From serenades to beach runways, these are the world's happiest airports

We all know the rockstars of the airport world: award-winning super-hubs like Singapore's Changi and Doha's Hamad International, with their gleaming facilities and high-tech comforts.

They're impressive, for sure, but these biggies are not air travel's only high achievers. Elsewhere around the world, smaller, lower-key airports are harking back to the days when the fun of flying began on the ground.

These happy airports turn your take-off from necessary chore to pleasant interlude with local food, drink, art and music, warm staff, an unmistakable sense of place, plus bags of personality, a dash of novelty and a whole lot of soul.

Portland International Airport, US

Portland locals see their airport as an extension of their city's cheerful, free-wheeling personality, holding it in such high regard that its code, PDX, is also Portland's official nickname. When the airport's Insta-famous carpet was replaced, fans queued to buy souvenir swatches and the 1980s design was immortalised in socks, T-shirts, the city's basketball team uniform and even a local beer.

Always a pleasant portal, PDX is now a resplendent poster child for Oregon, thanks to a $2 billion dollar modernisation unveiled earlier this year.

The first thing you notice is the soaring, latticed timber ceiling crowning the entire new main terminal building. Then the trees; 72 of them, all mature, an Oregon forest cloaking the space in soothing green, bathed in natural light from 49 skylights. It's so beautiful you stop and gaze - and smile. How often does that happen in an airport?

Wellbeing is the main intent, says Sharron van der Meulen from Portland's ZGF architects, who created the biophilic (nature-inspired) design. "We were motivated to uncover details that can be inspiring, delightful, even magical, so that people can truly relax and enjoy the airport experience."

The all-timber roof is a first for an American airport, made from 35,000 pieces of local Douglas fir, all sustainably sourced from just 16 local forests, all within a 500-kilometre radius and community, family or First Nations owned. Maps around the terminals explain exactly where each section's timber originated and introduce the growers.

Adding to the outdoor atmosphere, two advert-free giant video walls stream spirit-lifting scenes of Oregon landscapes.

All 23 retail outlets are local, and happily abide by a rule that states no item can be sold for more than you'd pay elsewhere - no airport mark-ups here - and include an outpost of legendary Portland bookstore Powell's Books, Portland-founded Columbia Sportswear, Loyal Legion's 96 taps of Oregon craft beer, women-owned craft distillery Freeland Spirits, craft cocktail company Straightaway, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, feminist cardstore Paper Epiphanies, fresh pasta at Grassa and donuts made on the spot at Blue Star Donut.

Even the famous carpet's back, still starring in selfies, but now second fiddle to that spectacular roof. flypdx.com

Rarotonga International Airport, Cook Islands

There's something profoundly gracious about greeting your guests with song, especially when it's performed by an artist as revered as Papatua Papatua, one of the Cook Islands' most respected musicians. A cultural ambassador, dance champion and former teacher, "PPA" eases international arrivals immediately into island time with gentle Polynesian melodies and lilting ukulele - the sounds of sunshine and happiness.

As flights to the island nation have increased, two more leading musicians have joined PPA on the roster. Teata Hauavaine Nga-Moeara adds her award-winning voice at weekends, and Fairoa Aporo appears in the evenings.

The airport itself channels the Cooks' no-worries, barefoot vibe with outdoor spaces, the scent of frangipani, and roosters wandering among passengers. The adjacent Islander Airport Hotel acts as a beachfront departure lounge with a pool bar, tropical cocktails and - when the season's right - whales breaching in the nearby surf. cookislandsairports.com/home

Nashville International Airport, Tennessee, USA

Music is in Nashville's DNA, and the same goes for Music City's airport, where more than 700 live shows a year entertain travellers 24/7 in six performance spaces. On any given day, you could stroll from traditional and contemporary country to rhythm and blues, via jazz, pop, gospel and bluegrass, wandering with a welcome tipple in hand, thanks to the airport's enlightened drinks-to-go policy.

As you'd expect, the calibre of entertainer is high, with the bar set by the airport's house band, Joe West, son of Sarge and Shirley West, the first African American country and western duo.

Down-home Tennessee cuisine makes a pitch-perfect accompaniment at more than 40 food spots - think hot chicken and waffles and a Honkey Tonk Howler whiskey cocktail at Ole Red, owned by country legend Blake Shelton (who's fond of popping in for an impromptu performance) or Loaded Mile High Nachos and a Hap & Harry's Tennessee lager at the airport's outpost of legendary Nashville country music venue Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.

