Changi Airport--s delightful Nature Trail

Waiting for my red-eye flight out of Singapore, I&rsquom already dragging my feet more fretfully than my strolley by midnight as I round the corner towards my departure gate. Thankfully, there is a coffee shop just opposite.

Except they don&rsquot do black. Turning away listlessly, the warm glow beyond tugs my heavy eyelids sideways &mdash where a gentleman sits on a cushioned bank under the shade of a ficus sapling. No, I haven&rsquot found yet another Buddha. What I have found is a serendipitous patch of Changi Airport&rsquos delightful Nature Trail.

The winding pebble path through the bamboo to one side and the automated foot-massage unit tucked by the koi pond are extras &mdash but the grass is already greener on my side of the sky when I spy the bank of nodding orchids, standing sentinel over the chair I aim for. Did you know Changi has its own eponymous Dendrobium species

The teardrop pendants that hang off the ceiling and the round shades overhead are bright and shed full-spectrum light to feed the plants. As a byproduct, the wash of &lsquosunlight&rsquo wakes jetlagged travellers right up for the next leg of the journey. Behind me, the sculpturally illuminated sunflower garden finds gusts of guests tumbling out of an airplane&rsquos belly and heading outdoors for a breath of fresh air &mdash and nicotine-flavoured smoke in the designated lobby.

And this is not even the most impressive piece of the trail, which includes a cactus garden on the roof, the 1,000-strong butterfly garden across two levels, fern gardens and orchid gardens, as well as the world&rsquos most famous landmarks in topiary (Merlion, of course but also the Temple of Heaven and the Sydney Opera House).