Wayfarer TV: Singapore Airlines re-launches free stopover tours from Changi
Three of the existing tours available since pre-pandemic – the City Sights Tour, Heritage Tour, and Jewel Tour – have been refreshed to include new points of interest.
A brand-new Changi Precinct Tour will introduce travellers to the interesting sights and sounds of the eastern region surrounding Singapore Changi Airport.
Each tour lasts 2.5 hours and will be available daily, with plans to progressively increase to nine tours a day.
With transit and transfer passengers accounting for about 30% of passenger traffic at Changi Airport pre-pandemic, the tour was first introduced in 1987 to enhance the airport’s attractiveness as a transfer hub and to entice transit and transfer passengers to visit Singapore as a holiday destination.
In 2019, over 80,000 passengers went on the Free Singapore Tour and the top markets were India, Australia, and Indonesia, with Indian and Australian travellers making up more than one third of the total participants.
The Changi Precinct Tour is a new itinerary that will bring participants to the eastern part of Singapore to visit local community spaces such as the Tampines heartland, and to admire the rustic charms of Changi Village and Changi Beach.
It offers a glimpse of how local residents live, and tells the tale of Singapore’s history on this part of the island, away from the usual hustle and bustle of Singapore’s city centre.
At the Jewel Tour, in addition to visiting popular attractions like the Shiseido Forest Valley and the HSBC Rain Vortex, participants can now discover more about Singapore’s food heritage through local brands such as Bee Cheng Hiang and Tong Garden, and sample local snacks at the same time.
Another new component of the tour is a free guided walkthrough of a digital attraction – Changi Experience Studio – for participants to experience some of its airport-themed games and interactive exhibits.
New pit stops in the City Sights Tour include the Civic District, where travellers will get an introduction to Singapore’s urban development through visits to various national monuments including the National Gallery Singapore, Anderson Bridge, and The Padang. The bus route will also pass through the new Marina Bay Financial District enroute to Gardens by the Bay.
The Heritage Tour, available from June, will feature places of interest such as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown, Arab Street, and Haji Lane, for participants to gain a more in-depth understanding of Singapore’s unique and diverse multi-cultural heritage.
The refreshed itineraries also highlight sustainability features at some of the locations featured in the tours, to give participants an overview of Singapore’s sustainability efforts.
These include the Eco Community Garden at the rooftop of Our Tampines Hub (as part of the Changi Precinct Tour), environmental sustainability initiatives implemented at Gardens by the Bay (as part of the City Sights Tour) and Jewel (as part of the Jewel Tour).
Wayfarer recommends flying to Singapore in Business Class on Singapore Airlines, which offers daily flights to city from over 130 destinations around the globe.
Singapore Airlines operates several aircraft types to Singapore, including the Boeing 777-300ER, the Airbus A350-900 and the Airbus A380-800.
On the B777 and A350, the signature Business Class seats offer two new seating positions, the Lazy Z, a cradling position that ensures your weight is centered and balanced when you’re sitting down, and the Sundeck, a lounging position that extends the base and foot of your seat so you can stretch and rest your legs on the ottoman.
On flights to Singapore, you can ‘Book the Cook’ and reserve your main course up to 24 hours before you fly, including creations by notable chefs from the carrier’s International Culinary Panel. You’ll dine in restaurant setting onboard with full table service, and wines to match the food and altitude.
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