First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
Dec 11, 2010, 5:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 1
Forward
This Trip Report is dedicated to my long suffering wife, Cathy, who I affectionately refer to as, “CX”.
Introduction
In the beginning I had no points. My friend Katz had a lot of points; nearly 2 million, in fact. He told me about them once in a while but I didn’t really understand. Then he took me on a trip from Toronto to Vegas on Aeroplan points and I started to understand. He acquired his points mainly from his Aeroplan affiliated credit cards. The more he spent, the more points he got. And boy did he spend. Every month he spent thousands on Google Adwords for his online business.
So I got the idea that I too would acquire points, albeit on a smaller scale of course. I got myself a fancy-sounding travel credit card that promised points which could be used on travel. It was called the Scotiabank Gold Passport Visa card. It promised points that could be used for any kind of travel. I started charging all kinds of things to my card that I used to pay cash or cheques for. Having my own small law firm helped, as I had lots of chargeable expenses. It seemed like I was on the right track.
I didn’t find out how wrong I was until I tried to redeem my points nearly two years later. Katz and I wanted to go to Switzerland in first class. He looked into it and told me he could book his ticket for about 100,000 Aeroplan points. That was great news because by then, I had accumulated over 170,000 Scotia Gold Passport points. I called up Scotia Gold Passport’s points redemption travel hotline. I asked how many points I would need to book Toronto – Geneva, return, knowing full well that my 170,000 points would be more than enough for an F ticket. After a few moments the agent told me that I would need about 2 million points. .... OMFG. SOAB. It was explained to me that the price of the ticket was about $20,000 and since 100 Scotia points were worth $1, I would need 2,000,000 points to buy that ticket. How simple. I freaked. Two years of points accumulation got me 170,000 points, which turned out to be worth exactly $1,700.00, which is one way from Toronto to Vancouver in business class. I told the agent that they would never see another charge by me on this credit card ever, and that I didn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would use this card if my friend could get a return F ticket to Europe for 100,000 points, using his Aeroplan affiliated card. The points war had begun. I didn’t start this war, but I would finish it. In First Class, of course.
As a trained lawyer, I researched the battlefield and found you weirdos on Flyertalk. And I fit right in. I got myself an Aeroplan Amex Platinum with a 25 k signup bonus. And then a CIBC Visa Aeroplan Gold with a 15 k signup bonus. Then an RBC Visa Avion with a 10 k bonus. Then an SPG Amex with a 10 k bonus. Just covering all my bases. Then I started travelling on revenue tickets, using mileage bonuses wherever possible. I used every available promotion from the Bose headphones at 3 x points, to the home energy plan for 7,500. Got points for using Ebay and Stubhub. Got extra points by dining at CIBC Advantex restaurants. Started putting coffees on my cards instead of paying cash. Got my wife and secretary cards under my name. Only got gas at Esso. The works. Except for the Tropicana orange juice box tops. I never stooped to that.
And the harder I tried, the luckier I got. It turned out that my wife had been using an RBC Avion Visa for years. Unbeknownst to her or I, she had amassed nearly 60,000 RBC points. RBC points are nearly as useless as Scotia points, with one exception. Once a year, RBC allows you to convert your RBC points to British Airways points with a 50% bonus. Sweet. I took my wife’s points and converted them. Don’t feel too bad about that, as she doesn’t fly. Ever. She is afraid to fly and has been ever since we were married. The last trip we took was to New York City by train. It took 13 hours. One way. I topped up my newly minted BA points with Aeroplan points. I used Points.com to convert the Aeroplan points to Esso points. Then converted the Esso points to RBC points. Then converted the RBC points to BA points. With the bonus, it worked out to about 1:1 even after all the conversions. Lastly, I used the 10,000 bonus points that I got from my RBC Avion sign-up. I now had 150,000 BA points, which was enough for what else; a First Class ticket on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong from Toronto, return. You see, you can book CX rewards with BA points. Sweet. I booked it last February (2010). As I write this introduction, it is October 29, 2010 – 8 months later, and I am leaving on my CX F trip in two weeks, on November 12, 2010.
In the intervening 8 months, I improved upon my itinerary and my hotel statuses. I became an Intercontinental Royal Ambassador thanks to an FT member who referred me. I became a Fairmont Platinum as a result of my Amex Aeroplan. I booked a side trip from Hong Kong to Bangkok on Thai Airways in First Class. I also booked another side trip from Bangkok to Dubai on Emirates in First Class. This EK leg was supposed to be on the A380 until EK switched out the equipment a few months back. No matter. My SPG points are looking pretty good these days and I will be able to use them one day for YYZ-DXB on EK in F. That will make up for the unfortunate equipment swap which had me temporarily at wits end. Throw in an overnight in Macau and that’s my trip. Enjoy. Oh, and one last thing. Remember those 170,000 Scotia Gold points which were worth $1,700? I found a way to use them finally. I booked Trisara in Phuket (2 nights). Hello! All this is thanks to what I learned in the last year on Flyertalk. Thank you Flyertalk! And please forgive me, CX!
