๐ฒ๐ป Maldives
20250911-20250916
Maldives via Singapore with a Toddler
For our 5th wedding anniversary, we set our sights on the Maldives. From Korea, that meant flying to the Maldives via Singapore โ the go-to route since direct flights disappeared during COVID. The shortest option is Sri Lankan Airlines, but Singapore Airlines remains the most popular choice. For those wanting to add a stopover trip, there’s also Qatar Airways or Etihad. I went with Singapore Airlines since it’s part of the Star Alliance network with Asiana Airlines (though that’s about to change with the Korean Air merger).
Right up until departure, work was so hectic that I felt zero excitement about the trip. But as I started opening suitcases and packing, it finally hit me โ we’re actually going to the Maldives! The anticipation built, but so did the worry.
Our flight schedule: depart Incheon just before midnight (11:50 PM), arrive Singapore at 5 AM (SQ605) โ a full red-eye. Then a 5+ hour layover before the Singapore-Malรฉ leg (SQ432), another 4.5 hours to reach Malรฉ Airport.
And that’s not even the end. From Malรฉ, our resort โ Cora Cora Maldives โ requires a seaplane transfer, adding more travel time. Would our 3-year-old son handle a late-night departure and 5 hours of airport waiting at dawn? Was this schedule too brutal for a toddler? What if he got fussy on the plane? The worries started piling up.
Table of Contents
Incheon Airport Terminal 1: Sky Hub Lounge Experience
Worrying wouldn’t solve anything, so I loaded my son’s favorite cartoons onto a tablet โ stuff I’d normally never let him watch outside the house. Hoping this emergency backup would work, we finally headed to Incheon Airport on departure day.
This was our first red-eye with our son since returning from Bangkok ages ago. The flight departed at midnight, but my husband always likes arriving 3 hours early. Worried about traffic, we left extra early and ended up at Terminal 1 by 8 PM.
Singapore Airlines opens check-in counters 3 hours before departure, so we waited almost 40 minutes before clearing immigration. Incheon Airport offers fast-track lanes for families with children under 7 (up to 3 adults), so we got through quickly. Once inside, we headed straight to Skyhub Lounge.
Terminal 1 has several lounges: three Asiana Business Lounges (Star Alliance), SilverKris Lounge (Star Alliance), Korean Air Lounge (SkyTeam), oneworld Lounge, two Matina Lounges, and two Skyhub Lounges. Since we were flying economy, the Asiana and SilverKris lounges were off-limits, and we don’t have SkyTeam or oneworld status. Our options were Matina or Skyhub, both accessible via Priority Pass or The Lounge Members.
During the day, I’d probably choose whichever has the shortest line, or Matina since I’ve heard the food is slightly better. But I needed to stay until 11:30 PM, and only the 24-hour Skyhub Lounge fit that requirement. (When I visited, only Skyhub West operated 24 hours, but as of January 14, 2026, both locations now run 24 hours.)
I arrived right during their 9:30-10 PM break, so I waited outside until 10. Inside, the lounge was packed with passengers waiting for late-night and early-morning flights โ quite a bustling atmosphere.
We’d rushed out after work and only managed to feed our son dinner, so my husband and I grabbed whatever food was available. Skyhub apparently offers fewer options at night, and honestly, there wasn’t much to eat. Korean options included tteokbokki, sweet and spicy fried chicken, and cup noodles. Nothing special, but since we’d be sleeping on the plane soon anyway, we just ate enough to not feel hungry.
For drinks, they had wine, beer, and juice. I can’t speak for the other wines, but my husband tried the red and said it tasted like spoiled grape juice โ absolutely terrible. Past 11 PM, boarding time approached. Our son usually sleeps around 10, so he should’ve been cranky by now. But surprisingly, he seemed excited just being at the airport and was in good spirits.
Flight Review: Incheon to Singapore (SQ605)
Our aircraft was an A350-900, 6 years old. It was a Wednesday, so I hoped for some empty seats โ no such luck. Completely full.