Monthly visits from Nashville Therapy Pets complete the party. The only low note? You'll be having such a boot-scootin' blast, you might miss your flight. flynashville.com

Samui International Airport, Koh Samui, Thailand

It's no surprise that this tropical idyll of an airport had a cameo in The White Lotus season three - it's as gorgeous as the TV series' nearby luxury locations on Koh Samui. In the brief episode four shot of Rick heading through the departure gate, this almost entirely open-air airport steals the scene with its pretty, low-rise teak pavilions, tranquil, lily pad-dotted ponds and bougainvillea-bedecked gardens.

With thatched roofs and meandering walkways lined with little outdoor cafes and bars, all made from local materials like rattan and palm, it feels somewhere between a Thai village and beach resort.

Instead of rigid seats, you can relax on beanbags scattered on lawns beneath shady palms, comfy deckchairs or even swings with runway views. Or pull up a stool at outdoor Soothe Bar for a Monkey Samui craft beer, a cocktail with locally distilled spirits and top-notch Pad Thai.

There's a Courtesy Corner with free drinks and snacks, and the kids can let off steam in a shaded playground. When it's time for you to (reluctantly) leave, colourful canopied electric people-movers whisk you to your aircraft. samuiairport.com/en

Barra Airport, Isle of Barra, Scotland

Once you've touched down on a pristine beach, the plane's wheels throwing up a fine spray of saltwater before taxiing to the terminal across picture-perfect white sand with the Atlantic Ocean rolling in on one side and windswept moors unfurling on the other, standard landings will seem lacklustre.

Since 1978, visitors and locals alike have arrived on Barra, one of the most beautiful of Scotland's Outer Hebrides islands, via the world's only beach runway for scheduled flights - a strip that disappears beneath the tides twice a day. Daily Loganair flights to and from Glasgow are scheduled around those tides and one of airport manager Michael Galbraith's many duties is to ensure the sand's safely clear of any oceanic debris.

With just under 12,000 passengers a year, it's a teeny airport with just one small terminal building and a control tower, but a café was recently added, run by Barra-born chef Seonaidh Morrison, serving fresh local fare such as smoked haddock rarebit. The best part of pre-boarding: a stroll along stunning Taigh Mhor beach with turquoise waters that evoke the Caribbean so perfectly that locals call their island 'Barra-bados.' Tarmac? So overrated. hial.co.uk/barra-airport

Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, California, US

Snoopy always did love to fly. One of the cartoon pup's alter-egos is a World War I flying ace - one of a cast of beloved Peanuts characters greeting travellers at this airport dedicated to Charles M. Schulz, Sonoma's famous son.

The airport, named for the Peanuts creator since 2000, is a short drive from Santa Rosa's Charles M. Schulz Museum, home of the world's largest collection of Peanuts artwork, toys and collectibles. The Peanuts presence looms large as soon as you land. At the arrivals gate you'll encounter person-sized replicas of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Woodstock, Linus and of course Snoopy, in his Flying Ace persona, complete with goggles and helmet. Pilot Snoopy's Sopwith Camel and the Red Baron's Fokker Triplane also grace the terminal, in a nod to the airport's origins as a military airfield.

You can smile at Peanuts comic strips displayed in the boarding areas, and spot a bronze statue of Charlie Brown and Linus in the gardens outside.

A sign by local artist Rik Olson, with paintings of fruit, flowers and countryside, announces you're stepping into "the creative county". Sonoma has more artists per capita than anywhere else in California - plus 495 wineries across Wine Country's 18 appellations and the towering trees of north California's redwood country.

With Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Avelo running domestic services to favourites including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles and Portland, this charm-filled gateway to good times is well worth adding to a USA itinerary. sonomacountyairport.org

Oita Airport, Kyushu, Japan

Southern Japan's Kyushu, an island known for its hot springs, beaches and lush mountain scenery, also has famously playful airports. Saga Airport, on Kyushu's west coast, introduced Japan's first airport karaoke booth earlier this year.

In the island's east, Oita Airport soothes travellers with its own onsen footbath fed by fresh water transported daily from nearby Beppu, while the baggage carousel masquerades as a sushi train, with giant plates of faux seafood riding the conveyor belt among the luggage.

This year the whimsical airport has hit peak kawaii with a Hello Kitty takeover until October 13. Until then, you'll be flying into Oita Hello Kitty Airport - it's even printed on your ticket and boarding pass.

