It’s the city of manicured beauty where the streets are lined with trees equally spaced, their branches pruned to identical symmetry; lawns always closely cropped and stray leaves rarely litter its perfection. Not for Singapore the unkempt profusion of natural Nature! Known as the Garden City of the world, its every corner is a testament to human effort. From the Marina Bay Sands, to the Merlion endlessly spewing water into the Singapore River, from the Flower dome and Cloud forest, to the Singapore Flyer and Raffles Hotel, Singapore’s major attractions reflect the sheer possibilities of man-made creation.
And that’s a certainty that engulfs you right at Changi Airport itself. Designed to mimic within its colossal expanse, a nutshell experience of the city itself, Changi Airport could entertain you for hours within its three terminals, should you choose to explore its many attractions. As the world slowly shifts gears to in-transit tourism — essentially all you can do in between changing flights — Changi has laid its very infrastructure out to provide the curious, country-hopping traveller a refreshing in-house experience. A considerable 30 per cent of its traffic comprises of passengers in-transit, and for their pleasure, Changi pampers in both paid and complimentary ways. Lounge at either of its luxurious transit hotels, catch a quick beauty snooze, let the warm waters of its rooftop hot tub wash over you and then head out for a walk across the terminals.
Changi prides itself in the elaborate shopping experience of 350 retail shops spread across three terminals, with approximately 120 cafes, restaurants and food stalls to fuel up in between the retail therapy. Don’t forget to make a beeline for Charles and Keith, Singapore’s signature bag and footwear craftsmen, and of course, follow that enticing smell of fresh bakkwa — slim slivers of barbecued pork, chicken or beef — which is a Chinese speciality, made Singapore’s own. With your shopping bags and stomachs now full, curl up for a film at the 24-hour movie theatre or game the hours away at the numerous consoles that pepper the terminals. Of course, the inter-terminal shuttles can whisk you between stops in a heartbeat, but be warned: the acres that Changi is spread across give no peace for your feet.
For some more quietness to relax within, stroll over to the departure hall of Terminal 1 and behold the surprise that awaits you. Bronze droplets, 1,216 of them, suspended mid-air, heave and sigh to a soundless rhythm to form sixteen shapes, from kites, to airplanes and a hot air balloon. Stand mesmerised as the drops endlessly dance and dive from one design into another, a magnificent ode to Singapore’s sculptural expertise. The terminals also provide nap lounges, foot-massage machines and if you’re feeling especially indulgent, treat yourself to a fish pedicure. Drift away from the tiresomeness of travel, on plush cushions as little fish nibble away at your feet! For good measure, photograph your adventures across the airport and upload them at the giant Social Tree that’ll store your memories for a hundred years. Check back in every time you’re stuck in transit at Changi, and you can remember the good times.
As much as replicating the city within the airport is primary, Singapore also follows the global in-transit tourism trend of taking passengers on quick bus tours of the city in their waiting hours. Turkish Airlines, for instance, spins you through Istanbul for a six-hour ride, while Qatar Airways gives you a Doha city tour and Incheon Airport itself gives you either a cultural or shopping tour of Seoul, Korea. In this vein, Changi Airport has tied up with numerous airlines through its Changi Connects programme. For example, for Indians transiting through Singapore on Tigerair, which offers among the most economical fares into the city, there’s Tigerconnect that not only makes luggage transfers a breeze, but also lets you enjoy the ride meanwhile. Tigerconnect passengers with more than five hours of layover to kill can hop on a free Singapore bus tour that’ll whizz you through Little India, Chinatown and wind past the city’s classic marvels, starting with the Gardens by the Bay, all the way to the colonial district where Singapore first celebrated its National Day. At the tour’s close, you’d have ticked little Singapore off your bucket list in this entertaining pit stop between places. Journey on!
Green Thumb
True to its Garden City reputation, Changi Airport’s biggest in-transit attractions are its five in-house gardens that transport you from the metal confines of airplanes into the quiet comforts of Nature while you wait. The terminals themselves are themed to reflect the tropical climes of Singapore with a canopy roof in Terminal 1, and over 900 skylights that let in the sun in Terminal 3. About 50 species of trees and 200 species of shrubs are incorporated into the Airport’s architecture, amounting to a total of 5,00,000 plants on display at any point.
At the Butterfly Garden in Terminal 3, step in and let over a 1,000 butterflies kiss you. Nestled on blood-red gerbera flowers sprayed with honey nectar, and on cut pineapples for the forest-floor butterflies, these little creatures will hide between the rocky grotto and palm trees, peek out just to pose for you and sneak right back in. Each has been brought in from Malaysian breeding farms and survive just a few weeks at a time. Watch them lay eggs on the lime trees, and also watch out for the insectivorous plants that trap and swallow the insects that could potentially harm the pupae.
The beauty continues at the Orchid Garden in Terminal 2. White with violet hearts, violet with white hearts, in pinks, lilacs, yellows and blues... it’s a celebration of Singapore’s national flower here. 1,000 flowers from 30 species spread across cobble stones and brown bark arch over small waterways and fall over the koi fish pond. Keep an eye out for the ‘Dancing Ladies’ orchid, a gentle blossom that looks like a woman with her arms raised high, wearing a skirt below. A soft breeze makes the fluttering flowers look like dancing ladies. If orchids and butterflies don’t make you smile, the sunflowers will. At the Sunflower Garden on the same Terminal, a thousand yellow heads tilt to the sun and sky as bees buzz over them and around you too.
Walk over also to the rooftop Cactus Garden, with its 3,000 cacti organised geographically, according to the area of import, from old-world species from Africa and Asia to the American new-world cacti. And if all the natural delights aren’t enough, head to the Enchanted Garden with its motion sensors that release sounds of a tropical forest as you walk through its flowers and ferns.
(The writer was in Singapore on the invitation of Tigerair and Changi Airport.)