Did I say ‘one last thing’ already? Well, there is one more ‘last thing’ to inform you about; the buffet aspect to this trip. This itinerary is essentially a buffet of first class airline products and first class hotels. But there are actual buffets on this trip too. 2 buffets in Hong Kong. 2 in Dubai, including a Friday brunch at the Burj al Arab. And one 1 buffet at the Brazillian chirascura buffet at the Venetian in Macau. No buffets in Bangkok, unless you consider the street food the world’s largest and greatest buffet, which it essentially is. If you love buffets like I do, you will love this Trip Report.
So, get up, grab a diet coke and a bag of chips, and sit back down and relax while I take you on along on my First Class Buffet Trip Report.
Cathay Pacific from Toronto to Hong Kong
Check-in was a breeze. I knew from Seatguru that F would only have maybe me and one other passenger. The check-in girl from CX was my first taste of how HK and CX service was like nothing that I had experienced. Beautiful crisp uniform, exceedingly polite and efficient.
I went to the BA lounge which is used by CX passengers. It was OK. I couldn't resist trying dim sum even though I was still in Canada. Was nothing special of course.
Boarding was a mess, unless you were in First. They picked me up out of the line and took me right in.
On board, the magic began. You can see better pictures of the F cabin on CX's own web site of course.
The meal(s) were excellent. I dined whenever I wanted to. To my surprise, I was hard pressed to fit in 2 complete meals though, even in 16 hours...I had to let some of the great selections go by the wayside. I did enjoy the caviar and smoked salmon czar nicolas the best, and in fact had that twice, with excellent Krug champagne. Never having had good champagne before, it was a real pleasure and I actually did appreciate the difference, which I was curious about beforehand.
The service was always outstanding, the suite was great. Far better in terms of privacy than LX F, but of course not as private as TK F, as there were no doors. But the cabin is designed so that you cannot actually see any other passengers. Turned out there were only 3 in F. I watched several movies and didnt even have a chance to watch the ones I brought on disc with my laptop. The CX entertainment system was excellent. The screens, although not quite as big as LX or TK F, was nonetheless more than adequate and the selection was quite good. I ended up watching Salt and Inception.
The Shanghai Tang pajamas were amazing. Loved the design. Made me a big fan of Shanghai tang and ended up shopping there in Hong Kong as a result.
Arriving at Hong Kong Airport
16 hours aboard Cathy Pacific First Class was, as the little bear once said, “Just right”. Having recently flown 8 hours on LX in First to Geneva, and 10 from Istanbul to New York aboard TK First, I found that the 16 hours gave me just the right amount of time to relax, recalibrate, enjoy myself, enjoy the food, enjoy the service, enjoy the movies, take a nap, and enjoy the freedom away from work, phone calls, and emails. I slept about 4 hours, awaking 2 hours before landing; in time to have a snack of caviar and smoked salmon, a plate of fresh fruit, and a coffee. When it was time to deplane, I thanked the attendants and service director who also thanked me profusely for flying with them. They were simply delightful.
First class passengers deboarded first at the front of the plane. I walked about 7-8 minutes across moving sidewalks and corridors and made it to immigration. I could see that people with the HK Frequent Visitors Card when through nearly instantly. I joined a queue of about 10 minutes and the immigration officer barely gave me a second glance when he stamped my Canadian passport. A couple young African men were not so lucky and I saw them being led away for what seemed like a more rigourous inquiry. I saw them again on the subway in Hong Kong, so fortunatly they had no problem either.
I picked up my luggage which was waiting for me, having been tagged, “Priority”. I then bought a one-way Air Express ticket for $90 HKD and waiting a couple minutes for the train. I had just missed one but no matter, as another came right away. After about 25 minutes or less, I arrived at Kowloon station and joined another queue of about 15 minutes to get a taxi to the IC. The driver spoke passable English and unexpectedly we got caught in some traffic right around the corner of the IC. So the 25 HKG ride cost about HKD$38; no matter, that is still only like 6 bucks.
The bellhops in white attire and page boy caps opened the door, and I was soon checked in effortlessly. I was led up to my gorgeous deluxe suite with the classic amazing full HK view. I had been upgraded from a Deluxe Harbour King to this suite - full on frontal HK harbour. This is as good as it gets. It was surreal.
The rooftop pool was absolutely gorgeous.
When people talk about the superior service of fine HK hotels, it is not always clear what they mean. In fact, I did not know what they meant. Let me give you an example. My newspaper arrived this morning at the door. A small miracle at North American hotels. OK, but that is just the start. I went for a florious jog along the Tsim Sha Sui promenade and devoured the view and the sights. I saw a couple old timers dive right into the bay for a swim; they swam about 150 meters out and joined another elderly couple who swam the butterfly like Olympians.
