Trip Reports - 12 Countries, 10 Airlines, 4 Islands, 27,080 miles, 11 Days,

So it had been four months, and I was itching to travel. I'd recovered from my visit to Somalia in January, and the friend I visited next door in Djibouti was headed to Seychelles for some R&R...and of course, having never been there - I wanted to go with. But can I do it the easy way? Of course not...I started looking at alternative routings that would allow me to visit as many countries as possible...as cheaply as possible...in as short of time as possible!

You might remember the last three years where I spent New Years Eve...yes, Iraq and then Iran/Afghanistan, ending with Somalia this year. If you wanted to catch up my previous reports, they're here:

London to Iran and Afghanistan in a mix of C, F, and LCCs (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1216498-london-iran-afghanistan-mix-c-f-lccs.html)

Above the Arctic Circle with UA/CO/LH and SK in whY, C, and F (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1224050-above-arctic-circle-ua-co-lh-sk-why-c-f.html)

Around the World in 40 Days for 40 Years (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1230890-around-world-40-days-40-years.html)

8 Places People Who Are Right in the Head Do Not Spend New Years (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1299823-8-places-people-who-right-head-do-not-spend-new-years.html)

So...I found a great fare to India....which told me I had to finally visit Nepal and Bhutan. Great fare from there down to Seychelles that allowed a stopover in Mauritius...and we were well on the way. The fare back from Seychelles allowed a stop anywhere in Europe...so a chance to finally get to Bulgaria. Tentatively, the parts to this report will be:

Part I: Washington DC, National (DCA) to Delhi, India (DEL), Transit in Delhi, and the Sheraton Muraya (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18631261-post19.html)
Part II: Delhi to Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM) and touring Nepal (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18638113-post21.html)
Part III: Kathmandu, Nepal to Paro, Bhutan (PBH) and visiting Bhutan Day 1 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18663254-post27.html)
Part IV: Bhutan, Day 2 (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1551)
Part V: Paro, Bhutan to Male, Maldives (MLE) (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1570)
Part VI: Sheraton Full Moon Resort, Maldives (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1590)
Part VII: Male, Maldives to Port Louis, Mauritius (MRU) (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1614)
Part VIII: Visiting Mauritius (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1628)
Part IX: Port Louis, Mauritius to Mahe, Seychelles (SEZ) (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1653)
Part X: Seychelles, including the Le Meridien Fishermans Cove and Scuba (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1661)
Part XI: Mahe, Seychelles to Sofia, Bulgaria (SOF) (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1679)
Part XII: Sheraton Sofia, and visiting Sofia, Bulgaria (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1697)
Part XIII: Sofia, Bulgaria to Washington Dulles (IAD) (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1713)

The Route:

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/map.gif

Hope you enjoy...I'll try and get through this with lots of pics relatively quickly!

Really looking forward to this one. You consistently put together what I believe are the most fascinating itineraries of anyone on this site.

This is all in 11 days? :eek:

Can I ask why?

This is all in 11 days? :eek:

Can I ask why?

Because the world is a big place, and I want to see as much as possible?

I'm convinced Ironmanjt is my hero. WOW. I can't wait for this one.

Wow - I really look forward to this... 11 days really only allows you 1-2 days in each destination though.

Cool destinations nonetheless!

Because the world is a big place, and I want to see as much as possible?

but jamming that much into 11 days given the flight times you really won't have enough time to see anything at your stops.

but jamming that much into 11 days given the flight times you really won't have enough time to see anything at your stops.

Thanks for your opinion. Trip is over, and I saw a ton - would you make the comments to the people here who write trip reports on milage runs and never even leave the airport?

Because the world is a big place, and I want to see as much as possible?

well yeah... so do I...
But what point is there in going for one day to Bhutan or Mauritius? What are you actually seeing?

I can understand perhaps going for a day to Liechtenstein or Monaco... but how can you count a day in a place like Bhutan as "seeing" the country.

I would not make the comments to the same people who do mileage runs and never leave the airprot - their purpose is mileage - not seeing a place - you said you wanted to 'see a place'.

I would not make the comments to the same people who do mileage runs and never leave the airprot - their purpose is mileage - not seeing a place - you said you wanted to 'see a place'.

I never said I wanted to 'see a place.' I'll be there first to admit that in a day you barely get a taste...but I'd rather have that than nothing. Plus, after getting to every country I can pick the ones I really liked to go back to for longer exploring.

