Celebrating 1 year this week!

One year ago today Carrie and I got married. Since then we’ve gotten to see many incredible places together. Many people I know and have met claim that the travel life killed/nearly killed their marriage from always being away but we’ve been able to do everything together. The other day I said, “the longest we’ve been apart is that time you went on a run alone,” and everyone laughed. But I was serious, we’re together 24/7 and have been at least for the last 8 months and it’s been more than amazing.

It’s been an incredible year not just because of our travels but because of our companionship. We’re together every moment and I can’t imagine it any other way. There’s no one else I want to be around more.

Carrie is the type of extravert that wants to know everything about everyone and somehow becomes close friends to everyone she meets. She cares deeply for others and is especially concerned for the poor and needy. When we started our marriage, somehow a system was naturally adopted where all the cash went in my wallet and all the coins when into the pouch that dangles from her purse. Big mistake, as between subways and average spending she can accumulate a lot money in coins in a short amount of time. And as I charge ahead on sidewalks through cities I can guarantee when I pass a begging person or someone homeless that when I look back all the coins in that pouch will be emptied out into someone else’s hands. Sometimes it agitates me slightly to see how much money was in her pouch and then it’s completely humbling to learn the lesson she teaches everyday. She teaches me how to be giving in many ways.

She teaches compassion, kindness and love to everyone, including me. I’ve never met anyone ask kind as her and it’s hard to believe I snagged her. :-p

We’re celebrating our 1 year in Fiji and I was able to snag a week + at the InterContinental Fiji during PointBreaks. 5,000 points a night for a $400 a night hotel. Not a bad place to be.

148 days of flying.

Our last flight was exactly a month ago but tomorrow we hit the lounges air once again. Actually things don’t really pick up until the end of April. Then our schedule is a little more hectic. Starting April 26 we start the following trip:

Days 1-69: 15 international flights. An average of 1 international flight per 4.6 days. But to be fair we spend less than 6 hours in Seoul and less than 3 hours in Melbourne.

Days 70-93: We set foot on our third continent and have 5 domestic flights. Keeping the average of 4.6 days per flight, this time domestic. (I had to do my math twice on that… I guess we like few places more than 5 days worth).

Days 94-147: We set foot on the fourth continent of the trip. This is the part of the trip where we meet up with some friends and visit Easter Island and Machu Picchu. So far 4 flights booked but we’ll see as time gets closer.

Day 148 brings us back to the USA. (I think by then it will be back to the 4.6  day average for a short while).

So tomorrow is kind of a big day. It’s not “day 1” in the trip listed above but today was our last day to be at a place that is as much like home as we’ve had in a while. As you can imagine, I think we miss having roots. Though we’ll probably work it out to have quasi-roots. A hub if you will. We miss our friends and we need more time with our family. It’s not that we desire being stationary… we don’t. We desire some sort of community. 2013 might not stray from the 4.6 days but it will involve a lot more home time. Home being where though?

How to get 25 cents per Mile.

I am very very proud of this routing. Explaining it will have to be done in a series but this is proof it can be done.

Basically I worked two things here: 1) I noticed that to fly between two Oceania locations only costs 12,500 miles and 20,000 in business class. Which is insane because Oceania covers most of the Pacific and there are rarely direct flights. So in order to go from one to the other you have to be routed through Asia and Australia. and 2) You can create a stopover AND an open-jaw on round-trip flights using United miles.

My dream route was born and this week I booked it. A flight that would be 9,000 miles direct, is instead 26,000 miles with my added stops in Business Class for a 60 hours long series of flights.

What is the route?

• Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands to Seoul, South Korea (on Asian Airlines’ 767 Business Class).
• Seoul to Singapore (on Singapore Airlines’ Airbus 330-300 Business Class).

A legal layover is less than 24 hours so I have a layover in Singapore from 6am to midnight. A place that we’ve wanted to see but didn’t feel the need to spend a lot of time in, so it works out.

