Latest news with #RainforestWildAsia
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Forum: Offer discounts for local attractions during school holiday period
I just visited Rainforest Wild Asia in Mandai and was impressed by how beautifully designed it is . However, I was surprised and saddened to see how empty it was. Given that school holidays had begun, I expected more families to be enjoying the experience. I wonder if the ticket prices were the main deterrent. With school holidays under way, I would like to suggest that local attractions such as the Singapore Zoo consider offering discounted entry for children and their accompanying parents. Many Singaporean families may not have the means to travel abroad despite our strong currency. Local attractions present a valuable opportunity for these families to bond and create memories with their children within the country . By offering discounts, we can encourage more families to explore and appreciate our local treasures. Let's make local attractions more accessible and enjoyable for families. Larry Lai Chong Tuck More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
16-05-2025
- General
- AsiaOne
Adventure camps, wildlife interactions: A first look at Mandai's ZooSchool, opening in June, Lifestyle News
Mandai has been going through a transformation of late, with the opening of Mandai Rainforest Resort and Rainforest Wild Asia in the first quarter of 2025. Come June, it will welcome yet another addition: ZooSchool—a new initiative developed in partnership with NTUC First Campus that aims to bring nature into the hearts of children's learning. ZooSchool offers programmes — taking place across the wildlife parks at Mandai Wildlife Reserve — for children from preschool to 12 years of age. Its curriculum, comprising a variety of programmes that vary in length, taps into children's curiosity and sense of adventure through experiential learning and outdoor play. They will be able to learn about animal behaviours and conservation through wildlife encounters, behind-the-scenes experiences and interactions with veterinarians and animal care experts. For example, from July to September, ZooSchool will run its Wild Rescue Rangers Holiday Camps, a three-day camp comprising survival skill lessons, animal interactions and conservation activities. During the media preview on Friday (May 16), ZooSchool welcomed its first group of participants, 32 students aged between five and six. Straight into action The students kicked off their ZooSchool experience by exploring a new purpose-built facility spanning 1,300sq m at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Designed with indoor environments and classrooms inspired by nature, the space is built for its young participant to find out about what's coming up for the day and to share what they experienced after their adventures. There is also a multi-level playground located outdoors. A big part of the ZooSchool programme's focus was on experiential learning, according to the school's centre manager Natalie Teng. On this day, the preschoolers' first mission was a first-aid simulation featuring an "injured" orangutan animal model. The activity wasn't simply a one-way lesson on how one can treat an injured animal but more an "infusion of animal knowledge, conservation and life skills", Natalie said. For example, kids began the activity with a treasure hunt, where they scrambled for materials like bandages and twigs. As they gathered the items, facilitators would then spark conversations, prompting the children to think critically about which items were appropriate for helping the injured animal. While there wasn't an expectation for the kids to master first-aid skills, the goal was to help them understand what they can do when faced with a real-life situation. With the CARE framework—Care, Adventure, Respect and Empathy—woven into the experience, the children were guided on the appropriate actions, such as seeking adult supervision or contacting organisations like NParks and Acres. Meanwhile, at the other end of the classroom, creativity took centre stage as students designed and built "homes" for otter plushies. Working in groups of three to four, each team was assigned a table and guided by facilitators as they constructed cosy habitats for their furry friends. Natalie told AsiaOne that ZooSchool's outdoor curriculum offers preschoolers an immersive learning experience where they can naturally pick up important life skills. She said: "At ZooSchool, children are out in a natural environment. So there's a lot more real-life connection compared to learning from textbooks or watching a YouTube video." The idea, she added, is to give children these meaningful outdoor experiences that they can reflect on and bring back into the classroom, complementing their overall learning journey. "It's education at its best, combining immersive real-life encounters with wildlife and hands-on learning," said Belina Lee, deputy CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. Who's brave enough? The adventure continued outdoors at the Animal Behaviour and Enrichment Centre, where the children met some new animal friends, Fennec foxes. It was snack time for the foxes, and the preschoolers took part in a special enrichment activity designed to mimic the foxes' natural foraging behaviours. The facilitators provided a box of eggshells for the preschoolers and each of them were encouraged to pick up a mealworm and place it inside an eggshell. Next, they tore up strips of newspaper to fill the boxes, creating a setting where the foxes would have to search for their food, helping to maintain their natural hunting instinct. The June holiday camps are fully booked, though registration is now open to the public for Wild Wonders in June and holiday camps in July, August and September at Additional programmes will be introduced in the coming months. [[nid:714735]] amierul@
Times
03-05-2025
- Times
The stylish new hotel that shows off Singapore's green side
