⭐ Name: Mandai Bird Paradise
📍 Location: 20 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729825 (Getting here)
🗓️ Date of visit: 15 Aug 2023
🌐 Website: https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html
💰 Cost: SGD 38.40 per pax (For local resident adults on weekdays + online discount + Wildpass discount)
Mandai’s Bird Paradise opened in May 2023. It relocated from Jurong Bird Park to move closer to its sister parks, the Zoo, River Safari, and Night Safari. Since its opening, there had been plenty of both good and bad media coverage of the park. Of course, I was intrigued and I wanted to find out for myself.
Overall, I felt like I had a good time. The birds look well cared for and the park is very new. That said, I think there are probably going to be teething issues for the first couple of years. Almost everything is done but some aspects of my experience felt incomplete. Read on for more of my thoughts on the park. I’ve also sprinkled in some tips along the way and consolidated some frequently asked questions (FAQ) at the end of this post.
My Experience (with Tips and Photos)
Booking tickets
It was a random Tuesday and both Mr Bao and I had taken the day off for an early morning appointment. Our appointment ended earlier than expected so it felt like the perfect day to visit the park. We had already planned to go but we had been having a spate of rainy days recently. On the day of, we checked the weather forecast and decided to take the risk.
We booked our tickets online through their website where we got an online discount and a discount for WildPass members. WildPass memberships are free and we paid just under SGD 39 each to enter the park. There are special prices for children and seniors, and tickets are more expensive for non-residents.
While it was possible to book on the day itself, there are some benefits to planning ahead. There are some feeding sessions or activities that happen early in the morning. It’s best to plan ahead if you don’t want to miss out on these special activities.
💡 Tip 1: Sign up for WildPass to get discounted tickets on top of the online discounts. WildPass is a free membership which only requires a valid email address.
Getting there and getting in
We decided to take the shuttle bus from Khatib MRT station. The website says that the bus ride costs SGD 1 but I swear my card got deducted for SGD 2. Someone better double check the transactions or update their website. 🤔 The bus ride was kind of rickety but it’s still a convenient way to get to Bird Paradise.
Once you reach the entrance, just pull up the QR code that was sent to your email. You can scan multiple people in with one device, as long as you have all the QR codes.
Sky Amphitheatre – Presentations
The park opens at 9am daily. We got there at around 10am so we were just in time for the Predators on Wings presentation at the Sky Amphitheatre at 1030am. This was a presentation about raptors or birds of prey. I was impressed by the sheer size of some of the birds that were introduced.
We had a little bit of time in between this show and the next one at 1230pm. We decided to explore some of the nearby aviaries before coming back for the Wings of the World show. This one showcased birds from all around the world. These birds are very colourful and are more recognisable.
Both shows are about 15 – 20 minutes long so there’s plenty of time to explore the park and watch both presentations. However, I do think that the shows look incomplete. It seemed like some of the birds were still getting used to the stage environment and there were props there that were not being used.
More noticeably, there were no audience interactions as advertised on their website. I don’t blame them at all though, since the park has just opened. Just keep in mind that the shows are probably not in their final form yet. Despite that, I think both shows were really fascinating. I couldn’t help but audibly gasp every time they introduced a new bird. It’s definitely a show for kids of all ages to enjoy. 😉
For both shows, we sat in the middle section of the amphitheatre facing the stage straight on. The presenters will generally talk to the middle section but they will bring the different birds around so everyone can have a closer look. Sitting closer to the stage means getting to see the birds up close (duh) but for future shows with audience interaction, I think you might have a better chance of getting picked if you’re halfway between the stage and the top of the stairs (This is pure speculation).
💡 Tip 2: Come in at least 10 minutes earlier for your pick of the seats. The crowd came in around 5 minutes before the shows were due to start.
At the end of the Wings of the World show, there’s an opportunity for audience members to get their photo taken while being surrounded by all the flamingos on stage. The photos are taken by the park photographers so they would have to be purchased from the park’s souvenir shop. There were quite a lot of families and groups lining up but not everyone would get a chance to take their photo because there’s a time limit of 15 minutes.
💡 Tip 3: Sit closer to the stage and in the section furthest away from the entrance if you want a better chance of getting a photo op with the flamingos.
Exhibits – Overall impression
There are a number of different exhibits in the park that mimic different natural habitats. The Winged Sanctuary and Penguin Cove are the only exhibits that keep the birds and guests separate. All the other exhibits are walkable, where you walk inside the aviary. I loved all the exhibits but I have to admit that I couldn’t tell some of them apart.
💡 Tip 4: If you're short on time, skip the Winged Sanctuary as most of the birds there can be found in the larger walkable habitats. Unless you're specifically looking for the Philippine Eagle which can only be found there.
Read on to learn about my favourite habitats.
Penguin Cove
This exhibit is definitely a crowd favourite. Not only because of the unique-ness of the arctic birds, but probably because this is the only indoor and air-conditioned exhibit in the park. The place feels a little sparse but it’s a great place to cool down and watch the penguins.
This building also houses a restaurant and a café. When we were there, the café was selling this adorable red bean bun decorated to look like a penguin. Saw some cute aunties and uncles taking some nice photos of each other having some snacks in the café. 🍵
Australian Outback
This was an unexpected favourite of mine. The habitat is quite unique as it’s one of the few where the birds are mostly on the ground instead of in the trees. It’s decorated to look stereotypically like the Australian outback which makes for some interesting photo ops.
The emus were probably the largest birds in the park. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least mildly concerned that they would figure out how to jump up onto the boardwalk and say hi.
At the time, I thought I spotted the “bin chicken of Australia”, or the Australian White Ibis, so called for its penchant for poking around in people’s garbage. Turns out, I had actually been looking at its cousin, the Straw-necked ibis. Gguess I’ll have to go back and apologise for repeatedly mis-identifying it as the “trash bird from Australia”. 😅
This was when I realised that the exhibits also house some mammal species.
