For frequent travellers like us, Singapore Changi Airport feels like our second home. But even though we head there on a monthly basis, we were somewhat astonished by how little we knew about our beloved airport – until a recent life-changing tour that had us falling in love with our world class airport on a whole new level.

From catching a free movie at the airport’s theatre, to taking a stroll at the Sunflower Garden and the Butterfly Garden – there are so many things to do, see and eat at Changi Airport before catching your flight. The next time you go on a holiday, be sure to arrive early at the airport because your holiday truly begins at Singapore Changi Airport.

Here are 12 things you never knew about Changi Airport.

#1 Make friends with butterflies at the Butterfly Garden

Spend some time at the butterfly garden – the first of its kind to be featured in an airport – with 47 species, and more than 1000 butterflies roaming around the garden. Yes, you read that right. A butterfly garden within our very own airport.

Unlike wild butterflies which are very cautious towards humans, the butterflies here are very accustomed to visitors, and they won’t fly away in fright even if you are close enough to count the spots on their wings. It is quite an amazement to be so “up close and personal” with the butterflies. There are also educational corners and individual enclosures which will give you more insights into the life cycle of a butterfly. And if you are lucky, you will be able to catch the birth of a butterfly as it emerges from the pupa.

#2 Take a stroll at the Sunflower Garden

A Sunflower Garden in the airport? This is surely one thing in Changi Airport that most people never knew about. No flower quite like the sunflower to brightens up our days. The next time you are in Changi Airport, remember to drop by the rooftop sunflower garden at level three of departure transit lounge at Terminal 2.

#3 Catch a free movie at the theatre

If you have some time to spare before your flight, why not catch a show at the movie theatre? Movie buffs will be delighted to know that the movie theatres are open 24 hours daily, and the screenings are free!

The movie theatres can be found at Terminal 2′s departure transit lounge south on level three, and at Terminal 3′s department transit lounge north on level three. The films are all up to date and we swear by the comfort level of the seats, too! The movies at terminal 2′s theatre are from FOX movies, while the ones from Terminal 3′s theatre are recently released movies specially curated by the team at Changi Airport.

#4 Play games at the Entertainment Deck

The Entertainment Deck at the departure transit lounge at level 3 of Terminal 2 has an array of entertainment facilities such as Xbox Kinect Room, MTV booth, XBOX360 and Playstation 3 consoles, music area and the aforementioned movie theatre.

#5 Watch the latest sports events at the Xperience Zone

Sports lovers can head to the Xperience Zone to watch the latest sports events on large screen in the comfort of plush, cushioned seats which come with its own set of speakers for a surround sound experience.

#6 Kids’ Friendly Playgrounds

For families with kids in tow, Changi Airport has several children’s playgrounds at the three terminals. Your kids can not only make new friends with the other kiddos, but also run around in comfort – a great way for them to work off their excess energy so that you can enjoy a peaceful flight later.

#7 Go for a slide

Singapore’s tallest slide, The Slide @ T3 is a four-storey tall slide, and is every kid’s favourite playground. The best part is that the slide is located in the public area of Terminal 3′s arrival hall – all you have to do is to spend S$10 at Changi Airport in a single receipt to redeem a free ride.

Watch this cool video to see the making of the slide.

#8 Go for a Fish Spa or a massage

After shopping, head to Fish Spa & Reflexology at Terminal 1 for a pampering quick treat. For those who prefer something more traditional, they also provide a range of massages like foot reflexology, neck & shoulder massage, TCM Tui-Na, Thai yoga massage, and hot stone massage.

#9 Free massage

If not, there are plenty of massage chairs – scattered all over the airport – to provide relief for your tired feet.

#10 Take a nap at the Snooze Lounge

If you are feeling tired before the flight, go straight to the Snooze Lounge at Terminal 3 – with comfy leather chairs and a relaxing environment. Quite the perfect place to catch forty winks. Just don’t oversleep and miss your flight!

#11 Capture memories at the Social Tree

The Social Tree is one of the newest additions to Terminal 1. Changi Airport’s memory capsule is like no other – there are eight photo booths where you can capture memories via photos and videos and have them archived permanently, and retrieve them on subsequent visits to the airport. Just imagine: you can take a photo with your loved ones during this trip. One year, two years, ten years down the road, you will be able to rekindle the good times every time you are back at Changi Airport.

This is after all what our beloved airport is about. From sending off your friends for their overseas studies, to going on a holiday with your family, and receiving friends who are visiting Singapore, every memory at Changi Airport is priceless. The bonus is that you are also able to upload the photos and videos on your own social networking profiles.

#12 iShopChangi – Duty Free Shopping Online

Before you go to the airport to explore all the facilities, there is actually a chance to do some duty free shopping before flying. Everyone knows about the awesome duty free shopping at Changi Airport, but not many people have heard of iShopChangi, which allows you to enjoy tax and duty-free shopping at the comfort of your home. It is essentially an e-commerce platform which curates the most popular duty-free products from Changi Airport’s retail shops – including beauty, wine & spirits, chocolates & delicatessen, IT & Electronics, as well as timepieces.

All you have to do is to click to purchase via the website, and pick them up when you are at the departure terminal before going to the flight gate. It is that easy! What’s more, there is a 30-day Money Back Guarantee. For those who are not satisfied with their purchases, they can return the product within 30 days for a full refund or exchange.

You can make your online purchases on iShopChangi from as early as two weeks to 24 hours before your flight. Shop away at www.ishopchangi.com

There are too many facilities at Changi Airport that it is impossible for us to highlight all of them in this feature. Other noteworthy mentions are Kinetic Rain, Enchanted Garden, Koi Pond and an open-air rooftop Cactus garden.

We have previously shared a guide to Changi Airport - featuring some of our favourite dining options, places to go, and things to see at the World’s best airport – and next month, we will be bringing to you our guide on where to eat at Changi Airport.

For more information, go to www.changiairport.com. Follow Fans of Changi on Twitter, Facebook, andInstagram for the latest updates.

This post is brought to you by Singapore Changi Airport.