Planning Your Scandinavian Holidays

When planning Scandinavia vacations, it’s important to remember that the region offers something for every type of traveler. From the historical sites of Denmark to the stunning fjords of Norway, and from Sweden’s natural beauty to Finland’s wintry wilderness, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re seeking adventure, relaxation, or cultural immersion, Scandinavia offers it all.

An efficient transport system connects Scandinavian countries

One of the best ways to explore Scandinavia is by taking advantage of the efficient and comfortable transport system that connects the region. Trains, buses, and ferries make it easy to travel between countries, while flights are available for longer distances.

Many travelers choose to embark on scenic train journeys, such as the popular route between Oslo and Bergen in Norway, which offers panoramic views of the mountains and fjords.

Alternatively, taking a cruise along Norway’s coastline is a breathtaking way to see the fjords up close, with numerous stops at quaint coastal villages and remote islands.

New to the continent? Find more first-time Europe trip itineraries here!

Norway Holidays – A Land of Fjords and Northern Lights

Norway holidays are perhaps best known for dramatic fjords, towering mountains, and the mesmerizing northern lights, or aurora borealis. A trip to Norway would be incomplete without experiencing these natural wonders.

The fjords, such as Geirangerfjord and Sognefjord (the Aurlandsfjord branch is especially picturesque), are breathtakingly beautiful and have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to their stunning landscapes. These vast, glacially carved valleys offer visitors a chance to experience the serenity of nature up close, with opportunities for hiking, boat tours, and even kayaking in some areas.

One of the highlights of a visit to Norway is embarking on a Norway Aurora Borealis tour. The northern lights are one of nature’s most spectacular displays, and Norway offers some of the best vantage points to witness this magical phenomenon.

Tromsø, located above the Arctic Circle, is one of the most popular destinations for those wanting to experience the northern lights. From late September to early April, this charming city, known as the gateway to the Arctic, offers guided tours that take visitors to the most optimal spots for viewing the northern lights. These tours often combine the magical aurora with other activities such as dog sledding, snowmobiling, or even a traditional Sami experience, giving you a chance to embrace the winter wonderland while chasing vibrant lights across the Arctic skies.

Beyond the northern lights, Norway is abundant with outdoor activities. Whether you’re looking to hike the iconic Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) and other famous rocks in Lysefjord, cruise along the Norwegian coastline, or explore the Lofoten Islands, Norway’s natural beauty is never far from reach.

Norway is also home to a rich cultural heritage, with medieval stave churches, Viking museums, and the historic city of Bergen offering insights into the country’s past.

Sweden Holidays – A Land of Natural Beauty and City Chic

Sweden is another Scandinavian gem that blends striking landscapes with vibrant urban culture. The country’s natural beauty is just as captivating as its cities, with dense forests, tranquil lakes, and picturesque coastlines waiting to be explored. Swedish Lapland, in particular, is known for its stunning wilderness, where visitors can embark on a range of winter activities, from ice fishing to snowshoeing.

However, Sweden’s allure goes beyond its natural landscapes. Stockholm, the Swedish capital, is a beautiful and dynamic city spread across 14 islands, connected by over 50 bridges. A visit to Stockholm offers an abundance of attractions, from the medieval Old Town (Gamla Stan) to the modern art scene in Södermalm. The Royal Palace, one of Europe’s largest, and the Nobel Prize Museum are both must-visit landmarks. For those looking to escape the bustle of city life, the Stockholm Archipelago, a series of over 30,000 islands, offers the perfect retreat, with opportunities for sailing, kayaking, and even staying in quaint cabins.

Another popular destination in Sweden is Gothenburg, the country’s second-largest city, which boasts a laid-back atmosphere, trendy cafes, and an impressive selection of galleries and museums. Its proximity to the coastline means you can enjoy fresh seafood while soaking up the Scandinavian sunshine.

Sweden is also known for its innovative design, and there’s no better place to see this than in the design district of Östermalm, Stockholm, where modern Scandinavian furniture and fashion dominate the landscape.

For nature lovers, Sweden offers plenty of opportunities to embrace the great outdoors. Hiking and skiing are popular pastimes, with famous trails such as the Kungsleden (King’s Trail) running through Sweden’s mountainous regions.

Whether you prefer city chic or rugged adventure, Sweden delivers a balance of both, making it a perfect addition to holidays in Scandinavia.

Denmark Holidays – A Blend of History and Modernity

While Denmark may not be as rugged as its neighbors, it has its own unique charm and cultural richness that makes it an ideal destination for those seeking history, art, and contemporary style.

Copenhagen, the Danish capital, is a city known for its design, cycling culture, and vibrant atmosphere. The city’s colorful buildings along Nyhavn, the iconic canal, are a photographer’s dream, and the canal tours offer a unique perspective of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Copenhagen is also home to a rich history, which is evident in the many castles and museums scattered across the city. Rosenborg Castle, for example, houses the Danish crown jewels, while the National Museum of Denmark offers insights into the country’s Viking past. Another must-see is Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, where visitors can enjoy rides, concerts, and beautiful gardens.

Outside of Copenhagen, Denmark is dotted with charming small towns, scenic beaches, and medieval castles.

The town of Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, offers a fairytale atmosphere with its cobblestone streets and historic sites dedicated to the famous author.

For those who enjoy the seaside, the Danish coastline offers stunning beaches, particularly around Skagen, where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet.

Finland Holidays – A Hidden Gem in the North

Finland, often overlooked by many tourists, offers an entirely different Scandinavian holiday experience. The country is known for its vast forests, tranquil lakes, and vibrant cities.

Helsinki, the capital, is a blend of neoclassical architecture, modern design, and a lively cultural scene. The city is home to the beautiful Senate Square, the striking Helsinki Cathedral, and a variety of museums and galleries. For nature lovers, Helsinki’s many parks and nearby islands provide ample opportunities for outdoor adventures, such as hiking, cycling, and sailing.

Beyond the capital, Finland’s true beauty lies in its wilderness. Finnish Lapland, much like Swedish Lapland, is an ideal destination for winter activities such as husky sledding, ice fishing, and visiting Santa Claus Village. Rovaniemi, located in Finnish Lapland, is famous as the official hometown of Santa Claus, making it a magical destination for families, particularly around Christmas time.

For those seeking a true Northern experience, Finland’s unique glass igloos offer the chance to sleep beneath the northern lights in the comfort of a warm bed. These igloos, located in Lapland, provide a front-row seat to one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena.

The Best Time to Visit Scandinavia

The best time to visit Scandinavia largely depends on the type of experience you’re seeking.

If you’re eager to see the northern lights, the winter months, between September and March, are ideal, especially in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. During this period, the nights are long and the skies are dark, offering optimal conditions for aurora sightings.

For those interested in hiking, wildlife viewing, or enjoying endless days, the summer months (June to August) are perfect, with long daylight hours and pleasant temperatures.

Autumn and spring are also beautiful times to visit, as the landscapes come alive with vibrant colors, and the crowds are smaller compared to peak summer months.

Unforgettable Holidays in Scandinavia – Conclusion

From the majestic fjords of Norway to the magical northern lights and the vibrant cities of Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Helsinki, Scandinavia offers some of the most diverse and awe-inspiring travel experiences in Europe.

Scandinavia is the perfect holiday destination for those seeking beauty, adventure, and a touch of magic

Whether you’re embarking on the Aurora Borealis tour, hiking in Swedish Lapland, or immersing yourself in the rich culture of Denmark, Scandinavia is a destination that will leave you with lasting memories.

Seeking outdoor adventures? Looking for historical exploration? Or prefer simply relaxing amidst stunning landscapes? Scandinavia has something for everyone, making it the perfect holiday destination for those seeking beauty, adventure, and a touch of magic.

With its unparalleled natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and modern charm, Scandinavia is a destination that will captivate every type of traveler.

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The photographs in this article have been sourced through Unsplash.
In the order of appearance, the authors are as follows: 
Tromso aurora borealis (cover image) - Sven Pieren
Svalbard dogs - Dylan Shaw 
Gamla Stan - Juho Luomala
Copenhagen boat - Rolf Blicher Godfrey
Finland snow hikers - Harri P
Northern lights from an igloo (pin image) - Illia Panasenko

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Pigeon Forge rides are designed for unforgettable moments of excitement and fun

In this guide, we’ll explore the top 7 must-try rides in Pigeon Forge. These rides are designed to give you unforgettable moments of excitement and fun. From family-friendly options to extreme adventures, each ride offers a unique experience that will leave you wanting more.

So, if you’re planning a trip to Pigeon Forge and love a good thrill, this list is for you. Get ready to discover the best rides that will make your visit truly memorable. Let’s dive into the top picks that every adventure enthusiast should try!

Great Smoky Mountain Wheel is an important landmark of Pigeon Forge's panorama. At 200 feet (61 meters) in height, it is still four times smaller than the largest Ferris Wheel in the world.

Pigeon Forge’s best rides

1. Conquer the Mountain Monster at The Mountain Mile

If you’re a thrill seeker visiting Pigeon Forge, the Mountain Monster at The Mountain Mile is a must-try. This attraction features three unique rides designed to push your adrenaline to the limit. Located at The Mountain Mile Tower, it’s perfect for those who love high-speed, high-altitude adventures.

The first ride, Monster Dive, takes you to a 200-foot platform before dropping you straight down. The sudden plunge is sure to get your heart racing. Next, Monster Launch catapults you 170 feet into the air in just seconds. The rapid ascent and descent create an unforgettable experience. Finally, Monster Fall offers a 133-foot freefall that feels like a rush of pure excitement.

What makes these rides special is their design by Stan Checketts, a well-known thrill ride engineer. Each ride is built to deliver maximum thrills while ensuring safety. Whether you’re a seasoned adrenaline junkie or trying something extreme for the first time, the Mountain Monster has something for everyone.

The Mountain Mile Tower is easy to find in Pigeon Forge, making it a convenient stop on your trip. Don’t miss the chance to conquer these rides and add an unforgettable adventure to your visit.

2. Experience the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster

If you’re a thrill-seeker visiting Pigeon Forge, the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster is a must-try. Known as the longest coaster in East Tennessee, this ride stretches over 20 acres of scenic landscape. It features four uplifts, 360-degree turns, and multiple tunnels, making it an exciting adventure for everyone.

What sets this coaster apart is the control it gives riders. You can adjust your speed, reaching up to 30 MPH, depending on how much thrill you want. This makes the experience unique for each person, whether you prefer a fast-paced ride or a more relaxed journey.

The Rocky Top Mountain Coaster is perfect for all ages, making it a great choice for families or groups. As you glide through the track, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the Smoky Mountains. The combination of natural beauty and adrenaline-pumping twists and turns creates an unforgettable experience.

This coaster is not just about speed; it’s about the journey. The ride takes you through lush forests and open areas, giving you a chance to soak in the surroundings while enjoying the thrill. Whether you’re a first-time rider or a coaster enthusiast, the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster offers something for everyone.

Don’t miss this unique attraction when you’re in Pigeon Forge. It’s a perfect blend of excitement and natural beauty, making it a standout experience for thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike.

3. Brave the Slingshot at Fun Stop Family Action Park

If you’re looking for an adrenaline-pumping experience, the Slingshot at Fun Stop Family Action Park is a must-try ride in Pigeon Forge. This thrilling attraction launches you into the sky at incredible speeds, giving you a rush like no other.

The Slingshot works by propelling you upward with rapid acceleration, reaching heights that offer stunning views of Pigeon Forge. For a few seconds, you’ll feel weightless as you soar through the air. The ride is short but intense, making it perfect for thrill-seekers who crave excitement.

What sets the Slingshot apart is its combination of speed and height. You’ll experience a sudden burst of energy as you’re launched, followed by a moment of calm as you take in the scenery. The panoramic views of the surrounding area add an extra layer of enjoyment to the ride.

This ride is ideal for anyone who loves extreme thrills. It’s one of the most intense rides in Pigeon Forge, and its unique design ensures a memorable experience. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, the Slingshot is a standout attraction that shouldn’t be missed.

For those who enjoy rides in Pigeon Forge that push the limits, the Slingshot delivers. It’s a quick but unforgettable adventure that will leave you wanting more. Don’t forget to add this to your list of must-try rides when visiting Fun Stop Family Action Park!

4. Navigate the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster

The Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is a top pick for thrill seekers visiting Pigeon Forge. This ride combines stunning mountain views with an exciting downhill adventure. What makes it unique is that you control your speed, so you can enjoy a leisurely ride or a fast-paced thrill.

One of the standout features of this coaster is that it’s open year-round. Whether you visit in the summer, fall, winter, or spring, the experience changes with the seasons. In the warmer months, you’ll see lush greenery, while fall offers vibrant autumn colors. Winter rides are magical, with snow-covered landscapes adding to the charm.

Another reason to try this ride is its record-breaking length. The Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is the longest downhill ride in the U.S., stretching over a mile. This means more time to enjoy the twists, turns, and breathtaking scenery.

The coaster is family-friendly, making it a great option for all ages. Single and double carts are available, so you can ride solo or with a partner. Safety is a priority, with secure harnesses and clear instructions provided before the ride.

If you’re looking for a mix of adventure and natural beauty, the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is a must-try. It’s not just a ride; it’s an experience that captures the essence of the Smoky Mountains. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable attraction during your visit to Pigeon Forge.

5. Glide on the Soaring Eagle Zipline at Fun Stop Family Action Park

If you’re looking for a fun and thrilling activity in Pigeon Forge, the Soaring Eagle Zipline at Fun Stop Family Action Park is a must-try. This dual-seat zipline is perfect for thrill-seekers of all ages, offering a smooth and exciting ride that lets you glide high above the park.

The Soaring Eagle Zipline stands out because it allows you to fly both forward and backward. As you zip through the air, you’ll get a unique view of the surrounding Smoky Mountains. The ride is designed to be safe and comfortable, making it a great choice for families, couples, or even solo adventurers.

What makes this zipline special is its ability to provide a thrilling experience without being too intense. The ride is gentle enough for younger riders or first-timers, yet still exciting for those who love a bit of adventure. The dual-seat feature also means you can share the experience with a friend or family member, making it a memorable activity for everyone.

Located at Fun Stop Family Action Park, the Soaring Eagle Zipline is easily accessible and adds to the park’s wide range of attractions. Whether you’re visiting Pigeon Forge for the first time or you’re a regular, this zipline is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the area while having fun.

In summary, the Soaring Eagle Zipline is a must-try for anyone visiting Pigeon Forge. It’s safe, fun, and offers a unique way to experience the Smoky Mountains. Don’t miss out on this exciting adventure!

Not all amusement rides survived the ravages of time. For instance, Nara Dreamland theme park in Japan was demolished.

6. Race on the Fastest Go-Karts at Fun Stop Family Action Park

For thrill-seekers visiting Pigeon Forge, Fun Stop Family Action Park offers an exhilarating go-kart racing experience. With multiple tracks designed to cater to speed enthusiasts, this park ensures an adrenaline-pumping adventure for all ages.

Fun Stop Family Action Park features three distinct go-kart tracks, each offering unique challenges:

• Elevated Track: This multi-level track provides drivers with the excitement of ascending and descending, adding a vertical element to the racing experience.
• Slick Track: Designed for those who enjoy sliding through turns, the slick surface of this track tests drivers’ control and skill.
• Pro Track: Tailored for competitive racers, the Pro Track combines sharp turns and high-speed straights, demanding precision and agility.

These tracks cater to various skill levels, ensuring that both novices and seasoned racers find a suitable challenge.

Why It’s a Must-Try

Go-kart racing at Fun Stop Family Action Park is more than just a ride; it’s an opportunity to engage in friendly competition and create lasting memories. The variety of tracks allows families and groups to experience different racing styles, keeping the excitement fresh with each race. The park maintains well-kept equipment and prioritizes safety, ensuring a secure environment for all participants.

Insider Tips:

• Wear comfortable clothing and secure, closed-toe shoes to ensure ease of movement and safety while driving.
• While walk-ins are welcome, it’s advisable to book in advance, especially during peak seasons, to secure your preferred time slot.

Located at 3275 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN, Fun Stop Family Action Park operates daily from 10 am, with closing hours varying. For more information or to make a reservation, visit their official website or contact them at 865-429-4639.

Embark on a high-speed adventure at Fun Stop Family Action Park and experience some of the fastest go-kart racing in Pigeon Forge.

7. Embark on the Avalanche Snow Coaster at Rowdy Bear Ridge

The Avalanche Snow Coaster at Rowdy Bear Ridge is a must-try ride for thrill seekers visiting Pigeon Forge. This mountain coaster offers an exciting ride with the added advantage of speed control, allowing riders to customize their experience. Whether you prefer a fast-paced descent or a slower, scenic ride, this attraction provides both options.

One of the standout features of the Avalanche Snow Coaster is its winter theme. Unlike traditional coasters, this ride gives the sensation of gliding through a snowy landscape, no matter the season. The well-designed track and surrounding décor create an immersive experience, making it feel like a true winter adventure.

Why You Should Try It

This coaster combines speed, control, and a unique theme, making it an exciting option for all ages. Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or someone who enjoys a scenic ride, the Avalanche Snow Coaster offers a fun and memorable experience.

Tips for the Best Experience

• Dress Comfortably: Wear comfortable clothes and secure footwear to ensure a smooth ride.
• Try Different Speeds: Use the speed controls to switch between a relaxed ride and a high-speed adventure.

The Avalanche Snow Coaster is a perfect mix of thrill and fun, making it a top attraction in Pigeon Forge.

Plan Your Pigeon Forge Adventure

Pigeon Forge is the perfect destination for thrill-seekers, offering a variety of rides that cater to those looking for excitement and adventure.

Pigeon Forge amusement rides combine thrilling speeds, stunning views and unforgettable moments

From high-speed go-karts to gravity-defying coasters, the town is filled with experiences that get your heart racing. Whether you’re soaring above the ground on the Flying Ox, feeling the rush of the Mountain Monster, or speeding down the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster, each ride provides a unique thrill.

These attractions combine thrilling speeds, stunning views, and unforgettable moments that are sure to leave you with lasting memories. Pigeon Forge is more than just a place to visit; it’s a place to challenge your limits and experience the ultimate adventure.

So, don’t miss out on the chance to add some pulse-pounding fun to your vacation and experience the best that Pigeon Forge has to offer. Get ready for a journey full of excitement and thrill!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The authors of all photographs are mentioned in image titles and Alt Text descriptions. In order of appearance, these are:

All amusement ride photographs (including cover and pin image) - Roller Coaster Philosophy, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Pigeon Forge panorama - Rodney Truitt Jr, Unsplash

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The two kids on a rusty bike are nowadays so emblematic that you could hardly find a souvenir shop NOT selling a tote bag, magnet, or keychain featuring this image. Even big corporations couldn’t resist the magnetism of Ernest Zacharevic’s art. Air Asia repeatedly used Children on a Bicycle in its marketing campaigns, without proper credit, consent, or compensation. When they decided to paint one of their planes with the reproduction of the image, the artist decided it was enough, and announced legal action against the airline.

Honestly, I’ve been contemplating of simply painting over it in hopes to put an end to that circusErnest Zacharevic

Beyond fueling the souvenir industry and corporate opportunism, this street artwork is a brand that every visitor wants a piece of. Tourists lining up in front of the Penang bicycle mural, striking bizarre selfie poses, became a regular scene in the charming lane that changed permanently.

The artist himself recognized overtourism as a sin against the UNESCO World Heritage Site town, expressing regret for his contribution to transforming a once-quiet George Town street into a quick consumeristic paradise, filled with insta shops, insta restaurants, and insta craving for attention.

“Honestly, I’ve been contemplating of simply painting over it in hopes to put an end to that circus”, Ernest Zacharevic admitted in 2019.

Even as tropical weather made the colors of Kids on the Bike start naturally disintegrate, the crowds never thinned. Faced with reality, Ernest Zacharevic agreed to restore his Penang murals in 2024.

So what makes this artwork so special? Let’s explore the cultural significance and the selfie craze surrounding the Little Children on a Bicycle!

TL;DR: Penang’s Little Children on a Bicycle mural isn’t just street art - it’s a selfie sensation. Painted by Ernest Zacharevic, this interactive masterpiece turned George Town into a street art hotspot, inspiring countless poses, from dramatic fashion model stances to heroic bicycle pushers. While the mural has survived time, vandalism, and gentrification debates, its biggest challenge remains: the endless stream of tourists trying to get the perfect shot. Whether you're here to admire the art or join the posing frenzy, this iconic mural is a must-visit (just don’t block traffic).

Who is Ernest Zacharevic?

Ernest Zacharevic Zach (born 1986) is a Lithuanian street artist researching the relationship between art, community, and urban landscape. His murals don’t just sit prettily on the wall. They invite people to become part of the scene that blends painted figures with physical objects.

Zacharevic’s rise to global recognition started right in Penang. In 2012, the George Town Festival commissioned him to create a series of murals for the Mirrors George Town project. These would ultimately transform Penang into an open-air art gallery.

