Back in March I had a trip back to Taipei. In January I started looking for flights and ways to get back. I came across a KLM business class deal exit London to east Asia thanks to God Save the Points. I ended up booking a multi-city roundtrip ticket for 1478 pounds (approx USD $1800…
Category: review
Half-Day in Ghent, Belgium and 1898 The Post Hotel
As part of my three-day weekend over Martin Luther King day, I ventured to Beligum. I spent the first half in the Northwest city of Bruges. I then spent the next half in Ghent, which is right in between Bruges and Brussels. One of the only things I knew about Ghent before coming is that…
Dinner at Gaggan, Bangkok: Pushing the Boundaries of Stereotypes
My 2019 culinary adventures started off with quite a bang (literally so many dishes exploded with flavors and textures at this restaurant) at Bangkok’s Gaggan, 2018 World’s #5 and Asia’s #1 restaurant. Headed by Indian Chef Gaggan Anand, Gaggan has shown the world that Indian food is complex, historic and can be refined and is…
Review: Thai Airways 747 Royal First Class SYD-BKK-HND
I kicked off my 2019 air travel experience with Thai Airways in Royal First Class aboard their 747s from Sydney to Bangkok to Tokyo Haneda. This allowed me to experience both types of 747 first class products that Thai Airways has on offer. One is the newer “suite” style first class with only 9 seats…
Review: The new Singapore Airlines A380 Suites SIN-ZRH, a Thanksgiving miracle
Overall: Incredible experience. By far the best suites product I’ve flown. Etihad comes very close, and Emirates A380 suites doesnt even come close except for their bar and shower (and now I have to find a way to try the new fully enclosed suites on their 777s). The suites were so beautiful, completely understated and…
Review: Six Senses Duxton, Singapore
I just returned from another whirlwind around the world journey through Asia. This time the trip included stops in cities I had not been back to in years including Tokyo and Singapore. For my one-night stop in Singapore, I chose to stay the the brand new Six Senses Duxton. Located on Duxton Road occupying a…
24 Hours in St. Lucia: Boucon by Hotel Chocolate Review
On the last weekend of September I flew down to the West Indies island nation of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. I have always wanted to visit this island with the picturesque Piton mountains and the world famous Jade Mountain Resort, the internet famous resort where each open-air room has an infinity pool overlooking the…
Review: Toberua Island Resort, Fiji
Bula! Fiji Bula, the ubiquitous greeting and Fijian word for Hello, yet it seemingly embodies more than just a simple “hi, how are you?” It is the spirit of the South Pacific archipelago island nation of Fiji. Bula is a robust and burly word yet it also so soft, mellow and welcoming and that is…
Dinner at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana
The summer evening of Saturday August 25, 2018 in Modena, Italy was to become one of the most surreal and unforgettable ones of my life. It would be the night, with a massive stroke of luck, that I, after two previous failed attempts at securing a reservation and giving up on the waitlist, clear the…
[2021 COVID Update] Taiwanese Carrier Face-off: Eva Air (BR) v. China Airlines (CI)
Taiwan has two major international full-service carriers: China Airlines and EVA Air (E-V-A Airways). China Airlines is the oldest and was partly started by Madame Chiang Kai Shek, Eva Air is privately owned and only just 20 years old but has since put itself on the map as a top international carrier, it was also…
Review: Emirates 77W & A380 First Class Muscat-Dubai-Washington D.C.
Overall: Amazing bar, shower, mattress pad and alcohol selection. Mediocre service (on DXB-IAD sector). Disappointing lounge and onboard food. I definitely enjoyed this experience and say it was worth the points and taxes/fees I splurged on the ticket. Emirates’ first class suites are by now considered “classic” but in 2003 it revolutionized First Class commercial air…
Muscat, Oman
Oman In May I had the chance to visit Oman, a country on the Southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Oman is enchantingly mysterious, rooted in its heritage and traditions, proud of its culture yet inviting to everyone. I really enjoyed Oman and together with Jordan, it is one of my favorite countries in the Middle…
TheGastronomicTraveler 