Mandai Rainforest Resort: Room Rates, Park Tickets and Getting There
Three places take overnight guests inside Mandai Wildlife Reserve: one resort and two glamping camps. We priced the rooms, measured the walking distances, and worked out which of the three has park admission inside the rate.
| Places to sleep | One resort and two glamping camps, all inside Mandai |
|---|---|
| Resort rate | From S$468 a night for two, breakfast for two and tax included |
| Park tickets | Not in the resort room rate. The glamping rate covers two parks |
| Walking time | 454 metres from the resort to the Singapore Zoo gate, about six minutes |
| Free shuttle | By car, 8am to 11pm every ten minutes, westbound parks only |
| Last bus | The Khatib bus to the resort itself finishes at 6.30pm |
1. The resort and the two glamping camps inside Mandai
2. It opened in April 2025 with 338 rooms
3. Room sizes run from 36 to 72 square metres
4. Same 36 square metres, and the window costs S$40
5. The date sets the rate more than the room grade does
6. Park admission is not in the room rate
7. Six minutes to the park gate, fifteen to the bus stop
8. The free shuttle runs west only
9. The Khatib bus has two different last departures
10. Driving in, resort parking costs twice the park rate
11. Changi Airport is 24 kilometres away, about 30 minutes
12. Planter’s Shed and Forage serve breakfast at different hours
13. Forage stops seating two hours before it closes
14. Two official pages quote different menu prices
15. What you can visit without staying the night
16. Come back late and only the gym is open
17. Rangers’ Club charges guests S$10 a day
18. What is free and what is not when travelling with children
19. A late check-out costs half a night or a whole one
20. Reservoir Retreat and Crocodile Lodge, the two glamping camps
21. The glamping rate also conflicts inside the official site
22. Pricing one night for two, in full
23. Booking direct against booking through a platform
24. When staying here works and when it does not
1. The resort and the two glamping camps inside Mandai
Plenty of visitors reach Mandai without knowing that anyone sleeps inside the reserve. One hotel operates there under Banyan Tree, and two tented camps run separately under Mandai Wildlife Group. They differ in how you sleep and in what the price covers.
The first thing to check when choosing is whether park admission sits inside the price. At the resort it does not; at both camps it does. For one identical night that gap runs past S$200.
The three side by side
| Where | Operator | Lowest for two, one night | Park tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandai Rainforest ResortMap | Banyan Tree | S$468 | Bought separately |
| Glamping, Reservoir Retreat | Mandai Wildlife Group | S$550 | Singapore ZooMap and Night SafariMap |
| Glamping, Crocodile Lodge | Mandai Wildlife Group | S$550 | Rainforest Wild AdventureMap |
The resort figure comes from a mid-September Tuesday and includes breakfast for two and tax. The glamping figures are the lowest published rates.
Three addresses, and drivers land at the wrong one
Mandai splits into an eastern zone and a western zone, each with its own address. West is 20 Mandai Lake Road, east is 80, and the resort is 60. All three sit on the same road, yet they are too far apart to walk between.
Arrive by taxi or ride-hailing and the car pulls into the resort’s own drop-off. Arrive on the Khatib bus or a public bus and you come in through the eastern zone. The layout of the whole reserve is in our Mandai guide, and if you have not yet chosen a neighbourhood, start with our Singapore areas guide.
2. It opened in April 2025 with 338 rooms
Mandai Rainforest Resort took its first guests on 2 April 2025 and held its official opening on the 12th of that month. It is the hundredth resort in the Banyan Group and the first Banyan Tree property in Singapore.
Mandai Wildlife Group owns the building and Banyan Tree operates it. That split is why the information sits across two company websites, and as you will see further down, the same item sometimes carries two different prices.
The basics
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | 60 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729979 |
| Rooms | 338 across 15 categories |
| Check-in | 3pm |
| Check-out | 12pm |
| Phone | +65 6038 3939 |
| Pets | Not accepted |
It holds an energy certification
The resort carries the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy award, the only new non-residential building in Singapore to hold it. Rooms and public areas open towards the forest, and the design cuts lighting and cooling loads throughout.
From a guest’s point of view that shows up as large windows and corridors that open to the air. The air conditioning inside the rooms works normally.
Birthdays come with a cake
Guests staying during their birth month receive a complimentary cake. You need to give 48 hours’ notice, and staff may ask for identification. It is worth remembering when you set the dates for a family trip.
3. Room sizes run from 36 to 72 square metres
The website lists fifteen room names. That looks hard to sort through, but grouped by floor area there are only five sizes: 36 sqm across six categories, 44 sqm across three, 55 sqm and 63 sqm across two each, and 72 sqm for a single category.
