Changi airport

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We've got a 7 hour change at Changi airport in a few weeks (I imagine a bit less than 7 hours if we include getting off the plane and being ready for the next one...)

I really wanted longer as we did this once before about 10 years ago and that time we did the butterflies and sunflowers and the swimming pool.

I'm thinking about going into the Jewel this time to see the waterfall and the slides.

Has anyone got recent experience of this. Is it worth it with the time we have?

Can anyone guide me how long we will actually have (what time do you go to the gate etc) and how long getting out/into jewel takes or is that ages?

We could just do the airport. I think we arrive 5pm ish so also aware some of our time will be very late!

Thanks. (wishes we had longer!)

Anyone?

Where is Changi?

Singapore.

It will depend which terminal you’re arriving and departing from. The Jewel website gives information about how to get there from each one. Terminal 4 sounds furthest away.

If I recall we checked back in for our onward flight 3 hours before, but we stopped in Singapore for two nights and had to check luggage in again. If yours is going straight though I expect it will be easier.

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/16w15c7/changi_airport_layover_of_6_hours/

We did this a few months ago. We had around 8 hours between flights. It took us about 15mins to get to the Jewel but it depends which terminal you arrive in. We checked in again 2.5hours before departure. We weren’t on a connecting flight so left our luggage in left luggage but found out later we could have saved the money by checking in earlier in the basement of the Jewel. We had lunch, wandered round the shops, saw the waterfall and then went to the top to the nets, slides etc. It was fun and we easily passed the time.

I was in Singapore airport twice last year, on my way to and back from Australia.

Getting out from the airport:
You have to fill out the immigration form online before you arrive (everyone else but me seemed to know this. I didn't, so mentioning it just in case.) You can do it omline once you've arrived, in the airport, but a lot easier to do beforehand when not jetlagged. Then immigration is just a matter of walking through a barrier and scanning your passport- nearly instantaneous.

Jewel:
The waterfall in Jewel is pretty, but they do play very loud music there too, which I personally found a bit too much. You don't have to be right near the water though.

If you hungry (or are food oriented, like me), there are restaurants all over the place, but best of all is the food court in the basement level.

Obviously there are heaps of shops, but for me one of the most fun is Tokyu Hands, which is a Japanese store selling things/gadgets you never knew you needed...

Also in the basement area are a Japanese supermarket called Dondon Donkey, which is good for things like sweets, furikake (type of savoury sprinkles that people put on rice) and more. Also a Singapore based supermarket- think it is Fairway- which also has good stuff only easily available in Singapore, such as salted egg flavour fish skin crisps. (I've only mentioned packet stuff here because I presume food import rules for New Zealand are as draconian as for Australia.)

Leaving Jewel for your onward flight:

Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are all reachable easily on foot within 10 minutes or less. But the exit is on a different level withib Jewel for each terminal. Easy enough to navigate when you are in a normal state, but I actually got quite disoriented when tryng to get back to the right level when using the escalators and really tired and jetlagged. Use the lifts instead.

Getting back to your onward flight. Again, it is also fast,efficient and automated. I went back in two and a half hours before, and was ridiculously early, hanging around by the boarding gate which wasn't yet open.

Hello thankyou all this is great!!

We technically have 7 hours. But presumably there's time from arrival time to getting off the plan and checking back in again. So maybe 5.5 hours at changi really?

Our current plan is.
Do the day transit thing online to go to jewel (I think that's what was mentioned above) 3 days before. (is there anything else I'm supposed to have done before??)

Looks like arrivals are usually T3
Look at the butterfly garden t3

Go into jewel. Kids will do nets. Go "ahhhh" at the waterfall. Walk around some plants.
We aren't really big shoppers at all but youngest might like a Singapore supermarket/sweets just because that's different.

We will have just eaten on the plane I assume and it's 2 meals during what for us would be overnight so we're already a meal up. Any idea how long just doing the top bit and a supermarket will be???maybe coffee.

We wondered about the going in through t2. Husband would like to see the new wonderfall there but I can't work out if we will be the right side at any point. I remember it pre revamp and it seemed like a quiet oasis which is a bit more me than loud music/shopping.

The go through their revamped gardens to look at sunflowers in the dark and catch the little train back to t3

Will 7 hours (well likely 5.5?) be enough for this? I get well probably be quite sleepy and disorientated too.

Asking - ooh recent experience! We are through flights so won't have to check in luggage (I get terminology mixed up. I think that means we don't check in. We have an auto check in on our flights for the bit we click for)

Did you do the bridge? For the bridge and the nets it says "no baggage". Does that include backpacks??

Is the jewel easy to navigate?

If I arrive terminal 3. Is it just signposted and we walk through immigration at some point. Do we walk back through it at t2? I can't visualise it.

Oh dreary - oh wow that's a fantastic help!

Yes I struggle with loud busy areas so did wonder if we'd do jewel for the kids bit and escape. Although I now want to go to the Tokyo hands and to the supermarket and even just having a plan of "jewel nets then the basement" helps enormously when it's so big and were time (and probably energy) limited!

