(Part 1) We went glamping at the new Crocodile Lodge at Mandai Wildlife Reserve! Here's our wild family adventure

With access to the new Rainforest Wild Adventure parks, the recently launched Crocodile Lodge at Singapore's Mandai Wildlife Reserve promises a fun and exciting glamping retreat for kids and adults.

Crocodile Lodge, a glamping retreat at Singapore's Mandai Wildlife Reserve, has recently launched! Having had such a memorable time when we visited Colugo Camp (which has since been renamed Reservoir Retreat), my family and I were looking forward to visiting Crocodile Lodge for a staycation during the June school holiday.

Before visiting, I wondered whether Crocodile Lodge would feel very similar to Reservoir Retreat, since both are glamping experiences at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. After our stay, I’m happy to share that the two Glamping in the Wild options—Crocodile Lodge and Reservoir Retreat—each offer a distinctly unique experience which we thoroughly enjoyed!

Without further ado, here's our review about our experience at Glamping in the Wild - Crocodile Lodge! 😉

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We arrived close to the 3 pm check-in time at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST for our 2D1N stay at Crocodile Lodge, where camp facilitators welcomed us at the glamping check-in counter at the park entrance.

After making our dinner selections (more on that later!), we collected our glamping wrist tags, which grant entry to both Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST and WEST, as well as access to the 9 Adventure+ activities across both days of our stay. We were also given four Fast Pass—exclusive to glampers—that let us skip the queues at activities of our choice ✌️

Since Crocodile Lodge is deeper inside the park, our camp facilitator suggested delivering our luggage to the tent while we explored Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST before heading back to the glamping site by 6pm. That worked for us as we have never visited either park and were eager to see as much as possible during our two-day stay 💪

Though Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s website recommends budgeting a few hours per park, we were still worried about fitting everything in, especially with the day's gloomy weather. Besides, the parks close at 6 pm, and the last admission for activities is 5pm. So, this left us only 2-3 hours at the park on the first day.

There are five Adventure+ activities at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST: Canopy Gliders; Ravine Swing; Treetop Traverse; Split Rock Summit; and Primate Climb. Our camp facilitator advised booking a time slot for Canopy Gliders first, then heading to Ravine Swing, which is really popular and probably requires queuing. For the Fast Pass, he suggested saving them for attractions with longer waiting times.

Here’s a pic of the Adventure+ activities and their waiting times displayed at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST’s entrance.

You can also check real-time waiting times through a website. After booking the next available slot of 3:30pm for Canopy Gliders, we were off!

When we arrived, there were only a few people in the queue, likely because it was a weekday and rain earlier had driven some visitors away.

Bags must be left at the cubby holes at the ride entrance. I felt this was fairly safe since there’s CCTV, and anyone trying to take something would be easily identified😋. Phones are allowed on the ride only if they are secured with a strap. If not, you'd need to leave your phone behind. And off we go!

Canopy Gliders is a leisurely 500m roll-glider ride above the forest canopy, offering scenic views and chances to spot animals below. Unless you fear heights, it’s a comfortable ride for both kids and adults.

Do note that minimum height is 0.95 m and minimum weight 15 kg for this ride, and children under 1.30 m must be accompanied by an adult.

As one of the park’s most popular activities, I asked our camp facilitator if slots ever run out for Canopy Gliders. He explained that usually there isn't a problem booking a slot since each accommodates multiple visitors. Regardless, the tip is to book Canopy Gliders first—especially on weekends or busy days—then plan the rest of your activities around that booking 😉

After disembarking, we headed to Ravine Swing, a giant swing we were excited to try!

The queue at Ravine Swing had already reached the 30‑minute marker with more than ten people waiting, so we decided it was the perfect time to use a Fast Pass!

One thing to note: using a Fast Pass doesn’t put you next in line. We skipped those not yet harnessed but still waited behind visitors already geared up. Still, waiting for just 15 minutes instead of 30 was good enough for us!

Tip: You’ll need to complete an online waiver form for Ravine Swing and several other Adventure activities before participating. The good thing is you only fill it out once and can reuse it for all attractions. So, save a screenshot of your submitted form for easy access!

Since the ride takes only three at a time, we planned for hubs to go with Big E while I waited with Little E. However, we noticed from a four-person group ahead where three had gone at the same time, while one waited for the next turn. On the next ride, one person got off, two remained in the swing while the last person joined them on the next ride. Spotting this, we asked staff if Big E—keen for another round—could remain in the swing while Little E and I joined. So if your group has spare seats, you can try requesting this too!