When I returned to the hotel, every single staffer warmly greeted me. And this is not the, “Welcome to Four Points” kind of automated greeting. This was a genuine welcome with broad smiles, from every single person. But then, then as I entered the hotel, I was waved down and the suited hotel staffer smiled and saw that I was coming back from a jog. He handed me a towel and a cold bottle of weater from a cooler. I had seen the stack of fresh fluffy white towels near the entrance of the hotel, and had assumed that was to polish the cars. And in North America, it would have been. Here the small details were contemplated to create an amazing guest experience. Another example, I woke up at 5:3o and the concierge advised me that Starbucks was still closed. But there was a fine Jura espresso machine in the lobby with take out cups, cream, milk, sugar, and pastries, for one to help oneself. This was even better than Starbucks, and I told the concierge, as it was just like at home. The hotel had once again, contemplated that guests would like a coffee to go in the morning, and didn’t have jugs of brown juice from hell waiting on a cart. It had a great espresso machine for great espresso, because that’s what tasteful guests would want; a good quality espresso just like at home.
Forward
This Trip Report is dedicated to my long suffering wife, Cathy, who I affectionately refer to as, “CX”.
Introduction
In the beginning I had no points. My friend Katz had a lot of points; nearly 2 million, in fact. He told me about them once in a while but I didn’t really understand. Then he took me on a trip from Toronto to Vegas on Aeroplan points and I started to understand. He acquired his points mainly from his Aeroplan affiliated credit cards. The more he spent, the more points he got. And boy did he spend. Every month he spent thousands on Google Adwords for his online business.
So I got the idea that I too would acquire points, albeit on a smaller scale of course. I got myself a fancy-sounding travel credit card that promised points which could be used on travel. It was called the Scotiabank Gold Passport Visa card. It promised points that could be used for any kind of travel. I started charging all kinds of things to my card that I used to pay cash or cheques for. Having my own small law firm helped, as I had lots of chargeable expenses. It seemed like I was on the right track.
I didn’t find out how wrong I was until I tried to redeem my points nearly two years later. Katz and I wanted to go to Switzerland in first class. He looked into it and told me he could book his ticket for about 100,000 Aeroplan points. That was great news because by then, I had accumulated over 170,000 Scotia Gold Passport points. I called up Scotia Gold Passport’s points redemption travel hotline. I asked how many points I would need to book Toronto – Geneva, return, knowing full well that my 170,000 points would be more than enough for an F ticket. After a few moments the agent told me that I would need about 2 million points. .... OMFG. SOAB. It was explained to me that the price of the ticket was about $20,000 and since 100 Scotia points were worth $1, I would need 2,000,000 points to buy that ticket. How simple. I freaked. Two years of points accumulation got me 170,000 points, which turned out to be worth exactly $1,700.00, which is one way from Toronto to Vancouver in business class. I told the agent that they would never see another charge by me on this credit card ever, and that I didn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would use this card if my friend could get a return F ticket to Europe for 100,000 points, using his Aeroplan affiliated card. The points war had begun. I didn’t start this war, but I would finish it. In First Class, of course.
As a trained lawyer, I researched the battlefield and found you weirdos on Flyertalk. And I fit right in. I got myself an Aeroplan Amex Platinum with a 25 k signup bonus. And then a CIBC Visa Aeroplan Gold with a 15 k signup bonus. Then an RBC Visa Avion with a 10 k bonus. Then an SPG Amex with a 10 k bonus. Just covering all my bases. Then I started travelling on revenue tickets, using mileage bonuses wherever possible. I used every available promotion from the Bose headphones at 3 x points, to the home energy plan for 7,500. Got points for using Ebay and Stubhub. Got extra points by dining at CIBC Advantex restaurants. Started putting coffees on my cards instead of paying cash. Got my wife and secretary cards under my name. Only got gas at Esso. The works. Except for the Tropicana orange juice box tops. I never stooped to that.
And the harder I tried, the luckier I got. It turned out that my wife had been using an RBC Avion Visa for years. Unbeknownst to her or I, she had amassed nearly 60,000 RBC points. RBC points are nearly as useless as Scotia points, with one exception. Once a year, RBC allows you to convert your RBC points to British Airways points with a 50% bonus. Sweet. I took my wife’s points and converted them. Don’t feel too bad about that, as she doesn’t fly. Ever. She is afraid to fly and has been ever since we were married. The last trip we took was to New York City by train. It took 13 hours. One way. I topped up my newly minted BA points with Aeroplan points. I used Points.com to convert the Aeroplan points to Esso points. Then converted the Esso points to RBC points. Then converted the RBC points to BA points. With the bonus, it worked out to about 1:1 even after all the conversions. Lastly, I used the 10,000 bonus points that I got from my RBC Avion sign-up. I now had 150,000 BA points, which was enough for what else; a First Class ticket on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong from Toronto, return. You see, you can book CX rewards with BA points. Sweet. I booked it last February (2010). As I write this introduction, it is October 29, 2010 – 8 months later, and I am leaving on my CX F trip in two weeks, on November 12, 2010.
In the intervening 8 months, I improved upon my itinerary and my hotel statuses. I became an Intercontinental Royal Ambassador thanks to an FT member who referred me. I became a Fairmont Platinum as a result of my Amex Aeroplan. I booked a side trip from Hong Kong to Bangkok on Thai Airways in First Class. I also booked another side trip from Bangkok to Dubai on Emirates in First Class. This EK leg was supposed to be on the A380 until EK switched out the equipment a few months back. No matter. My SPG points are looking pretty good these days and I will be able to use them one day for YYZ-DXB on EK in F. That will make up for the unfortunate equipment swap which had me temporarily at wits end. Throw in an overnight in Macau and that’s my trip. Enjoy. Oh, and one last thing. Remember those 170,000 Scotia Gold points which were worth $1,700? I found a way to use them finally. I booked Trisara in Phuket (2 nights). Hello! All this is thanks to what I learned in the last year on Flyertalk. Thank you Flyertalk! And please forgive me, CX!