Within one size the names split by what the window faces. Resort view, rainforest view and reservoir view rise in that order. The name splits once more by bed layout, one king or two doubles.
Rooms by size
| Size | Rooms | Sleeps | Beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 sqm | Retreat, Rainforest and Sanctuary in King and Double Double | 2 or 4 | One king or two doubles |
| 44 sqm | Family Retreat, Family Rainforest, Family Sanctuary | 4 | One king plus a bunk bed |
| 55 sqm | Rainforest Suite, Sanctuary Suite | 2 | One king plus a living room |
| 63 sqm | Mandai Rainforest Treehouse, Mandai Sanctuary Treehouse | 3 | One king plus a private patio |
| 72 sqm | Rainforest Two-Bedroom | 4 | King and twin, two bedrooms |
The names make the choice simple
Retreat faces the resort’s own grounds, Rainforest faces the forest, and Sanctuary faces Upper Seletar ReservoirMap. Family marks a 44 sqm room with a bunk bed, and Treehouse marks a 63 sqm room with a private patio.
The Mandai Sanctuary Treehouse is built in the shape of a seed pod and carries a motion system. It is the most unusual room in the building and sits at the upper end of the price range.
Four people choose between two families of rooms
Rooms that sleep four are the three 36 sqm Double Double categories, the three 44 sqm Family categories and the 72 sqm Two-Bedroom. Four adults are more comfortable with two double beds, while two adults with two children usually do better in a Family room with the bunk.
4. Same 36 square metres, and the window costs S$40
We priced five dates. The forest-facing room and the reservoir-facing room match in floor area and in bedding, yet the price gap held at S$40 or S$41 on four of those dates.
The room rate itself swung widely across the calendar while this gap stayed put. If you are torn between the two grades, treat it as S$40 extra whenever you go.
Same date, different view
| Date checked | Forest view, 36 sqm | Reservoir view, 36 sqm | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 September, Tuesday | S$468 | S$508 | 40 |
| 7 October, Wednesday | S$620 | S$661 | 41 |
| 10 October, Saturday | S$733 | S$773 | 40 |
| 21 November, Saturday | S$570 | S$610 | 40 |
Every figure includes breakfast for two and tax on a non-refundable rate, checked on 22 August 2026.
Family rooms carry a wider gap
In the 44 sqm family rooms the distance between the courtyard view and the reservoir view came to S$81 or S$82. On 15 September the two rates were S$570 and S$651; on 21 November they were S$671 and S$753.
That is close to double the 36 sqm gap. Travelling with children and upgrading the view at the same time adds up quickly.
Whether the reservoir view is worth S$40
Upper Seletar Reservoir is a wide body of water on the northern edge of Mandai. The colour of the water shifts at dawn and dusk, and birdlife is easy to spot. The rooftop pool on level five looks out over the same water, so it is worth asking whether you need it from the room as well.
On the other side, forest-facing rooms have a reputation for being darker because trees sit close to the glass. If a bright room matters to you, the reservoir side is the safer pick.
5. The date sets the rate more than the room grade does
The same forest-facing 36 sqm room cost S$468 on 15 September and S$733 on 10 October, a spread of S$265. The gap between view grades was S$40, so the calendar moves the price more than six times as hard.
If your trip can shift by a day or two, changing the date saves far more than dropping a grade.
Five dates checked
| Room | 15/9 Tue | 7/10 Wed | 10/10 Sat | 21/11 Sat | 24/12 Thu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainforest King, 36 sqm | 468 | 620 | 733 | 570 | Sold out |
| Sanctuary King, 36 sqm | 508 | 661 | 773 | 610 | Sold out |
| Family Retreat, 44 sqm | 570 | 722 | 835 | 671 | Sold out |
| Family Sanctuary, 44 sqm | 651 | Sold out | 916 | 753 | Sold out |
| Sanctuary Suite, 55 sqm | Not checked | 1,161 | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Mandai Rainforest Treehouse | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | 1,466 |
All figures are in Singapore dollars and include breakfast for two and tax. A cell marked sold out means that category had no inventory at the time we looked.
Saturdays were not uniformly expensive
10 October and 21 November were both Saturdays and came S$163 apart. The day of the week is a poor guide on its own. Lining up several dates and checking each one is more reliable.
On 24 December only one treehouse category remained, at S$1,466. If you are aiming for the end of the year, book well ahead.
The cancellable rate costs S$81 more
The forest-facing room on 15 September came to S$468 non-refundable and S$549 with free cancellation. The cancellable version allowed a free cancellation until 11.59pm two days before check-in.
