A new indoor attraction at Mandai Wildlife Reserve is opening on 3 Mar. Exploria is an immersive experience that transports you to realms of nature usually invisible to the human eye. Some of us got to explore it early and found ourselves pleasantly surprised by what we saw and heard; keep reading to find out more!
While most of Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s parks and attractions present visitors with living biodiversity, Exploria aims to bring them on a journey that is not bound by time, scale or space. The new experience is one of Southeast Asia’s largest multimedia attractions, spanning 10,000 square metres with 5 realms to explore.
One of our favourite realms, the Realm of the Giants, takes you on a journey through time, spanning from the prehistoric era when dinosaurs roamed the Earth to the present day. The highlight of this ‘world’ would definitely be The Giants Show, an 8-minute, 360-degree visual experience.
You will first step on a platform, which will slowly ascend to reveal stunning scenes all around you. Combined with sound effects and mist, the show will make you feel like you entered a Jurassic world.
Another realm, named ‘World of Darkness’, takes you to the lowest depths of the ocean and the darkest corners of cave systems. Here, you will have the opportunity to explore parts of our world that humans would never normally access and gain a glimpse of what lies beneath.
Exploria is also a multisensory experience, where you will not just watch but hear and feel your surroundings. This is immediately apparent once you enter Exploria and its central hub. This area, which serves as an entrance to all the realms, also holds The Biopool, a 4-metre LED globe.
This mesmerising ball of light and colours constantly pulses, but comes alive during ‘The Planet Awakens’, a light and sound show that fills the entire central hub with synchronised visuals, colours and rhythms. This was definitely one of my highlights at Exploria, just sitting down and enjoying the combined atmosphere of the 5 worlds.
Throughout Exploria, wind simulations, cold mists, vibrating floors and temperature shifts also serve to immerse visitors in each realm. This helps to distinguish each world’s personality and provide a range of multisensory experiences.
The entire journey is also incredibly interactive through the RFID wristband every visitor receives. These bands can be used at more than 90 interactive stations to collect digital badges and complete quests.
These RFID wristbands can also be linked to a personal avatar created by you, allowing you to earn points as you explore. Points are used to unlock special accessories for your avatar. However, most people will probably find them useful for activating Memory Hooks — special photo spots where you can have your pictures taken in the interesting environments.
Entering your personal email at the beginning of your journey will also allow you to save your avatar and game progression and receive all your photos taken at Memory Hooks. So if you want a truly personalised experience that will stay with you even after your visit, make sure to key in your email.
Exploria will officially open its doors on 3 Mar and will be open daily, from 11am to 8pm on weekdays and 11am to 9pm on weekends. Standard tickets are priced at S$38 for adults and S$28 for children and all students.
Singaporeans can also sign up for the free WildPass membership to get a 10% discount on all admission tickets. For more information on Exploria, visit their website.
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