Singapore's Changi Airport is the world's best according to the Skytrax awards. But does it live up to the hype? Photo / Getty Images
Singapore's Changi Airport is the world's best according to the Skytrax awards. But does it live up to the hype? Photo / Getty Images
Could an airport over an airline sway which route you fly? Travel’s Editor, Stephanie Holmes manages to spend 16 hours in Singapore’s Changi International Airport - and could’ve stayed longer.
It’s been named the world’s best airport in the annual Skytrax awards a massive 12 times – reclaiming the title again this year. But does Singapore’s Changi International Airport really live up to the hype? With a 16-hour transit, I called in an airport expert to show me around and keep me entertained between flights.
Is it a shopping mall? Is it an adventure playground? Is it a nature park? Changi’s Jewel is all three, and much more.
In a triumph of imaginative urban planning, an open-space carpark was transformed into a tranquil, exciting, entertainment hub that is popular with travellers and Singaporeans alike.
You’ll likely have seen photos of the HSBC Rain Vortex – a 40m tall indoor waterfall that seems to cascade from the ceiling of a large, plant-filled atrium – but it’s even more impressive in real life.
Surrounding this spectacular waterfall centrepiece is the Shiseido Forest Valley, a lush green retreat filled with more than 900 trees and palms, 60,000 shrubs and a series of 30-minute walking trails.
The forest is open 24 hours, but the HSBC Rain Vortex only runs between 11am-10pm Monday to Thursday, and 10am-10pm Friday to Sunday. Evenings feature a light show at 8pm and 9pm, with an extra show at 10pm on weekends and public holidays.
The HSBC Rain Vortex is a stunning 40m tall indoor waterfall. This marvel appears to cascade from the ceiling of a large, plant-filled atrium. Photo / Changi Airport Group
Away from the “natural” attractions, there are more than 250 shops and dining venues, including big-name brands like Apple, Coach, Footlocker, Muji, Polo Ralph Lauren, Uniqlo, Zara, and many more.
On the fifth floor, you’ll find all kinds of fun, family-friendly attractions. You can get free access to things like discovery slides, flower gardens and play areas, while other attractions like climbing nets, mirror or hedge mazes, and the glass-floored canopy bridge, require you to buy a ticket. Prices aren’t astronomical – ranging from about $17-$31 for adults and $15-$25 for children.
You can spend hours exploring Jewel so whatever your travel plans, make sure you allow extra time to check it out – it’s an experience the whole family will love.
jewelchangiairport.com
Get some rest at Yotelair
Although I slept very well in my comfortable business-class seat on the Singapore Airlines’ flight from Johannesburg, time differences and long days of travel in the lead-up meant I was still exhausted. Enter Yotel, an affordable capsule hotel at Jewel.
Situated at Jewel Changi Airport, after clearing immigration, you can book by the hour, for a minimum of four hours, or choose a day-rate for extended stopovers. Check-in and -out can be done via self-service kiosks, or there’s a “Mission Control” crew available at all times, if you prefer speaking to a real person.
Rooms range from singles to accessible rooms to family “cabins”. There are no windows and rooms are compact, but there’s enough space for a short stay. Most cabins only have space for one large suitcase and you can’t leave luggage at Yotel’s reception, but there’s a user-pays baggage storage room on Jewel’s ground floor if needed. However, if you’re transiting to an onward journey, you should be able to check your luggage all the way through to your final destination.
Yotelair at Changi’s Terminal 1 is an affordable capsule hotel where rooms can be booked by the hour. Photo / Supplied
Cabins have wall-mounted smart TVs, bathrooms with complimentary toiletries and powerful rainfall showers, free Wi-Fi, USB ports and UK, European and US plug sockets, a 24/7 gym, and free coffee, tea and snacks available in a communal lounge. Best of all, the beds are queen-sized, adjustable and incredibly comfortable. I managed to get an extra three hours sleep and felt rested and ready to tackle the next part of my journey.
