As a Londoner who was born in Singapore, I rarely visit any of the main tourist attractions in Singapore whenever I returned to Singapore for a visit. I took for granted that the tourist attractions would be around. During my last recent trip to Singapore, I decided to check out some of the Singaporean tourist attractions to find out their appeal.
The famed Night Safari was one of the tourist attractions I visited. The concept of a night zoo isn’t unique to Singapore; in fact night safaris exist in Chiang Mai, Thailand and in Bogor, Indonesia. There are also night zoo events in Edinburgh, Scotland and Cairns, Australia. However, the fact that the concept isn’t unique is simply based on the fact that many animals are by nature nocturnal, so the best time to see them is at night. And this means that it is possible to spend one’s evening at the Night Safari after a full day’s work in the office.
Early birds arrive at the Night Safari.
The Singapore Night Safari is open from 7.30 pm to 12 midnight, though the crowds start to build at the entrance by about 6.45 pm. The Thumbuakar Fire dancers will keep the crowds entertained as the latter wait for the gates to open; their first show takes place at 6.45 pm, but it is worth returning to see their later shows at 8 pm, 9 pm and 10 pm as their fire dance does look a lot more spectacular against the night sky.
The Thumbuakar fire dancers dazzle with their fiery performance. Photo courtesy of Night Safari.
Like the River Safari, one of the key attractions of the Night Safari is that it allows visitors to see a totally different side of Singapore – one that couldn’t be more different from the skyscrapers and shopping malls downtown. For the period of three to four hours when you are at the Night Safari, you are surrounded by beautiful tropical rainforests, majestic animals (and okay, hordes of tourists).
Our evening began with the “Creatures of the Night” animal show. Admittedly, I was rather cynical about going to see an animal show as I thought it may be a bit cruel, like the way old school circuses would train animals to perform tricks. I was only too happy to have my cynicism dispelled. It was clear that the show had been tightly scripted and it was a tried-and-tested formula that worked with the crowds. Our host for the evening, Veronica, was confident and knew how to work the crowd. The 20-minute show was rather educational in nature but her presentation style kept it entertaining at the same time.
A shot with zookeeper Veronica (right), host of the “Creatures of The Night” show.
The best moment was when the zookeepers dashed off stage after hearing a scream, to leave a hapless Swedish tourist with a huge snake wrapped around his shoulders. It is not easy to make a show like that work for both adults (especially cynical adults like myself) and children alike, but I must hand it to them – they did make it work despite not everything going to plan (such is the nature of working with animals) and I enjoyed myself immensely.
After “Creatures of the Night” show, we took the tram tour of the safari. This 40-minute tour will show you the best of the safari from the comfort of the tram — you’ll be able to catch sight of elephants, giraffes, jaguars, rhinos, hippos and flamingoes, to name a few.
The lighting is pretty dim to replicate the natural conditions in the wild (so do not use flash photography as it would startle or even blind the animals). There are over 2,500 animals in the Night Safari and even if you did have a camera that could take good photos in dimly lit conditions, you can’t possibly photograph them all. Thus I decided that the best way to enjoy the experience was to just sit back, relax and use my other senses. I listened to the sounds of the forest, the insects, the animals and the occasional rushing water. I also used my sense of smell to help guide me through the night – from the fragrant blossoms of the Tembusu trees to the binturong that smelled oddly like fresh popcorn.
The running commentary on the tram was informative and on the right side of educational. I didn’t feel like I was having a boring science lesson, and had a good understanding of what I was seeing.
The tram tour of the Night Safari. Photo courtesy of the Night Safari.
The next part of the evening was completing the four walking trails, which took a good 2.5 hours as we decided to take it easy. There is quite a fair distance to cover, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes for the walk. I was amazed at just how incredibly close we could get to the animals. One of the most incredible experiences was when I was standing at a bridge. I was not quite sure what I was looking for in the dark. Then slowly, as my eyes focused to make out the shapes of what lay before me in the semi-darkness, I gasped as I saw a great huge saltwater crocodile no more than two metres away from me under the bridge – it had been staring at me all this time. Such is the Night Safari experience; it is all about discovering these creatures in their natural habitat and seeing how they function in the night.
To make the most of your Night Safari experience, go after 8 pm. The place will be less crowded and you’ll waste less time queuing up. It takes three to four hours to do the Night Safari justice, but you’ll have plenty of time to catch either the 9.30 pm or 10.30 pm “Creatures Of The Night” show, get on the tram tour and still complete all four walking trails. Furthermore, it will be cooler later on in the night.
All in all, there is definitely something for everyone at the Night Safari. For tourists, the Night Safari is a superbly well-organised tourist attraction which will give an intriguing insight into how the rainforest comes alive at night. For children, it is loaded with educational content and is an exciting excursion. For locals looking for an unusual and fun evening out, there’s everything you need for an unforgettable time at the Night Safari.
Check out the Park Hopper Specials to get discounts on a combined ticket. There is also currently a special SG50 50% discount for local residents (Sundays to Thursdays). Visit the Night Safari website for more details.
Night Safari Singapore
80 Mandai Lake Road
Singapore 729826
