River Safari

It's hubby's birthday today, happy 29th! We were thinking what to do for the day, and I suggested the zoo because I had plenty of fun there on my birthday. What's more, it's free entrance for me. Hubby said ok, so I started to pack wetsuits, sunblock etc in anticipation of going to the water playground at the zoo. Before I could complete my packing, hubby told me he has yet to recover (runny nose for past few days) and wouldn't be up to playing with water. We changed out minds and decided to check out the River Safari instead.

River Safari is the newest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s portfolio of award-winning parks. Nestled between Singapore’s two award-winning wildlife parks – Singapore Zoo and Night Safari – River Safari offers an unforgettable adventure inspired by eight of the world’s most iconic rivers. This $160-million attraction features state-of-the-art exhibit design, Southeast Asia's largest panda exhibit as well as the world's largest freshwater aquarium. Housing one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater fauna, the park features over 5,000 specimens representing 300 species. And that includes Singapore’s resident giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia.

Guess who we saw when we first arrived?

Hubby and P got in free, so I was the only one who needed to pay to enter. They are offering a discounted price of $25 (adult) at the moment because the River Safari boat ride and animal exhibits along this ride will not be available until later this year. Upon entering, the staff sang hubby a "Happy Birthday" song, and helped to take this picture for us.

Paiseh moment for hubby, so he hid his face

The river safari was super easy to navigate. It basically one straight path that you walk through, and view the exhibits along the way. One word of caution is for you to head to the washroom before you start to explore, else the next nearest toilet is at the panda viewing area, which is like halfway through the park. There was too much fishy exhibits at the beginning of the trail, and P was somewhat disappointed, telling me "I want see animals," We pointed out various crocodiles to her and she remained unfazed. She only brightened up when we got to the panda viewing area, and it really does help that the panda area is airconditioned. It might have been the weather on that day, but we endured a breeze-less walk almost all the way (hand held fans might offer some relief).
 

The 3Ps - P, Papa, Panda

After the pandas, we took a bathroom break and found a restaurant right outside. It serves panda pau, how cute! On hindsight, this pau is really expensive and tastes no better than any red bean pau you find outside. Well, one of the touristy things we can do in Singapore :)

 

The River Safari took us about 3 hours to complete, which wasn't too bad. When the River Safari boat ride and animal exhibits open in future, you should defnitely buffer more time. Surprisingly, hubby told me he really liked the tranquil feel of the place and won't mind coming back in future. I will be back when the new attractions open.