Did I say ‘one last thing’ already? Well, there is one more ‘last thing’ to inform you about; the buffet aspect to this trip. This itinerary is essentially a buffet of first class airline products and first class hotels. But there are actual buffets on this trip too. 2 buffets in Hong Kong. 2 in Dubai, including a Friday brunch at the Burj al Arab. And one 1 buffet at the Brazillian chirascura buffet at the Venetian in Macau. No buffets in Bangkok, unless you consider the street food the world’s largest and greatest buffet, which it essentially is. If you love buffets like I do, you will love this Trip Report.
So, get up, grab a diet coke and a bag of chips, and sit back down and relax while I take you on along on my First Class Buffet Trip Report.
Cathay Pacific from Toronto to Hong Kong
Check-in was a breeze. I knew from Seatguru that F would only have maybe me and one other passenger. The check-in girl from CX was my first taste of how HK and CX service was like nothing that I had experienced. Beautiful crisp uniform, exceedingly polite and efficient.
I went to the BA lounge which is used by CX passengers. It was OK. I couldn't resist trying dim sum even though I was still in Canada. Was nothing special of course.
Boarding was a mess, unless you were in First. They picked me up out of the line and took me right in.
On board, the magic began. You can see better pictures of the F cabin on CX's own web site of course.
The meal(s) were excellent. I dined whenever I wanted to. To my surprise, I was hard pressed to fit in 2 complete meals though, even in 16 hours...I had to let some of the great selections go by the wayside. I did enjoy the caviar and smoked salmon czar nicolas the best, and in fact had that twice, with excellent Krug champagne. Never having had good champagne before, it was a real pleasure and I actually did appreciate the difference, which I was curious about beforehand.
The service was always outstanding, the suite was great. Far better in terms of privacy than LX F, but of course not as private as TK F, as there were no doors. But the cabin is designed so that you cannot actually see any other passengers. Turned out there were only 3 in F. I watched several movies and didnt even have a chance to watch the ones I brought on disc with my laptop. The CX entertainment system was excellent. The screens, although not quite as big as LX or TK F, was nonetheless more than adequate and the selection was quite good. I ended up watching Salt and Inception.
The Shanghai Tang pajamas were amazing. Loved the design. Made me a big fan of Shanghai tang and ended up shopping there in Hong Kong as a result.
Arriving at Hong Kong Airport
16 hours aboard Cathy Pacific First Class was, as the little bear once said, “Just right”. Having recently flown 8 hours on LX in First to Geneva, and 10 from Istanbul to New York aboard TK First, I found that the 16 hours gave me just the right amount of time to relax, recalibrate, enjoy myself, enjoy the food, enjoy the service, enjoy the movies, take a nap, and enjoy the freedom away from work, phone calls, and emails. I slept about 4 hours, awaking 2 hours before landing; in time to have a snack of caviar and smoked salmon, a plate of fresh fruit, and a coffee. When it was time to deplane, I thanked the attendants and service director who also thanked me profusely for flying with them. They were simply delightful.
First class passengers deboarded first at the front of the plane. I walked about 7-8 minutes across moving sidewalks and corridors and made it to immigration. I could see that people with the HK Frequent Visitors Card when through nearly instantly. I joined a queue of about 10 minutes and the immigration officer barely gave me a second glance when he stamped my Canadian passport. A couple young African men were not so lucky and I saw them being led away for what seemed like a more rigourous inquiry. I saw them again on the subway in Hong Kong, so fortunatly they had no problem either.
I picked up my luggage which was waiting for me, having been tagged, “Priority”. I then bought a one-way Air Express ticket for $90 HKD and waiting a couple minutes for the train. I had just missed one but no matter, as another came right away. After about 25 minutes or less, I arrived at Kowloon station and joined another queue of about 15 minutes to get a taxi to the IC. The driver spoke passable English and unexpectedly we got caught in some traffic right around the corner of the IC. So the 25 HKG ride cost about HKD$38; no matter, that is still only like 6 bucks.
The bellhops in white attire and page boy caps opened the door, and I was soon checked in effortlessly. I was led up to my gorgeous deluxe suite with the classic amazing full HK view. I had been upgraded from a Deluxe Harbour King to this suite - full on frontal HK harbour. This is as good as it gets. It was surreal.
The rooftop pool was absolutely gorgeous.
When people talk about the superior service of fine HK hotels, it is not always clear what they mean. In fact, I did not know what they meant. Let me give you an example. My newspaper arrived this morning at the door. A small miracle at North American hotels. OK, but that is just the start. I went for a florious jog along the Tsim Sha Sui promenade and devoured the view and the sights. I saw a couple old timers dive right into the bay for a swim; they swam about 150 meters out and joined another elderly couple who swam the butterfly like Olympians.
