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Airline Reviews Cathay Pacific Reviews

Airline Review – Cathay Pacific – Business Class (Airbus 330-300 with Lie Flat Seats): Hong Kong – Bangkok (CX 705)

Flight:  Cathay Pacific CX 615 from Hong Kong to Bangkok Duration: 3 hours Aircraft: A333(Airbus 330-300) Class: Business Seat: 16K (single seat with direct aisle access) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 82.0 “. Seat width: 20.2 ” My Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok was operated by an Airbus 330-300 featuring lie-flat seats in 1-2-1 configuration. For such a short flight (3 hours), even a recliner seat would be just fine by me. I did the long haul LAX – HKG flight 2 years back on a similar flight on Cathay Pacific and was very happy with the seat. After …

Airline Reviews Reviews Singapore Airlines

Airline Review – Singapore Airlines – First Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats): San Francisco – Hong Kong (SQ 1)

Flight:  Singapore Airlines SQ 1 from San Francisco to Hong Kong Duration: 14 hours 20 minutes Equipment: B773(Boeing 777-300 ER) Class: First Seat: 1K (Window) Seat Specification: Flatbed seat (non-suite), Seat pitch: 71 “. Seat width: 35 ” This was my second time ever on a Singapore Airlines First Class flight (or any First Class for that matter). My first time in Singapore F was on this same route but in reverse (Hong Kong to San Francisco). I had wait-listed my award about 330 days out and the wait-list cleared about 2 weeks before the flight. The First Class cabin consists of 8 seats in 1 x 2 x 1 …

Trip Summary

Dec’16 – Jan’17 – India, Australia and New Zealand Trip: Introduction

Its December and once again time to visit India. For the last few years, I had planned our trip in such a way that after visiting India, we could add some other destinations before returning to the US. In 2013 we visited the Maldives, 2014 was a short trip to Phuket, Thailand, 2015 had us visiting South East Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand) and in 2016 it was Egypt and Kenya African Safari trip. This year we are planning on visiting Australia and New Zealand for 12 days. Both countries are big enough that you need almost a month to …

Hotel Reviews Hyatt Reviews

Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa 200 Nohea Kai Drive, Lahaina, Hawaii, USA, 96761-1985 Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa is a category 5 Hyatt property located right on Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Maui. A complimentary night at this resort costs 20,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points (27,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points for Club Level room). The hotel waives resort fees ($32 USD per night + tax) when staying at this hotel using points. We arrived at the resort around 1 PM. We were staying for 2 nights and had booked Club Level room for 1 night and regular room for 1 …

Destination Trip Reports North America

September 2016: Maui Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived on our flight from Kauai early morning. After picking up rental car, we drove from Kahului airport to Hyatt Regency on Ka’anapali Beach. After checking in, we drove to the Fish Market in Lahaina. Karen ordered some Shrimp Burrito while I had Pork Tacos. Both were very delicious. After lunch, we drove back to the resort and decided to spend rest of the afternoon on Kaanapali Beach. We walked along Ka’anapali Beach all the way to the end where Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is located. I had read on various forums that just off the beach …

Hotel Reviews Hyatt Reviews

Hotel Review: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa 1571 Poipu Road, Koloa, Hawaii, USA, 96756 Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is the sole Hyatt property in Kauai, located in Poipu area close to 15 miles from Lihue Airport. It is a category 6 property costing 25,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points per night for redemption stays (33,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points per night for Grand Club). If you are using Hyatt Gold Passport points for stay then the resort waives the mandatory $30 resort fee. We checked in around 11 AM and the front desk agent upgraded us from standard room to partial …

Destination Trip Reports North America

September 2016: Kauai Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Lihue International Airport, Kauai around just before noon on our morning flight from Los Angeles. We took the Hertz airport shuttle to the car rental lot and were soon on our way to our hotel. We were staying at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa for 2 nights. After checking into the hotel and freshening up, we decided to go have lunch first. I had read great Tripadvisor reviews of Da Crack in Poipu area in Kauai (very close to the Grand Hyatt). So we decided to go there to grab some lunch-to-go and …

Trip Summary

September 2016: Hawaii Trip – Introduction

During the 2016 Labor Day weekend, Me and Karen took 2 extra days off from work and went to Hawaii for a mini-vacation. We visited 2 islands on this trip – Kauai and Maui. While this was my first time in Hawaii, Karen had already been to Oahu on her previous Hawaii Trip in 2014. In the following weeks, I will be posting these trip reports. Trip Report: Kauai, Hawaii Hotel Review: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Trip Report: Maui, Hawaii Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa Cost (Total for 2 travelers) : Transportation: $60 for gas in …

Airline Reviews Reviews Singapore Airlines

Airline Review – Singapore Airlines – First Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats): Hong Kong – San Francisco (SQ 2)

Flight:  Singapore Airlines SQ 2 from Hong Kong to San Francisco Duration: 12 hours 45 minutes Aircraft: B773(Boeing 777-300 ER) Class: First Seat: 1A-2K (Window-Window) Seat Specification: Flatbed seat (non-suite), Seat pitch: 71 “. Seat width: 35 ” One of our bucket-list items was to travel in First Class on a long-haul flight. Our return flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was originally booked on Cathay Pacific Business Class and I had wait-listed 2 seats on Singapore Airlines First Class from Hong Kong to San Francisco. The wait-list cleared only 10 days before travel date and I immediately ticketed the flight. I did have to pay 175$ for mileage redeposit …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

