Mandai ( ) is a

planning area Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. Some researchers regard the evolution of forethought - the capaci ...

located in the North Region of Singapore, famously known for being the access point for the

Mandai Wildlife Reserve Mandai Wildlife Group is a self-funded organisation based in Singapore which manages the Mandai Wildlife Reserve at Mandai in Singapore, which includes the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild. Found ...

which includes the

Singapore Zoo The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is a zoo located on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. It is operated by the Mandai Wildl ...

, Night Safari,

River Wonders River Wonders, formerly known as River Safari, is a river-themed zoo and aquarium located in Mandai, Singapore, it forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Bird Paradise and the upc ...

Bird Paradise Bird Paradise is an aviary located in Mandai, Singapore. Opened on 8 May 2023, it replaced the Jurong Bird Park and forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and the upcoming Ra ...

and

Rainforest Wild Rainforest Wild is a zoo located in Singapore, that is managed by Mandai Wildlife Group, alongside Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Bird Paradise. It highlights animals that live in the rainforests of Asia and Africa, in 2 sections ...

. The

Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium is a crematorium and columbarium complex located at Mandai Road in Mandai, Singapore. The complex is operated by the Government of Singapore The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution ...

, the largest crematorium and columbarium in Singapore, is also located in Mandai planning area. Other features include the Sembawang Hot Springs and Sembawang Golf Course. Mandai is split into three subzones for statistical and planning purposes; Mandai East and Mandai West, plus Mandai Estate.

Etymology and history

Mandai Road Mandai Road () is a major road located in Mandai, in the northern area of Singapore. The road starts from Woodlands Road and ends at the junction of Sembawang Road and Upper Thomson Road. The road was built in 1855 in a jungle and appeared in t ...

was cut in 1855. The name ''Mandai'' appears in the Franklin and Jackson ''Plan of Singapore'' (1828) as a river indicated as "R. Mandi". There was also a reference of a hill called ''Bukit Mandai'' which appears as “Bt. Mandai” in the olden maps. The name is said to come from a Malay tree called "''pokok Mandai''". Others suggest that “Mandai” might be a corruption of ''mandi'', meaning “bathe” in Malay, as the river could have been used for this purpose.The name could have been derived from the district of Mandai in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, as there is a Bugis community in Singapore.Profile: Mandai
ppid.maroskab.go.id. Accessed 16 April 2025.

References

*. North Region, Singapore Places in Singapore {{Singapore-geo-stub