Probably one of the best places to have an entire day of layover is Singapore. Because (1) the Changi airport is full of attractions and activities, (2) many nationalities can go through their immigration without having to worry about a visa, and (3) it is so easy to move around the city-state with its efficient trains and see the famous spots around SG.
In Part 1 of this travel blog, I shared how I intentionally chose to have a layover in SG from my trip from New Zealand to enter the country and see a friend. We had dinner Satay for dinner, visited the Supertree Grove, passed through the Marina Bay Sands, and walked around the bay to get to the Merlion statue. We ended the night over bottles of beer before I went to my capsule hotel.
Kaya Toast for Breakfast
I did not have a good night's sleep in my capsule bed, but I had to wake up early because I only had a few hours left of my layover. I was also going to see my cousin who I remembered was working in SG. I got out of my hotel and looked for a bakery I had seen the day before. They were already open. I went inside and saw tons of pastries. My friend had recommended having Kaya Toast. The bakery was selling Kaya Pastry and Egg Tarts. I bought a few pieces and then returned to my hotel because they had free coffee. After having breakfast, I made my way to the nearby train station.
My cousin told me to meet her at a mall called Vivo City. I looked it up on Google Maps before taking the train. I relaxed during the first few minutes of the ride. When I checked Google Maps, I was surprised to see that I was going further away from my destination. I had got on the wrong platform. I immediately got off at the next station and took the train on the other side. I just laughed at myself and looked at the experience as a learning opportunity.
I finally got off at the right station and went to the mall. It was still quite early so the place was quiet and a bit empty. My cousin arrived and then we went to the top of the mall where we would take the shuttle that would bring us to Sentosa Island.
Universal Studios
Our first stop was Universal Studios. Well, I didn't go in. I didn't have the time for it. I was just there to see the giant globe. My cousin told me that once turned on, it would be spinning with smoke coming from the bottom. It was still a marvel to look at. I used to just see it from pictures online. But there I was, posing in front of it.
My cousin has been working in SG for almost 15 years and she hasn't returned to the Philippines in 5 years because of the pandemic. We caught up with each other as we continued walking. There were a lot of shops but they were still closed. We passed by a candy shop with a candy tree outside.
Another famous place on Sentosa Island is Resorts World. We passed by their Bunnyverse, a display of rabbit statues in different colors wearing sunglasses. They were sitting on the steps of the stairs. They all looked funny and cool.
As much as we wanted to catch up with each other, my cousin still had to go to work and I had a lot of places to visit before my day ended. We went back to the mall and said our goodbyes.
I'm sure I'll be coming back to Sentosa not just to look around but to experience the whole island. I want to spend an entire day at Universal Studios or try playing some of the machines in Resorts World Sentosa. I also want to watch the aquatic show with the Dolphins.
Jewel Changi Airport
I originally had so many places to visit but I spent too much time in Sentosa Island. To be safe, I decided to just head to the airport and see where I could go while I was in Changi. Of course, I had to see the Jewel. The Changi airport is so big, but like outside the city, it's easy to navigate with its shuttle trains and useful signs.
I wanted to see the famous Rain Vortex in person. I reached the dome and you can't not miss it. It was at the center in full glory. Someone told me that most of Singapore's tourist spots are man-made. I think Singapore's tourist spots are well-maintained and developed, which makes them extremely attractive places to go to, even if they are man-made.
Seeing the Rain Vortex and the forest around it, I couldn't imagine how the whole place was built and how it is being maintained. It's so grand and mesmerizing. I tried to get close to see how the vortex worked. There was a drain below the waterfalls and I supposed that the water was continuously pumped to reach the top of the dome again.
Butterfly Garden
Next on my itinerary was the airport's Butterfly Garden. The place is accessible only after going inside the transit area, before the boarding gates. After following the signs, I reached the sanctuary. I went inside and was assaulted by the hot air inside. I had to take off my jacket. There was no air conditioning in the garden because it would not make ideal conditions for the butterflies to thrive. The garden had two levels and there was a waterfall coming down from the second level to the first.
There were so many plants, trees, and flowers. And pineapple slices. Yes, pineapple slices were placed on butterfly-shaped installations. Butterflies landed on the fruit slices to get their fix of sugar. There were also red flowers adorning the other installations. I could see that butterflies were enjoying the pineapple juice because they spent a lot of time on the slices.
There were also butterflies that got nectar from actual flowers. I saw a black butterfly eating from what looked like a milk thistle. Another was hanging from a clump of white flowers which looked like jasmine.
I was trying to figure out why an airport would decide to keep a butterfly sanctuary. What I've noticed with Singapore is how they place so much importance on creating thriving environments for plants even if they are indoors. Tropical flowering plants are intertwined with butterflies, so I think it makes sense to keep a butterfly sanctuary to make the ecosystem balanced.
After spending most of my time walking and standing, and from lack of sleep, I was starting to get tired. I made my way to my boarding gate to rest and wait for my flight. I was glad I made the decision to have the layover. Although I only spent a few hours in SG, I really enjoyed my time, and I look forward to returning and spending a lot more.
That's it! I was so eager to return home and sleep on my own bed after this trip. Traveling has such an appeal from the thrill of the anticipation, but I am always left drained once the trip is over. I heard that when going for long trips, you should come home on a Friday or Saturday so that you can have the weekend to rest, recover, and process everything that's happened. In this case, I returned on a Sunday which left me with so little time to recover.
Still, I am grateful for the experience and I look forward to coming back to SG and blogging about it after. See you in the next one. Cheers!
