Singapore Bird Paradise Travel & Photography Guide

I have had a very long relationship with Bird Paradise, formerly known as the Jurong Bird Park, and have visited it multiple times in its old location. So when it moved to the current location, it was always going to be high on my must-visit list.

Time to come clean: this tale of my visit actually combines two visits. The first was over the Christmas holidays in 2023, which was cut short after those weather gods decided I needed to experience some more tropical rain. Then came the more recent visit, also on an overcast day in August 2025. One day I will visit on a nice sunny and dry day.

The Singapore Bird Paradise is now located as part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, and given my experience visiting the Zoo, I was expecting good things from Bird Paradise.

Just like my last visit to the Zoo, today was looking interesting, with those weather gods threatening to soak me. But me being me, and time in Singapore being a little limited, I decided to ignore it and go anyway.

Getting to Bird Paradise: MRT & Shuttle Bus Guide top

There are many ways to get to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, but being very close to the Zoo, I decided to repeat that trip. So after fuelling up with breakfast, it was off to the MRT.

Now there are several MRT stations close to my hotel, but the closest station to the Wildlife reserve and the drop-off point for a dedicated shuttle bus is Khatib MRT Station, which is on the North-South Line.

In this case, the ideal station is City Hall, which is on the right line, with the destination being 11 stops away—so not too bad. And yes, given how good the MRT is, it's not a problem; the trains are comfortable and air-conditioned, and since it's a workday outside the morning peak hour, it should not be too crowded.

Getting to Khatib and heading for the shuttle bus pick-up point, in a rare case of perfect timing, the bus was just arriving. The fare is very cheap at S$2.50, and they even take credit cards; to be precise, it looks like that's the preferred payment method. I cannot remember if this was the case with previous visits, but regardless, it's a good sign.

A local friend warned me that buying anything inside Bird Paradise is a horribly expensive experience, and in some cases makes airports look cheap. So I stocked up at the MRT station, where conveniently there is a Giant supermarket—a really good place to stock up on snacks before heading for the bus.

Mandai Wildlife West Entrance & Tickets top

Anyhow, getting off the shuttle bus at the drop-off point, which is like a huge concrete "cave" that looks well-designed to deal with the crowding at the old location.

It was quite a walk to the escalators leading up to the entrance, but it's flat and with plenty of signage, so not too much of a problem for my bad knees.

Heading up the escalators, it's like coming into the light from the dark of the bus drop-off point into the brilliant sunshine.

I had purchased my ticket online, so getting through the entrance was quick and, as expected, totally painless. As for the costs, it's close to what I paid for my visit to Taronga Zoo back home in Sydney, so not cheap but not excessive.

Exploring the Walk-Through Aviaries & Photography Tips top

Bird Paradise is broken up into several large walk-through aviaries, each holding different species of birds from various geographic locations. Now this place is enormous, so planning is a must—check out the official Bird Paradise park map to see what I mean. Trust me, it's worth it.

Wow, it's open, and bright even under the overcast sky through the aviary netting. From the looks of it, the walkways are wide and flat, which is a good thing for my bad knees.

During my first visit back in December 2023, before I added the Nikon 200-500mm lens to my collection, I spent most of a day walking through the aviaries taking photos. Here is a selection of those taken while dodging the heavy rain and ignoring the drizzle.

Moving forward to August 2025, and now I have the excellent 200-500mm lens, so I have more opportunities to get some even better shots with this longer lens. Here are a few of the better ones.

After the better part of a full day walking through the aviaries, taking photos, and talking to multiple other visitors—and yes, I met some tourists who came from a suburb very close to home for me—it's more proof that the world is a small place.

Talking of a small world, so far I have seen multiple Australian bird species, some of which I see on my balcony back home all the time. Lorikeets and Cockatoos are frequent visitors, and in the case of the cockatoos, they are very destructive and very, very noisy.

Bird Presentations & Show Seating Tips top

Other than the aviaries, there is a covered amphitheatre that has bird presentations and shows throughout the day, both of which I have attended on multiple visits, and are a must-see regardless of the weather.

During one of these shows, I took the following photo showing the interaction between the keeper and a stunning eagle.

Before moving on, if anyone from Bird Paradise would like the raw full-resolution version at no cost, please contact me at the martian engineer at gmail dot com.

Now, when it comes to these shows, unless you have a long camera lens, I would recommend taking a seat closer to the stage. From personal experience, a 200mm lens, even a fast one, is not good enough to shoot from the top of the seating area.

Some other hints from personal experience when attending these shows: the view is better from around the mid-point of the seating on the left side of the stage, and when the show ends, head down closer to the stage as the keepers are keen to show the birds up close.

Final thoughts on these shows: if you are at Bird Paradise, make time to see both; you will not be disappointed.

As for what I think of Bird Paradise, it's a no-brainer. I cannot say enough good things about my experience across multiple visits, and yes, I will visit again—and who knows, I may choose a day when it's not raining.

Unexpected Sightings top

One final sighting during my December 2023 visit: I heard something flying over that was not avian. Looking up with the camera in hand, I took this shot through the aviary nets while the drizzle was falling.

Not that seeing something like this in this area is unusual, as after talking to one of the keepers, it seems there is a military base fairly close by.

And yes, I got curious and looked up what this was via Google reverse image search; it turns out this was a Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

Interesting, as I did not know Singapore used these—back in the day, I did get a chance to look closely at one during a visit to an air show in the US. A good excuse to release the inner geek 🤓

Final Thoughts & Verdict top

Now it should be a surprise to absolutely no one that I really like the Bird Paradise and cannot recommend it enough to anyone who is visiting Singapore. And yes, I have visited twice over the years and will visit again, and never know those weather gods may actually give me a sunny day.

Some hints before you visit: