Singapore Changi Airport Review

The number one airport for eGuide Travel is one we have tested many times and never been disappointed with. If only all airports were this good!

Singapore Airport, known locally as Changi Airport, is an experience and one of the few airports where a delay or long transit time is enjoyable. It even attracts locals who visit to shop and dine.

Terminal 1 was opened in 1981 and, at the time of writing, is being upgraded to create what is called a ‘Tropical City’. Terminal 2 opened in 1990 and Terminal 3 in 2008.

All three terminals are connected by the Skytrain with a total of seven stations. The trains have separate cars for air-side and land-side passengers.

The Budget Terminal opened in 2006 and is home to a number of low cost airlines. This is single-storey and very basic, with no travellators, escalators or aerobridges. Services are very limited although there are a few duty-free shops and dining places. The Internet is free and there are a few computer terminals. There is no transfer facility at the Budget Terminal but, if transferring, there is free transport to Terminal 2.

Shopping is one attraction and it is extensive. Big name brands, such as Harrods, mix with local shops. The largest shopping area is in Terminal 3. Duty-free shopping abounds, with everything from a dedicated whiskey shop, with hundreds of different whiskeys, to diamonds and fresh orchids, all packed suitably to go through customs in most countries.

Changi Rewards are a great way for shoppers and regular visitors to earn reward points, which are redeemable on future shopping.

If you want to catch up with the day’s news, plasma televisions seem to be everywhere. Business centres and fast Internet is easy to find and is free. If you do not have a laptop, there are free computers connected to the Internet spread around terminals and close to the departure and arrival gates.

A clever scheme for relaxation are the gardens and these are most welcome after a long flight from London; a great place breathe the tropical air. There are Butterfly Gardens in Terminal 3, with flowering plants and a six-metre waterfall. The Cactus Garden in Terminal 1 has a good display that includes species such as golden barrels, prickly-pears and cycads. In Terminal 2, the visitor will find the Fern Garden and a koi pond which is well stocked with koi. The Orchid Garden, also in Terminal 2, has a lovely collection of orchids. To cap it all off, there is also a Sunflower Garden. Even the Budget Terminal does not lose out as it has the beautiful and aromatic Fragrant Garden with fragrant trees, shrubs and climbers.

There are a number of lounges that you can pay to enter, including the Rainforest Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge and the Ambassador Transit Lounge.

Freely available are the designated rest areas with snooze chairs, which are leather chairs with head and leg rests. Showers can be found at many locations. If you are not comfortable enough to nod off, then there is the Ambassador Transit Hotel, located in each of the three terminals. To use the hotel, do not pass through customs, as they are on the air-side and so very convenient if in transit.

There are a number of left luggage offices in all three terminals. Prayer rooms are in each terminal. Post offices are in all terminals, and all local telephone calls are free.

We’re not sure if any other airports have a swimming pool, but Singapore Changi Airport does! It is part of the Ambassador Hotel and it is free if you are an hotel guest, however, a non-guest may also use the pool by paying a fee.

If you have time to kill, try the Entertainment Deck, a multi-media entertainment centre where you can play free video games at the LAN gaming room, play sports in the Xbox Kinect room or just relax and watch music videos, with chairs having built-in speakers and it is all for free!

You can even watch movies for free at the Movie Theatre. There are also cinemas in all terminals, with the better ones in Terminals 2 and 3.

Further, there is Interactive Art, with woodblock rubbings and exploration of Asian symbols, as well as the Xperience Zone. Here, you can send e-postcards that you have designed yourself, using special templates, with all of the latest innovations and technology. The Xperience Zone has the latest 3D content and games with big screens and 3D gaming stations. Zone X has arcade games that will keep kids, big and small, happy for ages.

See what we mean about being delayed and how it is good it is?!

Singapore Airport is excellent for kids. If you have a young baby, there is the Baby Care Room. Older kids will enjoy the ample entertainment and dining options.

For kids to burn some energy, ready for the next leg of your journey, take them to the Slide in Terminal 3, which is the world’s tallest slide in an airport at 12 metres, or four storeys, high!

The Changi Aviation Gallery has hands-on, interactive displays about the airport.

If you are in transit and have at least five hours to spare, a free two-hour city tour of Singapore is offered. Just go to one the many information desks for full information and to book your tour.

One touch we enjoy are the music bar lounges and can often be very relaxing listening to live piano music whilst sipping on that special something to ease any jangled nerves.

You could also choose to visit a spa, have your hair done at a salon or work out at the gym. Changi Airport really is like a mini city!

Special promotions and events are held regularly, with a chance to win a trip or relish in the latest happening, such as a German beer fest.

For business travellers, the full business centre facilities, dedicated financial news and information and Internet services are excellent.

Dining is extensive and many of the big brands are found here, including Burger King, the Hard Rock Café, Mrs Fields, Subway and restaurants to suit all cuisines and all budgets.

Singapore Changi Airport is about 17 kilometres north-east of the main city centre. For drivers, car parks are available at every terminal.

The Changi Airport MRT station is located at the basements of Terminals 2 and 3, accessible from the arrival and departure halls through escalators and lifts. This is the best way to reach Singapore and we have used it, without any hassle, many times.

A more expensive alternative, which is good if you have bags, is the Airport Shuttle Service that drops you at your hotel.

The cheapest way to reach the city is on bus number 36. Taxis are the most expensive, but do work well and there is no chance of being cheated as it is all very controlled.

Renting cars is not a sensible option and special permits are required to drive in the city centre but, if you do want to rent a car, the rental counters are located at the arrival halls of Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

Singapore is a frequent stopover city for many world travellers and its airport is a great place to contentedly pass many hours, with its excellent variety of things to do, or not do, as the case may be!

(Image Credit : Changi Airport Group)