Some of his most famous interactive works in Penang include:

• Boy on a Chair – a child climbing on a wooden chair in Cannon Street
• Boy on a Bike – a boy casually leaning on a motorbike in Ah Quee Street
• Little Boy with a Pet Dinosaur – a kid taking a childlike-graffiti dinosaur for a walk, also in Lebuh Ah Quee
• Little Children on a Bicycle – the mural that launched thousands of selfies

Zacharevic’s signature use of real-life objects enables the artwork to leave the surface of a 2D wall, into the world of a spectator, practically inviting passers-by to engage with it.

While Zacharevic put Penang on the world’s street art map, Penang also put him on the map of the most respected street artists. Since 2012, he’s been painting across the globe, from the U.S. to Europe. In Southeast Asia, you can spot Ernest Zacharevic’s artistic handprint from Medan in Indonesia to Kuching on Borneo, from Singapore to Ipoh.

His street art projects often touch on social themes and environmental issues, proving that he can create more than just selfie backdrops. The thought-provoking artist, for instance, launched Splash and Burn, a powerful awareness-raising campaign that uses art as a weapon against unsustainable palm oil farming in Indonesia.

Street art is an ephemeral form. Unlike museum paintings, murals don’t always get to grow old. Some fade, some are vandalized, and some – like Ernest Zacharevic’s Rage Against the Machine, depicting children demolishing a school bus in Kuala Lumpur – fall victim to city redevelopment.

Some can disappear for more controversial reasons. The Johor Bahru officials swiftly whitewashed Ernest Zacharevic’s Lego mural depicting a robber with a knife waiting to ambush a woman with a Chanel bag. Authorities weren’t amused by the unflattering commentary on the city’s crime rates, so they removed it, not without the public outcry.

Besides Ernest, Lithuania is also home to an unusual Devils' Museum - check out this type of art!

Little Children on a Bicycle – the story

Little Children on a Bicycle captures a simple, fleeting moment of pure joy: a girl and a boy riding a bicycle, carefree and full of laughter.

The integration of a real bicycle, a three-dimensional element, in the mural, made the artwork dynamic, inviting viewers to become a part of it through interaction. It practically enables you to jump in and relive a slice of childhood innocence. In the smartphone era, this was a recipe for viral success. It was destined to become a global selfie spot.

It all started with a single photograph. One lazy Sunday afternoon in 2012, Ernest Zacharevic attended a sketching event at the Goddess of Mercy Temple in Penang. He arrived on a red bicycle, and two local siblings spotted it. Despite its size clearly not being meant for them, that didn’t stop a 6-year-old girl Tan Yi and her 4-year-old brother Tan Kern from having an absolute blast. Ernest snapped a photo of them, capturing the spark that would later inspire one of the most famous murals in the world.

An innocent moment of play led to tens of thousands of tourist snapshots. Little Children on a Bicycle became a mandatory stop on every visitor’s Penang itinerary.

Penang can also be colorful by night. Discover Kek Lok Si Temple!

George Town street art – a tourism magnet

Since its creation, the Children on a Bicycle mural has done more than just brightened up a wall. It’s fueled George Town’s urban renaissance, inspiring countless other murals, and transforming Penang into one of Asia’s most celebrated street art destinations.

What’s the secret behind this success? Ernest Zacharevic’s masterpiece tapped into something universal – nostalgia. It’s a moment frozen in time, reminding people of the simple joys of childhood. Add to that the interactive nature of the piece, which invites visitors to step into the artwork, and you’ve got a tourist magnet.

If there’s one thing that stands out as much as the mural itself, it’s the endless stream of tourists posing with it. From mimicking the children’s playful expressions and assuming exaggerated action positions to coming up with hilarious interactions with the artwork, visitors turn this piece into a dynamic attraction. They don’t just look at the mural. They become a part of it.

With great popularity comes great gentrification. The very artwork that shone a light on George Town’s heritage has, ironically, contributed to its commercial transformation. While Zacharevic may not have predicted the avalanche of souvenir shops, themed cafes, and never-ending selfie queues, the real responsibility for managing tourism’s impact falls on city planners.

If nothing else, Little Children on a Bicycle managed to spark grand discussions about the balance between cultural preservation and tourism-driven change.

You can explore Penang's street art highlights on a 2-hour guided tour. Check it out here!

How to strike a pose with Kids on a Bicycle

During my Penang visit, and particularly while filming for the Pipeaway’s newest video series Been There, Done That, I witnessed an entire parade of visitors striking their best poses in front of Little Children on a Bicycle. In 108 minutes of footage, there wasn’t a single moment without someone trying to capture the perfect shot.

The inspiration for what visitors should do when interacting with Ernest Zacharevic’s art piece obviously came from each other, but also from social media where these photographs eventually end up. The selfie-takers’ behavior has recognizable patterns.

As you can see in this YouTube short directing kids for a photo is not an easy parent task.

Note: While creative posing is not problematic per se, be mindful not to damage the real bicycle or obstruct traffic / endanger yourself and others in this one-way street.

Here are the most common poser personas you’ll find at Little Children on a Bicycle, and what you could learn from them!

The Fashion Model

This first category is for those who try to absorb all the spotlight. These posers don’t necessarily touch a bicycle; instead, they seem magically transported to the site from the pages of Vogue. With a slight head tilt and a distant dreamy gaze, they seemingly ignore both the bicycle and the camera. But don’t be fooled; their pose is certainly staged! Either leaning against the wall or in a “walking pose”, with one foot slightly lifted, as if the paparazzi snapped them amid their leisurely stroll, they showcase the newest flowing dress or delicately adjust sunglasses and an oversized hat. All captioned later with something deep, like “Life is a journey!”.

Bonus tip: To maximize influencer potential, your feet and your face should point to opposite directions. Add a coconut with a straw, conveniently sold nearby.

 

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A post shared by ArcaneNexus (@jaydenbc_)

The Pusher / Puller

For some hardly explainable reason, many selfie-takers feel the urge to pull the bicycle (to prevent it from leaving the photo?) or push it (to unglue the children from the wall?). After grabbing the back of the bike, the pushers lean forward pretending to help the kids, while pullers lean back with resistance as if they’re trying to stop the wild ride. Some posers stand in front of the bike, doing the same physical push/pull from there – that one’s only for the advanced mimes.

Bonus tip: Exaggerate your facial expression, as if you are determined or exhausted. Eyes wide, mouth open, dramatic Stop!/Push! energy.

 

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A post shared by Jason Yokie (@jasonyokie)

The Third Wheel

Many selfie makers jump straight into action. They squeeze onto the bike as an extra passenger (or hover near it), as if they’re the uninvited friend tagging along. Some parents direct their children’s appearance on the photo, modeling their bodies to sit on the bicycle, and then quickly running out of the frame during the click.

Bonus tip: If you do decide to (pretend to) sit on the bicycle, make sure not to block the kids painted in the mural. Otherwise, you do know that there are plenty of actual bicycles to sit on if you just want a bike photo?

 

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A post shared by 𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮 (@clarabellefaith)

The Action Hero

These are the attention-grabbers who refuse to just stand still. In their moment of glory, they leap into the air, attempt handstands and saltos, or, at the bare minimum, pretend to chase after the bicycle, frozen mid-run.

Bonus tip: Bring a cape, and follow the weather forecast for the breeze.

 

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A post shared by Carolin Koss (@carolinkoss)

The Boring Aunt

Aunts could say it’s not fair to name poses like that. But this role is primarily reserved for those who don’t quite know what to do in these scenarios. In the Oscar-winning action, they pretend to gently caress the boy’s head. If they’re especially brave, these people will stand by the bicycle, and step onto a pedal, pretending to join the mural kids.

Bonus tip: If the idea is to cover the mural with your body and make children invisible, cool. But if YOU want to appear in the photo, at least face the camera. Don’t act like a mechanic trying to fix the bicycle with secret tools nobody is allowed to see.

 

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The Bored Friend

These poor models stand off to the side, arms crossed, slightly unimpressed, as if they got dragged into this. Probably they were – by their overexcited travel companions, or a trishaw guide, eager to continue toward the next stop of their street art tour. This is a classic pose for unwilling tourists or grumpy siblings.

Bonus tip: Subtly glancing at your watch (like, how much more time for this?) sells the look. If you just want to get over with it, throw up a V-sign, and show teeth as if smiling.

 

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There is a fine line between taking a selfie with an artwork and making a fool of yourself. In the context of a gallery, selfies can be just stupid!

Travel tips for Penang Street Art

In George Town’s open-air museum, every street and alley might hold a creative surprise. To make the most of your Penang street art-hunting adventure, here are some essential travel tips!

1. Best time to explore

While the murals look their best in the natural light of golden hours (early morning and late afternoon), it is also true this is peak time for visitors. Everyone tries to avoid the midday heat, so you’ll need to find the balance on your own: having better light conditions with larger crowds, or opting for a less enjoyable daytime experience that might require more hydration and some Photoshop skills to fix hard shadows.

2. Must-see street art spots

While Little Children on a Bicycle is the crown jewel of Armenian Street, there are plenty more artistic gems scattered across George Town:

• Kung Fu Girl (Muntri Street) – Another Ernest Zacharevic masterpiece.
• Brother and Sister on a Swing (Chulia Street) – A beautifully faded piece by Louis Gan.
• I Want Bao (Armenian Street) – A playful mural by WK Setor, on a pastry shop’s wall.
• Folklore by the Sea (Chew Jetty) – A storytelling piece by Yip Yew Chong.
• Cat Murals – What are town streets without some feline representation?
• Steel-Rod Caricatures – Found all over George Town, these witty sculptures capture Penang’s history with a touch of humor.
• Hin Bus Depot (Jalan Gurdwara) – A hotspot for contemporary street art and indie exhibitions.

3. How to get around

George Town’s flat and compact layout makes it perfect for exploring on foot. However, if you want to cover more ground:

• Rent a bicycle for a leisurely ride.
• Hop on a motorbike if you’re comfortable with traffic.
• Take a trishaw for a nostalgic, guided tour.

If you’re lucky, you might even get a ride from Mohammad Shahrul, a trishaw driver who, back in the days, posed for Zacharevic’s Boy on a Motorbike mural!

4. Hidden gems

Keep an eye out for smaller, lesser-known works, often overshadowed by the famous ones.

Just in Armenian Street, by focusing on Little Children on a Bicycle, you might miss these:

• Right across Zacharovic’s mural, check out Isaac Cordal’s tiny figurine, perched on a building ledge.
• Spot The Last Tree, a sculpture featuring a boy doing a handstand in the middle of a trunk.
• Further down the road, you might enjoy Magic, a mural that only appears when the bicycle rental’s shutters are down.

Where to stay near the Little Children on a Bicycle mural?

George Town offers a variety of accommodation options to suit every wallet. If you want to wake up just steps away from the Little Children on a Bicycle mural, and beat the crowds, these are your top options!

Armenian House by IIP

Armenian House by IIP is a budget-friendly guesthouse offering simple yet comfortable rooms with a touch of heritage charm. Dormitory-style room is available as well. Ideal for backpackers and budget-conscious travelers who want to stay right in the heart of George Town’s street art district.

👉 Check prices for your dates on Booking, Agoda, or Trip.

The Boutique Residence Hotel

The Boutique Residence Hotel is a stylish property blending modern comfort with heritage aesthetics. Featuring spacious rooms and even an indoor pool, it’s a great choice for those looking for a cozy yet elegant retreat near the murals.

👉 Check prices for your dates on Booking, Agoda, or Trip.

88 Armenian

88 Armenian offers a luxurious heritage stay housed in a beautifully restored lodging house for 19th-century Armenian traders. With refined decor, personalized service, and a prime location, this boutique hotel is perfect for those who want an upscale experience in George Town.

👉 Check prices for your dates on Booking, Agoda, or Trip.

Little Children on a Bicycle Mural – Conclusion

Whether you love street art, or you are just entertained by the long queues of visitors vying for the perfect selfie with Little Children on a Bicycle, you cannot deny that this seemingly simple piece of street art has become a symbol of Penang’s creative spirit.

Ernest Zacharevic could have never imagined that what started as a memory shot of two kids having fun on his bicycle would grow into a magnet for global visitors.

Little Children on a Bicycle endured as an irreplaceable visual symbol of Penang

The Lithuanian artist, who married the fashion model Sheena Liam and settled in Penang, earned the title of a Malaysian Banksy. This recognition has not come without controversy. His socially conscious murals have at times unsettled local authorities, who were quick to erase pieces that mirrored uncomfortable truths.

Little Children on a Bicycle endured. Even as the paint faded over time, the number of people eager to include them in their personal albums never dwindled.

Overtourism and gentrification of Penang made Zacharevic and other influential street artists question their role in permanently changing the heritage of George Town. Luckily, the self-questioning author of the Kids on a Bicycle mural never painted it over.

The street art piece also survived the elements, as well as multiple acts of vandalism – yellow wax intervention on a still fresh mural in 2012, “nonsence” scribble above it in 2013, and a cryptic “#4.0” spray-painted onto it in 2015.

Children on a Bicycle resisted all challenges and became an irreplaceable visual symbol of Penang.

Whether you admire it for its artistic value or contribute to its ever-evolving gallery of selfies, Ernest Zacharevic’s mural is a must-visit landmark for anyone exploring George Town.

How did you like Ernest Zacharevic’s Little Children on a Bicycle? Would you take a selfie with it? In which pose? While you’re planning your trip, pin this article for later!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The authors of all photographs are mentioned in image titles and Alt Text descriptions. In order of appearance, these are the credits:
Mohammad and Ernest - Wong Hon Wai
Penang's little cyclists (featured image) - jhecking, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Original and 12-years-later photograph of Tan Yi and Tan Kern - Ernest Zacharevic
WK Setor and Isaac Cordal's art, Armenian House - Ivan Kralj
Little Children on a Bicycle (pin image) - Yaopey Yong, Unsplash
Author of the YouTube video is Ivan Kralj, and photographs published on Instagram belong to their respective authors.

The post Little Children on a Bicycle Mural: Ernest Zacharevic’s Penang Street Art Icon appeared first on Pipeaway.

Kek Lok Si is a spiritual Disneyland, with even a short train ride, though not as exciting as a real roller coaster

Over the years, I have visited Kek Lok Si Temple light-up on several occasions. Every time, I was fascinated by the combination of traditional lanterns, neon, and LED lights that make one mistake this sacred complex for a theme park.

The moment twilight hits, someone presses a button (or several buttons, I imagine), and the Penang light show begins. Hundreds of spectators pull out their cameras, pressing their buttons too. It’s a spiritual Disneyland, with even a short train ride, though not as exciting as a real roller coaster.

Kek Lok Si Temple at night has a valid Instagram potential. But it has been attracting devotees long before the light play started in the 1990s. For generations, Buddhists from Malaysia, China, and beyond have come here to seek blessings, perform rituals, and make merit, all in hopes of achieving a little more inner peace, and, at the very best, better karma.

In this article, you’ll find out what lies beneath all the twinkling lights, so you can design your Kek Lok Si Temple itinerary and activities according to your preferences. You’ll learn how to visit Kek Lok Si Temple at night and pick up fun facts you never knew you needed.

The Chinese community in Penang is responsible for several more, very special CNY events. Learn more about Chap Goh Mei, the holiday of love, and Pai Ti Kong, the birthday of the Jade Emperor, also known as Hokkien New Year!

How much does the light display cost?

Kek Lok Si Temple entry is free, so naturally, one has to wonder who pays for the spectacular display. Surely, lighting up thousands of lanterns, neon accents, and LED displays for an entire month isn’t powered by good karma alone.

The exact electricity bill for Kek Lok Si Temple CNY lights isn’t publicly disclosed. But considering the scale and duration of the event, the cost of powering such an extensive operation would likely be significant.

With the help of AI, I tried to estimate the cost of Kek Lok Si’s light show. Here’s a little math!

If an average LED light bulb uses about 10 watts, 10,000 lights would require a total wattage of 100,000 watts, or 100 kilowatts. The light show typically runs for about 5 hours each night, so the daily energy consumption clocks in at 500 kWh.

The average cost of electricity in Malaysia is around $0.14 per kWh. Therefore, the daily expense comes to 500 kWh × $0.14 = $70. As the light show runs for about a month, we can give a rough estimate of $2,100 as an electricity cost for Kek Lok Si’s festival of lights.

Kek Lok Si Temple – the meaning behind the name

Kek Lok Si Temple's Chinese name is written as 極樂寺 (Jílèsì in Mandarin, Gik Lok Zi in Cantonese).

Or, character by character:

極 (Jí / Gik) – ultimate, supreme
樂 (Lè / Lok) – joy, bliss
寺 (Sì / Zi) – temple, monastery

Therefore, 極樂寺 (Jílèsì / Gik Lok Zi) translates as "Temple of Supreme Bliss". This name ties directly into Buddhist teachings, particularly the concept of Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land (極樂世界, Jílè Shìjiè), a paradise of enlightenment free from the cycle of suffering (samsara). In Mahayana Buddhism, this golden, jewel-filled land is a place of rebirth, where souls achieve eternal happiness.

Kek Lok Si’s Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas embodies this philosophy, with large Amitabha Buddha statues reflecting his role as a savior figure. Devotees engage in prayers and merit-making rituals hoping to secure a one-way ticket to the Pure Land. They believe that by chanting Amitabha’s name (念佛, niànfó) with sincerity, they can be reborn in his paradise.

Thus, Kek Lok Si represents more than just another religious site. It is a spiritual sanctuary where people seek an upgrade to a higher plane of existence.

Kek Lok Si history

Kek Lok Si’s history begins in the late 1800s, during the Qing dynasty. The temple founder was Venerable Beow Lean, a Buddhist monk from Fujian, China. He arrived in Penang and recognized that the island’s growing Chinese community needed a spiritual refuge. His vision? A grand Mahayana Buddhist temple dedicated to wisdom, peace, and enlightenment.

Financially backed by local Chinese tycoons, the construction of Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang began on December 6th, 1891. The hillside location in Ayer Itam (formerly spelled as Air Itam), named Crane Hill (Huock-san), was chosen for its feng shui harmony with nature.

By 1905, Kek Lok Si Temple’s main prayer hall was complete, quickly cementing itself as a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in Southeast Asia.

In 1906, Emperor Guangxu of China personally gifted sacred Buddhist scriptures and calligraphy scrolls to be housed at the temple. This royal endorsement elevated Kek Lok Si’s status and prestige, attracting devotees and monks from across Asia.

Over the next two decades, more halls, pavilions, and meditation areas were added, expanding Kek Lok Si’s role as a center of Buddhist teachings, monastic life, and cultural heritage.

In the 1930s, they erected the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and in the 2000s, yet another expansion saw the construction of the giant Guan Yin bronze statue.

Today, Kek Lok Si Temple is 120 years old. It aged well, becoming one of the largest and most significant Buddhist sites in Southeast Asia, drawing in both pilgrims and tourists from around the world.

Kek Lok Si Temple architecture

Kek Lok Si Temple architecture blends Chinese, Thai, and Burmese influences. The sanctuary’s design reflects both its rich history and regional Buddhist connections, as well as the multicultural heritage of Penang.

From the traditional upturned eaves adorned with dragons and phoenixes to the walls covered in Buddhist scriptures and Buddha images, every detail is masterfully crafted, but also rich in deep spiritual symbolism.

The temple’s architecture celebrates the diverse Buddhist traditions of Southeast Asia. Primarily influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, Kek Lok Si also incorporates elements of Theravāda Buddhism, evident in its stupas and decorative motifs.

Built on multiple levels, the temple is structured in a way that guides visitors on both a physical and spiritual journey. Starting at the grand entrance arch, a path through the tiered layout encourages gradual, possibly cardio-intensive exploration.

The lower levels feature prayer halls and peaceful gardens with manicured bonsai trees. As visitors ascend, they encounter ornate Chinese pavilions, imposing pagodas, and monumental statues, all designed to elevate the experience of worship and wonder.

At the highest point, devotees reach the grand Guan Yin Pavilion, home to one of the world’s tallest statues of the Goddes of Mercy. Here, the views of the skyscraping skyline of George Town complement the classic grandeur of Kek Lok Si.

During the day, explore Penang's vibrant street art, including the famous Little Children on a Bicycle!

What to do in Kek Lok Si Temple – the highlights

There are plenty of things to see and explore here, so let’s go on a quick Kek Lok Si tour!

1. Guan Yin statue

The Guan Yin statue (sometimes spelled Kuan Yin or Kwan Yin) is one of the most iconic features of Kek Lok Si, so colossal that she could probably see traffic jams on the Penang Bridge. Standing at 30.2 meters tall, this bronze statue of the Bodhisattva of Mercy is among the tallest representations of this deity in the world.

She could have been even taller, but local regulations ensured she wouldn’t cast a shadow over the Penang State Mosque. Well, there’s some compensation, as the main goddess statue is surrounded by a hundred smaller ones, each reaching 2 meters in height.

Funded entirely by donations, the Guan Yin statue was completed in 2002. It was originally open-air, but due to exposure to the elements (the lesson was learned in 1993, when the original statue, made of plaster, was damaged by rain and fire), a monumental pavilion was added in 2009. Sixteen carved granite pillars now hold an octagonal roof, a three-tier pagoda, marking a focal point of the temple.

