Jewel at Changi

One final post from Singapore. We took some time out at Changi Airport to explore the truly stunning Jewel complex that opened here a few years ago. We missed this extraordinary indoor destination on our last visit to Singapore, and transit stops from Europe never give us enough time to pass through security to visit it outside the terminal.

On paper, Jewel is simply a multi-level shopping mall at the airport, with the usual retail and dining outlets, plus an airport hotel. However, this is Singapore, so it’s also a compelling tourist attraction. The building’s centrepiece is a massive atrium surrounded by a terraced forest garden. In the atrium’s middle is the world's tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex, which falls 40 metres into a pool below.

While Garry headed for the lounge, I spent almost 45 minutes circling the collecting pond, climbing the stairways that wind through the tropical gardens, and exploring the uppermost Canopy Park level. The top floor features a series of attractions that you can pay to explore, including a rope-net climbing experience, two hedge mazes and garden walks with stunning aerial views of the Rain Vortex. However, I gave the paid options a miss.

 
The experience is simply breathtaking. The coolest feature? It’s got to be the inter-terminal Skytrain track that runs through the middle of the atrium. Crazy! But it’s very cool! I’ve read that more than 300,000 people visit Jewel each day, or more than 50 million a year.