If the schedule is still loose, S$81 buys useful room to move. The glamping camps further down do not offer that option at all.
6. Park admission is not in the room rate
Because the hotel stands inside the reserve, guests often assume tickets come with the room. The resort sells room packages with admission included as a separate product. Book a standard room and no park ticket comes with it.
Without a package you buy a ticket for each park. Mandai holds nine attractions, six of which charge admission.
Tourist ticket prices
| Attraction | Adult | Child, 3 to 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Night Safari | S$58 | S$41 |
| Rainforest Wild Adventure | S$55 | S$39 |
| Singapore Zoo | S$49 | S$34 |
| Bird ParadiseMap | S$49 | S$34 |
| River WondersMap | S$45 | S$33 |
| Exploria | S$38 | S$28 |
| All six | S$294 | S$209 |
There are three bundle passes
The two-attraction day pass costs S$88 for an adult, the six-attraction day pass S$118, and the six-attraction five-day pass S$158. Child prices are S$60, S$90 and S$110 respectively.
Staying at the resort and spreading the visit over two days pushes the five-day pass ahead. Which combinations break even is worked out attraction by attraction in our Mandai pass breakdown.
Under threes go free
Child pricing applies from three to twelve, and children under three enter free. From thirteen the adult price applies. Counting a family across that boundary changes the total sharply.
7. Six minutes to the park gate, fifteen to the bus stop
On a map the resort and the zoo look joined together. Measuring the actual walking routes from their coordinates showed the park gates close by and the bus stop far away. The stop sits out on the main road while the gate plaza is set back inside.
If you plan to arrive from the airport by public transport with luggage, that difference is worth knowing in advance.
Walking distances from the resort
| Destination | Straight line | Walking route | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Zoo gate | 288 m | 454 m | about 6 min |
| River Wonders | 367 m | 467 m | about 6 min |
| Night Safari | 425 m | 563 m | about 8 min |
| Rainforest Wild Adventure East | 628 m | 936 m | about 12 min |
| Bird Paradise | 1,185 m | 1,720 m | about 23 min |
| Singapore Zoo bus stop 48131 | 339 m | 1,109 m | about 15 min |
We pulled the pedestrian routes from map data and converted them at 4.5 km/h. Wheeling a suitcase or walking with a small child will take longer.
Why the bus stop is far
The zoo gate to the bus stop is another 655 metres, because the entrance plaza pulls back from the main road. You walk 454 metres from the resort to the gate and then 655 metres more to the stop.
The eastern carpark works out much the same at 1,094 metres. The site is not built around parking and walking in, since cars drive down into the resort’s own basement.
The three eastern parks are walkable
Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari all sit within 600 metres. You can see the zoo in the afternoon, come back to rest, and walk out again for Night Safari in the evening.
That mid-afternoon break is the strongest argument for sleeping inside Mandai. Commuting from the city costs close to two hours a day in travel.
8. The free shuttle runs west only
The resort runs a complimentary shuttle. It is not a loop that calls at all five parks; it heads towards Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild Asia.
The reason sits in the walking distances above. The three eastern parks are six to eight minutes on foot, so the vehicle covers the western side that is too far to walk.
Shuttle details
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily, 8am to 11pm |
| Interval | Every ten minutes |
| Capacity | Six guests per trip |
| Pick-up | Hotel driveway |
| Drop-off | Bird Paradise Coach Bay |
| Booking | First come, first served |
Six seats a trip, so you may wait
The service uses a car rather than a coach, which caps each trip at six guests. At ten-minute intervals that rarely causes trouble, though several families leaving at the same time can push you to the next departure.
To reach Bird Paradise at opening, come down to the lobby with a little time in hand. How to work through that park is set out in our Bird Paradise guide.
The inter-zone shuttle is separate and stops earlier
Mandai’s own shuttle between the eastern and western zones finishes at 5.30pm. It is a different service from the resort shuttle. Stay late on the western side expecting to ride it back and you will find it has stopped.
The resort shuttle runs until 11pm, so guests can use that instead. Confirming the pick-up point once at the lobby avoids mixing the two up.
9. The Khatib bus has two different last departures
The usual public transport route to Mandai is the M2 Mandai Khatib bus from Khatib MRT stationMap. The service calls at the parks and at the resort, and the two destinations run on separate timetables.
Departures towards the parks continue until 11.40pm at fifteen-minute intervals. Departures towards the resort finish at 6.30pm and run hourly. If you land in the evening and plan to head straight to your room, that time gets in the way.