It's not everyone's style, but I prefer it.

I'll be there first to admit that in a day you barely get a taste...but I'd rather have that than nothing. Plus, after getting to every country I can pick the ones I really liked to go back to for longer exploring.
That's one the reasons why we like Cruises. Let's us sample then deep dive on the places we connected with.

but jamming that much into 11 days given the flight times you really won't have enough time to see anything at your stops.

well yeah... so do I...
But what point is there in going for one day to Bhutan or Mauritius? What are you actually seeing?

I can understand perhaps going for a day to Liechtenstein or Monaco... but how can you count a day in a place like Bhutan as "seeing" the country.

I would not make the comments to the same people who do mileage runs and never leave the airprot - their purpose is mileage - not seeing a place - you said you wanted to 'see a place'.

This is really not the appropriate time or place. :td::td:

I never said I wanted to 'see a place.' I'll be there first to admit that in a day you barely get a taste...but I'd rather have that than nothing. Plus, after getting to every country I can pick the ones I really liked to go back to for longer exploring.

It's not everyone's style, but I prefer it.

+1. There is a reason, as of late, I have been focusing on Japan and Germany.

Looking forward to reading the report!

Brian

This is really not the appropriate time or place. :td::td:

Totally agree with you, everyone has their own style of travel and i dont think this forum is the place to critisise them.

Im looking forward to this report and enjoyed the OP's prevoius reports.

This is my dream trip. I thought I was cool because I did 6 flights in five days - but I only covered 10,000 or so miles. This trip is epic though - can't wait to see the final report.

Thanks for the positive comments folks, appreciate it. Some people like going to the same destination over and over, others like long vacations in different places every year, some of us prefer to see lots and lots of different places, and then keep returning to those that really interested us. With 116 of 194 countries down now, there are definitely a few I can't wait to return to for much much longer trips!

Stay tuned, next installment or two coming this evening.

I'm looking forward to your report. You're going to some great places. Not everyone enjoys the same things--that's what makes life interesting!

not really my style either, but whatever floats your boat. I spent 3 weeks in Bhutan. When I go halfway around the world I like to be there a while to forget about how long it takes to get there. But, looking forward to seeing your report.

Even before the trip began...there was to be drama. .Storms were forecast in the DC to NYC corridor late afternoon, and when that happens flights tend to get really messy really quickly. .Today was to be no exception...my flight was preemptively delayed early morning for 2 hours...pretty much ensuring my 2 hour, 16 minute connection was going to be REALLY close. .However...when it came down to it...the delay shrank to 90 minutes, then 1 hour, then just 30 minutes a couple hours out. .We boarded on time...pulled away from the gate on time...and waited. .Pilot came on 15 minutes later telling us that for flow control, and "confusion with ATC" our new slot time was 90 minutes away...but maybe we'll get lucky!

In the end, we did get lucky, going wheels up only about 45 minutes after scheduled departure time.

ExpressJet Flight 4695, Operating as United Express
Washington, National (DCA) to Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
Departure 16:59, Arrival 18:14
ERJ-145, Registration N17196
Seat 1A

I know lots of people don't like the BDJ-145 as it's affectionately known (Barbie Dream Jet), but I actually don't mind it at all for short flights. .I almost always have been getting my preferred seat 1A for my regular hops up to Ottawa lately, and it's a pretty comfortable ride. .With nobody sitting in front of you it's private and quiet, and all in all...can't complain. .Crews are usually excellent, and this one was no exception. .I think I got 3-4 refills of Diet Coke, and the 50 minute or so flight was over quite quickly. .Really not much to say - parked at the A gates at Newark, took the shuttle over to the C gates, and had a good 45 minutes in the Presidents Club...er..."United Club" to recharge the iDevices before the long flight.

United Flight 82
Newark, New Jersey (EWR) to Delhi, India (DEL)
Departure 20:30, Arrival 20:15 Next Day, Flight Time: .14:25
Boeing 777-200, Registration N76010
Seat 2E

This was my first time on the ex-Continental 777s with flat bed, and overall I was pretty impressed. .They certainly beat business on the ex-United 777s, mainly because there are no "middle" seats. .For me, most important thing on an overnight is aisle access with nobody climbing over me. .Hence, I don't like the window sections of two (either I have to climb over someone, or they have to climb over me) and the ex-Continental 777s with two seats in the middle are perfect. .Overall, the hard product here is excellent. .It's too bad the ex-United planes screwed up business so badly.