10mins!! Wow that is doable.

Thanks :)

I think we're likely to land at t3 (although could be t1-t3) as looking that's where it usually lands. We're leaving t3.

We did do the swimming pool once before which would be incredible but we don't have capacity for that.

I have spent far too long looking at this today!

I would love to see the kinetic sculpture public side in t1

And I really really wish we'd got there early enough for the tour!

Any other thoughts?

Thanks people.

Just remember that security is at the gate - so you'll want to be back in the terminal a good amount of time before boarding - I'd want to be at the gate an hour before. We've always found Singapore to be super well organised and short queues at immigration though.

For the bridge and nets, no luggage = no luggage at all. There are small pigeonholes for bags but we've always checked our cabin bags into the left luggage place in the basement when we've been there.

How old are the kids, and what time of day will you be going through? Mine found the walking nets scary but loved the bouncing ones, mirror maze etc.

But their absolute favourite thing is the pool, they'd take the pool over all of Jewel I think.

Depending on which airline you are flying with, you can check in more than 3 hours in advance https://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-guide/departing/early-checkin-online.html

And you don’t need the SIC if you’re transiting through the terminals and not clearing immigration https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-transit-depart/entering-singapore/sg-arrival-card#:~:text=All%20travellers%20are%20required%20to,without%20seeking%20immigration%20clearance%3B%20and

15 and 13 - it's the 13 year old that wants to do the nets and bridge so I've booked 2 nets tickets and bridge for all 4 of us. We'll all have rucksacks so may need to check those in. We opted jewel over pool as we haven't seen jewel and technically they did the pool before (as small kids so they don't remember it) and I think we arrive just before it closes... I can completely see that would have been a good choice. I'd love to have done the city tour if we'd been there earlier!

Yes thanks will add to my little plan that we'll be there an hour before to make sure!

Moose-to see the jewel you have to clear immigration bu there's a thing you can do 3 days in advance and there's a 1 day transit option so will be straight forwards I think. I just can't visualise getting on/out and if it matters where we get back in... But all will be clear I'm sure.

I just want to see everything as we likely won't be back again.

Did you all sleepwalk around the airport or find you kind of work up?

Applying for the immigration card is super quick and easy.

We were at Jewel a couple of weeks ago. Changi is such an amazing airport.

Oh wow that's a super picture 😍😍. How long did you spend there?

I really am looking forwards to it. I'm kind of gutted I can't fit the swimming pool in as well!!

When you leave the jewel where/when do you go from public to trans and is there a queue and is that just showing a passport?

I go through there about once a month and normally have a few hours to kill.

As a business traveller i must admit I haven't gone looking for the nets.

What I will say:
-the waterfall is quite spectacular and worth looking at.
-you can get there on the travelators quite quickly
-the jewel is however just another shopping centre if you take the waterfall away.

As said, security is at the gate so remember time for this. They can be a bit picky as well - I had my little pen knife taken off me that's been all around the world!

Thanks General. I do want to see the waterfall. I'm kind of wishing we hadn't promised the youngest the nets as we do that kind of thing at go ape!

I dont want to spend ages in a shopping mall although I'm sure my kids would 🙄.

Maybe we don't need that long in the jewel. Go in. See waterfall. Walk around the bits at the top. Child does nets for 30mins...

But swimming closes at 10 so don't think we can fit both in.

We could go across to look at sunflowers and things though. And they might like the supermarket.

I've completely switched to wanting to swim now 😂. But I feel we ought to go look at the waterfall!!

Once a month though!!!

And sorry about the penknife ☹️

Can we take sweets/snacks through into changi and back on the plane do you know?

I know they don't like opened food in NZ but just wondering if mints and things will be okay for both journeys.

I'd say yes you can to snacks and sweets. I normally travel with some fruit / nuts and have no problems going into Singapore.

Oooh that's really useful to know. We have half a backpack of food it seems and it will be good to know we can cart it round singapore too 😂. Not sure how much plane food my kids will eat but of course they'll sleep the whole way....

Do you know if we carry it onto the NZ plane just not off or not on?

I have nothing constructive to add, but I miss Changi and Singapore… DFIL lived there and I loved going to visit. What a beautiful, bonkers place! DFIL died a few years ago though.
Have a fantastic time, whatever you do, OP.

Awww I'm glad you have some lovely memories. It's likely the last time I'll go and I'm sad I only have 6-7 hours! I so wanted to do a proper stopover.

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/bring-send-to-nz/bringing-and-posting-items-to-nz/check-if-you-can-bring-or-send-an-item-to-nz/bringing-food-to-nz/

Yes I know lots of things are banned I was just wondering if they're banned at point of getting on the plane or off the plane....i may be over thinking this but wanting to see if we cna take snacks on the second leg!

Should be fine - going to Australia we've always discarded of snacks etc just before arriving there, they've been fine to take on the plane in Singapore.

Do remember that because security is at the gate then liquids rules apply ie you can't take a full bottle of water through the gate even if you bought it in the terminal.