I love animals, and I love a wildlife experience. Anything that allows the opportunity to meet or find out more about our companions on the planet is usually a winner in my book. Although I’m not such a fan of insects, and definitely dislike arachnids. Going on a Night Safari in Singapore was even better than I had imagined!
Mandai Wildlife Reserve
The night safari was one of the four parks at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. We also visited the River Wonders Park and the Zoo which were also brilliant! I had initially thought the night safari was just the zoo open at night, but it was so much better than that.
The Night Safari was a whole park dedicated to creatures of the night. What a great idea! How often have you ever visited somewhere and never seen a whisker of the nocturnal animals because they are asleep?
Having a park solely for animals who are busiest at night, and only opening when it was dark made so much sense. Night time doesn’t vary much in Singapore either, so the timings remain the same the year round. It’s the world’s first nocturnal wildlife park, and it’s definitely worth a visit if you ever go to Singapore
Animal Antics
Hearing the long nosed snuffling of the aardvark, to spying the hard-to-spot stripes of the tigers. Seeing the dainty steps of the antelope-like bongo, to glimpsing the almost glow in the dark White African lions. Hearing the caterwauling call of the Tasmanian Devil, to seeing the ever so friendly looking furry possums. It was a fantastic night.
Trying to firstly spot the animals, and then watch them going about their nocturnal habits felt like we’d been allowed behind the scenes into their private lives. Whilst in some ways it was a shame the animals weren’t in the wild, the enclosures all seemed a good size and the creatures well cared for. Hopefully it also educates and inspire people to find out more about the different species and how we can protect them.
Night Lights
Of course, as visitors the point of going to the night safari is to hopefully have more chance of seeing some nocturnal animals. You don’t need to increase your intake of carrots before you go to help your vision in the dark – they have cleverly used lighting which has been designed to resemble moonlight. You’ll need to let your eyes adjust, but it works really well in that it doesn’t upset the animals, and means visitors can see the antics of the animals seldom seen awake.
Crowd Control
It was busy at the start as everyone who booked for the particular time slot arrived at the same time. The crowd soon thinned out as people moved along at different speeds.
We had plenty of opportunity to see all of the different animals without having to push or wait for a gap. There was a mix of young and old visitors, and the children were generally well behaved. Some adults however could have done with a reminder to use their indoor voices!
Active Animals In The Night Safari
We followed all of the paths through the park and saw so many animals I’ve only ever previously caught glimpses of when they’ve been asleep.
Prowling by the water, the fishing cats were hunting for their evening meal. With deep growls and heavy panting, the lions were sounding loud and frisky.
Swooping low over our heads as we walked through the cage, the flying foxes were amazingly active and incredibly silent.
It was a fantastic experience.
Not So Picture Perfect
Lots of people were taking pictures. Despite having my camera with me and adjusting the settings for the darker situation, I soon gave up as nothing was coming out well. That’s why the few pictures on this post are a bit naff!
If I had got my tripod with me and had much more time I might have been able to capture some good snaps. Something to bare in mind if you ever visit.
Catching The Last Tram
The park offers tram rides run regularly throughout the night time opening hours. Thinking we still had plenty of time, we were surprised to jump on board the final ride of the night at 11.20pm! I’m not sure where the evening had gone to! It was definitely worth doing as it took us past creatures that aren’t on the walking path, and gave us a glimpse of the elephants chewing on their night time feed, and the rhinoceroses who were enjoying getting their feet muddy.
Time For Bed
It wasn’t until the taxi ride home that I felt tired. Our evening at the Night Safari had flown by and I didn’t have any inclination as to what time it was, I just knew that it was late. It had been a brilliant and eye-opening experience into the wildlife of the night. Whilst the animals there would still be active for many more hours, I was ready for my bed.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- If you like animals, I can highly recommend this unique experience if you ever visit Singapore.
- You need to book a time slot for your visit, this is because it is so popular they try to manage the crowd so that everyone gets a good experience, and on our visit it definitely worked. There’s also no time limit to your visit once your are in, so you can take it at your own pace.
Cost Of Experience
On our visit in Spring 2023, tickets cost S$55 which converted to £32.40 per person.
The tram ride is included in the price of the ticket.
If you want to visit some of the other parks in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve you can buy Multi Park tickets, so instead of paying full price to visit each park, this will give you a discount. Take a look at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve website for more details.
There are refreshments available throughout the Night Safari at an extra cost.
Recommendations
- Be patient – it’s quite busy at the start but will thin out. Also, don’t forget that animals are not on-demand performers, but if you wait and are quiet then it’s likely you’ll see some activity.
- Trying to take pictures or videos is tricky because it is dark. Turn off your flash so you don’t scare any of the wildlife. Learn which settings your camera can take dark photos at. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get any pictures, just enjoy the experience!
- Take the tram It will take you around parts of the park you don’t walk around, and gives a good commentary.
- Don’t forget to use your ‘indoor’ voice, as loud noises can frighten the animals.
- Wear comfy shoes, and don’t forget bug repellent!
- If you have the time, and especially if you are an animal lover, I can recommend visiting some of the other parks at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Take a look into the Multi Park ticket if this sounds like something you’re interested in.