TRIP REPORT: Returning to Changi Airport, The Pokemon Centre at the Jewel and Terminal 4 – Taking the Long Way to Singapore

Returning to Changi Airport, The Pokemon Centre at the Jewel and Terminal 4
Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore

With a working iPhone in hand, it’s time to bid farewell to the Lion City for now. But first, I had to go through its hub… and go to a certain store first.

Because, I want to be the very best, like no one ever was.

In this adventure

• I needed a break
• 02:40 on the coach? Nothing changes, with Heathrow Terminal 5 and British Airways South Lounge
• BA776 London Heathrow to Stockholm Arlanda (Club Europe)
• An afternoon in Stockholm featuring ABBA The Museum 
• Off to Stockholm Bromma, AY840 Stockholm Bromma to Helsinki Vantaa with NoRRA (Economy Class)
• A Rapid Helsinki Transit and The Finnair Lounge
• AY099 Helsinki Vantaa to Hong Kong International with Finnair (Business Class)
• Transiting Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific’s The Pier Lounge
• CX715 (AY5855) Hong Kong International to Singapore Changi Terminal 4 with Cathay Pacific (Business Class)
• Into Singapore, IBIS Budget Crystal
• The Mercure Hotel, Bugis
• Boating around the Singapore River
• Exploring Hawker Markets and random fooding around Singapore
• The Best Camera is the One You Have With You – Exploring The Gardens by the Bay
• Up to the Marina Bay Sands Skypark…
• …and the fallout of a stolen and returned iPhone
• Back to Changi Airport the Pokemon Centre at the Jewel and Terminal 4
• 3K513 (AY6379) Singapore Changi to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (Jetstar Asia Economy Class)
• One night in Bangkok and the Avagard Capsule Hotel, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
• An early morning at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and The Miracle Lounge, D Pier
• AY142 Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Helsinki Vantaa with Finnair in Business Class
• Out of Vantaa Airport and into Helsinki… and a little beyond
• Holiday Inn, Helsinki Airport
• Early morning at Helsinki Vantaa Airport and The Finnair Schengen Lounge
• AY841 Helsinki Vantaa to Stockholm Bromma with NoRRA (Economy Class)
• The slow return to Arlanda Airport (with a military band)
• D84459 Stockholm Arlanda to London Gatwick with Norweigan Air Shuttle
• How to get home… coach or train?
• Sometimes, Simple Isn’t Needed… Or Wanted

With my time up in Singapore (at least of all, I spent the last few hours in an Apple Store, rather than exploring) and had to do a quick sweep of Bugis market and a few other last-minute gifts), it was time to leave the Mercure and head back to Changi Airport.

Well, I was giving myself some extra time because there was one big shop I wanted to go to before I left the country.

I hailed a Grab for the final time on this trip, that would take me to Changi Airport. Whilst Bugis station isn’t far away… I wasn’t in the mood to walk in the heat – or deal with Bugis station one more time.

You can tell at this point that my mood for this trip had soured… a lot.

With the movement box of the suitcase retrieved and packed – the rideshare arrived quickly enough for the ride out of Bugis and the Central area of Singapore and onto the ECP to Changi Airport. I had specified the ride to be dropped off at The Jewel, rather than at Terminal 4. Whilst I was early, I had planned one bit of sanity before the next 42 hours of travel madness.

And if you haven’t guessed it – no it’s not The Jewel Waterfall (which had been closed off for a Trip.com event).

Or to ride these.

It’s The Pokemon Centre.  Because I needed my fill of Plush Pokemon.

Credit cards: Abandon hope, ye who enter here. 

Pikachu and Lapras- the mascots for the Singapore Pokemon Centre. Also, there are Paldea region starters Sprigatito,  Fuecoco and  Quaxly.

There’s also a Gyarados here, making an impression of being a Merlion.

A Merydos? Gyrakion? I leave the choice to you

I’ll admit I could have gone pretty mad here in terms of buying stuff.

A lot of Paideia Pokemon here. 

Pick a tiny Pokemon. 

Or one of the 1052 Pokemon, You can truly catch them all.

I was… controlled – and only ended up with two plushies.

And one of these will head off as a gift to someone.

With Pokemon in hand, I descended to ground level and to an exit – where the bus for Terminal 4 was queuing. Even if I had to pass another Apple store.

What’s the term? Too soon Apple. Too soon.

So, there’s a little issue when travelling to Terminal 4 – it’s not directly connected to the rest of the Changi complex. Therefore, if you need to change terminals on the ground side, you have to connect to the free buses that run to the Jewel and the main terminal areas.

Although not building a mass-people mover is a bit of an oversight. Hopefully, we might see one when Terminal 5 pops up.

The bus dropped off its passengers at the departure level. I grabbed the bag… and managed to knock a wheel off the suitcase without even trying.

I had open bets that this bag wasn’t going to last. I didn’t know the first fault would hit me before I left Singapore.

Thankfully, the bag was still wheelable – I therefore managed to wheel it into the terminal and complete a final repack of the bag.

Terminal 4 is light and airy – but it did feel… sterile is the term I’m going to use here. Functional – rather than the grandiose that is the central terminal complex at Changi.

Nonetheless, I had a check-in row to find, with Jetstar Asia using Row 8 for the check-in function.

With a ticket that was slightly as complex as mine, I skipped the check-in machines and headed to a person. There was a short wait to be seen – but the agents were processing people quickly enough.

Oh, the look on their faces when they started going through the PNR

.

Thankfully, the staff managed to make head and tail of it – and was able to offer a check-in for the bag all the way to Stockholm Bromma.

I took the chance – although I wish I got a spare t-shirt out of the bag first that I thought was in the little rucksack before the bag went into the luggage system.

With boarding passes issued all the way to Stockholm, I was cleared to clear emigration.

Well, not quite yet.

I picked up a couple of rice balls from all the running around I did earlier that day – and to be honest, it was the first thing I ate that day (after a long night only with a bowl of noodles).

I scoffed those down first and made sure I had everything, and then proceeded to emigration – which, like Singaporian immigration was done automatically.

Unlike the rest of the Singapore Airport Terminals, security is completed in a central area, rather than at the gate.

I followed and complied. And was soon on my way through the duty-free heaven that is Changi.

To the posh Tea shop

Madam Concorde.

Lego Merlion: check 

Once clear of most of the shops, I continued idly to the gate area – whilst I knew I had left it a little tight, there was plenty of time for me to stop and look at things.

Including a rotating display

“Texas Chicken”

Or a cup of Heavenly Wang?

I could deal with this.

I eventually made my way to the gate, around 15 minutes before boarding began.

Jetstar Asia took its boarding seriously here, with it managed by groups. I was in the second group to board.

With my row called forward, it was time to bid farewell to Singapore for a while.

Next:

3K513 Jetstar Singapore Changi to Bangkok… wait… there’s food?

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