Looking out across deep-green waters, I can see what looks like thick rainforest on the opposite bank. I hear the barks and quack-like sounds of frogs, the high-pitched call of a collared kingfisher and the mellifluous song of an oriental magpie-robin. This sense of unadulterated nature is illusory, though, as I'm in Singapore, the bustling city-state that has one of the highest population densities in the world. When I listen hard, beyond the birdsong there's the undeniable rumble of rush-hour traffic. I'm in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, a green area in the north home to zoos, aviaries and adventure parks, and now, surprisingly, a luxury hotel. The Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree opened last month, offering 338 stylish rooms in this tranquil, tropical setting, designed around hundreds of mature trees, including a 12-metre rain tree with a sprawling canopy and a native Indian beech strewn with climbers. Through a lobby left open to the elements are five storeys decorated with specially commissioned wallpaper depicting the rainforest's natural layers: on lower levels the imagery is of the forest floor; higher up it reflects the canopy. The most alluring guest rooms are 24 so-called treehouses, elevated on pillars at either end of the main building. The design is said to have been inspired by seed pods but the oval shape and latticed façades reminded me of birds' nests. It was here on the balcony, whose sweeping architectural lines framed the forested banks of Upper Seletar Reservoir, that I felt most immersed in nature. That a high-end hotel group like the Singapore-owned Banyan Tree brand would open its first hotel on home turf next to a tourist attraction could sound tacky, given that Banyan Tree's usual range is boutique properties in Phuket, Dubai and the Maldives. Here in Singapore, the group has gone big with hundreds of rooms and a bias towards families, providing buffet dining, a kids' club, playground and guided zoo excursions, but no bar or coffee shop. Zoo kitsch has thankfully been avoided, the biophilic design is stylish and there's a refreshing approach to climate care, with air conditioning set so it won't adjust below 24C. Interactive panels show power consumption and offer reminders when usage exceeds recommended levels. On the rooftop is an infinity pool, next to it an edible garden of herbs and spices, while the spa has three treatment pods inspired by the shape of the keratin scales of the Sunda pangolin. Although the design has its own appeal, the reason most will stay here is for easy, walkable access to the zoo's numerous areas, including Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari, Bird Paradise and the recently launched Rainforest Wild Asia (separate entry tickets from £25, bundles available; Splitting up the zoo like this incentivises Singaporeans to come on separate visits, but makes it tricky for tourists on a stopover because more than one park a day can be taxing. They tend to prioritise, seeing the pandas in River Wonders, for example, including three-year-old Le Le, who was born here, or the orangutans in Singapore Zoo. Many come after dark for the Night Safari, which claims to be the world's first zoo showcasing nocturnal animals in action. • Read our full guide to Singapore here Bird Paradise houses 3,500 birds shifted here from an outdated park in the west of the country, with 400 species across the aviaries, one the size of two football pitches. Singapore's zoo, which attracts more than a million people a year, often features at the top of lists of 'ethical zoos' and funds conservation projects and breeding programmes, but I felt a tinge of melancholy to see free birds perched on the outside interacting with birds trapped inside; it won't be for everyone. The hotel comes amid a flurry of new hotels in Singapore, with the biggest news being the opening in March of the resort-style Raffles Sentosa,sister to the brand's flagship heritage hotel downtown (B&B doubles from about £800; The Singapore hotel group COMO — with properties in Bhutan, Bali, Tuscany and Turks and Caicos — has also planted a flag in its home town with COMO Metropolitan Singapore, opened 19 months ago in the thrum of the city, strong on wellness, with a robot barista and sensational digital artwork (B&B doubles from £250; It is near Orchard Road, the main drag, as is the Standard, which opened at the end of last year as an urban bolt hole with terraced gardens for morning yoga. The check-in desk is a terrarium artwork by Erik Tobua, there are oversized outdoor sculptures and an excellent izakaya-style restaurant, Kaya, where the chef Nicholas Cheng focuses on fermented and pickled dishes in glorious surrounds, with fronds of hanging plants trailing from the ceiling (B&B doubles from £230; There is a sense that this city of striking skyscrapers and efficient infrastructure is also embracing itslush and verdant character. Located just sixty miles or so off the equator, Singapore was once, of course, all dense tropical rainforest, home to tigers and leopards. From the 19th century British colonialists felled giant trees for fuel and timber and established rubber plantations in a continued programme of deforestation. But now the wild is being brought back in the spaces between modernity. Highways are increasingly bordered by shrubbery and bougainvillea; many roads are leafy boulevards lined with towering trees with sprouting epiphytes clinging to their trunks, and wedges of urban land have been transformed into bursts of hibiscus and heliconia. • 15 of the best hotels in Singapore Singapore Botanic Gardens is a Unesco world heritage site with 197 acres of tropical landscaping and the world's largest display of orchids. Around dawn, locals congregate to practise the meditative martial art of qigong and a gentle form of swordsmanship with long sticks. It's one of the few places in tech-forward Singapore that still triggers my memories of childhood trips