Departures from Khatib MRT
| Destination | First | Last | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park zones, east and west | 8.30am | 11.40pm | 15 min, 20 min after 11pm |
| Resort coach pick-up | 8.30am | 6.30pm | Hourly |
The official notice states that the hourly pattern to the resort applies from 27 April 2026.
Fares and payment
Adults and children aged seven to twelve pay S$2.50, and children under seven ride free. The trip from Khatib to Mandai takes about twenty minutes.
Cash is not accepted. EZ-Link, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay all work, while chip-and-PIN credit cards do not. How to set up a travel card is covered in our Singapore transport guide.
Public bus routes also reach Mandai
Take M2 from Khatib, 927 from Choa Chu Kang, 138 from Ang Mo Kio and 138 from Springleaf. For the eastern zone, alight at the Singapore Zoo stop, number 48131.
From that stop you still face a 1.1 kilometre walk to the resort, which is hard to recommend with luggage in hand.
10. Driving in, resort parking costs twice the park rate
Mandai has three carparks. The western and eastern park carparks share a tariff, and the resort basement runs on its own, close to double.
Guests do receive one carpark coupon per room per day, so a single night carries no parking cost.
Parking rates
| Carpark | First hour | After that | Daily cap | Motorcycles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resort, basement one | S$5 | S$2.50 per hour | S$20 | S$5 |
| Park carparks, east and west | S$3 | S$2 per hour | S$10 | Free |
Both carparks allow a twenty-minute grace period. The height limit is 2.1 metres.
Coupons come from the concierge
After check-in, give your room number at the concierge desk to collect the coupon. It is one per room per day regardless of category, so a second car pays its own way.
Vehicles without an in-vehicle unit or cash card pay S$20 per entry at the resort carpark. With a rental car, check for the unit when you collect the vehicle.
Park carparks run on cash cards
The eastern and western carparks settle through CEPAS-compliant cash cards. Without one you can buy a S$10 coupon at the Membership or Experiences Centre.
A top-up machine sits beside each carpark lift lobby. Check the balance before you leave so the exit gate does not hold you up.
11. Changi Airport is 24 kilometres away, about 30 minutes
Mandai sits in the north of Singapore and Changi AirportMap at the eastern edge. The distance between them is 24 kilometres, roughly 30 minutes by car. From the city centre the drive is similar.
By public transport you ride the MRT to Khatib and change to the M2 bus. With the transfer, the trip lands around an hour and a half.
Getting in from the airport
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resort transfer | S$200 per service | Up to seven seats at the same price, booked by email in advance |
| Taxi and ride-hailing | Metered | Drives to the resort’s own drop-off |
| MRT plus M2 bus | MRT fare plus S$2.50 | Mind the 6.30pm last departure to the resort |
The transfer suits larger groups
S$200 covers up to seven passengers at one price. For two people that is expensive; for five or six it approaches the cost of two taxis. For a family trip with a lot of luggage it is worth weighing.
Send the request to the resort reservations address in advance. Asking on the day of arrival may not leave time to assign a vehicle.
A late arrival means a taxi
The public transport service that reaches the resort door ends at 6.30pm. For an evening flight, plan a taxi or ride-hailing trip from the start.
Which exit to use is set out terminal by terminal in our Changi Airport guide.
12. Planter’s Shed and Forage serve breakfast at different hours
The resort has two restaurants and a lobby bar. Planter’s Shed on basement one is the all-day buffet room, and Forage on level four serves set menus.
Their breakfast hours differ. Breakfast at Forage is also restricted to guests staying in treehouse rooms.
Opening hours
| Venue | Level | Breakfast | Midday | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planter’s Shed | Basement one | Buffet, 6.30am to 11am | A la carte, noon to 9.30pm | Buffet, 6pm to 9.30pm |
| Forage | Level four | 7.30am to 10.30am, treehouse guests only | Noon to 2.30pm | 6pm to 9.30pm |
| Botanica | Lobby | None | Drinks and light bites | Hours not published |
Breakfast buffet prices
The Planter’s Shed breakfast buffet costs S$52 for adults and S$26 for children aged six to twelve, with children under six free. Service charge and tax sit on top.
Book a rate with breakfast included and you do not pay this separately. Every rate we checked included breakfast for two.
One listing carries two different rules
The Planter’s Shed listing states that children aged six to twelve pay S$26, and in the same block states that children twelve and under dine free at the buffet. The two statements do not agree.
It may apply only to the dinner buffet. If you are bringing children, confirm by email or phone when you book.
13. Forage stops seating two hours before it closes
Forage on level four serves dinner from 6pm to 9.30pm. Last seating, though, is 7.30pm, two hours before the kitchen closes.
Each menu runs two hours. Seating times are fixed at four slots: 6pm, 6.30pm, 7pm and 7.30pm.
