What do I do for 10 hours in Singapore/Changi?
November 15, 2014 8:27 PM   Subscribe

I have a 10 hour stop at Changi airport, Singapore. What do I do with that time?

I have a 10 hour stop at Changi airport, Singapore, and I'm wondering what to do with that time. I shouldn't need to sleep. I'm arriving at 1PM and departing at midnight. I won't be carrying any baggage other than a carry-on backpack, so luggage shouldn't be an issue. I know Changi's a pretty cool airport (as far as airports go). I've been to Singapore before and have seen most of the touristy sites. But I can't remember details like how long it took me to get from Changi to the city center. For a 10 hour (roughly) stop-over, is it worth getting a cab into the central city and spending a few hours looking around, or should I just chill in the airport?

I know it's a pretty basic question and really comes down to personal preferences, but I'm wondering if one of you mefites with local knowledge can suggest something interesting that might fit into that time window.

Thanks!
posted by Diag to Travel & Transportation around Singapore (11 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I've gone into the city from Changi by MRT with less than 10 hours between flights so in my opinion it's totally worth it. I did have some specific shops that I wanted to hit up though, so I was on a bit of a mission - I wasn't just wandering around. I think it's a bit less than an hour each way by MRT (but definitely allow at least an hour).

I know you've seen most of the touristy stuff, but if you wanted to get out of the airport and know you'll make it back in time, go do a free Singapore tour. The nighttime city lights tour looks particularly good. Have fun!
posted by pianissimo at 8:52 PM on November 15, 2014


Best answer: I love Changi Airport, but maybe 10 hours is too much. Though if you are going to chill out at the airport, pack your swimmers and enjoy a swim in the pool at one of the terminals. It has lounges and a bar, so is quite pleasant. Also it is open in the evening and it is pleasant floating in the pool watching planes go overhead.

For my nine or so hour stopover, I asked this question which, although it was about finding somewhere to have breakfast and get some good coffee, might have some ideas for you. I just jumped on the MRT - very quick and easy, and had time to go check out a shop I wanted to go to in one of the malls as well as my coffee expedition to Tiong Baru.

Another time I had a stopover, I went to the botanical gardens which was very relaxing.
posted by AnnaRat at 9:33 PM on November 15, 2014


Best answer: Id go into town. <20 minute cab ride.
posted by Nelson at 10:22 PM on November 15, 2014


Best answer: It's not far into town at all-- and Singapore is at least worth a stop at the hawker stalls for the food! If you'd like an off-the-beaten-track thing to do, check out Haw Par Villa, and bring your camera. It's free and completely insane.
posted by frumiousb at 11:43 PM on November 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I've done this. I even did the free city tour once but frankly it was not worth the price (heh) esp if you've been to Sing before. Def take the MRT which stops running at midnight. It's not direct, you have to change at one stop but it is easy to figure out. Also T2 and T3 have left-luggage both before and after immigration and it costs around S$3.15 per bag so I'd stash the bag as well. Remember the heat and bring an umbrella (although the tourist office on Orchard Rd hands out free rain ponchos. It's like wearing a dry-cleaning bag so what you miss in rain, you make up for in sweat.)

As for what to do, I like to check out some favorite places along Orchard Rd but what about the rooftop pool that looks like a spaceship that landed on top of the hotel: Marina Bay Sands. Googling it, I see that non-guests can not go to the pool to protect the privacy of our guests but there is an observation deck if you want to spend the $$ for a ticket.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:06 AM on November 16, 2014


Best answer: Singapore's immigration/baggage/customs is the quickest of any city I've been to, so you won't waste a lot of time clearing that hurdle.

Browse through the list of attractions at TripAdvisor to see if anything jumps out at you.

If it was me, I would walk around the Gardens By the Bay area and maybe have lunch at one of the hawker centres (Lau Pa Sat isn't far away). From there you could also walk to a couple of attractions nearby. Alternately, the Botanical Gardens is a good suggestion too, including the Orchid garden if you haven't been there before.

If you're on a budget you can take advantage of the free tourist bus from the airport directly, although taxis are honest, safe, reasonably priced and pretty easy to get outside of peak traffic hours/heavy rains.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 1:52 AM on November 16, 2014


Response by poster: Thanks for all the good advice. I think I'll cab or MRT into the city and just explore for a while. 10 hours in an airport might be a bit too much for me. Last time I did that I ended up falling asleep on a bench and missing my flight :/

Oh, and I'm lucky enough to have already visited the infinity pool deck at Marina Bay Sands .
posted by Diag at 4:36 AM on November 16, 2014


Ooh yes, head out to Tiong Bahru if you're into coffee, croissants, or books. (As AnnaRat mentions in the question she links, 40 Hands! BooksActually! Tiong Bahru Bakery!) There's interesting stuff there. Haw Par Villa is great, and interesting - not super close to the airport, but well, you have time.

I'm also very partial to the National Museum, but that's a 50/50 thing, I've found. Oh, and if you haven't been to the National Library Building on Victoria Street (near City Hall), it's quite a nice place to sit down and read a book, especially on a weekday.

If you're going to be here any time within the next couple of weeks, it is my sense that almost every afternoon will be beset with torrential rain, because that's basically what's been going on for the past two weeks or so. It's not really going to be hot this time of year, but heck is it going to be wet.

Have fun! I'm sort of jealous; it's been ages since I had the chance to wander around the city. Don't forget a small umbrella, if you can!
posted by undue influence at 6:16 AM on November 16, 2014


People rave abut the wonders of Changi airport, but I've been twice and been unable to experienced them. I believe the trouble is since my tickets were with United, I was in the wrong (old) terminal, and the wonders are all located inside security, in the other (new) terminal.

But yeah, ten hours? Go into town. No need for a cab now, MRT goes to Changi.
posted by Rash at 10:23 AM on November 16, 2014


look on flyertalk.com for "SIN runs". These are people who take flights to singapore for the miles, and often only stay 6-10 hours. They have tons of opinion on the best place to eat chili crab, for instance.
posted by carlodio at 3:51 PM on November 16, 2014


You can move freely between the three terminals without going through immigration. (The only exception was the Budget Terminal, which has been demolished.) So, even if you are taking United, you can go explore the other terminals. Just make sure you have time to come back.
posted by applesurf at 4:10 AM on November 21, 2014


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