We review Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree in Singapore, an eco-conscious hideaway where elevated design and immersive nature experiences await

For all its urban polish, Singapore still keeps a few secrets in green. Mandai is one of them, a landscape of reservoirs, shaded trails and dense foliage where the city seems to loosen its grip for a brief moment. Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree sits gently within this environment, offering a retreat where luxury unravels at the pace of the forest. The brand’s newest resort brings a touch of rainforest romance to the urban stay, inviting guests to experience Singapore at its most elemental.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree review

A five-star jungle

I have long professed a love for nature, ideally accompanied by fine linens and minimal entomological interaction.

At Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, I got precisely that. An immersive experience in the wilderness without the hassle of pitching a tent. Tucked within the Mandai Wildlife Reserve and a discreet drive from town, this is where Singapore exchanges its traffic hum for cicadas with ambition. Here, you will find yourself within the emerald hush of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, home to Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise.

At the entrance, a 12-metre Rain Tree presides like an ancient matriarch, spreading its umbrella canopy like a benevolent empress, while an Indian Beech stands guard. Designed by Singapore-based WOW Architects, the 338-room resort is elevated to allow native wildlife right of way, a refreshing reversal of the usual human entitlement. Instead of dominating the landscape, the architecture negotiates with it. Inside the resort, biophilia is a worldview. Upcycled wood reception counters, nature-inspired light features, and a lobby that feels more like a forest clearing than a formal foyer. 

The rooms

My Rainforest King room overlooked the Upper Seletar Reservoir. The view was so serene it felt almost algorithm-proof. No jarring notifications, no obnoxious skyline glare. In particular, I truly appreciated the slow unfurling of light across water and trees as I eased into the morning.

As someone temperamentally unsuited to sub-zero hotel settings, I was relieved to discover that the room temperature mirrors the cool hush of a rainforest rather than the arctic blast of overzealous air-conditioning. Windows open fully, allowing actual rainforest air to drift in (don’t worry, the netting keeps the insects at bay). The entire room reads like a pretty nature journal, bound in leather and placed discreetly on an Italian marble console. The interiors trace the forest’s layers, floor, understorey, and canopy with antique-style lithographs of native wildlife, lending a scholarly charm to the room. It feels like National Geographic reimagined by a very well-funded aesthete. 

There’s an interactive display that tracks your power consumption, meaning you can either feel virtuous about your eco-awareness or mildly guilty, depending on the duration of your shower. Rainwater is repurposed for flushing, and sustainability is woven into the stay as seamlessly as good, crisp linen.

If budget is blissfully irrelevant, and you’ve ever wondered what it might feel like to cosplay as a very elegant seed, the 24 treehouses hover above ground with private patios, their pod-like silhouettes intimate and cocooned, with just the faintest air of smug exclusivity.

Dining among the trees

Planter’s Shed, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant, offers a decent buffet selection. The space itself is airy and relaxed, and while I went in reminding myself I would keep things sensible, I left negotiating with my waistband.

Breakfast included a live cooking station dishing out eggs in every possible mode, from soft-scrambled to folded into omelettes, alongside buttery pastries and even silky congee with a selection of condiments. Dinner was an equally pleasant affair. The laksa alone justifies a visit. Noodles came steeped in a thick, creamy broth that walked the perfect line between tasty and fiery. I went back for seconds (of course), all in the name of journalistic rigour. The kueh pie tee with their crisp golden shells and juicy turnip stew fillings disappeared as quickly as they came. A chocolate fondue fountain stood burbling away in the dessert corner with quiet confidence. Needless to say, I made my inevitable pilgrimage towards it, armed with sticks of marshmallows. What began as a sensible sampling strategy had rapidly evolved into an appreciative tour of the buffet.