here(entry free; The modern homage to horticulture is Gardens by the Bay, with glassy conservatories showcasing different biomes (entry to the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, £18; and futuristic tree-shaped structures collecting solar energy to power a nightly light show on Marina Bay. Wilder nature is less prevalent across the tiny country, although there are still some areas, such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in the north, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park, all within an hour from the city centre by bus or MRT, the highly efficient underground system. An easy walk around any of these is often rewarded with sightings of long-tailed macaque monkeys, smooth-coated otters and clouded monitor lizards. There's a strong drive in Singapore to integrate nature into the cityscape, to position the country not only as one of the world's most ambitious commercial ports but also one that hasn't forgotten its natural assets, its tropical environs and its place on the planet. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Michelle Jana Chan was a guest of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, which has B&B doubles from £260 ( Fly to Singapore By Chris Fitch Australia's biggest city is all about sun, sea and some of the country's — if not the world's — best beaches. Down at Sydney Harbour there's twice the fish diversity of the entire UK and at Cabbage Tree Bay, a protected reserve, you can snorkel among abundant marine life. Find the Living Seawalls attached to the local ocean pool ( these are dotted around the harbour, providing habitats for tiny ocean critters. Head upstream to the Parramatta River and official swimming spots that opened a decade ago after a major clean-up. If you spot seals lounging on the steps behind Sydney Opera House, send a photo to Wild Sydney Harbour to help their citizen science ( At Bondi beach, swim among stingrays and humpback whales, as documented by Drone Shark App (@dronesharkapp). Gaudí's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, contains columns sculpted like trees and doorframes with leaf motifs (£22; but for real nature in Catalonia's buzzing capital, walk 15 minutes east to Parc de les Glories. Once a raised highway, it has been converted into a public park with a lawn, playground, biodiversity corner and newly opened tree gardens. Montjuic, to the south of the city centre, is a raised coastal headland with a diverse landscape of wild forest and pristine ornamental gardens, with walking trails and beautiful views of the city. Stroll down to the coast for Barcelona's famous beaches, artificially created specifically for the 1992 Olympic Games. More than 500 marine species live in these waters, especially around the Forum bathing area. The Meiji Jingu forest, just south of the trendy Shinjuku district, was planted a century ago to honour the passing of the reformist Emperor Meiji, with 100,000 trees transported from across Japan. It is now a huge self-sustaining forest, with a vast canopy of mature native trees, best accessed from Harajuku Station. Many of Tokyo's native trees have been preserved inside centuries-old ancient shrines, such as Nezu, also home to a popular multicoloured azalea garden. Shinjuku Gyoen, a short walk northeast, contains a diverse range of vegetation densely packed together, from the ecological 'forest of life' to a traditional Japanese ornamental garden. This park becomes full of crowds every time the springtime hanami cherry blossom viewing season rolls around. In the south of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi National Park is the world's foremost urban wildlife reserve, with giraffes, zebras, hippos, lions and rhinos (£60; Drive around independently, jump on a tour, or team up with Friends of Nairobi National Park ( and volunteer on a bimonthly biodiversity drive. The park also has a raised safari walk and animal orphanage to visit on foot. Kenya's charismatic animals can also be seen at the nearby Giraffe Centre (£2; and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage (£15; To the north, Karura Forest Reserve is a historic site where the Nobel peace prizewinner Wangari Maathai led her campaign for the protection and reforestation of land, and for the rights of the Kenyan people ( Chris Fitch's Wild Cities: Discovering New Ways of Living in the Modern Urban Jungle is out now (William Collins £22)
Associated Press
23-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
360 Years of Building the Future: Saint-Gobain Champions Sustainability and Startups in Singapore
Saint-Gobain has built a global legacy of over 300 years, driving innovative techniques in sustainable construction for the green building revolution SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2025 - Saint-Gobain, a global leader in sustainable construction, celebrates its 360th anniversary in 2025 with its '360 Years Young' campaign, marking three and a half centuries of innovation as it continues to drive breakthrough design and light construction solutions that provide sustainability and performance. Saint-Gobain celebrates its 360th anniversary at a gala night With over 30 years of presence in Singapore, Saint-Gobain has been part of the Singapore story since the 1980s, with a strong focus on advancing Singapore's green building revolution through cutting-edge materials and nurturing startups that drive innovative construction methods through its venture capital and innovation arm, NOVA. 360 Years Young: Continuing a legacy of transformation in the construction sector For 360 years, Saint-Gobain's innovative and sustainable materials and solutions have been transforming the built environment, enhancing the way we live, work and play across diverse settings, from homes to offices, schools, hospitals, industrial and recreational facilities. Saint-Gobain has provided its innovative products and solutions for the construction of iconic projects, including Bird Paradise, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the recently launched Rainforest Wild Asia, amongst others. For Saint-Gobain, the number 360 represents more than just its years of business – this also refers to their 360-degree approach around the world, where they develop high-performance, environmentally friendly solutions and optimise its industrial processes. 