Fodor's Expert Review Singapore Zoo

Sprawling over 65 acres of a 220-acre natural rain forest, this zoo has stunning views of nearby reservoir lakes. The zoo uses an open-concept design, with spacious enclosures using minimal glass and fencing to separate animals from zoo-goers: a 3-foot-deep moat, for instance, will keep humans and giraffes apart, since a giraffe's gait makes even a shallow trench impossible to negotiate. In total, there are about 4,200 animals from around 300 species here, spread across zones from Australasia to Wild Africa. The Asian elephant and Bornean orangutan enclosures are definitely worth a visit, but there's joy in stumbling across species less well-known as you wander through the park. The zoo is renowned for its conservation work, and up to 34% of the species living here are threatened in the wild. Make sure to ask for animal feeding times and keeper talks at the entrance.  To save a bit, you can buy a combo ticket for access to all four wildlife parks (Bird Paradise, Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and River Wonders) or two of your choice, to be used within seven days of purchase.