At 15 years old, they are no longer that animal-obsessed kid who presses their face against the glass of every enclosure. But this is not the end of their zoo adventures, at least not at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
At 15 years old, they are no longer that animal-obsessed kid who presses their face against the glass of every enclosure. But this is not the end of their zoo adventures, at least not at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
The memories of my son pointing out every animal and asking endless questions during our visits to the zoo still warm my heart. Now that he is a teen with friends and Roblox, the only creatures that interest him live in Pokémon GO. So honestly, getting him to go out now is almost as difficult as getting him to pack his room. But once we got past the “going”, it was surprisingly easy to spend an entire 24 hours at Mandai Wildlife Reserve with my teen. Except this time, the animals weren’t the main draw.
Things to do with teens at Mandai Wildlife Reserve
To be accurate, Mandai Wildlife Reserve isn’t just a zoo. It’s an integrated destination with five wildlife parks, two indoor attractions, three places to stay, and research and conservation facilities to boot. Besides their iconic Wild Dining Experiences, they’ve also added new dining options like the 600-seater Food Republic that’s a nostalgic throwback to kampung days. It’s not just walking around the wildlife parks looking at animals anymore, you can go indoors, you can glide through the canopies, or even crawl through tunnels.
Explore hyper-realistic worlds at Exploria
With cool multi-media projections and immersive installations, Exploria is a game, an adventure, and a lesson all rolled into one. The nature-themed attraction takes us through five fascinating worlds that shape our planet. And by using a RFID tag, you can interact and learn about these worlds in an immersive way. The more you scan, the more you learn, and the more points you’ll get. Check the leaderboard on your way out to see how well you’ve done! Watch what we got up to on Instagram and read deatils about our first experience at Exploria.
We turned this into a family match, going around completing tasks and collecting points. At one point, my teen even took out his phone to search up a fun fact. Although we gave ourselves two hours to explore, we ended up staying for three hours, and had to rush through one of the worlds.
Take on the thrilling challenges at Rainforest Wild Adventure
If you hadn’t already noticed, the teenage brain is biologically primed for thrills, new adventures, and risk-taking behaviours. A day at Rainforest Wild Adventure tackling the Adventure+ activities is right up their alley. Choose from nine activities with varying thrill levels across Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST and Rainforest Wild Adventure WEST. You’ll be trekking across suspension bridges over crocodiles, gliding through canopies, scaling up Singapore’s tallest outdoor climbing wall, or jumping off the 11m tall rock! It’s an adventure park set amidst nature and wildlife, so you may even hear your teen pointing out the animals once in a while, just like when they were little.
The two zones are a five-minute ride apart on the free shuttle bus. Rainforest Wild Adventure WEST is next to Bird Paradise, while Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST sits within the larger area that includes the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, and Night Safari. Our favourite activities in each zone were the Canopy Glider, Ravine Swing, and Treetop Traverse in the EAST, and AIA Vitality Bounce, Cavern Crawl, and the Rock Wall Climb in the WEST. Read more in our guide to the WEST.
Check out our Instagram to see fun we got into at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST and Rainforest Wild Adventure WEST.
Refuel at the heritage-inspired Food Republic and the food zone at Mandai Wildlife EAST
Food Republic may be a food court, but its nostalgic, heritage-inspired design sets it apart. Think 1960s movie posters, makeshift stalls, shophouse façades, and old-school wooden tables and benches. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane and passing the stories our parents once told us on to our own children. You’ll find familiar hawker favourites such as chicken rice, Western food, beef noodles and more.
Want more choices? Head over to the food zone, where you’ll find popular names such as Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, Sushiro and Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine. And yes, even bubble tea from CHICHA San Chen.
Slow down after dark: Glamping in the Wild at Crocodile Lodge with teens
The adventure doesn’t end at nightfall and no, we’re not talking about visiting the Night Safari, we’re talking about Glamping in the Wild. Crocodile Lodge is one of the two glamping sites at Mandai Wildlife Reserve but it is the only one that’s inside a wildlife park! That means sleeping beside the crocodile enclosure, waking up to wild macaques and being among the first to tackle the adventure activities in the morning. However, once the park closes, guests must remain within the designated glamping area.
Our experience inside the glamping tent at Crocodile Lodge
Check-in starts at 3pm at the entrance of Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST, where our bags were collected and delivered directly to our tent. This left us free to explore the park and enjoy the activities before making our way to Crocodile Lodge for the night.
Glamping at Crocodile Lodge isn’t your typical free and easy staycation, it runs like a school camping trip, with scheduled meals and camping activities. Except you sleep on a comfy bed in an air-conditioned tent, with much nicer facilities.
The 20sqm Safari tent was spacious enough to accommodate a queen-sized bed and a bunk bed on opposite sides of the tent. A two-seater couch and coffee table sat at the foot of the queen-sized bed, with a desk and chair directly opposite. On a patio outside, two chairs made the perfect spot for lounging and watching the sunrise. Although our tent overlooked the crocodile enclosure, we had to walk down for a closer look at the crocodiles tucked away in their cosy hiding spots
Towels are provided, along with a flask we could refill at the communal Crocodile Hall. As part of the opening promotion, we even received a picnic basket filled with snacks, cup noodles, drinks, and plushies. The communal bathrooms were located at the hall and unlike those at school camps, they had hot water! Shampoo and bathing soap were provided, and yes, there were hair dryers too.
