Singapore’s Changi airport is rated number one in the world, and I can see why. There’s three terminals packed with themed gardens, foot massages, cinemas, a swimming pool, a local food court, and endless shopping. It felt more like a resort than an airport, and I am so happy our layover was there. On top of everything luxurious inside the airport, they also offer a free guided bus tour of the city.
Our adorable Singapore tour guide chuckled at all her jokes as she told us interesting details while we zoomed by the city in the bus. Fun fact: Singapore’s name comes from when Singapore’s founder saw an animal he thought was a lion (“singa”) and then “pura” means town, making it Lion Town. The country symbol is a lion head with a fish body (merlion), which symbolizes the merging of the Malay culture of fishing villages with the settlers that called it lion village.
The city was full of skyscrapers and modern architecture, like the Gardens by the Bay, and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel that looks like a giant ship lying across several skyscrapers. The guide let us out of the bus for a quick stop along the pier to take pictures of the city skyline, the Mer-lion statue and all the other impressive buildings. Although the tour was quick, it gave enough of a taste of the city to make me want to come back and see more.
Back at the airport, we bought local noodles and soup (accomplished through pointing and gesturing) and visited the Duty Free store before boarding our plane to Hong Kong.
