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The streets of Singapore are about to be filled with bright lights at the upcoming 10th edition of the annual “iLight Singapore,” happening from May 31 to June 23.
Organised by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), from Marina Bay Sands, the Festival of Lights is crawling to different satellite sites as well as into a new location in Tanjong Pagar.
This year’s sustainable light festival theme is all about “Cyclical Nature." It will light up at Marina Bay Sands, Millenia Walk, South Beach, and Tanjong Pagar, featuring 17 installments made by 25 artists coming from different parts of the world, with each artwork sending a message about re-designing, restoring, and repurposing objects we see in our everyday lives.
Aside from the light installations, the festival will also bring an immersive experience to everyone, with different events happening throughout the month. The event has also partnered up with The Conscious Festival to conduct workshops and talks in partnership, as well as bring music performances and a marketplace, as well as a culinary feast at "Gastrobeats,” offering sustainably produced food delights and good music beats at the Bayfront Event Space.
Admission to the event is free, but charges may apply to other programmes. Lighting up from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM daily and 12:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, learn more about this green advocacy event by heading to their Facebook page and website.
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Singaporean cocktail bar, Fura, is not a gimmick; far from it. For its passionate founders, Christina Rasmussen and Sasha Wijidessa, Fura is a lifestyle choice that began with the question: What kind of world did they want to bring a child into? Consequently, this led them to think about what they could do, in their capacity, to contribute to their vision.
It’s no secret that currently, the world faces an avalanche of environmental problems. In Singapore, rising temperatures and increasing rains have wrought havoc, threatening food security, biodiversity, and public health. Rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns, and increased heat continue to disrupt the economy, as well as the 5.9 million lives that call Singapore home. Yet, in the face of this seemingly impossible situation, Christina and Sasha have come up with their own solution: one they hope to share with those around them. They’ve introduced Fura, an F&B business launched in 2023, with a unique business model that aims to highlight adventurous dining,sustainability, and inclusivity.
Christina Rasmussen and Sasha Wijidessa | Instagram/Fura SG
Located in Amoy Street, Fura tackles sustainability by placing specific ingredients at the forefront of their menu. “We want to make sustainable dining more approachable by using ingredients that have a low carbon footprint that are either abundant in nature or out of balance in its ecosystem,” Christina explained. Some examples of these are insect protein (such as mealworms), cell-cultured milk, coffee alternatives, bananas, and corn.
In this way, Fura does its best to utilize accessible and sustainable ingredients to create delicious and nutritious fare. By avoiding items such as meat and coffee, which are known for their high methane production and contributions to deforestation, Fura makes it clear that eating clean is possible – and it’s not just about zero waste either. It’s about knowing the full context of what we eat, and how it gets to our plate.
Greens at Fura SG | Instagram/Fura
While not everyone may be ready to try Fura’s mealworm cocktail on their first visit to the bar, Fura knows that including familiar ingredients such as bananas and pineapples can entice visitors to try other items on their menu.
“We want to be a gateway for guests to have a more comfortable, positive, and tasty experience with something [that might be new to their] palate,” she added. “We believe that a great first impression will make guests more likely to try new ingredients more frequently.”
This seems to come at just the right time, when at the age of social media, people are always looking for things that stand out; Fura hits the nail on the head by introducing items like “Get The Worm,” a cocktail made with mealworm, “Make Local Tomatoes Great Again,” tipple shaken up with MSG lacto-fermented local tomato, and “Fufu Root Awakening” which includes cassava and passionfruit vinegar caramel.
There is also their Jellyfish Ceviche with caramelized pineapple and the “There’s a Bug in My Salad” salad, made with locally farmed romaine and yeast garum. Desserts are made from plants, such as their Zucchini Cake with Porcini Ice Cream, or their Kelp Ice Cream with Malt “Espresso” Soil. Their “Ugly Delicious” wines are equally intriguing, with beverages made from fermented pumpkin, pineapple, strawberry, and blackberry.
Unique cocktails at Fura | Instagram/Fura
Now recognized by Asia’s 50 Bestas one of the most sustainable bars in the region, Fura forges on with its mission, making sure to keep the advocacy as approachable as possible. They aren’t hoping to serve a niche in the F&B industry; rather, Fura wants to invite everyone who’s willing to try them.
