Today wasn't a good day for some outdoor fun because the weather has been very unpredictable the whole afternoon. I initially planned to go to the Singapore Botanic Garden to visit the new attraction that they call "Learning Forest" which I know nothing about. I will have to find a new schedule for that activity the next weekend. Hopefully, the weather will be cooperative by then 😅.
My second option was to visit the Jewel at the Changi Airport. It may seem weird for me to spend a weekend at the airport but this is not an ordinary airport. Over the years, the Changi airport has developed into a commercial hub and food haven.
Now it has transitioned to a themed park with the launch of Jewel.
There was a time when I was already happy to be going to Changi airport to shop and dine but with the rising demand for tourist attractions in Singapore, the Jewel has come to play.
It boasts the biggest man-made indoor waterfalls that are surrounded by the biggest garden dome as well!
The best part of it is that the admission is free for the most of the areas. Certain sections of Jewel will require you to buy an admission ticket but for the most part is free for everyone to roam around.
My entry to Changi Airport starts from one of the city bus stations until I reach the Terminal 1 bus stop. You may stop at any of the airport terminals but the 1st one is the closest to Jewel. From the bus stop, I entered the entrance that led me to a moving ramp and then to an escalator at the public zone of the Terminal 1 Arrival area.
And then I was welcomed by this amazing sculpture of a dragon!
Just a few steps behind the sculpture is the atrium that links Terminal 1 and Jewel.
After passing through the atrium is the welcoming signage of Jewel. From here on, I'm about to experience an amazing architectural feat that this place has.
The entrance was already decorated with one of the biggest trees I've seen in this area. I bet that it would look much better at night when the surroundings are dark and all of the lights are turned on.
Today was crowded because of the tourists who were waiting for their flight and it was also packed with locals who were having fun while sheltering from the rainy weather.
Also, I think one of the reasons is that Jewel has made the garden dome a Super Mario Bros.-themed attraction. The parents and the kids were having a blast taking photos and selfies on the booths that were set up. They are so cute!
I was having a hard time taking my turn in taking a photo of the mascots and statues so I moved on to taking more photos of the man-made waterfalls.
I had to take the photo in portrait mode so that I could fit the whole waterfall within the frame, that's how massive it is!
Going up to the upper levels of the stepped gardens is a bit of a challenge. There were no directions that were posted for you to take. I guess that was part of the attraction because you have to have an adventurous attitude for you to navigate the labyrinth-like stepped garden.
At last, I made it to the top!
The views are majestic because I now have a sense of the scale of the entire dome and the waterfall that is enclosed by it.
It feels surreal to be able to watch how the LRTs traverse the whole garden dome and pass along the side of the waterfall.
The upper levels have more things to offer as well. There are plenty of restaurants, a canopy park for the kids, a drinks bar for the adults, and a sky bridge that allows people to cross the dome at a high level.
Imagine having a drink or eating your dinner and then next above you are kids jumping happily over the net structure, it's a one-of-a-kind thrill for the whole family. The kids will not be bored while you are having a great time as well.
At this point, I'm still perplexed just by the look of this view. I felt amazed by the bravery of the people who made Jewel possible. It takes more than just skill to build this amazing man-made waterfall and garden dome.
There's no telling whether this would be the limit of building marvels or will the architects and engineers of this generation be able to surpass this grandeur. But one thing is for sure, among us are incredible people who can turn imagination into a reality... Jewel is the manifestation of that.