For devotees, the Goddess of Mercy embodies compassion. They believe her gaze can bring peace, prosperity, and guidance. As they approach the foot of the Guan Yin statue, worshippers light incense, offer prayers, and seek blessings and protection.

The Kuan Yin Bodhimandala (the circle of awakening) transcends sectarian boundaries, attracting worshippers from both Chinese Mahayana and Southeast Asian Theravāda communities.

Next to the Guan Yin Pavilion, you’ll find the Water Pavilion (not a place to release turtles or fish – we’ll get to that part soon!), and a garden with Chinese Zodiac animals represented. Try to find yours!

2. The Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas

Another striking landmark of Kek Lok Si Temple is the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, sometimes ambitiously referred to as the Pagoda of a Million Buddhas. Also known as Ban Pho Tar, this seven-tier pagoda enshrines over 10,000 alabaster, jade, and bronze Buddha statues.

Completed in the 1930s, thanks to the sponsorship from King Rama VI of Thailand, Kek Lok Si’s famous pagoda is a rare melting pot of architectural styles from three different Buddhist traditions, fusing Mahayana and Theravāda Buddhist aesthetics.

The octagonal base is Chinese, adorned with traditional red and gold motifs, intricate carvings, and upturned eaves. The middle section honors Thai culture, featuring a more slender, elongated design. The top is Burmese, crowned with a golden stupa, reminiscent of Myanmar’s shining religious monuments.

Pilgrims visit the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas to offer prayers, light candles, and meditate. They believe that the numerous Buddha images radiate special positive energy, wisdom, and blessings.

To get to the upper levels of the 30-meter-tall Kek Lok Si pagoda, with panoramic views of the temple complex and the surrounding hills, you can climb the inner spiral staircase.

Just don’t get too caught up counting Buddhas – you’ll be here all day.

3. Prayer halls

Kek Lok Si Temple is home to several majestic prayer halls, each serving as a hub for worship, meditation, and blessings.

At the heart of Kek Lok Si stands the Main Prayer Hall, where three golden Buddha statues take center stage. They represent the past, present, and future Buddhas. The architecture here is quintessentially Chinese, with red pillars, lotus motifs on the ceiling, and walls inscribed with Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist teachings. This is a place for daily prayers and chanting ceremonies.

Beyond the main hall, other prayer spaces worth exploring are the Hall of the Laughing Buddha, the Guan Yin Hall, the Amitabha Buddha Pagoda, and the Hall of Bodhisattvas.

4. Tortoise Liberation Pond

Kek Lok Si Tortoise Pond or Turtle Liberation Pond (Fàngshēngchí) has been a temple attraction since its early days. Even if turtles can live long lives, it is believed the oldest ones have been residing in this century-old home for a few decades.

Among the hundreds of freshwater turtles in Tortoise Liberation Pond, the most common are Asian pond turtles and softshell turtles. Visitors can feed them with the food purchased at the temple.

For Buddhists, turtles are symbols of endurance, longevity, and wisdom. Releasing turtles into the pond is seen as an act of compassion and merit-making. Many devotees purchase turtles just to “set them free” in this overcrowded “water prison”, believing that it will bring them good karma and blessings.

Of course, the idea behind the Buddhist practice of fangsheng or “life release” is to liberate animals from captivity or slaughter destiny (kind of like the U.S. president pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey). The ethical release would imply letting turtles live in natural habitats instead of showing “mercy” by sentencing them to life in an enclosed pond.

5. Kek Lok Si souvenir shops

Along the entrance path to the Kek Lok Si Temple, but also at its middle and upper stations, one can find souvenir shops and market stalls selling everything from Buddhist artifacts to local snacks. Whether you’re looking for a miniature Guan Yin statue, a monk-blessed lucky charm, incense sticks, prayer beads, jade bracelets, or a tasty local treat, Kek Lok Si Temple shops will have a lot to offer.

6. Kek Lok Si food

Beyond just providing food for the soul, Kek Lok Si can nourish your body’s needs too. Here’s where to fuel up!

Kek Lok Si Temple has its own vegetarian restaurant, located within the temple grounds. It serves authentic Buddhist cuisine, without garlic, onion, or animal products. The only meat specialties they serve are made of mock meat – such as “mutton” soup, “prawn” roll, braised “duck”, or “fish” vermicelli. Prices are reasonable and, depending on the size of the portion, they range between 4 and 24 ringgit. Set lunch costs 10 MYR (just above 2 euros/dollars). The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Just outside the temple, Ayer Itam is home to some legendary Penang dishes. Air Itam Laksa is a famous stall that has been serving up bowl after bowl of tangy, spicy, and flavorful asam laksa for decades. Made with a fish-based broth, tamarind, lemongrass, fresh herbs, and a spoonful of prawn paste, this rice noodle dish is a must-try for lovers of bold flavors. If willing to stay in a queue, expect to pay 7 ringgit (1.5 euro/dollar) for a bowl.

Would you prefer to eat curry mee after your Kek Lok Si visit? You’ll find this spicy, creamy, coconut-based soup with yellow noodles, seafood, and tofu at Ayer Itam Market hawker stalls (morning and afternoon hours).

If you want to try nasi kandar near Kek Lok Si temple, head to Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu or Nasi Kandar Ali Air Itam. Both restaurants are perfect for the night owls, offering a flavorful Malaysian-Indian fare for a post-temple snack. Fragrant rice, a rich curry (ask for kuah banjir – flooded with gravy), and then combine different meats and seafood (from crispy chicken and beef rendang to fish roe). Of course, you can always add veggies of choice to Penang’s best comfort food. All menu items are under 8 Malaysian ringgit (1.7 euro/1.8 dollar).

Whether you prefer a simple temple meal or Penang’s street food wonders, you’ll find some nice, good food options near Kek Lok Si Temple.

The best time to visit Kek Lok Si Temple

Timing your visit to Kek Lok Si Temple can make a big difference in your experience. Whether you want to enjoy a peaceful exploration, witness the temple lit up in all its glory, or soak in the festive atmosphere, here’s when to go!

Best season – dry season (December – April)

The dry season is a period with less rain and clearer skies. Of course, you should expect larger crowds during peak holiday periods (Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year).

If visiting between May and November (rainy season), bring an umbrella, and prepare for humid weather, occasional downpours, and sometimes fog-obstructed views.

Best time of day – morning or late afternoon

Besides being ideal times of the day to avoid the midday heat and crowds, mornings and late afternoons are also preferred times for photography, especially if you visit Kek Lok Si Temple during the golden hours (early morning, or just before sunset).

Of course, during the festivals, when the temple is open at night, evening visits are quite special.

Best time for special events – Chinese New Year and Wesak Day

Kek Lok Si Temple is the most interesting during the Chinese New Year (January or February). Besides the CNY fireworks, thousands of lanterns glowing in brilliant red and gold, create a magical atmosphere. The lights turn on at sunset time. Try to visit on weekdays, for fewer crowds.

Kek Lok Si Temple light-up dates vary from year to year. For your provisional Penang planning, the lighting ceremony starts 4 days before Chinese New Year, and the temple stays illuminated for an entire month. During this period, Kek Lok Si Temple extends its visiting hours, allowing guests to explore the annual Penang light show until 10 or 11 pm.

Another recommended date to visit Kek Lok Si is Wesak Day (Buddha’s birthday falls in April or May, depending on the year). Expect candlelit processions and chanting ceremonies.

How long do you need at Kek Lok Si Temple?

How much time should you spend at Kek Lok Si Temple? This depends on how much you want to explore.

For a quick visit that covers the main highlights, allow yourself at least 1 hour.

If you want to explore the temple at a relaxed pace, visit all prayer halls, climb the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, stroll around the Guan Yin Pavilion, and feed turtles at the Turtle Liberation Pond, reserve 2 to 3 hours. You might even squeeze in a meal at the vegetarian restaurant.

If you are in a temple-enthusiast mode, you can easily spend more than 4 hours at Kek Lok Si Temple. This is perfect for those who take their time with photography, and admire the details of every part of the temple complex. If visiting during Chinese New Year, evening light-up will certainly extend your sunset visit too.

Visitor information

Kek Lok Si opening hours

Kek Lok Si Temple’s operating hours are officially from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

During the Chinese New Year light-up, Kek Lok Si closing time moves to later hours, normally to 10 or 11 pm.

Kek Lok Si entrance fee

Visiting Kek Lok Si Temple is mostly free of charge, but some sections require a small admission fee, also called – a donation (an obligatory one if you want to pass through).

For visiting the Main Temple complex and prayer halls, Turtle Liberation Pond, and souvenir stalls, there is no entrance fee, as they are open to all visitors.

If you want to access the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the entry will cost you 2 Malaysian ringgit.

Kek Lok Si Temple inclined lift to the Guan Yin Statue has a price of 3 ringgit per ride (RM 6 for a return ticket).

If you don’t mind walking uphill for about 10-15 minutes, you can save yourself a lift cost, but you’ll still have to pay for the entrance when you reach Guan Yin Pavilion. The obligatory donation is 2 ringgit (this fee is waived if you take the inclined lift).

Kek Lok Si Temple rules & etiquette

When visiting Kek Lok Si, keep in mind that it’s considered a sacred Buddhist site, so a little mindfulness goes a long way. Here’s what to remember about the general etiquette:

1. Be quiet and respectful. Avoid loud conversations, music playing, or other disruptive behavior at an active place of worship.
2. Don’t smoke, drink, or eat inside prayer halls.
3. Refrain from public displays of affection. Holding hands is usually fine, but kissing or hugging might be seen as inappropriate.
4. Don’t touch or point at Buddha statues. It’s considered disrespectful.
5. Give way to monks and worshippers, especially during prayer processions.
6. Photography is allowed, but avoid close-up shots of people praying.
7. No drone use without permission from Kek Lok Si Temple authorities.
8. Don’t bring pets, they won’t be allowed to enter.
9. Feed turtles responsibly. If you want to participate in the Turtle Liberation Pond tradition, buy proper turtle food from vendors.

Kek Lok Si Temple dress code

Wondering what to wear to Kek Lok Si Temple? While there isn’t an extremely strict dress code, wearing appropriate clothes at this sacred Buddhist site shows respect.

What to wear (recommended Kek Lok Si Temple attire)

✔ Modest clothing – Cover your shoulders and knees.

✔ Loose, breathable fabrics – It can get hot and humid, so wear light materials.

✔ Comfortable shoes – You’ll be walking a lot, so opt for good sneakers, sandals, or walking shoes.

What not to wear (avoid these)

❌  Shorts or miniskirts – Knee-length or longer is best.

❌  Sleeveless tops, crop tops, or low-cut shirts – A t-shirt or blouse is a better choice.

❌  Slippers or high heels – Some prayer halls require shoe removal, so wear practical footwear.

Chinese New Year dress code tips

1. Wear red or bright colors to join the festive spirit.

2. Avoid black or all-white outfits, as these are associated with mourning in Chinese culture.

How to go up Kek Lok Si Temple

Getting to the top of Kek Lok Si Temple involves multiple levels, and how you reach the upper sections depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in.

Kek Lok Si Temple via stairs

If you don’t mind challenging your calf muscles, you can explore all temple sections completely on foot, following a network of staircases and inclined pathways.

There isn’t an exact, official count of all the steps in Kek Lok Si Temple, but if you’re planning to walk all the way up, expect several hundred steps in total. The Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas itself requires 200+ steep spiral steps!

If you plan to walk around the entire Kek Lok Si complex, prepare for a serious hike. Call it a leg day.

Kek Lok Si Temple via the inclined lift

For those who want to cut down the exercise, especially in Penang’s heat and humidity, a convenient shortcut between the mid-level temple complex and the Giant Guan Yin Statue is the inclined lift.

This skylift operates both ways, so you can choose to take it up and walk down (or vice versa). The ticket price for the lift is RM 3 per way (RM 6 return).

Taking this short train/tram ride one way up saves you from paying the obligatory donation of 2 ringgit, collected at the place where hikers enter. So essentially, you’re paying just 1 ringgit difference when heading to the Guan Yin Statue area by lift.

During busy periods, there might be queues, as the Kek Lok Si Temple funicular can take around 10 adults per ride.

Is Kek Kok Si Temple wheelchair-accessible?

Unfortunately, due to its many stairs and uneven pathways, Kek Lok Si Temple is not wheelchair-friendly.

If you still want to explore it in a wheelchair, your best option would be to park your car at the top-level car park, or even better, arrive via Grab, and ask to be dropped off at the top – near the Guan Yin Pavilion entrance.

For the best experience, bring assistance, and visit the temple in the morning, when crowds are thinner.

If you can walk but have difficulties walking barefoot, keep in mind that some prayer halls require removing shoes.

When coming with small children, bring a baby carrier instead of a stroller.

How to get to Kek Lok Si Temple?

Kek Lok Si Temple is located in Ayer Itam, about 8 km from George Town Center. It is easy to reach using public transport, ride-hailing services, or private vehicles. Here are your best options:

1. By bus

Taking a Rapid Penang bus is the cheapest way to get to Kek Lok Si. Hop on bus number 203 or 204 at Komtar (George Town’s main bus hub), and get off at Pekan Air Itam stop.

The fare should be 2-3 ringgit, and the journey should last 45-60 minutes.

From the bus stop, you’ll need to walk some 15 minutes through the market area to the temple entrance.

2. By Grab/taxi

A Grab ride from George Town is the easiest way to reach Kek Lok Si Temple without the hassle of walking or waiting for buses. It costs 12 – 25 ringgit, depending on demand.

Getting to Kek Lok Si Temple by taxi may cost 30 – 40 ringgit.

The journey time would be 20-30 minutes.

If you choose a drop-off at the lower entrance (near the souvenir market), you’ll need to take a short uphill walk. Some drivers may agree to take you higher up and drop you at the inclined lift entrance, for an easier visit.

3. By car

If you’re renting a car or driving your own, the parking at Kek Lok Si will cost you 10 ringgit.

During weekends and Chinese New Year, roads in Ayer Itam can be very congested. While driving all the way up to Kek Lok Si Temple may seem like the most convenient option, the reality is you’ll spend many minutes waiting in your car as it slowly inches up the hill.

Instead of parking at the Kek Lok Si Temple car park, leave your vehicle further down the road and walk up from there (locals will wave at you, directing you to the parking spots even before you reach the temple).

Distances from popular spots to the temple are as follows:

– from Penang Hill lower station to Kek Lok Si Temple – 2 km (6 min drive)
– from Gurney Drive / Gurney Plaza to Kek Lok Si Temple – 9 km (15 min drive)
– from Chew Jetty to Kek Lok Si Temple – 9 km (16 min drive)
– from Sweetenham Pier Cruise Terminal to Kek Lok Si Temple – 10 km (18 min drive)
– from Queensbay Mall to Kek Lok Si Temple – 13 km (18 min drive)
– from Snake Temple to Kek Lok Si Temple – 13 km (19 min drive)
– from Batu Ferringhi to Kek Lok Si Temple – 19 km (28 min drive)
– from Ipoh to Kek Lok Si Temple – 160 km (2 hour drive)
– from Kuala Lumpur to Kek Lok Si Temple – 355 km (4 hour drive)

4. On an organized tour

For a hassle-free visit, book a tour that includes hotel pick-up and drop-off within George Town.

A half-day tour, which includes guided visits to both Kek Lok Si and Penang Hill, is available at a price of $45 (42 euros).

Attractions near Kek Lok Si Temple

After (or before?) exploring Kek Lok Si, why not check out some nearby attractions? Whether you’re into scenic views, markets, or hidden murals, there’s plenty to see within a short distance.

These are the most interesting places to visit in the vicinity of Kek Lok Si Temple:

1. Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera)

Just 2 km away, Penang Hill is one of the best spots in Penang for panoramic views of George Town and the coastline. Ride the steepest funicular train in Asia, visit the Habitat, a rainforest eco-park with a canopy walk and scenic treetop views, and enjoy an afternoon tea at David Brown’s Restaurant.

2. Ayer Itam Market

Located just below Kek Lok Si Temple, Ayer Itam Market is a local foodie paradise and a great place to soak in Penang’s street life. Besides trying Penang’s famous Ayer Itam Asam Laksa, grab some fresh local fruits, snacks, and souvenirs. The bustling atmosphere and colorful stalls make for cool street photographs too!

3. Street art murals

While George Town is famous for its street art, the Ayer Itam area also has mural gems worth checking out. Walk around the Ayer Itam Market, and keep an eye out for Sister Curry Mee (illustrating famous elderly sisters who ran a legendary noodle stall for decades), Susu Tarik (local Indian that makes the iconic frothy milk drink), Generation to Generation (Penang’s cultural heritage), Kites Got Stuck (childhood nostalgia), and Gorilla on Motorbike mural (for a touch of surreal)!

4. Ayer Itam Dam

If you’d like to spend some time at a peaceful and scenic nature spot, Ayer Itam Dam offers lush greenery, cool air, and breathtaking views of Penang Island. Take a scenic walk or jog around the dam, enjoy lake and mountain backdrops, and spot local wildlife and birds in their natural habitat.

Hotels near Kek Lok Si Temple

While Ayer Itam isn’t a major hotel district, there are still a few decent accommodation options nearby.

If you wish to stay super close to Kek Lok Si Temple, your best pick is probably Kek Lok Si Inn, a short walk away. Located above a Chinese restaurant, the hotel offers spacious rooms at budget-friendly prices. Convenient private parking is available. Look for their best rates on Booking and Agoda.

For something bigger, consider DeView Hotel Penang. As its name suggests, this hotel offers fantastic views of the hills, particularly of the neighboring Kek Lok Si. Rooms are modern and well-rated, and they come with a breakfast. Check them out on Booking or Agoda.

If you prefer more choices, George Town (15-20 min away) offers a wider selection of hotels, from budget stays to luxury boutique hotels.

Is Kek Lok Si Temple worth visiting? – Conclusion

All my Kek Lok Si Temple visits happened during the Chinese New Year light-up period. While I cannot give personal feedback on temple life for the rest of the year, I can vouch for Kek Lok Si in this special season, when the Festival of Lights transforms it into a neon nirvana.

For a month, Kek Lok Si becomes the “Disneyland of temples”. Whether you’re a history buff, a spiritual seeker, a photography enthusiast, or just someone who enjoys a good scenic view, Kek Lok Si Temple firmly grips the list of Penang’s greatest attractions.

Kek Lok Si during the annual light-up is a fairytale temple. Imagine Las Vegas, but swap slot machines for prayer halls.

This is, after all, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, a masterpiece of cultural fusion that impresses with its architectural marvels, from the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas to the towering Guan Yin statue.

Kek Lok Si’s peaceful vibes are perfect for reflection. The food nearby is delicious. And there is always the view – Penang panorama from Ayer Itam Hill is something special.

If you like culture, heritage, photography, and nature, you’ll love Kek Lok Si. The lantern temple with glowing pagodas embraces its visitors whether they are spiritual seekers or just casual travelers.

Sure, there could be a few downsides to your Kek Lok Si visit. If you get there during the year’s worst rush hour, you might not enjoy the crowds. You might hate all the stairs too.

But other than that, Kek Lok Si during the annual light-up is a fairytale temple, one of the most iconic landmarks in Malaysia, and a top attraction in Penang. Imagine Las Vegas, but swap slot machines for prayer halls.

The floating temple of lights offers a unique blend of culture, religion, and views. Kek Lok Si is not just worth it. It’s a must-see.

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The authors of all photographs are mentioned in image titles and Alt Text descriptions. In order of appearance, these are:

Ivan Kralj - all photographs except for
Photo no. 8 - mouse sculpture - Balon Greyjoy
Photo no. 14 - turtles - Balou46, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo no. 15 - curry mee - JB Macatulad
Photo no. 17 - fireworks - HundenvonPenang,  licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo no. 22 - inclined lift - CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

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Changi Airport Singapore proved that an airport doesn’t have to be an obstacle on the way to the final destination. An airport can be – the destination

Not everyone loves airports, I get it. Most are cold, soulless, generic buildings, without personality or surprises. A nuisance of long-distance traveling, almost unavoidable.

But Changi International Airport is not just any airport. So when I was booking my Scoot flight from the Philippines to Thailand via Singapore, I intentionally chose the longest available layover. Between the three offered transit times (1 hour, 8 hours, and 23 hours), the lengthiest connection seemed the most appealing.

Launched 44 years ago, it was already impressing with its Terminal 1, then 2, 3, and 4. But with the newest addition of the retail/entertainment complex Jewel, Changi Airport Singapore cemented its reputation as an extraordinary place.

It proved that an airport doesn’t have to be an inevitable obstacle on one’s way to the final destination. An airport can be – the destination. The one you don’t want to leave.

In today’s Singapore Changi Airport review, peek inside this iconic place! Find out why it is so famous, what makes it special, and most importantly – what to do in Changi for 24 hours!

If you're considering spending the Western New Year in Singapore, why not stay longer in the neighborhood? Visit the Malaysian island of Penang, and discover the Hokkien New Year!

Singapore Changi Airport guide

Singapore Changi Airport history

Wondering about Changi Airport’s origins? Singapore Changi Airport opened in 1981, on a patch of land that served as a British military airstrip during World War II.

