Have you ever had fun at an airport?
Unless you’re an aviation geek like me, the journey from check-in to security to the gate can be a slog. Travelers lucky enough to use Singapore’s Changi Airport, however, are discovering the trek can actually be — gasp — enjoyable.
Often rated one of the best airports in the world by various industry groups, Changi looks like an upscale mall instead of a utilitarian airline hub. In addition to a movie theater, tasteful art installations and dozens of restaurants, the airport attracts attention for its slides — for adults. (And kids, as long as they meet the height requirements.)
A YouTube video of one slide, posted a few days ago, is going viral: It’s a first-person view of Changi’s Terminal 4 slide.
Taken by traveler Yusuf El Askary, the clip shows El Askary approaching a sign for a few gates. Passengers can choose to take the escalator down to their plane, or use the much-more-awesome slide.
El Askary zaps his boarding pass on a scanner ahead of the slide. Doors open with a tiny fanfare, and El Askary takes the plunge. We hear him let out a shaky “woo!” as he zooms toward the boarding area below.
So. Fun. Check it out:
This slide is pretty great, but it’s not even the only one at Changi Airport. There’s an even bigger, longer one in Terminal 3 that’s simply dubbed The Slide.
At four stories tall, it’s the tallest slide in Singapore. It’s open to the public, too — not just travelers. Riders just have to spend $10 within the terminal shops and restaurants to take advantage. Scan the receipt and you get 10 rides down the chute.
The Terminal 3 slide is the original Changi slide, opened in 2010. Here’s a quick video showing a little of its construction and what the ride is like:
Wow! The airport I use (Denver International) is trying really hard to make itself a cool place to hang, with ice skating in the winter, park activities in the summer, special outposts of local-favorite restaurants and jokey signs referencing conspiracy theories about the place.
I hate to say it, but they’ve got nothing on Changi!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
