Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve has unveiled its latest addition: Exploria, a 10,000 sqm indoor, nature-themed multimedia hub where “hidden systems of life come alive”.
Part of Mandai’s growing rainforest retreat destination, Exploria blends immersive storytelling, interactive technology and science-led narratives to explore how ecosystems function – and how deeply interconnected life on Earth really is.
Spread across two levels, the attraction features five immersive worlds linked by a central hub called Our Interconnected World.
Visitors entering the hub will first see the Biopool.
The four-metre LED globe ignites visible pulses of light with every human touch, symbolising the interconnectedness of humans and nature. The globe also lights up during Exploria’s signature light and sound show, The Planet Awakens.
Visitors are issued an RFID wristband on entry, allowing them to create a digital avatar and take part in interactive, gamified exploration across the attraction. Badges and medals can be earned and stored in users' profiles for a year to encourage friendly game play.
In Realm of the Giants, prehistoric dinosaurs and colossal sea creatures come alive, via monumental installations and augmented reality (AR) windows. The site is anchored by an eight-minute, 360-degree standing theatre experience covering the 500 million years prior to the giants' extinction.
Micro Worlds magnify hidden microbial and invertebrate ecosystems usually hidden from the naked eye. Photo Credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
At the other end of the scale is Micro Worlds. Interactive glass orbs and projection domes magnify hidden microbial and invertebrate ecosystems usually hidden from the naked eye, such as plankton, insect colonies, fungi and bacteria.
Also on level one, Bitdeer AI Extreme Frontiers transports visitors to some of the planet’s most challenging environments through virtual expeditions and simulator rooms, from demoiselle cranes migrating at high altitudes to Namaqua chameleons thermoregulating in deserts.
On level two, Infinite Wonderland, wildlife emerges from foliage and reefscapes to reveal species that often remain concealed in these complex ecosystems, while World of Darkness covers visitors in a pitch-black labyrinth uncovering life in dark caves and the deep sea.
Visitors can also make use of Memory Hooks – photo stations – in each world.
Exploria will open on 3 March, operating from 11am to 8pm on weekdays and until 9pm on weekends and public holidays.
Tickets are priced at S$38 (US$30) for adults and S$28 for children and students, with discounts available for local WildPass members.