Airport toilets are often the first (and last) glimpse we get of a destination, so it’s a shame that they’re often quite bland. Here’s a collection of conveniences that buck that trend, from the beautiful to the bizarre. Enjoy…
1. Pretty Fly

Above: Target improves aim, apparently. Quite why the designers of these urinals at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport chose a housefly for that target remains a mystery. Still, maybe there’s something in it: according to reports, “spillages” have lessened by 80% since the flies arrived.
2. Bird’s Eye Loo

Above: Not content with offering in-urinal fly targets, the designers of Amsterdam Schipol’s urinals also included these stunning city scenes (in case you forget where you are.)
3. Tulips from Amsterdam

Above: Whilst gents at Amsterdam airport get flies, the ladies get beautiful tulips.
4. Back to Nature

Above: At Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, it’s not just the ladies who are treated to floral loos…
5. Totally Tropical

Above: In Bora Bora, these airport washbasins are dressed with real tropical flowers. Beats a dodgy air freshener…
6. Wild Thing

Above: Tiny Lewa Airport in Kenya is the landing point for tourists on safari. This rustic restroom, complete with magazine rack and wall art, reminds visitors where they are.
7. Ready for Take-off

Above: A loo with a view at Changi Airport, Singapore. Not recommended for nervous flyers.
8. Picture Window

Above: Not one for the shy, these urinals at Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport are overlooked by a busy walkway. Thankfully, there are cubicles to choose too.
9. Here’s Lookin’ At You

Above: If you don’t mind the feeling that you’re being watched, you’ll like these urinals in Bangkok airport.
10. Tanked Up

Above: Koh Samui is home to some of Thailand’s best dive sites. Get a taste of things to come at these toilets in the island’s airport.
11. En Vogue

Above: Paris is the fashion capital of the world, which is why both the male and female toilets at Charles de Gaulle Airport are decked out like Parisian boutiques.
12. Passing Wind

Above: In Texas and Oklahoma, airport bathrooms double up as tornado shelters.
13. Pure and Simple

Above: The toilets for ‘Virgin Blue’ passengers at Brisbane Airport, Australia come complete with a pun.
14. Desperate Times

Above: The designer of these toilets in Flesland Airport, Bergen, Norway clearly has a sense of humour.
15. Control Freak

Above: Hi-tech loos are the norm in Japan, but these ones at Tokyo’s Narita Airport are especially futuristic. A built-in control panel gives you the option to enjoy a masking “flushing” sound effect and even a… buttock fountain? In contrast, the airport also has traditional ‘hole in the floor’ toilets.
16. Hula Loo

Above: Get in the holiday mood at the bathrooms in Honolulu Airport, Hawaii.
17. Night On the Tiles

Above: A beautifully detailed mosaic of the Hong Kong skyline above the urinals at the city’s airport.
18. Sign Language

Above: Not a bathroom as such, but there’s always room for lost-in-translation laughs on toilet signage. This one was spotted at Bahrain Airport.
19. Paws A While

Above: LA Airport’s ‘pet stations’ are designated ‘doggy toilets’. Dog owners are instructed to look out for the model fire hydrant and distinctive bone shape. Disposal bags and a special bin are both provided.
20. Pretty Kitty

Above: From doggies to kitties. These cutesy conveniences are at the Hello Kitty lounge in Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei.
21. All Shapes and Sizes

Above: How come the lady and gentleman on toilets signs always look the same? These airport toilets in Jacksonville, Florida put a unique slant on the traditional silhouettes.
22. His ‘n’ Hers

Above: In New Dehli, colourful, cultural photographs clearly mark the ladies’ and gents’ loos.
23. You Dummy

Above: The centrepiece of this futuristic bathroom in Cork Airport, Ireland is the torso of a female mannequin. Of course.
24. Keep it Simple

Above: Whilst some airport toilets are futuristic, others are more.. basic, like this one at the Masai Mara Airport in Kenya.
25. Don’t Rush In

Above: .. and these less-than-inviting facilities at Batagai Airport in northern Russia.