With a dramatic increase in passengers, Paya Lebar Airport, the country’s previous main hub, was bursting at the seams in the 1970s. It was clear that simply expanding Paya Lebar would be like trying to fit an elephant into a carry-on suitcase. Singapore decided not to patch up the old but to start afresh.

Due to the possibility of land reclamation, the new location wouldn’t have space constraints, noise pollution and safety concerns, as Paya Lebar had with its first neighbors. And so, in 1975, the construction of Changi Airport began.

From the very beginning, Changi’s design was meticulously planned, with functionality and future growth and expansion in mind. Every detail was scrutinized, from runway capacity to terminal layouts, ensuring that the airport could handle the increasing demands of global travel.

On July 1, 1981, at 7:00 am, Singapore Airlines flight SQ101 brought the first passengers, 140 of them, from Kuala Lumpur to Changi’s virgin runway.

The airport didn’t just rest on its laurels after its grand opening. Over the decades, it expanded with new terminals and infrastructure. Changi’s history is one of relentless innovation and an almost obsessive commitment to passenger experience.

Where is Singapore Changi Airport?

Singapore Changi Airport (IATA code: SIN, ICAO code: WSSS) is located on the eastern edge of Singapore, approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the city center. It sits near Changi Beach and is well-connected by the East Coast Parkway (ECP) expressway, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) via the East West Line and (soon) Thomson-East Coast Line, as well as various bus routes.

Singapore Changi Airport terminals

Singapore Changi Airport is split across four passenger terminals and Jewel Changi Airport. Each terminal offers a distinct vibe while contributing to the overall idea of a seamless travel experience.

Terminal 1 – The OG of Elegance

The original terminal that started it all in July 1981, Terminal 1 is as classic as it is modern. Over the years, the H-shaped terminal has undergone several facelifts, blending nostalgia with state-of-the-art features. Known for its rooftop pool (yes, you can take a dip while waiting for your flight!), it’s a favorite for those who love a touch of relaxation with their travels.

Terminal 2 – Efficiency Meets Comfort

Debuting in December 1990, and then reopening in 2023, after the pandemic-era expansion, Terminal 2 has always been about making travel smoother. It’s a hub for families, thanks to its kid-friendly amenities and wide dining options. After a recent upgrade, it boasts smart features that make everything from checking in to boarding feel effortless.

Terminal 3 – Futuristic Flair

With its iconic green walls and natural skylight design, Terminal 3 feels like a sanctuary more than an airport. Opened in January 2008, it’s famous for its Butterfly Garden – because, why not? Throw in a massive duty-free shopping area and luxurious lounges, and it’s easy to see why many travelers secretly hope for a longer layover here.

Terminal 4 – Compact, Yet Cutting-Edge

Launched in October 2017, Changi Terminal 4 may be the smallest but it’s also the most high-tech. With automated check-ins, facial recognition boarding gates, and contactless everything, it’s the future of travel rolled into a boutique experience. Plus, its Peranakan-themed shopping street adds a splash of Singaporean culture.

Terminal 5?

Currently under construction and set to open in the mid-2030s, Terminal 5 is Changi Airport’s ambitious leap into the future. When completed, it will be one of the world’s largest airport terminals, capable of handling 50 million passengers a year – almost doubling Changi’s current capacity. Expect a mega terminal that runs on smart technologies, integrates eco-friendly infrastructure, and offers a passenger experience tailored for the next generation of travel.

Jewel Changi Airport – The Crown Jewel

Though technically not a terminal, Jewel Changi Airport deserves its own spotlight. Opened in April 2019, Jewel is connected to Terminals 1, 2, and 3. It’s a S$1.7 billion-worth wonderland of attractions, including the Rain Vortex and an entire indoor forest! Whether you’re shopping, dining, or just gawking at its architectural brilliance, Jewel at Changi is a destination worth traveling for.

Singapore Changi Airport architecture and design

Changi Airport’s architecture is a masterclass in balancing aesthetic appeal with operational efficiency.

From expansive glass facades that flood spaces with natural light to the abundance of greenery that turns waiting areas into tranquil retreats, the design philosophy prioritizes openness and comfort, creating a welcoming environment for passengers.

The original building of Terminal 1 set the standard with its efficient layout. As newer terminals were added, the architecture evolved to incorporate cutting-edge technologies and innovative features, like automated check-ins and energy-efficient systems. Terminal 3’s unique roof, designed with skylights shaped like inverted cones, diffuses sunlight to minimize glare while maintaining a bright ambiance.

Perhaps the most striking example is Changi Airport Jewel, an architectural marvel that seamlessly combines retail, nature, and entertainment. Its iconic centerpiece, the Rain Vortex – the world’s tallest indoor waterfall – is surrounded by the Shiseido Forest Valley, a multi-tiered garden. Jewel embodies Changi’s ethos: to turn the mundane act of transit into an unforgettable experience.

Every architectural decision at Changi is made with the traveler in mind, from intuitive signage to ergonomic seating in open, uncluttered spaces that reduce stress levels. The result is an airport that feels more like a part of the journey, than a waypoint.

Can you walk between terminals at Singapore Airport?

Yes, you can walk between the terminals at Singapore Changi Airport, but it depends on where you want to go. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to navigate this mini-city of an airport:

1. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are connected via air-conditioned link bridges, which include travelators, the moving walkways that save your leg energy for duty-free shopping. For quicker transfers, Changi Skytrain, a free automated train service, also links these terminals at frequent intervals.
2. Terminal 4 is separate from the other three. While it isn’t connected by walkways or Skytrain, Changi Airport shuttle buses provide free and frequent transfers to Terminals 1, 2, and 3, and back.
3. Jewel is directly linked to Terminals 1, 2, and 3 via pedestrian walkways with travelators, making it easy to explore between flights. If you’re flying in or out of Terminal 4, you’ll need to hop on the free shuttle bus to reach Jewel.

For long layovers, walking between terminals is an excellent way to soak in the architecture and amenities. Whether you choose to stroll, glide, or ride, Changi makes terminal-hopping a simple, quick, and efficient routine.

How long does it take to clear immigration at Changi Airport?

Clearing immigration at Changi Airport is now faster than ever, thanks to a fully implemented passport-less clearance system. For most travelers, the process takes an average of 10 seconds (yes, seconds!), a significant improvement from the previous 25 seconds.

Singapore residents can clear immigration using only facial and iris biometrics, while foreign visitors still need to present their passports upon arrival but can use the biometric system when departing. Blink, and you are through!

As long as you have submitted your SG Arrival Card within three days before arriving in Singapore, passing through immigration should be as smooth as Singapore Sling.

Singapore Changi Airport attractions – the highlights

Now that you have a basic sense of orientation at Singapore Changi Airport, it’s time to look deeper into what truly makes it a destination in itself. Before I share how I exactly designed my 24 hours at Changi, I wanted to highlight the most popular attractions that you should consider including in your layover bucket list.

1. Singapore Changi Airport waterfalls

Most airports struggle to keep their drinking fountains working. But Changi has not one, not two – but multiple waterfalls!

When someone mentions ‘Singapore Changi Airport waterfall’, the first association is usually the Rain Vortex (Jewel Changi Airport). Standing at 40 meters, it’s the world’s largest indoor waterfall, gushing dramatically through Jewel’s lush heart, jungle-like atrium. The record-breaking wonder looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, and by night, it turns into a light-and-sound spectacle.

If you thought waterfalls were strictly an H2O affair, think again. In the departure hall of Terminal 2 (public area), there is an immersive digital waterfall – the Wonderfall. This ultra-HD, 14-meter LED display mimics the look and feel of water torrents crashing into boulders. No risk of getting splashed, but just as mesmerizing.

Well, there are also smaller waterfalls hidden around the airport – find them at the Tropical Rainforest Vivarium, or in the Butterfly Garden.

2. Canopy Park Jewel Changi

Imagine a theme park in the clouds, and you’ll get Jewel Changi Airport Canopy Park. The playground at Jewel’s top level features foggy bowls to walk through, sky nets to bounce off of, and artsy flower sculptures that invite a selfie. Canopy Park Jewel Changi is part jungle, part trampoline park, and 100% unexpected from an airport.

3. Jewel Changi Mirror Maze

Lost in transit? No worries, because you can get lost on purpose in the Jewel Changi Mirror Maze. There is also a classic Hedge Maze, but the labyrinth made of mirrors and upgraded with greenery is an optical illusion playground that puts your navigation skills to the ultimate test. These mirrors reflect, distort, and confuse your sense of direction – basically, it’s the funhouse version of looking for your departure gate at a massive airport.

4. Changi Experience Studio

Learning about an airport can be high-tech entertainment. Located at Level 4 of Jewel, the Changi Experience Studio is an interactive museum where visitors can play aviation-themed games, explore a virtual control tower, and even race against a Boeing 747. Spoiler: the plane wins. Or was I sitting on the bike powering the aircraft, which means that – I won? In any case, a fun calory-burn.

5. Butterfly Park Changi Airport

Changi’s Butterfly Garden in Terminal 3 is the world’s first butterfly habitat in an airport. Home to over 1,000 butterflies from 40 species, this tropical paradise lets you trade pre-flight stress for fluttering beauty and fresh jungle vibes. The garden even includes a 6-meter-tall grotto waterfall.

6. Singapore Changi Airport Pool

Why pace the terminal when you can do laps in an airport rooftop pool?

Adjacent to Terminal 1’s Aerotel Transit Hotel, this swimming pool with a jacuzzi is perfect for pre-flight relaxation.

If you prefer to workout, there is even a little gym attached.

Warm up for Changi Airport shopping with a quick treadmill session!

7. Changi Jurassic Mile

If you thought Singapore Changi Airport was all about futuristic wonders, you were wrong. It can transport you to prehistoric times too!

Changi Jurassic Mile is a 1-km outdoor dino trail lined with life-sized T-Rexes, raptors, and even a dino hatching from an egg. Whether you’re cycling, walking, or running for your life from a Velociraptor (relax, they’re statues… I think), it’s a roaring good adventure.

Changi Jurassic Mile is located just next to Terminal 4, but you can also walk or cycle to it from Terminal 2 (rent your bike at Hub & Spoke for 10 Singaporean dollars per hour).

Don’t confuse this attraction with Jurassic Bark, a dedicated outdoor space for much friendlier creatures – your dogs. The first dog run facility within an SE Asian airport is located close to Changi’s Terminal 2, and next to the flowering garden trail beloved by butterflies.

8. Singapore Changi Airport Slide

Why take the stairs when you can launch yourself down the world’s tallest airport slide? Located in Terminal 3, this 12-meter-high slide provides fun for both kids and adults. To get 10 free rides down the Slide@T3 (and that’s actually the maximum number of rides you can take in one day), all you need to do is sign up for a free Changi Rewards membership.

9. Singapore Changi Airport Cinema

A great way to cut down the long layover time is to watch a movie. Cinemas in Changi’s Terminal 3 screen blockbusters for free, making them the ultimate escape from overpriced coffee and boarding gate boredom.

Changi Airport Movie Theater in the transit zone, just next to Ambassador Transit Hotel, Level 3, is open 24 hours, and has 50 seats.

In the public zone of T3, Level B2, ST3PS is open from 10 am to 10 pm and, besides movies, it also screens live football matches, or hosts yoga sessions and live performances on its stage.

10. Singapore Changi Airport Kinetic Rain

Forget ordinary airport art – Changi’s Kinetic Rain is a hypnotic, 1,216-piece moving sculpture in the public zone of Terminal 1 (departure hall) that shifts into mesmerizing patterns. It’s like a ballet performance, only with bronze droplets gracefully morphing into waves, airplanes, and abstract designs. Watching it is oddly soothing.

How to spend 24 hours at Singapore Changi Airport?

With the overview of Singapore Changi Airport’s main attractions, let’s craft the ultimate layover itinerary. I will be sharing exactly what to do in Changi for 24 hours, or at least how I filled up my layover time, step by step, hour by hour.

But just one more burning logistical question to address first: Can I bring luggage to Jewel? Technically, yes, you can normally come to Jewel with your suitcase. But should you? Probably not. If you’re planning to explore Jewel’s top-level attractions, like the Walking Net or the Bouncing Net, lugging a suitcase around is not just a bad idea. It’s not even permitted! There are free storage boxes near these facilities, but they are designed to keep your smaller valuables, such as wallets and purses, not full-sized carry-ons.

What to do with your luggage?

Transit passengers – Luggage storage at Changi Airport

If you are a transit passenger like myself, chances are your checked bag is already en route to your final destination. But even bulky hand luggage can become a nuisance if you start dragging it around an airport packed with adventures.

Thankfully, there is a solution for that. Each of the four Changi terminals has a dedicated baggage storage point in the transit zone (always on Level 2). Additionally, this service operated by Smarte Carte is available in the public zones too, at Terminals 2, 3, and 4, as well as Jewel (always on Level 1).

You should be strategic about where to store your belongings. While the fee guarantees a maximum of 24 hours of storing, you are not allowed to access your bag at your convenience, just because you forgot to take something out of it. If you request your bag at certain moment, and wish to keep it stored again afterward, you’ll need to pay once again.

Changi baggage storage charge for regular-sized hand luggage (below 10 kilograms) is SGD 11 (1 Singaporean dollar equals 71 European or 73 US cents, so the basic price is approx. 8 euros/dollars). If you have just an item smaller than A4 paper, they’d charge you 6 Singaporean dollars. Luggage weighing more than 10 kilos would leave you without 16 dollars. And if you travel with larger objects (over 70 x 90 cm), such as a bicycle or a surfboard, you’d have to pay SGD 19.

I decided to store my bag at Jewel, as having it in the vicinity of the entertainment zone that doesn’t allow it, seemed the most convenient. I would feel really bad if I were forced to leave the public area of the airport just in order to access something from the bag if I had left it in the transit zone.

Passengers from Singapore – early check-in

If you are starting your journey in Singapore, you can still enjoy 24 hours of hands-free airport exploration, if you choose the right airline.

There is an Early Check-In Lounge at Jewel (Level 1). Unlike airports that allow checking-in only 2 hours before departure, Changi lets you do it much earlier, depending on your airline.

• 3 hours before departure – Most airlines.
• 12 hours before departure – Japan Airlines, Jetstar, Cathay Pacific.
• 18 hours before departure – Scoot (except flights to Jeddah).
• 24 hours before departure – AirAsia, Singapore Airlines (except USA-bound flights), Turkish Airlines (selected flights).

Flying one of these airlines? Congratulations – you get to experience Changi like a VIP, luggage-free, for a full day, if you want so!

Now, with logistics sorted, let’s dive into the ultimate hour-by-hour Changi layover itinerary. Get ready for a day of waterfalls, mazes, butterflies, and a rooftop swim!

Singapore Changi Airport things to do – my personal itinerary

As a transit passenger at Changi Airport, you can only exit and re-enter the transit area once. So besides deciding where to store your bag, you also need a solid game plan – one that maximizes your time without the regret of missing a must-see attraction.

I won’t lie – I spent a day and a half just planning. But it was worth it, as in the end, I managed to experience the best of Changi Airport – Jewel and Terminals 1, 2, and 3 – while aiming to minimize the feeling of being rushed.

However, I did have to make some tough calls. At certain places, I stopped only to take a photo. Terminal 4? Saved for another time. Free Singapore Tour for transit passengers? Also skipped – it would have eaten up too much of my precious layover time.

To make the most of these 24 hours, I divided my Changi itinerary into three strategic phases:

1. Exploring the transit zones of Terminals 1, 2, and 3 – Since these terminals are seamlessly connected, I wouldn’t have to leave the secure area.
2. Exiting the transit area to explore the public zones and Jewel – This would let me visit attractions that require stepping out while ensuring I had enough time at Jewel.
3. Re-entering the transit area for any missed experiences – A final round-up of cool spots I did not have enough time for earlier.

Timing is Everything

One thing I quickly learned? Jewel attractions have the most restrictive opening hours. That’s why I prioritized visiting Jewel in the afternoon and evening, leaving overnight hours for attractions that operate round the clock.

Now, let’s break down my hour-by-hour itinerary, so you can plan your own ultimate layover adventure at Changi!

Changi T1 – Transit Zone

10:30 am – Landing by ‘Success’

After a somewhat delayed landing, I found myself at C pier of Changi Terminal 1, face-to-face with “Success”, Ng Eng Teng‘s sculpture symbolizing strength, confidence, perseverance, ambition, and reliability. Well, Scoot, you shaved 30 minutes off my itinerary, so no sculpture for you!

“Success” has been installed on the eastern part of the terminal back in 1984. Together with the sculpture named “Achievement” (symbolizing versatility, innovation, dynamism, foresight, and planning, at the D gates – coincidentally where I’d be departing from 24 hours later), this long-standing artwork by the Grandfather of Singapore Sculpture is also known as “The Spirit of Man”.

Weary travelers were already dozing in the rest area, but for me, there was no time for naps. I craved fresh air and sunlight. And where better to start than Changi Terminal 1’s three outdoor gardens?

10:45 am – Cactus Garden

After a couple of travelators, an escalator, and some old-fashioned stairs, I pushed through double doors sealing off the Singaporean heat – and stepped into Changi’s oldest themed garden, the Cactus Garden.

While the planes were lifting off all around me, some surely heading to America, Africa, and the rest of Asia, cacti, succulents and other desert plants from these continents were on display in this little rooftop oasis.

The footpath circled around over 100 species of arid plants from around the world, including the Peruvian Apple Cactus, Indian Prickly Pear Cactus, as well as Mexico-native Golden Barrel Cactus, Old Man Cactus, giant Ponytail Palm Trees, and tequila-responsible Century Plant (no samples included).

There were even Sago Palms, a primitive species that survived in southern Japan since the Jurassic period. Well, the oldest specimens here were over 50 years old, still respectful.

Among the real prickly plants were also steel cacti, a signature work by American artists Richard Turner and Eric Carroll. It was just a tiny preview of Singapore Changi Airport’s dedication to immersive places that blend nature, art, and fun.

11:00 am – Water Lily Garden

Descending back to Level 2 of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1, with more shops and coffee shops, and another set of double doors brought me out to the peculiar Singaporean heat. But this time, to a garden with plants that couldn’t survive without water.

Water Lily Garden is home to, well, water lilies, and other aquatic vegetation. Next to serene ponds, there were also plants such as yam/taro, which, just like rice and lotus, required wetland to become a yielding food crop.

It’s an educational moment at the airport, raising awareness about marginal, submerged, and floating plants as a vital part of the freshwater ecosystem. They support wildlife by providing protection, food, and a place for reproduction.

At this zen garden, even shelters for humans came in the shape of water lily leaves. You could use them to hide from the sun. You could even enjoy your snack here. But don’t get into spawning, if you know what I mean.

11:15 am – Discovery Garden

The last in Terminal 1’s trifecta of outdoor gardens was arguably the most futuristic. Instead of classical flowerbeds, Discovery Garden features three tree-like steel structures dressed in foliage. Elevated walkways meander around the towering displays, offering a close-up view of the greenery.

This mini rainforest was designed to showcase the harmony between nature and technology. It allows visitors to watch plants and planes at the same time.

As I chilled among these decorative treetops just meters away from the runway, it felt like a preview of Supertree Grove, Singapore’s futuristic botanical utopia at Gardens by the Bay near Marina Bay Sands.

Singapore, with a now-iconic bio-futuristic aesthetic, was clearly committed to integrating nature into urban spaces, even at one of the most bustling airports. Or – precisely because of that?

11:30 am – Tropical Rainforest Vivarium

Besides the outdoor gardens, Terminal 1 had several indoor areas sprinkled with vegetation and fish ponds.

Tucked away, near the Skytrain to Terminal 2, the Tropical Rainforest Vivarium, or better – paludarium, as it included both terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna, seemed to be overlooked.

The biomes of Southeast Asia and South America are squeezed inside the half-open container, with 53 plant species and 8 types of animals. A forest stream ran through this serene showcase of biodiversity, with shy fish and shrimps hiding inside. So they say.

To be honest, I haven’t seen any animal. But if there had been a stool installed in front of the display, I could have easily spent minutes, or hours, meditating in front of this tiny but lush habitat, listening to the soothing sound of trickling water, and enjoying the scent of the jungle. All of that without a single mosquito bite!

11:45 am – Singapore Changi Airport rooftop pool

With all the back-and-forth between air-conditioned halls and steamy outdoor gardens, my body was practically begging for a refreshment.

As hopping inside the Vivarium was not an option, I took a quick escalator ride up and arrived at Aerotel Singapore Changi (Terminal 1’s transit hotel I would revisit the same evening). But I wasn’t here to check in yet. The next door on the left-hand side automatically opened to one of the most luxurious airport amenities worldwide, launched back in 1995 (!) – the Singapore Changi Airport rooftop pool.

Besides an open-air swimming pool with planes flying over it every few minutes or so, the place was offering a jacuzzi, cabanas, and a poolside Aerobar with cocktails, beer, and snacks. There was even a quiet, children-free hammock zone.

The gym had a treadmill, a stationary bike, weights, yoga mats, and a pilates ball. It was tiny, but it did add to a resort-like layover experience.