Dinner menu prices
| Menu | Price | Pairing |
|---|---|---|
| Essence, three courses | S$78 | S$68 |
| Discovery, five courses | S$128 | S$118, half pairing S$48 |
| Experience, seven courses | S$178 | S$158, half pairing S$68 |
Service charge and tax are added to all of these. There is no a la carte ordering, no outside food and no sharing between diners.
Children under ten are steered away
The official notice says the length of the meal and the quiet room make it unsuitable for children under ten. There are no child prices and no child-friendly options.
With children, dinner at the Planter’s Shed buffet on basement one is easier. That room has live cooking stations and tolerates a child moving around.
It is hard to combine with Night Safari
Start dinner at Forage at 7.30pm and you finish at 9.30pm. To see Night Safari the same evening you would need the 6pm seating, and even that is tight.
Splitting them across two evenings is far more comfortable. Show times and tram operations are set out in our Night Safari guide.
14. Two official pages quote different menu prices
While checking the Forage menu we found two official pages carrying different figures, and the course counts differ too. Depending on which page you read, a budget shifts by S$50.
One page is the offers listing on the Mandai Wildlife Group site; the other is the restaurant page on the Banyan Tree site.
The two pages compared
| Menu | Mandai offers page | Banyan Tree restaurant page |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Five courses, S$138 | Five courses, S$128 |
| Experience | Eight courses, S$198 | Seven courses, S$178 |
| Essence | Not listed | Three courses, S$78 |
The operator’s page is the current one
The Banyan Tree page lists the four seating times, the length of the meal, the age guidance and the pairing prices together. It is the page that takes bookings, so it updates faster.
The Mandai offers listing exists to market stay packages, and its prices lag. An eight-course menu no longer appears on the Banyan Tree page at all.
Check the figure again at booking
A mismatch like this can reappear at any time. For a high-value item such as a set menu, treat the number on the booking screen as the one that counts.
A 10 per cent service charge and 9 per cent tax are still to come, so a S$178 menu lands around S$213. Two plus signs after a price mean those two items have yet to be added.
15. What you can visit without staying the night
Most of the resort’s facilities are for guests only. Lunch and afternoon tea at Forage on level four, however, take walk-ins whenever a table is free.
That makes it a workable option for anyone spending the day at Mandai and looking to get out of the heat. The room looks out over the reservoir.
Open without a room booking
| Item | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Forage afternoon tea | Noon to 4pm, last seating 3.30pm | S$38 per person |
| Forage two-course lunch | Noon to 2.30pm, last seating 2.15pm | S$48, dessert course S$10 more |
| Banyan Tree Gallery | 10am to 9pm | Retail |
Service charge and tax apply to all of these. Afternoon tea can be extended with two hours of free-flow house champagne and wine for S$48.
The pool and spa are for guests
The rooftop pool on level five and the gym on level two are reserved for guests. Banyan Tree Spa on level two works by appointment, and the official pages do not say whether outside visitors are accepted, so email the spa if you want to try.
Rangers’ Club is also a guest facility. Its charge is set out separately below.
Breakfast inside the zoo is booked on its own
The breakfast programme held inside Singapore Zoo has nothing to do with the resort. It is booked alongside park admission and the seats fill early.
What it involves and how to book is covered in our zoo breakfast guide. At Reservoir Retreat that breakfast is already inside the glamping rate.
16. Come back late and only the gym is open
Night Safari usually puts you back at the resort after 10pm. We checked which facilities are usable at that hour, and the gym on level two was the only one open round the clock.
The pool closes at 7pm, the spa and retail at 9pm. If you pictured a late swim, move it to the afternoon.
Facility hours
| Facility | Level | Hours | Charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gym | Two | 24 hours | Free |
| Banyan Tree Spa | Two | 10am to 9pm | By appointment |
| Banyan Tree Gallery | Lobby | 10am to 9pm | Retail |
| Rooftop pool | Five | 7am to 7pm | Free |
| Pool bar | Five | 10am to 7pm | By order |
| Rangers’ Club | Basement one | Sun to Thu 8am to 6pm, Fri and Sat to 7pm | S$10 per person per day |
Swim on the afternoon you arrive
Check-in is 3pm and the pool closes at 7pm, which leaves four hours on the first day. It reopens at 7am, so there is a second window before check-out.
Upper Seletar Reservoir is visible from the pool deck. Even without a reservoir-facing room you get the same water from up there.
Indoor space is limited when it rains
Inside the resort, shelter from rain amounts to the restaurants, the shop and the gym. Within Mandai itself the two indoor attractions are Exploria and Curiosity Cove.