'At 360 years young, Saint-Gobain continues to be driven by a pioneering and innovative are singularly focused on building better for people and the planet with circularity, decarbonisation and reducing environmental impact at the core of everything we do. As we celebrate this milestone over 360 days, we look forward to contributing our expertise to enhance the wellness of communities across 80 countries around the world, including Singapore and Malaysia, with more sustainable habitats and environments,' said Lynette Siow, CEO Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia. Saint-Gobain cemented this milestone with a gala night that was held on 28 March at JW Marriott Singapore, attended by 260 of its partners, team members and customers, where the company reinforced its commitment to build a healthier, fairer, and more inclusive world and achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Being at the forefront of the green revolution in Singapore For over 30 years, Saint-Gobain Singapore has established itself as a trusted partner in the country, providing new and sustainable construction products and solutions, including tile waterproofing, building glass, fireproofing, concrete admixtures, and more. Bolstering its strategy to be a global leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain recently completed the acquisition of FOSROC, a leading construction chemicals company in Asia and emerging markets. The acquisition further expands Saint-Gobain's construction chemicals portfolio to include cement additives and grinding aids, reinforcing its commitment to providing advanced materials and integrated solutions. At present, Saint-Gobain Singapore brings together 12 business units under one roof, delivering comprehensive solutions for energy-efficient buildings, healthier living spaces, and industrial decarbonisation that align with Singapore's Green Mark Certification and 2030 Green Plan. Saint-Gobain has conducted significant investment in research and development to reduce their existing products' carbon footprint, through utilising renewable energy and low-carbon raw materials – lowering its overall footprint to 20-25% in 2017. The company continues to make headway in its sustainability roadmap. This includes incorporating 30% recycled content in its packaging, as well as circularity projects to reduce its reliance on virgin raw materials, as well as offering low-volatile organic compound (VOC) paint and coatings and other light solutions. Looking ahead, Saint-Gobain plans to expand its collaborations with Singaporean universities and government institutions such as the Singapore Green Building Council and the Building and Construction Authority while continuing to support the nation's ambitious sustainability targets through its net-zero carbon roadmap. Accelerating innovation through NOVA Through its venture capital and open innovation arm NOVA, Saint-Gobain is actively shaping Singapore's construction technology landscape by investing in and partnering with promising early-stage startups focused on sustainable building materials, circular economy solutions, and construction productivity tools. NOVA has already nurtured successful Singapore-based startups in its portfolio including Livspace, a tech-driven interior design platform, and C-Cube, which specialises in modular construction solutions. NOVA continues to grow its collaborations with more startups in Singapore and Southeast Asia through initiatives such as the Sustainability Open Innovation Program with Enterprise Singapore, and through strategic partnerships, such as Saint-Gobain's collaboration with smart construction solutions provider DaFang AI to promote robotic wall finishing solutions in Singapore. In 2023, the company launched the 'Build the Future' startup challenge in partnership with Enterprise Singapore's Slingshot competition, scouting for innovative deep-tech solutions to transform the construction industry. Building on this momentum, Saint-Gobain recently participated as a platinum partner and domain expert judge in the 2024 CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge, evaluating breakthrough solutions for construction decarbonisation and building wellness. 'Singapore's dynamic innovation ecosystem and commitment to green infrastructures present tremendous opportunities to be at the forefront of sustainable construction,' said Lynette Siow, CEO of Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia. 'As we celebrate 360 years of global expertise, we're doubling down on our commitment to partner with local startups, researchers and developers to build Singapore's greener future.' Hashtag: #SaintGobainSingapore The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Saint-Gobain Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group's commitment is guided by its purpose, 'MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME'. €46.6 billion in sales in 2024 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 For more information about Saint-Gobain Singapore, visit
Malay Mail
23-04-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
360 Years of Building the Future: Saint-Gobain Champions Sustainability and Startups in Singapore
