Kar Discover: November 2024

Indulging in gourmet while exploring the South East

6. Singapore Episode Part 3：North Region

Dining, Sightseeing and Shopping
Tuesday, 2023/3/14

Regions

There are 5 major regions in Singapore, namely West Region, North Region, North-East Region, Central Region and East Region.

North Region

The North Region (Malay: Wilayah Utara, Chinese: 北區) of Singapore is one of the five regions in the city-state. The region is the second largest region in terms of land area, and has a population of 582,330. Woodlands is the regional centre and also the most populous town with 255,130 residents living in the area. Comprising 13,500 hectares of land area, it includes eight planning areas.

The relative isolation of the area from the Downtown Core meant relatively belated urban development and the greater abundance of natural greenery. Still, the region includes one of Singapore's largest new towns, Woodlands. Largely grouped into three new towns, it houses 129,000 residential housing units of various types, although public housing tends to dominate. Excluding naturally occurring green spaces, the region has 3 square kilometres of recreational spaces.

Woodlands

Woodlands is a planning area and residential town located in the North of Singapore. As of 2019, the town has a population of 254,733. Located approximately 25 km (16 miles) north of the central business district (CBD), it is the densest planning area and is the regional centre for the northern parts of the country.

The Woodlands planning area borders Sembawang to the east, Mandai to the south and Sungei Kadut to the west. Woodlands New Town is situated within the Woodlands planning area, which was developed during the 1980s as part of Singapore's plan to decentralise the city-centre and create self-contained residential areas throughout the country.

Mandai Wildlife Reserve

Mandai is a planning area located in the North Region of Singapore, famously known for being the access point for the Mandai Wildlife Reserve which includes the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild.

Mandai Wildlife Group is a self-funded organisation based in Singapore which manages the Mandai Wildlife Reserve at Mandai in Singapore, which includes the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild.

All five parks make up the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which consists of more than 15,000 animals from 1,000 species.

Singapore Zoo
80 Mandai Lake Rd, Singapore 729826
https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo.html

https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/plan-your-visit/park-map.html

The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is a 28 hectares (69 acres) zoo located on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. It is operated by the Mandai Wildlife Group, which also manages the neighbouring Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise as well as the forthcoming Rainforest Wild Park.

Opened in 1973, the zoo was built at a cost of $9 million that was granted by the government of Singapore. Within the zoo, there are about 315 species of animals, of which some 16 percent are considered to be a threatened species. The zoo attracts about 2 million visitors every year.

Singapore Zoo has always exhibited animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits with hidden barriers, moats, and glass between the animals and visitors. It houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world. The Singapore Zoo has been highly ranked by various international metrics.

You can get off at Khatib MRT Station (NS14) and take the Bus Service 138, which directly takes you to the Singapore Zoo. You can also reach Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange and Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange where bus numbers 138 and 397 operate and take you directly to the zoo.

MRT stations	Connecting buses
Khatib (NS14)	Mandai Khatib Shuttle 138
Choa Chu Kang (NS4)	397 / 927
Ang Mo Kio (NS16)	138
Springleaf (TE4) *	138

Night Safari
80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826
https://www.mandai.com/en/night-safari.html

https://www.mandai.com/en/night-safari/plan-your-visit/park-map.html

The Night Safari, Singapore is the world's first nocturnal zoo located in Mandai, Singapore. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, it forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise and River Wonders and the upcoming Rainforest Wild Park.

The Night Safari currently houses over 900 animals representing over 100 species, of which 41% are threatened species. The Night Safari is managed by Mandai Wildlife Group, and about 1.3 million visitors visit the safari per year. The Night Safari received its 11 millionth visitor on 29 May 2007.

River Wonders
80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826

https://www.mandai.com/en/river-wonders.html

https://www.mandai.com/en/river-wonders/plan-your-visit/park-map.html

River Wonders, formerly known as River Safari, is a river-themed zoo and aquarium located in Mandai, Singapore, it forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Bird Paradise and the upcoming Rainforest Wild Park. It is built over 12 hectares (30 acres) and nestled between its two counterparts, the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari, Singapore. It is the first of its kind in Asia and features freshwater exhibits and a river boat ride as its main highlights. The safari was built at a cost of S$160m, with an expected visitor rate of 820,000 people yearly.

The Giant Panda Forest was opened to the public on 29 November 2012, with a soft opening on 3 April 2013, attracting close to 1,500 visitors. The park was officially opened on 28 February 2014, and it was announced that more than 1.1 million have visited the River Safari since its soft opening in April 2013.
On 13 October 2021, River Safari was renamed to River Wonders.

River Wonders is the first and only river themed wildlife reserve in Asia. It is home to over 6000 animals belonging to 200 different species, and over 400 varieties of flora making the River Wonders Singapore an unbeatable experience. It is a freshwater, river-themed wildlife park where you can experience the beauty of some of the most iconic rivers in the world. The entire park is divided into 10 different zones and 6000 animals that replicate the natural habitat of these rivers. Some of these are the River Nile, Congo Basin, Amazon Basin, Mekong River, Yangtze River and others.

At River Wonder Singapore you can get a close look at exotic animals like the red panda, giant panda, river otters and manatees. You can also enjoy a boat ride in the Amazon River Quest while catching a glimpse of jaguars, Brazilian tapirs, giant anteaters, etc.

Bird Paradise
20 Mandai Lake Road,
Singapore 729825
https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html

https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise/plan-your-visit/park-map.html

Bird Paradise is an aviary located in Mandai, Singapore. Opened on 8 May 2023, it replaced the Jurong Bird Park and forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and the upcoming Rainforest Wild Park. Bird Paradise covers approximately 17 hectares (42 acres), with larger and double the walk-in aviaries than the previous Jurong Bird Park. The aviary was designed by Singaporean architectural firm, RSP Architects Planners & Engineers.

Dining

Collin's Mandai Wildlife West

20 Mandai Lake Rd, #02-10 Bird Paradise,

Singapore 729825

Crimson Restaurant
20 Mandai Lake Rd, Bird Paradise
Singapore 729825

Shopping

Causeway Point
1 Woodlands Square, Singapore 738099

https://www.causewaypoint.com.sg/

Causeway Point is the seventh largest suburban shopping mall in Singapore. It is operated by Frasers Property. Causeway Point is located in the town centre of Woodlands, a town in the north of Singapore. Completed in 1998, it is located beside the Woodlands MRT station and the underground Woodlands Bus Interchange. It has 250 retail outlets spread over five floors and a basement.

Woods Square Mall

6 Woodlands Square, Singapore 737737

https://www.fareastmalls.com.sg/woods-square

Woods Square is an integrated commercial development with retail, F&B, and a childcare centre. It is connected to Woodlands MRT Station.

Dining

Kei Kaisendon @ Woods Square 海鮮丼
6 Woodlands Square, B2-20 Woods Square, Singapore 737737

https://www.keikaisendon.com/

Kei Kaisendon is a Japanese restaurant that serves delicious rice bowls topped with fresh sashimi from the seas of Japan! Kei Kaisendon is the largest kaisendon restaurant chain in Singapore, with 22 outlets.