Where else to go in Singapore on a wet day is gathered by area in our rainy day guide.
17. Rangers’ Club charges guests S$10 a day
Basement one holds Rangers’ Club, an indoor space for children. The programme runs workshops and hands-on activities built around nature and wildlife.
Kids’ clubs in hotels are usually free for guests. This one charges S$10 per person per day, with service charge and tax on top.
Opening hours
It runs 8am to 6pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 8am to 7pm on Friday, Saturday and the eve of a public holiday. The difference across the week is one hour.
Alongside the indoor room there is an outdoor playground, and the playground carries no charge.
The morning programme starts at 8am
The official offers listing says eco-workshops run from 8am, Sunday through Thursday. That is earlier than any park opens.
For a family with early risers that is an hour to use before breakfast. If you plan to sleep in with the children, the reason to pay thins out.
Weigh it against ticket money
A family of four staying two nights and using it daily spends S$80. The same money comes close to two adult tickets for Exploria.
Where children are too young for long park walks, the club can still be the better buy. Routes with children are set out by age in our Singapore with kids guide.
18. What is free and what is not when travelling with children
Child rules split into two age bands, under six and six to twelve. Both apply to one child per room.
With two children, the second one falls under extra-person pricing, so enter the exact party size when you price a stay.
Rules by age
| Age | Bedding | Breakfast | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under six | Existing bedding, free | Free daily | Not stated |
| Six to twelve | Existing bedding, free | Not stated | 50 per cent off regular menu prices, excluding the kids’ menu |
A baby cot can be requested at no charge, subject to availability.
Three room categories have bunk beds
The three 44 sqm family categories each pair a king bed with a bunk. Prices rise from the courtyard view through the forest view to the reservoir view.
For two adults and two children those rooms are the easy answer. The 36 sqm Double Double also sleeps four, but with two double beds the children have to split up.
Check restaurant age guidance first
Forage on level four is described as unsuitable for children under ten and carries no children’s menu. Planter’s Shed on basement one has no age restriction.
Both glamping camps take guests from age three, and children under six need an adult with them throughout.
19. A late check-out costs half a night or a whole one
Check-in is 3pm and check-out is 12pm. The charges for leaving late come in two steps, and the amounts are substantial.
Leaving between 3pm and 6pm costs half the day’s best available rate. Leaving after 6pm costs the full rate. If an evening flight tempts you to keep the room, price it first.
- Check-out is 12pm. Past 3pm you are charged half the day’s base rate.
- Leave the bags at reception. The zoo gate is six minutes away, so one more park still fits.
- If you drove, use the parking coupon and then check the time remaining on it.
- If you are leaving by public transport, check the Khatib bus times first.
- The airport is 30 minutes by car. For an evening flight, arrange the ride in advance.
Check-in and check-out rules
| Situation | Charge |
|---|---|
| Early check-in | The room must be pre-blocked, charged at one night |
| Check-out by 12pm | Free |
| Check-out 3pm to 6pm | 50 per cent of the day’s best available rate |
| Check-out after 6pm | 100 per cent of the day’s best available rate |
All of these depend on availability. Without a request in advance the room may simply not be there.
The window from 12pm to 3pm is not described
The official notice starts its pricing at 3pm and says nothing about the stretch between noon and 3pm. To use those hours you would need to ask the front desk directly.
Another route is to leave the bags at reception and take in one more park. The zoo gate is six minutes away, so a trip without luggage is easy enough.
Changing dates triggers a new rate
Shifting a booking applies the rate for the new date. As the table above shows, the same room moved by S$265 across the calendar, so check the new figure before you amend.
On a non-refundable rate an amendment may not be possible at all. Where plans could move, the cancellable rate is the calmer choice from the outset.
20. Reservoir Retreat and Crocodile Lodge, the two glamping camps
Mandai Wildlife Group runs two tented stays directly. Reservoir Retreat sits in the eastern zone, and Crocodile Lodge sits inside Rainforest Wild Adventure East.
Both are structured as two-day, one-night programmes with park admission, meals and guided tours in the rate. Which park you see is what separates them.
The two camps compared
| Item | Reservoir Retreat | Crocodile Lodge |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Mandai Wildlife East | Rainforest Wild Adventure East |
| Tents | 20 tents, up to 80 guests | 20 tents, up to 76 guests |
| Rate | S$550 for two, S$750 for three, S$950 for four | The same |
| Parks included | Singapore Zoo and Night Safari | All nine Adventure+ activities and four fast passes |
| Suits | Families here for the animals | Guests who want to be active |
Inside the tents
Each tent measures 4 by 5 metres and holds a queen bed and a bunk bed, with air conditioning, a 230V socket, free wifi and a patio.
