If you are attending the 2010 ICA conference in Singapore, your first and last encounters with the island nation will likely occur in the same place: Changi International Airport, Singapore's major commercial airport. Changi is one of the most important transportation hubs in Asia, the continent's fifth busiest airport (and 21st worldwide). More to the point, however, it is renowned as one of the best airports in the world for service and facilities, frequently takes top honors in annual industry awards - in 2007 alone it received 19 "Best Airport" awards. In fact, Changi International Airport bears a surprising resemblance to a large and luxurious vacation resort. Visitors accustomed to the functional and bland terminals of most of the world's airports may be baffled by the posh offerings on display in Singapore.

Suppose, however, that it's 27 June, the day after conference concludes. You've had a fulfilling but busy time with your colleagues, and you've done all the sightseeing you can take…but you have several hours to kill between hotel checkout and your flight home. Take the MRT or a taxi to the Airport and you have both the time and the opportunity to do any of the following:

Pamper Yourself.
Perhaps a visit to the spa will help you wind down? There are five at Changi, including one with a reflexology clinic (Refresh Bodyworks, Departure Transit Lounge) and one with a nail salon attached (Body Contours, Terminal 3's B2 level). Or maybe a full-scale treatment is a little bit much for you; you'd rather just get a good foot rub (My Foot Reflexology, Departure Transit Lounge) or massage (TT Quick Massage, Departure Check-In Hall, Public Area, Level 2). Maybe what you really want is a haircut or a new 'do (EC House, Departure Check-in Hall North, Public Area, Level 2).

On the other hand, perhaps you don't need beauty treatments or relaxation, but just the opposite: a good workout. In that case you'll want to head up to the Plaza Premium Lounge, at the third floor of the Departure/Transit Lounge in Terminal 2. For a small fee, you can access treadmills, cross-trainers, rowing machines, stationary cycles, and weight equipment. You can even take a hot shower afterwards, and follow it up with a private session of oxygen therapy.

If you want a combination of exercise and relaxation, Changi offers that, too: Terminal 1's Departure Transit Lounge East contains a full-sized swimming pool and Jacuzzi, with poolside area décor in a theme based on Bali, Indonesia. You can give your muscles a thorough run-through, then lie in the Jacuzzi with a complimentary drink from the poolside bar.

Of course, it may be that what you really need is a nap. Just because you checked out of your hotel doesn't mean you can't have a quiet snooze; the Rainforest Lounge (Departure Transit Lounge West, Level 3) and the Plaza Premium Lounge both offer sleeping cubicles for per-hour use. If you need a longer rest, all three terminals have transit hotels that will rent rooms for 3- or 6-hour blocks. (Reservations are recommended for these hotels, but there may be some walk-in availability.)

Hang Out.
Want nothing more than an undemanding diversion until your flight boards? There's plenty of that at Changi International Airport, too. A drink and a live band can be had at either Harry's Bar or O'Leary Sportsbar & Grill, both on the second floor of Terminal 2. (Both bars are only open in the evening.)

All three terminals offer movie screenings: new releases show at Terminal 2, and genre offerings are available at Terminal 3. For food along with your film, it's the Movie Lounge in Terminal 1.

Changi even offers a view of the great outdoors! There are six gardens. Two are rooftop installations: Terminal 1 has the award-winning Cactus garden, which contains over 40 species of cacti from Africa and the Americas, while Terminal 2 features the Sunflower Garden. The latter is actually a "Light" garden at night, featuring lighting effects and fixtures including firefly effects and illuminated bamboo. The Orchid and Fern Gardens, both inside Terminal 2, contain koi ponds so that visitors can sit and peacefully watch the fish swim. Inside Terminal 1 is the world's only airport Butterfly Garden, with different species of butterflies coming and going with the changing seasons. The airport's outdoor terrace offers the Fragrant Garden, with 15 species of fragrant trees, shrubs, and climbers.

If you'd prefer, however, there's also opportunities for one of the classic airport pastimes. Terminal 2, Level 3, boasts a large aviation gallery for those who simply enjoy watching planes take off and land.

Eat.
There are nearly 70 eateries spread across Changi Airport. There are cafes, fast food, bars, snacks, chocolate, bistros, Indian cuisine, Malay cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine, European cuisine, and vegetarian and halal options. Each terminal contains a full-scale food court with several of these varieties, one of them (Terminal 3) open 24 hours. There are even 26 different places to get a simple cup of coffee.

Shop.
Shopping is, in a very real sense, the lifeblood of Singapore, and Changi is a shopping center all its own. From convenience stores and bargain apparel to fine jewelry and high-end boutiques. Would you like to buy a formal jacket or evening gown? Burberry is in Terminal 1, Armani in Terminal 3. Would you like a fancy new wallet? Bottega Veneta is in Terminal 2. Need something to read on your flight home? Relay, the newsstand and bookstore, has locations on Terminals 1 and 3. You can buy a Mercedes Benz knickknack in Terminal 2, a bottle of wine in Terminal 3, and a Singapore souvenir at any one of a dozen locations.

You can find just about anything you'd want to purchase, and more. Beginning in June, the entire airport is participating in a contest called "Be a Changi Millionaire." Customers who spend a minimum of S$60 (US$42.46; EUR34,69) are entered into a drawing to win S$1 million at the contest's conclusion in January, 2011.

Just another reason that Changi International Airport is a productive and even fun place to spend your time between checkout and takeoff. When you can sleep, eat, relax, exercise, shop, and catch a trip home, all from one location, surely you're in the right place.