“While people often think of being plant-based as the most sustainable option, we recognize that this diet isn’t for everyone, so we’re highlighting ingredients that are in abundance, invasive, or prevalent to show other small ways individuals can make a difference,” Christina shared. The bar’s founder also points towards the community as a huge factor in pushing for change. “We need strength in numbers in order to work together and make conscious choices,” she added.
In fact, insiders will note that the bar’s name is inspired by her and Sasha’s belief in the overarching community of any one ecosystem. “Fura translates to ‘pine’ in Swedish, speaking to the symbiosis of the bionetwork between pine trees and fungi, each of which needs the other in order to survive,” Christina explained.
As biologists will explain, plant roots and fungi help each other in the ecosystem; fungi will help trees absorb water and beneficial nutrients, and in return, plant roots provide fungi with carbon and carbohydrates. “In the same way, Fura believes that we need to collaborate in order to survive,” she explained.
Fermented wines at Fura | Instagram/Fura
Of course, even the most innovative businesses face problems, and navigating Singapore’s ever-changing F&B industry isn’t easy. There are rent increases and price increases; and while the city’s strong dollar bodes well for locals going overseas, the strength of their currency has also hindered some tourists from visiting Singapore, which has been repeatedly qualified as among the most expensive cities in the world.
Yet, Christina and Sasha remain unfazed, and shared that “that won't prevent us from trying to educate through experience.” They continually find ways to adapt to the times, which mirror the food and sustainability trends and research that had inspired Fura in the first place.
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There’s plenty of content to peruse on social media. From dance videos to comedy skits, ASMR uploads, and beauty tutorials, content creators have found a way to dominate the Internet through relatable lifestyle topics. So, what’s missing? For Kong Man Jing, a Singaporean environmental advocate, it’s educational content.
Kong Man Jing, who is known to many as MJ, has led multiple lives; yet, one theme ties all her passions together: science. MJ is an environmental biology graduate, a former science teacher, and now a renowned content creator. But unlike most influencers, MJ has chosen to veer away from the usual lifestyle content and focus on what she knows best – the environment around her.
“During my time as a science teacher, I struggled to find high-quality videos that effectively explained scientific concepts, especially from a local or regional perspective,” MJ shares. “While there are great science channels internationally, their content doesn’t always align with Singapore’s curriculum or context.”
Singapore, a city-state with an area of just 730 square kilometers, is often lauded for its tech innovations and cosmopolitan lifestyle. But while it may not be known to many as an eco-tourism destination, MJ clarifies that Singapore is in fact, rich in biodiversity. “We have freshwater swamps, primary rainforests, mangroves, and even coral reefs - it’s truly remarkable!” she says.
Now, MJ spends most of her time educating folks about the richness of her home country. Her platform, called “Just Keep Thinking,” uploads multiple videos focusing on nature and science. She introduces her audiences to incredible species, showing us videos of venomous banded krait snakes and explaining the difference between a seal and a sea lion. She even educates her audience on common health problems such as food poisoning and canker sores.
“My initial goal was simply to share fascinating knowledge with a wide audience - youths, young adults, and even the elderly (who, surprisingly, are quite active on TikTok!),” she says. “I never really set out to become a content creator. I didn’t even have an Instagram account until 2018! I simply knew that I loved science and had a deep passion for nature.”
In fact, MJ’s foray into content creation began by chance while on a snorkeling trip. “My co-founder, who is also a videographer, filmed me talking about dead coral skeletons using his GoPro. I have a habit of sharing science facts whenever I can, and as he reviewed the footage, he found my explanation authentic and engaging,” MJ reminisces.
After agreeing to share the video and create more just like it, “Just Keep Thinking” was born. “We haven’t looked back since,” MJ smiles.
While MJ’s co-founder is rarely seen in their videos, viewers will recognize MJ in her yellow polka-dot dress and black-rimmed glasses. As the host, she speaks about a range of important topics in a fun and engaging way, even adding in exaggerated body movements and cheeky facial close-ups.
And while she makes it look easy, viewers should know that plenty of work goes into the research and development of each upload.
“Short-form content requires careful curation,” MJ explains. “The challenge lies in keeping videos concise and engaging while ensuring they retain enough depth to remain educational. If we strip away too much detail, the content risks becoming purely entertainment without real value. Deciding on the key takeaway for each video is something I actively work on every day.”