What we did after dark at Crocodile Lodge
Before the evening activities began, we tucked into a three-course dinner at Ranger’s Retreat, which was included in the package. Main course options included fish and chips, grilled chicken and Impossible meatballs.
The evening continued at the communal hall, where our camp facilitators hosted fun quizzes, a night-time treasure hunt and a fascinating knot-tying workshop. While we had a great time, a bonfire to gather around, or even the chance to toast smores over candles would have added the ultimate camping vibes.
Credit also goes to the ingenious facilitators, who transformed our supper pastries into birthday “cakes” for two fellow campers. So sweet — and I don’t mean the pastries.
Waking up inside Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST
The morning silence was broken by a troop of native macaques making their morning rounds around the enclosure. As if right on cue, they arrived around sunrise allowing us the pleasure of watching the forest awaken right before our eyes. Macaques are a common sighting here, often moving in troops of 10s or 20s. They can get into mischief and have been known to scare the other animals in the enclosure. Don’t be alarmed if you spot them, don’t feed them or scare them with loud noises either. If you’re lucky, they might shoot you a passing glance before getting on with their day.
After the close encounter with the natives, we took a morning stroll to Lemur Land where “King Julien” and his friends were doing their morning exercises. These sociable creatures scampered right to us! They’re so adorable that even the grumpiest teen will break into a smile, but remember, you can’t touch them. After breakfast, we explored the rest of Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST. Being one of the first at the park, we breezed through all the activities with little to no queue.
Glamping in the Wild – Crocodile Lodge
The stay over glamping experience starts from two days one night and includes meals, guided activities, and admission to Rainforest Wild Adventure’s East and West zones with 4 Fast Passes per person.
Package starts from $550 for two pax
More info
Steal our easy 24-hour at Mandai Wildlife Reserve itinerary with teens
Day one: Adventure, Exploria and glamping
12pm: Rainforest Wild Adventure WEST
Kick off your adventure and use your Fast Passes to tackle the most popular activities.
3pm: Check in at Crocodile Lodge
Return to Mandai Wildlife EAST and check in for Glamping in the Wild – Crocodile Lodge.
3.30pm: Explore Exploria
Journey through five immersive digital worlds and compete to collect points.
6pm: Dinner at Ranger’s Retreat
Head back to Crocodile Lodge for dinner.
8pm: Night activities at Crocodile Hall
10pm: Light supper
10.30pm: Lights out
Day two: Sunrise and morning adventures
7am: Wake up for sunrise
Step outside the tent and watch the rainforest come to life.
8.30am: Join a guided morning stroll
9am: Breakfast at Ranger’s Retreat
10am: Be first in line for the Adventure+ activities at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST
12pm: Lunch at Mandai Wildlife EAST
Is 24 hours at Mandai Wildlife Reserve with teens actually worth it?
When your teen’s idea of a fun weekend is playing computer games all day, spending 24 hours together doing things everyone enjoys is a breath of fresh air—quite literally. Perhaps it isn’t going out with their parents that teens find cringey, but what we choose to do together.
Apart from complaining about the heat, my teen happily took part in the activities and enjoyed spending time in nature and around wildlife. Glamping in the Wild comes at a premium, but staying overnight inside a wildlife park is a rare experience. Younger children may show more obvious excitement, but it’s the kind of unique family adventure that teens will remember all the same.
If there’s one thing I would do differently, it would be to start the day earlier and avoid the worst of the afternoon sun. I also hope that there will be a more comfortable and sustainable alternative to the plastic wristbands that glamping guests must wear throughout their stay.
Top tips for visiting Mandai Wildlife Reserve with teenagers
Start early to beat the heat and queues
We learnt this the sweaty way. Start your day when the parks open, especially if your teen wants to try the outdoor Adventure+ activities. The weather is cooler, queues are usually shorter and everyone will have more energy before the afternoon heat sets in.
Wear sports attire and covered shoes
Comfortable, covered shoes are compulsory for the Adventure+ activities, so leave the sandals and slippers at home. Light, breathable clothing will also make the outdoors far more comfortable. Bring your portable fans, insect repellent, and sunscreen.
Check the activity requirements before visiting
The nine Adventure+ activities come with different thrill levels and participation requirements. Look through the options with your teen beforehand and let them decide what they feel comfortable attempting.
Plan how you will travel between EAST and WEST
Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST and WEST are in separate areas. A complimentary shuttle connects the two sides of Mandai Wildlife Reserve, while walking between them takes around 20 minutes. Factor the journey into your itinerary, particularly if you have booked activities or need to check in for your stay.
Use your Fast Passes strategically
If you’ve booked a glamping experience, save your Fast Passes for the activities with the longest queues or the ones your teen is most excited about. If you are staying at Crocodile Lodge, don’t use them at the EAST zone because you’ll be one of the first in the park when it opens.
Let your teen help plan the day
The secret may be to stop treating the outing like the zoo trips you took when they were little. Let your teen choose the activities, set the pace and decide where to eat. You may find that they haven’t outgrown family days out, they simply want a say in what those days look like.
How will you spend 24 hours at Mandai Wildlife Reserve with teens?