When I returned to the hotel, every single staffer warmly greeted me. And this is not the, “Welcome to Four Points” kind of automated greeting. This was a genuine welcome with broad smiles, from every single person. But then, then as I entered the hotel, I was waved down and the suited hotel staffer smiled and saw that I was coming back from a jog. He handed me a towel and a cold bottle of weater from a cooler. I had seen the stack of fresh fluffy white towels near the entrance of the hotel, and had assumed that was to polish the cars. And in North America, it would have been. Here the small details were contemplated to create an amazing guest experience. Another example, I woke up at 5:3o and the concierge advised me that Starbucks was still closed. But there was a fine Jura espresso machine in the lobby with take out cups, cream, milk, sugar, and pastries, for one to help oneself. This was even better than Starbucks, and I told the concierge, as it was just like at home. The hotel had once again, contemplated that guests would like a coffee to go in the morning, and didn’t have jugs of brown juice from hell waiting on a cart. It had a great espresso machine for great espresso, because that’s what tasteful guests would want; a good quality espresso just like at home.
Dec 11, 2010, 6:10 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 2
I thought the hotel was just fabulous, although I did make a note that I would just have to try the Peninsula, the Shangri la, and the Mandarin Oriental on my next trip, just for experience sake. I did visit them and take some pics though. They were very, very impressive.
I found the location of the IC to be perfect, with great things in walking distance and easy access to the ferry to go across to the island.
On the promenade, I saw a sign which demonstrated to me just how civilized Hong Kong is. It is not what I expected.
This truly is China run by the British (or at least was). The people are sophisticated and polite. The city is super clean. The subway is amazingly efficient. Shopping is incredible. The food is world class.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO BUFFET #1
The Intercontinental Hong Kong Saturday Evening and Sunday Brunch Buffets
Upon arrival in the evening in HK I had the honour and privilege of attending the buffet. I didn't plan on going that evening as I had reservations for brunch the next morning, but went to both! It was spectacular. I couldn't believe the selection and the quality. I had simply never experienced anything so high caliber in buffets. Ever. It was also very reasonable, even at about US $70.
HUGE seafood selection, including five kinds of crabs and lobster. Excellent sushi as well.
There were delicious mini burgers and seared foie grois on toast as well. Excellent prime rib too.
The dessert presentation was simply incredible and I am not really a dessert person...
This buffet was certainly a 10 out of 10! I loved it and would highly recommend it. There was just a tonne of options which I could not cover with the photos here. Huge selection and all of the very best quality. Couldn't ask for more.
I thought the hotel was just fabulous, although I did make a note that I would just have to try the Peninsula, the Shangri la, and the Mandarin Oriental on my next trip, just for experience sake. I did visit them and take some pics though. They were very, very impressive.
I found the location of the IC to be perfect, with great things in walking distance and easy access to the ferry to go across to the island.
On the promenade, I saw a sign which demonstrated to me just how civilized Hong Kong is. It is not what I expected.
This truly is China run by the British (or at least was). The people are sophisticated and polite. The city is super clean. The subway is amazingly efficient. Shopping is incredible. The food is world class.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO BUFFET #1
The Intercontinental Hong Kong Saturday Evening and Sunday Brunch Buffets
Upon arrival in the evening in HK I had the honour and privilege of attending the buffet. I didn't plan on going that evening as I had reservations for brunch the next morning, but went to both! It was spectacular. I couldn't believe the selection and the quality. I had simply never experienced anything so high caliber in buffets. Ever. It was also very reasonable, even at about US $70.
HUGE seafood selection, including five kinds of crabs and lobster. Excellent sushi as well.
There were delicious mini burgers and seared foie grois on toast as well. Excellent prime rib too.
The dessert presentation was simply incredible and I am not really a dessert person...
This buffet was certainly a 10 out of 10! I loved it and would highly recommend it. There was just a tonne of options which I could not cover with the photos here. Huge selection and all of the very best quality. Couldn't ask for more.
Dec 11, 2010, 6:31 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
Trip Reports > First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-
PART 3
I found Hong Kong to be a vibrant city that was so livable. It made me think that all the Hong Kong people who moved to Toronto and Canada were downgrading when I had thought they were upgrading! There are so many people in Toronto and Vancouver who are Asian, and from Hong Kong in particular, that I felt right at home in Hong Kong.
I had the opportunity to take in some sites, such as this view from a harbour cruise.
One thing that is great about HK, is that it has got to be the MOST WELL SIGNED CITY IN THE WORLD. There are English signs for everything, everywhere.
One of the few older buildings (the former harbour police building):
Stopped by a famous dim sum restaurant but the food was not to my taste although the patrons were very much enjoying it.
Went to a nighmarket. Was lots of fun to see. People were really enjoying the food set up in small street restaurants.
The streets were packed at night with shoppers.
I took the ferry over to the Island which was fun and very easy.
Central HK was not really what I expected as it is not very navigable on foot...It is not pedestrian friendly and is a combination of malls and office towers with everyone walking through subterranean malls and through bridges, but nevertheless the scope of the architecture was just incredible.
Saw those cool outdoor elevators!
And took the tram just for the heck of it...