Bathrooms and the dining hall are shared, which is the sharpest difference from the resort. Crocodile Lodge also offers a Standard Tent Queen that takes two guests.
The schedule is set
Day one runs 3pm to 10.30pm with lights out at the end, and day two runs 7am to 11am. Check-in opens at 2.30pm.
Reservoir Retreat runs a guided Night Safari tour at 8pm on day one, breakfast inside the zoo at 9am on day two and an animal encounter at 10.15am. Crocodile Lodge runs night activities at 8pm on day one and an early forest trek at 8.30am on day two. For the park itself, see our Rainforest Wild Adventure guide.
21. The glamping rate also conflicts inside the official site
Checking the glamping rate turned up two figures on the same site. The pricing block and the comparison table both say S$550 for two, while the question section further down the same page says rates start from S$750 for two.
That is a S$200 spread. The page comparing the two camps also shows S$550, which suggests that is the current figure.
Booking sites list three parks
Several booking sites describe Reservoir Retreat as covering Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari. The official site lists two.
Both the inclusions block and the question section name Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. If River Wonders matters to you, budget for that ticket separately.
Other parks come at 20 per cent off
Glamping guests get 20 per cent off admission and tours at the other parks during their stay. A S$45 adult ticket for River Wonders becomes S$36.
Access to the included parks only opens after check-in, though. Arriving in the morning to fit in one park early is not a plan the rules allow.
Promo codes and card offers
The official site lists the code GITW100, worth S$100 off per tent per night and limited to the first 100 bookings at each camp.
POSB Everyday and PAssion POSB debit cardholders get 15 per cent off weekday stays, arranged by email. The two discounts cannot be stacked.
22. Pricing one night for two, in full
Assume one night with Singapore Zoo and Night Safari on the plan. The resort needs tickets added to the room rate, while the camps already carry them.
Two adult tickets come to S$49 for the zoo and S$58 for Night Safari, so S$107 each and S$214 for the pair.
Totals side by side
| Choice | Accommodation | Tickets | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort, Tuesday 15 September | S$468 | S$214 | S$682 |
| Resort, Saturday 10 October | S$733 | S$214 | S$947 |
| Reservoir Retreat | S$550 | Included | S$550 |
| Reservoir Retreat with promo code | S$450 | Included | S$450 |
The resort rate carries breakfast for two, while the glamping rate carries both dinner and breakfast. Counting dinner widens the gap further.
What changes besides the money
Glamping means a shared bathroom and a shared dining hall, no cancellation or refund, and a booking closed three days ahead. The schedule is fixed, so free time is limited.
The resort gives you an ensuite bathroom, the option of a cancellable rate and a day you plan yourself. Whether those differences are worth S$200 is the real question.
Adding a third park changes the sums
Bringing River Wonders in adds S$90 for two adults on the resort side. A six-attraction day pass would be S$236 for two.
On the glamping side, River Wonders at 20 per cent off comes to S$72 for two. How to plan the wider trip budget is in our Singapore budget guide.
23. Booking direct against booking through a platform
The rates in this guide came from a booking platform, with breakfast for two and tax already folded in. Booking on the resort’s own site works differently, and the packages there are not the same products.
Neither route is automatically cheaper. What differs is what sits inside the rate and how much freedom you keep afterwards.
What the official site sells
| Offer | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Advance Purchase | A lower rate for booking well ahead |
| Best Available Rate with Breakfast | Room and breakfast with more flexibility |
| Stay More, Pay Less | A discount for longer stays |
| Wild Adventure Stay | Room plus admission to the wildlife parks |
| Wild Escape | Room plus Breakfast in the Wild at Singapore Zoo |
| Banyan Tree Suite Lifestyle | Suite stay with park access and a set dining menu |
The packages are where admission appears
Park tickets show up only in the package offers. If admission is the reason you are staying inside the reserve, those are the products to compare against buying tickets yourself.
Adult admission for six attractions on a one-day pass is S$118, so a package needs to beat that against the plain room rate to be worth taking.
Compare the same conditions
When comparing two figures, check three things: whether breakfast is inside, whether tax and service charge are inside, and whether the rate can be cancelled. On the platform we used, the cancellable version of one room cost S$81 more on the same night.
Prices also move a long way by date, as the earlier table showed. Compare the same date on both sides before drawing a conclusion.
24. When staying here works and when it does not
Whether to sleep at Mandai comes down to how much time you spend at Mandai. Two days there, or a late night at Night Safari, and the daily travel disappears entirely.
