Jewel Changi dedicated a massive proportion of its top floor on level 5 to being a recreational playspace, with various attractions catering to different age groups and more importantly, activity levels. Some are relaxing and sedentary while others are slightly more thrilling and require a little bit of fitness to get through. On the official website, there are a few permutations of entry ticket options and a breakdown of what’s included in your ticket price as some of the attractions have separate admission charges.
As one of the first 100 sign-ups for an M-Carnival online event organized by Manulife, we received a complimentary pair of tickets to the Manulife Bouncing Net (previously named Sky Nets – Bouncing) and Canopy Park attractions. This was a nice chance to get a taster of what this place had to offer!
- Inclusions:
- Manulife Bouncing Net
- Canopy Park (Discovery Slides, Foggy Bowls, Petal Garden, Topiary Walk)
- Spent: SGD$0 (for 2 tickets)
An entry ticket to the Canopy Park includes access to four attractions and scenic landscapes in between (like a huge pond with actual live mandarin ducks floating in it). It really does feel like a park, with the welcome addition of air-conditioning.
Upon entering, the first attraction we came to was the Topiary Walk. This section was great for a leisurely stroll along a path with brightly coloured topiary animals.
Up next were the Discovery Slides, a collection of slides with varying levels of excitement and a viewing deck. Some of the slides were near vertical (and could possibly give you an abrasion if you’re not careful) while others were gentler spiral slides. If you aren’t afraid of heights, make your way to the highest point of the viewing deck for a pretty cool panoramic view of the atrium below.
Then, we arrived at the Foggy Bowls, a turf area with “bowls” in the ground that dispense mist at certain intervals. This section was fairly packed with kids running and rolling around while their parents watched them from the benches. It took quite a while for the mist to be released and even then, only one bowl was functioning (maybe they were cutting costs with the other two).
Located near the exit of the park, the Petal Garden showcases a kaleidoscopic array of colourful seasonal flowers. During our visit, it was Christmas-themed and the colours were simply a feast for the eyes.
Within the park, there are five paid attractions that come at an additional charge if your entry ticket doesn’t already include them. Our tickets gave us access solely to the Manulife Bouncing Net so I’ll only be reviewing that here.
If you’re visiting this attraction, I highly recommend that you head straight here to take a queue number before exploring the rest of the Canopy Park. There was no physical queue and we were fooled into thinking it wouldn’t take long, but we waited close to 40 minutes for our turn. When the system calls your number, you have a 15-minute grace period to show up or your turn will be forfeited (not sure how strict they are on this but we weren’t about to risk it).
When we finally got to the nets, it was unexpectedly fun! There are different paths and layers to take, as well as open spaces to just bounce and jump about to your heart’s content. There is even a slide and a spot where you’re probably at the highest point of the mall with full view of the atrium below. But with all that jumping and balancing, my thighs were burning after a while and my husband started perspiring too. Guess that’s my workout for the week heh 😛
Additionally, at the time of our visit, there was a mall promotion where every $25 spent at participating stores (or $50 at the supermarket) entitled guests to one entry pass to the special Christmas presentation at Shiseido Forest Valley. Thanks to our expenditure at Burger & Lobster earlier, we easily hit the criteria to redeem these tickets.
Initially, I reserved a 6pm entry slot via the iChangi app but the staff setting up for the event recommended that we go for the 7pm slot instead as there would be a light show at 7.30pm. I thought it was super nice of him as he could’ve spared himself the hassle and just let us in there and then, but he chose to elevate our experience by sharing this tip (: Another staff also helped to point out exactly where the snowfall would be happening so we could get a better spot. I was really impressed by the staff’s helpfulness ❤
My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars. I found the environment at the Canopy Park very comfortable, with sufficient seating and wide open paths. Not to mention the scenic views and the sound of rushing water in the background, creating a calming sense of being in nature (sans the occasional wailing toddler). However, it generally wasn’t all that entertaining or interesting, and even with the complimentary tickets, it didn’t feel particularly worth the time and effort spent. To be fair, the Manulife Bouncing Net was actually quite fun and had us working up a sweat (remember to dress comfortably and wear covered shoes!), but it’s an experience we’re quite willing to skip if we had to pay for it. This park and its attractions might be more suited to parents who want a place for their kids to expend their energy. I doubt we’ll be back here any time soon as we’ve sort of seen all there is to it, but who knows, maybe when we reach the next phase of life…
Dania Experiences 