Bird Paradise: A Strategy to The Visiting

Planning to visit the Bird Paradise in Singapore and don’t know what to expect? Well, here’s a guide to this newly homed and revamped bird park.

With more than 3,500 feathery residents from over 400 species, Bird Paradise is Asia’s largest bird park. Opened in 2023, the new park is a fresh start to the old Jurong Bird Park, which began in 1971 as Singapore’s first zoological park. The park served a good deal of good memories for me and was a frequent part of my and fellow Singaporean’s growing-up years, as with the Mandai Zoo.

So how does the new Bird Paradise fare compared to the old Jurong Bird Park of my memories? 

I visited Bird Paradise in October 2023. It was sunny in the morning but turned wet in the afternoon. This post may be updated periodically. Post also contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog. Cheers!

Ticket

Tickets cost S$48 for adults and S$33 for children as of Oct 2023. Locals enjoy additional discounts when they sign up for the free Wild Pass. You could enjoy more savings by purchasing multi-park combos.

---

Opening Hours

The park is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

---

Transport

‘Travelling to the Mandai region is easy’ does not ring a bell to me. As someone living in the East, Mandai is like a faraway jungle, even though Singapore is petite.

Fortunately, we have a relatively connected and low-cost transport line that links wherever you are to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. The only downside – perhaps laughable to my foreign friends – is the long travelling time and hassle of changing transportation.

Of course, you can do away with all these by Grabbing or driving to the park. Parking fees start at S$3 for the first hour, and S$2 for every additional hour, up to a max of $10/ entry. I’m not sure if it’s easy to call for a Grab from Mandai. There’s a taxi surcharge of S$3 if taking the taxi out of Mandai.

Mandai Khatib Shuttle

The easiest and cheapest route for me is to take the North-South red line to Khatib MRT station, and then board the park’s direct Mandai Khatib Shuttle. The shuttle operates from 8 AM to 12 AM, with a 10 – 15 mins frequency, and goes through all the major parks in the Reserve.

Starting from 16 October 2023, the price for this shuttle has increased from S$1 to S$2, if you’re taking it from Khatib MRT. Travelling within the park via this shuttle is free, as is taking the shuttle back to Khatib MRT. Make sure you have your usual EZ-Link/ contactless bank cards ready for tapping, as cash is not accepted.

Bus 138

Alternatively, you could also take bus 138 from the Springleaf MRT station of the Thomson-East Coast brown line, or from Ang Mo Kio MRT station of the North South red line, to the Reserve.

Special Shuttle Service

Whoever thought of this scheme is making life easier for the folks, especially those with children, living in the East.

A Mandai Heartlands Express operates during the weekends of school holidays and public holidays from Bedok, Sengkang and Tampines. The cost of the one-way shuttle is S$3 for adults and S$1 for children. This means it’ll cost S$6/ S$2 for a return – not too bad considering the hassle of getting there. Book your tickets early to secure the slots, as each town block has only two timings.

---

Attractions within Bird Paradise

The Map

Sky Amphitheatre

This ought to be the most important attraction in the park for its time sensitivity. The Sky Amphitheatre, located at the top right-hand corner of Bird Paradise, has four free bird shows every day – two for each theme, lasting 20 minutes each.

The earlier show – Predators on Wings – has large birds like eagles, vultures and hornbills, and is usually held at 10.30 AM and 2.30 PM.

The later show – Wings of the World – showcases birds from around the world, such as pelicans, flamingos, and parrots. Showtime is at 12.30 PM and 5 PM.

Make sure you visit both! These were the highlights for me with its big flying birds, entertaining performances, and informative lessons. Whoever designed the descriptive and clever video for the big screen in the amphitheatre is an expert at cinematic experience.

Unlike the Jurong Bird Park that I went to when I was like 10, shows like these no longer ask for volunteers from the audience.

Recently, a vulture decided to be part of the audience during the Predators on Wings show. 😂 You can watch it here.

---

Heart of Africa

Heart of Africa is the first walk-through aviary from the entrance. The largest of the eight, this aviary has elevated canopies, suspension bridges and massive trees. See if you can spot 10 of the over 80 species of African birds here – from the busy weaver birds and curious starlings to the ground-dwelling Crowned Cranes.

---

Wings of Asia

Wings of Asia is the next aviary between Heart of Africa and the Sky Amphitheatre. The walkway between both aviaries is designed to seamlessly lead to the next aviary via an air-conditioned room as the buffer. Within the room, you can find more information about the birds and their habitats, or take a breather from the heat and humidity.

Here you’ll see Balinese-inspired rice paddy terraces and bigger birds like Pelicans, Hornbills and 30 other species of Asiatic birds.

