Have you ever had a layover in a country or city you've always wanted to see? Or maybe you don't want to miss an opportunity to see a place you may never be again?
That was me during my long journey to Bali, Indonesia. I had two layovers before reaching my destination - Frankfurt, Germany and Singapore. I've been to Germany many times, and you might know this if you read my blog or follow me on instagram, but never had I been to Singapore. I didn't know when I would be back either, so this made me think.
With 8 hours between my next flight and a desire to leave the airport, I found myself filling out the SG Arrival Card and grabbing a day pass (above) for the metro train. I made sure to ask the airline security what the traffic looked like around the time of my next flight and when I should return to the airport so that I didn't miss it.
I was soon on my way to Gardens by the Bay, a Singapore landmark known world-wide for it's unique structures, vast selection of foliage, indoor waterfalls, and nighttime light display. The ride was about 1 hour from the airport via Metro train and mostly underground (I rode the blue and green lines).
The train station closest to the Garden was also connected to Marina Mall (below), which has a convention center, a small river with boat rides and boutique clothing stores... it was very beautiful to say the least.
Gardens by the Bay is huge, with about 250-acres of greenhouse, gardens, and artwork. You can easily spend an entire day here visiting the many exhibit and gardens they have on the property, but I only had a few hours so I went to see Floral Fantasy, Flower Dome (above), SuperTree Grove, and Cloud Forest.
I concluded my time here with ShakeShack, located inside the garden property, and it was the best burger I've had in a while. If you don't like ShakeShack.. let's talk.
Since the Garden was an hour away from the airport, I didn't have much time to explore anything else and headed back to the airport. I cleared security and arrived to my gate with about 30 minutes to spare, so I charged up my phone and prepared for the final leg of my journey to Bali.
It can be a little risky to leave the airport during a layover, but the reward for taking that risk will never be something you regret....
(Unless you do miss you flight, so be extra diligent about getting back to the airport on time to clear security and walk to your gate. Pro Tip: arrive back at the Singapore Airport at least 1 hour before your flight boards)
Talk soon, and don't forget to like this blog post and leave a comment!
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