It’s time to resume this trip report…hopefully this time I will get it done. You can see the links below to the published installments of the first half of the trip report below. Thank you for reading!
The time has finally arrived for me to unpack the trip of a lifetime I took last year to nine countries in Asia, including five nights in Nepal followed by five nights in Bhutan. This is going to be a massive trip report.
A First Class Trip To Asia, Including Magical Bhutan
My trip was built around flying the Singapore Airlines A380 in Suites Class from New York to Singapore via Frankfurt. Singapore now runs a 777-300 on that route and before that aircraft swap I was determined to give Suites Class a try on a flight long enough to enjoy it.
It is rare to find points space (148,500 Singapore KrisFlyer miles at the “Advatange” level) one-way, but if you find it, it represents one of the best deals out there in terms of points versus retail cost. This product costs over $12K one-way and routinely sells out.
I did not stop in Singapore on the way out, however, electing instead to continue to Bali. There I spent a week to begin the trip, before going home via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo. I was traveling with a friend who stayed behind while I went home (it is not possible to be away for several weeks at a time when you have a wife and kids at home…).
After a week at home, I flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia, via San Francisco, Taipei, and Singapore (the extra stop in Taipei was unplanned). We spent several nights in Siem Reap before flying to Kathmandu via Bangkok.
Kathmandu was interesting…I was very happy to visit…but the highlight of my time there and really of the whole trip was the helicopter ride to Mt. Everest.
We flew from Kathmandu to Paro and my five nights in Bhutan were simply incredible (and I truly wish I could have spent weeks here). I will take my family here…it was one of the most unique places I ever visited and I loved every moment of it beyond the very low speed limits.
Finally, we flew back to the USA via New Delhi and Dubai, sampling Air India and United’s flight to Newark.
This will be a very long report, but will be a fun one:
- JetBlue A321 Mint Class Los Angeles – New York (Redeye)
- Blade Charter From New York JFK To Manhattan
- Casa Cipriani Hotel New York – Junior Suite
- Singapore A380 Suites Class New York – Frankfurt
- Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt (FRA) Terminal B
- Singapore A380 Suites Class Frankfurt – Singapore
- Singapore Airlines Private Room Singapore (SIN)
- SilverKris First Class Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Singapore 787-10 Business Class Singapore – Bali
- Hyatt Regency Bali
- Andaz Bali
- Tegenungan Waterfall In Bali
- A Ritual Bath At Tirta Empul Temple In Bali
- I Finally Tried Civet Coffee (“Poop” Coffee)…
- Great Coffee In Bali
- Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay
- Garuda Indoneisa Lounge Bali (DPS)
- KLM 777 Business Class Bali – Singapore
- Great Coffee In Singapore
- A Trip To Seletar Airport + My Flight Simulator Experience In Singapore
- Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Qantas First Class Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Qantas Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- British Airways Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Qatar Airways Premium Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Cathay Pacific Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Malaysia Airlines 737-800 Business Class Singapore – Kuala Lumpur
- Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur
- Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
- Taco Bell in Kuala Lumpur
- My Massage Went Horribly Wrong In Kuala Lumpur…
- Malaysia Airlines Platinum Lounge Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
- Malaysia Airlines A350 Business Class Kuala Lumpur – Tokyo
- Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay
- JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo Haneda (HND)
- JAL 777-300 Business Class Tokyo – San Francisco
- American Airlines Admirals Club San Francisco (SFO)
- United’s Connection Saver Fails Me in SFO
- United 777-300 Polaris Business Class San Francisco – Taipei
- Plaza Premium Lounge + Hotel – Taipei (TPE)
- EVA Air Infinity Lounge Taipei (TPE)
- EVA 777-300 Economy Class Taipei – Singapore
- SilverKris Business Lounge Singapore (SIN)
- Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 Business Class Singapore – Siem Reap
- Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
- Park Hyatt Siem Reap
- Great Coffee In Siem Reap
- Exploring Angkor Wat
- Bangkok Airways ATR-72 Siem Reap – Bangkok
- Oman Air Lounge Bangkok (BKK)
- Turkish Airlines Lounge Bangkok (BKK)
- Nepal Airlines A330 Business Class Bangkok – Kathmandu
- Hyatt Regency Kathmandu
- The Dwarika’s Hotel Kathmandu
- Mt. Everest Helicopter Tour
- Photo Essay: Kathmandu
- Executive Lounge Kathmandu Airport (KTM)
- Drukair A320 Business Class Kathmandu – Paro
- Le Méridien Thimphu
- Six Senses Thimphu
- Photo Essay: Bhutan
- There Is No Cultural Appropriation In Bhutan
- Hiking To Tiger’s Nest
- Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary
- Indian Visa Scare At Paro International Airport
- Bhutan Airlines A320 Business Class Paro – New Delhi
- Air India Maharajah Lounge New Delhi (DEL)
- Air India 787-8 Business Class New Delhi – Dubai
- Grand Hyatt Dubai
- United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class Dubai – Newark
- United Airlines 777-200 Premium Plus Newark – San Francisco
I teased certain elements of the trip while on the ground, but now I am going to share every detail. Returning to Asia (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Taipei, Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan) was such a delight after a long pandemic-induced pause.