When you’re done with these two aviaries, it may be time to head over to the Sky Amphitheatre for the first show.

---

Crimson Wetlands

Between the first and next show, it’s a comfortable hour and a half to tour an aviary and have lunch at the Crimson Restaurant or Food Central.

Here in the Crimson Wetlands, American Flamingos, Scarlet Ibises and brightly-hued macaws flock freely within the wetlands that mimic South America’s flooded savannahs. Standing in the midst of all these is a 20 m-tall glistening waterfall.

---

Amazonian Jewels

If you have your lunch packed, then skip the queue for food and head over to the adjacent two aviaries. Amazonian Jewels is one of the smaller aviaries. See if you can spot the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, the national bird of Peru!

---

Songs of the Forest

Songs of the Forest feature Asiatic songbirds like the cute Snow-white Bali mynahs and the Straw-headed bulbul.

---

Lory Loft

Similar to the old Lory Loft at Jurong Bird Park, this new aviary allows you to interact with the cute and colourful lories and parrots. Book a feeding session and be prepared to be assaulted by these little birds.

---

Mysterious Papua

Inspired by the landscape of New Guinean, the Mysterious Papua aviary houses over 25 species of birds like the flightless Southern Cassowary and the Victoria Crowned Pigeon.

---

Australian Outback

By the time we headed to the Australian Outback aviary, the sky had started to pour. Make sure you have your umbrellas ready!

Walking in the rain was another experience. We saw a wet Kookaburra, an emu sitting under a small tree, the Tawny Frogmouth expertly camouflaged as a branch and the Red-tailed black cockatoo. The rain somehow became a blessing as we spied more birds – and even caught the so-called elusive Wallaby – trying to find shelter under the trees and manmade structures. 

---

Penguin Cove

We sought some respite from the relentless rain at the sheltered state-of-the-art and sustainable Penguin Cove. The landscape of this multi-level building mimics that of Macquarie Island.

If you’re taking the same path as us, descend down the escalator and meet the raft of curious Gentoo penguins bobbing behind the curved glass wall. Walk down the spiral ramp and see them speeding and playing effortlessly in the deep. The other penguins were chilling by the island, perhaps too old or too wise to hop over (and see us).

If you’re feeling peckish, a cafe sells cakes on the second floor. The Penguin Cove Restaurant on the ground floor serves meals and buffets on the first floor.

Penguins-aside, I enjoyed the interactive touchscreen board shaped like a penguin on level 2. You could tap and view short clips of the wild penguins in their natural habitat over the different seasons. There’s also a small dark room with a large screen showing an awareness video of the penguins.

---

Winged Sanctuary

Unlike the previous walkthrough aviaries, the Winged Sanctuary comprises several enclosures housing larger species of birds like hornbills and the Vietnamese pheasants.

---

Eateries

There are several dining options within and outside the park. If you intend to eat outside Bird Paradise, remember to have a stamp on your hand or a bracelet around your wrist before exiting. Failure to do so may mean not being able to return after lunch.

Dining outside the park

• Luke’s Lobster + Leckerbaer + Mr Holmes Bakehouse. A 3-in-1 joint cafe selling sandwiches, cakes, puffs and tarts and Lobster rolls and bisques.
• A&W. Fast food chain.
• Collin’s. Western food.
• Han’s Union. Homegrown cafe and bakery.
• Pavillion Banana Leaf. South Indian food.
• Coffee House by Old Chang Kee. Nasi Lemak, curry rice, curry puffs. 
• Starbucks
• Cheers. Convenience shop.
• Birds of Paradise. Ice cream parlour.

Dining in the park

• Bird Bakery. At the park entrance; has coffee, pastries and sandwiches.
• Penguin Cove Cafe. At the second level of Penguin Cove; penguin-themed pastries.
• Penguin Cove Restaurant. At the first level of Penguin Cove; international buffet spread.
• Food Central. At Central Plaza; probably the most economical place around to settle lunch like Kopitiam.
• Egg Splash Cafe. At the kid’s play area Egg Splash; has all kinds of egg-inspired dishes.
• Tram Kiosk. At Shuttle Station 2; sells a variety of ice cream and drinks.
• Crimson Restaurant. High-end celebrity restaurant facing the Crimson Wetlands aviary.

---

Strategy

If you haven’t known me, planning is my hobby.

My visit to Bird’s Paradise was made possible by the association I volunteered in. They have a pickup bus from the East at 9:30 AM and from Mandai back to the East at 3 PM. With that, we have only around half a day to fully maximise, and that’s where this strange interest of mine turned useful.