Also, this was to be my longest flight ever. .At 7,323 miles it would top my previous longest flight that I had done four times (San Francisco to Hong Kong) which clocked in at "only" 6,914 miles. .With 14:25 of flight time, there would be plenty of time to eat, sleep, watch tv, etc. .One of the most amusing parts of the plane was the entertainment system still was all Continental:

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_1327-1024x768.jpg

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More at this link.... (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1498)

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Great report so far - keep it coming! :D

After landing just after 8pm, getting to the hotel at 9pm, and catching up on e-mail over wine finally crashed around 1030pm. My strategy had been to book an early flight the next morning, knowing I wouldn't get a full night's sleep due to jet lag anyways. I was correct, and this proved to be a perfect choice. Woke around 4am without an alarm, coffee was delivered to the room shortly after, and I was out the door and to the airport with no troubles at all!

Check-in was a bit confusing - with people manning the doors to the airport, and seemingly being random who they let through. They wanted an itinerary, printed only - e-mail on the phone not good enough, but my sense was if you were polite while putting up enough of a stink and acting important enough you were let through. One lesson I've learned in developing country travel: be polite, firm, give off an air of importance, and you almost always get what you want. One hint of rudeness, or being "nobody" and the petty bureaucrats eat you for breakfast.

Got to the Air India counter, where I learned the flight was completely full. Managed to get an exit row window for the short flight, so I was plenty happy. Immigration was quite quick, and soon I was in the Priority Pass lounge for a quick snack. Three Diet Cokes and a few hard boiled eggs later, I was happy, and it was off to the gate, where at 40 minutes prior to departure I was one of the last to board!

Air India Flight 213
Delhi, India (DEL) to Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM)
Departure 7:30, Arrival 9:00, Flight Time 1:45
Airbus A319, Registration VT-SCJ, Manufactured 2007
Seat 11A

Honestly not too much to say about this flight. Crew was good, seat mates were tolerable (except the guy in the middle who insisted on hogging the armrest and part of my space) and even got en edible meal on this short segment, with the typical in India "veg or non-veg" options.

Soon, we were landing in Kathmandu, with a short bus to immigration.

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_1332-1024x768.jpg

**** READ MORE AT THIS LINK TO MY BLOG **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1507)

This is one of the best looking itineraries I've seen here at FlyerTalk. Eleven days - heck, I'd be happy to fly it in nine! Here's hoping you have a great trip and I'll look forward to reading about it. Happy contrails!

Thanks for your opinion. Trip is over, and I saw a ton - would you make the comments to the people here who write trip reports on milage runs and never even leave the airport?

Their goal is to accumulate mileage, not see the places they are running through, so if they want to write about the flights I don't see what the problem would be.

but jamming that much into 11 days given the flight times you really won't have enough time to see anything at your stops.

It's not really uncommon on this board, is it? A very recent post of yours isn't much different than his trip to me.

My best this year:

Flown:
CDG-BKK-SYD(stop)-BKK(stop)-NRT(~23hrs)-ZRH(~23hrs)-CDG
BKK-NRT(~23hrs)-SFO-JFK(stop)-ICN(~23hrs)-KIX, NRT-BKK

Upcoming
CDG-DOH(~20hr)-JNB-MRU(stop)-JNB-WDH(stop), JNB-DOH(~18hrs)-OTP(~22hr)-MUC(~20hr)-CDG
JFK-ICN(~23hr)-BKK-SYD-BKK-NRT(~23hr)-ORD-LGA

I'm a big fan of trying to jam those 1-day "connections" in whenever the agents will let me.

So far so good, Jason doesn't disappoint!

Beau Vallon Bay! I spent a few months at the Berjaya down the road from Fisherman's Cove. Worked as a divemaster there. Loved it!
I hope you get some good dives in. I played with whale sharks there, and had a close run-in with a tiger shark at the Ennerdale wreck. Had a pod of dolphins swim up to me at Brissare rocks.
Enjoy those sunsets with SeyBrew :)

Up early to catch my flight to Bhutan, and if the shots with sherpas the night before weren't enough to signal this was going to be an interesting trip...the rest of the day definitely would!