This kind of thoughtfulness has won the "Just Keep Thinking" team a handful of awards including Singapore's Content Creators Award for Content Creator of the Year and Best Newcomer in 2023.
MJ presenting at COP29 | Courtesy of Kong Man Jing
With over a hundred thousand followers on Tiktok and an Instagram reach of over three hundred thousand and counting, MJ is keen to ensure that her messaging is clearly understood. She of all people, is aware of the impact she has on her viewers, many of whom are children or elderly.
“Parents have shared that our videos are the only content they allow their children to watch or that they watch our videos together as part of their family bonding time,” MJ says. “It reminds me of how we look back fondly on childhood characters who taught us important lessons - I hope to be that figure for others.”
Aside from video uploads online, MJ has also released children's books, the first of which, “The Intertidal Adventures of Biogirl MJ," won the best educational book title of the year at the Singapore Book Awards in 2023. "Just Keep Thinking" also organizes educational events such as mangrove tours for people in the community who want a firsthand experience with nature.
Today, MJ’s fans have developed their own passion for science, forming their own nature clubs, launching personal environmental initiatives, or pursuing studies in environmental science.
MJ’s impact has even reached the legislative level, when, after releasing a video about intertidal etiquette, people began realizing the damage taking place by taking marine animals home. “The video gained traction, leading to public outcry,” MJ recalls. “As a result, the government stepped in to improve the situation, even considering legislative changes.”
So while having a huge pool of followers is rewarding for any content creator, for MJ, the most rewarding part of her journey has been to see the tangible impact her work has done to drive meaningful change. “When the pandemic hit, social media became a key platform for people to stay informed, and that was when I truly recognized the importance of what we were doing, especially in debunking misinformation,” she adds.
MJ on a nature tour | Courtesy of Kong Man Jing
As “Just Keep Thinking” continues to expand, MJ proudly announces the launch of the Chinese version of their channel. “This has been a long-time goal, as we recognize that some of Singapore’s elderly and PRC communities may not be fluent in English,” MJ says. The content creator also looks forward to launching their Eco-Train exhibition in March. “We’ve transformed a decommissioned train into an immersive educational space,” she explains. “It will be open to the public for free, allowing people to learn about environmental issues in a fun and interactive way.”
Alongside such initiatives, MJ also continues to deepen her advocacy for science by branching out into various leadership roles. She is currently mentoring the next generation of youth leaders as a co-lead for Singapore’s Youth Panel for the Environment Cluster and is a part of the youth delegation for COP29 and COP30.
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Immerse yourself in nature while still being near the city. Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree recently announced that they will start accepting reservations on Jan. 24, 2025, for stays from April 2, 2025 onward.
Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree presents a variety of rooms and suite categories – from standard rooms and suites to family rooms with a bunk bed offering views of the rainforest, garden, and the Upper Seletar Reservoir. The uniquely designed treehouses, each with a private patio, also provide a tranquil retreat for couples.
Highlights of the resort include the following:
338 guest rooms and suites
including 24 treehouses
Unobstructed views of the Upper Seletar Reservoir from the Rooftop pool
Two dining experiences – Forage and Planter’s Shed.
Forage overlooks the tranquil reservoir, offering a “Trust the Chef” menu and a delicious arrangement of fresh, daily sourced ingredients. These include produce from the resort’s rooftop edible garden.
Planter’s Shed is an all-day dining restaurant, featuring local and international cuisine with buffet options for breakfast and dinner, as well as live cooking stations and a roving tableside service for an interactive dining experience. Ala carte menus are available at lunchtime.
The award-winning Banyan Tree Spa with invigorating spa treatments to restore both mind and body. Some of their services include detoxifying body wraps made with natural ingredients like turmeric and ginger, or signature massages that enhance circulation and alleviate muscle fatigue.
The Banyan Tree Gallery houses locally inspired merchandise, allowing guests to bring home a meaningful keepsake of their stay.
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In celebration of the Chinese New Year and the spirit of unity, togetherness, and prosperity, Singapore's leading residential electricity retailer, Geneco, is launching its new campaign, #ForestOfProsperity, dedicated to fostering “family bonds as the foundation of societal well-being and driving positive change across generations.”
