat to keep the rays at bay. Certain areas of the park will have you trekking in rainforest-like environments, which means it’s open season for any mozzies in the area. As such spray on some insect repellent to deter the pesky blood suckers.

Investing in a good pair of hiking shoes will also do wonders for your visit, as there are parts of the park where you’ll walk through potentially uneven terrain.

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Lastly, you might also want to consider downloading the Mandai Wildlife Reserve App (App Store | Google Play) prior to your visit to Rainforest Wild ASIA. It’s packed with plenty of essential information, such as a handy map, as well as scheduled activities and things to do within the park.

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What to expect at Rainforest Wild ASIA?

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Test your balance by walking on logs to cross rivers

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Rainforest Wild ASIA’s craggy entrance should clue you in on the unique journey ahead of you. After strolling past the Southern River Terrapin, which happens to be one of the most endangered turtle species in the world, you’ll meet your first fork in the road.

A comprehensive map of Rainforest Wild Asia can be found near the entrance of the park.

Here’s the thing about the park’s layout; unlike wildlife parks such as the Singapore Zoo, you don’t have to stick to 1 single route when exploring Rainforest Wild ASIA, as it’s made up of elevated walkways and forest treks.

The former are boardwalks raised above ground for views of the forest floor down below, while the latter are trails that are natural-looking, off the beaten track options for the adventurous. We’re an intrepid bunch, so we chose to hit the forest treks instead of the boardwalks first, and stumbled across the Log Crossing Trek.

You’ll be making your way across small bodies of water with the help of conveniently-placed logs and large rocks, and so we had to traverse a calm pond first by hopping on literal stepping stones. From the looks of it, the water is by no means deep, even for children, but we still had to watch our step if we didn’t want to walk around the park with soggy socks.

Afterwards, we had to keep our balance while walking on a couple of logs placed above a flowing river. Energetic kids and adults should have no troubles, but if you’re travelling with older folks or are not too confident in keeping yourself dry, look out for a small, pebbly side path you can take instead.

At the end of the Log Crossing Trek, there are little shoe-cleaning brushes affixed to the ground to scrub away dirt and mud lingering on your kicks. There were also a couple of tree stump-like seats along the way, should you need a quick minute to rest.

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Hang out with primates on a via ferrata experience

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We then swung by the Karst Loop Trek next, which was home to the adorable François’ Langurs. Take the chance to soak in the soaring rock formations here, as you make your way across a mini rope bridge dangling above the karsts.

Also, you won’t have to look hard at all to spot the stars of this habitat. The François’ langurs are endangered primates native to China and Vietnam, but you’ll find that they’re right at home here. In fact, we caught them play-fighting with each other atop a small limestone plateau, as they danced around with their long tails.

If you need a breather, there’s a resting area with plenty of seating for you to drink up and rev up those portable fans. You can also get a really good view of the karsts right here, so whip out your phones to capture the langurs’ monkey business.

But, if you’d like to do some monkeying around of your own, sign up for the Wild Apex Adventure (from $192/adult).

Image credit: Mandai Wildlife Group

It’s one of the Black Adventure activities you can complement your visit with. The 3-hour session is a via ferrata-like experience, where you’ll ascend the very karst formations that the Langurs call home, and tread across wobbly suspension bridges for a dose of adrenaline. You’ll also be given access to special vantage points, for exclusive up-close encounters with the primates. 

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Snap fairytale scenes by getting up close with deer on a boardwalk

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We then circled back to tackle the Forest Floor Trek. Initially, we had a nice walk on the peaceful, winding boardwalk which was flanked by lush greenery on both sides; that was, until the rustle of foliage caught our attention.

Out of the blue, a trio of hog deer pranced onto the boardwalk, well within reaching distance. Turns out, this wasn’t a case of runaway zoo animals à la Madagascar; it’s all part of the Forest Floor experience, where herds of deer are allowed to freely roam amongst visitors in this habitat.

As tempting as it might be, visitors aren’t allowed to pet or feed these meek animals. Instead, keep a good distance between yourself and the deer and view them from afar.

During our Disney-esque encounter, the deer were particularly skittish as they’ve not quite acclimatised to coming in close contact with people. The zoo keepers on duty explained that they are trying to get the deer used to bumbling humans, so we’re hoping that they’ve achieved just that once the park fully opens to the public.

You can also find the Ranger’s Cafe near the entrance of the Forest Floor boardwalk for a refreshing pick-me-up. Although the cafe wasn’t open for business on our visit, we took a peek at the menu; they’ve got brews such as Iced Coffee for $9.50 and canned drinks from $3.50. For something to munch on, go for their sandwiches (from $4.50) or pastries (from $4.50).

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Take a leap of faith by free-falling from the 20m-tall Canopy Jump

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Curiously, we were within earshot of ear-piercing screams resonating from a distance, and we soon found ourselves at the foot of the Canopy Jump tower. This is an Adventure plus activity park goers can opt in for during their visit, and for $30/jump, they can choose to leap off a 13m-tall platform, or if you’re feeling extra courageous, a 20m-tall platform.

Despite his reservations, this writer folded under 0 pressure and before he knew it, was putting on a safety harness for a go at the 20m-tall leap of faith. Truthfully, the view up there was a sight to behold, and the pleasant breeze added to the tranquility above the canopies. When it came time to jump though, the photos tell a different story.

By the way, you get 50% off your second jump, but 1 hair-raising experience is more than enough for me. 

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, this one’s for you. The feeling of free-fall as you step off the platform was fleeting, but definitely enough to keep your heart racing till you reach the ground. I was also impressed with the amount of safety checks and measures the staff put in place; it didn’t do much in helping me keep my cool, but at least I knew I was in good hands.