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Go on an art tour
Throughout the four terminals, you’ll find a range of impressive art installations, murals and sculptures. T1′s departure hall features Kinetic Rain, a mesmerising moving installation comprising 1200 bronze droplets that regularly transform into different shapes, like aeroplanes, kites and balloons.
There are multiple art installations across the four terminals, including the Kinetic Rain in T1, Crystal Clouds at the Jewel, and Petalclouds at T4. Photo / Supplied
At Jewel, you’ll see Crystal Clouds - 16 wire and crystal sculptures – and at T4, you’ll find Petalclouds, another kinetic sculpture, which moves in time to a specially composed piece of classical music.
Float like a butterfly
Changi boasts the world’s first airport butterfly garden and it’s a highlight of terminal 3. There are more than 1000 butterflies from 40 species, and they flit between native plants and a 6m waterfall in a two-storey space on levels 2 and 3.
The garden is very warm and humid, so you’ll work up a sweat. It’s open 24/7, but the butterflies are likely to be sleeping if you visit after dark.
The garden is designed to mimic a warm and humid environment, replicating the butterflies' natural habitat. Visitors can access it 24/7, but after dark, the butterflies are likely resting.
Watch a movie
If you’ve got a few hours to kill – and don’t mind sitting down again – T3′s movie theatre is a great place to keep the family entertained. Screenings of recent movies and family favourites take place throughout the day and night, and are free for everyone. The schedule is listed outside the theatre. Get the kids glued to the screen while you take 40 winks.
Eat your way around the world
You’ll never go hungry at Changi. There’s something for every taste, from food courts to fast food chains like Macca’s and Shake Shack, or local favourites like Bengawang Solo bakery and My Eureka popcorn.
Check out Sourbombe at Jewel, a bakery chain launched by Genevieve Lee, runner-up on Singapore MasterChef in 2018, and whose sourdough doughnuts stuffed with pastry cream come in a variety of flavours.
Other Singaporean delights include Bee Cheng Hiang, a store selling “bakkwa”, a kind of jerky that’s salty and sweet. It’s available to eat fresh, or you can buy shrink-wrapped packets to take home – just remember you can’t bring pork products into New Zealand, so choose beef or chicken.
Bacha Coffee, an international chain whose origins date back to 1910 in Marrakech, has gained a cult following in Singapore, with branches at Marina Bay Sands and Orchard Road, as well as Changi’s terminals 1, 3 and 4. The stores are beautifully designed and have become favourites with the Instagram influencer set. Changi’s flagship store is at T3 – a huge space with double-height ceiling and stained-glass centrepiece. Walls are packed with colourful packages of the different coffee varieties, reminiscent of a Victorian artisan sweet shop. As well as being able to purchase gift sets to take home, you can also get barista-made coffees and freshly baked pastries.
If you prefer a calming cuppa, TWG Tea stores are equally Instagrammable, and there are more than 800 single-estate and blended teas to choose from, as well as tea-infused patisseries and delicacies. The Singaporean brand was established in 2008 and has become an institution in Singapore and around the world.
Other special drinks experiences to look out for include Ella the robot barista – a bionic arm inside a vending machine that will make you a coffee to order; and the robotic bartender in T1′s Lotte Duty Free story – also a bionic arm, but this time you’ll get a sample of Martell’s fine cognacs.
To feel like you’re dining outside, go to Jewel’s level 5, where a range of restaurants and bars sit among lush greenery, with a clear ceiling so you can get some natural light to help with the jetlag.
Among the various attractions in Jewel, there are mazes, both mirror and hedge types, for visitors to explore. Photo / Supplied
Shop till you drop
Air-side shopping is tax-free when you present your boarding pass and you’ll find high-end stores like Gucci, Dior, Fendi, Hermes, Burberry and Balenciaga. Louis Vuitton’s two-storey flagship store at T3 has a 6.5m LED screen with digital art installation, while inside you’ll find a replica 1930s French plane and historic LV travelling trunks and suitcases.
