The Best Way to Enjoy the Singapore Night Safari
Here is a Foolproof Way to See and Experience Everything that the Singapore Night Safari Has to Offer
The Night Safari is a must visit attraction for anyone who visits Singapore. It is just beside the Singapore Zoo, but it would be better to visit the Zoo and the Night Safari on separate days, so as to enjoy both to the fullest, unless of course you have very high stamina to keep walking for an entire day and night. Here are a few steps to ensure a fully enjoyable trip to the Singapore Night Safari.
1. Check for promotions
The first thing to be remembered is to check the Night Safari website for any promotions that you may be entitled to during your intended time of visit. They often have discount coupons on their website, nightsafari.com.sg. You can also check out the highlights of the Night Safari in the website.
2. Know the attractions
All details regarding the attractions can be found on their website. They currently have 2 shows, the Thumbuakar Performance and the Creatures of the Night Show. These two are strategically timed such that if you plan your visit well and keep to your plan, you can catch them both. The Thumbuakar Performance is a cultural show of dancing with fire, which you can watch while having a snack or an early dinner at the Bongo Burgers restaurant.
The first Thumbuakar performance is at 6.45PM, while the first Creatures of the Night Show is at 7:30PM. The Creatures of the Night Show is the highlight of the Night Safari, where they showcase the habits and instincts of various nocturnal animals. It is a 30 minute show, and you can watch it only on a first come first serve basis. There are no tickets needed for this show, but if the venue is packed by the time you make your way there, then you will have to wait one hour till the next show. Therefore, keeping up to your planned timing is crucial.
You can choose to watch the Creatures of the Night Show first and then watch the Thumbuakar Performance later as well.
3. Be early
It would be a good idea to reach early, as you would not want your trip to lag behind schedule because of long queues at the ticketing counter. The Night Safari opens at 7:30PM, but you can get the tickets as early as you want. It is advisable to be there by 6:00PM. That would give you enough time to purchase the entrance ticket and grab a bite at one of the restaurants inside, before proceeding to watch the shows.
4. Catch the shows before taking the tram ride
There is a tram ride that goes one big round around the Night Safari. It is mostly always crowded at the tram station, and many tourists often make the mistake of heading straight for the tram ride before watching the 2 shows. This could be because they think they could catch the later show, when it is less crowded, or because they simply do not even know the existence of 2 such shows.
The fact is that the shows will always be crowded, especially later on in the evening. As the saying goes, "the early bird gets the worm". So it is always a better idea to be early than to watch the later show. Besides, the rush is always for the shows, so once you get to watch it, the sense of urgency eases off and you will be able to enjoy the rest of the attractions at a more relaxed pace, hence making it a more worthwhile trip.
5. Go one full trip around on the tram
Be prepared for long queues for the tram ride, but now that you have watched both the shows, you will feel calmer about waiting for the tram. Night Safari has a very good crowd management system, and as such, there is a tram picking up passengers every few minutes, so your turn will come soon.
Once on the tram, in order to enjoy your ride to the fullest, listen to and follow the instructions given by the tour guide who will be on the tram with you. Flash photography is strictly not allowed, as this will disturb the nocturnal animals. The lights are dim, so as to imitate their natural habitats, in an attempt to showcase the animals' natural characteristics as much as possible to the tourists. Also, remember to keep your noise level down, so as not to scare away the animals. This is a ride where the animals tend to wander close to the tram, and you can experience this only if you follow the rules set by the guide at the beginning of the tram ride.
6. Walk the trails
You can find the Night Safari Map on their website. The tram route and walking trails are clearly defined in it. Once you have gone a complete round on the tram, you can start on the walking trail. These are two different routes and do not coincide with each other at all, except at the 2 tram stations.
There are 4 walking trails, namely the Fishing Cat trail, the Leopard trail, the East Lodge trail and the Wallaby trail. This is the best order in which to follow the walking trail - starting with the Fishing Cat trail and ending with the Wallaby trail. This is because the Fishing cat trail starts from the place where the tram ride ends, and it joins with the Leopard trail, which then joins with the East Lodge trail, which subsequently joins the Wallaby trail, and ends back at the entrance. That way, you would have made a full trip around Night Safari and not missed out on any action.
And this, so far, is the best way to make your trip to Night Safari a well enjoyed one. Of course, if you check the website, they offer a couple of different itinerary suggestions as well. You may choose to follow the one that would suit your needs the best. The Night Safari is also a wheelchair friendly park, so you do not need to worry about bringing young children on prams or even the elderly along on the trip.
After a long night of rushing to catch shows, queueing up for tram rides and walking a reasonably long distance, it would be nice to relax and recharge at one of the bars or restaurants at the Night Safari before heading back to your place of stay.
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