Singapore’s Changi Airport: You can check in and never leave!

Singapore’s Changi Airport has been voted the world’s best airport fifth year in a row at the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards. Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy discover why…
Singapore’s Changi Airport: You can check in and never leave!

After downing our Singapore Slings and Ruchi Thali, a ‘Best of India’ menu curated by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor for business class, our Singapore Airlines flight was about to touch down at Changi. The flight from Bengaluru was too short to maximise the Kris World in-flight entertainment, but we managed a few reruns of Game of Thrones. In all our travels and transits through Singapore, this was the first time we would not stir out of the airport. It was a challenge thrown at us by Changi Airport, and by the end of three days, we hoped to know it inside out, much like Tom Hanks in The Terminal

As we breezed past immigration at Terminal 3, we didn’t even need to step out of the airport or take a cab to reach our hotel. A short walk to the left in the arrival hall led us to Crowne Plaza Changi, voted again as the World’s Best Airport Hotel in 2017. Our stunning room overlooked the runway with flights taxiing by. The toughened glass blanked out the noise, but not the view. Changi has hotels in each terminal. Aerotel boasts the only outdoor swimming pool at Changi (SGD 17), while Ambassador Transit Lounge offered deals like unlimited alcohol for five hours, at SGD 58.85.


A destination by itself
After a sumptuous buffet breakfast, we set off on our tour. Changi is more than an airport or transit point; it’s a desti-nation by itself! Amazing art exhibits, spectacular gardens, duty free shopping, themed decor and the world’s tallest slide in an airport; there are many things make Changi the world’s most loved airport.

Massage chairs are free, not coin-operated. Dedicated Snooze Zones underline why Changi is repeatedly voted as ‘the best airport to sleep in’. But its biggest USP is the ability to take away the stress of travel. Uniformed volunteers rove the arrival areas as ‘Changi Service Ambassadors’ to intuitively help passengers who seem lost or stranded. We noticed each terminal was conveniently coded with a different carpet theme for a sense of bearing.


Vertical topiaries & greenery
Mirroring Singapore’s tag as a Garden City, the airport is full of vertical topiaries and greenery, giving it an air of a tropical garden rather than a busy travel hub. The Enchanted Garden in T3 showcases nearly 1,000 types of exotic flora landscaped around four floral glass sculptures with stained glass mosaic. Hidden sensors triggered natural rainforest sounds and blooming of flowers! Each terminal has something unique for everybody. T1 has an open air Cactus Garden with The Traveller’s Cactus Pub, a favourite beer n’ smokes hangout for Australians flying to/from Australia via Singapore. 


T2 is packed with attractions. The Sunflower Garden has 500 plants happily soaking up the tropical sun. The Orchid Garden has a thousand orchids from 30 species grouped according to hue, form and the four elements — air, earth, water and fire. The Butterfly Garden on Level 3 is a magical space home to 47 species. A clear favourite with every visitor, it offers a chance to closely observe the entire life cycle of a butterfly — from the laying of eggs at the Breeding Corner, to becoming a caterpillar and finally metamorphosing from a pupa at the Emergence Cage. Butterfly-shaped Feeding Corners have nectar containers and if you dab some on your fingers, the winged beauties gently perch on your hand for a photo-op. 

Duplex wonderland of spirits
We headed to the Duty Free Store (DFS), a duplex wonderland of spirits. The Wine Reserve, the Cigar Room and The Whiskey House encourage travellers to sample and experience the products before their final buy. The Changi DFS has the largest selection of blended whisky with a ‘Lowest Price in Asia Pacific airports’ guarantee. You can even scan a bottle to compare prices elsewhere! After a whiskey tasting session, we sauntered to the iconic Raffles Long Bar for a complimentary Singapore Sling. 

There’s plenty of entertainment — TV Lounges, Entertainment Decks with Xbox 360, MTV booths and a Movie Theatre at every terminal with free screenings all day, all night. At The Social Tree, Changi’s largest interactive installation, passengers can click selfies, choose a theme and upload their picture on a circular video wall or social media. Interactive installations tell you where to go in the city. 

Make it your Singapore
We flipped the ‘Make it Your Singapore’ info-discs to discover interesting factoids and quirky aspects about the island nation. Kids went crazy at the Motion Silhouette Wall and LED Dots Portrait Wall which used motion-sensing technology, allowing passengers to take self-portraits against famous Singapore landmarks!


