Woman Lives at an Airport for a Week. Then It Turns Into 1 of the Best Holidays She's Ever Had (Exclusive)

Maddy MacRae, for illustration astir people, is not a immense instrumentality of airports.

As an Australian influencer pinch complete 1.9 cardinal followers connected TikTok, she regularly travels for work and knows nan struggle firsthand: “I’ve decidedly spent galore times moving done airports, precocious for flights, and person slept connected nan level for sure,” she tells PEOPLE.

But earlier this summer, she was contacted by a accumulation institution astir nan opportunity to unrecorded successful an airdrome for nan full week — and move it into a viral TikTok series — scheduled astatine nan tail extremity of a two-month travel astir nan world. 

“There’s thing worse connected your travel location than to beryllium connected a really agelong layover,” she admits. 

MacRae decided to effort it anyway. And alternatively of nan onslaught of boredom she anticipated, nan week was truthful jam-packed pinch activities that it became “really hectic,” she says. “There’s truthful overmuch to do.”

After she agreed to nan challenge, MacRae started to investigation which airdrome would play nan champion big for her week-long layover. When she discovered that Singapore’s Changi Airport was named nan world’s champion airdrome by nan World Airport Awards for nan 13th clip earlier this year, it was a no-brainer.

Though MacRae is simply a seasoned traveler, she had ne'er been to an airdrome rather for illustration Changi before. Beyond nan emblematic level gates, travelers tin entree Jewel — an tremendous intermezo and unit facility, complete pinch a hedge maze, a butterfly garden, an augmented reality dinosaur acquisition and nan world’s tallest indoor waterfall.

“Changi is simply a different type of layover,” says nan contented creator. “It did really consciousness for illustration a vacation location aliases destination successful itself.”

On her first day, MacRae checked into her edifice — the Crowne Plaza, which is attached to nan airdrome — and started her week: grabbing a trade cocktail astatine nan airdrome bar, taking nan soul train passim nan airport, playing a fewer games astatine nan airport’s arcade and wandering done an ornate orchid show that celebrated Singapore’s 60th anniversary.

Throughout nan week, MacRae vlogged and livestreamed arsenic she made her measurement done nan airport’s innumerable attractions: massages and makeovers and shopping and swims successful rooftop pools and movie screenings.

“There’s an insane magnitude of things,” nan contented creator says.

She besides sewage to sensation a big of Singaporean foods during her stay. 

“I tried things for illustration salted food skin, which sounds bizarre, but is really benignant of yummy,” says nan influencer.

As MacRae updated her followers, respective locals wrote successful pinch suggestions — and MacRae says she was “surprised” that astir nary of them recommended she time off nan airdrome and spot nan broader metropolis (she later learned that it’s really communal for Singaporeans to recreation to nan airdrome for its galore attractions, moreover erstwhile they don’t person a formation to catch).

Looking backmost connected her stay, MacRae says nan research didn’t yet alteration her position connected agelong layovers writ large, since Changi is specified a uniquely designed space.

“I don't deliberation you could do it nan aforesaid measurement astatine a different airport,” MacRae tells PEOPLE. “I deliberation astir my section airport, Sydney International Airport, which is astir apt 1 of nan biggest airports successful Australia. It has, like, 4 cafes. That’s it. There’s thing to see. There’s nary creation installations. There's nary activities to do.”

But much than anything, she adds, nan layover demonstrated to her that she needs to scheme a due sojourn to Singapore sometime soon — erstwhile she tin really time off nan airport.

“I thought I mightiness person had time, but I didn't because I was doing truthful overmuch astatine nan airport,” laughs MacRae. “It's conscionable a beautiful spot to visit, and it's truthful adjacent to america present successful Australia.”