Check-out of the hotel was relatively easy, despite them making up a story about why they couldn't take American Express ("the link to American Express is not working this morning" - really? at 6am you've already tried it?) and they found me a taxi no problem. Except, there was a problem. After 5 minutes in the taxi, it became pretty apparent that the previous day's strike and protests were continuing, and the streets were lined with riot police and angry looking protesters. With a bit of sign language, and broken english ("there better" - pointing at the back of the van) that's how I ended up in the back of the minivan/trunk area, covered by a tarp, peering out. Yes, the driver was concerned protesters might see a westerner in the taxi and cause trouble. I have to say this was a first - riding to the airport in complete secrecy!

Check-in was a non-event, and spent a little time in the only lounge in the airport - the "Radisson Lounge" - and then a two hour delay was announced. However, only 45 minutes later, the lounge agent came around again, and informed us all that boarding was now ready. Um, ok, sounds good to me!

Druk Air Flight 410
Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM) to Paro, Bhutan (PBH)
Departure 8:45, Arrival 10:20, Flight Time 1:20
Airbus A319, Registration A5-RGG, Manufactured 2004
Seat 4A

Since there's not much online about Druk Air, I'll be a bit more detailed with this part of the report. First, a shot of the plane as we walked up to it:

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_1381-1024x768.jpg

*** More on my blog at this link *** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1524)

Soon, we were landing in Kathmandu, with a short bus to immigration.



you mean very short... i don't understand why they have that bus. you can walk to the terminal faster. :)

It's not really uncommon on this board, is it? A very recent post of yours isn't much different than his trip to me.

That flown itinerary was stretched out over nearly three months, so i'd say it's quite a bit different.

Up early to check out of the hotel to drive back to the town of Paro for our big day hike to Taktsang Monestary. The monastery is at approximately 3,100 metres above sea level, and the hike up starts somewhere around 2,200 metres so it's a pretty steep hike! We drove the one hour from the hotel in Thimphu pretty quickly, and soon were at the base of the hill to begin our hike.

It was approximately a 2.5 hour hike pretty much straight uphill, with a stop at the canteen halfway to buy water, etc, and take a brief rest. A few pics from the hike up:

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_1459-1024x768.jpg

****Full entry on my blog at this link **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1551)

watching and reading with anticipation as I'd luv to visit Bhutan and Maldives. Awesome

This post is just plain full of travel and plane geekery - feel free to skip if you don't want to see what to expect on some slightly less common airlines. Paro to Male is only 3,070 kilometers as the crow flies (about 1,910 miles) but that would be too easy...and expecting two relatively out of the way places to be connected by such a straight line would be way too much to ask for...so, roundabout routing it was, involving no less than three tickets and four flights. I wasn't really thinking ahead that in this part of the world, there's no such thing as an easy transit, and almost got myself in trouble.

Despite my early flight, the hotel insisted that breakfast would be served. Breakfast is included, and they were going to make sure I had it. They suggested 5am, and when I went to the restaurant the overnight front desk guy was working, and happy to make me anything I wanted. He wouldn't take no for an answer, so boiled eggs, coffee, toast, and a bit of fruit it was! Then off for the short ride to the airport where I arrived just before 6am...way too early for a 7am flight out of this tiny airport! After killing time waiting (check-in, immigration, and security took maybe 10 minutes total) we were waiting...and then I realised why I wasn't able to book business class on this segment: it was operated by an ATR! I'd read so much about Druk Air carefully selecting A319s because they were about the only plane that could navigate the tricky mountain approach into Bhutan...and now I was going to try and fly out on a prop plane? Time to start hoping that karma I earned paid off!

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1521-1024x768.jpg

**** The rest of the post is on my blog at this link **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1570)

This is going to be mainly a picture post, with a few thoughts thrown in. My decision to come to Maldives was basically based on two things: 1) I had to get to Colombo anyways to catch my onward ticket, and 2) I've spent 20+ days in Sri Lanka already, so a short detour (even though it was only 24 hours) to Maldives to count another country seemed well worth it to me. Add in the fact the Sheraton was a mere 20 minute boat ride from the airport...and I was sold. Despite the cost.

Cost? Oh yeah...the Sheraton <strong>requires</strong> a boat transfer from the airport to the island the Sheraton is on at the cost of $100 per person roundtrip. I figure in many cities I pay $30 each way for a taxi, so this wasn't THAT awful, and I'd likely have my own boat...which I did in one direction. It wasn't so bad. Except for the fact that when I landed, the Sheraton rep was nowhere to be found. It took me nearly 30 minutes to locate him, in shabby shorts and a stained t-shirt, no sign, he simply noticed me wandering around looking lost and came up to me. Major service fail.

