Voted as the best airport in the world by more than 13 million travelers, Singapore’s Changi Airport continues to deliver when it comes to customer experience. While many of us move through this airport with a one-track mind in search of our departing flight, even the most seasoned traveler may be surprised by the many features Changi offers. Here are seven main reasons this airport continues to be voted the best.
Different Ways To Travel
Changi Airport offers various ways to travel, with a vast array of destinations ready to be visited. This award-winning airport offers much more than the standard experience, which can help remove the stress and strain of waiting for a commercial flight. Still, if you’re someone who likes to make their time as efficient as possible, book a private jet, meaning you’ll skip the queues of security, won’t have to wait for a particular time to depart, and even have the opportunity to conduct meetings flying through the skies.
Drink in a Little Luxury
However, if you’re looking to enjoy a taste of luxury, there is no better way than sampling one of Singapore’s most famous cocktails, the iconic Singapore Sling. Valid with a boarding pass, you can enjoy this beautiful cocktail crafted by one of the expert mixologists at the airport. Besides the Raffle Hotel, this is the only place in the world where you can experience this excellent drink using the original recipe. Other sample cocktails are available for those feeling more adventurous, but classics like the Dry Martini and Mojito are still an option.
The Airport in a Garden
With its lush greenery throughout the city, Singapore has coined the term ‘city in a garden,’ helping even further with heritage-listed gardens and luxurious green hotels. Changi Airport follows the same style as the city, home to over 200,000 plants across the four terminals. The airport hires a dedicated team of horticulturists with 150 contracted gardeners who care for beautiful flowers and garden designs to match calendar events and festivals throughout the year.
Although most of the plants in Changi Airport permanently grow inside each terminal, Changi also runs a nursery that spans three hectares, equating to around 50,000 flowers and plants.
You can use the Skytrain if you want to travel within the airport terminals to visit this incredible garden. This automated train connects terminals 1, 2, and 3. It was originally inaugurated in 1990 with the opening of the brand new Terminal 2, and since the upgrades throughout the years, the Skytrain line has become a seven-station network — and the best thing is that it is completely free to use.
Changi’s Butterfly Utopia
Changi Airport has recently introduced the world’s first and only airport butterfly habitat. This tropical butterfly wonderland is home to a seemingly endless array of flowering plants, lush greenery, and a six-meter grotto waterfall, making it the ideal location to capture the most Instagrammable photo.
In this tropical garden, you will find over 100 tropical butterflies from over 50 species that alter throughout the seasons. This tropical forest spans two floors and can be found at the transit hall of Terminal 3.
Tour Singapore for Free
If you find that your layover is over 5.5 hours and you are looking for something fun to do, rather than shopping or dining at the airport, why not embark on one of Changi Airport’s free Singapore tours, the perfect way to kill time and explore what the city has to offer. For a glimpse of modern Singapore, the City Sights Tour is ideal, making short stops at Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, the Esplanade, and the Gardens by the Bay.
For those who feel a little more refined, yearning to take in the culture of a new city, you may be more interested in enjoying the Heritage Tour, bringing you through the past and present of Singapore, visiting cultural and colonial districts of Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India and Merlion Park.
A Fully Automated Terminal
The newly opened Terminal 4 of Changi Airport is the most technologically advanced in the entire airport, with a fully automated departure process that has ultimately improved the efficiency of check-in for passengers, helping them fast-track their departure experience. The automated system uses facial recognition technology, offering customers a self-service process at check-in, immigration, baggage drop, and even when boarding the plane.
The Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel
Do you need to freshen up between your flights? If you are around Terminal 1 of Changi Airport, the Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel makes things very easy, offering room bookings for as little as $60. The great thing is you won’t even have to pass the tedious immigration process.
A top tip is to request a room with views of the runway if you like to spectate the planes taking off and landing. This is the only Asian transit hotel with an outdoor pool and an outside pool bar ready for your indulgence.
Slide Away
Besides, Changi Airport is home to gardens and tropical forests and has the world’s tallest airport slide, standing four stories high. At Terminal 3, this 12-meter tall slide can be enjoyed by thrill-seekers looking to slide down the curvy tube at speeds up to six meters per second — fun for adults and kids.
Riding the slide will cost you $10, and you can only participate with those more than 1.3 meters tall, with a maximum height of 2 meters. There is a smaller slide in Basement 2, which is free to ride and suitable for little ones with a minimum height of 1.1 meters.
The Wonders of Changi Airport
Changi Airport is filled with more than just seats to wait for your connecting flight; it is home to gardens, nature, luxury, and experiences like no other. You could enjoy this airport as your holiday destination with hotels, swimming pools, runway views, cocktail experiences, and city tours. It is no wonder that Changi Airport continues to be voted the best airport in the world.