Fill the itinerary with city plans instead and you spend around an hour a day moving. The city centre is 30 minutes away by car and about an hour by public transport.
When it works
Two days or more at Mandai makes this an easy call. See a park in the afternoon, come back to rest, then walk out again for Night Safari after dark.
It also suits families whose children still nap. With the zoo gate six minutes away, an afternoon break slots into the day without effort.
When to think again
If Singapore is three days or fewer and the plan centres on Marina Bay and SentosaMap, a city hotel saves more. Commuting from Mandai eats the schedule.
It also falls short if you want night markets and hawker centres for dinner. Eating options around the resort come down to the two restaurants inside it and the park dining halls.
Where else to stay
The easiest areas for reaching Mandai sit on the North South Line. Orchard and City Hall both reach Khatib without a change.
What each area offers is set out in our Singapore areas guide, and how to split the days is in our Singapore itinerary guide.
🎡Things to Do52
🍜Food4
🏨Where to Stay9
🚇Getting Around4
🧭Travel Tips16
Frequently asked questions
Three: one resort and two glamping camps.
Banyan Tree runs Mandai Rainforest Resort. Mandai Wildlife Group runs the two camps directly, Reservoir Retreat and Crocodile Lodge, with twenty tents each.
No. The room rate and the park tickets are separate.
Room packages that include admission are sold separately. Without one of those packages you buy a ticket for each park. The one-day pass covering six attractions costs S$118 for an adult.
Across the five dates we checked, S$468 to S$733.
That is the smallest 36 sqm room, with breakfast for two and tax included. The same room varied by S$265 depending only on the date. On 24 December the only inventory left when we looked was a treehouse at S$1,466.
Yes, 454 metres or about six minutes.
River Wonders is 467 metres, roughly the same. Night Safari is 563 metres, about eight minutes. Bird Paradise sits 1,720 metres away, which is far for a walk, and the free resort shuttle covers that direction.
Only towards Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild Asia.
It runs daily from 8am to 11pm at ten-minute intervals and carries up to six people per trip, dropping off at the Bird Paradise Coach Bay. The three eastern parks are a six to eight minute walk, so the shuttle skips them.
The Khatib bus to the resort finishes at 6.30pm.
The same M2 service runs to the parks until 11.40pm. The last departure differs by destination. The resort run is hourly, so the gaps are wide. For an evening arrival, a taxi or ride-hailing app is the reliable choice.
Resort parking is S$5 for the first hour with a S$20 daily cap.
Park carparks charge S$3 for the first hour with a S$10 cap, half as much. Guests get one carpark coupon per room per day; give your room number at the concierge desk to collect it.
One child under six per room stays free on existing bedding and eats breakfast free.
One child aged six to twelve per room stays free on existing bedding and gets 50 per cent off regular menu prices. The breakfast buffet listing, however, carries two statements at once: children twelve and under dine free, and children six to twelve pay S$26. Confirm when you book.
The rooftop pool on level five runs from 7am to 7pm.
The pool bar on the same level runs 10am to 7pm, and the spa and retail close at 9pm. The only round-the-clock facility is the gym on level two. Come back late from Night Safari and the pool is already shut.
Lunch and afternoon tea at Forage on level four take walk-ins.
Afternoon tea is S$38 per person before service charge and tax, served noon to 4pm with last seating at 3.30pm. The two-course lunch is S$48. Reservations are recommended, but a free table gets you in.
Reservoir Retreat includes admission to Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
On top of that come dinner and breakfast, guided tours, an animal encounter and free parking at the eastern carpark. Several booking sites list three parks; the official listing says two. Crocodile Lodge instead covers all nine Adventure+ activities at Rainforest Wild Adventure plus four fast passes.
Four per tent.
Each tent measures 4 by 5 metres with a queen bed and a bunk bed, air conditioning, a 230V socket and free wifi. Bathrooms are shared. The minimum age is three, and every tent needs at least one guest aged twenty-one or older.
Payment is taken in full at booking, and after that there is no cancellation or refund.
Bookings close three days before the stay. Public holidays and the eve of a public holiday can carry a surcharge. The resort does sell a cancellable rate, which took the same room on the same night from S$468 to S$549.
If the plan is Singapore Zoo plus Night Safari, glamping lands lower.
On the resort’s cheapest date the room is S$468 plus S$214 for two adult tickets, so S$682. Reservoir Retreat is S$550 with dinner in the rate as well. The trade is a shared bathroom and a booking you cannot cancel.
24 kilometres, about 30 minutes by car.
The resort transfer costs S$200 per service for up to seven passengers and is booked in advance by email. Ride-hailing usually comes in lower. Getting out of the airport is covered in our Changi Airport guide.