In the planning process for my trip to Uzbekistan with MIR Corporation in December 2019, I insisted that a portion of my journey involved a domestic flight with Uzbekistan Airways. I knew I was flying Turkish Airlines into Uzbekistan but given the cheap domestic fares and opportunity to fly on a rare airline, I simply…
Category: wanderlust
Bread, Cognac, and Plov On the Silk Road: Discovering Uzbekistan
In times like these where we are mostly locked indoors and confined to our homes, for me catching up on my blogging and revisiting recent trips has been quite therapeutic. Hopefully this gives you a small dose to cure any wanderlust itch you may be feeling and maybe inspire your post-COVID19 travels, if travel is…
Review: Dinner at Raan Jay Fai, Bangkok
Background Following my trip to Nepal, I had an overnight layover in Bangkok. When I booked my stay at the fantastic Rosewood Bangkok I had asked the concierge to assist in booking at table at Raan Jay Fai, the now world famous Michelin-starred, goggle wearing Thai street food queen. The restaurant opens reservation 2 months…
Discovering Nepal with Beyul Experiences and Happy House
Note: This post is longer and more descriptive/detailed than my usual posts. For general Nepal travel tips, scroll to the bottom. “Most foreigners are familiar with the Sherpas only through their fame as load bearers and guides for mountaineering expeditions, yet such work is a recent and superficial aspect of their culture. When we put…
24 Hours in Oslo, Norway
In early November my friend and I ventured out to Oslo, Norway for a short weekend getaway. Oslo is a beautiful city and the gateway to Norway’s fantastic natural wonders. However, winter travels in Oslo makes for limited museum hours and early sunsets, and it is evident Oslo is used by travelers as a start…
Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 First Class Baku-Frankfurt- Washington DC
I had the great opportunity to fly Lufthansa First Class on my return from my short trip to explore Baku, Azerbaijan over labor day. Note: feel free to skim or skip the text all together and just browse pictures. Again, all menu pictures will be at the end. Summary: 100% would recommend Lufthansa First Class,…
24 Hours in a City of Contrasts: Baku, Azerbaijan
Introduction and Food for Thought The Lonely Planet guide to Baku put it the best, “Azerbaijan’s capital Baku (or Bakı in Azeri) is the architectural love child of Paris and Dubai…albeit with plenty of Soviet genes floating half-hidden in the background.” The secular Sunni Islamic country has seen Medieval times with the Shirvanshah dynasty (an…
Review: Capella Shanghai JianYeLi
At the tail end of a recent trip to Shanghai, my family met up with me and we opted to book with The Capella Shanghai Jian Ye Li. Located in the XuHui district in and around the French Concession of Shanghai, The Capella Shanghai has taken basically an entire old Shanghai Shikumen town village and…
Vinegar, Noodles and Banks: PingYao Ancient City, Shanxi, China
In August I ventured to PingYao Ancient City located in the Shanxi Province of China. PingYao has one of, if not the only, best preserved walled cities from the Ming/Qin Dynasties. It is also where China’s banking system first began. It is also home to the best and most fully preserved Ming Dynasty government centers/…
Review: Sanctuary Cap Cana Adult All-Inclusive, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
In July my friends and I ventured down to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a relaxing weekend getaway. Yes, the Punta Cana that in recent months has been in the sensationalist American media spotlight for the string of coincidental deaths and tainted alcohol. This in turn has made Punta Cana light on the number of…
Review: Belmond The Royal Scotsman “Scotland’s Classic Splendours” Journey
At the end of May over Memorial Day weekend I set off to Scotland for the fist time. My 7 day 6 night journey included 1.5 days in Edinburgh, 1 day playing golf at St. Andrews Links in St. Andrews, and the main event: the 4 night 5 day Belmond Royal Scotsman “Scotland’s Classic Splendours”…
Maya Beach Hotel and Scuba Diving in Placencia, Belize
Over Easter weekend this year I ventured down to Placencia, Belize to squeeze in some Scuba Diving. Belize is a small Central American country known for its jungles, Mayan ruins and most famously its marine life. Belize is at the core of the world’s second largest barrier reef, and largest one in the Western hemisphere….
TheGastronomicTraveler 