So here it is – a section to share with my other fellow planners and non-planners.

Mandai App

First, ensure you’ve seen the map (links to the official Bird’s Paradise map in PDF). But having said that, if you’ve read my blog post thus far, you should have a good gist of what the park is like.

Download the Mandai App to get updates on showtimes. For our visit on a Saturday, both shows were moved an hour later to 11.30 AM and 1.30 PM. With that, I guided my parents to visit the first two aviaries before heading into the amphitheatre with enough time to eat our sandwiches, visit the loo, fill our bottles and pick the best seats.

You could also set reminders about the shows or animal presentations, plan your itinerary, and scan QR codes within the park in the app to get translated information about the birds.

---

Performances at Sky Amphitheatre

The aviaries are forever there from 9 till 6, but not the shows. There are only four per day, so plan to see through one of each. Compared to the old shows from Jurong Bird Park and elsewhere, these new shows were very well done with trained birds, professional caretakers and cinematic and informational videos.

Be there early for your pick of seats. Doors are open 30 minutes before showtime. Seats at the centre column are always the first to go. While you do get a better view of the show in the centre rows, sitting at the front and middle of the open-air amphitheatre also meant a very humid and warm situation. There are huge fans at the back, but they’re never enough to cool the entire space. If the heat is unbearable, station yourself at the top of the seats, or bring portable fans.

---

Aviaries

With our day planned according to showtimes, we timed our visit around the park with aviaries near the Amphitheatre. An hour and a half for the two big Hearts of Africa and Wings of Asia aviaries, followed by the three smaller Amazonian Jewels, Songs of the Forests and finally Crimson Wetlands aviaries between the intermission, and in that order, to beat the crowd.

---

Additional Tips

• Start early. It gets hotter throughout the day. When the weather gets too hot, the birds hide. I’d feel like hiding in air-con rooms too.
• Note the static coming from the fences. I’m not sure why but there’s an uncomfortably strong static coming from the handrails of the fences and doors in all aviaries. Might have been the heat? Best to stay clear or insulate yourself from them!
• Bring a bottle. Why waste money to buy water when you can top up your bottle at the six water refill stations scattered around the park. Be sustainable.
• Carry a portable fan. Oh yes, please do.
• Wear light clothes. It’s going to be so hot. Please don’t wear jeans. Bring a change of clothes if you might sweat through the first set. I wore a shirt, shorts and my favourite grippy jandals.
• Be weather-proof. You could get a blistering hot sun in the morning, and then a thunderous downpour in the afternoon. Have your sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen on, and an umbrella safely stashed in case of rain. Else, you could buy an umbrella from the shop when the situation calls for one.
• Pack food. Or eat within the numerous dining options. As mentioned, we have only half a day and expected food to be pricier in the park. We packed sandwiches, eggs and fruits.
• Bring binoculars. If you’re really into bird spotting.
• Stay a safe 1 m from the birds. Or be prepared to be assaulted by them.
• There’s WIFI.
• If coming with young kids. You could rent a trike (holds 1) or wagon (holds 2) to bring or steer your children around for S$18 each. There are also four nursing rooms for moms.
• If coming with elderly relatives. You could rent a wheelchair for free at the reception counter. All aviaries are wheelchair accessible, but you’d have to forfeit some with special trails that require stair-climbing. Take advantage of the complimentary shuttle service too! 
• If feeding the birds. Don’t feed them with your food! Book a feeding slot for S$8 each (see the Mandai app). The birds have proper diets.

---

Rambles and Conclusion

Bird Paradise is a fun place to spend a day with friends or family and spot the birds without the barricades in eight walk-through aviaries. Seeing the exotic birds without fences is definitely more refreshing, especially if you’re a birder or birder-cum-photographer working on nature shots.

The place is also wheelchair and kids-friendly, so you could literally have a family day out with the entire village.

Would I see myself coming back to Bird Paradise again?

Once is enough for me.

Coming from the perspective of a fully-grown budget-conscious individual living in Singapore, who has bigger dreams of visiting the wild birds elsewhere.

If I were to turn back time and be a young child again, this new Bird Paradise may be a place I’d have looked forward to, as it was for Jurong Bird Park when I was in Primary School. I can still vividly remember scoping a live chick in my small palms at age 9! 

If you haven’t been to Bird Paradise yet, please do while it’s still relatively new and with a 20% discount for locals.

And if you’re a traveller or passerby in Singapore, consider this in your itinerary too. After all, Bird Paradise is the largest bird park in Asia. But make sure you’ve at least visited the other iconic landmarks in Singapore first!

I went on to visit the Mandai Zoo a couple of months later. Read on to find out more about the zoo!