Singapore: Jewel Changi Airport, what a Jewel!

As soon as we landed at Singapore’s Changi Airport, I told my son that I would like to take him to the Jewel before we would head to the hotel. “What’s that? Is it a mall?” he asked. “It’s both – a mall and an airport. I’ve heard that it has everything – lots of good restaurants, a hotel, branded shops, beautiful park, entertainment places, a waterfall, and many more,” I answered. “I’ve learned that the Jewel houses around 3,000 trees and 60,000 shrubs of 120 species and it was just officially opened on October 18, 2019.” I explained.

The waterfall vortex

The Jewel

So, after we got our checked-in luggage, my son and I trekked toward the Jewel to see this impressive architectural marvel. As we sauntered toward the Jewel from Terminal 2, we spied a view of the control tower which gave us a little reminder that we were at the airport, and which meant that the dome of the Jewel couldn’t be higher than the tower.

The tower at the airport

Once there, we were so impressed about the place – the greenery, the architecture, etc. and so we spent at least an hour there just wandering around looking for the best view points. Even though there were many people, we managed to find a quieter space for us.

Forest around the waterfall

The center piece of the Jewel is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall (40 meters high), which is artificially made, surrounded by rich flora and fauna. It falls from the ceiling of the dome to the bottom of the building, and the waterfall’s flow alternates between cascades and trickles to reduce air turbulence and to prevent excess humidity in the place. Just seeing the waterfall already amazed us; it’s truly awe-inspiring.

The Jewel

The Jewel

As we ambled around, we found the Shiseido Forest Valley Trail on the east side. We thought that it was a great way to stretch our legs by having a walk up this little “hill”. At some view point it looks like a dense jungle. There is so much greenery in there. And at the top there is a canopy bridge giving another overview of this indoor forest. We did not get the opportunity to enjoy the various activities on the 5^th floor, such as sky nets, mirror maze, hedge maze, etc., but it’s something we are hoping to do on our next visit to Singapore.

The Jewel

After taking photos of the beautiful waterfall and sauntered around, we had lunch at the Pizza Express. Then we browsed around the shops and grabbed a car to the hotel. Even though it is a very busy spot, my son didn’t want to leave.

at the Pizza Express

at the Pizza Express

Jewel is definitely a magnificent and artistic engineering done by Singapore. It is worth your while to spend a couple of hours there during a layover, stopover, arrival or departure of Singapore’s Changi Airport. What a jewel! The world’s greatest airport just got even better!

The Jewel

Little Lilly travel tips:

• The entrance fees at the Canopy Park on the 5^th floor start from $4.50 to $19.80. It depends on the paid attractions that you wanted to see and do.
• How did we get there?
  • We went to the 3^rd floor of Terminal 2 and walked all the way to the Jewel via wakalator.
  • If you are coming from Terminal 3, you go to the 3^rd floor and approached via wakalator.
  • Go to the ground floor of Terminal 2 or 3, and take a taxi or grab to the Jewel.

• If you want to check out gardens like this, visit the Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay.

Singapore: Gardens by the Bay

After we checked-in in our hotel, I decided to take my son, Pete, to the Gardens by the Bay. The Gardens by the Bay are a colossal futuristic lush delight, located right by the waterfront of Marina Bay. It was built in 2012 as part of Singapore government’s will of making Singapore a “City of Garden”.

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay are huge – about 101 hectares. They house more than 217,000 plants from over 800 different species. It is Singapore’s largest urban outdoor recreation area and a must-visit if you are in the city.

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay offer lots of things to do and to see for everyone. It has two air-conditioned conservatories – the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest Dome. The domes are unique as they are energy efficient and the buildings are designed to minimize the environmental footprint.

Gardens by the Bay

We started our visit at one of the highlights of the Gardens by the Bay – the OCBC Skyway. It is 22 meters high and 128 meters long. Unfortunately, it was closed for construction when we went there. However, we wandered around the ground area in the evening and enjoyed taking photographs.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

From there, we strolled toward the Flower Dome where beautiful flowers from around the world are displayed, and also exotic plants from five continents across seven different gardens. Apparently, it is the world’s largest glass greenhouse. As we entered the dome, we were welcomed by Santa Claus. And as we ambled inside the dome, we spied a restaurant in the middle of an olive grove that serves modern European cuisine. It was beautiful and colorful and very Christmas-sy! Pete and I loved it.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Then we headed to the Cloud Forest Dome. It was superb! We were greeted by the world’s 2nd biggest indoor waterfall (35 meters tall) as we came into this dome. As we got closer to it, the waterfall droplets cooled us down. It felt like we stepped into dense, foggy and luxuriant tropical jungle and lost in a mystical world.

Gardens by the Bay

We just followed the path. We went around and up the huge green Cloud Mountain. We noticed that we were already at the Cloud Walk. We both liked it, though and the view from this walk was spectacular. We also enjoyed the Treetop Walk. It was cool. We went through the tunnel of green plants and into a canopy walk with stunning views.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Subsequently, we passed by the Secret Garden that consists of limestone forests and caves. Here, we enjoyed the miniature orchids because they were so tiny that their blooms can only be seen through a magnifying glass. It was cute and fantastic!

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Later, we got into the Crystal Mountain Cave. It showcased different shapes of real stalactites and stalagmites. Finally, our tour at the Cloud Forest Dome ended at the Cloud Forest Theater, where we watched a short film about how everyone can contribute to conserving nature in order to obtain a more sustainable world and future.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

From the Cloud Forest Dome, we sauntered to Supertree Grove where we had fun watching the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show – the stunning Supertrees covered with about 163,000 plants lit up in a spectacular light with a wonderful music.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay offer something for everyone. If you are into beautiful flowers and gardens and plant life from around the world, awesome high-tech technology or magnificent architecture, then Gardens by the Bay is the right place for you. Certainly, we had a very enjoyable experience and a splendid evening there. It was well worth a visit.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Little Lilly travel tips:

• The Gardens by the Bay is open from 9.00AM to 9.00PM.
• The ticket price (Flower Dome + Cloud Forest Dome):
  • adult → S$28 (USD 20)
  • children (3 to 12 years old) → S$15 (USD 11)
• The ticket price of OCBC Skyway:
  • adult → S$8 (USD 5)
  • children (8 to 12 years old) → USD 4
• The Supertrees Light show is from 7.45PM to 8.45PM, and it is FREE.
• The Supertree Grove is open from 5AM to 2AM of the following day every day.