Lets go to the Singapore zoo

Singapore Zoo, from the beginning, followed the modern trend of displaying animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits with hidden barriers, moats, and glass between the animals and visitors. Animals are kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures separated from the visitors by either dry or wet moats. The moats are concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision. Dangerous animals that can climb well are housed in landscaped glass-fronted enclosures.

 

The Singapore Zoo (Chinese: 新加坡动物园; pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Dòngwùyuán; Malay: 'Taman Haiwan Singapura'; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் விலங்குக் காட்சிச்சாலை), formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens and commonly known locally as the Mandai Zoo, occupies 28 hectares (69 acres) on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area.
It is operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, who also manage the neighbouring Night Safari and the Jurong BirdPark. There are about 315 species of animal in the zoo, of which some 16% are considered threatened species. The zoo attracts about 1.6 million visitors each year.

 

The Zoo Shows

• "Breakfast with an Orangutan" lets visitors to meet and interact closely with the orangutans in the zoo. Animal shows, as well as token feedings coupled with live commentaries by keepers, are also the daily staple in the Singapore zoo.
• The "Rainforest Fights Back" show is housed in the Shaw Amphitheatre, the main amphitheatre within the zoo. Actors and performers act alongside the animals: in-show, a villainous poacher attempts to mow down a section of tropical rainforest for land development, and is foiled by the native people and the animals of the rainforest (orangutans, lemurs, pea-fowls, otters, and cockatiels).
• The "Elephants at Work and Play" show demonstrates how elephants are used as beasts of burden in south-east Asian countries. The animal caretakers are referred to as mahouts, and the show simulates how a mahout would instruct an elephant to transport logs or kneel down so that they can be mounted.
• The "Splash Safari" show showcases the zoo's aquatic mammals and birds. Seals and sealions perform tricks and pelicans demonstrate how they catch fish in their beaks, while manatees swim in the pond below.
• The "Animal Friends" show, housed in the Kidzworld amphitheater in the zoo's children's section, features mostly domesticated animals such as dogs and parrots performing tricks.

Children can have a field day at the Rainforest Kidzworld, in the northern end of the zoo (near tram strop 2), where they can enjoy a splashing fun time at wet play area, ride ponies or play and learn in this enriching zone. You would have to come prepared with swim suits and towels though (or bought at the store there).

 

Getting Here

Since there are no MRT station in the vicinity, visitors to the zoo mainly rely on car, taxi, tour buses and local bus services. There are 3 bus services (services 138, 926, 927) which stop outside the bus stop at Mandai Lake Road. These 3 bus services, if taken from the zoo, would ferry passengers to towns. These towns are Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands, and Choa Chu Kang. Once the bus services reach the last stop which is the town's respective bus interchange, they can transfer onto an MRT station which links the town to the rest of the country, making it easy to also travel to the city. An additional service service 171 connecting the Zoo to popular tourist spots such as Orchard Road and hotels such as the acclaimed Raffles Hotel, stops outside Mandai Road. People who want to take this service to the zoo, must alight at Mandai Road and walk down to Mandai Lake Road or transfer to services 138 or 927. Bus fares are about $1.20 SGD per trip (about US$1)

 

Some Tips

• Got there around 9.30 am which is probably best time to start since you will need a full day to enjoy the zoo. You can buy the combo ticket that included the Jurong bird park and the night safari. Go to the night safari after finishing the full day in the zoo, However, if you go with kids, suggest doing these on separate days since they might get tired after the zoo and would probably not enjoying the night safari as much as you should have.
• Singapore is at tropic island, the weather is quite hot and has a very high humidity so dress appropriately and take enough water with you.
• The zoo also offers various modes of rides available within the premises: trams, animals, boat, pony and horse carriage rides. Strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs can also be rented at a reasonable cost. Take a tram package so that kids would not get tired of walking or you can rent a wagons for your kids and your bags too.
• During peak tourist season (especially in December), the ticketing line took a quite some time to get through, and also the cab line too.  It is advisable to buy your entrance tickets in advance, you can buy it online from their web.  As for avoiding the long queuing line for cabs, you can get a number to call a cab in advance rather than wait in line, be sure to write down your driver's number and cab number,  or you can always exit the zoo one one or two hours before it closed.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Zoo