Our son was exhausted from the late hour and fell asleep during taxiing. Shortly after takeoff, the meal service began. I’d wondered when they’d serve food on a midnight departure arriving at 5 AM โ turns out, right away. The choices were beef or Korean kimchi fried rice. I ordered the kimchi fried rice, but it was just okay, so I only ate a bit. The in-flight meal on the Singapore to Incheon return flight was japchae rice, and it was delicious.
Browsing the in-flight entertainment, I was reminded how impressive Singapore Airlines’ selection is โ tons of movies and shows. Plus, KrisFlyer members get free Wi-Fi. The in-flight experience really is top-notch. If it had been a daytime flight, I would’ve watched a movie, but I was too tired. I just checked which terminal we needed for our Malรฉ connection and went to sleep.
Red-eye flights feel like time passes quickly when you sleep through them. We arrived at Singapore Changi Airport before 5 AM, a bit earlier than scheduled. Groggy and exhausted, but there was something I really wanted to see โ the waterfall at Jewel Changi!
On my previous Singapore trip, we had an early morning departure and couldn’t visit Jewel. It was one of the things I’d been most looking forward to, so missing it was a real disappointment. This time, with a 5.5-hour layover, I was determined to see it.
There was one problem with this plan. Google Maps shows Jewel Changi as “open 24 hours,” so I naively assumed everything would be operating. But Jewel is essentially a shopping mall attached to the airport โ technically outside the terminal โ and at 5 AM, nothing was open. Only a luggage storage counter. I went to check the waterfall anyway, and sure enough… the unlit, empty waterfall sat in complete silence. I’d even filled out an SG Arrival Card and cleared immigration for nothing. With nothing to do at Jewel and nothing happening at the airport that early, we just went back inside to find a lounge.
I finally got to see the Jewel waterfall on our return trip from the Maldives, catching it just before closing time โ barely 20 minutes. Next time I’m in Singapore or transiting through, I really want to see Jewel during the day.
Changi Airport Lounge Guide (Priority Pass / The Lounge Members)
๐ Terminal 1
- Marhaba Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, showers available)
- Plaza Premium Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, good food quality)
- SATS Premier Lounge: PP (24hr)
๐ Terminal 2
- SATS Premier Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, showers available)
- Ambassador Transit Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, showers available)
๐ Terminal 3
- SATS Premier Lounge: PP (24hr) Check app before entry as partnerships may change
- Marhaba Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr)
- Ambassador Transit Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr)
๐ Terminal 4
Blossom Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, jointly operated by SATS and Plaza Premium)
Terminal 4 requires shuttle bus from other terminals and has a separate duty-free zone. Recommended only for T4 departures.
SATS Premier Lounge Review (Terminal 2)
Changi Airport has 4 terminals, with Terminals 1-3 freely accessible via a circulating train. Walking from Terminal 1 to 2 is also doable. With our long layover, we didn’t necessarily need to use the Terminal 2 lounge, but at the time, I assumed Changi would be like Incheon, where Terminals 1 and 2 are far apart and require a bus. So I automatically thought we should use Terminal 2’s lounge.
Since our Singapore-Malรฉ flight (SQ432) departed from Terminal 2, we chose between SATS Premier Lounge and Ambassador Transit Lounge. We picked SATS โ I can’t remember why.
The SATS lounge was consistently crowded regardless of the hour. Exhausted from the early morning, I grabbed a coffee to wake up and got breakfast for my son, who’d missed the in-flight meal.
The food selection wasn’t extensive: bread, fruit, salad, cereal, plus a few hot options like curry, noodles, potatoes, and meatballs. There was also self-serve laksa.
I’d had amazing laksa during my Singapore trip and wanted to try it again, but this wasn’t quite the same as that unforgettable bowl from Lau Pa Sat. After a leisurely breakfast, we still had hours to kill. I wanted to nap on the sofa, but the SATS lounge chairs have low backs โ really uncomfortable for sleeping while seated.