The campaign, made in collaboration with Families for Life and the National Parks Board’s (NParks) Garden City Fund (GCF), will see a series of activations that highlight awareness of Singapore’s botanical heritage.
#ForestOfProsperity Tree Planting Event
Photo from Website/NParks
In support of NParks’ OneMillionTrees initiative, Geneco is inviting families to plant a tree at a local park to commemorate the birth of their child (ages six and below). Local personalities including Tay Kewei, Kelly Latimer, and Xu Bin will also join the event.
Those who will join this initiative will receive a personalized certificate bearing their child’s name and birthdate, which also commemorates their contribution to preserving the environment for future generations.
Apart from the tree planting event, Geneco will also be donating S$15,000 to the Garden City Fund to support its existing efforts to plant over 450 trees in five years.
Families interested in joining can register until Jan. 31 via this form.
#ForestOfProsperity Pop-Up at Bugis Junction
Courtesy of Geneco
From Jan. 13 to 19, Geneco is also holding a special pop-up for the campaign at the Bugis Junction. This pop-up will feature a 2.2-meter prosperity tree, made with 100% recyclable, reusable, and FSC-certified cardboard. Here, visitors can pledge their support and share their wishes by hanging them on the tree.
Families who would like to join the tree-planting event can also register at the pop-up.
Meanwhile, those who would not be able to catch it can also submit their pledges online and get the chance to win eCapitaVouchers, limited-edition Families for Life DIY Craft Kits, Geneco Red Packet sets, and Green Starter Kits worth S$40, among other prizes.
The #ForestOfProsperity pop-up will be live at the Level 1 Atrium of Bugis Junction from 10 AM to 10 PM during the said period. To pledge your support online, visit the official campaign site.
Going Green: Exclusive Red Packets
Courtesy of Geneco
In line with the campaign, Geneco is also set to launch a new series of red packets, designed with Singapore’s lush greeneries in mind. These packets are made of 100% recycled paper and come in natural tones, adorned with gold accents reminiscent of the different unique forms of Singapore’s trees.
These packets are also available for free at the pop-up from Jan. 18 to 19 to the first 50 visitors.
Used Red Packet Recycling Initiative
Courtesy of Geneco
Now in its fifth year, Geneco is bringing back its Used Red Packet Recycling Initiative, now supported by partners such as IUIGA, OTO, REFASH, Wisma Atria, CapitaLand, PAP Town Council, Gardens by the Bay, ION Orchard, Frasers Property, Harbourfront Centre, National University Hospital, and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
With this movement, Geneco is setting up over 100 collection points islandwide, where the public can drop off used or excess red packets, which will be recycled to reduce waste and promote sustainability.
To view the full list of collection points, click here.
Geneco’s #ForestOfProsperity follows the success of their Till the End of Time and #VoyageToProsperity campaigns for the Chinese New Year.
For more details on Geneco’s campaign, visit their website.
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For most business owners, it all started with an idea. For Books Beyond Borders founder, Randall Chong, it started with a book. Or perhaps, more accurately, a dare. According to their website, Randall received a book from a friend in 2016, and on its cover was scribbled: “Do one thing that scares you.”
However, this wasn’t what made him start a bookstore. In fact, it was never part of the plan. “I love reading books but I’ve never thought of opening a bookstore as one of my goals. It was actually an accidental startup,” he revealed.
Books Beyond Borders is a social enterprise bookstore that helps raise money for girls' education in Nepal through selling old books. Since launching online in 2019, the little book business — which is not so little anymore considering they now have their own physical bookstore — has given back over S$40,000 and rehomed over 20,000 books in Singapore.
Earlier this year, Books Beyond Borders expanded its offerings and launched Two Storytellers, a lifestyle brand dedicated to unique, meaningful gifts that celebrate the rich stories behind every craft.
The Beat Singapore sat down with co-founder, Randall Chong, to get to know this thoughtful gifting brand that started from an accidental startup and is now producing some of the most beautiful, handmade creations — not to mention sustainablegifts and novelty items in the current local shop scene.
Dare to Do: How Books Beyond Borders Made a Difference
Two Storytellers was born from its sister company, Books Beyond Borders, a bookstore that collects and sells gently used books. When asked about how it came to be, Randall told us how it was from one of his travels.
