DESTINATION SINGAPORE
The forward-thinking city takes an elevated approach to travel you’ll notice as soon as you touch down
When you’re travelling, are you ever stoked to spend hours at the airport? Likely not. But fly into Singapore’s Changi Airport, and you’ll have an entirely different sort of airport experience: one that’s surprisingly fun. It’s a vision of how the airports of the future could – and arguably should – be: a smartly designed destination in itself, not just a way to get from point A to B. The attractions aren’t all duty-free shopping and dining (though, yes, there are those too). Changi Airport offers something unexpected in the travel experience: a little escape from it. Why loiter in the departure lounge when you can chill out in the rooftop pool or jacuzzi? Or you can take in a movie (the theatres are free and open around the clock), or roam one of several lush hideaways – most notably the tropical Butterfly Garden, which is the first of its kind in any airport. With its modern sleekness and peaceful green spaces, Changi Airport feels distinctly Singaporean, a preview of the cosmopolitan city. A half-hour cab from the airport, you’ll find the famously glitzy, skyscraper-studded side of Singapore on Marina Bay, known for its nightlife and waterfront views. But the ultra-dense island has also made room for nature, like the historic Singapore Botanic Gardens, once a plantation and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More recently, one of Singapore’s most remarkable eco-tourist draws is Gardens by the Bay, a 250-acre downtown park that marries nature and futuristic tech. Built on reclaimed land, the award-winning project is a horticulturalist’s dream: what was once barren is now alive with one million plants, trees and flowers from almost every continent, as well as a grove of Supertrees – towering concrete-and-steel vertical gardens that also generate solar power and collect rainwater. But to discover the latest attraction, you’ll have to go right back where you started: Changi Airport. A multi-dimensional complex called Jewel Changi Airport is set to be the city’s next major lifestyle hub, with retail, dining and entertainment, linked to Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and connected to the city via mass rapid transit (MRT). Inside the distinctive dome-shaped glass and steel façade, designed by worldrenowned architect Moshe Safdie, you’ll find photo opps tailor-made for inducing envy on Instagram: Forest Valley, a five-storey garden with 1,400 trees; Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall; and whimsical Canopy Park, complete with sky nets and maze hedges. It’s ambitious, extravagant and unlike anything you’d expect at an airport – and that’s the point. Add it to your itinerary. For more information on Changi Airport, visit changiairport.com
A Smartly Designed Destination In Itself, Not Just A Way To Get From Point A To B