• Singapore to Melbourne (on Singapore Airlines’ 777-300er Business Class (their newest plane)).
• Melbourne to Auckland (on Air New Zealand’s 777-300er Business Premier Class).

We’ll spend exactly 3 weeks in New Zealand, the officially allowed stopover. It will be May/June: their winter. If you have any suggestions, let me know. We really have few plans for there yet, but are considering a flight to Queenstown.

• Auckland to Rarotonga, Cook Islands (on Air New Zealand’s 777-200 Business Premier Class).

2 weeks in the Cook Islands, our official destination.

• Rarotonga to Sydney (on Air New Zealand’s 767-300 Business Class).

Spend the night in Sydney.

• Sydney to Bangkok (on Thai Airways’ 747-400 Business Class).

Made a 5 hour layover because I hear really good things about their lounge and because business class passengers get a 30 minute massage in the lounge. We’ll take our time.

• Bangkok to Tokyo (on Thai Airways’ A330 Business Class).

Then we are suppose to continue to Guam but read through the lines here.

You may have noticed that the open-jaw was not really utilized as I’m not going to Guam (again) but it helped me get routed through Tokyo. The original plan was to fly into Sydney and continue on from Melbourne but we opted to use our stopover in New Zealand. Instead the open-jaw is to return to Guam instead of Saipan.

Needless to say, we are excited! This was all one ticket but I just booked a few to get to Saipan. Which includes Saigon, Hong Kong, Tokyo, some amazing hotels (stay tuned) and my first Cathay First Class flight (and my fourth international Cathay flight).  Over 60 hours of flying in two months.

To prove how valuable this ticket is, below is a quote from Kayak for a similar flight. Even this isn’t quite as valuable because 1) The route is a little dumbed down, (I didn’t put in Bangkok or Japan for example). And 2) Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Air New Zealand are consistently ranked as 3 of the top business class airlines in the world. The quote from Kayak was mostly United and Korean Air. We’re comparing apples and prunes here.

$10,000 divided by 40,000 miles = 25 cents per mile.

Not every reward has this kind of value but it’s certainly my goal. As you can imagine, there will be a follow up post.

Trip Review: Sri Lanka

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Looking back, our days in Sri Lanka were as unique as a traveler would hope for. From political riots to local festivals, we had a truly Sri Lankan experience.

Though, we also had the tourist experience; people are waiting to squeeze a tourist for every dime of course. Though we had people treat us very kindly too. A woman on the long bus ride shared her food. We didn’t speak a word in the other’s native tongue but we ate together none the less. Though by far the most hospitality shown to us there was a girl who saw us looking for a place to eat and invited us into her home. Every family member came into the living to test their english or, at least watch us eat. The girl gave my wife some of her best clothes and even though we didn’t feel comfortable taking them, she insisted.

An evening with a local family certainly was a peaceful ending to our day but it didn’t represent the rest of the day. First thing in the morning, I asked about renting a jeep (with self safari in mind). The hotel manager had a friend who could help, as always. Yet, after an hour in our room the hotel manager came to our room to inform us that his friend couldn’t make it. “You see, the government raised petrol 35 rupees a liter and the fisherman are on strike.” He began. One can not help but wonder where in the world he was going. My eyes squinted and ears tuned in, I listened, but was slightly confused. “And you see, today they continued there protest by blocking the roads. The buses can not run. You can not leave today. Maybe tomorrow.”

Now I’m no fool. People have tried to pull some fast ones on me in Asia and I’ve learned the key is to listen. Just let them talk. “So you are telling me I have to stay here? Riiight. Will the roads be open in the morning?”

“It is hard to say but I think so. In the morning you can try to go.” He answered.

After a few minutes I still couldn’t figure it out. An unbelievable story if I ever heard one. So I left the room to walk down the street in hopes of asking a more credible source.

