Snapshots from Singapore Changi Airport

Spending hours at an airport killing time before the next flight is usually an unappealing prospect. That's not the case at Singapore's Changi Airport. After having fun at Changi in the wee hours of the night on our way out of Asia, my girl was disappointed to not have another long layover on our return. With all the fantastic things to keep travelers occupied, it's no small wonder that Changi is often rated one of the top airports in the world.

A few weeks before we departed, Budget Travel Talk posted a picture of Changi Airport's Christmas decorations. It looked so intriguing that seeing it with my own eyes was one of the things I wanted to do while we were there. Wouldn't you want to see this?

She's a real pushover for the Leaning Tower of Pisa

It turns out that the Leaning Tower was just one of the many creative, Italian-themed, horticulture displays at the airport. We found a few others while strolling through the terminal. What was especially interesting was how they kept kids interested, too.

The Colosseum  

The Colosseum... with a special guest gladiator

Hey kids, it's Sponge Bob Square Pants! These displays had something for both classical tastes and those with more youthful inclinations. I thought it was an interesting dichotomy. I'm wondering if the floral designer had a sense of humor or stormed off in a huff when he/she saw how the displays were arranged.

I'm rather sure the original Trojan Horse story doesn't mention Gary the Snail.

While Changi Airport offers a playscape, as do many other airports around the world, its activities for kids go way beyond the norm.

At midnight, the woodblock crayon rubbings still drew a crowd of children. We obviously weren't the only ones trying to keep the kids awake and on their feet despite the late hour. Even at this time of night, the paper was well stocked and the crayons were plentiful.

Woodblock rubbing station next to an Orchid Garden with Koi Pond

If you happen to be visiting Singapore and departing from Terminal 3, stop by the World's Tallest Airport Slide before going through security. It's 4 storeys tall but was, unfortunately for us, closed when we were there.

Reach speeds of up to 6 meters (18 feet) per second going down this spiral slide.

The Butterfly Garden was yet another entertaining diversion, although I will have to say that it's about a thousand times better in the daylight when you can actually see the butterflies. As it was already nighttime during this visit, we spent some fruitless minutes searching for butterflies and then occupied ourselves by looking at the chrysalides. (Yes, I did have to look up what is the plural form of "chrysalis.") This garden is just one of the many themed gardens and nature experience throughout the airport.

Future butterflies

I was surprised to see that many of the airport's upscale stores stayed open past midnight. I'm sure that my husband would have bought me an Hermès scarf if only the shopgirls had not been locking up at 1 A.M. when we walked by... or maybe not.

As it was, the simple pleasure of the free foot and calf massage chairs was enough to keep me happy. Hubby motioned to me that we really had to go if we didn't want to miss our flight, but I was reluctant to disengage myself from the rollers powerfully kneading my aching muscles. The napping stations off to the sides looked enticing, too, but I knew that I would never get up in time if I allowed myself to lay down.

Other times at Changi, we've checked into the Transit Hotel if our layover was more than 6 hours. I really like that we don't have to clear immigration in order to reach the hotel. That's so convenient. During one stay, we swept aside the hotel room curtains, eager to look at the view. Perhaps we'd see planes taking off! Nope. It was just a blank wall.

Other activities at Changi Airport for travelers in transit:

• Free 2-hour, guided tour of Singapore
• Around-the-clock, free movie theatre; although you are cautioned to remember not to miss your flight
• Rooftop swimming pool free for hotel guests and a charge of S$13.91 for non-guests
• Fish Spa and Reflexology Center where fish nibble the dead skin off your feet
• Entertainment Deck with a Kinect, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 perfect for tweens and teens
• Shower and gym

Have you been to Singapore's Changi Airport? What's your favorite way to entertain yourself there?

This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox and "Oh the Places I've Been" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.