“A couple of years ago, I was backpacking through Nepal
and I wanted to see Mt. Everest by hiking to Everest base camp. And so that's like a two-week journey of trekking the Himalayas. When I got there, I happened to chance upon a lot of young boys and girls who were out of school working in back-breaking jobs with little to no pay. It was a profound experience, one that got me thinking like: ‘Is there something that I can do?’”
Randall has always had a passion for education and building businesses and has worked on different startups before. Seeing those children out of school had flipped a switch in him, and what came with it was the desire to be of help to these children.
Photo from Website/Books Beyond Borders
“I was also at a point in time where I was quite unhappy with my current job, so you know, with all those factors and with this curiosity of like, 'Hey, you know, a lot of kids are out of school, is there something that I can do?' I decided to leave my job and dedicate a year to raising money for kids in Nepal.”
Randall started baking and selling cookies at first, and had asked friends and family to donate a bit of money to his campaign. When he ran out of ideas, he decided to sell some of his old books lying around the house. The idea took off and captured the attention of the locals, who were more than happy to donate more books.
“I learned that in Singapore, it's really difficult to ask people for money. We've started fundraising, but after the first two years, people tend to not continue putting a donation down, especially for the same cause.
And that was also a really bad business model, so we decided that maybe what we could do is instead of operating the business as a charity, we could look at it as a social enterprise where we make our money, and how we do so is by collecting used books and figuring out how we can resell them.”
The pandemic also seemed to be good for their business as many people began decluttering and were picking up reading as a hobby. So while many businesses were shutting down, Books Beyond Borders took off and grew a community and movement that eventually led the small business that started in his grandfather’s room to launch its own bookstore.
As a business that relies a hundred percent on collecting used books, Randall knew that they would eventually have difficulty keeping it afloat. As the business grows, so would the expenses. He also told us about changes in reading habits and book-buying behavior, citing the closing of Book Depository, which was once the world’s foremost international online bookstore offering over 20 million books and free shipping worldwide.
“If we were to bet all our eggs on one basket for the long term, which is relying on just collecting gently used books and reselling them to make a profit, it would never scale,” Randall explained. “And for me, I want a sister brand where we can grow in many different ways, and not just stationery and tote bags, which are what most bookstores sell. I wanted a brand that could potentially go beyond just products. We could do services as well. One of the things we already knew when we named the brand ‘Books Beyond Borders,’ was that it would be difficult to sell because the word 'books' is not scalable. So, it's very difficult for us to venture into a different place.”
Thus, Randall and his team decided to expand their brand — creating a new company where they could explore and offer other things beyond pages and paperbacks. Two Storytellers Co. is a lifestyle brand that offers sustainable gifts and services including storytelling workshops
and decorating projects. The brand recently completed a project where they decorated a lobby for a boutique hotel with their original products, underscoring their brand’s desire to scale, and explore different services apart from just physical products.
With a sister company with an entirely different name, Randall finds it easier to maneuver as he gets a bit more space for change and new ideas.
Photo from Website/Books Beyond Borders
But what exactly is Two Storytellers’ selling point? And what makes it stand out from other lifestyle brands? The answer is in the name.
“One of the reasons why we decided to call it ‘Two Storytellers’ is because we started it in collaboration with a creative studio called, SainouSpace. So I know the founders of SainouSpace, they are a creative studio that focuses on art and wellness programs in Singapore, and we decided to start this brand together.”
Two Storytellers offers products that are more than just gifts but are giftsimbued with stories. Randall told us how the brand makes an effort to tell the stories of the crafters, the makers behind these handmade collections which are made in batches and sourced responsibly from the communities they support in Nepal.
“As we can see, a lot of — not just companies and brands — but also consumers are more conscious about what they buy. And that’s where the name comes from. In terms of the workshops, I personally know that where I want to take this brand goes beyond B2C. We want to do B2B, we want to be able to provide not just a product in our store, but also a service to businesses, whether it's helping them solve their corporate gifting problems every single year or hosting workshops and programs for schools where we get to teach about branding and storytelling, and also installations and decorations. I think that's something that we are very proud of and very passionate about.”
Two Storytellers has three categories of products that they currently feature. First are the felt products which are made by a community of felt artisans in Nepal. They are also known as the “wool makers” and produce hand-felted itemsfrom sheep wool. These products are their bestsellers, especially during the Christmas season where they are sold as plushies, coaster sets, and other decorative and home décor items.