June 2016: Hong Kong Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on our flight from Osaka around noon. After clearing immigration, we proceeded to the Airport Express counter and booked discount package of 4 tickets from airport to Kowloon. The train ride from airport to Kowloon took less than an hour. After reaching Kowloon we took the complimentary shuttle to our hotel (Hyatt Regency Hong Kong). In the evening we decided to walk from the hotel to Hong Kong Cultural Center along Nathan Road. We passed by the notorious Chung King Mansions and exchanged some US dollars for local Hong Kong dollars. …

Hotel Reviews Hyatt Reviews

Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui

Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China Hyatt Regency Hong Kong is located in Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon district in Hong Kong. Located close to the very popular Nathan Road, is a good base for your travels while staying in Hong Kong. The hotel is also right opposite of the Tsim Sha Tsui (and Tsim Sha Tsui East) subway station which connects different tourist attractions of Hong Kong with this hotel. A free night at this hotel costs 15,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points. We stayed 2 nights at …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka

Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka 6-1-55, Uehonmachi, Tennoji-ku Osaka, Osaka 543-0001 Japan Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka is a SPG Category 3 hotel located next door to Osaka Uehommachi Train station. The hotel is also located right opposite of one of the exits of Tanimachikyuchome subway station (on Tanimachi line). Being located next to the subway station allows easy access to most of Osaka attractions. There is a KFC across the street from the hotel. There are quite a few dining options available on the Kinetsu department store located next door which shares its building with the Osaka Uehommachi Station. While checking in, …

Hotel Reviews IHG Reviews

Hotel Review: ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto

ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto Nijojo-Mae, Horikawa-Dori Nakagyo-Ku, Kyoto-shi Kyoto – 604-0055, Japan ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto is an IHG Hotels property located next to Nijo castle in Kyoto. A free night at this hotel costs 30,000 IHG points. The hotel is located about 3.5 km (10 minutes drive) from Kyoto station and provides a complimentary shuttle service to and from the station. The hotel is also located right next to Nijōjō-mae Station on Tozai subway line which connects this hotel to most of the sightseeing attractions of Kyoto. We arrived quite early around 11 AM and the room was not …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

June 2016: Osaka Trip Report

Day 1: We planned on taking a day trip to Nara on our first day in Osaka. Karen wanted to go see the deer park and me and my parents wanted to see the Todaiji temple so there was something for everyone. We took subway to Tennoji station and then took the JR line to Nara. After arriving in Nara we took the bus to Todaiji temple. There are plenty of buses that run on a loop in the town. The first thing you see while riding the bus are the deer all around the city – in the parks, gardens and …

Hotel Reviews Independent Reviews

Hotel Review: Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport is located just outside the airport terminal, connected with an over-bridge. For travelers arriving at this airport in late night flights or departing early morning flights, it is an excellent option for a one night stay. We arrived from our Tokyo Haneda flight around 10 pm and walked across the terminal and bridge to the hotel building. The reception is downstairs while the terminal level has a few dining establishments along with a grocery store. Check-in was quick and we made our way to the room. The room is fairly small but …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

May 2016: Kyoto Trip Report

Day 1: We stayed the previous night at Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport after arriving late night in Osaka. In the morning I went to the JR Train station outside the airport and grabbed the ICAOCA + Haruka combo ticket. One of the best deals in getting to Kyoto from Osaka/Kansai is the ICAOCA + Haruka combo ticket which costs 3600 JPY (approximately $36 USD) per person. This includes one-way trip from Kansai JR station to Kyoto JR station and a reloadable ICAOCA card with 2000 JPY (including a refundable deposit of 500 JPY). The Haruka Express train takes about 1 hour 20 minutes …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

May 2016: Tokyo Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Haneda International Airport on our flight from Beijing around 9 PM. After clearing immigration, we purchased Limobus tickets to Shinjuku area (where we were staying in Hilton Tokyo). Since there was not much traffic, so we reached our hotel within an hour. Day 2: It was raining and foggy early in the morning and we scrapped our plans to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Building because of poor visibility. Instead we took the subway to Asakusa. Arriving at Asakusa we walked towards Senso-ji Temple which is very close to the subway station. After leaving Exit 1 …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hilton Tokyo Shinjuku

Hilton Tokyo 160-0023, Shinjuku-ku, 6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku 6-Chome, Japan Hilton Tokyo Shinjuku is a Category 7 Hilton property located in the heart of Tokyo, just about 1 km from Shinjuku railway station. The Airport Limousine Bus stops right outside the door of the hotel and is a very convenient, hassle free way to get to this hotel from both Narita & Haneda International Airport. The hotel also provides a very frequent shuttle service to Shinjuku station. The hotel is also right next to Nishi Shinjuku subway station on Marunouchi line. On top of everything, the hotel is steps away from a Dennys restaurant …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

May 2016: Beijing Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport early evening. After a fairly quick immigration and customs check, we made our way to the airport taxi line. Our taxi driver did not speak any English at all but luckily I had requested our hotel concierge to email me a spelling of the hotel name and address in email which came very handy. After checking into the hotel, being very tired we went straight to bed. All the sightseeing was going to have to wait till next day !! Day 2: I had researched beforehand and found all the subway …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel

Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel 57 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District Beijing Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel is a Category 3 Marriott property located about 2 blocks from the famous Wangfujing Street. A free night at this hotel costs 15000 Marriott Rewards points. We had booked 2 rooms for 2 nights using Cash + Points (16,000 points + $130 USD per stay per room). Since neither Karen nor I have elite status with Marriott, there was no complimentary breakfast during our stay. Also the in-property dining options were very expensive compared to the city. There are plenty of dining options within 2-3 blocks of this …