An entry fee for an adult is SGD 25 (besides pool access, it includes a towel, a locker, and shower facilities). The hotel guests, however, can use it for free.

The pool is open daily from noon to 10 pm, but double-check before your visit. For the year-end, they had it opened at 10 am already, so you might be able to take your refreshing dip even if you have an earlier flight.

Changi T2 – Transit Zone

1:00 pm – Enchanted Garden

Light rain made me abandon the pool haven, and thankfully so, as I was now an hour behind my planned schedule. So I rushed to catch my first Skytrain ride to Changi Terminal 2, getting a fleeting outdoor glimpse of the Jewel dome along the way.

Between the usual forest of shops, Changi Airport T2 welcomed me with its Enchanted Garden, 400 square meters of ferns and flowers, including orchids. One of these was even named after Changi – Dendrobium Changi Airport.

As I walked over timber decking paths and passed under floral arches, I should have triggered motion sensors to play Borneo rainforest sounds, including insects, frogs, and birds.

But, to be honest, the treat was more visual for me. If they were there, fauna sounds were certainly not immersive enough for me. The soundscape was dominated by the water cascading into a koi pond with a mini viewing platform beloved by kids.

The centerpiece of the garden were two larger, and two smaller glass bouquet sculptures decorated with mosaic and stained-glass work, each containing seasonal fresh flowers.

My expectations of magic brought to life were possibly too high, but the Enchanted Garden was still a place providing a welcome breather from the usual airport madness, contributing to Changi’s reputation as a green oasis.

1:15 pm – Gourmet Garden

I really wanted my next stop to be the 2 Bears Hideout. It’s Terminal 2’s sweet playground with a climbable beehive, a bounceable honeycomb, and a slide out of Momma Bear’s tummy so glideable that it seemed to be coated in honey. Unfortunately, this whimsical place was only for kids aged 6-12. If you’re an older traveler looking to slide off some energy before the flight, you’ll need to head to Terminal 3 or Jewel.

But what started with a bear-adise, continued with a lush dining area called Gourmet Garden. It’s a long 24-hour dining street with a biophilic design.

On one side, there was a Greenwall and suspended blade planters with foliage. On the other, there were floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a prime position for plane spotting. This is the ideal place to enjoy your meal while watching aircraft activity on the tarmac.

Singapore Changi Airport’s food offer is a journey in itself. The Gourmet Garden starts with Asian fusion cuisine, offered by places such as Chef Wei HK Cheong Fun (Hong Kong-style dim sum), Wee Nam Kee (Hainanese chicken rice), Ippudo Express (Japanese ramen heaven), The Satay Club by Harry’s (elevated Singaporean skewers), Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu (Korean secret-recipe soft tofu stew), and The Hainan Story (Hainanese thick toast breakfast and Kopi Gu You, butter coffee from way before bulletproof coffee became a trend).

If you head further south, you’ll find renowned international brands such as Hard Rock Cafe, Gopizza, Luke’s Lobster, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Hudsons Coffee.

For an additional wow factor, you could order your artisanal coffee, tea, or chocolate from Ella, Singapore’s first robot barista.

While tempted like a bear in front of honey, I had a different plan for lunch. But first…

1:25 pm – Dreamscape

Dreamscape was THE Enchanted Garden for me. It was everything I would expect from an immersive indoor garden that merges nature with technology.

Imagine walking on water. No, really!

A huge pond covered with glass panels lets you stroll above colorful fish living their usual life underneath. All along, you’re surrounded by 20,000 plants, raising your gaze to the ceiling.

The Dreamscape has a digital sky that mimics real-time weather conditions above Changi, together with planes and occasional birds flying overhead.
Every 15 minutes, the passenger is transported to a fantastic reality. The chorus of 100 creatures delivers a serenading soundscape, but the true magic is visual.

Expect fish, turtles, stingrays, otters, and boats floating in a virtual pond above you. With the real aquatic world beneath your feet too, this is the closest you can get to the Moses experience. Changi created a real-life wonder of biblical proportions.

Check out the Dreamscape experience at Changi in this YouTube short video!

1:45 pm – Free Singapore Tour Check-in Counter

I wouldn’t be joining the Free Singapore Tour, so I just passed by their check-in counter. I didn’t sign up only because I’d already seen Singapore, and my 24-hour airport adventure was already packed.

These free guided tours are exclusively for transit passengers with at least 5.5 hours to spare. The tour itself takes 2.5 hours, but additional time is needed for check-in and security procedures, which seemed too much for my situation. When I return to Changi with another long layover, I’ll certainly hop on one of these tours, and report back.

If it fits you, you can choose between three bus itineraries giving you a quick taste of the island state before your next flight from Changi Airport. These are your tour options:

1. City Sights Tour – Modern Singapore (Marina Bay, Merlion Park, Gardens by the Bay)
2. Heritage Tour – Cultural hotspots (Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, Civic District)
3. Changi Precinct Tour – Explore life beyond the airport in a quaint local village

These tours are a great way to maximize your layover, adding a mini-adventure to your travel itinerary without spending a cent. Well, if you have baggage, you will have to pay for the storage at the airport.

Registration counters for free Singapore tours are located near Gate F50 at Changi T2 and Gate A1-A8 at Changi T3.

If you decide to visit Marina Bay, make sure to hop on the Singapore Flyer, one of the biggest Ferris wheels in the world. You might not have enough time during the free sightseeing tour, but you can always extend the visit to this impressive city-state!

1:50 pm – Sunflower Garden

The final transit attraction I wanted to see at Changi’s Terminal 2 was just slightly trickier to find. I didn’t notice any signposts to it until I was already at Level 3, where further upgrading renovations were underway. But basically, just between the Free Singapore Tour booth and the Dreamscape, or more precisely, between the Fragrance‘s pork jerky and Lotte‘s duty-free wines, you should be able to find a somewhat hidden elevator bringing you to the top.

I stepped outside on a bright terrace, and a field of golden flowers greeted me. The Sunflower Garden opened in 2002, as another themed space to provide travelers a respite from the bustling airport life.

I always believed sunflowers turned their heads towards the sunlight. I don’t know how they did it (please drop the comment if you know), but here, as you walked around, between groups of different sunflower varieties, they were all looking at you, the observer. How on earth did they manage to make this blooming audience focus on the circling spectators? Beats me.

Changi’s shiny rooftop garden isn’t just a decoration for yet another viewing mall of the runway and aircraft parking bays. It is a special holiday spot for blooming flowers which come here after spending about 90 days in the airport’s nursery. The facility produces at least 2,000 sunflowers every single month!

And don’t worry if your flight lands in the wee hours. The Sunflower Garden never closes, with special lighting bathing the blooms at night. I had the best intentions to return in the evening, but with so many things going on at Changi, I simply forgot. So if you visit, send me a picture of the “moonflowers”!

2:00 pm – Ambassador Transit Lounge – lunch and shower break

Airport food can get pricy. If you’re having a longer layover like me, an airport lounge access would help your wallet. I didn’t travel in the business class, but thanks to my credit card (that I regularly pay bills for), I can enter quite a few lounges for free.

Singapore Changi Airport has a dozen of them. Additionally, some restaurants and even one spa participate in the program by offering their services as an alternative to your usual airport lounge visit.

I opted for something more standard – the Ambassador Transit Lounge on Terminal 2, conveniently located on the Mezzanine Level (Level 3) right next to the Sunflower Garden.

This Changi lounge offers a maximum 3-hour stay. When the receptionist figured out the length of my layover, he was quick to slap a sticker on me, to make sure I didn’t overstay. “Don’t worry, I have no time to stay here for 3 hours”, I said laughingly.

Unlike many other lounges, this one didn’t have a free-flowing bar. They gave me two vouchers for alcoholic drinks. I used only one, for a meh Shiraz.

I wouldn’t call the food offer spectacular either, but for a quick free snack, it was fine. From papadam to nacho chips, from spring rolls to donuts, the lounge was trying hard to provide a cosmopolitan gastronomic experience. Between spaghetti aglio olio, roasted chicken, and fried fish, probably the most interesting offering was the mee soto live station, where you could sample Singapore’s beloved chicken soup with noodles.

Due to renovations, half of the lounge was covered in plastic sheets and scaffolding. But I was already happy with the opportunity to lick some ice cream while my camera batteries recharge.

At the end of the stay, I hit the shower. Mid-airport refresh is always welcome.

Jewel Changi Airport Singapore – public zone

3:15 pm – Concierge and baggage storage

Another light tropical rain drizzled over the Skytrain windows as I glided back to Terminal 1, wondering if the Dreamscape sky in T2 got cloudier too. No time to check. I already canceled the primary idea of exploring all transit zones before Jewel. Time flew quickly, and I decided to revisit the T3 transit zone at night, when Jewel puts its attractions to sleep anyway.

While leaving Changi Airport T1 through the automatic passport-control system was swift and efficient, don’t forget to submit your Singapore Arrival Card before stepping out!

Officially in the country, I was just a short walk from Jewel, the most sparkling part of Changi’s airport necklace.

First, I got rid of my bag at the Baggage Storage (Level 1, near the Early Check-In Lounge). Keeping my cabin-sized bag for a day cost 11 Singaporean dollars (paid with a credit card).

Not far from the storage, I sorted out my tickets for the Canopy Park attractions at an unassuming Jewel Concierge Counter (this one could be marked better, so passers-by don’t confuse it with some lounge reception).

If I hadn’t visited the Ambassador Transit Lounge, where I simultaneously fed myself and my phone and camera batteries, I would’ve probably had another stopover at Jewel. The Experience Concierge on Level 2 is a place where you can borrow a power bank for 12 hours, free of charge. Keeping your battery levels high on the go, as you click and click around Jewel – how thoughtful!

3:30 pm – Rain Vortex and Shiseido Forest Valley

With my hands free and shoulders light, I walked straight to the center of Singapore Changi Airport Jewel, a stunning glass-domed complex that houses the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The Rain Vortex, sometimes referred to as HSBC Rain Vortex (sponsor alert!), starts operating at 11 am on regular days, and 10 am on weekends. Even waterfalls need a break, and Rain Vortex takes it at 10 pm.

Otherwise, the continuous pouring of water from the roof to the basement is hypnotic. The 40-meter tall thunderous spectacle (that’s 131 feet, if you prefer to walk on water, vertically) makes other airport attractions feel like mere drinking fountains. But the aquatic marvel is not just a pretty feature. As it falls down the funnel, the rainwater naturally cools the air and controls the climate inside. Later on, it is reused in the building.

Check out Jewel Rain Vortex in action in this short YouTube video!

Opened in 2019, the Rain Vortex was designed by Moshe Safdie, the Israeli architect who entered the Asian market in 2011, with the iconic triple-tower of Marina Bay Sands, featuring the largest infinity rooftop pool, as well as Rain Oculus, another skylight/waterfall at Marina Bay’s mall.

Surrounding Changi’s Vortex is the Shiseido Forest Valley, a multi-tiered indoor rainforest with 900 trees, 60,000 shrubs, and some of the freshest airport air you’ll ever breathe. The species in this impressive botanical garden range from Brazil to Australia.

The sponsor in the valley’s name provided its signature Ultimune scent for the western walking trail, making the hike uphill an experience for the nose too. If you’re more into soothing white noise experience, opt for the eastern trail’s waterfalls.

The recommended time for each trail is half an hour, but that’s very generous. Unless you are taking a gazillion of selfies, or stumbling upon the bodies of influencer-wannabes doing that. Luckily, there are several entry/exit points between Level 1 and Level 4, to leave the trail at your convenience.

If you are even more short with time, you can get your glimpse of Jewel without ever leaving the transit zone. The interterminal train, connecting T2 and T3, crosses through the Jewel, slowing down in the center of the building, just enough for a quick peek at the Forest Valley.

You don't have to pay anything to see the waterfall and the forest at Changi Airport. Basic access to Jewel Changi is free.

4:00 pm – Topiary Walk, Discovery Slides, Foggy Bowls, Petal Garden / Canopy Park

Hiking up the airport forest led me to a 14,000 sqm recreational wonderland perched on the top floor of Jewel – the Canopy Park. This garden sitting above the retail/entertainment hub is fused with playful experiences and attractions, offering everything from mist-filled playgrounds to sky-high nets.

A basic Canopy Park ticket (SGD 8, or a bit cheaper if you book online here) gets you access to the Topiary Walk, Discovery Slides, Foggy Bowls, and Petal Garden.

I wasn’t able to detect the last one. Even the rotating staff wasn’t sure where to find the display of the flowers, probably because it was covered by the temporary exhibit of Disney Cruise Line.

Topiary Walk made up for it. This nature-inspired pathway was lined with sculpted topiaries of orangutans, parrots, peacocks, bears, elephants, and other animals. Practically a zoo made of plants, a botanical safari. The vibrant floral displays are fun places for photo ops.

Discovery Slides, designed by Carve and Playpoint, had an exterior of a sleek, polished steel shell that reflected the surroundings in funhouse-like distortions. The top of the 7.5-meter-high structure doubled as a viewing deck, offering the highest vantage point over Jewel and panoramic views of the Rain Vortex. The yellow playscape had four slides for all thrill levels – an open family slide, two enclosed spiral slides, and a steep drop slide (out of operation during my visit, sparing some screams). It’s a great warm-up for the Canopy Park, turning even adults into kids.

Foggy Bowls were essentially Canopy Park pits that should emit cool fog, providing the illusion of floating clouds. I’m not sure how frequently this interactive play space filled with artificial mist, but every time I passed by, it just looked like a waiting room.

Canopy Park is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm (on weekends and public holidays, the working hours extend to 10 pm).

If you want to explore Canopy Park as well as the rest of Jewel with a guide, book an affordable 2.5-hour tour here.

4:30 pm – Walking Net / Canopy Park

We’re not playing anymore, I thought to myself as I stepped on the Walking Net, a tightly woven rope bridge suspended 25 meters above the ground.

If you’re not too confident in your balance skills, or you have a fear of heights, maybe you could consider skipping this attraction. I’ve seen more than just kids calling for their mommy.

At some parts, the 50-meter-long net was passing over a five-story-high void, with escalators and shoppers getting small under your feet. It is suspenseful, knee-shaking, and heart-racing for some, and pure terror for others.

All participating net walkers needed to leave their bags and loose items (including selfie sticks!) at the free lockers near the entrance to the Bouncing Net. Good luck with figuring out how to close those little boxes – it’s almost a puzzle in itself!

Both sky nets are open from 10 am to 9 pm, for visitors taller than 110 cm. The standard adult rate for the Walking Net is SGD 18.90 (child rate 13.90), and it includes access to Canopy Park’s four basic attractions. You can save some of your dollars if you book your tickets through this link.

4:45 pm – Bouncing Net / Canopy Park

The neighboring Bouncing Net doesn’t get higher than 8 meters above ground, but it does come with the safety-instruction video you need to watch before entering the Walking Net’s rebellious sibling.

While jumping is encouraged on the trampoline-like attraction, somersaults are not permitted. But you can bounce, play with a ball, and generally spend some energy while racing through the 250-meter-long network of nets.

Even if I visited it alone, I had a blast on this adrenaline-packed and childhood-invoking activity. So I can imagine that a group visit with people you know can only upgrade the chaotic fun level. Refuse to grow up, and sweat it out!

The bouncier net is also the pricier one, though. A standard adult ticket costs SGD 24.90 (child 19.90), and it also includes the four basic Canopy Park attractions. Save some money when booking here.

5:05 pm – Mastercard Canopy Bridge

Another branded attraction, the Canopy Bridge is for those who want to be able to say that they got the closest to the Rain Vortex.

Suspended 23 meters above ground, the bridge had a glass-bottomed middle section. But if you checked the scare-o-meter, the Walking Net still beats it.

The cool feature was the fog produced at the entrance/exit parts of the Canopy Bridge. The mist effect came in intervals, so wait a little if you want a cinematic cloudy backdrop.

Was Canopy Bridge the best spot for Rain Vortex photos? Not really. The Skytrain tracks might photobomb your shot. But the real advantage? Fewer crowds. If you wanted an undisturbed, tourist-free photoshoot, this was your golden ticket. Some of us could even call it priceless, as the sponsor in the name would suggest.

Canopy Bridge entrance costs SGD 13.90 (child ticket 11.90), and again, it’s bundled with the four basic Canopy Park attractions. For cheaper Canopy Bridge tickets, look here.

5:20 pm – Hedge Maze / Canopy Park

In Changi’s world of superlatives, the Hedge Maze at Jewel is promoted as Singapore’s largest indoor hedge maze. But it should really hold the title “the easiest Escape Room ever”. If I could say that I wasted any of my time at Changi Airport, it’s those 4 minutes dedicated to “searching” for the exit.

The issue with Canopy Park’s Hedge Maze was that the limited space it’s been set up in didn’t allow many dead-ends or wrong turns. So basically, it was just a winding path in between the 500 trees. Only people who have truly poor orientation skills, which means those who start going back for no reason, would find the maze truly challenging. For everyone else, this was a true definition of “a walk in the park”. In some sections, the bushes were even so thin that you could see through to the other side.

Towards the end of the maze, you should find a circular staircase leading to a watchtower which provides an aerial view of your accomplishment. From up there, the layout looked much more dense and intricate than what it actually was on the eye level.

The Hedge Maze closes at 9 pm, but the last entry is at 8:30. Because apparently, they believe it takes 30 minutes to complete a 4-minute challenge.

Anyway, if you do want to stretch your legs and not your brain capacity, prepare to pay SGD 13.90 for this attraction (SGD 11.90 for a child). Again, the ticket pairs with those basic Canopy Park offerings, so you’ll get some extra worth.

If you want to save some bucks, I found the cheapest tickets for the Hedge Maze here.

5:30 pm – Mirror Maze / Canopy Park

If you love labyrinths, the Mirror Maze is a much more intriguing attraction to invest in. You’ll almost want to stay longer in this kaleidoscopic neon-lit adventure adorned with greenery!

The Mirror Maze will tease your brain and challenge your perception, practically turning you blind. Luckily, they hand you a foam stick, a pink guiding wand that should detect mirrors before you experience an embarrassing face-first collision with your own reflection.

The final room, which combined projections, sounds, and mirrors, was quite magical. Many people just rushed through it, but for the calming effect, stay there for a moment before heading back to the airport reality!

The standard rate for the Mirror Maze is SGD 18.90 for adults and 13.90 for children. As usual, on your way to the maze, you can freely explore the four basic Canopy Park attractions (Topiary Walk, Discovery Slides, Foggy Bowls, and Petal Garden – but beware, that fog and those petals might be harder to find than the maze exit!).

Those who want to buy extra souvenirs can find the cheapest Mirror Maze tickets here.

5:50 pm – Changi Experience Studio

Descending one level to L4, I entered Changi Experience Studio, a place offering a very informative and interactive journey through the world of Singapore Changi Airport. I thought one hour would be enough for these 3,000 sqm. In the end, I wished I could have stayed for another hour, and explored every little piece of information displayed at this high-tech, modern museum-style attraction.

Upon entering, I got a “blank leaflet”, a futuristic personal travel guide that interacts with 20 digital touchpoints throughout the studio. It’s a cutting-edge light technology where optical infrared markers on the travel guide enable the projection to follow it as we move it around, even taking into account the shifting of the position of the pages.

See these interactive Changi Experience Studio travel guides in action in this short YouTube video!

The first of its kind, the Changi Experience Studio educates through entertainment. Ten zones offer games, simulations, and immersive storytelling, all about aviation and Changi (well, that plus smiling competition, or Le Petit Chef’s dinner).

From learning about the airport’s history and development to understanding its behind-the-scenes operations, there was a ton of information for aviation geeks, curious travelers, and anyone who loves pressing buttons to see what happens.

I loved the gamification of learning at this place which easily seduces you to collect trolleys through the airport, dispatch taxi pick-ups, sort baggage, or even race against a plane – on a bicycle.

Digital butterflies from the entrance returned for a grand finale in music & light spectacle of the Garden of Harmony.

Just before the exit, Singapore Airport revealed its vision of the future (as if what we’re seeing today is NOT futuristic enough). If any airport were to venture out beyond Earth’s atmosphere, it should truly be Changi’s Terminal 6.

Changi Experience Studio tickets cost SGD 25 for adults, and SGD 17 for children. It is open for play & learning from 11 am to 8 pm, or from 10 am on weekends and public holidays.

If you want to save several dollars per ticket, the cheapest online ticket for Changi Experience Studio is available here.

7:30 pm – Rain Vortex – Lights, Music & “Snow”

I reluctantly left Changi Experience Studio because the Rain Vortex’s night show was calling.

Every evening at 8 and 9 pm (extra showtimes on public holidays), the Light & Music Showcase sponsored by Trip.com takes place. At that moment, the waterfall that plays with natural sunlight throughout the day becomes a moving canvas for a choreography of dynamic lights and a synchronized soundtrack.

I watched the show-off from the top level of Jewel (I’d find better spots later on – check out the 9 pm section), mainly because I heard that they would “let it snow” at the Canopy Park, just after the Vortex show. I expected massive snow-producing machines to cover the airport in white, and I couldn’t spot the location where that sudden climate change would happen.