I found what I was looking for. Why not ask the angry mob shutting down the roads? Who could be more credible? The man wasn’t lying; every road was blocked and no one was let through! No more contributing to the President’s monopoly. The fisherman of Negombo were the first to protest and they did all day. It was the talk of Sri Lanka our entire trip. They were extremely friendly to us and even posed for our camera at times. The mob was angry but gentle. They let through only fathers on mopads to bring back their kids from school (in one trip!). The only violence was an act of the police in the morning. We just missed it, but it seemed they used a little tear gas. I’m glad I missed that part I guess but it sure was an exciting day.

We moved on to visit the beautiful beaches of the south and of course a Sri Lanka safari. Dozens of Peacocks, deer and buffalo we constantly spotted, scattered with the occasional elephant, crocodile and we even saw a leopard. The trip set us back $80 because there’s no way to pay for that with points. (Though I did try to barter, offers of graphic design but the $80 I think was the better choice for us). Well worth the money though.

After relocating to Trincomalee in the north east on what was the worst train ride I ever had, we landed in our beach town during the most unique of festivals. Tricomalee is already a unique place. Its beauty has made it a local hot spot, but only recently. After all, Trinco was in the middle of the worse parts of the civil war that ended only a few years ago. It was definitely a highlight to visit it.

In our first of five days we befriended the two German travelers next door in our hotel. Besides lounging around, eating and good conversation we joined in the festival. Once a year in Trincomale, the local god of the people (in the form of an idol) is placed on a jeep and paraded around the city to bless the people. Every night, all night, for five nights. The goal is to hit every street (except the few muslim streets) and bless everyone who wants to receive. The big tradition is the smashing of coconuts. It’s for good luck but it is mostly done by women who want children. I was told, “if the coconut breaks it is good luck and the coconut is broken like us.” I’m not 100% sure what the analogy was but I nodded with conviction. Live music blasted from the back of another jeep that led the parade as it gained momentum. People would break their coconut and follow. Til 5 am it grew and grew. Hundreds of people, with hundreds of fireworks and coconuts. What a mob. It was incredible but as incredible as it was, we lost steam around 2 am. We don’t party as hard as Hindus I guess.

You may remember my complications leaving the country as I mixed AM and PM, missing my flight by quite a few hours. By the time we got to Bangkok I was ready for our reserved Marriott and Radisson. After all, the last hotel was possibly the worst I ever had. The first time I went to use the sink it had a delay. It was more like a cough really, but the sink recovered after it spit up a black ball or too. Which is gross enough but made worse by the realization that the sink pipes drained onto my feet. Yes, on my feet. That’s the half of it.

While there aren’t any major hotel chains there except Hilton (and that’s only in Colombo), any major alliance can fly there, I’m sure. If you want to go, collect miles not hotel points. It’s worth it. It is a genuinely different experience. Though I warn, many people go to the same places and have different experiences. I think people mostly want to follow their guide book and aren’t as willing to venture where the locals go. If you are willing, Sri Lanka is truly authentic.

Photos by Caroline Macomber

JW Marriott Bangkok Review

The JW Marriott Bangkok has drawn me back again for my second stay in the last month. Based on its high quality of service and luxurious decor, it’s no surprise that it is listed in this year’s  “The Worlds Best Hotels” in Travel + Leisure . While my wife and I also enjoyed the Renaissance here in Bangkok, and while the Renaissance is similar in price, I headed straight for the JW Marriott Bangkok for my last stay of this quarter’s promotion.

Perhaps the features that set the JW apart from the Renaissance may seem small, like the balcony in the lounge for instance.  However there are also a few “not-so-small” things like the “health club”. Both hotels have fitness rooms, spas, pools and saunas but the JW’s is bigger and better. The locker room is a small labyrinth that includes a hot tub, sauna and steam room, each of which is spacious and, on this occasion, all-to-myself. One can even enjoy the locker room’s entertainment lounge complete with comfortable seating and a television. The hotel is wonderful.

