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The world's best airport is so proud of their new terminal and its botanic gardens that they are offering free tours to travellers on a long layover.
Singapore has been nominated Skytrax 'World's Best Airport'for seven years in a row and they've started taking groups of travellers on tours of the terminals. That's far more exciting than it sounds, trust us.
The airport contains 3,000 trees and 100,000 plants: Singapore Cactus Garden. Photo / Supplied
Changi Jewel which opened in April this year cost S$1.7bn ($1.95bn) to build and houses a rainforest and 35m indoor waterfall.
To help kill time, and show travellers around the garden terminal, the Singaporean Tourism Board and the national air carrier have teamed up with Free Singapore Tours.
Pick-me-up: guests are treated to a cup at the Singapore coffee museum. Photo / Supplied
The central terraced garden, called the Shiseido Forest Valley spreads over five storeys and contains 3,000 trees and 100,000 plants. There are even a couple of orangutans – although these are only sculptures. The waterfall, and centerpiece is decidedly real. The 'HSBC Rain Vortex' is the largest indoor waterfall in the world.
There's plenty of space to find a seat in the Jewel. Photo / Duyet Le Suf
With two daily departures, a morning tour from 10:30am and an evening tour at 6pm, the tours are designed to showcase a bit of Singaporean culture and what the airport has to offer. Both tours last 2.5 hours, so keep an eye on your departure gate.
Window out: For those with a little more time to spend the Airport also runs two bus tours. Photo / Darren Nunis
These tours sample hawker food from the Five Spice Food Court, and guests on the morning tour will be given a welcome cup of something warm at the Singapore Coffee Museum.
While those on the evening tour will miss out on the cup of coffee, a trip to the light and south show in the Canopy Park will be just the pick-me-up travellers need before catching a connecting flight.
The tour is only for "those transit passengers who have a minimum 5.5 hour layover and the relevant visa approvals to enter Singapore," the Changi Airport group said.
Highlight: Stay for a lightshow in the Jewel. Photo / Lucas Law
The airport "is a popular choice among New Zealanders who are transferring through Singapore. The addition of the Jewel itinerary provides another option for these passengers to get the most out of their layover experience and catch a glimpse of Singapore without having to leave the airport," said Lim Ching Kiat, MD for the Changi Airport Group.
For those with a little more time to spend the Airport also runs two bus tours, out into the sights of Singapore.
The Heritage Tour samples the city state's colonial districts and a City Sights Tour goes straight to the highlights like the Gardens by the Bay.
Last year these bus tours took around 3000 transferring New Zealand passengers on a whistle stop tour of Singapore.
Jacqueline Ng, of the Singapore Tourism Board, was excited about this airport tour saying, "hopefully, this experience will inspire visitors to return to Singapore in the near future to explore the destination."
For more details and to book your free Singapore tours visit changiairport.com
Article originally published by nzherald.co.nz on 7 Oct, 2019