...While I was waiting for the buffet to open for lunch at the Cafe at the Island Shangri-la.......
I found Hong Kong to be a vibrant city that was so livable. It made me think that all the Hong Kong people who moved to Toronto and Canada were downgrading when I had thought they were upgrading! There are so many people in Toronto and Vancouver who are Asian, and from Hong Kong in particular, that I felt right at home in Hong Kong.
I had the opportunity to take in some sites, such as this view from a harbour cruise.
One thing that is great about HK, is that it has got to be the MOST WELL SIGNED CITY IN THE WORLD. There are English signs for everything, everywhere.
One of the few older buildings (the former harbour police building):
Stopped by a famous dim sum restaurant but the food was not to my taste although the patrons were very much enjoying it.
Went to a nighmarket. Was lots of fun to see. People were really enjoying the food set up in small street restaurants.
The streets were packed at night with shoppers.
I took the ferry over to the Island which was fun and very easy.
Central HK was not really what I expected as it is not very navigable on foot...It is not pedestrian friendly and is a combination of malls and office towers with everyone walking through subterranean malls and through bridges, but nevertheless the scope of the architecture was just incredible.
Saw those cool outdoor elevators!
And took the tram just for the heck of it...
...While I was waiting for the buffet to open for lunch at the Cafe at the Island Shangri-la.......
Dec 11, 2010, 6:48 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 3
THE ISLAND SHANGRI-LA CAFE TOO LUNCH BUFFET
Where else can you get a five star buffet like this on a Monday afternoon? Let me save you the suspense...this was ANOTHER 10 out of 10, and a very interesting buffet as well.
It is a collection of cooking stations ranging from Korean, to Japanense, Mongolian, Chinese, Indian, Western, Seafood, dessert, etc. All the dishes were just top notch and it was more like an open menu than a buffet. Service was top notch as well. Another great value even at about $70 US.
THE ISLAND SHANGRI-LA CAFE TOO LUNCH BUFFET
Where else can you get a five star buffet like this on a Monday afternoon? Let me save you the suspense...this was ANOTHER 10 out of 10, and a very interesting buffet as well.
It is a collection of cooking stations ranging from Korean, to Japanense, Mongolian, Chinese, Indian, Western, Seafood, dessert, etc. All the dishes were just top notch and it was more like an open menu than a buffet. Service was top notch as well. Another great value even at about $70 US.
Dec 11, 2010, 7:09 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 4
Well, HK is now my favorite city in the world. 3 nights there not quite enough, but sufficient for me to get a taste of HK life....
So now it was onto Macau for one night at the Ventian. I got a good mid-week special there that included a big voucher to a restaurant and also a free breakfast buffet. Also included as a return Cotaijet ticket which I upgraded to first class for another 10 bucks or something. The Cotaijet was empty both ways, it being midweek.
Was an uneventful ride on the ferry to Macau. I left mid afternoon from the HK ferry terminal right near the IC in Tsim Sha Tsui. Bought my ticket right there and it was no problem.
Took the hotel shuttle for a few minutes right to the Venetian.
Nothing to see outside the hotel on the way there, on the Cotai strip.
Impressive lobby to the Venetian as was expected. No problem checking in.
The room, although of a decent size, felt a little depressing...
Although the bathroom was nice.
The hotel ans shopping arcade was just massive!! MASSIVE. You couldn't possibly explore the whole thing in a day alone.
It was 99% Chinese throughout, with very few western tourists. The casino was 99% baccarat. As other people have indicated, there is very little energy or excitement in the casino and no alcohol is served, although it is available. The slots were kinda weird for a Westerner....I was trying for 3 squids and hairy crabs started the bonus rounds....No horseshoes or green clovers here...
BUFFET #4 - FOGO SAMBA at the VENETIAN in MACAU
So I went to this Brazillian chiarascura all you can eat bbq restaurant called Fogo Samba, which I was hoping would be as good as the similar places in theUS, like Texas De Brazil. Nope. It was awful. Nothing worth eating in the appetizer buffet and the meat was mostly lousy. So, few pictures and then I left...
I give this a 4 out of 10. Sucked. Nothing like Texas De Brazil in the US, which is my favorite restaurant...
BUFFET #5 - VENETIAN HOTEL BUFFET - CAFE DECO
This was adequate and free, but not very good at all. Selections did not cater to Westerners for the most part and quality was low. I give it a 4 out of 10.
So, Macau is a bust food wise, at least on the Cotai Strip.....
I then leave to the HK airport via the Cotaijet. I go directly without having to pass through immigration at HKIA.
Real good and easy idea. Although I miss HK already. It is my favorite city in the world.
Well, HK is now my favorite city in the world. 3 nights there not quite enough, but sufficient for me to get a taste of HK life....
So now it was onto Macau for one night at the Ventian. I got a good mid-week special there that included a big voucher to a restaurant and also a free breakfast buffet. Also included as a return Cotaijet ticket which I upgraded to first class for another 10 bucks or something. The Cotaijet was empty both ways, it being midweek.
Was an uneventful ride on the ferry to Macau. I left mid afternoon from the HK ferry terminal right near the IC in Tsim Sha Tsui. Bought my ticket right there and it was no problem.