That said, a picture from the airport boat jetty as we departed:

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1550-1024x768.jpg

**** The rest of the review can be found here on my blog ***** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1590)

Interesting.

Bhutan looks like something I'd enjoy. Maldives on the other hand is creepy. I don't know why but it feels completely artificial and that the locals secretly hates you.

I had looked online earlier in the day, and had seen the 15:35 flight was seriously delayed, and since I had to be out of my hotel room by 4pm anyways decided to go to the airport a bit early and see about getting on it. The check-in agent wasn't too sure how to do it, and had to wait "for a supervisor" which took nearly 45 minutes...and 15 minutes before the door was set to close. Eventually, I got personally escorted through immigration and security by this supervisor, and ended up being one of only two people in business class on the flight! Of course, there was still plenty of time for the obligatory champers before departure:

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1606-768x1024.jpg

**** Read more on my blog at this link **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1614)

When I found this fare, I realised that due to flight schedules, I could actually have an 8 hour stop in Mauritius...right in the middle of the day! I figured with a good driver, on a small island nation, I could see a lot. Everything worked out, and it was an amazing day!

We landed right on time in Mauritius at 8:45am, and by 9am I was out of immigration and customs with all my bags, and my driver had met me. I had booked the <a title="Mauritius Private Southwest Tour - Mauritius Attractions" href="http://mauritiusattractions.com/mauritius-south-west-tour-private-tour-p-206.html" target="_blank">"Mauritius Private Southwest Tour" with Mauritius Attractions,</a> and they met with with one of their drivers at the airport...and dropped me off back there about 6 or so hours later. It was a slick deal, and for 100 euros I had a driver and all entrance fees covered. .For the efficient use of time, it was absolutely awesome!

Stop one was the Trou au Cerfs. .This was approximately a 30 minute drive from the airport, and is a.huge natural volcanic crater, 85m deep and 200m wide that was formed millions of years ago. .It had a fantastic panoramic view of the crater as well as the town of Curepipe. .Supposedly when the sky is clear it is possible to see all the way to Reunion Island, but I was unable to find it in the distance. .The pictures don't really do it justice, but you can see a bit of how deep it is.

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1628-1024x768.jpg

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1633-1024x768.jpg

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From there, our next stop was the Casela Safari and Bird Park. .I wasn't thrilled to spend lots of time here, since most of the animals on display weren't even native to Mauritius, but it was a nice 45 minute walk that let me stretch my legs after the long flight and get the blood flowing again. .Plus, it's not every day you can pet a giant turtle!

**** The rest of the post is on my blog at this link **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1628)

Got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, and now it was onto the trip's main attraction. See, this all started when I found a friend who was deployed in Djibouti would be going to Seychelles on leave for a few days...and would I like to join? An excuse to visit a new country with a good friend? Of course I would! Then I learned this was to be a scuba-centred trip, so had to get certified up for that to make the most of it. Little did I know an offer to visit one small island nation would end up consuming so much of my spring weekends! A weekend of scuba classes, an awful (hah!) vacation to the Cayman Islands to finish open water certification, and a trip around South Asia since I would be in the region. ...and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Check-in was quick, and I learned the flight was completely sold out. Who knew there was so much demand for flights between Mauritius and Seychelles! Immigration and security took ten minutes top, and soon it was to the Air Seychelles lounge for a short rest. The lounge was absolutely packed thanks to a flight to Johannesburg leaving at the same time, and there was decent food and beverage on offer...well, more beverage than food. The food offerings were pretty slim. I attempted a picture, but was chastised by the food attendant, so no luck there. They also insisted on pouring all drinks for you. I couldn't tell if that was to keep an eye on you, or an attempt to be service-oriented. No matter, a couple of glasses later, and it was time to board.

Air Seychelles flight 54, Operated by Etihad
Port Louis, Mauritius (MRU) to Mahe, Seychelles (SEZ)
Departure 17:10, Arrival 19:45, Flight Time 2:35
Airbus A320, Registration A6-EIM, Manufactured 2009
Seat 3C

Yes, you read that right, Air Seychelles operated by Etihad! It seems Air Seychelles ran into some financial problems as a result of GFC (Global Financial Crisis) Round 1, and Abu Dhabi stepped in to the rescue. They now operate Seychelles to Abu Dhabi as well as this route, with aircraft wet-leased from Etihad. The irony is that most of our crew, despite being Etihad crew, were South African and Seychellois...I guess it's a pretty sweet deal for them!

