A day at the Bird Paradise

We have finally made our way to the newly revamped Bird Park and I am absolutely in awe by it. It is located at the newly built wing. At the entrance, there was this manmade waterfall that made the entrance more grand. Unlike its predecessor, this was more curated but not in a bad way. The layout was very thoughtful and deliberate which made the whole visit impactful. 

To a certain extent, birds are less interesting than animals which come in greater form and variety. So I felt it was quite a challenge to make an aviary interesting, but they did it. I love how the whole place was layered and connected. It was beautiful.  Most of the birds except the predators were no longer enclosed in cages and could fly freely in larger enclosures. 

The shows underwent quite a bit of revamped in a good way. Because the birds are so tiny in nature, I struggled my previous visits there to even see them. With the big screens, I could now fully appreciate their talent and performance. It is a shame that the videos are pre-loaded, thought it would better if it could be recorded live. My little girl was so inspired, she her arm out throughout, hoping to have a bird or 2 land. 

For those who like surprise elements, I had a bird or 2 fluttering pass my head. If you are lucky, some birds would even hop onto you or the railings near you for a shot or 2. Based on my observation, the birds were pretty gentle though the grip of their claws may be too tight for comfort. 

An experience not to be missed would be dining with the penguins at Penguin Cove Restaurant. My kids had so much fun looking at the penguins and so did I. While we were there, there were quite a few swimming around and we managed to golden seats and great photos! In my opinion, price-point it was a lot more affordable than Ocean Restaurant at Sea Aquarium. Food taste was reasonable. (Penguin bun was a little meh, but the rest of the food were good.) Can be a bit cold but great respite from the warm weather outside. 

Generally, I thought the prices of even the retail shops at Bird Park was very reasonable. We ended up grabbling a kids umbrella which was on 30% discount. I also like the design of each eating area. There will always be a play area tagged. It makes it easier for parents to take a break. My kids would play around an hour at each play slot. Can't wait for the water area to open :D

For the feeding sessions, you really need to book early. We managed to get one slot and due to the poor weather, it was cancelled (which was a first for us). So when a feeding session gets cancelled, you will get a refund which you can use at their retail outlets. My boy was so disappointed - he cried and the kind keepers let him threw a fish. I could understand why they cancelled it because the response from the birds were rather underwhelming. None was willing to brave the weather to feed. Guess Mandai goes by the motto of "No experience better than poor experience".

The keepers also gave the kids some pins and a front row train ride to make their day better and more special. A lot of people always claimed the Bird Park to be the less attractive cousins. But since young, I found the Bird Park to have more of a soul. Although I have spent a lot more time at the zoo, but most of my core memories were actually formed at the Bird Park. Always a special place in my heart <3

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Bird Park (for locals, please compare prices with at Mandai website): https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/123-bird-paradise-singapore

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

2022: Hello Bird Park!

Omg I feel so stupid, so the husband asked me if the Bird Park was still in Jurong and I am like duh no, it is in Mandai. Ah crap, it is still in Jurong (feel so stupid). I don't know if it is because I have low expectations, but there were some really pretty features at Bird Park that left a deep impression on me. The last time I went there was like a good decade back, there were quite a bit of changes. 

This time round, we went with the extended family because I wasn't feeling the best, so more help is always appreciated (tips for parents!) Unlike the previous family trips, we didn't last as long "in the wild". It was really because of me (sobs) more than my little boy. 

Now that Covid restrictions has been lifted, we even managed to get seats to the bird show and some nice, maskless photos at the end. I was pretty stoked because this is the first time after a long while (I just couldn't book any at the zoo). The parrots were so talented! But my son wasn't too impressed by the flying birds and cried to get out of the show halfway. Initially, we did consider purchasing some bird feeding tickets but because kiddo didn't react too well, we decided to give it a pass this time round. 

In terms of the toilet, I find that they are not as kid-friendly as those in the zoo. My kid ended up going to the ladies and standing at the side (with tons of other kids and Mummies) as we changed their diapers. Food options were slightly more varied, but stock supplies were low. I wanted a pasta but because it was OOS, I had to be satisfied with an ice-cream, which my kid unabashedly chomp off half. 

The cages at the Bird Park does make it really difficult to bird-watch. I have no idea why, but the cages are green in colour which camouflage with the leaves. The anatomy of birds are pretty much the same so I sort of got bored after a while. Our kiddo as usual miss the whole point and was more interested in the greenery, with occasional cries and points when he spots a bird. Basically, every bird he sees is called a bird apart from the cockerel which he correctly identified. 

The terrain is also filled with a lot more slopes. Thank god, tram ride is free! My kid thoroughly enjoyed those rides and call it the cho-cho train. Parents, do remember to bring your stroller. At areas where the strollers were not allowed, the kiddo had his doting uncle/ grandma who was always eager to carry him around. 

We didn't visit every place but some areas not to be missed include the penguin arena (there is aircon and you can see the penguins swimming around), my son love those little creatures. Also, at the Treetops cafe, there was this link bridge with lots of birds feeding activities. It is really awesome!

Presenting my favourite spot - the manmade waterfall. Initially, I thought it was just some lame photo spot. But it is an uncaged area with birds wandering and flying around. I somehow felt one with nature. I love how jungle-like and uncurated it is. I don't think the photos did any justice to the place, but this is truly a spot not to be missed. 

I can't remember if Bird Park was always like this or if this was a new addition along the years. But it truly blew me away and made the trip very worth. I would say that this spot beats the zoo hands-down. :) By the way, the children's play area is still closed :(