Singapore Layover – Get Out and See Some Amazing Sights

One of the most common routes from North America to Southeast Asia runs through Singapore’s Airport, Changi (SIN). So if you find an option to fly through Singapore, take the opportunity to book an extended layover!

Changi International Airport in Singapore is consistently ranked by travelers as a favorite, with good reason. It has been named Best Airport in the World by multiple publications (Conde Nast, Travel & Leisure, Business Traveler and more), multiple years. In fact, the current award count is 649!

Singapore Changi Airport

If your Singapore layover is less than 6 hours, best to stay put and enjoy the amenities the airport has to offer.

Changi amenities include the standard lounges, restaurants, shopping, chapels, and travel services. Additional services include pharmacies, baggage storage, children’s play areas, spas & salons. These additional services alone would set it apart from other airports, but then they have the Jewel Changi – an attractions destination connected to Terminals T1, T2 and T3. Jewel Changi has attractions that are so cool they’ll have you questioning if you really ever need to leave the airport!

• Gardens
  • Butterfly Garden
  • Cactus Garden
  • Sunflower Garden
  • Orchid Garden
  • Topiary Garden
  • Water Lily Garden
• Art Installations
• Jewel-rassic Dinosaur trek (virtual photo hunt)
• Movie Theater
• Entertainment areas – Video Games and Studios
• Hedge Maze
• Sky Trampoline
• Swimming pool
• Giant Slides
• Canopy Bridge and Park
• Forest Valley and the Rain Vortex Waterfall

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Yes, seriously, the airport has a movie theater and a swimming pool, so pack your carryon appropriately. The airport is amazing, it’s clean and beautiful, with plenty for everyone, make sure you check out the gardens!

Singapore Layover – Leaving the Airport and Exploring Singapore

Patti and I both were lucky enough to have long layovers between USA and Bali – mine was about 10 hours during the day, hers was about the same in the evening. The Changi airport offers a couple of guided tours but those didn’t align with my time frame so I was on my own.

Getting to downtown was easy – there are buses and taxis and plenty of help to be found. As a starting point, I took a taxi to the Marina Bay Sands – Singapore’s iconic resort & casino featured in movies like Crazy Rich Asians. You know the one, it looks like it has a giant surfboard on top?

ssn – leaving the airport, there is a taxi stand and “Grab” area (like Uber or Lyft in the USA). English is commonly spoken in Singapore, so do not be afraid to venture out. Our taxi drivers were helpful and happy to tell us all about their fantastic country. It’s also only a 20 minute drive to some of the best parts of Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands

This luxury resort is made up of hotel, casino, convention center, high-end shopping, dining, museum and performance space. The hotel has 3 towers which are 55 stories tall and connected at the top by a 3-acre (wow!) SkyPark. The SkyPark features the world’s longest elevated pool, gardens and observation deck.

The cost to go up to SkyPark is $26, which is a little high but I figured it was probably worth it for a one-time visit.

The views from the observation deck are incredible. Singapore is the largest/busiest port in the world but I was still surprised by the number of ships!

After taking in the views, I sat at the beautiful Ce La Vi Skybar and ordered a Singapore Sling (when in Singapore…) before heading over to my next stop. Gardens by the Bay was just a short walk.

Gardens by the Bay

No visit to Singapore would be complete without a visit to Gardens by the Bay. This was absolutely the highlight of my excursion. In their own words, “Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry…” and it is truly like no other botanical garden. The three main areas of interest are The Supertree Grove, The Flower Dome, and The Cloud Forest. Admission is separate to each but runs about $30 usd for all.

Supertree Grove

I started at the Supertree Grove. Immediately, I fell in love with this otherworldly sculpture garden. The trees are so cool in person. And they are huge!

You can just walk around the base of the forest, take a walk on the OCBC Skyway (a suspended walkway between trees) or go to the Supertree Observatory located atop the tallest tree.

Patti was lucky enough to be there at night for the light show. I will have her Sister Side Note (ssn) her experience!

ssn – Looking at Peggy’s pictures, it is hard to believe we were in the same place. The Gardens are open until midnight, so you can experience not only the light show, but also the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in the evenings. It was truly spectacular. People spread blankets under the Super Trees, or just sit on the ground. The light show is set to music, and I vividly remember laying there looking up feeling in complete awe at my life’s journey that had led to this surreal moment, the Beatles music set to a light show was magical. I cannot recommend this experience enough.

Flower Dome

Next up was the Flower Dome. The Flower Dome took my breath away (and not just from the warm, humid environment). The beauty of this botanical garden is unmatched. – both in diversity and sheer size. It holds the Guinness World Record for the largest glass greenhouse! It holds blooms from across the world – Asia, Africa, Mediterranean, South America, Australia, and North America.

ssn – I will admit that flowers and gardens are not necessarily my jam, but the Flower Dome is gorgeous, and worth the time to wander through all the different displays (especially the Aloe in Wonderland, my favorite, with all the succulents)

The Cloud Forest

The Cloud Forest is the companion dome to the Flower Dome. It is much more of a vertical display of exotic plants that are native to a cloud forest habitat. A cloud forest is defined as a moist (sorry) tropical or subtropical climate with persistent low lying clouds. You wander “through the clouds” on aerial walkways for views of the vibrant plants that cover this indoor mountain. One of the highlights is an indoor waterfall (again, one of the worlds tallest).

ssn -the Cloud Forest has walkways on many separate levels, so you can wander all the way up, or take the elevator up and walk down. They have amazing displays of foliage, flowers, art and views of the city. It’s a crazy experience to feel so connected to nature and then look out and see the lights of the bay.

Back to Changi Airport

All in all it was a most fabulous and memorable day. I think we both had the same one regret – that we didn’t get to experience some of the legendary Singapore street food. But there is always next time.

ssn – I ate at the Garden by the Bay concession stand, dumplings, noodles, and chicken and rice, and it was actually really great local food. However, Chili Crab from a street vendor is on the list for our next visit.

I got back to the airport with enough time to wander around a few of the gardens, get some amazing food and relax for a bit before getting on a 17-hour flight back to SFO.

This was my first long layover in a foreign country. I can say wholeheartedly that from now on, I will always try to incorporate one in when possible.

Updates!

We have traveled through Singapore a couple more time since this post. In March, I was scheduled to be there from early evening until early the next morning. The flight was delayed and sadly I didn’t get there in time to go into Singapore.

However, I did have reservations at Yotel which ended up being the best decision! This tiny room, which can be reserved for a few hours or overnight, was the ideal way to keep on sleep schedule and stay rested for the rest of the trip.

As it was fairly late, few of the amazing attractions were open. I caught the last lightshow at the Jewel waterfall – it was Disney themed at the time and super cute! I was able to do a quick walk-through of the Canopy Park before I needed to get something to eat. The majority of the extensive list of mouth-watering restaurants were closed.

I wanted to eat at Burger and Lobster but their food service was closed. Next door, I found Tanuki Raw and The World is Flat. It was delicious!! A Singapore Sling (of course!) and a Char Siew Unagi bowl, some great conversation with fellow travelers, a complimentary tasting of rum from Thailand and it was a wonderful end to a day of travel.

Our destinations from Singapore:

• Bali
• Nusa Penida
• Penang, Malaysia
• Ipoh, Malaysia
• Langkawi, Malaysia