Banyan Group and Mandai Wildlife Group marked a major milestone on 26 November with the Grand Opening of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam officiated the grand opening, inaugurating the resort’s Wishing Wall and previewing Banyan Group’s inaugural Rainforest Festival, which opens to the public today.
Located in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree marks Banyan Group’s 100th resort and its symbolic homecoming to Singapore. Owned by Mandai Wildlife Group, the resort is the first-ever resort situated within a world-leading wildlife and nature destination in a capital city.
Beginning with a musical prelude by young talents from the Wolfgang Violin Studio, the tour featured a guided walk through the resort’s sustainable design features, biodiversity corridors and nature-led guest experiences. It also included a preview of the Rainforest Festival, featuring highlights from the Discovery Trail, a curated collection of diversified crafts from around the world at the Banyan Gallery Showcase and the GREEN-HOUSE HangOut sustainability weekend market, as well as a visit to the newly opened Curiosity Cove, Singapore’s largest indoor nature-inspired playscape located just a short walk from the resort. Close to 100 beneficiaries from President’s Challenge programmes also attended the festival preview, with more than 2,000 beneficiaries invited throughout festival week.
The grand opening day then continued with the premiere of The Journey, a twelve-minute short film tracing Banyan Group’s evolution and stories of impact from its beginnings in Phuket to its 100th milestone in Singapore, followed by an intimate In Conversation session with Founder and Executive Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping and Co-Founder and Senior Vice President Ms Claire Chiang.
The programme also featured a City in Nature dialogue introduced by Ho Ren Yung, Deputy CEO at Banyan Group, which explored Singapore’s City in Nature vision and the role of regenerative design, nature-positive development and collaborative stewardship in shaping future cities. Moderated by Dr Mark Watson, Group Director of Sustainability and Impact at Banyan Group, the dialogue brought together leading voices from conservation, design and architecture, including Mandai Wildlife Group Deputy CEO of Life Sciences and Chief Life Sciences Officer Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, DesignSingapore Council Executive Director Dawn Lim and WOW Architects Co-Founder Wong Chiu Man.
The Grand Opening Day concluded with an appreciation dinner honouring partners and collaborators. Hosted by emcee Paul Foster, the evening featured performances by Min Lee and young talents from Wolfgang Violin Studio, singer-songwriter Shazza, vocal band MICappella and Cultural Medallion recipient Dick Lee, whose rendition of “Home” closed the evening on a heartfelt note.
The inaugural Rainforest Festival runs from 27 November to 3 December 2025 (10 am to 6 pm daily) at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree. Visitors can explore discovery trails, artisanal craft showcases, and refreshing treats in nature, alongside a daily line-up of wellbeing sessions, nature walks, creative workshops, family activities, and yoga and movement classes for all ages.
Over the weekend, the GREEN-HOUSE HangOut, a pocket-sized edition of Singapore’s largest sustainable lifestyle event, brings together ten homegrown sustainable brands and live performances on Saturday by Wolfgang Violin Studio, Joie Tan, Jack & Rai, MICappella, and Heart Songs by Gabrielle Mendoza, while Beans & Beats takes over the festival stage on Sunday.
In support of the President’s Challenge, all festival ticket proceeds will be donated and matched dollar-for-dollar by Banyan Group. An additional 20 per cent of proceeds from the paid experiences by Mandai Wildlife Group and the resort, as well as from the sale of SG60-exclusive merchandise at Banyan Gallery, will also be donated. All donated proceeds will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Government under the SG60 Matching Grants.
General Admission tickets are S$10 on weekdays and S$15 on weekends; with free entry for children under four with an accompanying adult, in-house resort guests and participants of paid tours, ecology or culinary experiences at the resort and the Mandai Wildlife Reserve during the festival week.
Festival ticket holders enjoy discounts on admission to Rainforest Wild Asia, Bird Paradise and Curiosity Cove, selected dining and retail perks across the destination as well as Planter’s Shed, Banyan Tree Spa, and Banyan Tree Gallery at the resort.
In celebration of the grand opening and SG60, the resort has also introduced a Silver Staycation weekday retreat designed for seniors aged 60 and above, available for stays until 30 April 2026. The offer includes daily breakfast for two, advance purchase savings, and a complimentary Family Room upgrade for those travelling with grandchildren, subject to availability. Guests enjoy a weekday stay from Sundays to Thursdays, along with an SG$100 nett resort credit redeemable across dining at Forage or Planter’s Shed, Banyan Tree Spa treatments, in-resort experiences and park admission tickets arranged through the resort’s concierge team.
