We visited Bird Paradise for the very first time today! I’d won tix online and could therefore save on the entrance fee (hehehe). The parking fee itself was a hefty ten bucks. I’d done prior research and told hubby so he won’t get a shock when we’re leaving the carpark. LOL. It’s $3 for the first hour and $2 for every subsequent hour or part thereof. Thankfully there’s a cap of $10. If you were to come by after the park is closed, it’s free parking from 6pm to 12 midnight. XD Make sure you sign up for a WildPass (free digital membership) as you’ll get discounts off tix, at the F&B outlets, etc. For activities like the bird feeding, you’ll have to book and pay up in advance. Renting a wagon or trike for our kiddo would cost $18 – so, naturally, we brought Melody’s stroller. XD There are water dispensers at various locations within Bird Paradise so you can simply bring your own water bottle. My darling said a 500ml bottle of Pokka Green Tea at the Cheers convenience store cost $4.03 (GULP!). But, you know what… we’d brought our own water and isotonic drinks which we’d left in the freezer overnight so they’d slowly ‘melt’ throughout the day and we’d have icy cold beverages throughout our visit. Hehehe… smart right? 
I’d also noted the timings for the two presentations (I’d wanted to catch both) at the Sky Amphitheatre. We managed to catch Predators on Wings at 1030am and Wings of the World at 1230pm. It’s super important to reach Bird Paradise EARLY. They open at 9am and we reached the carpark at 9.03am. By about 11.30pm, the heat would be unbearable (so you need to have seen all the aviaries by that time!) From the entrance, we walked one round through all the aviaries and stopped by the Amphitheatre for the first show. Then once we reached the exit, we took the free shuttle back to the Amphitheatre for the second show. And since it was scorching hot by the time that ended, again, we took the shuttle and got ourselves back to the entrance. XD (Yes, there are only two stations, no other stops in-between, as it’s a short ride – you can also walk as it’s about 350m, according to signposts)
But the weather is a real killer. And we noticed that some of the birds weren’t in the mood to perform today. Either they’d refuse to move or ignore instructions / directions and do their own thing. XD
OK… here’s another pro tip: see the huge-ass fans below? I’m not referring to the people. But just get yourself seated at the back row, right in front of those fans. Super shiok! Anywhere else is just going to be (too) warm…
We saw lots of birds (obviously) today and my favourite has to be the blue-winged kookaburra. (You know how to sign the song? :D)
And we also bought the Penguin Bao! Remember I told you at the start of this blogpost that you should get a WildPass? Yup, there’s 10% discount for the bao if you have the WildPass (just flash the email sent to you). Each bao costs $3.90+GST (no discount even if you get 4 of them) and you pay an additional $2+GST if you want them in a box. If you get a takeaway instead of dining in, you save on the 10% service charge.
Between the various aviaries will be lovely areas which act as sort of a reprieve from the intense heat. The air-conditioning is so strong in those areas, and all the seats look different. Some places have benches, some have swings, and others have beanbags…
And at this particular panel… hubby says to me that we should be in this photo together, instead of Melody. Cos… Melody Makers… geddit? XD
Another thing we did (correctly) was to let Melody bring her own stuffed toys. Muahaha. As you can see in the final pic, she wasn’t even interested in what her Papa was showing her as she had her favourite Penguin with her already. I can only say the stuffed animals in Bird Paradise are quite pricey. The small grey penguin which fit into my hand costs $15. (@_@) Great souvenir for the tourists though. XD
All in all, we had a wonderful time at the Bird Paradise. It truly exceeded all our expectations. *The diaper change/nursing rooms and toilets were all super clean and dry, like our airport toilets. There were even complimentary wet wipes at the diaper change area – consider me uber impressed! We’d definitely love to be back again once Melody is a little older and can walk all around on her own. XD Then she’ll be better able to enjoy the playgrounds and water play areas here.
And oh… food options near where we parked:
Not as crazy expensive as we’d expected them to be. Could be great dining spots for those who live nearby and can take advantage of the free parking after 6pm. Do check the operating hours for these F&B joints first though. 