Singapore’s Changi airport changes how I thought of layovers.
Recently I had the chance to explore Singapore because of a long layover and I was dreading it. But when I started researching what to do I was pleasantly surprised. In some places layovers are actually kind of nice and if you ever lucky enough to have a layover in Singapore, I highly recommend it! There is plenty to do if you ever find yourself in the situation of being “stuck” in Singapore for a couple of hours.
- If you just want to read what I did… go ahead and skip all the way down. If you want to read more of a layover type guide for changi read below.
You basically have 3 options that I’ll list out for you:
- You can hang out at Changi Airport
- You can take the free tours Changi Airport offers
- You can leave the airport and explore on your own (this is what I chose).
Now that you know your options I’ll go more in detail.
Hanging out at Changi Airport:
Well if you only have a couple of hours I definitely recommend staying in the airport. However don’t fret! Hanging out at Changi is way better than hanging out at most airports. Changi can be an attraction in itself since there’s multiple food options, free massage chairs, shopping, a movie theater, game room, relaxation areas, gardens, and of course free wifi. (A note on the free wifi. You have to scan your passport in order to get a code on the wifi, or you can download the app and get wifi that way.)
The possibilities are endless! I remember seeing their Koi pond,sunflower garden, and cactus garden while I was there. I even was able to take a nap in a random area with a couch. So regardless of when you arrive and how long you have staying at the airport isn’t that bad.
Free Changi Tours:
So this is pretty awesome! I can only think of a few airports that do this, but if you are lucky enough to have a layover in Singapore you can possibly qualify for one of their free tours. If you want more info on what qualifies you for a free tour and info in general about this program click here.
Changi offers 2 tours: the Heritage tour or the City Sights tour. Just go to one of the terminals it’s offered in and register (note that it’s on a first come first serve basis)! It’s that easy. Oh and did I mention, FREE!
Regardless, of which tour you choose you will get to experience a little bit of Singapore!
Going out and exploring on your own!
Now this is what I personally did since I had self connecting flights that weren’t eligible for the free tours, but honestly I like doing my own thing anyways.
Before I started exploring I checked my luggage into one of their left baggage service desks. I 100% recommend doing this, because carrying around luggage is the last thing you want to do if you’re trying to enjoy yourself and explore a new city. Also it’s relatively cheap so why wouldn’t you take advantage of this service!
Now that you have luggage out of the way its time to get out of the airport! Grab a map and see what peaks your interest on what to see and do, or ask someone at a service desk. There’s plenty to see and eat for a couple of hours! Such as eating at Hawker stalls or visiting the Gardens by the Bay. The choice is yours!
To get into the city you can either use a taxi or their public transportation system. I chose public transportation as its cheap and again takes you where you need to be!
So those are your 3 options. Have fun and like I said if you’re ever lucky enough to have a layover in Singapore don’t fret and take advantage of it!
Now if you aren’t completely tired of me yet, and want to know what I did while in Singapore keep on reading and scrolling!
While in Singapore I had more than enough time to leave and explore this awesome city. I’m pretty sure I had like an 18 hr layover so plenty of time to explore and rest.
So here’s what I did.
Since I had a bunch of time to kill, and I had an overnight layover I decided to book a hostel for a night in order to get some rest. I stayed at the CUBE – Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Chinatown, and had a fantastic stay. A bit on the pricier side for a hostel, but it was very comfortable, it included some breakfast, and was easy to find.
Singapore is a very multicultural city, and you can see influences from all over such as their Chinatown and Little India (which I both explored). If you need a bite to eat don’t forget the Hawker stalls! There’s plenty of options for some good food. Luckily for me there was a huge Hawker centre in Chinatown where I was staying that I got to eat at.
I also took the liberty of exploring some sights like Gardens by the bay and the ArtScience Museum.
The outdoor gardens are free, however if you want to see some of the attractions you’ll have to pay. When I went I payed to go into one of the indoor conservatories which was absolutely incredible. Waterfalls and plants galore! Its pretty incredible to see nature in this way. Below are some pics I took in and out of the Gardens.
The artscience museum was another attraction I saw, and luckily for me the ticket to get in was discounted with my student id! So make sure to bring in your student id if you have it. I visited the future world exhibit which for me was the highlight here. Although it’s small, i think it’s worth the visit if you have time and enjoy museums. They have some pretty cool installations in the exhibit with some interactive installations. Below are some pics of the one of the installations at this exhibit.
So as you can see I was able to do quite a bit during my layover in Singapore, and definitely enjoyed my time. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to go back one day.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully I was able to give you some ideas if you’re planning on visiting this city anytime soon.
-Denise
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