Just an evening in Singapore

I transit through Changi Airport a number of times a year just like many others; this excellent airport hub has plenty to offer weary travelers. But owing to the number of times I traverse through Changi; I prefer to get out of the airport if I have any more than six hours to blow. I have wandered through the terminal enough times to be bored with spending more than a couple of hours there. I have no interest in pulling up a bar stool at the airport for the sole purpose of getting on the booze and I have looked through most of the duty free stores in the terminal.

Terminals one, two and three are connected in a horseshoe arrangement with light driverless rail connecting all terminals at multiple locations. Actually, the underground MRT is driverless as well. From Terminal two, the East/West line will take you into the city connecting with other lines to get you pretty much where ever you want in Singapore. This is achieved at a very good cost in very quick time. The MRT station also directly connects to Terminal one and three as well via light rail; it's a very good and efficient service.

I'm finding I'm getting to the Bayside MRT at the Marina Bay Sands for just $2.40 SGD; likewise, a connection to Clarke Quay, Chinatown or Boat Quay is just a couple of interchanges. There are some absolutely decent curries available at Little India for such a tiny outlay. Once, I thought they had undercharged me and I had to get them to recheck the bill - the bill was correct. The Chinese hawkers stalls just off Bencoolen Street offer pretty good food options as well at a very reasonable outlay although getting a seat is sometimes tricky.

On one trip I decided to duck over to Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen in the Marina Bay Sands for dinner in the upstairs section with an amazing view overlooking Marina Bay. Sure, you pay for the view but as a one off, you don't mind too much. I don't mind saving money on the transport to spend on food and drink, that's more than a fair compromise. On this occasion I didn't mind drinking a glass of full bodied red with my meal.

Ironically, I have plenty of credits from missed connections due to Singapore Airlines running behind schedule, these days I just request to be given a pass to the SilverKris Lounge. Clearly this isn't local Singapore knowledge, I have been informed the East Coast restaurants are outstanding but I have never had the time to explore between flights, but with a few hours to blow on a late night flight can relieve the boredom.