Fun on the fly: 7 of the world's most entertaining airports
April 3, 2013 -- Updated 1210 GMT (2010 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Airports are providing entertainment facilities to improve passenger experiences
- Golf courses, breweries and live music shows are now features of individual airports around the world
- Other airports play host to art exhibitions, health spas and IMAX cinemas
The Gateway
goes behind the scenes of the world's major transport hubs, revealing
the logistics that keep goods and people moving. This month, the show is
in Singapore.
(CNN) -- Major airports aren't typically the coolest places to kick back and have some fun.
Thousands of passengers
herded toward departure gates and lengthy security queues manned by
stoney-faced stewards rarely equates to a joyful time.
Escape to these luxury lounges
But an increasing number
of airports are attempting to liven up the pre-flight experience by
providing a variety of weird and wonderful distractions to keep the
weary traveler entertained.
From live music concerts
to contemporary art exhibitions and from IMAX cinemas to public ice
rinks, some have so much going on they're on the verge of becoming
travel destinations in themselves.
So, where are these happening aviation hotspots?
We've selected seven of the world's biggest and busiest airports where entertainment and leisure services are taking off.
The Changi Airport fun slide.
Singapore
Singapore's Changi
Airport may claim to be Southeast Asia's premier air cargo hub, but it's
also one of the original innovators in the field of airport
entertainment.
The giant facility was
one of the first to introduce free WiFi areas whilst a roof-top pool and
jacuzzi has been open to passengers since the late 1990s.
Amenities introduced in recent years include an interactive art gallery, children's fun slide and an on-site nature trail.
Free city tours of Singapore are also available to any passenger with a stopover of five hours or more.
新加坡樟宜機場可以算是最早開始升級機場的休閒設施，也是第一個提供免費無線網路的機場。早在1990年，樟宜機場就有屋頂游泳池以及按摩浴缸設備，好讓遊客可以洗去舟車勞頓的疲憊。近幾年，更有了互動藝廊、兒童遊樂設施以及機場內的森林步道。
Nashville
Nashville has long been considered one of the cradles of American music.
Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash have all been fixtures of the city's famed recording studios.
Keen to play up this
lively musical past, Nashville International Airport puts on regular
live concerts for travelers and music enthusiasts alike.
Four stages -- one located outside security and three more beyond -- host upwards of 100 free events every year.
Country music and jazz performances are staples here, but rock bands and traditional Celtic acts are also a common sight.
美國的納希維爾長久以來被視做音樂的搖籃，孕育了多位巨星，如貓王（Elvis Presley）和強尼凱許（Johnny Cash）等，因此這裡的機場也沿襲了這個特色，設置了4座舞台，舉行全年無休的演唱會，其中每年更有100場免費的演唱會。
An art installation in Boarding Area A of San Francisco International Airport.
San Francisco
Elaborate art
installations are now a common fixture at airports around the world, but
San Francisco International (SFO) was offering travelers an insight
into the aesthetic more than 30 years ago.
The SFO Museum -- which
is comprised of more than 20 galleries across four terminals -- was
inaugurated in 1980 and continues to host an ever-changing schedule of
exhibitions on a diverse range of subjects.
Passengers are free to
browse the airport's myriad exhibits while non-flying visitors on day
trips from the San Francisco Bay Area are also able to stop by.
Recent events include a
collection of pan-Asian ceramics dating as far back as the seventh
century AD and a photographic expose on the secret life of plants.
藝術之都舊金山則是早在30年前就在機場舉辦藝術展覽，如今已在4個航廈設置總共20個藝廊，展覽主題包羅萬象，從畫作到裝置藝術都有，且機場旅客完全不用額外收費，就可以享受美感的衝擊。
Seoul-Incheon
Incheon Airport on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea, has earned a reputation for travel excellence.
The sprawling complex is
one of the world's busiest passenger and cargo hubs, snapping up the
Airports Council International world's best airport in air service
quality award for seven consecutive years.
Integral to this success is the wide selection of fun activities and facilities to keep waiting passengers occupied.
An ice rink, casino, spa and sauna represent just a few of the cool distractions on offer.
A five-minute shuttle
drive away from the airport, travelers can tee off for a relaxing round
on the airport's 18-hole Incheon Golf Club course.
去年勇得全球最佳機場的韓國仁川機場，則是提供了全方位的休閒設施，有溜冰場、賭場、水療館和三溫暖，更備有機場內接駁車，帶遊客到18洞仁川高爾夫俱樂部。
Travelers relax in Munich Airport's beer garden.
Munich
Munich is famed for its
Oktoberfest beer festival and the city's airport aims to bring a sample
of the alcohol-fueled fun to thirsty passengers.
Airbau,
a Bavarian-style tavern complete with its own brewery and traditional
German beer-garden, serves up over 110,000 gallons of homemade hops from
its home in the airport's Terminal 1 every year.
Like all genuine
Oktoberfest celebrations, Airbau also plays host to a lively music
program during busy periods and an outdoor beer garden.
以啤酒聞名全世界的德國，其機場當然也是充滿啤酒傳統的設計，慕尼黑機場的第一航廈被布置地就像一個德國傳統的釀啤酒廠，每年這裡的遊客喝掉11萬加侖的手工啤酒，時時都有現場音樂表演，讓慕尼黑機場就像一年365天的啤酒節慶典。
Sydney
Potted plants are a
common adornment in many airport waiting areas, but the Qantas First
Lounge at Sydney International Airport, Australia, takes green decor to
altogether more holistic levels.
The luxury facility is home to a 30-meter vertical garden, comprising 8,400 plants.
The giant installation
is incorporated into the facility's restaurant and day spa treatment
rooms, where passengers can relax with a massage or refreshing shower.
A business center and library meanwhile offer optimum quiet space for working travelers to hit the books.
澳洲則是將當地富饒的大自然資源帶進了機場，雪梨機場的餐廳和水療館就像開在森林之中，這座巨大的自然環境裝置由8400株植物構成，讓遊客可以在芬多精的滋養中放鬆、休息。
7座最好玩機場中，澳洲雪梨機場將大自然資源搬進機場，讓遊客到離開澳洲的最後一刻都可以享受到芬多精的滋養。（圖擷取自美國有線電視新聞網）
Hong Kong
At 13.8 meters high and
22.4 meters wide, Hong Kong International's on-site cinema is the
world's only airport IMAX and the largest cinema in the Chinese
territory.
The giant screen replaced the previous terminal two movie theater, the 4D Extreme Screen, in June last year.
Hong Kong residents as well as travelers are able to access the cinema given its landside position at the airport.
Both 2D and 3D movies are regularly shown, including the latest Hollywood blockbusters and so called "edutainment" features.
一向講求標新立異的香港，機場當然也是不落人後，去年6月第二航廈的電影院已換成4D螢幕，且高達13.8公尺、寬22.4公尺，是中國最大也是唯一提供IMAX的電影院。此電影院也上映2D與3D的院線片。
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