Changi Airport will be your first experience of Singapore. The airport handles up to 24 million passenger movements a year and has regularly been voted among the top three airports in the world. Usually it should take you no longer than 30 minutes from disembarking to retrieving luggage to clearing customs. From the airport, there are taxis as well as public buses that you can take to your home or hotel. The former will take you in no more than half an hour - but please remember that taxis leaving from Changi Airport charge $3.00 excess up to 5.00pm and $5.00 excess from 5.00pm to midnight, as well as the normal fare. Construction has also begun on a subway system to link the Airport to the existing public transit system. Alternatively, you can use the new taxi shuttle service that sits seven (with plenty of room for luggage) and leaves the airport every 15 minutes during peak hours and 30 minutes during off-peak hours. A ride into the city costs $7 per adult and $5 per child.
    At present, the airport has two terminals handling passenger traffic, but a third terminal is expected to be ready by 2001 in anticipation of even greater passenger volume.

Duty-free Shopping

    In addition to its efficiency and ample facilities, Changi Airport has a frighteningly extensive duty-free shopping area. Some people check in early just so they can shop for duty-free alcohol, cigarettes, electronics, books, perfumes, clothes and others.
    And as of February 1999, duty-free liquor and cigarettes are now allowed from Changi Airport for travel to Malaysia. You are now allowed to buy some duty-free liquor and cigarettes at the airport shop, with some conditions:   First, you are only allowed to buy a total of one litre of wine or spirit, one litre of hard liquor, a pack of three cans of beer and 200 sticks of cigarettes.
    Second, if you are a non-Malaysian, you'll have to stay in Malaysia for at least 72 hours. If you are a Malaysian, you must have who left the country for more than 72 hours. Otherwise, you pay tax.  Third, the duty-exemption applies only to one litre of liquor and 200 sticks
of cigarettes.

Facilities

    Some of the airport's facilities include an internet cafe, an video games arcade, an airport hotel, a 24-hour restaurant and supermarket, fast food outlets and postal services.  There is a Starbucks for those in need of caffeine and even a nature walk including a koi pond.  Finally, prices at the airport are guaranteed and if you find the same item cheaper outside, they will refund you twice the difference.  For more information, check out the Changi Airport website.

Contact numbers:

    If you run into any problems or if you have any queries, here are some numbers you can call:

    You can also write to: Singapore Immigration, Changi Airport Passenger Terminal Building II, P.O. Box 6, Singapore 918141