“Oh, it’s happening right now”, a staff member said when I asked. The snow was literally falling 10 meters away from me, and I still couldn’t see it.

The location was close to that escalator heading down under the Walking Net. A small snow-producing machine was pumping out snowflakes that were hard to spot if you weren’t actively looking for them. That also meant I almost had a personal snow show, which was totally fine.

Changi T3 – public zone

8:10 pm – Flora Inspiration  & Daisy

A quick walk from Jewel’s Level 3 or a Skytrain ride from Terminal 1’s Level 2 to Terminal 3’s Level 2 will bring you right next to the entrance of Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, an IHG hotel. Here, you’ll be greeted by the Flora Inspiration. Han Sai Por‘s sculptures resemble giant seed pods, as another tribute to Singapore as the Garden City.

But I loved, even more, the kinetic sculpture between the terminal entrances 4 and 5. Daisy, conveniently placed between two charging stations, is a 13-meter-tall flower-shaped propeller, painted in red and white, Singapore’s national colors.

As I observed this artwork by Christian Moeller, it was also looking back. I could walk left, and the flower would turn towards me. I’d go back, and it would follow me there as well. Daisy’s light sensors detected the presence of onlookers, allowing it to interact with them. Testing its limits was truly fun!

8:30 pm – Hello Kitty + Snow Show + Marching Drummer Boys      

My main reason for hopping over to the public zone of Changi Airport T3 at this very moment was the seasonal appearance of Hello Kitty and Sanrio friends like Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, and Kuromi.

The iconic Japanese bow-wearing feline celebrated her 50th birthday and showed up in a version of an 8-meter-tall sculpture.

When Mariah Carey‘s inevitable Christmas anthem spilled from the speakers, another snow forecast came true, sending kids (and adults) into festive squeals of delight.

Then the Marching Drummer Boys appeared (well, four boys, and one girl, I’d say), adding to the lively atmosphere.

There was much more to Hello Kitty’s Carnival at Changi. But, hey, you missed it, and you’ll just have to explore new surprises on your Singapore Airport visit!

Jewel at Changi – public zone

9:00 pm – Rain Vortex – Lights, Music & “Snow” – take two

I returned to Jewel for another edition of Trip.com’s Light & Music Showcase, this time seen from the ground level. It was a much better place to enjoy it. Even the snowfall scheduled at Shiseido Forest Valley after the show (technically, at one of the access points to the Vortex) felt richer and more noticeable. A unique opportunity to experience a touch of winter wonderland in tropical Singapore!

But for a less exploited spectacle of Jewel, head to the Basement 2 level, where you’ll find the base of the Vortex, an acrylic tank shifting colors, and providing moments your Instagram and TikTok audiences will love.

Changi T2 – public zone

9:25 pm – The Wonderfall

Before returning to the transit zone, I decided to visit the three terminals’ yet-unseen public zone attractions. The Wonderfall was certainly not to be missed.

In the center of Changi Terminal 2’s check-in area, a digital waterfall became an iconic landmark. Made up of 892 LED tiles, some of which were curved, to enhance the cascading effect, the water rushes in front of our eyes, leaving us in awe of the grandeur.

If you pay attention, you might spot a kingfisher bird or butterflies (of course, what is Changi without butterflies!). But if you wait long enough, you’ll witness the 4-minute “Rhythms of Nature”, a light-and-sound show scheduled every half an hour.

Take a look at Changi Airport T2 Wonderfall in this YouTube short video!

9:35 pm – Flap Pix

Another artwork worth seeing at Changi T2 public zone is Flap Pix. Located near the link bridge toward Jewel Changi Airport (T2, Level 3), this art installation uses vintage technology of the airport departure board that once displayed flight and gate numbers, destinations, and departure times.

Now, the shifting 1,080 split-flaps transform into Singapore-themed scenes or personalized portraits. That’s right, the camera can take a photo of your face, and display it on the flipboard, as if you’re scheduled for the next departure.

Changi T3 – public zone

9:50 pm – ST3PS

Another direct Skytrain ride from T2 to T3 (with night views of the Rain Vortex), only to see the last attractions before they shut the light for the day.

In the Basement 2 area, ST3PS operates from 10 am to 10 pm. A stepped theater with a green wall features an ultra-high-definition screen (6 meters wide and 3.5 meters high). It’s a place to see free movies and live sports matches. The stage hosts performances on weekends and even yoga sessions on Thursdays and Fridays.

When I passed by, “Pirates of the Caribbean” was on. For the exact movie schedule during your visit, look here. Every week has its own theme, ranging from animation and fantasy to music and dance.

9:55 pm – The Slide@T3 + Climb@T3

Another attraction that closes its operation at night (at 10:30 pm) is The Slide@T3, the world’s tallest airport slide, launched back in 2010.

The tubular slide, which stands at an impressive 12 meters, can take you down four floors, from Level 1 to Basement 3. For a milder experience, there’s also a smaller one-story slide, with the entrance at Basement 2.

At the Customer Service Counter at Basement 2, you can redeem 10 rides per day, as long as you have signed up for Changi Rewards e-Card. Registration is free.

Bonus Slide Tip: If you’re flying out of Changi Airport T4, there’s another, boarding pass-activated slide straight to H1-H8 gates. Now that’s how you make an entrance!

Right next to The Slide@T3, there is Climb@T3. Starting at the Basement 3 level, you can test your skills at an 8-meter-high bouldering wall. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced climber, there is a mix of challenging routes suitable for any level.

The Rock School Singapore operates this unique facility from 11 am to 8 pm, and on weekends and holidays until 9:30 pm. So make sure to come earlier than me. Or even better: book ahead!

If you prefer solid-ground entertainment, just across the Playground at the Basement 2 level, there is Changi Airport’s arcade game empire Zone X (normally closing at 10 pm, on weekends at 11 pm).

Changi T1 – public zone

10:20 pm – Arrival Garden + Kinetic Rain

After collecting my bag at Jewel’s luggage storage, I proceeded back to Changi Terminal 1. As I was prepared to head airside, I made a stopover at the Arrival Garden, which usually welcomes newcomers to Singapore.

At this hour, in the shade of the tall palms and other tropical flora, and just an occasional shimmer of Swarovski Crystal Clouds floating at Jewel’s entrance, some passengers were already snuggling in their makeshift beds for the night. It looked like outdoor camping, just indoors. With airport trolleys instead of tents.

The transit zones of Changi have free-to-use rest areas or so-called Snooze Lounges. You just have to get there early enough to claim your spot (first-come, first-served). I was lucky enough to get a proper bed in a Changi Airport hotel, mainly because I hadn’t sleep much in the previous days either. Otherwise, I’d probably spend the entire night watching movies at Terminal 3.

But before I checked in at my hotel inside Changi Airport, and checked Terminal 3’s transit offerings, I had to take a moment for myself. And there’s no better place to float away with than the Kinetic Rain, unveiled in 2012 as the largest moving sculpture in the world. The artwork is so mesmerizing, and yet so ignored by many passengers these days.

I can still recall the moment, ages ago, when I first saw it. Standing on the travelator, I was gliding up to the check-in area of Changi T1, while this hypnotizing moving sculpture locked my gaze.

Separated in two parts (each measuring 10 by 4 meters), the Kinetic Rain consists of 1,216 bronze droplets suspended from the ceiling, each controlled by computer-driven motors that create ever-changing patterns. The silent dance of the droplets forms fluid shapes that resemble waves, birds, an airplane, a hot-air balloon, or even a dragon. I could watch it all day long. Well, if my eyes wouldn’t already be half-closed.

Hypnotize yourself with the Kinetic Rain sculpture by watching this YouTube short!

Changi T3 – transit zone

11:00 pm – Birds in Flight

After quickly getting back inside Terminal 1, checking in at Aerotel, mainly to drop off my bag at this point, I hopped on the Skytrain to Terminal 3. It’s nice to know they operate all until 2 am, resuming at 5 am. In this small pocket of Skytrain sleep time, one would have to use travelators to navigate between the terminals.

Just at the exit of the Skytrain, the “Birds in Flight” stainless steel sculpture welcomed me back to Terminal 3. The art installation created by the Singaporean artist Baet Yok Kuan depicted the mid-flight of the Arctic terns, seabirds with lengthy annual migrations across the planet.

A frozen image of the blue birds is a fitting metaphor for all of us congregating at the airport for a brief moment until we fly away to a new stop on our itinerary.

11:10 pm – Changi Airport Movie Theater

Besides ST3PS in the public zone of Terminal 3, there is an actual Changi Airport Movie Theater that operates 24/7, available only to passengers, in the transit zone of the same terminal.

I didn’t see any signs pointing at it, so I approached an unmanned information desk (well, I also did it just to see how it works).

The cardboard character with a comic-style speech bubble saying “Need help?” was pointing at the screen, offering a chat with Changi’s ambassadors. I chose the language (besides English, available options were Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and Korean), and the type of assistance (medical, lost & found, locating a facility), and just like in those customer service calls, I was informed I was the first one in the queue, and that the estimated waiting time was less than 30 seconds.

After 10 seconds of elevator music, a lady named Iris appeared on the screen. I asked about the location of the cinema, and she pointed me to an escalator going up. Sensing my disorientation, she asked whether I saw the Guardian store on my right-hand side (“the orange-colored shop”), and explained I would find an escalator behind it going up, directly to the cinema.

It’s a quick, efficient, and economical system. This staff member is probably covering many information desks, instead of sitting on one, boring herself to death.

The Changi Airport Movie Theater, located just next to the Ambassador Hotel Changi on Level 3, had about 50 comfy seats, and I’ve seen some visitors using them just for napping.

If you’re actually into movies, the repertoire rotates six titles every day. They could range from “Tom and Jerry” to “Spider-Man” and “Dune”.

Terminal 3’s free cinemas are truly a perk. No tickets, no queues – just walk in, grab a seat, and enjoy the film while waiting for the flight.

11:20 pm – Buterfly Garden

Right behind the Ambassador Transit Lounge was a Level-3 entrance to the Butterfly Garden, a two-story tropical sanctuary you won’t find at any other world airport.

Over 1,000 butterflies live in this serene oasis, from Common Rose (due to the red and white pattern on its wings, it was chosen as Singapore’s national butterfly in 2015) to Leopard Lacewing, Blue Clipper, and dozens of other species.

While this butterfly airport is much busier during the day, with colorful little aircraft landing on pineapple runways, it lives 24 hours a day, just like Changi.

During the day, butterflies are mostly active between 8 am and 5 pm, like all working class.

At nighttime, you have a rare opportunity to observe the caterpillar-to-butterfly metamorphosis up close, through a special emergence cage showcasing their life cycle.

Alternatively, you can put a detective hat on, and try to spot these fascinating creatures as they enjoy their beauty-sleep on the trees.

Butterfly Garden, with its calming water features and attractive nectar-producing plants, will easily make you forget you’re inside one of the world’s busiest airports.

11:40 pm – Koi Ponds + Crystal Garden

Stepping out of the Butterfly Garden at Level 2, I arrived at Changi’s Koi Ponds, where these ornamental fish had already parked themselves in the corners, fast asleep.

Around the ponds, passengers who didn’t score a bed in the Snooze Lounge were sprawled on armchairs, or even on the carpeted floor.

At the Central Plaza, in front of the Louis Vuitton, even Crystal Garden dandelions, spheres made of hand-blown Bohemian glass, flickered softly, as if shutting down.

Most Singapore Changi Airport stores close their doors between 9 pm and 1 am, so even the shopping options became somewhat scarcer.

The entire airport was gradually switching to a lower speed, completely unconcerned by the New Year knocking at the door. Even I wasn’t sure when we entered it. There was no countdown, fireworks, or a spectacle of a sort. It’s an airport after all.

But not just any airport. Changi is an airport that lives spectacle every day of the year and didn’t need to show off around midnight, just to prove a point.

Changi T1 – transit zone

12:25 am – Aerotel Singapore Changi

I got back to my hibernation quarters – the Aerotel, Changi Airport transit hotel at Terminal 1.

Transit hotels have always been a mystery to me, as I never felt an urge to use them. But here, at Singapore Changi Airport, taking a break to relax from numerous attractions in a proper bed made perfect sense. Aerotel offers flexible hourly booking, which means you can just take a 6-hour nap, with no need to pay for an entire day!

Dark wood doors led to a long corridor with 32 rooms. The ambiance light was already suggesting this was a place where one should keep the noise level down, as someone could sleep at any time of day.

From a dimly lit hallway, my keycard led me into a room with spacious twin beds and a green-tiled bathroom with also quite roomy shower. It felt like a regular upscale hotel room, except for the fact that a narrow vertical window was opening to the runway.

I already admitted I was tempted to end the rest of my 24 hours at Changi by joining a movie marathon in the cinema. But after being awake for 22 hours now (my last encounter with a bed was in Davao, the Philippines), I thought it was equally important to report on the most passive of all airport activities – sleeping.

Before I hit that warm shower (getting wet at Changi for a third time in one day!), and those inviting bed sheets, I had to test Aerotel’s gastro offer.

On the room table, there was chamomile tea, and a selection of biscuits, dried fruits, and nuts, with the operation manager’s personalized hand-written message, wishing me a restful stay as I unwind with a soothing cup in my hand, and a crunchy snack in the other.

But I had something else on my mind. The Aerotel stay came with a complimentary meal, anytime. While the idea of ordering an all-day breakfast after midnight felt decadent enough to try, I didn’t feel ready for croissants and granola bowls yet. Among vegetarian, chicken, and fish options, I decided to go with the Indonesian staple rice dish – Nasi Goreng and Beef Satay.

I ordered it from the room and waited for it in an elegant restaurant space, empty except for me. Because who eats beef skewers with peanut gravy in the early hours of the New Year?! Despite the awkward timing, the chef personally brought a tasty dish to my table.

Filled and fulfilled, I was ready to go horizontal in this pleasant Singapore Changi Airport accommodation, surely the most luxurious way to wait for one’s boarding.

To find the best prices of stay for your dates, check out Aerotel's offer on Agoda, Booking, or Trip.   

6:00 am – SATS Premier Lounge Changi – breakfast

Credit card companies frown upon lounge hoppers. They expect you to consume just one lounge visit per airport stay, and not milk the system. Repeated use of these “entitlements” within a single airport may result in charges.

But as I was going through a 24-hour (!) stay at Changi, and now, after midnight, it was even a completely new fiscal year, I decided to push my luck and set my course toward another Changi Airport lounge – Terminal 1’s SATS Premier Lounge.

Also a 24-hour facility offering a maximum 3-hour stay, this time it came with fully available alcoholic beverages (tempting, but not at sunrise), and shower facilities (but did I really need a fourth scrub in 24 hours?).

The breakfast offered here was very Asian. While I found this fantastic (as who needs another scrambled egg start of a day?), it was sad that the staff didn’t really know much about the displayed food. Even basic questions – Is this sweet or savory? What goes with what? – were met with blank stares.

SATS Lounge Changi didn’t seem to offer the best representation of Asian cuisine in terms of quality either, but I liked the opportunity for a gastronomic journey, from make-your-own Nyonya-style Laksa to Malay Nasi Lemak and South Indian Medu Vada fritters with Sambar stew. I also tried a selection of non-spectacular cakes and pastries, but hey, you cannot win them all. My credit card better doesn’t charge me for this.

8:50 am – Leaving Singapore Changi Airport (or not?)

It was time to say goodbye to Singapore Changi Airport. I passed by Ng Eng Teng’s “Achievement” statue, wrapping up my personal round-the-clock achievement of the longest airport layover.

Five minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart for Phuket, Scoot was ready to board us.

But we didn’t depart. A young member of the crew hastily walked through our plane section, asking us “to unfasten the seatbelts because we are refilling”. Supposedly, this should help us evacuate immediately in case of emergency. I thought it was a strange instruction, but I assumed she was talking about getting more passengers on board. Later she remembered the word she was looking for was – petrol. We were refilling our tank.

I dozed off, and at 9:50 am, I woke up to passengers pulling their luggage from overhead bins. As I looked through the window, it was dark outside, adding to my confusion. Did I just oversleep an entire day?

A neighboring seatmate brought me back from my sleepy delirium, explaining these were smart windows with adjusted brightness, and telling me that the crew’s instruction was to disembark due to a “technical issue”. We were still at Changi?! Did I just wake up in “Groundhog Day”?

Ten minutes later, we were asked not to disembark but to sit back, until the captain provided new instructions. And he made an announcement soon indeed, saying there would be a reassessment of the situation in 70 minutes (“seven-zero”, he clarified for the impatient ones), until the engineers decided whether some cargo issue was solvable or not. Until they connected to a ground AC, they would switch off the plane’s one. We were welcomed back to the tropics.

“If you need anything, ask the flight attendants”, the captain said. I asked for water, but the young attendant was confused. She wanted to say they had it, but she had to ask first. After a few minutes, she came back saying that I could refill my bottle in the galley, as they were trying to save cups.

Soon, the attendants brought some cardboard boxes, filled with comforting snack packs – an industrial croissant, potato crisps, and a miniature bottle of water. A male attendant distributed these, repeating the phrase “Happy New Year”, in an unsuccessful attempt to bring smiles to the faces of nervous passengers.

Our confused female attendant accidentally smacked a passenger’s head, so hard that she required ice.

In this slowly developing chaos, the “fasten seatbelt” sign switched on. “The engineers rectified the issue and we will be departing shortly”, the captain’s voice announced. The windows got daylight again, and the passenger close by had to take off his earphones. But nothing was happening, so he put them back and continued watching golf on his phone.

At 11:03, the windows went dark again. That wasn’t promising. The heat was still unbearable. Thank god for that safety information leaflet acting as a fan.

At 11:07, they called “all ground staff” to disembark.

After another cross-check, and a third announcement that we should now really turn off our mobile phones, at 11:16 the plane started taxiing.

At 11:34, we were finally taking off.

Of course, now I could tell you another story of how, in Phuket, the plane stopped in the middle of the airport, citing “traffic congestion”. But maybe that’s a story for another time.

This one was about my 24+ hours at Singapore Changi Airport, probably the most extraordinary airport in the world.

Overnight at Changi Airport – Conclusion

If you hate airports, this article may have been overkill.

Perhaps, you were just wondering how to spend 6, 8, or 10 hours at Changi Airport, and instead got trapped in this neverending chronicle of someone stuck in a twilight-zone loop, like an overexcited hamster on a spinning wheel.

Airports don’t always deserve our time. Wait, is that why they call it a “runway”? Because we’re all just trying to… run away?

In a heavy competition of bland institutions with a clinical feel, eager to charge us outrageous airport taxes, arrival/departure fees, and overpriced water that they still make us throw at the security check, there ARE exceptions.

While offering everything from prayer rooms to massage parlors, Changi excels in delivering unique content that merges nature, art, and entertainment

I deliberately broke my 5.5-hour flight into two parts, just so I could spend 25 hours at Singapore Changi Airport. Zero regrets. Changi was an airport where even time flew.

What I especially liked about this place is that it didn’t discriminate passengers by the depth of their wallet. Many of the best things to do at Singapore Changi Airport were also – free things to do at Singapore Changi Airport.

Even if you plan to spend, there is a product for everyone. In the food offer, you can find everything from KFC to Jamie Oliver, from McDonald’s to Tsuta‘s Michelin-starred ramen.

If you head shopping, Singapore Changi Airport will welcome you with UNIQLO and Zara, but also Gucci or BVLGARI.

They won’t roll their eyes even if you ask for a shopping concierge to help you pick your new Crocs. The personalized shopping assistance is complimentary and has no minimum spending expectations. Technically, you could pre-book your favorite 7-11 cup noodles, and get them delivered to your boarding gate. I guess.

But beyond just catering to various needs of travelers, offering everything from prayer rooms to massage parlors, Changi excels in delivering exceptional and unique content that merges nature, art, and entertainment. It skillfully expands Singapore’s definitions of gardens, from Gourmet Garden with playful bear slides to Dreamscape with virtual otters.

Whether you’re here on a layover like myself, or you intentionally missed your flight just to stay at Changi Airport longer (hey, no judgment!), this place will deliver an experience like no other, proving that airports can be as inspiring as art galleries, without the snobbery that often comes with curation.

What do you think about these things to do at Singapore Changi Airport? Enough to keep you entertained for 24 hours? Would you consider staying at Jewel overnight?
Leave your comment below, and pin the article for later!

Disclosure: My stay at Aerotel, including the use of the swimming pool, as well as my entrance to Jewel Canopy Park attractions and Changi Experience Studio were complimentary, but all opinions are my own.

Also, this post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The authors of all photographs are typically mentioned in image titles and Alt Text descriptions. In order of appearance, these are:

Ivan Kralj - all photographs except for
Photo no. 5 - Canopy Bridge - SaMaN on Unsplash
Photo no. 6 - Skytrain - Nathaniel Yeo on Unsplash
Photo no. 13 - T-Rex - copyright Changi Airport

The post Airport Jewel Overnight: Best Things to Do at Singapore Changi Airport in 24 Hours appeared first on Pipeaway.

