Backstory: During my journey to Sydney, I had almost an entire day of layover in Singapore, and it was awesome.

I had an overnight flight to Singapore. Landed at the Singapore Changi Airport at around 6 am with a heavy downpour. Although the flight wasn't comforting, I did not feel sleep deprived as I was excited. I had made a reservation for a city tour at 10 am, so I had a couple of hours within the airport. Grabbed a coffee and started walking around.

The airport is huge with luxury boutiques, interactive art installations, and tranquil gardens. After some time of exploring around and feeling a bit tired, I got some rest before the city tour began at the airport’s free snooze lounges.  These are thoughtfully designed rest areas, tucked away from the noise, offering plush seating and a peaceful atmosphere, making it feel like you’re entering a spa, and it was the perfect spot to unwind, surrounded by greenery.

Getting out for the city tour was a breeze. All it took was a quick passport scan and no hassle. Our guide gave us a couple of instructions, and we were boarded onto a bus and off to the city. Within just a couple of hours, we zipped past some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks like the Merlion Park, Marina Bay Skyline, and Gardens by the Bay. The city is designed pretty well, everything is clean despite the crowd and the rainy weather. All the major landmarks were built and maintained beautifully.

I was thinking the tour would feel rushed, considering that we are covering a lot of places in just 4 hours. Despite the drizzling weather, it was very well planned, and we felt no rush; we had spent a good amount of time exploring at each landmark, and that too independently.

Within a few hours, we made it back to the airport to the Jewel - a place that truly lives up to its name. It was crowded. The centrepiece, the Rain Vortex, surrounded by the lush Shiseido Forest Valley, felt like stepping into a futuristic rainforest. The Jewel is more than just a shopping spree-it’s an experience with a lot of free and paid activities around. The Skytrain glides past the waterfall, explores the five-story Forest Valley, and wanders through a maze of global brands and restaurants. The Canopy Bridge, bouncy Sky Nets, and artful gardens added playful, visual layers to the space. The entire experience, both at the city and the Jewel, is a great design inspiration from architecture, art installations, brand and their stores featuring all sorts of creative concepts and products. There is a lot of thought put into every aspect of the space, curated people of all age groups and backgrounds.

By the end of the day, fatigue finally caught up. I had a few more hours before my next flight to Sydney. I retreated once more to a quiet lounge for a quick nap. Changi’s design makes it easy to relax and recharge. Had some good 2-3 hours of deep sleep, and it was time for my next boarding. These 20 hours were thoroughly enjoyed, and next time I’ll make sure to stay over longer.

If you ever find yourself with a layover in Singapore and have a couple of hours to spare, do make a reservation for a city tour. Putting in the link below.

https://www.changiairport.com/en/experience/tours/free-singapore-tour.html

Ah Singapore! I remember one time my dad coming back from his work trip and showing me a lot of pictures of the Jewel Changi Airport, along with some airport souvenirs and city guide maps. which I still have somewhere at my home. I have ever since wanted to visit Singapore, at least the Jewel. This came in as an opportunity when I was moving to Sydney, so I just went ahead and booked the flight with the longest available layover at Singapore.

Singapore is a textbook for every designer, from systems to beauty, it has figured it out.

Long layovers can often turn out boring and frustrating, but not at Singapore. With overnight flight to Singapore, I landed Changi Airport at around 6 am with a heavy downpour. Although the flight wasn't comforting, I did not feel sleep deprived as I was excited. I had made a reservation for a city tour at 10 am, so I had a couple of hours within the airport.

Grabbed a coffee and started walking around. The airport is huge with luxury boutiques, interactive art installations, and tranquil gardens like the Butterfly House and sunflower gardens were especially beautiful. After some time of exploring around and feeling a bit tired, I got some rest before the city tour began at the airport’s free snooze lounges.  These are thoughtfully designed rest areas, tucked away from the noise, offering plush seating and a peaceful atmosphere, making it feel like you’re entering a spa, and it was the perfect spot to unwind, surrounded by greenery.

Getting out for the city tour was a breeze. All it took was a quick passport scan and no hassle. Our guide gave us a couple of instructions, and we were boarded onto a bus and off to the city. Within just a couple of hours, we zipped past some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks like the Merlion Park, Marina Bay Skyline, and Gardens by the Bay. The city is designed pretty well, everything is clean despite the crowd and the rainy weather. All the major landmarks were built and maintained beautifully.

I was thinking the tour would feel rushed, considering that we are covering a lot of places in just 4 hours. Despite the drizzling weather, it was very well planned, and we felt no rush; we had spent a good amount of time exploring at each landmark, and that too independently.

Within a few hours, we made it back to the airport to the Jewel - a place that truly lives up to its name. It was crowded. The centrepiece, the Rain Vortex, surrounded by the lush Shiseido Forest Valley, felt like stepping into a futuristic rainforest.

The Jewel is more than just a shopping spree-it’s an experience with a lot of free and paid activities around. The Skytrain glides past the waterfall, explores the five-story Forest Valley, and wanders through a maze of global brands and restaurants. The Canopy Bridge, bouncy Sky Nets, and artful gardens added playful, visual layers to the space. The entire experience, both at the city and the Jewel, is a great design inspiration from architecture, art installations, brand and their stores featuring all sorts of creative concepts and products. There is a lot of thought put into every aspect of the space, curated people of all age groups and backgrounds.

By the end of the day, fatigue finally caught up. I had a few more hours before my next flight to Sydney. I retreated once more to a quiet lounge for a quick nap. Changi’s design makes it easy to relax and recharge. Had some good 2-3 hours of deep sleep, and it was time for my next boarding. These 20 hours were thoroughly enjoyed, and next time I’ll make sure to stay over longer.

If you ever find yourself with a layover in Singapore and have a couple of hours to spare, do make a reservation for a city tour. Putting in the link below.