Photo from Two Storytellers Co.Photo from Two Storytellers Co.
Next is their paper collection. The brand works with paper artisans who use a unique form of paper called “Lokta” that comes from a plant that doesn’t require any cutting of trees. Randall told us about how the women in Nepal will have to trek up in the mountains to harvest this plant and transform these lokta fibers into delicate sheets of paper using century-old techniques. These papers are traditionally used in ancient and religious texts, are insect repellent, and are quite durable. You can find lokta paper used in their stationery products like journals and bookmarks which are often adorned with beautiful prints.
Lastly, there are cotton products that are produced by cotton weavers — a group of women who use recycled cotton or Dhaka to weave beautiful items like pouches, tote bags, and pencil cases.
“My favorite are the felt ones, but they lean more towards the festive seasons. Like during Valentine’s Day, we get to make roses using felt material. It's beautiful and very unique.”
We believe this gives the business an edge over its competitors, giving consumers an option besides the usual fresh bouquet. A unique, sustainable, and long-lasting alternative, even. However, choosing to work with handmade products is both the company’s strength and weakness. Randall expressed the challenges he faced in running the business for over a year now.
“One of the biggest challenges is making sure that we can get the product in time, and also having the right products. The materials are made by hand so, you have a bit more defects as compared to things that are made in factories or with machines. Second is really the speed of getting the product that we want. We had to buy and order supplies six months beforehand just because it takes three months to make them and perform quality control. It's really difficult to plan ahead especially when you are a really small company or brand where cash flow is an issue. You always want to buy things quickly and sell them quickly.”
Randall also added that communication with their artists and partners is also a challenge considering language barriers and that the company is aiming to navigate better in terms of planning ahead in 2025.
Photo from Two Storytellers Co.
Despite these challenges, Two Storytellers has been able to provide joy to not only its consumers but also to the people who run it. Randall stated, “I really enjoy meeting the makers, so I personally travel to Nepal a lot. Not just to visit some of our scholars whose scholarships we’re currently funding but also to meet our makers, to work together with them and create new designs together.”
Two Storytellers highlights the true meaning of gift giving, which is all about thoughtfulness. What makes their offerings unique isn’t the product itself, but the stories behind them. When you acquire a piece of decorative item from their felt collection or write on their lokta journals, it’s plain to see that these items were made with care by artists who are passionate about their craft — or are working hard towards making a living for themselves and their families. Snippets of how these products were made, the histories of each material, and the backgrounds of the artists and collaborators are often shown on their social media pages, giving these items new life and meaning.
To quote the founder himself, “Right now, it's not just about the product. What really makes us different and unique is being able to show processes of how our products are being made by these women and be able to tell their stories. I think that's something I'm really passionate about.”
Photo from Two Storytellers Co.
This season of giving, invest in a handmade item that will surely put a smile on your loved ones' faces. You can view Two Storytellers’ full range of products in their bookstore located at 33 Erskine Rd, 01-08, Singapore, just opposite Maxwell Food Centre. You can also buy them online here.
Follow Two Storytellers Co. on Instagram to learn more about their lovely gifts and services.
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Calling all adventurers and wildlife enthusiasts! Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Singapore’s premiere nature and wildlife destination consisting of several wildlife parks such as the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, is set to launch the first phase of its fifth zoological park in March 2025.
Accessible from Mandai Wildlife WEST, Rainforest Wild Asia offers a unique set of experiences for visitors looking to embark on exciting outdoor adventures. Inspired by treks through rainforests, the new park offers various paths to explore, allowing guests to experience a one-of-a-kind immersive rainforest setting filled with a variety of wildlife and forest wonders both below and above ground.
“Our newest park celebrates the rainforests of our region, which are home to a vast array of natural wonders,” said Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. “Rainforest Wild Asia allows guests to choose their level of adventure as they explore an immersive rainforest setting, whether through sedate universally designed walkways or high adrenaline scrambling paths and guided climbing adventures.”
The 13-hectare Rainforest Wild Asia features diverse layers from the verdant tree canopies to an exciting subterranean labyrinth of walk-through cave chambers that are designed to allow iconic animal species from the region such as tigers, sun bears, tapirs, and gregarious langurs, to roam freely through extensive habitats.