Saint-Gobain has built a global legacy of over 300 years, driving innovative techniques in sustainable construction for the green building revolution Saint-Gobain celebrates its 360th anniversary at a gala night SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 April 2025 - Saint-Gobain, a global leader in sustainable construction, celebrates its 360th anniversary in 2025 with its '360 Years Young' campaign, marking three and a half centuries of innovation as it continues to drive breakthrough design and light construction solutions that provide sustainability and over 30 years of presence in Singapore, Saint-Gobain has been part of the Singapore story since the 1980s, with a strong focus on advancing Singapore's green building revolution through cutting-edge materials and nurturing startups that drive innovative construction methods through its venture capital and innovation arm, 360 yearsSaint-Gobain's innovative and sustainable materials and solutions have been transforming the built environment, enhancing the way we live, work and play across diverse settings, from homes to offices, schools, hospitals, industrial and recreational facilities. Saint-Gobain has provided its innovative products and solutions for the construction of iconic projects, including Bird Paradise, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the recently launched Rainforest Wild Asia, amongst Saint-Gobain, the number 360 represents more than just its years of business – this also refers to their 360-degree approach around the world, where they develop high-performance, environmentally friendly solutions and optimise its industrial processes."At 360 years young, Saint-Gobain continues to be driven by a pioneering and innovative are singularly focused on building better for people and the planet with circularity, decarbonisation and reducing environmental impact at the core of everything we do. As we celebrate this milestone over 360 days, we look forward to contributing our expertise to enhance the wellness of communities across 80 countries around the world, including Singapore and Malaysia, with more sustainable habitats and environments," said Lynette Siow, CEO Saint-Gobain Singapore & cemented this milestone with a gala night that was held on 28 March at JW Marriott Singapore, attended by 260 of its partners, team members and customers, where the company reinforced its commitment to build a healthier, fairer, and more inclusive world and achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by over 30 years, Saint-Gobain Singapore has established itself as a trusted partner in the country, providing new and sustainable construction products and solutions, including tile waterproofing, building glass, fireproofing, concrete admixtures, and more. Bolstering its strategy to be a global leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain recently completed the acquisition of FOSROC, a leading construction chemicals company in Asia and emerging markets. The acquisition further expands Saint-Gobain's construction chemicals portfolio to include cement additives and grinding aids, reinforcing its commitment to providing advanced materials and integrated present, Saint-Gobain Singapore brings together 12 business units under one roof, delivering comprehensive solutions for energy-efficient buildings, healthier living spaces, and industrial decarbonisation that align with Singapore's Green Mark Certification and 2030 Green has conducted significant investment in research and development to reduce their existing products' carbon footprint, through utilising renewable energy and low-carbon raw materials – lowering its overall footprint to 20-25% in company continues to make headway in its sustainability roadmap. This includes incorporating 30% recycled content in its packaging, as well as circularity projects to reduce its reliance on virgin raw materials, as well as offering low-volatile organic compound (VOC) paint and coatings and other light ahead, Saint-Gobain plans to expand its collaborations with Singaporean universities and government institutions such as the Singapore Green Building Council and the Building and Construction Authority while continuing to support the nation's ambitious sustainability targets through its net-zero carbon its venture capital and open innovation arm NOVA, Saint-Gobain is actively shaping Singapore's construction technology landscape by investing in and partnering with promising early-stage startups focused on sustainable building materials, circular economy solutions, and construction productivity has already nurtured successful Singapore-based startups in its portfolio including Livspace, a tech-driven interior design platform, and C-Cube, which specialises in modular construction continues to grow its collaborations with more startups in Singapore and Southeast Asia through initiatives such as the Sustainability Open Innovation Program with Enterprise Singapore, and through strategic partnerships, such as Saint-Gobain's collaboration with smart construction solutions provider DaFang AI to promote robotic wall finishing solutions in 2023, the company launched the "Build the Future" startup challenge in partnership with Enterprise Singapore's Slingshot competition, scouting for innovative deep-tech solutions to transform the construction on this momentum, Saint-Gobain recently participated as a platinum partner and domain expert judge in the 2024 CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge, evaluating breakthrough solutions for construction decarbonisation and building wellness."Singapore's dynamic innovation ecosystem and commitment to green infrastructures present tremendous opportunities to be at the forefront of sustainable construction," said Lynette Siow, CEO of Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia. "As we celebrate 360 years of global expertise, we're doubling down on our commitment to partner with local startups, researchers and developers to build Singapore's greener future."Hashtag: #SaintGobainSingapore The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Saint-Gobain Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group's commitment is guided by its purpose, "MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME". €46.6 billion in sales in 2024 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 For more information about Saint-Gobain Singapore, visit
