This year’s World’s Best Airports

It’s hard to imagine that an airport is actually a place that you would want to spend some time when you’re stuck in Newark’s Northwest terminal, but believe it or not, there are actually a few really fantastic airports out there.

Domestically, San Francisco recently won the award for best airport facilities and my personal favorite is the Detroit McNamara Terminal, but Skytrax took an in-depth look at airport amenities and service around the world. And their winner for best airport on the planet?

Hong Kong International.

With sprawling, well-lit terminals, excellent connections to the city (you can check your luggage in HK before even getting on the train to the airport) and a friendly and efficient staff, it’s not hard to believe.

In fact, five of the top ten airports ranked were in Asia, with four more in Europe and the final airport in Cape Town, South Africa. Where are the American airports, you ask? San Francisco is at number eleven while Atlanta, Dallas and Dener. The top ten list (in no particluar order)?

  • Hong Kong
  • Singapore
  • Seoul, South Korea
  • Kansai, Japan
  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Munich, Germany
  • Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Zurich, Switzerland
  • Helsinki, Finland
  • Cape Town, South Africa

Click on the links below to see some images from the top ten.

Why are these the world’s best airports?



Click the image to find out!

Best cities for a pub crawl?

On holiday, it’s not uncommon to consume large quantities of toxic beverages. An attempt to check out the city’s nightlife = an all-nighter pub crawl.

Some cities are just geared to allow for the most memorable crawls (assuming you remember stuff post getting plastered, which of course, isn’t the objective). Here are the Lonely Planet blog’s idea of a what entails a good pub crawl, here are mine:

  • A number of bars in the same area, so you can walk the whole way (or even crawl if necessary!).
  • No dress code. You have to be allowed to enter the places without stuck-up bouncers. Preferably, there shouldn’t be bouncers at all and you should be able to enter with flip-flops.
  • Cheap. Getting drunk, not remembering anything, AND not having any money left — not a good combination.
  • The places should be filled with locals rather than tourists.
  • Friendly bar tenders. Rude bar tenders with a chip on their shoulder for anyone out having fun while they are working, can ruin your night.
  • Bars with games, happy hours, and music. A little bit of research and you can find a cluster of bars with special drink offers and games to win them alongside music and/or jam sessions.

Basis these criteria, my favorite cities for a pub crawl — that believe it or not, fulfill at least 5 of the 6 points above, are:

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Madrid, Spain
  • Wollongong, Australia
  • Phi Phi Island, Thailand

What are your favorite cities for a pub crawl?

Where to find the best and worst bathrooms

Catherine recently told us about a handy cell-phone service that will help you find the best bathroom in west London. My first thought was, It would be nice if they had something like that in North America, but as it turns out, they do. MizPee can tell you where the nearest clean bathrooms are when you use it on your cell phone, as Justin told us a few months ago.

But you know what else MizPee does? It allows you to rate the bathroom — they have a Honor Roll for the best and a Wall of Shame for the worst. Best bathrooms include those at the Time Warner Center and Apple Store in Manhattan, and the worst can be found at Starbucks in Union Square West and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

My vote for the worst bathroom goes to the ones in LAX. I have never been to a decent one while traveling through that airport.