I don’t often wish that I was six years old again.
After a few hours at the new Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, I’m regretful that I can’t hang out at the Ranger’s Club, where I could lounge in a cute pillow-packed pod reading kid’s books all day, or sleep in a bunk bed in a family room which comes with a fun play area and towel art giraffes on the bed.
I expected that the world’s latest Banyan Tree property, which will be the brand’s 100th hotel by the time it officially opens in Singapore in November, would be a sanctuary for adults in a beautiful natural setting. It is.
But the resort is also part of the 126-hectare Mandai Wildlife Reserve and adjacent to the Singapore Zoo, so it’s very much a family hotel, with excited children everywhere – toting pink ride-on suitcases while their parents check in at the lobby, visiting the chocolate fountain in the restaurant, splashing in the shallows of the rooftop pool and skipping along the boardwalk that connects the resort to the zoo.
If you’re averse to the babble of happy children, there’s the option of cocooning yourself in your own private treehouse, which sprout like giant seed pods at a far end of the resort, and have their own plunge pools and dedicated restaurant, Forager, for breakfast and dinner.
There’s no avoiding the fact, though, that the resort is focused on families, appealing to couples with kids who also want to take some me-time. That fits the demographic of city-dwelling Singaporeans craving a short break in nature, and travellers in transit through Singapore, especially those needing to entertain their children on the stopover.
Conveniently, the resort is only about 30 minutes’ drive from Singapore central. It’s close to the border of Malaysia, which many people commute across for work each day.
My Sanctuary Room is on the fourth floor, reached by glass elevators, so wherever I go (except for the lower ground floor buffet restaurant Planter’s Shed) I feel that I’m part of the rainforest. When I open my door, the panorama of the lake and forest is framed in the room’s large windows. The windows have insect screens that can be raised if I want the full experience of warm tropical air and forest sounds.
After a week in air-conditioning, sleeping with natural ventilation is bliss. All controls are easily managed via an electronic panel by the door. Even so, I get the ceiling fan wrong, and it beeps and whirs threateningly until I call a mechanic to help me. (He arrives promptly.)
All the rooms in the resort have beautiful murals of local flora and fauna on the walls. Curious indigenous creatures include the lesser mousedeer and the Sumatran flying dragon. There’s a hissing cockroach too. Luckily, not a single bug comes into my room, which is soothingly decorated with natural fibres and timbers, with nice eco touches such as a water bottle made from sugar cane and coat hangers from recycled timber.
Mandai Rainforest Resort is proudly Singapore’s first super low energy resort. Rainwater is collected and repurposed for flushing. Each room is equipped with an interactive display that shows power consumption levels. Mine congratulates me each day because I choose not to use the air-conditioning overnight.
I do feel as if I can shut the door on the world and escape into the rainforest. My view is uninterrupted. In the mornings I hear the faint sound of traffic on the road beyond the resort but the rich birdsong and cicadas – and even a rooster – drown it out.
The hotel has direct access to the larger reserve, which includes not only the zoo, but attractions such as Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and the upcoming Rainforest Wild. The Singapore Zoo opened in 1974 and is consistently one of Singapore’s top five attractions.
A 3.3-kilometre boardwalk runs through the reserve. Visitors can zip line through its caverns or bungee jump off a 20-metre-high platform into the canopy or tour separate worlds, such as the Penguin Cove, the Rwanda Nyungwe Forest and Orangutan Island.
The zoo has the distinction of being the world’s first night zoo and the night safari in a tram is one of the most popular attractions. There are thunderstorms the night I’m scheduled to go, so I miss out. I do visit the zoo one morning for the much-touted “breakfast in the wild”, but it’s disappointing, essentially a bad buffet with lots of kids running about and no sight of animals while I am there.
With no child nagging me to visit the zoo, I’m happy to stay among the greenery at the resort, visiting the spa (like the treehouses, the spa rooms are inspired by seed pods) and trying some of the wellness options, such as tea tasting and a grounding session, walking barefoot on the grass and meditating.
The rooftop pool is glorious with 360-degree views of the reservoir and rainforest. The children have their own shallow pool. There’s also a foraging garden on the roof, where the chef collects ingredients for dishes at Forager, which has a “trust the chef” tasting menu each night, based on what’s in season and can be foraged.
I’m enjoying my visit, but Mandai Rainforest Resort is really designed for children and their parents. The location is superb for curious kids. The family rooms are charming. The Rangers Club has both indoor and outdoor play areas, with a brilliantly stocked library of books and games for little ones. Children even have their own corner of the restaurant, with colourful cutlery and plates, and sweets that will make their eyes pop.
I need to borrow a child or two when I come back next time.
THE DETAILS
STAY
The Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree has 338 rooms across several categories with views of garden, rainforest or reservoir, including family rooms and the unique Treehouse retreats for adults. Rooms from $454 a night. See mandai.com/en
VISIT
For visitors not staying at the hotel, a Five Parks pass to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve starts at $161 for adults and $129 children. See mandai.com/en
The writer was a guest of Mandai Rainforest Retreat by Banyan Tree.
