My travel map for the USA… Could I tick an extra state off that list? – Image: TravBuddy.com
Each year I set some travel goals for myself; that way throughout all the craziness that may happen during the year, I have a guideline of the things I want to see or do. OshKosh was on my list, as well as my trip home to Australia back in April. I was able to complete those and needed some additional challenges.
I realized fairly late in the year, after returning from New Zealand, that I had left a goal off my list. Being new to living in the USA, I want to see more of this country that I now call home. I had set a goal to add at least one more state to my list of those visited (I was sitting at 42 and I decided that I wanted to make it to at least 43 by the new year).
My colleagues at Airline Reporter found out about this and thought they would have a bit of fun with it. I could check off a state, but I had to do it for less than $100 and make a whole weekend out of it. I accepted the challenge.
An ERJ is not the most luxurious aircraft to take an international flight on, but it works.
I have wanted to get something off my chest for a while: I used my Passport for the first time ever in 2010. It is a bit embarrassing to admit that, but I hope I can motivate some of you to travel.
When I was a kid, I had a Passport, but never used it. Then, I didn’t get another one until I was almost 30. Now, I had been to every state in the US by the time I was an adult and had visited Canada and Mexico, but never flew internationally. I had a few opportunities, but wasn’t really motivated to take the trip.
My first international flight, was on a Continental ERJ-145 from Houston to Mazatlan, Mexico in May 2010. My second international flight was from San Fransisco to Toronto on a Virgin American Airbus A320 in July 2010. Some might argue that both of those flights are barely international and I somewhat agree. My first flight out of North America was from Los Angeles to Tokyo on a ANA Boeing 777 in October 2010 (on my 30th birthday actually).
Spending 20 hours in economy on my way home from Rwanda wasn’t the best experience, but TOTALLY worth it.
Since then, I have filled my Passport up quite nicely with trips to Singapore, Rwanda, Frankfurt, Dubai, London, Chile and a second trip to Tokyo.
So why am I admitting all this? To hopefully convince those of you who have dreamed of flying internationally, to take the plunge and do it. I know that most of you reading my blog have probably already taken the plunge, but for those who have not done it in a while or never before, let me tell you that it is worth the effort.
Yes, I am very lucky where many of those trips I did not have to spend much of my own money. But, I still have to pay for some things and had to pay quite a bit for my recent trip to London. That is because once I got the taste of travel, I have changed the way I spend and save my money to allow me to go on future trips. Do I need a fancy car? Nah, I rather drive one that isn’t so fancy and save that money for travel.
Getting out of the house might means you get to ski in the middle of a desert. Indoor skiing in Dubai.
Before my first international experience (outside of North America) I have to admit that I was a bit scared and did not know what to expect. Especially, when my first real experience was heading to Japan, where I do not know the language. But the world has become global and with a little work, one can normally find someone who knows English or willing to figure things out with pointing to things.
I also really think the smart phone has made traveling so much easier. I am constantly using my iPhone to translate signs, look up where I am going and even to communicate with others. It has made going to a foreign land, so much easier (and less scary) to navigate, even for the novice.
I challenge you — make a plan to take a flight somewhere. If you have not traveled internationally before, no matter your age, do not be afraid to admit it. You will find people will want to help give you advice and motivate you to go on an adventure.
Start out easy. Go to a country that shares your native language. BTW, Big Ben is not THAT big.
I am by no means a travel expert, but there are plenty of people and resources to use out there. I hope to be the cheerleader to push you to explore the world. Unfortunately most of my trips are just a few days and I am not able to get a full taste of the culture, but there is no question that my travel has opened my eyes to new thoughts and ideas that have changed and enriched my life.
So, now that I have admitted that to all of you, I would like to know where are your favorite places to visit around the world and why? I need to start planning a future trip.
The Burj Al Arab is hard to miss and is beautiful, even on the outside.
Dubai is known for going to the extreme. Just being there feels like a big enough adventure, but if you want to take it to the next level, then you have to stay at the Burj Al Arab. You might know this hotel better as, “the only seven star hotel in the world.”
Actually, no official guide or rating agency has given the hotel its famous “seven star rating.” While taking the tour, I was told that the hotel has never advertised that, nor do they actually support its usage. It was a journalist who coined the phrase a long time ago and it has stuck. Surely, the saying can’t hurt the Burj Al Arab’s reputation.