Kitty-chan, as she's known in her homeland, is ubiquitous, festooned on the boarding bridges, walls and signs, accompanied by her friends from the Sanrio universe, including My Melody, Little Twin Stars and Pochacco. Sanrio's theme park, Harmonyland, is a half-hour drive from the airport in Hiji Town and celebrates its 35th birthday next year - hence the kitty-kitsch shenanigans. During the takeover, direct shuttles are running between the airport and Harmonyland for seamless, runway-to-rollercoaster cuteness.

The fun won't stop once Hello Kitty's cleared for departure. Japan's only hovercraft service is set to launch between the airport and Oita city by March 2026, whisking passengers across picturesque Beppu Bay then up onto the ground right to the terminal entrance. Beyond this, Oita even has plans to operate a spaceport servicing the future Dream Chaser space plane. For this little airport with big dreams, the sky really is the limit. oita-airport.jp/en/

Munich International Airport, Germany

When you land in the home of Oktoberfest, it's fair to expect a drop or two in preparation for Munich's 200-plus beer gardens and famed ancient breweries - and you won't be disappointed. The world's beer capital doesn't do things by halves (unless you're talking about a half-litre) and nor does its hoppy airport, home to the world's first airport brewery since 1999, with the world's largest roofed beer garden.

Airbrau's tree-planted, glass-covered beer garden has space for 600 quaffers, while another 400 can raise a glass inside the tavern among the copper beer kettles, where signature brews like Fliegerquell ("flight brew") lager and Aviator, a rich doppelbock, are made according to Munich's strict 1516 German beer purity laws.

It's all presided over by genial two-metre-tall Airbrau brewmaster Rene Jacobsen, who hosts brewery tours and tastings. There's regular live entertainment from oompah bands to comedy, and a hearty, homemade menu of Bavarian staples such as pork knuckle, slow-roasted pork shoulder and Bavarian Weisswurst (white sausage).

Airbrau is landside, between terminals one and two, so locals often join the party, ensuring that even the briefest of layovers can still be a true-brew Munich experience. munich-airport.com

Nadi Airport, Fiji

It makes sense that the happiest people on the planet know a thing or two about joyful airports. When Tourism Fiji engaged Australian neuroscientist Dr Lisa Landowski to unpack Fiji's frequent high scores in global happiness polls and why those good vibes seem so contagious, she found her answers before she'd even left Nadi airport.

On arrival at the gateway for visitors to Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu, you're hailed by a chorus of "bula!" from smiling staff. Even security and customs officers smile warmly. It's a powerfully positive gesture, says Dr Landowski. "The simple act of smiling, or saying 'bula' or even waving, all these things create this sense of connection to one another, and we know that more connection leads to a feeling of happiness and reduces biomarkers of stress."

A traditional Fijian serenade performed by local musicians welcomes every visitor heading to arrivals. More than just entertainment, the music is a tonic for your brain, says Dr Landowski. "It improves our mood and cognition."

Scientists and Fijians know best: for happier travellers, smiles and song should be standard at every airport. airportsfiji.com

Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh, Malaysia

Ipoh, a food-obsessed former tin-mining town in Perak state, in central peninsular Malaysia, is my favourite gateway to the country. Its elegantly faded colonial buildings and shophouses are a delicious adventure through the entire dizzying spectrum of Malaysia's spectacular cuisine - from Nyonya to Indian, Chinese to Malay. Laid-back, congenial and quietly quirky, the town feels like a return to a friendlier, gentler age, where locals gather from dawn to dusk in generations-old street food joints for satay, dim sum, curry and more.

Ipoh puts you within two hours' drive of Penang to the north, or three to Kuala Lumpur in the south. It's a warmer and more authentic entree to Malaysia than the larger hubs - starting with its small airport, just a 10-minute drive from the town centre but with daily direct one-hour flights with Scoot from Singapore.

Genuinely cheery staff have always been part of Ipoh Airport's charm, including the world's friendliest baggage wrapper, Mr Naqib, who knows his regulars by name and has his motto emblazoned above his wrapping station: "Why feel anxious when you can just wrap?"

When the airport announced a $3 million dollar upgrade, I wondered if it would lose some of that real-deal appeal, but after April's unveiling the team were more upbeat than ever, proudly showing off an expanded terminal area and a lovely new space with cosy armchairs for award-winning CawanMu Deli Lounge, a culinary oasis where you can savour fresh Assam laksa, chicken Kapitan and Ipoh's heartwarming hospitality. malaysiaairports.com.my/en