TOP 7 FUN AND UNUSUAL AIRPORTS AROUND THE WORLD

For many travelers, the joy of going to another country is to explore its culture and history but usually this experience ends by the time you get to the airport. In Greece's capital, this does not have to be the case because the international airport houses a 200 square meter mini museum in the departures area with around 170 exhibits including the permanent Exhibition of Eleftherios Venizelos.

Over in London, the Brits have taken a similar approach and brought a sense of the culture and artistic style of the city into the most high profile of its airports. Heathrow's art gallery can unsurprisingly be found in the modern development of T5, is said to be one of very few commercial fine art galleries to be found in such a location and highlights the talents of established artists and new talents to keep travelers entertained before their flight.

For some of us, all the waiting around and delays of airports, and even the flight itself, can be quite stressful so we want the pre-flight experience to be as relaxing as possible. This is where Suvarnabhumi Airport really stands out from the crowd because not only does it offer showers and reclining chairs, there are a number of spas for a little massage and pampering. There is the Royal Orchid Spa for first class treatment for Thai Airways passengers but the most popular option is The Chang Foot Massage and Spa which offers massage, pedicures and saunas for a fair price.

Continuing with this theme of relaxation and tranquility, Changi Aiport has taken a slightly different approach by creating a set of beautiful gardens to provide a contrast with the busy, urban development. The tranquil Koi pond and orchid garden and the open air cactus garden both have their charms, and there is something quite magical about the displays of the illuminated Enhanted Garden, but it is the butterfly garden that travelers enjoy most. This giant space is the first of its kind and is home to over 1000 butterflies.

Relaxation is all well and good for those of us that are nervous flyers but what about those that just want to have a bit of fun in airports before a flight and extend the joy of a holiday with their families? Incheon International has definitely come up with an interesting approach to this by creating an all-year-round Winter Wonderland in the form of the 150 person capacity Ice Forest skating rink. What makes it even more fun is that there are live music performances to enjoy and the ice is artificial for safety.

Over in France, there is a much more simplistic addition to the architecture to add a little bit of fun and that is the 19ft helter-skelter. It is certainly a quick way of getting from the top to the bottom and even though some point out that it is for kids to use while parents relax in the "vue sur piste" chill out area, there is nothing to stop adults having some fun either. Interestingly, the tranquil, aforementioned Changi Airport also has one of these slides!

Finally, we come to what must be the weirdest of all the facilities in these airports in the form of a flight simulator. The concept of the Aviation Discovery Centre is innovative as many flyers are interested in the subject, the models and exhibits on offer. The idea of taking to the air in a virtual plane and potentially crashing it onto a runway before taking off for real on holiday has to be the weirdest forms of entertainment or relaxation at an airport.