For our second stay I asked for a room upgrade and got just that. “Let me check… you’ll have a corner room -it’s a long room. Is that okay?” To call this room “a long room” was no exaggeration. The closet itself was big enough for a bed. Though my upgrade did not result in a suite, with hardwood floors and dark mahogany doorways, I couldn’t ask for a nicer standard upgrade.

As a Marriott standard procedure, Platinum members are escorted to the executive lounge to complete check-in. The fine print says that all our Platinum extras are meant to include two people and that a third guest may be allowed into the lounge at an extra cost. However, this was not the case with us. Seeing that we had a guest  joining my wife and I, the staff welcomed all three of us into the lounge and welcomed each of us to their amenities. Perhaps a hotel can be judged on how well they treat their guest’s guest.

A stay at the category 5 JW Marriott Bangkok will cost roughly 25,000 Marriott Points or about $270 for a standard double.

Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit review & using Club Carlson points wisely

Radisson has impressed me once again. Yes, it helps that they upgraded me to the biggest room on the property but regardless, it is a quality operation.

Although Radissons are generally more than $100 less than the 5 star hotels in the area, they still give the 5 star treatment and have a hotel that looks and feels like a 5 star hotel. Even though rooms start at $100, the Radisson Suites Sukhumvit Bangkok is much nicer than the competitors in the price range. If that is your budget, there is no comparison.

The separate master bedroom had its own full bathroom attached.

When I check in, the staff tells me how nice it is that I’m a Gold member and they escort me to my room and show me around. I love it. When I checked in at The Park Plaza Sukhumvit they barely noticed me. Hotels should treat their customers like the Radisson did. The funny thing is, they very casually told me that I had the biggest room in the hotel when I asked about it. Were they going to tell?

The room was huge and modern. We had a guest, so having an extra bathroom was appreciated. In the living room there was a wireless keyboard on the coffee table and the flat screen tv turned into a computer with the press of a button. The majority of the room was the living area: dining room, living room, “kitchenette” and an office. However, the bedroom and master bath alone was bigger than the room at The Park Plaza Sukhumvit. So much open space just in our bed room. I expect this at a suite at the Hyatt, not the Radisson. Impressed.

You can't see it but they have our names on the screen.

One other plus from a points junkie: they let me use my points for their suite at no extra cost. At most hotels you can either redeem your points for a nicer room at a steep cost or there is no option for anything but a standard room with your points. But with Club Carlson points they just charged a flat 38,000 points for any room in this hotel and there happened to be a suite available. No-brainer, right?

A lot of hotels now do not upgrade elite members from standard rooms to suites. Same with Club Carlson. However, if there is room, you can redeem your points for a suite and then you’ll receive the nicest available suite. If I had booked a standard room I would have received the nicest non-suite room.

The little "kitchenette".

38,000 points is a lot considering how cheap the hotel is normally but the suite option sold me and obviously it ended up being worth it.

Earlier this year I did a status match from Hyatt to Club Carlson (who owns Radisson) and they gave me Gold. Gold is earned after 35 nights and is one rung below concierge. When I emailed them I told them that I wasn’t interested in Silver, I specifically said that I wanted a status match to Gold status.

Currently Club Carlson is running a triple points promo. You already earn 20 points per dollar, so with this promo it’s 60 points per dollar! If you status match to Gold, Gold members get a 50% bonus (now 70 points per dollar I believe) and 2,000 points for booking online. A $100 stay would earn 9,000 points, enough for one night at a category 1 hotel. Suddenly the suite is a little more justifiable, right?

I think the Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit is an extremely fair price, and using 38,000 points is worth it if the suites are available for redemption. Make sure you status match something in advance (I’ve shared how to get free Hilton Gold and Accor Platinum). It’s a great hotel and I wish I could have stayed longer.

The dining room.