Sadaf VidhaFor the level of buzz and activity that goes on in an airport, you can be really bored if you don’t know what to do. However, airports know how the waiting time, cancellations and delays make travellers cranky, and so they provide many options to keep you entertained.
Delhi Airport
If you are at Delhi airport, it is one of the cheapest places for duty free shopping. You should definitely check that out. Also, wifi is free for the first 45 minutes. You can catch up with friends or work, or play some games. Feeling a little stinky? Go to the plaza premium lounge and pick up a relaxing package that suits you. You can have a bath as well as many other options. If you are feeling too tired, you can try the free massage chairs that are kept for display in shops. There are snooze pods too, if you would like to take a nap! Lastly, it has quite a few eating joints to satisfy the taste buds.
Mumbai Airport
While Terminal 2 is definitely the shining glory of the Mumbai airport but before you get into any activity one of the must do thing is: to see the airport. Yes, no kidding, the magnificent airport reflects the culture and heritage of India very dexterously.
Not just that, you cannot fail to adore the importance paid to smaller finer details. The colours chosen for walls, the design patterns, the materials used, the way shops have chosen their merchandize to promote Indian culture and heritage, is phenomenal.
In no other airport would you find the speciality of every single state under one roof. Be it the pashmina shawls from Kashmir, miniatures of Agra’s Taj Mahal or Agra’s peda, Kolkata’s sweets, Lucknow’s chikan karigari clothes or South India’s kajeevaram silk sarees to filter coffee. Mumbai airport has it all and we just love it.
There are quite a few relaxing bookshops where you could just pick up a book and read. There are many cafes too if you want a cuppa. If you would like to shop for jewellery, handicrafts or souvenirs, there are many shops and outlets for those as well.
You could also shop for khadi and other clothes & accessories. If you would like some gifting ideas, you could pick up tea from Chaitime or bookmarks from Anand Prakash. You could also go for fancy bowls or jewel boxes. Other options are spiced cashews, silk or cotton scarves, pouches or traditional slippers.
Other ideas
Airports are also a great place to start a conversation. Especially airports that see a lot of international traffic, may be a good place to make new friends. Talk to someone new and find out which part of the world they are from and what’s their story. If you are in a group – you could probably sit by to view the aircraft and discuss about the model, make, speed, efficiency, shape of their nose, wing types and several such fascinating things which usually generates lot of curiosity and excitement.
A lot of airports also have salons. You could go get a haircut or a massage. If you feel like you want to treat yourself, you could get a wild gift for yourself, like a personalized cigarette case or an expensive perfume. Many airports also have fun zones and arcades so that you can play games – and win prizes.
For fitness freaks, 1 hour is a superb time to workout. Just wear your walking shoes and stroll through the terminal. Most of them are big enough for you to walk around seeing interesting things; before you realize one hour is up and it’s time to board the flight.
Next time you are getting bored at an airport, take a look at the floor plan of the airport and go for all the fun options – just remember to come back in time for the flight!
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments