Banyan Group and Mandai Wildlife Group marked a major moment with the Grand Opening of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, celebrated with an event that brought together nature, design and community. The opening also marked Banyan Group’s 100th resort, making it a meaningful homecoming for the brand in Singapore.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam officiated the launch, inaugurated the resort’s Wishing Wall and offered a first look at the Rainforest Festival, which opens to the public today. The event began with a musical prelude by young artists from the Wolfgang Violin Studio, followed by a guided walk through the resort showcasing its sustainable architecture, biodiversity corridors and nature-inspired guest experiences.

During the preview, guests explored highlights from the Discovery Trail, artisanal crafts from around the world at the Banyan Gallery Showcase and the GREEN-HOUSE HangOut weekend market. They also visited Curiosity Cove, Singapore’s largest indoor nature-themed playscape, located a short walk from the resort. Nearly 100 beneficiaries from President’s Challenge programmes attended the preview, with more than 2,000 expected through the festival week.

The celebrations continued with the premiere of The Journey, a short film tracing Banyan Group’s evolution from its beginnings in Phuket to its milestone 100th resort in Singapore. This was followed by an intimate In Conversation session with Founder and Executive Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping and Co-Founder and Senior Vice President Ms Claire Chiang.

The programme also featured a City in Nature dialogue introduced by Ho Ren Yung, Deputy CEO, Banyan Group. The discussion explored themes like regenerative design and nature-positive development, with speakers from conservation, architecture and design including Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, Dawn Lim and Wong Chiu Man. Dr Mark Watson, Group Director of Sustainability and Impact at Banyan Group, moderated the session.

The Grand Opening Day ended with an appreciation dinner for partners and collaborators, hosted by emcee Paul Foster. The evening included performances by Min Lee, talents from Wolfgang Violin Studio, singer-songwriter Shazza, vocal band MICappella and Cultural Medallion recipient Dick Lee, whose rendition of “Home” closed the night.

The Rainforest Festival runs from 27 November to 3 December 2025, offering discovery trails, craft showcases, wellbeing sessions, nature walks, creative workshops and family activities. Weekend highlights include the GREEN-HOUSE HangOut, bringing together sustainable homegrown brands and live performances by artists such as Joie Tan, MICappella and others. Beans & Beats takes over the stage on Sunday.

All festival ticket proceeds will support President’s Challenge 2025 and will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Banyan Group. An additional 20 per cent from paid experiences by Mandai Wildlife Group and the resort, along with SG60-exclusive merchandise sales at Banyan Gallery, will also be donated and matched under the SG60 Matching Grants.

To commemorate the opening and SG60, the resort has introduced a Silver Staycation weekday retreat for seniors aged 60 and above, available for stays until 30 April 2026. The offer includes daily breakfast for two, advance purchase savings and a complimentary Family Room upgrade for seniors travelling with grandchildren, subject to availability. Guests also receive a SG$100 nett resort credit redeemable across dining, spa treatments, in-resort activities and park admission arranged through the resort’s concierge team.