Everyone has to take care of their business somehow, and most of the time it’s a terribly boring experience. Most young people take their phones with them every time. Otherwise, how would they be entertained? But some places have found a great way to make our everyday triviality more exciting. Take a look at our top picks for the wackiest (and coolest) bathrooms out there!
- We may not all live in a yellow submarine, but this Gaudi Submarine bathroom will make you feel like you’ve stepped into the world of The Beatles! Relax after a hard day’s night in this one-of-a-kind lavatory.
- Ahoy, matey! Spending the day on a pirate ship would be exciting enough, but a pirate ship in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has a “head” (ship bathroom) that can’t be missed. This head has a giant skull toilet and a shark urinal! You can get the full immersive pirate experience, even down to the lavatory. Don’t be too scared, though, the shark and skulls aren’t real!
- One bathroom on the sidewalk of Sulphur Springs, Texas, looks like it’s covered entirely in mirrors—but it’s actually one-way glass! No one can see into the bathroom, but whoever’s inside can see out as if it was clear glass. Not ideal for the paranoid; it may make you feel like you’re being watched!
- Have you ever wanted to make an aquatic friend while sitting on the toilet? Now you can talk to sea turtles, fish, and the occasional shark in Japan’s “underwater” bathroom! Located in Hipopo Papa Café in Akashi, you can have the aquarium experience even while on the john.
- Don’t let the toilets drift away! One bathroom floats on top of Lake Powell on the border between Arizona and Utah. It’s part of a program to keep the lake clean: do your business in the floating toilet—not the lake!
- A collection at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, features clever lavatory designs. One bathroom’s mural, called “The Social History of Architecture,” was designed by New Yorker Matt Nolen. He defines the mural as “a tour of architectural periods from ancient Egypt to the present.” (https://www.jmkac.org/exhibitions/collections/washrooms-new/the-social-history-of-architecture).
- Don’t get vertigo! One style of bathroom in ski resorts in Japan has a great view of the slopes and even has some skis so you won’t miss a second of the action. Make sure to strap in tight!
- Nobody likes using porta-potties, but Jungle Jim’s restaurant decided to play a prank with them! Their bathrooms look like porta-potties on the outside, but that’s just a façade. The real bathrooms are situated behind the porta-potties and they’re very spacious.
- Don’t look down! One toilet in a luxury penthouse in Guadalajara, Mexico, is right over an abandoned elevator shaft. The only thing separating you from a fifteen-story drop is a sheet of glass! But don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.
- A restaurant in London called Sketch has egg-shaped pods for a lavatory! The whole restaurant is as strange as these sleek bathrooms, but in different ways—the restaurant itself is completely pink and there’s a forest-themed bar. Before you go, make sure you stop by the loo; you can take care of your business and get launched right into the future!
Bonus! One “bathroom” is a restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, that is themed around toilets. The food is served in little toilets and the drinks come in miniature urinals! You sit on chairs and couches shaped like porcelain thrones as well. Every meal comes with complimentary “poop” chocolate ice cream! The menu features dishes like poop meatballs, turd sub sandwiches, and diarrhea hot cocoa. Go check out the crappiest restaurant out there!
Most people don’t worry about what bathrooms they’ll encounter while they’re traveling, but there are plenty of interesting ones all over. Don’t dread the visit; it might surprise you! Which ones would you love to visit?
—Sarah Gee