If Planter’s Shed satisfies the appetite, Forage sharpens it. At this speciality restaurant, Chef Marcus Tan presents a seasonal harvest-to-table menu where nature’s finest ingredients are worked into an elegant culinary narrative. With a single 6 pm seating and just 40 guests, the mood is intimate and almost conspiratorial. ​​At dinner, windows frame the reservoir as it deepens into shades of amber and rose with the setting sun. 

Chef Marcus Tan’s five-course Discovery ($138++) and eight-course Experience ($198++) menus are shaped by seasonality and the resort’s rooftop edible garden. Herbs and microgreens are the main protagonists. Stems and skins are reborn as stocks and sauces, making sustainability a serious discipline. Ingredients are locally sourced (Ah Hua Kelong for seafood, Toh Thye San Farm for poultry), and nothing is wasted. 

The dishes are refined without being fussy, modern without spectacle. My meal began, as all good meals should, with bread and butter. A warm basket of house-made sourdough arrived first, its crust deeply bronzed and audibly crackling as it was torn open. The interior was tender and slightly tangy. It came with a generous slab of Maison Bordier salted butter, melting slowly into the warm crumb. And despite the excellent courses that followed, the bread remained stubbornly difficult to surpass. I left feeling nourished in ways that extended beyond appetite (although my appetite was certainly satisfied).

The facilities

The Banyan Tree Spa here borrows design cues from the Sunda pangolin, specifically its protective keratin scales. The treatment pods resemble elegant armour, shielding you from both stress and WhatsApp notifications.

Three treatment pods cradle you in quietude. Inside, aromatic oils, herbs, and centuries-old Asian techniques work their magic. If you’ve had your fill of orangutans and schoolchildren on sugar highs at the zoo, and crave something altogether more zen, this is where you retreat.

By late afternoon, consider heading to the infinity pool, which overlooks the reservoir. The pool is deliciously tempting, a cinematic sheet of blue that seems to spill straight into the rainforest. Between 4 and 5 pm, complimentary ice cream is served, a charmingly unpretentious detail. It wasn’t artisanal nor plated with unnecessary ceremony, but was just gloriously straightforward, nostalgic ice cream sandwiched between a slice of bread. For me, it was frankly one of the greatest perks of the stay.

Wildlife at your doorstep

The best part of the resort? It grants you privileged intimacy with the wild minus the mosquito netting. Staying here unlocks curated access to the wildlife parks next door. Early morning walks through Bird Paradise, guided experiences at Singapore Zoo, immersive programmes for children who still possess functional wonder (and for adults who misplaced theirs somewhere between email threads).

I paused longer than necessary at enclosures, attempting to read informational plaques while actually watching animals exist with enviable self-assurance. I developed strong opinions about otters, whose energetic vocal debates carried far beyond their enclosure. I observed giraffes with disproportionate seriousness. I mentally congratulated myself for achieving 10,000 steps before breakfast, as if the zoo had personally endorsed my (non-existent) fitness goals.

In short, you can do as much or as little as you please. Sunrise by the reservoir. A ballroom gala in the Meranti Ballroom, inspired by the Bridal Veil Stinkhorn mushroom. Or simply sitting still long enough to appreciate the sumptuous silence, broken only by birds who occasionally demand an audience. Most of all, there’s the quiet thrill of proximity, knowing that somewhere nearby, a hornbill is going about its day entirely indifferent to your schedule.

The takeaway

Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree is not escapism in the traditional sense. Instead of whisking me away to another continent, I was gently persuaded to see my own backyard differently. Nature is not manicured into submission or perfectly curated for Instagram symmetry. It is respected and negotiated with. Yes, while it was slightly humid, once I adapted to its rhythm, I discovered that comfort is overrated and immersion is far more fascinating.

Discover more about Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree or Book through Booking.com Book through Expedia Book through Agoda

But wait, there’s more…

• We reviewed the Chinatown gem in Singapore, the AMOY
• These are all the most beautiful heritage hotels in Singapore
• If you’re flying across to Bali, you won’t want to miss our favourite boutique hotels on the island