The dynamic and bustling city of Singapore has so much to offer its visitors from all over the world. There are numerous shopping destinations like Orchard Road, delicacies to try and attractions to devour.

If you have been to Sentosa and you’re still craving for more adventures then it would be a wonderful idea to sample other attractions that will give you a taste of the wild side of Singapore. Why not go to the Singapore Zoo?

You can reach the Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens, by taking various forms of public transportation from any hotel in Singapore. You can get there through the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), by Taxi, or by Bus. If via MRT, you would have to go up North and get off at Ang Mo Kio station and take bus 138 that will take you directly to the Singapore Zoo. It would be best to arrive early so as to avoid having to stand in long queues at the ticket counter. Remember to grab a map to guide you during your tour and so that you will know the schedule of the different shows.

The Singapore Zoo and its entire land area of 28 hectares are set in an environment similar to a natural dense rainforest on the edge of a huge freshwater reservoir called the Seletar Reservoir. The zoo was opened to the public back in 1973 and is currently visited by more than a million visitors each year. It prides itself for following a different kind of “open zoo” concept wherein all of its 3, 000 animals are not kept in cold and harsh cages. All dangerous animals like lions, bears and jaguars are viewed by visitors in nice glass enclosures. All the other animals are kept in open and wide enclosures separated from visitors by moats. These open enclosures are maintained in such a way that they resemble the animals’ natural habitat so the animals feel right at home.

More than just being a recreation venue where one can simply observe the various animals, the Singapore Zoo is more importantly an educational venue that gives high importance to the effective dissemination of information about animals and what we can do to conserve wildlife. This is highly evident with the way the interactive exhibits and animal features are conceptualized and presented.

When it comes to things that you can do at the Singapore Zoo, the possibilities are endless.

For one, you can have breakfast with the big, red, hairy yet adorable Orangutans at the Jungle Breakfast. Breakfast is served in an open restaurant anytime from 9:00am – 10:00am. From here, you can also try riding an elephant and see if you like it. The exciting elephant ride lasts for around five minutes.

It would be a fantastic idea to take souvenir pictures with the animals. You can also have your picture taken with Orangutans, a pony, with a snake, with an elephant, with different colored birds like Macaus and Flamingos. There are also numerous animal shows that can be enjoyed by both young and old. These animal shows include the Splash Safari, Rainforest Fights Back, Wild Encounters, Elephants at Work and Play etc.

But my personal favorite are the Feeding Shows. In these shows, you will witness how different animals are fed and the zoo keepers would even explain the unique characteristics of these animals during feeding time. You can get a copy of the schedule of the feedings shows from the park’s office. The animals that are part of the Feedings Shows are Jaguars, Lions, Snakes, Polar Bears, Monkeys, Giraffes, etc. The feeding show of elephants is incorporated in some sort of an elephant show which is really very entertaining. You would just have to be careful as the playful elephants love to tease by blowing water towards the direction of the audience.

If you suddenly feel tired or would like to have something to eat then you can grab a bite in several snack stops that are available within the zoo. You can go to KFC, Pizzafari, or Jungle Tandoor. Before you leave, you can check out the souvenir shops and shop for cool T-shirts, caps, mugs, etc.

If you still have enough energy left and cannot seem to get enough of Singapore’s wildlife, then you can hop next door and visit the highly talked about Night Safari. But that’s another story all together.

HELPFUL INFORMATION:

Address: 80 Mandai Lake Road Singapore 729826

Phone: (65) 6269-3411

Operating Hours: 8:30am – 6:00pm (everyday)

Admission Fees: S$ 16.50 Adult; S$ 8.50 Children 3 – 12 years old

Website: http://www.zoo.com.sg/

Posted in Attractions, Singapore

This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 at 11:41 am and is filed under Attractions, Singapore. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.