Airports are no longer places just to catch a plane. For a limited time in Las Vegas – you can even get married! Wise Traveller takes a glance at some of the more interesting and distracting things you can indulge in airports.
Las Vegas – Let's Get Wed!
Usually what goes down in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But for loved-up couples looking to live fast and get hitched in the many memorable wedding venues in the gambling mecca, then there is a new one on the block.
A pop-up Marriage License Bureau has been installed at Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport with the aim of taking marriage to new heights for travellers. Clark County Clerk officials will be on hand to oversee the couplings right at baggage claims and allow the couples to get a licence as soon as they touch down in Sin City.
While the bureau is not a legal venue for wedding ceremonies, it will be open from 8am to 5pm until February 25. And to get couples loved up even more, the bureau will be highlighting the 2024 Wedding Dress Design of the Year to inspire soon-to-be brides.
Changi Airport And Butterflies
Many travellers who have been enchanted by Changi Airport in Singapore often reflect on the need to leave it. Among the many attractions is its Butterfly Garden, located inside Terminal 3.
The world's biggest butterfly garden at 330 sqm has been designed to evoke the feel of a rainforest and plays host to over 1,000 butterflies from 40 species. Once inside, travellers can soak up the atmosphere and be even more astonished by the 6m waterfall in the centre.
Athens Offers Archaeology
It is not surprising that in the heart of Greece, a country of numerous historic sites, Athens International has got in on the act. Travellers can browse through another archaeological exhibit just in the departures terminal. The space displays 170 artifacts, some of which are from as early as the 3rd millennium BC.
Get Your Skates on at Incheon
If you're looking for a cool opportunity to do something different, then South Korea's Incheon Airport has it. The airport features an ice rink that offers travellers an opportunity to get their skates on before hurrying over to their flight.
If the rink, which is open from 10am to 8pm daily, doesn't catch your imagination, then the airport has a movie theatre and a wellness spa on offer.
It's Munich – it's Bavarian Beer
But not just any beer. Munich International Airport has its own on-site brewery. Airbräu was the world's very first airport brewery that served up its own beers and apparently remains the only in-airport brewery that exists.
You can also enjoy traditional dishes at the Airbräu Restaurant. It combines brewing tradition with international flair and offers Bavarian specialties with a pub atmosphere.
Getting Fishy in Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport in Canada boasts a colourful, rocky kelp forest home to a rich collection of marine life native to British Columbia.
The Vancouver Aquarium and the Vancouver Airport Authority, which manages and operates Vancouver International Airport (YVR), built the 114,000-litre exhibit to house more than 20,000 marine plants and animals through a unique partnership.
Tunel Spasa, Sarajevo
Below Sarajevo International Airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Sarajevo Tunnel, also known as the Tunnel of Hope.
Built in 1993 during the siege of Sarajevo in the Bosnian War, the tunnel connected the besieged city of Sarajevo with a UN-controlled area near the airport. The tunnel was essential for transporting weapons, supplies, and other resources necessary to support the encircled territories. Visitors can tour the tunnels before entering the airport to catch a flight.
Andy Probert is an independent PR writer and journalist who writes about travel experiences, airlines, airports, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mirror, as well as many newspapers/magazines globally.