Young ones can try their hand at woodblock prints with icons inspired by popular culture, designed by Singapore artist Justin Lee. Changi truly celebrates art with stunning installations. “Kinetic Rain” features 1,216 polished copper raindrops dancing rhythmically. The giant “Daisy” shaped like a propeller represents Singapore’s importance in air and sea travel. Baet Yeok Kuan’s “Birds in Flight” 
is inspired by the migration of the Artic Tern while Jorge Marin’s jaw-dropping “Wings of Mexico” gives travellers a chance to pose as angels. 

The Straits Food Village
By the second day, we were smiling at attendants with the familiarity of being on a neighbourhood walk. It was 9 am, time to be at the serene Koi Pond, where we watched the feeding of the fish (they are fed again at 4 pm, on all days except Sundays). At every step, we discovered a facet we had missed earlier. Recycle bins were shaped like a Plastic Bottle, Drink Can and Newspaper to help segregate plastic, metal and paper waste. 


If you are a foodie, Changi ranks second after Hong Kong as the world’s best airport for dining. The best part is that Singapore’s top street food icons can be found right inside the airport. Straits Food Village, a 24-hour food court was awarded Airport Food Court of the Year at the Airport Food and Beverage (FAB) Awards 2016. It captures the hawker experience, with delicious Bak Kut Teh (pork broth and ribs) and Nasi Lemak (coconut rice with anchovies). 

Sardines and beef rendang 
From Vietnamese style food at Pho Street, Cantonese cuisine at Imperial Treasure to Hello Kitty-themed orchid garden restaurant, there’s every kind of flavour on offer — even Indian food at Kaveri vegetarian restaurant! There’s Killiney Kopitiam, which started in 1919 as a little Hainanese coffee joint on Killiney Road serving Kaya toast and freshly brewed kopi. Curry Times, Singapore’s best curry restaurant, started in 1956 as Old Chang Kee on Mackenzie Road near Rex Cinema. Their curry puffs with potatoes, chicken and egg in crispy fried pastry puffs gained famed as Rex curry puffs. Tip Top, another classic curry puff icon since 1979, makes great sardine and beef rendang puffs as well.


Since 1969, Fragrance has been serving traditional Bak Kwa (Chinese pork jerky) blended with spices and 18 Chinese herbs like ginseng, danggui and wolfberry. Bengawan Solo serves a range of cakes like Orange Chiffon and Pandan Chiffon, besides Kueh, Prune and Cranberry Lapis. With excellent take-aways and gift packs, they make great last minute buys.

Do the duty free
Those looking for a makeover or relaxation may enter spa haven. Get a massage at Be Relax or a treatment at Shilla Beauty Loft featuring top brands like Chanel, Dior, La Prairie and SK-II. The SK-II Magic Ring predicts your skin in 10 years with prescriptions for suitable products while the Shilla Duty Free below, woos you with its range of cosmetics and perfumes. 
 


For long layovers, take the free two-and-half hour guided city tour, jointly organised by Singapore Airlines, Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport. The free shuttle leaves every 15 minutes. If your transit is five and a half hours or more, take the Heritage Tour to Chinatown and Kampong Glam. If it’s six hours or more, enjoy the City Sights Tour, taking in Gardens by the Bay and the Merlion statue. Just register an hour before the tour at the Free Singapore Tour (FST) Registration Booth near Transfer Lounge F in T2 or Transfer Lounge A in T3.

Changi for the better
Those transiting on the national carrier Singapore Airlines or Silk Air get free Changi dollars to spend ($20/ticket). By Day 3, we knew enough of the airport to max the quiz and win our share of Changi dollars! I Shop Changi lets passengers shop online two weeks in advance and up to 24 hours before 
their departure. Your shopping adds up to Changi Rewards, which can be redeemed later and a shot at being a ‘Changi Millionaire’ in the annual lucky draw.


Amid all the excitement, you could easily forget to catch your connecting flight! Weighed down by our buys at Zara and Discover Singapore, we barely made it to our Singapore Airlines gate by final call. Strapped into our seat, a warm towel and a cold welcome drink in our hands and we were ready to say goodbye to the iconic Changi Airport Tower. It oversees the movement of 700 flights a day; one every 90 seconds, catering to 380 destinations worldwide and 58.7 million passengers each year. 

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