Once entering the The Burj Al Arab, be sure to look up for an amazingly rainbow view.
Not just anyone can get in the front door. There is a security gate, probably about a quarter of a mile from the hotel’s front door, and you need to show you have a room reservation to get through. If you want exclusive — this is it.
Luckily for me, when I recently visited Dubai, I was given a tour of the Burj Al Arab and just had to share what I experienced.
Al Muntaha Restaurant at the Burj Al Arab has an amazing view of the Palm Islands.
Construction on the Burj Al Arab started in 1994 and was completed in 1999. It is the fourth largest hotel in the world, at 1,053 feet. The design of the building was meant to mimic a sail and it has become an iconic symbol for Dubai.
When first walking inside, you are greeted by dancing fountains and escalators that have large fish takes for walls. Make sure to look up and check out the 590 foot atrium that is in the lobby (maybe don’t do that if you have vertigo).
The Al Mahara Restaurant at Burj Al Arab might has the coolest view I have ever seen.
The hotel might be large, but there are not that many rooms — only 202. That is because each room is its own two-story suite, ranging in size from 1,800 square feet to 8,400 square feet.
There are two restaurants in the hotel; one up high and one down low. The Al Muntaha restaurant is found up top and provides amazing views of the Persian Golf and the Palm Islands.
I figured that view would be hard to beat, but in my opinion, the Al Mahara (which has no windows to the outside) has a more impressive view.
If you are afraid of heights — do not look down from the top floor. There are 25 floors down and three main levels you can see.
That is because every table has a view of the 350,000 cu feet of water aquarium with a wide variety of fish swimming around. No, you can’t point to a fish and order it, but you are able to enjoy the free show of fish swimming around during your meal.
When heading to the rooms, each floor has its own concierge desk. Help is always close at hand to assist with anything that you might need. There are even butlers available 24 hours if you need one.
The big mistake I made was first looking at the Royal Suite before looking at one of the smaller ones. If I had looked at one of the smaller ones first, I most likely would have been blown away, but after viewing one of the largest and extravagant hotel rooms I have ever seen, anything else was going to pale in comparison.
What a sight. A main stair case when you first walk into the Royal Suite.
The Royal Suite is just ridiculous. I couldn’t help but think how anyone could ever need to stay in a room like that. Although at the same time, I really wanted to stay in a room like that.
The colors, the decor, pretty much everything was over the top — including the price of about $20,000.00 per night. That probably sounds like too much money for mostof us, but realize that a first class ticket from Seattle to Dubai on Emirates is going to cost you about $15,000.00. If you are bringing someone to enjoy Dubai with you, that is $30,000.00. Now, a $20,000.00 per night room doesn’t sound so crazy does it? (okay, it still does to me).
The Royal Suite has a very large (and colorful) dining room.
When walking into one of the two Royal Suites, located on the top floor, you are welcomed by a staircase — to go up or down? Or heck, if you don’t feel like taking the stairs, the room has its own elevator to go between floors.
The first floor has a huge dining room, study, living room, and a large Arabic majlis style lounge.
The office in the Burj Al Arab Royal Suite.
If you are color blind, you are missing out on seeing all the vibrant pinks and yellows and gold (lots and lots of gold) that is in the room. Heck, even the TV is painted in gold — boo ya (see the photo gallery below)!
There is also a kitchen downstairs and if you want to have a cook come in to fix you something, no worries about them having to use the front door, the “help” have their own private entrance directly into the kitchen.
One of two master beds in the suite.
Upstairs are two very spacious master bedrooms. Each with their own sitting area and enormous bathroom. I am pretty sure that the bathroom (with full walk in shower and jetted tub with columns) was bigger than my first apartment.
One of the master baths.
My eyes were hurting a little bit after leaving the Royal Suite. I could see where some might like the color scheme, but I am not much of a pink/yellow/gold guy and those colors were quite popular.
I have been in many nice hotels and settings, but this one actually made me feel a bit out of place, being so large and costly. Not that I wouldn’t be willing to try and get used to such accommodations.
Probably my favorite sitting area in the Royal Suite.
Honestly, after leaving the Royal Suite and looking at a smaller room, I forgot to take photos. I was pretty much like it just didn’t matter anymore after seeing the larger room.
Although the suite can set you back $20,000.00 per night, the smallest rooms start at about $1000.00 per night, which isn’t totally unreasonable.
Cigar and scotch bar in the Burj Al Arab.