We didn’t find Ravine Swing too scary though many riders were screaming on their way down! (We had actually been on something similar but bigger and higher in Escape Penang, so we kind of know what to expect for this.) For me, the suspense before the drop was probably the scariest part. The backward motion was also a bit nauseating for me, and I couldn’t wait for it to end. For the rest of the fam, I think they would have love to go again if we had the time! 😉

Note: Ravine Swing requires a minimum height of 1.3 m and minimum weight of 30 kg, and maximum weight of 120 kg.

After Ravine Swing, we dashed to the next closest activity—Treetop Traverse—hoping to squeeze it in before admissions closed. Luckily, there was no queue, so we were fitted with harnesses almost immediately, though safety checks still took some time. This was actually something we noticed across most activities: the checks are really thorough! It adds to the waiting but does give you peace of mind.

At Treetop Traverse, lockers are provided for you to store your belongings. You can bring your phone up but it must be stored in one of the pouches they provide. I was actually very impressed by the thoughtfulness. The park could have just said, "No phones allowed," but they do understand that there are visitors who would like to take home memories of their adventures, so they provided phone pouches at no cost. It's really top notch service at the park!

Once we were all geared up, we walked a short distance to the start of Treetop Traverse, but just as we arrived, the lightning alert sounded. Staff advised us to head back, and noted that the activity was unlikely to reopen as we were already near the last admission of 5:30 pm. We were so disappointed as we were so near yet so far! Halfway back, the skies opened and we dashed through the rain to collect our belongings.

One thing to note at Rainforest Wild Adventure is that weather can be a dampener. While much of the walkways at the East park are sheltered, most Adventure activities are outdoors and would be suspended during lightning alerts. But the upside for Crocodile Lodge glampers is we have the next day to continue exploring! ✌️

So with that, we called it a day at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST. At least we tried two out of the five Adventure activities we wanted to go on. Since it was raining, we stopped at Rangers Pitstop café near the entrance for a snack before we finally made our way to Crocodile Lodge close to 6 pm, excited to see our glamping tents!

Night at Crocodile Lodge

Upon reaching Crocodile Lodge, the rain had thankfully stopped!

On our way to our tent, we were immediately taken by the African rainforest theme of our glamping site (Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST is inspired by African rainforests!).

And here's out tent!

At 4mx5m, the tent can fit a queen size bed and a bunk bed with still room to walk around!

It also has a desk...

...and a two-seater!

Ooh a welcome snack basket!

This is complimentary for those who book by end August 2026, a part of Crocodile Lodge's opening promo!

In case you're wondering if it can get hot in the tent, well, there's an aircon and two fans, so yup, there's no need to worry about the heat 😉

Crocodile Lodge has 20 tents, six of which face animal enclosures. Here's a map:

Photo: Mandai Wildlife Reserve

Our tent is 218 and is one of the six (215-220) with unobstructed view of the enclosures and the park. You can try requesting for one of these six tents when booking!

During our stay, the animals in the enclosures were a little elusive but we did spot Nyala deers...

...and the Nile Lechwe later in the evening!

According to the signs, you can also spot the Red River Hog and Sitaunga in the enclosures. And if you’re concerned about smells from being so close to the enclosures, nope, we didn’t notice anything unpleasant at all!

It was time to head to Crocodile Hall, the recreational hall at the glamping site, so we could all head out for dinner! Love the view of the safari tents against blue skies 😊

The campgrounds has lots of open space and this is the route to the hall from our tent.

The communal bathrooms and toilets are located near the hall, so the short open space above is also where you have to walk through if you need to use the bathroom at night. Yes, there's no toilet in our tent if you haven't notice - this is glamping! 😁Having been glamping a few times, not having a toilet is really a small hassle for us - I feel usually the glamping experience makes up for the slight inconvenience. Also, the distance between our tent and the toilet is already very short compared to other glamping venues we've been to 😆

From the hall, our camp facilitator led us out of Crocodile Lodge to the park’s restaurant, Rangers Retreat, just a short walk away. Dinner and breakfast are included in the glamping retreat.

Since the park closes at 6pm, the beautiful restaurant was exclusive to us glampers!

At check‑in, we were already asked to choose our appetiser: Caesar salad or mushroom soup...

...and main course, either roasted chicken....

...or fish and chips. Everything was delicious!

Add an ice-cream for dessert after our main course, we were all stuffed at the end of our meal!