“As we mark our 100th hotel with our first in Singapore, Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree represents a deeply meaningful homecoming. It brings together our legacy of design-led hospitality with our commitment to stewardship and shared impact,” said Eddy See, President and CEO, Banyan Group. “Here, guests are invited to slow down, reconnect with nature, and experience travel as a force that uplifts people, places, and communities. As the first resort within a world-leading wildlife and nature destination in a capital city, it offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with nature and enjoy meaningful wildlife experiences right at their doorstep, a powerful expression of Singapore’s City in Nature vision.”
“For over a decade, we have been transforming the Mandai Wildlife Reserve into a world-leading wildlife and nature destination, where our parks offer windows into the wild and public spaces create new ways to enjoy the outdoors. With extensive experiences beyond immersive wildlife encounters across our 126-hectare precinct, accommodation is a key part of the journey,” said Bennett Neo, Group CEO, Mandai Wildlife Group. “Mandai
Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree is an important addition that allows guests to stay longer, explore at their own pace, and fully enjoy everything that the precinct has to offer. More than a place to stay, it is an immersion in nature and a rare opportunity to connect with it in a city-state.”
Set within 4.6 hectares of lush greenery, Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree brings biophilic design to the heart of Singapore. Elevated architecture preserves the site’s natural terrain, while mature trees have been carefully retained, including a 12-metre Rain Tree (Samanea saman) and an Indian Beech tree (Millettia pinnata) that frame the arrival experience.
Rising through the layers of the forest, the resort features elevated treehouses designed to resemble the seed pods of the Purple Millettia (Adinobotrys atropurpureus). Suspended among the canopy, they allow vegetation to thrive naturally beneath and offer views across the Upper Seletar Reservoir.
The adjacent five-storey resort building, including its rooftop spaces, houses guestrooms and suites that rise vertically through the forestscape with tranquil views of the rainforest, gardens, and reservoir.
Inside the rooms, the design celebrates the forest’s complexity through artwork by Singaporean artist Donna Ong, depicting the forest floor, understorey, canopy, and emergent layers. Antique lithographs of native wildlife, such as the lesser mousedeer, white-collared kingfisher, Sumatran flying dragon, and grey-headed fish eagle, further highlight Singapore’s biodiversity.
Rooms include full-length windows for natural ventilation and temperatures calibrated to mimic rainforest coolness. Each room features an interactive display that monitors power usage and offers reminders to conserve energy. Rainwater is harvested and repurposed for flushing. These features contribute to the resort being Singapore’s first Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy (SLE) certified resort.
Forage, the resort’s signature restaurant, offers panoramic reservoir views and a Harvest-to-Table concept featuring ingredients from the rooftop edible garden and local sustainable producers. Guests can explore the garden and identify native herbs and plants showcased in their dishes. The restaurant also offers some of the best sunset views in the precinct and easy access to the observation deck—home to more than 30 bird species.
The restaurant’s palette is inspired by the rainforest, enhanced by organic textures. As the first restaurant set within a rainforest in Singapore, Forage deepens the connection between food and nature through foraging-led techniques and local ingredients. Sustainability remains central to its ethos.
On the rooftop, guests can enjoy the pool overlooking Upper Seletar Reservoir. The Discovery Forest features saplings representing forest types once common in the region, while the Edible Garden grows more than 15 native herbs, including Butterfly Pea, Torch Ginger, Roselle, Pandan, Lemongrass, and Asam Gelugor.
The Meranti Ballroom, inspired by forest-floor mythology, is ideal for celebrations and events. Its centrepiece resembles the rare Bridal Veil Stinkhorn mushroom, sparking conversations on flora, fungi, and folklore. An adjacent Bridal Room offers privacy and convenience for wedding parties.
Banyan Tree Spa provides a calm sanctuary with pavilions integrated into the greenery. Three treatment pods draw inspiration from the scales of the native Sunda pangolin, symbolising protection and tranquillity. Treatments are rooted in traditional Asian healing techniques.
The resort playground brings rainforest play to life with structures inspired by cannonball fruits, buttress roots, and rainforest leaves. Seamlessly integrated into the landscape, it encourages climbing, exploration, and creative movement.
A sculptural Cannonball Fruit play structure, created in GRC by Italian artist Maximilian, mimics moving from fruit to fruit in the wild. The Buttress Root structure includes climbing grips and a slide, while leaf springers and a giant netted leaf form playful spaces for balance and rest.
Guests enjoy convenient access to the wildlife parks of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve: Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Rainforest Wild Asia, Bird Paradise, and the new Curiosity Cove, a 4,600 sqm indoor nature-inspired playscape.
Guests staying at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree enjoy special park entry rates and signature programmes, along with family-friendly and age-inclusive experiences, from the Wild Zoo Day Camp to wellbeing activities and immersive wildlife encounters.
