Night Safari

One of the famous tourist attractions in Singapore is Night Safari. Open only in the evening (7:30 pm to midnight), this night-time zoo without any cage lets visitors watch nocturnal animals around the world as if they were living wild.

With an experience of watching wild animals in Botswana two years ago, however, Night Safari is disappointing to me. The animal show is a bit of lame; waiting for more than half an hour isn't really worthwhile. Visitors can explore the zoo by riding on a tram with a guide talking non-stop about animals in sight on either side of the tram line. My complaint is that the tram is too noisy to feel the atmosphere of tropical rainforest. The tram does not stop at each view of animals, making it hard to take photo; as the flash is prohibited, you need to stand still for a while to take picture so the camera lens collect sufficient amount of light.

Having said that, Singapore's Night Safari is a well-designed zoo worth visiting if you know what to expect (and if you haven't seen wild animals in Africa). Don't waste time by watching the animal show. Don't take the tram. Walk on your own. And wish yourself luck so you will encounter animals by chance.

Although there are places to eat inside Night Safari, the best way is to have early dinner in the city center and head for the Safari by taxi (about 20 Singaporean dollars one way) on weekdays, when there are less visitors.