Songs of the forest
The birds in this exhibit all look very familiar because many people keep songbirds as pets. We also saw another unexpected creature having a little nibble on some veggies here. It was a mousedeer! This was the first time I’d seen one too.
We also attended a keeper talk in this exhibit. This was super fun as one of the keepers (the staff who take care of the animals) came out and scattered some seeds around so that the birds in the exhibit would come down for a snack. The idea is that he can then point out some of the species in this exhibit and tell us more about them. However, per his words, the birds in this exhibit are quite shy so they come out very slowly and usually only when he leaves the area. Still, despite the small showing, we got to see quite a number of birds that were otherwise well-hidden. We also learnt more about their work and it was a chill environment to ask them questions. One of the visitors asked if the birds have individual names and we learnt that there was a little loner called Sonic (?) who likes to follow the keepers around but doesn’t mix well with the other birds.
💡 Tip 5: Try to attend a Keeper Talk activity if you have the time! It's a unique, interactive, and memorable experience.
Crimson Wetlands
This is probably the most iconic exhibit in the whole park. The colourful birds and lack of shrubbery in this exhibit make the birds very easy to spot. For those who are easily spooked, be aware that the birds here fly quite low to the ground and do so in large groups. Mind your head when you approach the waterfall area as that’s where most of the Macaws are. Also, I think the Macaws here (and the Lories in the Lory Loft exhibit) have a penchant for mischief! We saw a cheeky Indigo Macaw try its luck at having a nibble on a visitor’s shoe before it was swiftly chastised by a fellow Macaw. 🦜
This exhibit has quite a lot of photo ops as well. If you missed your chance to take some photos with the flamingos during the Wings of the World show, you can take a photo here with them in the background.
Food options
There’s no shortage of food options in Bird Paradise and the greater Mandai Park area. We went for lunch right after the 1230pm Wings of the World show. There’s a food court and a cafe right next to the Sky Amphitheatre but the prices there were a little steep for what they were offering (~SGD 15 for food court-style food). We decided to exit the park and try our luck with the nearby restaurants.
💡 Tip 6: You can exit and re-enter the park on the same day. Just scan the same QR code at the entrance when you want to come back in.
Lunch: Old Chang Kee Coffee House
We settled on Old Chang Kee Coffee House. We got there at about 115pm and there were still seats left over and it seemed like the lunch hour had ended. We got a set which was about SGD 12 each and the food was surprisingly good. The chicken was good but it wasn’t my favourite. I love the fragrance of the butterfly pea rice and it came with lots of sides too.
We had the butterfly pea drink with longan (?) and nata de coco that was exclusive to the Mandai outlet. The drink was just ok, I wouldn’t order it again but it’s definitely Instagrammable.
Dessert: Birds of Paradise
After a long day at the park, we decided to try out Birds of Paradise for the first time. I’ve seen the long queue at the Jewel Changi outlet and have always wondered what the hype was about. I love the colour scheme at this outlet and the interior was really pretty. The stone benches were a little rough on my butt though. 😅
We opted for a house favourite, the Strawberry Basil flavour. I was skeptical but since Mr Bao had set his eyes on that, I was willing to give it a try. I can still taste the interesting combination even now! It doesn’t seem like it should work but it does. The flavour is light and subtle, but the body is still very milky. Would love to try their other flavours when I get the chance. The only con is that it’s a little pricey. 💸
Overall Experience
I think the park provides guests with a unique experience of walking through instead of walking outside an exhibit. With hundreds of birds in each habitat with multiple species living in one space, we get to see how the birds adapt to their landscape. I think the park-going experience is very much like birding in real life, except in a controlled and much smaller environment. Unlike spotting birds in the wild, the birds in the park can’t hide as easily. Guests who aren’t used to birding may find this a chore but I think it’s better for everyone overall.
Also, we saw a big group of international birders lugging around their huge cameras to snap photos of more exotic species. For those who aren’t able to travel far to see those birds, this park is a treat.
🗨️ Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ)
Can I buy tickets on the day of?
Answer: Yes.
Is it indoors or outdoors?
Answer: Most of the exhibits are outdoors except the Penguin Cove. In all the outdoor exhibits though, there are little rooms with informative exhibits about the birds. These rooms are indoors, air-conditioned, and have seating. We did see some adults cooling off in one of the rooms and their young charges lounging on large beanbags while watching a video about birds.
Is it accessible?
Answer: Yes. The park is wheelchair and pram accessible. There are always lifts or ramps where there are stairs.
How long will it take to complete the whole park?
Answer: The park is actually small, so it would take at most 3 hours to walk through the whole park. If you want to watch both presentations, you can come at 9am and be done by 1pm. However, I’m not sure how many actual birds you will spot if you just rush through the whole exhibit. Mr Bao and I spent the whole day there spotting birds, taking photos, and enjoying a leisurely lunch. Still, the choice is yours.
Are the birds free-roaming?
Answer: Yes. But we didn’t have any adverse experiences as the birds kept to themselves.
Can I leave and come back the same day?
Answer: Yes. Just scan the same QR code at the entrance when you want to come back in.
Is there anything to eat there?
Answer: Plenty. CLICK HERE for the dining options.
Useful links
- CLICK HERE to go to the Bird Paradise website.
- CLICK HERE to read their official guide to planning your visit.
📸 Photo dump
If you know me, I love a good photo op (see my photos from the Stranger Things Exhibition). The whole park is photogenic but of course I love the goofy photos the most. Here are my favs. 😆
Thanks for reading till the end. I’ll be back for the little penguin red bean bun. 🐧
💜 jy