Singapore's Changi airport is pretty awesome

Bren, a self-confessed “noodle fanatic,” has written a guide to the delights of Singapore’s Changi airport, which he calls “Disneyland for backpackers.” It is certainly a nice airport, the best airport ever built on the site of a notorious death-camp, but Bren misses its best feature: the outdoor rooftop pool. I always try make Singapore my stopover when I fly to Australia, and do an hour’s worth of nighttime lengths in the pool before re-boarding. I like his play on William Gibson’s classic moniker for S’pore, too: Disneyland With the Death Penalty.”

Changi really does rock: butterfly gardens, cheap amazing food, great electronics, cheap massage, free Playstations, and free movie-theaters!

While in transit you always need to eat. Sometimes it’s good sometimes it’s not, but in Changi airport your only problem will be trying to choose. Every type of food is available – pizza, Burger King, chicken laksa, BBQ pork on rice, McDonald’s, wonton noodle soup, fried chicken and chips, vegetarian Indian…whatever you want – it’s here. The food’s not expensive either, this Hainan chicken rice only set me back $4USD! Or $12, cos I had 3 of ‘em :D

Then, it’s time to charge up your stuff. But what power plug do they use in Singapore? Doesn’t matter, because the airport has craploads of universal plugs, including USB’s. 856 of them to be exact. No more sitting on the floor against a random pillar, waiting for your phone to charge…

What I hate about sitting in the airport is the lack of fresh air. It’s like a big air conditioned greenhouse of zombies breathing recycled oxygen. Luckily for you, Singapore has a handful of garden areas where you can lay low, breath some real air and chill.

My favourite is the butterfly garden. The cactus garden and sunflower garden aren’t too shabby either.

Then, just when I start to get bored Singapore brings me back to technology. Scattered throughout the airport are free internet terminals, and there’s so many of them that they’re never full. The internet is fast, too.

Singapore Airport: A Disneyland for backpackers

(Thanks, Bren!)