Sure, odd numbers on one side, even on the other – a perfectly logical setup. Yet, something still seemed off. Since this was not my first visit (I had already dropped by when I explored the jaw-dropping Predjama Castle nearby), I knew Hotel Jama had “Secret Rooms”. But still, the room number layout in this iconic Slovenian hotel was playing games with my mind.

Hotel Jama, at the entrance of the equally enigmatic Postojna Cave, seemed like it wanted me to play a game

“Do you miss some room numbers?”, I asked at the front desk, thinking that surely there had to be some explanation for it, such as “Yes, we avoid the unlucky number 13” (or 4, if they would be in the Chinese area of influence). I was expecting, at least, “Yes, we combined two rooms into one during the renovation, but we didn’t change the lettering”. I didn’t hear these answers. Instead…

“Oh?”, the receptionist’s eyebrow arched high, as I tried to explain my mathematical confusion.

I got her to confirm that, indeed, some room numbers might be missing in certain hotel areas. “But not on your floor”, she insisted.

Fine, I could’ve been tripping while trying to decipher Hotel Jama’s conundrum, finding clues even when there were none. Wrapped in historical mysteries, the property at the entrance of the equally enigmatic Postojna Cave seemed like it wanted me to play a game. What had I checked into? An escape room, or an – escape hotel?

In this Hotel Jama Postojna review, learn more about its Secret Rooms, and their hidden past.

Hotel Jama history

Construction on Hotel Jama (pronounced ‘Yama’, meaning ‘Cave’) began in 1969, above Postojna Cave’s train garage.

Back then, Slovenia was just one of six republics forming Yugoslavia, a federation that was voting for its parliament that year.

Students in Ljubljana were chanting for political freedoms and social reforms, protesting everything from the Vietnam War to non-democratic regimes like the one in Greece.

It was an era of resistance, and rebellion, and Rade Šerbedžija starring in “Sedmina”, a drama where wartime Ljubljana was turning a boy into a killer.

Two years flew by, and by 1971, while Americans were marveling at the grand opening of Walt Disney World‘s Magic Kindom in Florida, socialist Slovenia was busy cutting the ribbon on its own crown jewel – Hotel Jama.

Yugoslavia was led by Josip Broz Tito, a charismatic political figure who didn’t want to take sides in the Cold War between Western capitalism and Eastern communism.

In the early 1970s, despite Tito’s whip hand, Yugoslav republics were slowly gaining greater autonomy within the federation. This was especially true in the economy, which was booming.

Freedom of speech was still under construction, much like the hotel. In 1971, Slovenia first forbade, then released with censor intervention, Boštjan Hladnik‘s movie “Maškarada”, an erotic drama about the indulgent lives of the rich elites.

Simultaneously, the opening of the Hotel Jama, with its luxurious, state-of-the-art facilities, was one of Yugoslavia’s efforts to portray itself as part of a modern and progressive world.

And it worked. The hotel became an instant hit, significantly boosting tourism development in Postojna, equally attracting high dignitaries and curious folks to Europe’s largest show cave.

Besides the natural wonder itself (Postojna Cave entertained 39 million visitors over two centuries), the man-made Hotel Jama helped establish Postojna as a major tourist hotspot.

The secret rooms of Hotel Jama

Decades of use had taken their toll on Hotel Jama. By 2009, the once-glamorous hotel was a shadow of its former self, its facilities worn down and its reputation in tatters. The hotel closed its doors, bankrupt, and in dire need of a transformation to meet modern standards.

The renovation work lasted over six years, three times longer than the time it took to erect the hotel from scratch. When it seemed the 8-million-euro facelift neared completion, the plot twisted.

Bothered by a solid steel door in the inner courtyard that construction workers did not change because no one had a key, Marjan Batagelj, the CEO of Postojna Cave company, ordered cutting through the lock.

When the door was breached in 2016, they stepped inside and found hidden spaces filled with kilometers of dusty wiring, reels of audio tapes, and stacks of paper logs. These were remnants of a secret communication center, deserted and forgotten since 1991, after the ten-day Slovenian War of Independence marked the start of Yugoslavia’s breakdown.

It turned out that, aside from today’s official 156 units, Hotel Jama also had secret chambers all along, rooms and passages hidden from the public eye. Those who ran covert operations from this shadowy underbelly of Cold War intrigue successfully kept their mission confidential for decades, behind tightly sealed lips and doors.

But why would the former regime station such an elaborate spy system in a luxury hotel? Built at a well-connected and strategically significant Postojna Town, a place with a military base, Hotel Jama practically had a guaranteed influx of important political figures. These were probably prime targets of surveillance operations.

What did the most prominent politicians talk about? We won’t find that out just yet. Before hotel representatives could even swift through the Secret Rooms, a squadron of police officers and secret service agents thoroughly combed through the materials abandoned since the communist times.

Hibernation headquarters – cave-inspired comfort

In Hotel Jama’s revamped guest rooms, however, there were no secrets, but more openness, and – choice.

Space dominated by a plush double bed and velvet-like headboard extended into a mirror-covered wardrobe, as well as a glass-walled en-suite bathroom. For those who believe not all intimate moments should be exposed to natural light and audience, the bathroom could be curtained off, ensuring privacy during a toilet break or eyebrow-plucking in front of a vanity mirror.

The stylish walk-in shower was half-screened by a frameless shower glass panel, continuing the idea of removing visual obstacles in the flowing space. In my case, the shower screen was not fully efficient in keeping the water inside; instead, it was leaking into the toilet zone with every usage. They didn’t have that in the 1970s when practicality took precedence over aesthetics.

To be fully transparent, this concept of appreciation for see-throughness was embraced via the spacious room terrace too. Outfitted with two chairs, a table, and an ashtray (don’t use the last one, for a full nature immersion), the balcony was practically an extended living room. Large sliding glass doors separated the outside from (or – connected it with?) the inside, letting in the verdant charm of Postojna’s surroundings and, via the warm wooden flooring, practically bringing the forest into your lap. There was also a flat-screen TV on the wall, but next to such enjoyable nature vistas, I was never tempted to even turn it on.

The elegant room interior was colored in neutral gray and beige tones, practically mimicking a cave, and creating a soothing “hibernate-here” vibe. Green blackout curtains were promising a good night rest, while hints of blue popped up in accents like decorative pillows and a bed runner.

Postojna Cave’s mascot, the olm (Slovenian “human fish”, or “baby dragon” as the locals like to call it), made cameo appearances in the form of room details, like pencils and door handles.

All of this was a result of the renovation that aimed to employ local authenticity while adopting minimalist yet modern interior design solutions.

Browsing history and mystery at Hotel Jama

If you’re the type who needs to squeeze in some work between spelunking and secret-room sleuthing, Hotel Jama’s rooms have you covered. The mini sofa, armchair, or even the desk chair at a long workstation, all make for solid spots to plop down with your laptop.

But as you connect to the Wi-Fi, a little message pops up on your screen: “Other people might be able to see info you send over this network”.

For most, this standard Windows warning about open networks’ vulnerability to interception is easy to ignore. But here, at Hotel Jama, where Secret Rooms were advertised as an interactive documentary experience on everything from in-room leaflets to DND hotel signs (“Pssst! Discover the former regime’s mystery of Hotel Jama”), the alert of a cybersecurity threat easily got a new layer of reading. Was this just a mostly harmless lack of encryption, or was someone, somewhere, watching you Google “the secret rooms of Hotel Jama”?

Feeling a touch paranoid, you might pick up the room’s telephone, ready to call the front desk for more info, as that was exactly what all these ads suggested you should do.

On the room telephone you read a note that the device could connect you to other rooms, but “international and local calls can be made at the reception”. This was planting another seed of doubt – would they be monitoring you if you headed down to the front desk to place a call?

If you are really worried about surveillance at your vacation rental, get familiar with places people hide hidden cameras and microphones!

Something to hide

While I waited in the hotel lobby, which over the years saw so many distinguished guests (some memorized in photographs encased in wooden frames on the walls), I noticed a bookshelf with mostly Slovenian and English titles and a few lonely Dutch and Korean works.

There was an empty space within this collection. A missing book. In the same pattern I saw with room numbers playing hide-and-seek, one title seemed to be gone.

But the book wasn’t taken away, just shoved to the back of the shelf. It reminded me of my childhood visits to the library in the last years of Yugoslavia. Faced with the strict three-book borrowing limit, I used this exact tucking method to hopefully protect some limited wish-list titles from leaving the shelf before my next library visit. It was selfish, I know, and probably not even effective.

To atone for my silly childhood sins, I reached into the book gap, and pulled out Elizabeth George‘s mystery novel “Something to Hide”. Oh, come on! That had to be intentional, right?

As I returned this book about detectives sorting through people’s secret lives to its rightful place, I half-expected the shelf to swing open, revealing a secret passageway – that’s how charged for a Bond-style adventure I was!

But no hidden door, just Kevin Klun Valenčič appeared before me, a tour guide who would take me on a journey through the double life that Hotel Jama lived during its three communist decades.

Kevin was never there, though. A young man who would lead me through the intrigues of the former regime, was born in 1991, when Slovenia proclaimed independence, and Secret Rooms got abandoned.

It was also the year when Oliver Stone‘s “JFK” would come out, a movie where Kevin Costner played a district attorney investigating a conspiracy behind President Kennedy‘s assassination.

Named after the popular movie star, my guide seemed destined to untangle the webs of intrigue and espionage.

A doorway to deception

Our adventure began on the first floor, where a magnetic key unlocked the door to Room 1117. Inside, an empty space, with just a neon sign flickering “Nothing is as it seems”.

In front of the room, a TV screen was showing something radically different – a snapshot of a retro-style ambient.

Back in the 1970s, this floor wasn’t some cryptic minimalist art installation. It was a buzzing lounge/restaurant, radiating glamour and sophistication. With clean lines, bold orange armchairs, hanging globe lamps, and geometric ceiling patterns, the interior reflected the modernist style popular in Yugoslavia at the time, blending function with understated luxury. It was a perfect space to play the role of a cosmopolitan meeting point for diplomats, scientists, and other high-profile guests.

You could practically imagine Hotel Jama’s public spaces buzzing with sounds of lively conversation and clinking glasses. Guests basked in the hotel’s warm, inviting atmosphere, blissfully unaware of the monitoring operations in the secret rooms beneath their feet.

But how did this surveillance hub blend so seamlessly into the hotel’s infrastructure, ensuring that no guest (or even most staff) would suspect its existence?

Next to the hallway’s fire extinguisher, we spotted Room 1118 and opened the door we would never exit through.

Big Brother’s bar

The entrance corridor displayed vintage Postojna Cave tickets, faded tourist maps, and even tourist glossaries, all evoking nostalgia. But already the next room was scaring you off with the bygone era.

Six vivid red bar stools were lined up, but no barista in sight. It was a self-service bar that offered no cocktails – only a free flow of conversations would pour into our ears. The telephone switchboard-resembling devices were practically time machines enabling fly-on-the-wall gossip experiences.

The Slovenian secret service had declassified 30 wiretapped conversations from the communist period, and manual cord switching allowed us to listen in.

“Yes, we’ll be having cabbage”, said one guest.

“Cabbage. Then there’s no need for a salad”, replied the other one.

“Anything to drink?”, a waiter asked a question I would not hear only once that evening.

There was not much context given to the recordings in this audio buffet, leaving it up to listeners to interpret whether innocent exchanges were caught in the web of surveillance, or we were hearing the lingo of spies, possibly even double agents.

Conversation 25. Two female voices on the phone, arranging a cinema date. They would watch “Lawrence of Arabia” with Omar Shariff and Peter O’Toole. But they planned to meet 15 minutes before the projection, so that they could have “a nice slow stroll to the movies”. Their convo sounded suspicious, and if they knew their phones were bugged, a public space rendezvous would’ve probably enabled an exchange without the need for a spy dictionary.

In these “Big Brother” times, listening to old conversations could be oddly addictive. Even when the recordings revealed nothing more than dietary preferences or social plans, the experience let us enter the spy’s shoes. Their listening jobs, in the pre-AI century, surely involved long hours of boredom before they would catch a juicy lead worth exploring further.

Hotel Jama’s secret passage

A vintage red phone booth in the corner of Room 1118, a relic of the analog era, had Narnia-style capacity. Picking up the rotary-dial phone didn’t just summon the voice of a mysterious stranger on the other side of the line. After playing with a monitoring paranoia, the instruction said: “Step through!” And I obliged.

Retro telephone receivers hanging from the ceiling, teasingly out of reach, and another neon sign on a bare concrete wall (this time flashing a philosophical warning “It’s all true / a lie”) were the next installations reinforcing the earlier notion that we shouldn’t always trust the first impression.

“When someone says that something is 100% true, or 100% a lie, that simply isn’t true”, Kevin said, making my brain freeze in the loop.

“I want to believe”, Fox Mulder in me whispered through. But, with no Superman-style phone booth quick change, I was still just a journalist on an assignment, practically Clark Kent in an alien world. Or even more precisely – the underworld.

Like in Doctor Who‘s TARDIS, Hotel Jama’s time machine was also “bigger on the inside”. A secret staircase unfolded behind the booth, leading deeper into the hotel’s hidden architecture. This was no ordinary staircase. It cut through double walls and concealed corridors that had seen more secrets than an incognito browser window.

The telephone booth was, of course, a modern gimmick. In the past, when the first floor hosted a restaurant, the backstage exit probably had a more practical disguise.

You could come to work your waiter’s shift in a quiet hotel but then step into a portal to spy operations. The ordinary hotel staff could transform into covert operatives.

Just like for me on the visit day, this seemed to be a one-way road; once you were exposed to deep-buried secrets in the bowels of the hotel, there was no coming back.

Inside the spy bunker

The bottom floor of Hotel Jama revealed a treasure trove of 20th-century gadgets. The four rooms were fitted with typewriters, listening equipment, radios, and complex telephone contraptions, with a red phone line enabling secure connection directly with Belgrade, the Yugoslavian capital.

Concrete walls and exposed wiring emphasized the nature of this space – it was designed for function, not aesthetics.

Everything was presented in a state that it was found in, and how UDBA, the State Security Service of Yugoslavia, left it, with bottles, newspapers, and other period knickknacks. The staging of the scene included a thick layer of dust on furniture.

You could picture the operators, hunched over their desks under adjustable table lamps, ears pressed to headphones, and eyes scanning endless paper reports.

The lack of windows meant there wasn’t even a hint of daylight to remind them what hour it was. The enemy never slept.

Of course, exhaustion would inevitably hit, shutting their eyes and ears. A gallery-level bed offered a rare reprieve. We could only peer at this spy nap station through a mirror, as climbing up was not permitted. Only secret agents were entitled to siestas there.

There’s no good intelligence work without a clear mind, after all.

Escape route from Secret Rooms – you can run but you can’t hide

As we walked through this spy cave, a nerve center of analog intelligence, designed for surveillance and eavesdropping, we listened to the only audio recording actually found among the information rubble in these rooms. It was a military-coded report, cryptically rattling off numbers and coordinates of occupied territories, delivered by an operative identifying himself as “Planina 1”.

On the walls of this espionage hub, the shadows of typists were working hard to transcribe the mumbo jumbo into actionable intel.

At the end of their working shift, agents could just easily walk a half-floor up via the same staircase, and vanish through a secret exit – a dressing room connected to a train garage/maintenance room. From there, they could slip into Postojna Cave, and blend in as ordinary visitors among the crowds.

My tour of the Secret Rooms ended at Hotel Jama’s lobby, right where it began. Kevin handed me a brown-paper folder stamped “strictly confidential”. Inside was a file, surveillance number 067/1.9, marked as intended only for the eyes of the President and his inner circle. I certainly hoped Kevin would not get into trouble for sharing it with me!

The file described the suspicious behavior of a “visitor” who had been snooping around, asking “too many questions”. The report said that the supervised individual disappeared from monitoring control while in the telephone booth. There were no details of the incriminating call, but the photograph of the suspect was attached. It was me, snapped through a peephole in the phone booth.

A meal worth investigating

That was the problem of the times. You never knew who was a regular employee, a random visitor, or possibly an agent with a secret mission. The best spy would never (or always?) leave space for doubt.

After the entire experience of Secret Rooms, my radar for potential undercover operatives sharpened up.

There I was, enjoying the buffet dinner at the hotel’s Magical Garden restaurant. As I nibbled on a delicious Carniolan sausage (Kranjska klobasa, Slovenia’s pride and joy), a young waiter approached me.

“Anything to drink, sir?”, he asked, and I froze mid-bite. Déjà vu hit me.

“No, no cabbage for me”, I wanted to say while his lips moved. But I was more drawn to his groomed handlebar mustache, such an obvious reference to Hercule Poirot. Oh, are we getting detectives, again? Is there another mystery coming up?

The waiter tried to upsell wines, but as someone who spent a summer working for a wine hotel, I again had, if I can quote that not-so-secret report, “too many questions”.

“What type of wine is your house wine?”, I asked.

“We have red and white, sir”, he replied.

“Yeah, but what grapes go into it?”, I said, and the question launched an avalanche of question marks in his gaze. “You know, for these other wines, the menu specifies Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot… But what is Krasno belo or Krasno rdeče exactly?”

“Hm, I’d have to check, sir”, his mustache twitched. “But I can say that these are all like French wines, but produced here, in Slovenia.”

I didn’t want my Poirot waiter to sweat further, so I just went for local Radenska (Slovenian mineral water, produced in Slovenia), and decided to keep my mouth shut. By stuffing it with food.

For a buffet, the offer was quite solid. I enjoyed a creamy squash soup, grilled cheese with roasted tomatoes, zucchini with baby spinach and pine nuts, vegetable casserole, fregola sarda with Mediterranean veggies, and turkey strips in the cream-peanut sauce.

The salad bar was respectable, though the dessert was a bit sparse – just two cakes (custard-cream, and fruit panna cotta). Thankfully, there were fruits and ice cream for backup.

The restaurant itself was elegant, with chandeliers and all, its large glass walls framing the golden hues of sunset. I let the spy universe rest and focused on enjoying good food in a beautiful setting.

A morning in the shadows of Yugoslavia

Besides dinner-time Radenska with three hearts (each representing the nations of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia: Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes), breakfast also brought a nostalgic trip down the YU-flavored memories.

If you wanted to taste local, Hotel Jama allowed you to appreciate the traditions from the other side of the border too. Skip President cheese, and try the creamy Zdenka instead; this Croatian processed cheese comes with a century-old tradition!

Another iconic food product on Hotel Jama’s morning menu was Čokolino, the chocolate-flavored breakfast cereal that has been comforting the region’s kids (and, let’s be honest, adults) for half a century. Vegan and lactose-averse guests could mix this ready-to-eat porridge with soy or rice milk.

Of course, there was also an expected selection of cold cuts and cheeses, croissants, and fruits, some sweet cheese pies, and leftover panna cotta from dinner.

Besides the usual coffee and tea, the drink station was offering four juice varieties – orange, grapefruit, apple, and green. While the servers were rushing around proudly displaying a Slovenian flag on their shoulder, I wanted to ask them about what went into the “green”. But in the end, I settled for orange juice.

Despite the prominent sign shouting “Taste the Freshness”, these were clearly just rebottled industrially-processed tetrapak juices.

I asked the waitress if it was possible to get a freshly squeezed orange juice, and she confirmed. Sadly, what arrived was a disappointingly watered-down version of what one would expect to get when ordering such a staple breakfast drink at a 4-star hotel.

The breakfast menu at Hotel Jama clearly had some intriguing ideas that complemented the overall concept of a modern hotel built on the cornerstone of the past, but it also had a lot of (not-so-secret) room for improvement.

Adrenaline underground – from hidden rooms to bat treks

Hotel Jama definitely provides comfort right at the entrance of Postojna Cave, one of Slovenia’s largest tourist attractions. If you book a room here, you can count on the convenience of free parking, but also the vicinity of all the things to do.

Besides the basic cave visit, you should take a peek into the Vivarium (where you can meet cave critters that could double as alien extras in a sci-fi flick), and the EXPO Cave Karst exhibition (a deep dive into secrets of geology).

But also, join more than one guided tour! I enjoyed my private Postojna Cave visit with the guide Stanislav Glažar, who seemed to know every stalactite by name. I also learned a lot during the group Trek through Three Caves (Postojna, Pivka, and Black Cave) led by the enthusiastic Peter Gorjup. But the highlight of my underground experiences in Postojna was the adrenaline-pumping trek through the Cave under Predjama Castle with an expert cave navigator Nejc Prinčić and some sleepy companions hanging around – a colony of bats.

As for Hotel Jama itself, it did lack some almost expected amenities, such as a spa, or at least a small gym. Maybe Room 1117, instead of just being a storage for a neon sign, could moonlight as a fitness corner? Just a thought.

But what the hotel lacked in treadmills, it compensated by leaning on intriguing and immersive tour experiences. Secret Rooms tour was certainly one such smart project.

I loved being escorted by my tour host Kevin, a dedicated spy storyteller. Yet, having previously tried the self-guided tour too (with an audio guide, and a photo ban), I must admit I preferred the strict loneliness, where questions could remain unanswered. There’s something undeniably thrilling about wandering the unknown halls in secret agent mode, with instructions whispered right into your ear.

