Inside Mandai Rainforest Resort: Singapore’s new luxury eco-escape

Nestled beside Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Singapore’s newest resort offers refined luxury and an immersive rainforest experience where nature is the ultimate indulgence

The car glides to a stop and a man with a broad, welcoming smile opens my door, one hand respectfully behind his back. “Welcome to Mandai Rainforest Resort.” Stepping out, it feels like I’ve arrived at another part of the world – not a mere 25 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Singapore’s CBD.

Walking to the resort’s check-in, it’s immediately apparent this world is calm, quiet, and deeply connected to the landscape around it. I notice the ceiling above me resembles smooth grey river stones, mirroring the floor beneath. Black pole lights dangle at irregular lengths like roots hanging through soil, while vines and leafy plants cascade from hidden levels in the roof.

There are no walls in this part of the resort, just open space that blends into the surrounding rainforest. Through the lush greenery, I catch sight of a vast water reserve beyond – it feels like I’m standing in an underground riverbed. The staff can’t confirm whether the architects intended this illusion, but they smile when I share it. Now they see it too.

Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree sits at the eastern side of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, right next to the country’s renowned wildlife parks. Inhabiting a 4.6-hectare site, it has more than 300 rooms, but there’s no indication the resort is so big – it’s been designed to be unobtrusive and sympathetic to the existing vegetation, with no boundaries between guest and environment.

The room

The moment I step inside my Sanctuary King room, my eyes are drawn beyond the king bed and lounge suite to the floor-to-ceiling window, which I later discover slides completely open. It’s as if the room dissolves into the outside – into the Mandai reservoir and the rainforest beyond.

Soft textiles and earthy tones create a calming ambience, with thoughtful touches like hand painted nature panels on the walls, created by local artist Donna Og, that reflect a scene straight from outside your window. The rainfall shower is one of the room’s most memorable features, thanks to the swathes of  glass looking out to the reservoir, making me feel like I’m standing beneath a warm rainforest downpour during each shower.

At night, nestling into one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in, I drift off to the soft hum of the ceiling fan and the frog chorus outside.

The environment

Everything at Mandai is designed with its wild neighbours in mind. Soft lighting in public areas is angled inwards, not just to create a soft ambience but also to avoid disturbing animals, like macaques sleeping in nearby trees, preserving their natural rhythms.

Early one morning, I wake with the sunrise to walk the Mandai Boardwalk. The air is heavy with humidity, and a gentle fog clings to the surface of the reservoir, catching the soft morning light. It’s incredibly beautiful and still, and I feel lucky to have this moment entirely to myself.

The boardwalk winds just over three kilometres, and I meander along without any real hurry. Along the way, nature reveals itself in the flurry of butterfly wings, a shy turtle basking on a rock, squirrels darting across the boardwalk and up into the trees, and even a monitor lizard gliding through the water just feet from where I stand. And as the path skirts the edges of the Singapore Zoo, I hear distant low rumbles, animals waking for breakfast.

Nature reveals itself in the flurry of butterfly wings, a shy turtle basking on a rock, and squirrels darting across the boardwalk and up into the trees…

The dining

Specialty restaurant Forge is set high up in the resort with sweeping views of the reservoir. Dinner is offered as a ‘Trust the Chef’ degustation experience, from produce sourced at local markets and the resort’s rooftop garden.

Planters is all-day dining, offering a diverse selection of local and international cuisine. Despite being in the resort’s basement, it is anything but dim. Light floods in through atrium ceiling windows, illuminating yet more greenery, reminding me of the resort’s ever-present connection to nature.

Sustainability with soul

In the resort’s foyer and within my room, timber stools, tables and even coat hangers tell a story. Each has been hand crafted from fallen trees discovered during site surveys, salvaged and repurposed as a quiet statement of respect for the land.

I join a nature therapy session led by Jovina, who introduces us to the Japanese concept of forest bathing, but with a twist. “You don’t need a vast forest to connect with nature,” she says. “You just need to notice it.”

We gather in a quiet, small garden between two buildings. Jovina invites us to take our shoes off and feel the earth beneath our feet, then asks us to focus on one natural element and let it speak to us. She’s drawn to a tiny flower – some petals blooming, others dying – and reflects on how this mirrors her own evolution. I find myself drawn to standing on a patch of cool, muddy ground, toes splaying wide into the undulated earth. As a writer, I live in my head and with my hands. But here, I’m grounded.

A stay at Mandai Rainforest Resort is less about a luxury escape and more about a luxurious reconnection to nature. This is the kind of place that doesn’t just show you nature – it lets you become part of it. A stay here redefines what it means to experience Singapore.

Hotel notes

Mandai Rainforest Resort offers a range of accommodations, from King rooms to Sanctuary Suites, family rooms and luxurious treehouses. Each room type is designed to blend with the environment. The resort also has a day spa onsite, and easy access to Singapore’s iconic zoos.

https://www.banyantree.com/singapore/mandai-rainforest-resort-by-banyan-tree