Singapore’s Night Safari is the world's first night-time zoo.
This is not just an ordinary zoo lit up at night; it’s a wildlife park specially built for visitors after dusk (the world's first such park, in fact). With the help of subtle “moonglow” lighting, you can observe more than 1,000 nocturnal animals of over 100 different species in their vast natural habitats. And “vast” it indeed is... covering an area of 40 hectares of lush tropical forest.
If you think a night safari tour wouldn’t be worth it, here are some Active You facts. 90% of tropical animals are nocturnal and mostly active after sunset. Also, many of the animals found in this zoo are among the rarest, and they all move about freely without any restrictions.
In Singapore, the sun sets around 7.30pm, and the nights are pleasantly cool with little rainfall. All in all, perfect for a nightly rendezvous in the forest. Some visitors have gone on record claiming that the Singapore Zoo Night Safari was by far the best experience in their lives. Whether these are relatives of the zoo’s PR team or people who’ve led restricted lives one can only guess, but I’ll be fair, it is an amazing experience.
So what is this famed Night Safari Tour actually like? Well, you get to travel on special trams for visitors, which take you through the jungle. You can also go on a walking tour with a guide to see the animals from close quarters. Be careful, not all of them are timid... you might very well cross the path of a fairly fierce predator; so beware.
As you travel through the forests, you’ll come across a big reservoir and pass through habitats carefully designed to imitate a range of natural environments, from Himalayan foothills to Indian sub-continental and South-east Asian rainforests. You might also stumble across tribal performers from the rainforests of Borneo, performing clannish dances, fire-eating displays, and blowpipe demonstrations. Just don’t get in the way or you’ll be taking home a dart as a permanent gift.
After an action-packed ride through dense forests on an open tram, you can unwind in peace at the Ulu Ulu Restaurant, in a charmingly ethnic atmosphere. Simply lose yourself in the exotic experience of dining under burnished wooden beams and rustic palm fans, sipping on a cool drink accompanied by the nighttime concerto of the frogs, cicadas and other creatures of the night. Watch out for anacondas though ;-).
Not for nothing is the Night Safari a winner of the country’s “Best Leisure Attraction Experience”. Don’t miss this fantastic tour on your next visit to Singapore. After all, you can shop almost everywhere... but this is as unique an experience as they come.
