Banyan Group Opens Mandai Rainforest Resort and Launches First Rainforest Festival in Singapore

Rainforest Festival from November 27 to December 3

Banyan Group and Mandai Wildlife Group marked a milestone on November 26 with the grand opening of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam officiated the ceremony, inaugurating the resort’s Wishing Wall and previewing Banyan Group’s first Rainforest Festival, scheduled from November 27 to December 3, 2025.

Located within the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the property is Banyan Group’s one hundredth resort and marks the organisation’s return to Singapore. Owned by Mandai Wildlife Group, it is the first resort situated inside a major wildlife and nature destination in a capital city.

The opening programme began with a musical prelude by young performers from the Wolfgang Violin Studio. Guests joined a guided walk through the resort, which highlighted its sustainable design features, biodiversity corridors and nature-focused guest experiences. The preview also introduced elements of the festival. Nearly 100 beneficiaries from President’s Challenge programmes attended, with more than 2,000 beneficiaries invited across the festival week.

The day continued with the premiere of The Journey, a twelve-minute film tracing Banyan Group’s development from its beginnings in Phuket to its hundredth property in Singapore. An In Conversation session with Founder and Executive Chairman Ho Kwon Ping and Co-Founder and Senior Vice President Claire Chiang followed this.

A City in Nature dialogue, introduced by Deputy CEO Ho Ren Yung, explored Singapore’s City in Nature vision. The discussion covered regenerative design, nature-positive development and collaborative stewardship. It was moderated by Dr Mark Watson, Group Director of Sustainability and Impact at Banyan Group. It brought together Mandai Wildlife Group Deputy CEO of Life Sciences and Chief Life Sciences Officer Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, DesignSingapore Council Executive Director Dawn Lim and WOW Architects Co-Founder Wong Chiu Man.

The opening day concluded with an appreciation dinner for partners and collaborators. Hosted by Paul Foster, the evening featured performances by Min Lee, young musicians from Wolfgang Violin Studio, singer-songwriter Shazza, vocal group MICappella, and Cultural Medallion recipient Dick Lee.

Rainforest Festival from November 27 to December 3, 2025

The Rainforest Festival takes place at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree from November 27 to December 3, 2025, from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening daily. Visitors can explore discovery trails; artisanal craft showcases and nature-inspired food offerings. The programme includes wellbeing sessions, guided nature walks, creative workshops, family activities and yoga and movement classes.

Over the weekend, the GREEN-HOUSE HangOut presents a compact version of Singapore’s sustainable lifestyle event, featuring ten local brands and performances by Wolfgang Violin Studio, Joie Tan, Jack and Rai, MICappella and Heart Songs by Gabrielle Mendoza on Saturday. Beans and Beats will take the stage on Sunday.

All festival ticket proceeds will be donated to the President’s Challenge and matched dollar-for-dollar by Banyan Group. An additional twenty per cent of proceeds from paid experiences by Mandai Wildlife Group and the resort, as well as sales of SG60-exclusive merchandise at Banyan Gallery, will also be donated. The Government will provide a further match under the SG60 Matching Grants.

General admission is priced at US$10 on weekdays and US$15 on weekends. Entry is free for children under four accompanied by an adult, in-house resort guests and participants of paid tours or ecology or culinary experiences at the resort and Mandai Wildlife Reserve during the festival week.

Silver Generation Weekday Retreat

To mark the opening and SG60, the resort has launched a Silver Staycation weekday retreat for guests aged sixty and above, available until April 30, 2026. This includes daily breakfast for two, advance-purchase savings and a complimentary Family Room upgrade for grandparents travelling with grandchildren, subject to availability. Weekday stays are available from Sunday to Thursday. Guests will also receive a US$100 nett resort credit redeemable at Forage or Planter’s Shed, Banyan Tree Spa treatments, resort activities and park admission tickets arranged by the concierge. Further festival updates and programme information are available on the Banyan Group website.

Also read: Banyan Group Opens 100^th Global Property with Launch of Mandai Rainforest Resort in Singapore