And here's a photo of what greeted us when we left the restaurant. The African jungle vibes 🥰

It's actually the roof of the restaurant! 😁

Still makes a good photo nonetheless! 😊

We headed back to our glamping site and there are night activities planned at Crocodile Hall! Here's what's in store:

The night activities are completely optional, and if you'd rather go back to your tent to chill, you can totally do so! For safety reasons, you’re not allowed to leave the campgrounds at night since the rest of the park is closed, so it’s nice that activities are planned for those who don’t want to call it a night too early.

At the hall, there are also traditional games, books, vending machines for drinks and snacks, a water dispenser for refills and free WIFI. So you'll definitely survive the night without heading out 😄

While our fellow glampers went for night animal spotting, we stayed for the animal trivia, so it was essentially the four of us competing against each other!

It was fun and educational, with cute badges for the top three scorers. For the record, papa took first place😄

After the trivia, we headed for animal night spotting. At first, I thought we’d be looking for real animals, but it turned out to be small plastic ones hidden around the campgrounds. We had to find at least seven of the 20+ placed there to claim a prize!

At first we kept missing the animals as we weren't sure how big were the animals. Turned out they were pretty small like this...

It’s not easy spotting them in the dark, so you’ll need your phone’s torch or the lamp provided in your tent. In the end, we managed to find 9! Such a fun, bonding activity for the whole fam!

Next up was Forest Weavers, where our camp facilitator taught us how to make knots for survival and decorative purposes!

This is the butterfly knot we learnt to make. Really pretty and simple, and you can definitely make it at home and gift it to friends!

And this is the monkey fist knot that's used in rescue situations. Big E made it just by seeing the camp facilitator do it once!

My girls said among the night activities, they enjoyed this knot-making activity the most! 😄

After that we all had a light supper of chocolate croissant and milo.

Then it was time to wind down with a shower! We counted four shower rooms and two family shower rooms in total. Given that there were just another family during our stay, we didn't have to wait for our turns for the shower rooms.

Shower gel, shampoo and towels are provided. Just remember to bring your own toothbrush and toothpaste as these are not provided.

We were glad to finally relax in our comfy tent. Actually during the night activities, I got a bit worried if insects might have crawled in as I hadn’t zipped the bottom of the tent before dinner. Also with the rain and cooler evening, there were quite a lot of rain ants at the campgrounds, but thankfully, none got inside!

One camp facilitator mentioned insects can enter if tents aren’t zipped, so always secure them when heading out. He also explained rain ants are common during wet weather, even at Reservoir Retreat. As they’re quite large, my girls—who dislike creepy crawlies—were nervous seeing so many. We hadn’t encountered them previously at Colugo Camp since it wasn’t raining then, but apparently they can appear at both glamping sites. So if you’re squeamish when it comes to insects and it’s rainy, just be prepared. After all, this is glamping in Mandai Wildlife Reserve which is surrounded by nature, so insects are to be expected. 😄

And also if you're wondering about mosquitoes at camp, there wasn't any that got us but hubs did get bit at the Rainforest Wild Adventure parks. So do bring repellant if you're glamping or visiting the parks (though one of the staff told us repellant don't seem to work on the mozzies there which is what my hubs came to realise😅).

Our beds were wonderfully comfy, and we all slept well. The night was cool enough that we only used the fans, not the aircon. We also didn’t need a midnight toilet run, but if you do, it’s just a short 1–2 minute walk to the hall.

On safety at night, there is staff on duty at night, and you can call or whatsapp them if needed. Also, each tent comes with a lock though from our past experience at Colugo Camp/Reservoir Retreat, it's a hassle to fumble with it in the dark at night, so we kept our tent zipped up but unlocked in case we needed to use the loo. On the whole, I felt it was safe and unlikely we would get robbed or attacked at night, but again, it's your call, okay? 😉

Day Two

Woke up to this view in the morning 🥰

BTW you can unzip the tent at the other end of the tent, so you can sit at the balcony to enjoy the view.

The tents face the sunrise, so the view is really gorgeous in the morning.

We went for a walk around camp in the morning...

...and it felt so peaceful and quiet.

No noise from afar either as the park has yet to open. Just us, nature and our tents 😊

We gathered at Crocodile Hall at 8:30 am for the Ranger Expedition programme, a half‑hour guided tour of Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST before the park opened.