There’ll also be an on-site park photographer stationed near the bottom of the Canopy Jump, who’s tasked with capturing the shipwreck of emotions that is your face on camera. Afterwards, you can choose to view and buy your pictures at the gift shop at the end of the park.

If you can’t spot the felines on your visit, try checking the enclave in the back; we noticed the other one lazing there in the shade. 

After setting the world record for the loudest scream scrumpt, we waltzed over to the nearby Predator Trek and were greeted with the bellowing roar of a Malayan tiger. We trailed it from the boardwalk above, and observed from a very safe distance as it wallowed in a cool stream.

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Bounce around at an open-sky play area high above the forest floor

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Next up, we stopped by the AIA Vitality Bounce, which is an extra Adventure Plus activity that the rowdy little ones are bound to enjoy.

Image adapted from: Mandai Wildlife Group

It’s located near the Watering Hole habitat, where the Malayan sun bear and Malayan tapir reside. In particular, the Watering Hole Cafe overlooks the tapir’s pool; take your drinks al fresco to catch these long-snouted mammals in action.

The Lower and Upper Stream Treks are close by too, but since we’ve had our fair share of river crossings, we made a beeline for the AIA Vitality Bounce instead. Entry into this play zone costs $15/pax for a 20-minute session, and it’s made out of springy nets that you can bounce all over on.

Climbing back up the netting for repeat runs of the slide is tiring; great for wearing down boisterous lil ones. 

There are 3 different sectioned areas here which suspend visitors 3m to 7m above the forest floor, which is quite high up if you’ve got the nerve to peer down. For those looking for maximum bounce, the first zone is just the thing for you as the netting is not strung as taut. There’s even a small slide near the end of the play zones which is a fun way to cap off your visit here.

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Explore a man-made cave modelled after real-world cave systems

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The entrance to The Caverns.

Finally, The Caverns zone is probably our favourite attraction in the whole of Rainforest Wild Asia. Other than being an air-conditioned respite from the sweltering weather, it plays host to a multitude of neat IG-worthy spots and quirky cave-dwelling animals to discover.

Speaking of which, we just had to get a shot of the colony of Madagascar hissing cockroaches scurrying about behind a glass panel on the floor, much to our photographer’s chagrin.

These lil buggers were lurking near the entrance of the Critter Crawl Adventure Plus activity ($20/pax), in which participants will get to explore the dark recesses of a 60m cave tunnel with just the dim glow of their headlamps. For your efforts, you’ll be privy to impressive rock formations, fossil imprints, and even more brushes with the hissing cockroaches crawling behind a glass floor.

Image credit: Mandai Wildlife Group

Similarly, the other Black Adventure activity you can sign up for is the Wild Cavern Adventure (from $192/pax). This one essentially sends participants on a simulated caving expedition, where they’ll abseil down the cave walls and squeeze through tight spaces and narrow tunnels.

Fun fact: the Caverns zone is modelled after real-world counterparts by taking 3D scans of caves such as Sarawak’s Mulu Caves. That’s why the subterranean features here such as stalagmites and stalactites look extra authentic. For example, this rocky, jellyfish-like formation is inspired by the ones found in the Lang Cave of Sarawak’s Mulu National Park.

Further into the cave, you’ll also come upon the slithering Malayan cave racer, while the Asian forest scorpion is another creepy crawly to watch out for. If you’re squeamish, don’t worry; although these critters are expert wall climbers, their enclosures are built in a way where they won’t be able to come anywhere near you.

Your time in The Cavern culminates in a picturesque photo spot by the breathtaking Oculus formation. Here, you can pose for a pic as sunlight pours in through an opening in the cave’s ceiling; bonus points if you manage to recreate Lion King’s iconic Circle of Life scene. There’ll also be park photographers snapping away, so you have the chance to buy professionally shot images later.

BTW, you don’t need a park ticket to dine at the Cavern Restaurant.

Your stomach should be rumbling by now after a whole day’s worth of trekking around Rainforest Wild ASIA, so settle down at the aptly named Cavern Restaurant. It’s Singapore’s first and only eatery built within a cave, so the vibes here are unique to say the least. Highlights of the menu include grilled octopus skewers, as well as beefy Stone Age burgers.

Last but not least, bring home a memento by snagging a souvenir at the Rainforest Wild ASIA shop. Up for grabs are t-shirts, hats, mugs, and most importantly, cuddly plushies of the denizens of the park to adorn your bedroom with. You can also purchase your pictures shot at the Canopy Jump and the Oculus right here.

Each soft-copy picture costs $16, or pay $48 for all the pictures the photographers shot of you. In case you can’t quite make a decision on the spot, the staff will hand you a card with a 30-day QR code to scan to preview the pictures at your leisure, before making payment online to download them.

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Plan a visit to the new Rainforest Wild ASIA

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All in all, we think that Rainforest Wild ASIA is undoubtedly worth checking out for an alternative zoo experience. The forest treks are a welcome switch-up to your conventional walking trails for adventurous parkgoers, while the optional fringe activities are thoughtful additions to spice up your visit.

In the meantime, we’ve even caught wind of murmurs whispering about the opening of a Madagascar-inspired Rainforest Wild Africa, so stay tuned for any news on that.

For more things to do on the wild side:

• The Live Turtle & Tortoise Museum in Yishun
• Guide to hiking in Singapore
• Keppel Coastal Trail in Labrador Nature Reserve
• Mandai Boardwalk at Mandai Wildlife Reserve

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Photography by Brad Lee.
A portion of this content may contain referral links to products. Our opinions remain our own.
Originally published on 14th February 2025. Last updated on 12th March 2025.