While the new attraction targets adventurers, Rainforest Wild Asia welcomes everyone to embark on rainforest explorations. Guests can venture through rugged forest trails scattered with fallen logs, boulders, streams, and bridges. For the adrenaline-seekers, there are harnessed experiences and guided tours offering high-element traverses across rock faces, freefall jumps, and challenging caving adventures.
Photo from Mandai Wildlife Reserve
Visiting families can be assured that the park also offers amenities and facilities that can make your stay comfortable including wide elevated walkways with sheltered rest stops that also ensure accessibility to all including guests with strollers and wheelchair users, providing opportunities for easy strolls to view diverse rainforest landscapes and animals. To recreate a realistic rainforest setting, around 7,000 Southeast Asian trees and shrubs have been planted to add to the existing protected patches of rainforest.
“This immersive design gives our guests the chance to witness how different animals thrive in distinct rainforest settings. Most importantly, we hope to create strong feelings of connection to nature and a renewed determination to cherish and protect our planet,” Mike added.
Flexible habitats will also be introduced at the park for the first time. You can catch animals like the red dholes and babirusas, which will be featured at various times of the day. The habits are designed to be dynamic and stimulating for the animals to encourage their natural behaviors, allowing visitors to observe and learn more about these wonderful creatures.
Rainforest Wild Asia will be home to 29 animal species, including the threatened François' langur and the Philippine spotted deer, which are both new to Singapore.
Park Highlights: Journey Through Southeast Asia’s Rainforest
Guests can enjoy the park’s multi-layered adventures across ten different zones, each featuring delightful treks and animal encounters among the trees and foliage.
One highlight is TheKarsts, which is the park’s most scenic backdrop featuring jagged limestone formations peeking through the canopy. From here, guests can enjoy views of primates swinging, leaping, and traversing the environment. Become a certified explorer as you maneuver across sheer cliffs through a Via Ferrata path under a guided tour.
Photo from Mandai Wildlife Reserve
Weave your way through the Forest Floor, climbing large logs or ducking below fallen trees before making your way to the Rock Cascade, Rainforest Wild Asia’s largest habitat and home to the majestic Malayan tigers. Witness these creatures as they show off their impressive power and agility while navigating through waterfalls, streams, rocky outcrops, and clusters of trees.
Meanwhile, The Canopy will give visitors a glimpse into life at the treetops and chance encounters with species like the Javan langur and red-shanked douc langur.
You can also dare to leap from 20m – the highest point of Rainforest Wild Asia – at Canopy Jump and feel the adrenaline of a free fall while taking in the stunning rainforest vistas from above. It’s definitely one experience you shouldn’t miss!
Photo from Mandai Wildlife ReservePhoto from Mandai Wildlife Reserve
Want to go cave exploring? You can definitely do that here! The Cavern takes visitors on an awe-inspiring journey along subterranean walkways or if you’re looking for a more adventurous path, you can also seek out cave species such as racer snakes and giant black scorpions! The caves were inspired by the world-famous Mulu Caves in Sarawak, one of the largest and most intricate cave systems in Southeast Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To recreate this stunning zone, the design team scanned the rock features of Mulu Caves and faithfully mimicked the ancient rock formations through a collaboration with the Sarawak Forestry Department.
With this new wildlife park soon to open and another one underway — Rainforest Wild Africa, which is inspired by the diverse landscapes of the Afro-Tropical region and Madagascar, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve aims to become a world-leading wildlife and nature destination offering both recreational and educational opportunities that become irreplaceable memories and experiences for its visitors.
For more information, visit their website, or follow the Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for updates.
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As temperatures continue to rise and climate change becomes more apparent, many are inspired to make small yet impactful changes in their daily lives to help the planet. When it comes to shopping, consumers are drawn to sustainable and zero-waste stores where they can buy household essentials, personal care products, and food items. These shops prioritize eco-friendly practices, encourage conscious consumption, and advocate for sustainable living.
In Singapore, sustainable and zero-waste shops are gaining traction to help raise environmental awareness and support local businesses. Aside from empowering individuals to make environmentally conscious choices, these businesses also help build a more sustainable society.
