It’s the largest transportation hub in Southeast Asia, but beyond that Changi Airport is one of the most iconic gateways across the globe, and it’s not hard to see what makes it so special.
This bustling airport was named World’s Best Airport for six consecutive years (according to Skytrax), because of its standout features including its on-time performance, range of entertainment options, with so many wonders and delights to behold, you’ll be wishing your layover was longer…
The Gardens
Singapore is affectionately known as a ‘City in a Garden’, with an abundance of greenery throughout the city, lush green hotels and heritage-listed gardens.
Similarly, Changi Airport is an ‘Airport in a Garden’, housing more than 200,000 plants across terminals 1 to 4. A dedicated team of over 20 horticulturalists and 150 contracted gardeners take care of the gardens and design beautiful floral displays based on calendar events & festivals throughout the year.
Photo by Pang Yuhao on Unsplash
Though the majority of plants are permanently growing inside the terminal, Changi also has a nursery spanning three hectares, which nurses around 50,000 plants and flowers.
Tour Singapore For Free
If your layover is more than 5.5 hours and you would like to do something else other than dine and shop at Changi, the airport’s Free Singapore Tours are a great way to kill some time while seeing this dynamic city.
If you’re after a taste of modern-day Singapore, check out the City Sights Tour which includes a short stopover at Merlion Park, Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade and Gardens by the Bay.
If you’re a culture buff, you may be more interested in embarking on the Heritage Tour, which brings you through Singapore’s past and present as you visit the colonial and cultural districts of Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam and Merlion Park.
The Butterflies
Changi’s Butterfly Garden is the world’s first (and only!) butterfly habitat in an airport. The tropical butterfly habitat has a profusion of flowering plants, lush greenery and a six-metre grotto-waterfall, so it’s the perfect place to capture an Insta-worthy photo.
Here, you will find more than 1,000 tropical butterflies from as many as 50 species throughout the different seasons of the year. Location: Terminal 3, Departure Transit Hall, Level 2 & 3.
A Hotel With Runway Views and Rooftop Pool
Need to freshen up and get some rest between flights? Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 1 makes it easy, offering room bookings for as little as S$60 and you don’t even have to pass immigration. It’s also the only transit hotel in Asia with an outdoor pool, complete with poolside bar.
Tip: Be sure to request a room with runway views for the full experience.
Automation
Changi’s newly-opened fourth terminal (T4) is the most technologically advanced terminal at the airport, using an end-to-end, fully automated departure process to improve check-in efficiency for passengers and fast track their departure journey.
This process uses facial recognition technology to offer self-service at check-in, baggage drop, immigration and when boarding the flight.
The Worlds Tallest Slide (in an airport)
Changi Airport is home to the world’s tallest airport slide – at four storeys high!
The 12-metre tall slide can be found at Terminal 3, Level 1. Thrill-seekers can whizz down the curvy slide at speeds of up to six metres per second, providing fun for both kids and adults.
Riders can redeem a ride with every S$10 spent at Changi Airport in a same-day receipt at Terminal 3’s Information Counter. Anyone above 1.3 metres can enjoy this exciting experience, with the maximum height limit of 2.0 metres tall. For those who are at least 1.1 metres tall, there’s a one-and-a-half-storey slide located in Basement 2, which is free to ride.
Changi Experience Agents
Changi has over 200 dedicated ‘Changi Experience Agents’ who assist travellers at both information desks and around the various airport locations. Did you know, collectively they speak over 20 languages including Russian, Uzbek, Swedish, Arabic, Bengali, Khmer, Sinhala, Punjabi and Nepali to best assist about 100 countries and territories worldwide.
The Jewel
Set to open in the first half of 2019, Jewel will be the gateway to Singapore and a world-class tourist destination as an extension of Changi Airport.
Jewel’s iconic structure with its glass and steel façade was designed by world-renowned architect, Moshe Safdie (the same architect that designed Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands).
It will be located at the landside, offering a vast array of options to dine, shop, play and stay for travellers arriving for business or leisure, even if only just a matter of hours.
Key attractions and offerings will include:
Forest Valley, four storeys of lush greenery (and one of Singapore’s largest indoor collection of plants) is perfect for walking up or rejuvenating between shopping and dining stops
Rain Vortex – the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 40m high, which transforms into a Light and Sound show after dark
Canopy Mazes, a pair of mazes which includes the world’s first mirror maze set in a garden
Sky-Nets, of which one is a 250-metre long bouncing net
Over 280 retail stores and eateries with several first-in-Singapore brands such as Shake Shack, Pokémon Center Singapore and Läderach
Jewel will be seamlessly linked to Terminal 1’s Arrival Hall and is only a short travelator ride from Terminals 2 and 3.
Find out more:
www.jewelchangiairport.com