Champagne was offered before departure, and business class was quite generous for an A320, I would guess somewhere between 45-50 inches of seat pitch. Definitely better than you usually see on a narrow-body, and the food was much better as well. One thing gulf airlines do well, even with less than ideal aircraft, is make sure business class means business class so people will pay for it. Is anyone at US or European airlines listening? Thought not....

The crew was quite friendly, efficient, and generous topping up drinks. The meal also blew away anything you'd ever seen on a narrow body in other parts of the world. Pictures are below.

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1716-768x1024.jpg

***** The rest of the details are on my blog at this link ***** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1653)

Arrived at the resort just a bit after 8pm, and mysteriously was invited to have a seat in the reception area because my room was not quite ready...odd, but ok. While I was waiting, the manager on duty came over and introduced herself, apologized, gave me all the details, so that when my keys were ready in a few minutes I wouldn't have to wait. That was nice. About 10 minutes later they were set, luggage was loaded into a golf cart, and got a short ride to the room. It was very walkable (300m or so max?) but the ride was nice with luggage. Once inside, I forgot about the wait - the suite upgrade was amazing, and came loaded with a giant fruit basket, bottle of wine, and plate full of snacks.

http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_1718-768x1024.jpg

**** Lots more photos and details on my blog **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1661)

Common route right? .Lots of people just happen to fly From Seychelles to Bulgaria .;) . There was a route with two stops, but I chose to add a third one in so I could maximize my time on nicer airlines. .However, even before I got started, there was some rather serious drama. .Flight didn't leave Seychelles until mid-Afternoon, so after waking up, I went for a 5 mile or so run on the beach. .Absolutely amazing running right along the water lapping on the beach, some serious waves crashing...it was definitely paradise! .Got back to the room famished, pounded over a liter of water, and gave in to the diet coke in the minibar. .It was listed as 500ml for $7 which was a ripoff, but I was willing to pay it. .However, the can was only 300ml. .I figured I'd take my changes. .Make note...

After a shower, I packed my bags, and when leaning over to put the scuba gear away, heard a loud POP in my back, and collapsed to the floor. .Fortunately, I was near the bed so I could break my fall, but still scary. .Sitting there dazed for maybe 15 seconds, I finally used the bed to lift myself up to sitting and assess the damage. .Didn't feel awful, just really stiff and swollen, and I wasn't going to miss my flight, so popped some serious anti-inflammatories and called the buggy to take me to check out.

Was honest about the mini-bar, and the agent called the manager on duty. .He offered to reduce the Diet Coke to $6.50. .Let me get this straight...it's 40% smaller than promised, and you offer me approximately 8% off. .I asked the agent to please call him back and thank him for his extreme generosity, and to please let him know he has an unhappy platinum member whose stay will always be remembered for this act at check-out. .I only honestly wanted a fair price (even $5 would have worked) but the sarcasm was duly noted, and the item was removed completely. .Above and beyond, tho a bit disappointed I had to go through such extremes.

Taxi came for the airport, and the driver requested 600 Rupees. .I was in a negotiating mood at this point, and had put all but 500 rupees to the hotel bill....so I offered 500. .He took it immediately when I said it was all I had, which I was mildly proud of, considering I'd paid 600 for the airport.

Check-in at the airport 30 min later was pretty painless, and immigration was pleasantly air conditioned, and soon I was in the lounge. .No decent food to speak of, but a few Seychellois rums and diet coke eased a bit of back pain, and the slow internet was adequate for some browsing and e-mail checking. .Soon, it was time to board!

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 878
Mahé, Seychelles (SEZ) to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADD)
Departure 16:25, Arrival 19:40 Next Day, Flight Time: 4:15
Boeing 737-700, Registration ET-ALK, Manufactured 2003
Seat 4A

The most notable thing about this flight is that business only had 3 people in it, and economy might have been 33% full. .The route had just started a week before, so maybe it will take time to come up to speed. .There was a rather cranky family that boarded at the last second, and basically demanded to the station manager to be upgraded, and he gave in. .I'd seen them in the lounge, so assume they were some sort of local VIPs, Ethopian frequent flyers, etc. .To their credit, although they were a bit demanding, the small child was perfectly behaved, and having an extra 3 people in the 20 seats was no big deal at all.

The other strange fact was just how early we were going to be! .I guess everyone got boarded early, so why not!

