From the customs agents, to the free internet, Singapore's Chngai is one of the best airports to transit through in Asia. I remember the first time that I was traveling to Singapore, I had visions of hardened customs officers complete with canes eagle eyeing me to catch me in the slightest of transgressions, so that they could bare my back and put permanent stripes in my tan. It turns out that this is exactly the opposite of what you will find when you transit through Singapore.

The Singapore airport experience, I feel, starts before you even get there; it is a great way to start a trip if you don't need to take a taxi or a bus, in to or out of the airport. Singapore has a great mass transit system that is inexpensive and very easy to navigate. No graffiti here, just good signage to help you get to where you are going. Great cities all have a great transit system and it is no surprise that Singapore's is world class. Look at Chicago's O'Hare with the El and compare it then to the mayhem of LAX in Los Angeles.

Flying into Singapore your first experience is customs, and I don't remember any airports where the customs agents put out hard candies for the travelers. What a neat treat to get when you are passing through passport control. The only real negative I found was the long walk to get your bags. But then you get a great surprise when getting to the baggage carousel and your bags have arrived just before you have, and are still chilled, not shaken, from the flight. As is true with everything in Singapore, the airport is spotless and neat, and everything works, and works well. The attention to detail is amazing.

After getting your luggage to leave the airport, you walk to an x-ray machine and then through some doors, where I figured you would have to clear some sort of customs again, but no you are done! The deterrent of Singapore tough laws makes this an unattractive place for smugglers, and a snap to process through. A short walk to the outside, or a short walk to catch a free shuttle to the other terminals, and then on to a train that takes you into the city. Even the money changers are nice, and compared to some airports that I been through, the foreign exchange rates were even fair.

The trip out of the airport is just as pleasant. They have free internet with computers in the departure area that you can use for 15 min and against the far wall in the budget terminal, they have tables that are set up with power for every type plug available in the world, as well as a network cord to their high-speed connection, which is all free! As you are using your own computer, there is no time limit, so you can spend some productive time online. Doing something like writing an article on Singapore being a friendly airport!

Fred Tittle
http://www.ecosea.com