In the brand new year of 2016, we are going to explore the world’s top seven most amazing and dangerous rivers around the world. These rivers are deep, changes with the climate and home to terrifying wildlife animals such as the man-eating crocodiles and piranhas. This might sound like an expensive and wild holiday trip, but actually, not quite. All these adventures happen right in the River Safari Singapore. Managed by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore, the River Safari is the newest family member in their wildlife portfolio. Much like the Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park, the River Safari also hosts thousands of exotic wildlife species but with an exclusive difference, the theme of the world’s iconic rivers. In fact, this is our first time visiting this $160 million attraction opened on 28 February 2014 and located between the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
In an overview, the River Safari houses more than 6,000 wildlife species and 40 of them are threatened species, including the giant pandas from China, Kai Kai and Jia Jia. Since this park is focused on rivers around the world, it exhibits many aquatic wildlife from the seven most famous rivers around the world, namely Mississippi River, Congo River, River Nile, Ganges River, Mary River, Mekong River and Yangtze River. Get ready as we are going to explore the Rivers Of The World in this new year.
Exploring The Rivers Of The World
Besides the admission tickets, we have also purchased the Amazon River Quest Riders which is one of the key features of the River Safari. As the minimum height requirement for this wet and bumpy adventure ride is 1.06m, Kayden measured just nice.
Before embarking our boat ride, we started our journey into the seven famous rivers, or the Rivers Of The World. During this exploration, we get to see about 5,000 different aquatic and endangered wildlife animals from various parts of the world. These fascinating and endangered animals includes the squirrel monkeys, giant otters, Chinese alligators and anacondas.
If you were to ask me, which are my favorite Rivers Of The World? I will have two rivers in my mind, the Ganges River and the Mekong River. In the Ganges River, you will get to see the enormous Hindu sacred crocodile named Indian Gharial. These crocodiles with elongated and narrow snouts could reach as long as 7 meters and weigh as heavy as 250kg. The Indian Gharials are critically endangered species and were almost extinct in 1970s. Fortunately, with the conservation programs in place, we are still able to see one of the largest crocodiles in the world.
Behind the huge water tank in the Mekong River, we are fully engrossed with the gigantic Mekong Cat Fish and Giant Freshwater Stingray. The Mekong Cat Fish claims the Guinness Book Of Records for the largest freshwater fish in the world. It can grow as long as 3 meters and weight as heavy as 200kg in 6 years. Also a threatened species, the Giant Freshwater Stingray is mostly found in the IndoChina and Borneo rivers. This freshwater fish can grow up to 1.9m and weighs up to 600kg. Their low in population were mainly due to heavy fishing pressure for it’s meat and habitat degradation.
Checking Out Kai Kai And Jia Jia In Giant Panda Forest
The last exhibited Rivers Of The World in the map is the Yangtze River of China. This is the location where many people will come to visit the China’s giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia. Housed in a climate-controlled biodome which emulates the pandas natural habitat, these iconic pandas are on a ten year loan from China to Singapore, which symbolizes the friendship between China and Singapore. Rule of thumb, we got to be very quiet when visiting the pandas and no flash photography is allowed to prevent them from getting sudden shocks.
Get Bumpy With Amazon River Quest Riders Boat Ride
Subject to extreme seasonal changes around the year, the Amazon River is known as the second longest river in this planet. In River Safari’s Amazon River Quest Riders, we get to see up to 30 wildlife animals of the Amazon River like the Maned Wolf, Guanaco, Red Howler Monkeys, Jaguars and Capubaras. It was quite a wet and bumpy river ride experience especially if you are sitting in front.
The Largest Freshwater Aquarium In Amazon Flooded Forest
Located in a dark tunnel, the Amazon Flooded Forest is a huge cinematic aquarium in the River Safari which hosts the remarkable aquatic wildlife of the South American rainforest. This attraction has earned the largest freshwater aquarium exhibition in the world. Take a deep breathe and enjoy the incredible moments with these animals.
Besides the above mentioned attractions within the River Safari, we also have a close up experience of the Amazon rainforest’s wandering Squirrel Monkeys in the Squirrel Monkey Forest and live feeding sessions of the ferociously fast Arowanas. My favourite part of the River Safari is the peaceful sight and calming sounds of the Upper Selatar Reservoir from the Viewing Deck.
Here is a slow motion video which I have captured during the feeding time of the Arowanas.
Address of my visit
River Safari
80 Mandai Lake Road
Singapore 729826
Opening Hours
Daily: 10.00am to 7.00pm daily
Tel: 6269 3411
Website: http://www.riversafari.com.sg