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**** More on my Blog at this link **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1679)

After landing about 1pm, first chore was to get cash from the ABM and head to the hotel. Based on advice from Wikitravel, I decided to get a taxi from the soothingly named "OK Taxi" - and true to name, they were ok! The lady at the counter walked me out to a taxi, who didn't speak English but we did just fine in French, and he was very curious why I'd chosen to visit his city - even more curious when he found it was for just one day! .Wikitravel had told me to expect 10-12 leva for the taxi, and it came to 9,20...wow, a city with an honest taxi system, I was liking this place already.

This is a good place to mention...I was seriously impressed with Sofia, which given how tired and jet lagged I was says quite a bit. .Although it was a brief trip, I was perhaps more impressed than with any other place I've visited in eastern europe. .I can't wait to go back for a longer trip, and explore more of the country. .Everyone was friendly and helpful, and between English, French, and Russian I never once had any trouble communicating...and not just getting what I "needed" but asking enough questions to get what I was really looking for. .Huge thumbs up!

That said, in deference to points collecting and status whoring, I decided to stay at the super-cheap and affordable Sheraton Sofia. .Was upgraded to a fantastic junior suite which was amazing for the one short night. .Friendly, helpful staff that answered all the questions I had, went out of their way to help me find things, and all-around were awesome. .Highly recommend this place based on my brief experience!

By this time it was around 3pm, and I headed out for a few hour walk in advance of the 6:30pm tour I was planning to take. .Walked a total of around 8km around the city, just taking in sights. .Stopped for a couple espressos (I confess, one of them was at Starbucks for all-too-predictable and needed caffeination) and then just camped out for a little bit at a small cafe near the start of the tour for a couple local beers and people-watching.

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For a tour, and to see as much as possible in a short time, I'd decided to go on a walking tour with Free Sofia Tour (http://www.freesofiatour.com/)- which was also ranked the number one thing to do on Tripadvisor! .Let me just say, it was definitely an excellent choice! .They say the tour is about two hours, but our guide was fantastic, and at the urging of our group of approximately 10 he went for nearly 3 hours. .That combined with my earlier walk definitely had my feet sore, but it was well worth it! .If you get a chance to take this tour I highly recommend it, and our guide Kiril was fantastic!

So, on to the tour! .Hopefully I get the names of all the sights right...it was lots to see in three hours!

First stop was the.Sveta Nedelya Church.

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**** Rest of the entry is on my blog at this link **** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1697)

First off, I hope people enjoyed this - I'd appreciate feedback!

This is going to be a short one...it seems when I get to the end of big trips that I get less motivated to write. Of course, some of that has to do with familiarity. Normally, my trips end with a transatlantic on United, and I've done so many of these by now that it's just routine and I don't feel compelled to take many notes or pictures. This one isn't much different, but there will be some upcoming! I've accepted American's challenge, so will likely be trying lots of new airlines in 2012 and 2013, so there will be a bit of excitement!

Up early in the morning, and no coffee in the room means I stumbled through check-out, no trouble at all, used most of my remaining cash to pay down the room, and was off to the airport no problem at all. My already good impression of Bulgaria was reinforced, and soon was at check-in.

Check-in was not too friendly, but no biggie. Checked all the way through to IAD, bags checked, and was off to security. Line was a bit long with no premium line, but still was through in under 15 minutes. Maybe I'm too laid-back lately, but 15 minutes seemed reasonable to me.

Stopped in the lounge that Lufthansa sent me to, and it was adequate. It had an awesome espresso machine, diet coke, and comfy chairs. Not too much else I could want! Waited until 30 minutes before the flight, then walked the 3-4 minutes to the gate.

Lufthansa Flight 1707
Sofia, Bulgaria (SOF) to Munich, Germany (MUC)
Departure 7:15, Arrival 8:15, Flight Time: 2:00
Airbus A320, Registration D-AIPR, Manufactured 1990
Seat 3F

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Got to the gate, and the queue to board was down the hall, and over 50 people deep. Grrr! There was no marked line, so being early, hyper-caffeinated by this point (did I mention the awesome espresso machine?), I just walked to the front trying hard to ignore the stares....and the one person who DID say something I just responded to in Russian. I figure nobody likes the Russians in Bulgaria, so it was safe ;) Gate agent apologised for no separate line, beeped me in, and boarding was quick.

*** Final Part of the post is on my blog *** (http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1713)