If you want to pick Hotel Jama as your Postojna accommodation, you can reserve your stay via Booking or Agoda. But more often than not, you can find even better conditions on Trip. Compare all the prices for your booking dates, and pick the most affordable one! For even more reviews of Hotel Jama, head to the dedicated Tripadvisor page. 

Conclusion – The Renaissance of Hotel Jama

With its roots as a relic of a bygone political era, Hotel Jama managed to evolve into something far more captivating than just a Brutalist icon with cascading tiers and sharp geometric lines that evoke an aesthetic of efficiency and order.

This building that seamlessly blends into the rocky terrain of Postojna, almost like a natural extension of the famous cave system it was designed to serve, showed that there was an afterlife to totalitarian and utilitarian 1970s when overt purpose (tourism) and covert function (state security) coexisted under the same roof. One was greeting guests with brochures and buffets, the other eavesdropping on whispered conversations through miles of hidden wiring.

With a welcoming facade and vibrant outdoor terraces contrasted with its hidden secret, Yugoslavia made an effort to present a hospitable, progressive image while maintaining its strategic defenses.

Secret Rooms were a space where information flowed in only one direction and nothing was meant to leave. The new hotel management ebraced something radically different

Fast forward to the present, Hotel Jama has been renovated to meet contemporary standards, from softer landscaping of greenery, ornamental grasses, and colorful flowers, to clean minimalism of interior design and energy efficiency. However, it still remains a unique monument of previous times, with history as a central part of its allure.

The Secret Rooms were a space where information flowed in only one direction and nothing was meant to leave. The new management embraced something radically different – transparency (both literal, with glass walls flooding rooms with natural light, and metaphorical, by revealing the hotel’s secretive past).

The truth is out there. Well, so is the lie, as the neon sign so sincerely confessed. In tourism, where marketing success is measured by stories that sell, even the greatest fantasies can become lucrative realities.

Hotel Jama reminds us that the unseen – the untold – is often what lingers longest in our minds.

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Disclosure: My stay at the Hotel Jama was complimentary, but all opinions are my own.

Also, this post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

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Two decades after the deadliest tsunami in Thailand, Ban Nam Khem is a testament to resilience and remembrance

Southern Thailand, particularly Khao Lak in Phan Nga Province, bore the brunt of the waves. At the heart of this devastation lay Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village that lost a quarter of its population.

Today, two decades after the deadliest tsunami in Thailand, Ban Nam Khem is not just a place of tragedy but a testament to resilience and remembrance.

In the special episode of Pipeaway Walks, we follow the coastline of Khao Lak, tracing a path from the luxurious Pullman Khao Lak Resort to the solemn Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park. It’s a walk that bridges the serene present with a haunting past, offering a chance to reflect and honor the lives lost.

A Journey Along Bang Muang Beach

The walk begins at the Pullman Khao Lak Resort, a luxurious 5-star property that opened its doors in 2021, reintroducing the permission to associate water with the world of fun.

The main 1000-sqm pool, villas that offer 41-sqm private pools, and amenities ranging from a swim-up bar to a twin-looped water slide are complemented by an environmental sustainability program that addresses water conservation and the hotel’s broader ecological impact.

Pullman’s pristine setting along Bang Muang Beach is a stark contrast to the memories etched into the coastline defined by the Andaman Sea.

As we tread further along the beach, the sand gives way to the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park, a space created in 2006 to honor those who perished in the disaster. This poignant location tells a story not just of loss but of recovery and reverence. Every step reveals a deeper layer of connection to the events of that fateful day.

Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park – A Place of Remembrance

The central feature of the park is a large curved wall, its design mimicking the shape of a tsunami wave. Engraved on its surface are plaques bearing the names of victims, both locals and international visitors, who lost their lives when the waves struck.

Standing before this wall, you cannot help but feel the weight of what these names represent – lives abruptly and tragically cut short. Some memorialized victims were just 10 years old.

At the edge of the memorial stands a golden statue of a seated Buddha, its back facing the Andaman Sea. Villagers believe this Buddha offers protection for those venturing into the waters, so they worship it before embarking on new journeys.

Spirit shrines in the park further enhance its spiritual atmosphere, with offerings that often include bottles of famous fizzy drinks. It all feeds the spiritual solace, as locals and visitors alike pay their respects in quiet prayers.

One particularly poignant element of the memorial is the small fishing boat that once carried a member of the Thai royal family. The grandson of the Thai king lost his life during the tsunami, a sobering reminder that this disaster spared no one, regardless of status.

For those eager to deepen their understanding, the Tsunami Memorial Museum in Nam Khem, just 1.3 kilometers away, offers broader insights into the local impact of the tsunami and the community’s recovery. There is no entrance fee for the museum (open every day except for Mondays and Tuesdays, from 08:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), the same as for the entire Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park (open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

If you’re planning a visit, book your stay at Pullman Khao Lak. Check out the latest offers and reviews on platforms like Booking, Agoda, and Trip.com. 

Khao Lak Tsunami – Keep the Memory Alive

Khao Lak has rebuilt itself as a premier travel destination, yet places like Ban Nam Khem ensure that the past is conserved. They stand as a reminder of nature’s power and the human spirit’s ability to endure.

By walking the path along Khao Lak’s tsunami beach, you’re honoring a story that must never be forgotten

Walking from Pullman Khao Lak to Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park is more than a physical journey. It’s a reflective experience that allows you to connect with history in a meditative, deeply personal way. By visiting sites like these, we honor the memories of those who were lost and learn from the resilience of those who survived.

In a world often driven by leisure and escapism, it’s crucial to make space for remembrance. Beaches may be beautiful, but a travel experience that embraces history is both enriching and humbling. By walking the path along Khao Lak’s tsunami beach, you’re not just exploring. You’re honoring a story that must never be forgotten.

Watch the full sixth episode of Pipeaway Walks as we explore Khao Lak, from the luxurious Pullman Resort to the heartfelt tributes of Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Pipeaway channel for more journeys into the meaningful corners of our world.

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Nimman night markets are a feast for your senses and your Instagram feed

Nimman night markets are the stars of our latest Pipeaway Walks YouTube episode. Take a half an hour, and stroll with us to feel the vibrant energy of the place, with a whirlwind of sights, sounds, and flavors.

Before you start itching to book a flight to Chiang Mai, let’s dive into what makes the Nimman night markets a feast for your senses and your Instagram feed.

Nimman’s History and Culture

Nimmanhaemin Road wasn’t always the bustling hub of creativity it is today. It started humbly as a quiet residential street before, in 2010s, blossoming into a hotspot for digital nomads, hipsters, and hungry travelers. Picture a Thai grandma’s spice rack meeting a Silicon Valley co-working space, and you’ve got Nimman’s vibe.

Night markets are some of the most recognizable Chiang Mai attractions. But here, these aren’t just places to shop – they’re stages where tradition and innovation dance together, fueled by street food and artisanal flair.

And okay, at Nimman, everything may seem overpriced, especially if you are used to Chiang Mai treating your wallet gently.

Where to stay in Nimman?

If you want to stay close to the heart of the action, consider booking Zivi Nimman. Their double bedrooms get stellar reviews! Depending on the date of your booking, you can find them already at 3.400 baht per night (approx. 95 euros or 100 dollars).

For a budget accommodation, choose modernly designed Bed Addict Hostel. A bed in dormitory can be found for 500 baht (14 euros or 15 dollars).

Exploring Nimman Night Markets

One Nimman – The Centerpiece of Night Market Culture

At the heart of the neighborhood is the One Nimman lifestyle mall, a photogenic hotspot that blends European piazza charm with Northern Thai Lanna artistry. By night, its courtyards transform into markets where every stall seems to whisper: “You know you want this.”

Nimman Street Food Night Market

Hungry? You’re in luck. Vendors here offer everything from grilled squid (perfectly charred and smoky) to hashimaki and spicy khanom krok (those little coconut milk pancake bombs with a fiery twist). Add to that a parade of meat, fish, and veggie skewers, corndogs, grass jelly desserts, dinosaur dougnuts, and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and you’ll be rolling home instead of walking. Oh, and don’t miss the rich green curry noodles and yaki suki for the ultimate comfort food!

If you are a fan of plant-based street food, you should visit Phuket Vegetarian Festival!

White Market

This weekend-only gem offers handcrafted Japanese-Lanna ceramics, textiles so soft you’ll want to hug them, and jewelry that screams “I’m unique!” You’ll often see artisans at work, like one painting portraits or another spinning clay into masterpieces right before your eyes.

Craft Market

If vintage-style clothes, quirky trinkets, and upcycled masterpieces are your thing, welcome to your personal artisanal treasure hunt. Bonus points if you leave with something that makes your friends go: “Where did you get that?!”

Beyond One Nimman – Other Markets to Explore

Night market magic isn’t confined to just Nimman’s location. Venture a little further, and you’ll stumble upon more gems:

Think Park Night Market

It’s got that chill, laid-back vibe where you can browse, snack, and people-watch all at once. Think less “mad dash” and more “slow stroll.”

Rincome Night Market

Small but mighty, this market offers a cozy selection of street food and locally made goodies. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for discovery without the overwhelm.

Chiang Mai University Night Market

If you’ve ever wanted to eat like a student without actually having to study, this is your spot. Cheap, cheerful, and packed with flavors – from grilled skewers to sweet roti pancakes.

Why Nimman Night Markets Stand Out

These markets aren’t just about shopping; they’re about soaking up an ambiance that’s as eclectic as it is electric. Whether you’re digging through vintage clothing racks or inhaling the aroma of freshly grilled skewers, you’ll find yourself smiling. Why? Because these markets manage to feel both upscale and approachable, like a five-star restaurant serving street food on fine china (well, metaphorically speaking).

But what makes Nimman Night Markets so special? Unlike traditional Chiang Mai markets, the Nimman night markets have an upscale, almost Western vibe, making them ideal for travelers seeking a fresh perspective. The creative energy of the neighborhood is palpable, with its mix of local craftsmanship, global influences, and a vibrant nightlife scene.

Stand-out Prices Too

Food is the star of any night market, and Nimman’s offerings don’t disappoint. Beyond the staples, Michelin-recognized Roti Pha Dae makes an appearance, albeit with a fancier price tag. While their original Tha Phae Road location sells roti from 15 to 45 baht, here you’ll pay 50 to 90 baht for indulgent combos like banana-egg-cheese-Nutella. But hey, it has a Bib Gourmand label – splurge a little!

More Than Just Food

The Nimman night markets are alive with creativity and entertainment. Wander through the maze of stalls and you’ll encounter:

Young live bands and acoustic guitar players (from up-and-comers to seasoned street performers).

A mesmerizing street violinist whose melodies make the night magical.

A walking-frozen silver man with a hat (yes, the human statue game is strong).

The Ganesha Temple at Come On Nimman, where you can tie colorful ribbons while making wishes – a serene moment amid the hustle and bustle.

Tips for Visiting Nimman Night Markets
1. Timing Is Everything
Markets start buzzing after 5 p.m., but weekends are prime time for peak offerings and people-watching.

2. Come Hungry
Trust us, you’ll regret that pre-market dinner when you see the variety here.

3. Cash Is King
Unless you have the option to pay via that Thai QR code, don't count on digital payments with your card. A stack of small bills will make your night smoother.

4. Chat with Vendors
Every item has a story, and every vendor has a tale. Don’t miss the chance to connect.

5. Bring a Bag
You’ll need it for all the cool finds you’ll "accidentally" buy.

Discover More with Pipeaway

At Pipeaway, we’re all about finding the world’s quirkiest, tastiest, and most unforgettable experiences.

Whether you’re a foodie, a culture vulture, or just someone who loves a good market ramble, Nimman’s night markets will steal your heart.

So grab your sense of adventure (and your wallet), and let’s explore Chiang Mai’s most hyped-up marketplace!

Watch our video for a sneak peek and let us know your favorite market moment in the comments! Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay updated.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The post Nimman Night Markets: The Creative Heartbeat of Chiang Mai appeared first on Pipeaway.

By its size, it could have easily been mistaken for a dog. But its jumping around the ferry seats left no room for doubt. It was a real, sizeable, long-eared pet

In the last week of September, the summer season was slowly approaching its end. Tourists settled for a long ride to the mainland, leaving the lovely island behind.

As the ferry smoothly cut through the waves, you would plug in your headphones, lean back, and snug as a bunny in your comfy seat. Only to be awakened by a real animal on board. Minding your own business suddenly was not an option anymore.

Seemingly out of nowhere (maybe from someone’s hat?), a large orange rabbit made its grand appearance. By its size, it could have easily been mistaken for a dog. But its jumping around the ferry seats left no room for doubt. It was a real, sizeable, long-eared pet exploring the cabin on its own.

In all fairness, if there was a pet-related sign on the ship, it was probably “Keep your dog on a leash at all times”. Nobody ever mentioned regulations for rabbit passengers.

These days, people can travel with a range of pets, claiming them as "emotional support animals". Well, we know one animal that couldn't board a ferry or a plane with you - boškarin!

A rabbit runs amok on the ferry

It wasn’t just any rabbit on the run. No, this was a fearless, freedom-seeking escape artist who, with some clever sleight of paw, found its way out of its crate and into the wild unknown.

Oh, who are we kidding? Its elderly owner probably “accidentally” left the crate door ajar. And thus began our very own “Watership Down” – minus the existential allegory and with more shrieking, and general chaos.

Like a scene from “Looney Tunes”, this fluffy Houdini darted out from between the seats, its twitching nose inspecting the surrounding landscape of confused passengers and their handbags. A wave of gasps swept through the women onboard, as if they’d seen a mouse, followed swiftly by legs raised in synchronized disbelief.

Our Bugs Bunny must have had a lucky foot as, with quite a few dogs and cats on the ferry, it’s been close to a miracle that it went unnoticed by the predators. Could you imagine the cartoon-style chase if the furry gang paid the same amount of attention to their surroundings as the ferry’s human population? Well, everyone but the bunny’s elderly owner, who was seemingly unphased by the anarchy behind her back.

Luckily, only one rad rabbit running and zigzagging between seats was quite enough to provide entertainment on this otherwise uneventful journey from Kythira to Athens.

The one-way ferry ticket between Athens and Kythira costs only 22 euros. You can easily book the ferry online!

The bunny’s reluctant return to a crate

With the ferry docking in Athens and passengers already lining up for disembarkation, the rabbit’s owner calmly donned her hygienic mask (first help yourself!) before even starting to look for her pet. It was definitely nowhere near the crate.

With no intention of being caught, the unstoppable Energizer Bunny just kept going. And going

The fast and determined runaway rabbit decided it was time for a game of “Catch Me If You Can” under the seats.

As the little explorer avoided every grab while making a mad dash from one side of the cabin to the other, passengers sprung into action, trying to corner the animal.

With no intention of being caught, the unstoppable Energizer Bunny just kept going. And going. One second, there it was. The next, it had vanished under the seats, outsmarting a group of full-grown adults.

One brave woman blocked the aisle, arms spread like a goalkeeper on high alert, wielding a stuffed tiger toy. Another dove in to assist the elderly owner who, channeling her inner Indiana Jones, quite literally rolled to the floor. Somehow, they finally corralled the little fugitive back into its crate – cue a collective sigh of relief.

But our little Houdini wasn’t giving up. Even from inside its cage, the rebellious bunny pushed a paw through the bars, tapping the floor like it was testing the waters for another jailbreak. The crate bounced a few times, as if it were filled with a dozen hyperactive bunnies instead of just one persistent fluffball.

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Of course, the town offers numerous heritage landmarks, museums and galleries, as well as walking trails covering everything from Old Town history to street art. But many visitors come for one thing in particular. As the cruise capital of Europe, Southampton welcomes more than 2 million cruise passengers every year.

If you’re leaving Southampton for a great voyage, it always makes sense to arrive a day or two before departure. For one, you don’t want a potential flight delay to affect your embarkation, but also – there are places to discover even before the official start of your cruise holidays.

Besides just exploring the vibrant town that blends history with modern life, you should maximize your stay with trips out of Southampton.

Day excursions would be a perfect opportunity for you to learn more about the region’s history, culture, and various events that shaped the city.

In today’s article, we reveal 7 destinations for day trips from Southampton when you are on a tight schedule.

Looking for a place to stay in Southampton? Check out the best available hotel prices here!

7 day trips from Southampton you should consider

1. Winchester

If you are into medieval architecture or English literature, you will love exploring Winchester. This historic town is only a 30-minute drive northeast of Southampton.

Once you are there, you can explore the ancient ruins and castles that reflect the glorious past of this place. You can visit the Winchester Cathedral, Wolvesey Castle, and the Winchester City Mill. The biggest attraction here is the mysterious King Arthur’s round table in The Great Hall of Winchester Castle.

You can drive a bit further to Chawton to see Jane Austen’s House, where she wrote some of her great literary works.

If you are with a kid, you can also explore the Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium.

If you haven't been to the Old Continent before, consider this Europe itinerary for first-timers.

2. Marwell Zoo

If you’re with a family, you can head for a day trip to Marwell Zoo. Located just a 30-minute ride from Southampton, Marwell Zoo has hundreds of animals, such as leopards, giraffes, tigers, and meerkats.

With its 57-hectare park and 5 adventure play areas, this is a perfect place to explore when you want to keep your kids entertained when you are short on time.

Learn how Basel Zoo is saving rhinos, and get inspired by Matjaž Krivic's photographs of the last northern white rhinos in the world. 

3. Lyndhurst

If you have a day to spare in Southampton, visiting Lyndhurst would offer you an experience like no other. This is a perfect place for those who love walking and cycling as you can explore the New Forest National Park while finding out more about the forest’s history and heritage.

This tiny town might surprise you with the number of tea rooms, pubs, cafes, fine dining restaurants, and ice parlors you can find here. Lyndhurst is just a 25-minute drive from Southampton, securing a quick return by the end of the day.

4. Bournemouth

Almost an hour’s drive southwest and you will end up in the seaside town of Bournemouth. Here you can walk the award-winning beaches and Victorian piers.

The town is also known for its quirky architecture and art. While you are in Bournemouth, you can also explore the Upper, Central, and Lower Gardens.

Finish the town visit by treating yourself to a delicious meal as you overlook the English Channel.

5. Salisbury

Located northwest of Southampton, Salisbury is known for its captivating history and stunning cathedral. With its colossal spire, the Salisbury Cathedral dominates the skyline of the town.

While you are on a day trip in Salisbury, you can explore the traditional shopping streets and the market square which still retains its medieval charm.

6. Stonehenge

Not too far from Salisbury lies the mysterious Stonehenge. This is one of the most visited sites in the UK as no one knows why this Neolithic monument was built.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stonehenge dates back 5,000 years. It’s a day trip from Southampton you will not forget.

You can visit Stonehenge directly on your transfer from London to Southampton Cruise Terminal.

Did you know that Ethiopia has its own "Stonehenge"? Meet the Aksumite Empire gods!

7. Isle of Wight

If you are looking for sandy beaches and lots of history and heritage, you can enjoy a day trip to the Isle of Wight.

Just a couple of hours’ drive from Southampton, you can have a great time here exploring the outdoors, shopping at the local market, and eating delicious local food at various restaurants and pubs.

A practical way to organize your day trips from Southampton is by renting a car. But if you just want to relax, you can opt for a Southampton-Heahtrow transfer with an attraction of your choice. 

Day trips from Southampton – Conclusion

Southampton deserved its European cruise capital title for a reason. Whether it’s a week or two exploring Norwegian fjords, the best of Scandinavia and the Mediterranean Sea, or a Transatlantic journey to Florida, Southampton offers many exciting cruise destinations.

Southampton offers plenty of day trip options for curious travelers

But the town is more than just a cruise port. Whether you’re retracing the footsteps of Jane Austen in Winchester, channeling your inner David Attenborough at Marwell Zoo, or pondering the mysteries of Stonehenge, there are plenty of day trip options from Southampton, waiting for curious souls.

All you need to do is to pack some sense of adventure and your best map-reading skills (or just Google Maps). Embrace the unexpected, make those impromptu detours, sample the strange local delicacies, and snap even the most awkward selfies!

Southampton may be an important cruising port for seeing the world, but you can also see the best of the world while cruising around the town itself.

What is your favorite of Southampton day trips? 
Please comment if you already cruised from here, and share your experience!
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The images in this article have been sourced through Unsplash and Marwell Zoo.

In the order of appearance, their authors are as follows:
Southampton cruise ship (cover image) - Frankie Lu, Unsplash
Queen Elizabeth 2 ship 1960s - 35mm film slide scan by Annie Spratt, Unsplash
Winchester Cathedral - Mario La Pergola, Unsplash
White rhino, Marwell Zoo – Richard Beaman
New Forest National Park - Andrew Johnson, Unsplash
Bournemouth Pier - Dami Akinbode, Unsplash
Salisbury Cathedral - Tzenik, Unsplash
Stonehenge - Cajeo Zhang, Unsplash
Isle of Wight - Lison Zhao, Unsplash
Southampton buildings (pin image) - Connor Holyday, Unsplash

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