Took the hotel shuttle for a few minutes right to the Venetian.
Nothing to see outside the hotel on the way there, on the Cotai strip.
Impressive lobby to the Venetian as was expected. No problem checking in.
The room, although of a decent size, felt a little depressing...
Although the bathroom was nice.
The hotel ans shopping arcade was just massive!! MASSIVE. You couldn't possibly explore the whole thing in a day alone.
It was 99% Chinese throughout, with very few western tourists. The casino was 99% baccarat. As other people have indicated, there is very little energy or excitement in the casino and no alcohol is served, although it is available. The slots were kinda weird for a Westerner....I was trying for 3 squids and hairy crabs started the bonus rounds....No horseshoes or green clovers here...
BUFFET #4 - FOGO SAMBA at the VENETIAN in MACAU
So I went to this Brazillian chiarascura all you can eat bbq restaurant called Fogo Samba, which I was hoping would be as good as the similar places in theUS, like Texas De Brazil. Nope. It was awful. Nothing worth eating in the appetizer buffet and the meat was mostly lousy. So, few pictures and then I left...
I give this a 4 out of 10. Sucked. Nothing like Texas De Brazil in the US, which is my favorite restaurant...
BUFFET #5 - VENETIAN HOTEL BUFFET - CAFE DECO
This was adequate and free, but not very good at all. Selections did not cater to Westerners for the most part and quality was low. I give it a 4 out of 10.
So, Macau is a bust food wise, at least on the Cotai Strip.....
I then leave to the HK airport via the Cotaijet. I go directly without having to pass through immigration at HKIA.
Real good and easy idea. Although I miss HK already. It is my favorite city in the world.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 7:10 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 4
Thai Airways in First Class to Bangkok
I arrived at HKIA around 9:30 am, checked in at the Thai F counter, and then proceeded to the F lounge. The F lounge is a segregated area adjacent to the business class lounge. It was very nice. It had a light breakfast buffet, and then at 11:00 I got to order lunch off the menu.
I had some spare time so I tried out the massage chair. Whoa! That thing is powerful!
The 747 F cabin was the new kind and was fabulous.
The service was excellent from the moment that I boarded. The colourfully dressed crew was present to give traditional Thai greetings and it was a trip, for someone who has never experienced the other-worldly genuine Thai greeting en masse upon boarding. I really enjoyed the Bollinger champagne, and preferred it to the Krug on CX, although it was a close call.
I pre-ordered lobster via the Internet before my trip. The lobster was a nice size and tasty but a bit dry.
Upon arrival I was greeted at the gate, taken by buggy to immigration, which was a breeze in the Fastlane, a TG porter picked up my luggage and took me to change money, and then all the way to the new airport subway, which was deserted because it was so new.
The price was right but I got off at the wrong stop, thinking that I would take a taxi the rest of the way just like in HK (got off at Makkasan instead of Phaya Thai on purpose). As it turned out, I got bogged down in traffic and so should have taken the taxi the entire trip rather than the subway, because the IC that I was staying at, although near the subway, would have required me to switch trains from the airport express onto the subway at Phaya Thai. Not worth the hassle.
The Intercontinental Bangkok was just gorgeous. I got a huge upgraded suite as a Royal Ambassador. It felt brand spanking new like no one had ever stayed in the room before, and was very, very tastefully decorated.
Thai Airways in First Class to Bangkok
I arrived at HKIA around 9:30 am, checked in at the Thai F counter, and then proceeded to the F lounge. The F lounge is a segregated area adjacent to the business class lounge. It was very nice. It had a light breakfast buffet, and then at 11:00 I got to order lunch off the menu.
I had some spare time so I tried out the massage chair. Whoa! That thing is powerful!
The 747 F cabin was the new kind and was fabulous.
The service was excellent from the moment that I boarded. The colourfully dressed crew was present to give traditional Thai greetings and it was a trip, for someone who has never experienced the other-worldly genuine Thai greeting en masse upon boarding. I really enjoyed the Bollinger champagne, and preferred it to the Krug on CX, although it was a close call.
I pre-ordered lobster via the Internet before my trip. The lobster was a nice size and tasty but a bit dry.
Upon arrival I was greeted at the gate, taken by buggy to immigration, which was a breeze in the Fastlane, a TG porter picked up my luggage and took me to change money, and then all the way to the new airport subway, which was deserted because it was so new.
The price was right but I got off at the wrong stop, thinking that I would take a taxi the rest of the way just like in HK (got off at Makkasan instead of Phaya Thai on purpose). As it turned out, I got bogged down in traffic and so should have taken the taxi the entire trip rather than the subway, because the IC that I was staying at, although near the subway, would have required me to switch trains from the airport express onto the subway at Phaya Thai. Not worth the hassle.
The Intercontinental Bangkok was just gorgeous. I got a huge upgraded suite as a Royal Ambassador. It felt brand spanking new like no one had ever stayed in the room before, and was very, very tastefully decorated.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 7:11 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
Bangkok IC cont'd and EK Bangkok to Dubai
The rooftop pool was very nice and tranquil as well.