Although check‑out was at 11 am, we decided to check out before the tour as we were planning to finish exploring both Rainforest Wild Adventure parks. From our past experience at Colugo Camp, this felt more seamless as we could focus on enjoying the parks without rushing back to check out. We left our luggage with staff, who arranged to place it at the check‑in counter by 1:30 pm for collection. That way, we could finish exploring the EAST park, collect our bags, leave them in the car, and continue to the WEST park. If you’re exploring both parks and driving, this is probably the smoothest option. For non‑drivers, Mandai Wildlife Reserve offers locker services, but it’s best to check their locations and sizes in advance.

On our tour, we visited lemur land...

...and the nearby bird habitats.

Our camp facilitators shared interesting insights about the park and its animals, and it was wonderful to have the park all to ourselves, even if just for that half hour before the park opens!

After that came breakfast at Rangers Retreat and it was scrumptious!

Add a plate of fruits each and we were fuelled, ready to explore the rest of the EAST park before venturing to the WEST park!

We headed straight to Treetop Traverse a little past 9am and were first in line! With good weather, we finally managed to go on the 125m treetop adventure.

It was actually not easy trying to film, take photos while making my way across suspended bridges and climbing nets, so I didn't have many photos for this.

My girls who love high element obstacle courses didn't think this was very challenging, but I did enjoy the walk and the challenge of multitasking while trying to complete the course! 😄

Note: Treetop Traverse has minimum height of 1.35m. There is no minimum weight requirement but partcipants must be able to fit securely into the harness provided.

After this, we headed to Split Rock Summit, an 11m vertical climb up a split rock! Since it was still early, we were next in line to be fitted with harnesses. During fitting, the staff asked if we were afraid of heights, as participants must rappel down after reaching the summit, and some do back out at the top and had to climb down instead. Looking at the rock, I thought, “Hmm, doesn’t seem that high... I should be able to do it.”

Again, the safety briefing took a while, as participants needed to learn how to use the climbing equipment. I felt the climb itself was actually quite easy.

This is the hard part...

Well, at least for me. It was actually a bit scary to be in this position and getting ready to let go. But once you do, it's a controlled descent, much like what you see for rock wall climbing. My girls were such naturals going down and landing as they are climbers. Can't say the same for me haha 😅

Split Rock Summit has a minimum height requirement of 1.35m, and while there is no minimum weight requirement, participant needs to be able to fit securely into the harness provided.

And finally, we reached our last activity—Primate Climb—where you ascend a towering 11m strangler fig tree. When we arrived, a group had just started climbing after their safety briefing, so we had to wait for the next round. Since we were already next in line, there was no point using our Fast Pass—this was as fast as it gets.

For this activity, staff also asked if we were afraid of heights, as participants must rappel down after reaching the top. Apparently, some climbers have frozen at the summit, too scared to let go for the controlled descent. One even held on for 40 minutes, which obviously caused a long wait for those in the queue! 😅

Hubs and I decided to sit Primate Climb out, not because we're afraid of heights but it's almost noon and getting quite hot, and our girls would probably finish the activity faster without us.

While waiting, we totally enjoyed watching the pygmy hippoes in the enclosure next door having a mud spa. We also caught sight of some Diana Monkeys!

And it's finally my girls' turn! The tree has three climbing sides, and each participant can attempt the tree up to three times. My girls found it pretty easy and both reached the top without trouble.

BTW there’s a stump at the top that makes for a great photo op! 😉 Note: Primate Climb requires a minimum height of 0.90 m and a minimum weight of 12 kg.

And with that, we completed all five of the Adventure activities at Rainforest Wild Adventure EAST! But the park isn’t just about the activities, there are plenty of animals to spot too. Even without actively looking, we managed to catch a few along the way.

If we weren't planning to head to the WEST zone, we'd probably spend more time touring the park and seeing all the animals at a more leisurely pace.

There are five 65m-260m treks in the EAST park worth exploring but alas, we wanted to visit both the east and west side of Rainforest Wild Adventure in a day! So we grabbed lunch at one of the many eateries in Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s East Zone. After collecting our luggage and leaving it in the car, we were ready to continue our adventure in the West Zone.

The adventure continues in Part 2 of my review (mainly because this post is getting long!). I’ll be focusing on Rainforest Wild Adventure WEST, which I still consider part of our staycation since it’s included in our glamping experience!

See you in Part 2 where we explore Rainforest Wild Adventure WEST and share more deets and tips for your visit to Crocodile Lodge and the Rainforest Wild Adventure parks! 😉

(Oh if you can't wait to see more pics and vids, you can also head over to my Instagram page to see our Crocodile Lodge IG highlights!)

Disclaimer: The review was made possible by Mandai Wildlife Reserve via a media invite. As always, all opinions are ours.

©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.