Top 5 Best Airports for Long Layovers

Sometimes it happens to the best of itineraries: you're on a marathon haul from one continent to another and the cheapest flight involves a 5-hour layover in a random city. Maybe you don't have a visa, maybe you don't have time, maybe you're on an organised tour and you're just not allowed... but you're stuck in the airport.

It's happened to me several times: I've been stranded in airports for up to 11 hours at a stretch. I can tell you that Paris, Chicago, and Durban are terrible airports to be stuck in, but what are the best? Here's our list of the 5 best airports for layovers:

Hong Kong - If you're stuck in an airport with kids, Hong Kong is where you want to be. Aside from the numerous bars, restaurants and shops, the airport has a movie theatre, arcades, and free Playstation set-ups sprinkled around. It also offers free wi-fi throughout.

Las Vegas - In the gambling capital of the US, you will not be surprised to see a number of slot machines dotting the concourse in the Las Vegas airport. There are other things to do though, including kid's play areas, an art gallery, free wi-fi, plenty of restaurants, bars and duty-free shops, and a huge fitness centre with sauna, jacuzzi, working equipment and showers.

Amsterdam - This airport really knows how to entertain. I've been stuck here for hours without getting bored, because there's a casino, an art museum, dozens of shops and restaurants, and a brand-new library to browse through with both physical and electronic books! There are also a lot of out-of-the-way corners if you really need to catch a nap.

Nashville - You have to pay in Nashville for wi-fi, but if you don't feel like shelling out to check Facebook you can always browse the duty-free shops, have a big helping of barbecue in one of the restaurants, play video games, get a massage, browse the art exhibitions, and catch a live concert at Tootsie's orchid Lounge, an extension of the Grand Ole Opry!

Singapore - Singapore Changi sets the standard that all other airport entertainment tries to live up to. The basics are all there: free wi-fi, bars, restaurants, duty-free shopping, and luggage lockers. There's plenty more though, with lovely gardens, koi ponds, butterfly rooms, play areas, a movie theatre, LAN gaming facilities, spa, and multiple shower facilities. Attached airport hotels up the game as well, offering a swimming pool and jacuzzi (for a fee).

The Highs and Lows of Marijuana in Amsterdam

Want the low-down on drugs in Amsterdam? We've got it.

In what can only be described as a major buzzkill, Dutch lawmakers have introduced a plan to bar foreigners from the famous (or infamous) Amsterdam ‘coffee shops’ where marijuana is openly sold.

At present, the coffee shops are allowed to sell up to 5 grams of marijuana to people over the age of 18. It is still technically illegal to possess marijuana, but the punishment for holding up to 30 grams is usually fairly light. Smoking in public is generally tolerated, but most visitors still prefer to smoke within the coffee shops. What isn’t tolerated is the use of hard drugs like cocaine or ecstacy.

Cannabis has been a major tourist draw for Amsterdam for years, with foreigners flocking in for wild weekends and pot pilgrimages. A number of tour companies even offer holiday packages that include visits to coffee shops and tours of the Red Light District. While officials have no plan to shut the venues down, their proposal would ban them from serving foreigners. There are reports that the city has started to close several coffee shops in the Red Light District, however.

Locals who make their living from selling weed to tourists are understandably upset by the proposed regulations. Pot is big business in the Netherlands, with an estimated 40,000 marijuana farms in the country. Today also marks the final day of the Amsterdam Cannabis Cup, putting all the newest and best innovations in the cannabis industry on show.