At a hotel like this, you can expect some high-end service. They offer a fleet of Rolls-Royce cars to take you around town, but that might be too “common” for some folks. They also offer helicopter transfers, as well as scenic tours from the air. More common is the access to the Assawan Spa and Health club, a private beach, a kid’s room and much more.
Much like Dubai itself, the Burj Al Arab is a unique experience that is hard to find anywhere else. I was not able to have the opportunity to stay the night in the hotel (only the tour), but I would imagine with the number of hotel employees I saw everywhere, the customer service experience would match up well with the product.
VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THE BURJ AL ARAB HOTEL IN THE GALLERY BELOW OR ON MY FLICKR
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The Merlion represents Singapore's history as a fishing town.
Previously, I have not written a destination story before. I have had some pretty great opportunities, but always concentrated on the airline side of things. That makes sense, since this is an airline blog, not a travel blog, but I decided to try and do something a little different . I have found that most people who enjoy airlines, also have a love of travel — so, it sort of makes sense.
I love to travel, but I do not consider myself a travel expert. This story gives a newbie-perspective on traveling to Singapore for the first time. I spent five days there with a few journalists, Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board and figured I should share some of my main take-a-ways.
English is King
Almost everyone speaks and almost everything is in English in Singapore. It isn’t just the touristy places either, but almost everywhere you go. I have been told before, “lots of people speak English there,” but it has never been more true.
Part of me was really excited that so much was in English, but another part wished it seemed a bit more foreign.
Singapore most likely won't give you culture shock, but if you are looking for culture, you can still find it in Little India, Little China and Arab Street. This is a shot of a flower necklace maker in Little India.
English is one of Singapore’s official languages (Malay, Chinese and Tamil are the others). One reason English is so prevalent is Singapore didn’t break way from the United Kingdom until 1963.
If you are not well-traveled internationally, this is a great place to get your feet wet. It provides a great spring board to other Asian destinations.
The Changi Airport Rocks
I know for most people the airport is just a means to an end, but in Singapore, it is part of the destination. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to check out the airport , but I was given enough information to know that I really want to go back with some additional time on my hands. Yeah, it has 100 airlines going to about 200 cities worldwide, but that is not as cool as having the largest slide in an airport called “The Slide @ T3.” Be sure to give yourself some time to explore everything that Changi Airport offers.
Bring Shorts
Okay, this is a bit embarrassing, but if I can stop others from making the same mistake, it will be worth it — bring shorts.
Although I had some of the best food of my life while in Singapore, a much cheaper experience is going to one of the many public food markets.
Really, it is a bigger lesson about learning a bit more about the location to which you are going. I am one of those that enjoys to be told where I need to be when I start a trip and the rest will figure itself out. Well, it turns out that Singapore is only 85 miles away from the equator and I packed with business casual clothes.
When on blog-travel, I try to keep looking professional, but not bringing shorts was a HUGE mistake. I knew it was going to be hot, but I did not realize how humid it was going to be. If you somehow forget shorts when you travel there, don’t look in the resort areas. Cheapest I could find was $100 (you do not want to know the most expensive). I ended up getting some from a street vendor for $10 — deal! The moral of this story is pack for everything and check the weather reports (duh, right?).
Eat, Rest, Repeat
One of the best parts of vacation is being able to eat great food and relax. This seems like a way of life in Singapore — they aren’t afraid to eat. I am not sure how so many people are so healthy, but I love the food. There were so many great food options, it was hard to choose. From street vendors to world renowned restaurants, you cannot go wrong. Singapore really has a unique combination of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian influences in their food.
Even though I got to experience some of the most amazing food ever at places like Blu on Singapore Shangri-La’s 27th floor, nothing beats walking through a public food court and choosing from foods I had no idea what they were. From full duck heads to “shark nuggets” It is a wonderful experience, if you are not afraid of your food.
We were lucky since our trip matched up with the 18th annual Singapore Food Festival. This year’s theme was spice and they did not fail to deliver.
Little China offered many small shop options.
The Rules Are Not That Strict
I think one of the stereotypes that most Americans hear about Singapore are that the law are super strict. There is a fear that if you break one law, you will receive severe consequences. That is not the case.
On the way over, people were making jokes about chewing gum. It turns out that it is not illegal to chew gum, but it is illegal to buy or sell it. Lucky for me, since I had a pack in my bag, but decided not to chew it.