Beyond the Vines, also in T3, is a local brand famous on TikTok for their “dumpling” bag. Bring one home for the teens in your life and get extra cool points.
Swim at the rooftop pool
Air-side at T1 is one of Changi’s most famous highlights – the rooftop open-air swimming pool at Aerotel. There are 70 rooms you can book for six-, 12- or 24 hour periods, and hotel guests get access to the pool, gym, and a restaurant with a complimentary meal for each guest. Some rooms come with a view of the tarmac, perfect for plane-spotters. If you don’t want to book a room, you can pay SGD$27 (NZ$34) for pool access – there’s no time limit on how long you can stay, and there are even swimming costumes available to purchase if you forgot yours. Could there be anything better than drinking a Singapore Sling in the sun on a rooftop pool in between flights?
Singapore's Changi Airport has more than enough to keep the whole family entertained, no matter how long your layover. Photo / Supplied
Climb, slide, ride, walk
At terminal 4, kids young and old will enjoy the Chandelier – a 16m-tall art installation-cum-climbing frame and playground, with companion slide. A great way to burn off some energy before being cooped up on the plane again.
Outside T4, and accessible to everyone – whether flying or just visiting – is Jurassic Mile, a permanent outdoor display of life-sized dinosaurs. Why? I’m not really sure, but it’s something the kids will go crazy for. More than 20 sculptures from nine different species stretch along the 1km cycling and jogging path, which goes between T4 and T2. Walk it, or rent a bike from Hub & Spoke at T2 and whiz along on two wheels.
Laze in a lounge
If you’re travelling in the premium cabin on Singapore Airlines, you can use Terminal 3′s stunning KrisFlyer lounge, which reopened last year after a refurbishment. It’s a large, comfortable space, with different seating areas, bars, food stations, TVs, showers, business centres and multiple charging ports. The food is excellent – with a late flight ahead of me, I opted to have my dinner of freshly made laksa, followed by cheese and crackers and fruit, so I could skip the meal on the plane and go straight to sleep.
But economy passengers need not miss out – there are pay-per-use lounges available for all travellers. Try the Plaza Premium lounge airside at T1, or head out to Jewel and check into the Changi Lounge, which has 920sq m of space, seating capacity for 150, showers, food and drink, and nap pods. Prices start from SGD20 ($25) for shower-only, up to SGD50 ($62) for a premium package that includes three hours’ lounge access, unlimited snacks, one hot meal, one beer and a shower.
The Jewel at Changi International Airport features the Shiseido Forest Valley, a lush green retreat filled with more than 900 trees and palms, 60,000 shrubs, and a series of 30-minute walking trails.
Accessible facilities
Wheelchair users and those with mobility or accessible needs will find Changi is well set up. There’s an Accessible Changing Room at T3, with adult diaper changing area with a height-adjustable nursing bench, fully automated sensor-operated toilet, and grab bars for support.
The airport’s Hearing Enhancement System is compatible with personal hearing aids and allows easy communication with Changi Customer Experience Ambassadors, minimising surrounding noise interference. HES-equipped counters are at T1 and T4.
Free-to-use wheelchairs can be reserved up to 24 hours in advance using Changi’s booking portal, and then collected from selected information counters across the terminals.
Checklist
CHANGI
GETTING THERE
Singapore Airlines flies direct to Singapore from Auckland and Christchurch.
To access some of these attractions, you’ll need to clear immigration. New Zealand passport holders don’t need a visa to visit Singapore, but you will need to fill out an electronic SG arrival card and health declaration within three days of arrival. Luckily this also includes the day of arrival – I had completely missed that this was a requirement, but was able to fill it out on my phone using the airport’s free Wi-Fi. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can complete a form at designated stations in the immigration hall.
