Mid-June 2026
Breakfast and Arrival at Bird Paradise
On our second day, we took the MRT and a local bus to Bird Paradise in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Among the restaurants near the entrance, we chose a café called han’s union, where we had a kaya toast set for breakfast. From our window seat, we could look out over a small stream and watch little birds resting in the trees along the water while we ate. It was a peaceful way to start the day.
We had already purchased our tickets through the official website, so we simply showed our electronic tickets at the entrance. We had also added the lorikeet feeding activity to our admission tickets.
Exploring Bird Paradise and Lorikeet Feeding
Just inside the entrance was an area where birds were kept in large aviaries, and we first admired the colorful birds through the wire mesh. However, I think the true highlight of Bird Paradise is its free-flight aviaries. The park is like one enormous birdcage that people can walk through while birds fly freely around them. Some birds were friendly enough to come close, while others preferred to rest high up in the trees. The binoculars my partner had brought turned out to be incredibly useful for birdwatching.
We had reserved the lorikeet feeding activity that started at 11:00 a.m. After arriving at Lory Loft, we showed our electronic tickets and received numbered tickets. When the activity began, participants were called in numerical order. Our numbered tickets were collected, and each of us was handed a feeding cup. As soon as the staff filled it with nectar, the impatient lorikeets swarmed toward us all at once. It was noisy, adorable, exciting, and absolutely chaotic—in the best possible way. It truly felt like paradise, thanks to the birds.
A photographer was also present during the activity, and visitors could purchase the photos afterward. If you plan to buy them, I’d recommend putting on your best smile.
The fun came to an abrupt end the moment our nectar was gone. The lorikeets instantly lost all interest in us and flew off to find someone else with food. My partner and I spent a blissful few moments surrounded by brilliantly colored birds. We were happy, excited, and completely captivated. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that dozens of lorikeets eagerly lick the nectar at the same time, so it splashes around and can easily stain your clothes.
After the feeding activity, a heavy tropical downpour suddenly began, so we took shelter in a café near the entrance. We enjoyed bird-shaped bread and hot coffee while waiting for the rain to ease. The bread had the gentle flavor and appearance of homemade bread, with just a faint hint of the aroma that comes from natural fermentation.
Once the rain became lighter, we continued exploring the park.
By the way, Bird Paradise operates a free shuttle bus that runs back and forth around the park. The walking distance isn’t particularly long, but we still rode it several times. After all, it was free, and riding it was part of the fun.
After spending as much time birdwatching as we wanted, we stopped by the gift shop near the entrance. Immediately to the left was a photo counter. We handed the card we had received from the photographer to a staff member, who then displayed all of our photos on a monitor. After choosing our favorites, the staff printed them and placed them in presentation folders. We selected the package that included two printed photos, which cost SGD 60. As a bonus, purchasing the package also allowed us to download all of the digital photos.
The gift shop was full of irresistible items for bird lovers, much to my partner’s delight. We ended up buying a mug and a passport holder.
Desserts and Chicken Rice
Later, when we felt a little hungry, we stopped by BlackBall, a café near the entrance, and ordered winter melon tea and douhua for a total of SGD 15.40. The winter melon tea tasted exactly like what I imagine traditional herbal medicine would taste like. My partner kept saying, “Hmm… it’s good… I think it’s good… I guess this is what herbal drinks taste like… yeah… I think it’s good,” without ever fully committing to saying it was delicious. Still, it seemed to grow on him. On the other hand, he absolutely loved the douhua and happily finished it. I enjoyed it just as much, especially the chewy taro balls made from sweet potatoes.
From Mandai Wildlife Reserve, we took the shuttle bus (SGD 2.50) back to Khatib MRT Station and then rode the MRT to Isetan Scotts. Our goal was to buy individually wrapped snacks in large quantities to hand out to my coworkers back home.
Before shopping, however, we noticed a food court on the basement level of the building and decided to try Hainanese chicken rice. Neither of us had been particularly interested in it, but every travel guide described it as one of Singapore’s signature dishes. We were a little hungry, and there was a food court right in front of us, so we figured, “Why not?”
The result?
It was much better than we had expected.
The rice was light and fluffy, the chicken was wonderfully tender, and we finished the entire plate in no time.
SPECTRA and Garden Rhapsody
That evening, we went to watch SPECTRA – A Light & Water Show at the Event Plaza outside The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. The show starts every night at 8:00 p.m., so we arrived about fifteen minutes early. Even then, a large crowd had already gathered to save seats. The fifteen-minute performance combined fountains, music, and projection mapping. Our impression was simply, “Well… it was okay.”
Afterward, my partner and I agreed that it had been “pretty decent” and walked to Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay. We were there for Garden Rhapsody, the light show that begins at 8:45 p.m. and synchronizes the Supertrees with music.
This one completely exceeded our expectations.
Watching two shows back-to-back was a little exhausting, but the crowd was smaller than at SPECTRA, and the illuminated Supertrees were absolutely breathtaking. We enjoyed every minute of it.
The show ended around 9:00 p.m., and we hoped to grab a light meal nearby. Unfortunately, every restaurant had already passed its last order. The taxi stand was packed with people, so we walked to the nearest MRT station and took the train back to our hotel.