This looks like a great trip report. It reminds me of the good old days of running around Asia, and how I probably need to start doing that again. I’m looking forward to your perspective on Bhutan. Everyone talks about it as if is the greatest place they’ve ever visited, but for some reason, it has never appealed to me. Perhaps you’ll change my mind.
Bhutan is my top 5 country in the world, along with Seychelles, New Zealand, Mongolia and Oman 🙂
OK Lukas, I’ll bite- what was it about Mongolia that you liked so much? Not one that would have been on my radar to see.
@DC … he likes the Manul cat .
What? You mean Pallas’s cat? The grumpiest cat in Asia?
I don’t like places with lots of people and Mongolia being the least populated country in the world (5 people per square mile) fit the bill perfectly. When you drive, all you see are mountains, goats, horses, sheep and other wildlife. You could drive an hour on their major highway and not see another car. So if you are into nature, you’ll love it. I also spent 3 nights living with a local family in their yurt, so I took part in their daily life which I loved. Rode a horse, helped them cook and milk a cow… Lots of fun all around 🙂
That sounds like a great trip, Lukas
In the now most populous country in the world, I found a place in the mountains to go hiking for a few miles without seeing anybody for hours. Luckily I didn’t get shot by Indian or Pakistani security forces, although the military from one of those countries almost got me killed while I was riding a horse along a mountain-side road because military truck drivers in those parts couldn’t give a damn about anyone using the locals’ horses to try to get around. Fortunately, it was before the Israelis had tried to deliver to the Indians on Israeli border surveillance tech/service contracts.
For how long did you go riding a horse in Mongolia and how much distance did you cover by horse? I would find it interesting to follow a contemporary trip by just horse all the way from Mongolia to Hungary, but that is in a league of itself.
Looking forward to it. There’s some of my favorites in your synopsis as well as one or two I’m about to try for the first time. It’ll be interesting to get a fresh perspective.
You weren’t kidding when you said VERY LONG trip report. Can’t wait to read it!
Well it is 2 trips reports in one, sort of, given he spent a week at home during it…
Again looking forward to this trip report, and the Raffles review in particular.
Looking forward to it too, as I have hit several of the cities listed. Siem Reap and Kathmandu are two of the most memorable cities I have visited so looking forward to your take on each.
Good lord, that’s a long itinerary. This will be fun.
Look forward to reading about the highs (probably Everest literally and figuratively) and lows (maybe that Indian Visa scare?).
So weird just finished a trip to Bhutan, Cambodia and Vietnam (14 countries total) flying a lot of the same routes you were on…. what are the odds…
Wow how cool – I love the photo of you in the bed. Good to see you hydrating lol
Looking forward to so much of this! Planning to visit quite a few of these countries this year.
Wow that’s epic, looking forward to reading it!
This looks like it was a wonderful trip and I can clearly see that you had a good time. That said, when did you do this? It’s hard to stay plugged into your trip reports when we only get an installment every once in awhile over the course of several months, and have no idea when the trip actually took place. I have no sense of where you are or the chronology. I can see the enthusiasm and excitement and obvious care you put into your write-ups, but they’re hard to follow. Just trying to give some constructive criticism for readability and comprehension.
The Dwarika! That one I’m keen to hear about. I spent some time at the sister hotel – the Resort in Dhulikhel. Very unique.
No need to review MH 737 flight.
Really, no need.
So when do we get that LOONG trip report posted? #AskingforaFriend!
Soon. I want to get the Turkish Airlines report out quickly. Was a fun couple days in Istanbul too.
But I’ve been dragging on this big Asia report from last year. Need to get that out too.
I have not yet been to Bhutan but I have met members of the ruling Wangchuck family from the top down in both Delhi and DC.