By Laura Pearson for the Orbitz Travel Blog
Many of us don't associate airports with things like relaxation or recreation, much less enjoying a craft ale beneath shady chestnut trees in an on-site beer garden (following a tour of the airport brewery, of course!). Yet airports around the globe are increasingly boasting an impressive range of fun activities and luxe amenities to help ease the stresses of travel--or at least entertain us while we're in transit. Here's a sampling of things you can do that we think will prove way more fun than sudoku.
1. Appreciate exciting art at Changi International Airport in Singapore
Spend a meditative moment at Kinetic Rain in Terminal 1. Created by German design firm Art+Com and billed as the world's largest kinetic sculpture, the beautiful moving piece features copper-plated aluminum raindrops, suspended from a thin wire, that are programmed to form different shapes such as kites and planes.
2. Skate by at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, Korea
ICN offers a slew of amenities but one of the most unique (for an airport, anyway) is Ice Forest, an indoor ice skating rink that's ideal for kids, families and Kim Yuna wannabes. Didn't pack your skates? You can rent those, as well as gloves and a helmet, at the rink.
Finnair Premium Lounge Sauna
3. Get some R&R at Helsinki International Airport in Vantaa, Finland
There are plenty of ways to unwind in HEL, but we recommend making a beeline for the modern, Finnair Premium lounge, where you'll find private shower rooms and a real Finnish sauna. Just sit back, steam up and wait for the stress and fatigue to evaporate.
4. Find a cure for what "ales" you at Munich International Airport in Munich, Germany
Airbräu, a well-regarded microbrewery inside the Munich airport, isn't messing around. It brews its beer in accordance with 1516 Purity Decree tandards, offers brewmaster-led tours and even sells party kegs. And let's not forget the aforementioned beer garden, replete with trees and a maypole. Prost!
5. Get in nine holes at the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong
Nothing like a game of golf to put you in instant vacation mode. And at HKIA, you needn't travel far. The public USGA-approved SkyCity Nine Eagles Gold Course is located outside Terminal 2.
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