Singapore Zoo Review

Review of Singapore Zoo

Singapore Zoo has to be one of the cleanest and nicest zoos I have visited in all my years of traveling, and most probably in my entire life.

As I regularly visited the island republic 5 to 6 times a year, I somehow always did not have enough time to visit this place and eventually in 2010, I finally allocated half a day to make this trip possible.

Review of Singapore Zoo

Singapore Zoo Elephants
Asian Elephants during the performance at the Singapore Zoo

As zoos will always be zoos, this one is special as they have spent a good amount of money in the infrastructure, landscaping and the animal enclosures making it one of the top zoos in the world.

General facilities are spic and span while safety is very good. They have pram friendly paths while almost everything is thought off here making your visit a positive experience.

As the open concept zoo is set in a rainforest environment, the place offers visitors a unique opportunity to wander almost some of the best conservation programs in this region. The 28-hectare award-winning zoo is also part of the Wildlife Reserves of Singapore which has wildlife health care and research center.

The Singapore Zoo officially opened on the 27th of June 1973 and currently has 315 animal species where 16% of them are threatened.

There is also an average of 1.6 million people who visit the zoo yearly making this one of the most successful zoos in Southeast Asia. 

Singapore Zoo Wallaby
A wallaby in the Singapore Zoo
 
While this zoo is touted as one of the best around the region, you can be assured of a fantastic selection of animals to see here.

Most of them are kept in open-spaced areas providing the animals with freedom of movement in a habitat as natural as it can get.

You even get a chance to see some of the rare animals from all over the world. Below are photos of various animals taken by me at the Singapore Zoo.

Singapore Zoo Photos

Singapore Zoo Babirusa
A pair of Babirusa (Warthogs)

Singapore Zoo Cheetah
The Cheetah, fastest animal on earth

Singapore Zoo Dugong
Dugongs or Sea Cows in the show tank area

Singapore Zoo Elephants
Asian Elephants with their Mahouts (trainers)

Singapore Zoo Elephant Feeding
Guest feeding elephants after the show

Singapore Zoo Giraffes
Giraffes in their enclosure

Singapore Zoo Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragon. Though it looks small here, it's about 7 feet long!

Singapore Zoo Orang Utan
An orangutan roams freely around the zoo

Singapore Zoo Polar Bear
Polar Bear in a special refrigerated area. Something you don't usually see in zoos here. May 21st, 2011

Update:
The polar Bear is no longer at the zoo according to Amanda who just visited the place in April 2011. They are also undergoing upgrading works around here.

Singapore Zoo Hippopotamus
Pygmy Hippopotamus, one of the unique animals here.

Singapore Zoo Rhino
Rhinoceros in an open enclosure

Singapore Zoo Seal Show
In the show area, a resident trained seal performs some tricks for the visitors

Singapore Zoo White Tiger
A Bengal White Tiger is one of the main attractions here in the zoo. More White Tiger pictures.

Zebra at Singapore Zoo
Zebras in the open enclosure

Overall, there were a lot more animals here at the Singapore Zoo but I only selected a few to be shared with you.

One can easily spend a good full day here while the minimum time would be half a day. That is if you choose not to attend the many shows offered here.

The zoo is also very well laid out with excellent infrastructure catering to the disabled and prams. There are many rest-stations while toilets here have a 5-Star grading system.

On a personal note, if you have children and wonder where to bring kids in Singapore, this is one of the places.

Singapore Zoo Ticket Prices;

  • Adults - S$20.00
  • Children - S13.00 (3-12 years)
  • Tram Tickets:
  • S$5.00 (A)
  • S$3.00 (C)
  • Boat Tickets;
  • S$6.00 (A)
  • S$3.50 (C)
  • Zoo Opening Times:
  • 8.30 am to 6.00 pm


Singapore Zoo Address;
80, Mandai Lake Road
Singapore 729826
Telephone: +65 6269 3411
Email: info.zoo@wrs.com.sg
Singapore Zoo website

Showtimes at Singapore Zoo
Showtimes at the Singapore Zoo

How to go to the Singapore Zoo?

Getting to the Singapore Zoo is simple as it is located on one of the main highways and away from the city. 

By Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
  • Alight at Ang Mo Kio station (NS16) and take bus service 138 from the bus interchange.
  • Alight at Choa Chu Kang station (NS4-BP1) and take bus service 927 from the bus interchange.
  • From Changi Airport station (EW29), board the train and alight at Tanah Merah station (EW4) to switch to the west-bound train to City Hall station (EW13-NS25), switch again to the north-bound train to Ang Mo Kio station (NS16) and take bus service 138 from the bus interchange.
From Changi Airport station (EW29), board the train and alight at Tanah Merah station (EW4) to switch to the west-bound train to Jurong East station (EW24-NS1), switch again to the north-bound train to Choa Chu Kang station (NS4-BP1) and take bus service 927 from the bus interchange.

On Sundays and public holidays, you may also:
Alight at Woodlands station (NS9) and take bus service 926 from the bus interchange.
Alight at Marsiling station (NS8), cross the road (Woodlands Ave 3) and take bus service 926.

By Bus
From the City, take bus service 171 to Mandai Road. Alight at the first bus stop after the bus turns off Exit 7 of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE). Transfer to bus service 927 or 926 (Do note that 926 only operates on Sundays and public holidays).

By Car (Self Drive)
  • From the City, take the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) towards Jurong
  • Take Exit 24 into the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE)
  • Take Exit 7 of the BKE and then turn right into Mandai Road at the traffic light
  • At the next traffic light, turn right into Mandai Lake Road
  • The journey will take approximately 30 minutes
Map to Singapore Zoo


Conclusion

Finally, I would personally recommend you visit this place if you have at least half a day to spend on a minimum.

Walking around and exploring the place could easily set you back 3 to 4 hours. Facilities are top-notch while the signs and information are simply awesome.

There are excellent cafes and restaurants while the selection of animals to view is simply astounding here at the Singapore Zoo, and this place is highly recommended for those traveling with kids.

I hope you liked my review of the Singapore Zoo and if you have questions or comments, please do leave them below. 

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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