The strict rules mean that Singapore is quite safe. In some places, there was trash and graffiti, but everywhere we went, I never questioned safety.
Get Off the Beaten Path
Pretty much anywhere you visit, it is best to (safely) get off the beaten path. There are places with very different languages and cultures that can make it difficult to explore off the beaten path, but not in Singapore. Transportation (even taxis) are dirt cheap and it is not difficult to walk around and check out side streets. You can easily find architecture that has Indian, Chinese and even British influences, which is pretty unique.
The Singapore Flyer offers a leisurely view of the entire city.
Shop, Shop, Shop
There were many shopping opportunities in Singapore-it was annoying. Well, if you like to shop, it would be great, but other than shopping for clothes that I need (ie shorts) or airline stuff, I am not into the browsing thing. However, it is hard to avoid malls and stores. Downtown you even have to go underground and through a mall just to get across the street — smart business move. No matter what your taste, from Gucci to buying frogs, there is a store with what you need.
Get Some Altitude
If heights and great views are something you enjoy, do not worry- Singapore has many options. The first strucutre I went on was the Singapore Flyer, which is a large ferris wheel that takes about 30 minutes to go around (see time lapse video). No worries if you are afraid of heights- your car in the Singapore Flyer is large enough and the wheel moves so slow, it doesn’t cause much fear.
If you want to take your Singapore Flyer experience up a notch, you can rent out a whole car and have a catered dinner. I guess quite a few wedding proposals happen while on the top — that would be a long 15 minute ride back down if she said, “no.”
The view from 1-Altitude of the Singapore Flyer and Sands Marina Bay.
The next high place to go is the Sands SkyPark at the Marina Bay. Even though the view from up top is impressive, the view from down below is a bit unreal. It looks like someone built three large buildings and put a boat up top.
The building did not come cheap, costing over $6.5billion to buy the land and build the facility. The view deck gives great views of the Merlion and Singapore Flyer. On one side is a spotting deck for anyone who pays the fee to go up and the other is an infinity swimming pool for guests of the hotel/casino.
The final place up high was 1-Altitude Gallery. It is situated on the highest point in Singapore and offers views of both the Singapore Flyer and Sands Marina Bay. I would highly suggest going at night since you can see the light show from the Sands and the Flyer lit up. It is a bit trendy with a popular bar and a lot of young people. If trendy bars aren’t your thing, I would suggest going early to avoid the crowds and enjoy the views.
The Culture With-In the Culture
There is a great mixture of culture in Singapore — you need to make sure you check out Little China, Little India and Arab Street.
When walking into some of the temples, I felt I was truly in a different culture and one with the people. Where Singapore as a whole really doesn’t give you a culture shock, checking out the smaller areas in Singapore can give you that cultural experience you are looking for.
Many of the temples were very intricate and impressive.
Party Until Dawn
I have gotten beyond the age of partying all night, but if that is your thing, there are many options. Probably the best area is Clarke Quay along Singapore River. They have some pretty interesting places to party (they have a bar/club that is all hospital- themed). Even if you aren’t into the party scene, it is still cool to walk through the area with all the interesting lighting and people.
Catch Some Sun Rays
Singapore is a tropical climate and to really get the feel, it is best to head out to Sentosa. It is almost a resort-type area in Singapore. From swimming dolphins to a super long zip-line to a Universal Studios, there is much to do. However, I decided to enjoy the sandy beaches and just relax. While on my balcony at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort I had two monkeys come visit. That was probably one of the coolest experiences I have had.
A lot more to do
There is a lot more to explore in Singapore than what I got around to. Tourism is Singapore’s largest industry, so they make sure tourists stay happy. They have a handy YourSingapore.com website to help navigate what there is to experience.
Have you been to Singapore? Or do you live there? What more would you add for must-sees?
See more
* Time lapse video of the Singapore Flyer
* 62 photos of the Singapore trip
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 9V-SKJ.
I am off on travel this week with Singapore Airlines to celebrate their new (as of July 1st) Airbus A380 flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo (Narita) and then finally to Singapore.
LAX is the eighth destination to receive the Airbus A380 flown by Singapore Airlines. The airline is already operating 12 of the aircraft, with another seven on order.
I am not sure how much extra time I will have to write up complete blogs, but I will continue to produce some sort of content to keep your aviation hunger at bay.
Image: swiss_a320
