Photo: pelican from Tokyo, Japan (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Nature · Singapore
The Night Safari
The world's first nocturnal wildlife park, opened in 1994 in the Mandai forest. See it from the tram and on foot, or on a private guided tour.
Singapore
The experience
The Night Safari opened on 26 May 1994 as the world's first nocturnal wildlife park. It lies in Mandai, in the north of the island, part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve with Singapore Zoo and Bird Paradise. The idea is simple: to see animals in the hours when they are most awake, after the sun has gone down.
The park keeps more than 900 animals, from elephants, lions, leopards and Indian rhinoceros to free-roaming Malayan tapirs, pangolins and small wild cats. The paths are softly lit, and the animals are seen in naturalistic habitats.
Most visits begin on the Safari Adventure Tram, which crosses the park's zones with commentary in English, followed by one or more of four walking trails, among them the Leopard Trail and the Pangolin Trail. For more privacy we book the Safari Adventure Tour, a private buggy tour with your own guide.
The park opens from 6 pm to midnight; trams and trails start at 7 pm, and last entry is at 11.15 pm. We suggest arriving early, after the Maghrib prayer, and dining before the tour; we check the park's halal options for you in advance.
Where to stay
Stays close by
City
The Civic District
Raffles Singapore
115 suites in a colonial landmark with 14-foot ceilings and quiet gardens in the middle of the city. From Jereme Leung's Chinese cooking to afternoon tea in the Grand Lobby, Raffles remains Singapore's most storied address.
Price on requestExplore
City
Marina Bay
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
Once the General Post Office, the stock exchange and the Singapore Club, it is now a 400-room heritage hotel facing the river and Marina Bay. Suites behind 20-foot Doric columns, Chinese cooking at Jade and an ESPA spa.
Price on requestExplore
City
Orchard Road
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Generous rooms and suites with skyline and garden views, and a rooftop pool, steps from Orchard Road and the Botanic Gardens. From Cantonese cooking at Jiang-Nan Chun to Nobu, fine dining and personal service go hand in hand.
Price on requestExplore
Singapore
More to do
Nature
Gardens by the Bay, from late afternoon into the night
Two cool glass conservatories, then Supertrees lit to music. We time the visit so you see the gardens in daylight and again in their evening show.
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City and shopping
A private bumboat on the river and the bay at dusk
A traditional wooden bumboat reserved for you alone, from Clarke Quay down the Singapore River into Marina Bay, timed for the evening lights.
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Culture and heritage
Kampong Glam: the quarter and its table
A guided walk through the old Malay-Muslim quarter: the Sultan Mosque, Arab Street and Haji Lane, then a halal table from the neighbourhood's kitchens.
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