Travel-weary people would speak of the ills of having to do a layover or stopover in a particular country. There is nothing thrilling about waiting an hour or more than 24 hours just to ride the next plane to your destination. Layovers, even for just a couple of hours, could be tiresome, annoying, and downright soul-sucking. Imagine hauling yourself from one terminal to the next and waiting in a lounge for the boarding call. The image is unsatisfying.
But there are things to do in Singapore’s Changi Airport that will change your mind about layovers. Singapore is one of the largest transportation hubs in the world. It connects Asia to different parts of the world and is one of the busiest airports as it served more than 65.6 million passengers in 2018 alone.
It has also been winning Skytrax’s best airport in the world for seven consecutive years now. It’s no mean feat as Changi battles with the likes of Haneda, Incheon, Heathrow, Munich, Hong Kong, and Zurich, among others.
Flyers are constantly astounded by Changi’s beautiful architecture, shopping and dining options, efficiency, staff friendliness, and luxurious amenities. Wherever can you find a giant slide with a 12-meter drop inside a busy transportation hub? Changi’s “world’s tallest slide inside an airport” costs only $10, but the experience is well worth more than that.
Free Movies
Travellers need not worry about how to kill time at Changi Airport. This is the perfect place for a long layover. There’s a movie theatre where you can watch movies all-day for free. Yes, it’s an actual movie theatre complete with plush seats, dark interiors, state-of-the-art movie screens, and the latest Hollywood movies. Look, it’s so comfortable you can even take a nap.
Entertainment Deck
At Terminal 2’s Entertainment Deck, you can spend your hours playing a game on Xbox 360, PlayStation, and Wii. There’s even a LAN café that you can use for free. There are a total of six booths with different consoles. You don’t have to worry about finding a spot. There seems to be just enough for anyone.
Swim and Jacuzzi
Have you been wanting to soak up some sun? For $17, you can do that at the transit area of Terminal 1, where there is a large rooftop swimming pool and Jacuzzi waiting for you. There’s even a day-to-night bar if that’s the kind of activity you want.
Snooze Lounges
Travelling is an exhaustive affair and besides, whoever gets to sleep comfortably in airport seats? There are snooze lounges scattered all around Changi Airport. These lounges are in isolated areas, and they have fully reclined seats that hug your bodies.
Nature
Under the glistening glass dome of Changi Airport’s newest installation lies the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, a four-storey tropical garden, a hedge maze, a 130-room hotel, a number of art installations, and yes, you’ve guessed it right, the Pokemon Center. The indoor forest, in particular, is a marvel. Thanks to the natural sunlight from the glass dome above, the rain forest features the 40-meter waterfall at the centre and forest with 900 trees and palms and 60,000 shrubs.
Doing a layover at Singapore’s Changi Airport is a full experience. By itself, the airport is a travel destination. With so many things you can do there, it’s almost a sin not to try to go to Singapore or, at the very least, its world-renowned airport.