I tried getting my son to sleep on the sofa too, but he was too uncomfortable. He kept saying he was tired but couldn’t fall asleep. I even grabbed an airport trolley thinking he could sleep there, but that didn’t work either. He’d eaten, looked around at everything, but couldn’t sleep and was getting bored. So I deployed the emergency tablet cartoons earlier than planned. Thankfully, it worked, and we survived the long layover. A 5.5-hour airport wait with a toddler is definitely pushing it.
Having a lounge helped us survive the early morning hours, but those low-backed chairs made napping difficult. On our return trip, we used the SATS lounge again and tried the showers โ they were dim, cramped, and honestly the worst lounge showers I’ve ever seen.
I later learned that the other Terminal 2 lounge, Ambassador Transit Lounge, has higher-backed chairs better for resting and much nicer shower facilities. The food seems similar. The Lounge app says both charge for children over 2, but some blogs mentioned Ambassador Transit is free for children under 6.
If I ever need a Terminal 2 lounge again, I’ll definitely choose Ambassador Transit over SATS. And with a long layover, since moving between terminals isn’t difficult, I might just go to a different terminal entirely. Based on reviews: Terminal 1’s Plaza Premium, Terminal 2’s Ambassador Transit, and Terminal 3’s SATS seem to be the best options.
Finally, boarding time approached, and we headed to the gate for our 10:50 AM flight to the Maldives.
Flight Review: Singapore to Malรฉ (SQ432)
Time to actually go to the Maldives. The Singapore-Malรฉ 10:50 AM flight (SQ432) was also an A350-900, 7 years old. Arriving at the gate, I could immediately tell โ packed again. People of all nationalities gathered together. True to the Maldives’ honeymoon reputation, there were far more couples than families. I’d hoped for some empty seats, but no chance โ completely full.
Singapore to Malรฉ is 4.5 hours. My son fell asleep again during taxiing โ probably the effect of being up since 5 AM.
Like before, the meal came shortly after takeoff. For the first time in my life, I chose fish for an airplane meal, and it was surprisingly good โ it somewhat shattered my prejudice against fish as an in-flight option. While eating lunch, the clouds outside the window were so beautiful I had to take photos. The Maldives can have sunny days even in the rainy season and rainy days in the dry season, but September โ when I visited โ is technically the rainy low season. Seeing such gorgeous clouds on the way made me hopeful for clear weather throughout our trip.
I watched the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie on the in-flight entertainment, and before I knew it โ we’d arrived! Malรฉ Airport! The airport is so small that planes don’t connect directly to the terminal. We descended stairs from the aircraft and took a bus.
After immigration and baggage inspection (the Maldives is Islamic, so alcohol is prohibited), we exited to find dozens of resort staff holding name signs. We just needed to find the Cora Cora Maldives representative, and from there, everything would be handled for us. The real vacation was about to begin.
Final Thoughts
Without direct flights, I’d tried to maximize vacation time by booking a post-work overnight departure: 6 hours of flying, an early-morning layover, then another 4.5-hour flight. Including travel to the airport and waiting at Incheon, nearly 21 hours had passed. The Maldives is that far. Exhausted from just traveling, I thought, “I could never do this again.”
But after just 4 nights at the resort, I now constantly find myself wanting to go back. Maybe not every year, but once every three years would be wonderful.
Singapore Airlines takes slightly longer than Sri Lankan Airlines to reach the Maldives from Korea, but it’s still shorter than other options โ that’s why I chose it. Maybe my expectations were too high after an amazing (but brief) business class experience? The economy seat pitch felt narrower than expected, which was a bit disappointing. Then again, without that business class comparison, I probably would’ve felt differently.
Objectively compared to other full-service carriers, the crew service is excellent and the food is decent. Free Wi-Fi and an impressive entertainment selection make the in-flight experience genuinely positive. With Asiana joining Korean Air and leaving Star Alliance sometime in 2026, maybe it’s time to get better acquainted with Singapore Airlines.
Klook.com