Do you want to make a positive impact on the environment in your own little way? Find eco-friendly products and reduce your carbon footprint when you shop at the sustainable stores below:
Singapore’s first and biggest collective of sustainable brands, The Green Collective brings together sustainable brand owners, consumers, and businesses that collaborate with each other to make adopting a sustainable lifestyle easier. From cleaning supplies and home fragrances to snacks and personal care essentials, you’re sure to find an item or two that can help you take small steps toward an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Location: The Green Collective, 02-18, Funan Mall, 107 North Bridge Road, Singapore
A homegrown social enterprise offering package-free bulk food, products, and daily necessities, Unpackt has the essentials you need to live a zero-waste lifestyle. Committed to its mission of building a green and mindful Singapore, the zero-waste grocery and lifestyle store, Unpackt has a wide range of products including groceries like pantry essentials and cooking ingredients. Here, you can also shop for items like cutlery, toiletries, and other home must-haves.
Location: Unpackt, 20 Mandai Lake Road, #02-09, Bird Paradise, Singapore
By educating, inspiring action, and doing good, proudly woman-owned business The Sustainability Project (TSP) believes that we can all take small steps toward a better planet. Some of TSP’s best sellers include the collapsible cup, the shampoo bars, the natural deodorant, and the menstrual pads, among others. You can also find items for the kitchen and bathroom like the wood pulp sponge and bamboo toilet rolls.
Aside from the shop, TSP also holds talks on zero-waste lifestyle, recycling, and plastic pollution. They also teach sustainability skills with their range of workshops.
Constantly on the lookout for practical alternatives that can inspire others to lead an environmentally aware lifestyle, Your Sustainable Store is an e-commerce website that offers affordable sustainable products. Conveniently shop for homecare products online such as tea towels, dishcloths, cleaning tablets, and natural insect repellants. They also have a Beauty and Skincare category where you’ll find shampoo cubes, artisan soap bars, and organic cotton facial pads, among others.
A bath and body brand, Rough Beauty offers handcrafted soap and bath essentials made with botanicals sourced from around the world. To keep within their commitment to sustainability, the brand practices the 3Rs – reducing, reusing, and recycling. Items are produced in small batches to reduce wastage as well. Some of the best sellers you need to try include the Mari Bar, Mint Rose Soap, and the Saffy Fields Soap. They also sell Scruffy Cleansing Grains, Mint Rose Hand & Body Wash, and Laundry Bars.
With food waste as one of the biggest issues in Singapore, Uglyfood was founded with the goal of eliminating food waste by collecting blemished or excess food products and then selling them at a reduced price. Now back under new management, Uglyfood 2.0 has made changes and improvements. They now offer cold truck delivery, so you get your groceries in the same quality that they left the store. While they mainly offer fruits and vegetables, the grocery hopes to offer more products in the future for a smoother shopping experience.
Help bring change to the community and the planet at The Social Space, a special place that features a café, a fair-trade retail area, and a nail salon which all promote sustainability awareness and a more conscious living. Aside from the products you can buy here, The Social Space takes change to the next level by offering employment to differently-abled people. Visiting to shop? You can find home and décor items, a refillery for bath, home cleaning, pet care, and laundry essentials, and zero-waste must-haves, among others.
Location: The Social Space, 333 Kreta Ayer Road, #01-14, Singapore
As its name suggests, My Naked Bar offers soaps “naked” of synthetic ingredients and unnecessary packaging. The shop’s soaps are made using fresh ingredients. Rest easy knowing that ingredients like cucumber, aloe vera, rice, and oat milk are prepared by hand in advance before crafting each bar of soap.
Curious about the packaging? Each soap is packaged in clean milk cartons contributed by the community and upcycled by the brand. Some of the best sellers include Lavender Oatmeal (for soothing eczema skin), Turmeric Sunrise (anti-inflammatory soap for dry, itchy skin), and Cucumber Aloe (deep cleansing soap for acne and combination skin), among others.
Established in 2020, BYKURAHOME is another homegrown sustainable brand that aims to end disposable culture, one habit at a time. Understanding that achieving 100 percent zero-waste is a daunting task, they aim to encourage everyone to take small steps within their means by adopting one habit at a time.
BYKURAHOME’s must-buy products include the Lejos Silicone Collapsible Lunch Box (available in different colors) and the Mojo Silicone Bag, both of which are ideal for storing food. They also offer personal care essentials such as reusable cleansing facial rounds and reusable makeup remover rounds.
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