The food in the executive lounge was outstanding. In fact, it was extensive enough to call it a BUFFET!
BUFFET NO 5 - INTERCONTINENTAL BANGKOK EXECUTIVE LOUNGE
It was so delicious that I could barely eat dinner! But I forced myself. I needed to try out some more Thai food, especially Pad Thai.
But first I went for a stroll through a nightmarket that I took at taxi to.
There was some street food but I didnt have the guts.
I ended up having an excellent Pad Thai in restaurant that was in the hotel but wasn't a hotel restaurant and was not a fancy place at all.
A quick BUFFET (No. 6?) breakfast at the IC Executive lounge before going to the airport to catch the FK F flight to Dubai. Was excellent.
The Emirates lounge at BKK was just a business lounge and was not very good in terms of food or comfort. I was a little disappointed, but it was OK. I squeezed in another breakfast buffet.
I knew in advance that I would be on an old configured Emirates First Class cabin so was prepared. It was chock full of people. I had to go back and forth between business and first a couple of times to see what the differences were, and it was not very much...This was really a business class product in every respect IMHO....
Food was very poor and service was as bad. In fact I complained to the FA. I had waited a hour and a half for her to come by and take a drink order and it was even too late to eat by the time she came by for my food order...It was very upsetting and this was the worst flight of my trip. It was so bad that I even considered changing my return EK flight.
Even the menu was not particularly attractive food-wise and I really wonder whether the menu was the same fir "First" and Business class...
I did get the snack basket which I liked though.
I ordered just appetizers at the beginning of the flight because I was full from 2 buffet breakfasts, and then since the FA never came by again for a couple of hours, I never got to try main courses, but that was just as well because they looked like crap from what I saw from my seatmate. As you can see from my appetizers, they were very underwhelming for F.
The Entertainment system was damn crap to use. It had an ancient navigation system which defied any reasoned attempt to use. Very frustrating.
If you are ever tempted to try out EK, don't do it on this old configured F...it is simply not worth it and very disappointing.
The rooftop pool was very nice and tranquil as well.
The food in the executive lounge was outstanding. In fact, it was extensive enough to call it a BUFFET!
BUFFET NO 5 - INTERCONTINENTAL BANGKOK EXECUTIVE LOUNGE
It was so delicious that I could barely eat dinner! But I forced myself. I needed to try out some more Thai food, especially Pad Thai.
But first I went for a stroll through a nightmarket that I took at taxi to.
There was some street food but I didnt have the guts.
I ended up having an excellent Pad Thai in restaurant that was in the hotel but wasn't a hotel restaurant and was not a fancy place at all.
A quick BUFFET (No. 6?) breakfast at the IC Executive lounge before going to the airport to catch the FK F flight to Dubai. Was excellent.
The Emirates lounge at BKK was just a business lounge and was not very good in terms of food or comfort. I was a little disappointed, but it was OK. I squeezed in another breakfast buffet.
I knew in advance that I would be on an old configured Emirates First Class cabin so was prepared. It was chock full of people. I had to go back and forth between business and first a couple of times to see what the differences were, and it was not very much...This was really a business class product in every respect IMHO....
Food was very poor and service was as bad. In fact I complained to the FA. I had waited a hour and a half for her to come by and take a drink order and it was even too late to eat by the time she came by for my food order...It was very upsetting and this was the worst flight of my trip. It was so bad that I even considered changing my return EK flight.
Even the menu was not particularly attractive food-wise and I really wonder whether the menu was the same fir "First" and Business class...
I did get the snack basket which I liked though.
I ordered just appetizers at the beginning of the flight because I was full from 2 buffet breakfasts, and then since the FA never came by again for a couple of hours, I never got to try main courses, but that was just as well because they looked like crap from what I saw from my seatmate. As you can see from my appetizers, they were very underwhelming for F.
The Entertainment system was damn crap to use. It had an ancient navigation system which defied any reasoned attempt to use. Very frustrating.
If you are ever tempted to try out EK, don't do it on this old configured F...it is simply not worth it and very disappointing.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 7:14 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 6
Dubai
So after that piss-poor F experience on EK BKK-DXB, I arrived at Dubai airport and after a little bit of searching got the EK free limo to the Fairmont Dubai. Was a quick and pleasant ride. I am a Platinum President's Club member at Fairmont so got a free suite there. It was very nice and very large but a bit austere.
The Fairmont had 2 very nice rooftop pools.
The hotel had a very impressive interior with glass elevator.
The hotel is right next door to the super modern automated subway which was very impressive. They even have a first class subway cabin that you could pay a little extra for...
The architecture in Dubai is just amazing. Its like every developer told the architects to come back with something more expensive and elaborate after the architects pitched them on the building. And the malls....the malls were just unbelievable...a shopper's paradise. They had EVERYTHING. Every shop and restaurant conceivable....And the malls were gorgeous as well....Amazing...
I used a Fairmont certificate for US $100 worth of free food at their restaurant. Had an amazing dinner at Spectrum on One!!!
The hop on hop off double decker bus was a great way to see all the major attractions. It was a wonderful service with buses arriving at over 40 stops every 20 minutes.
Went to an amazing fish market.
Dubai
So after that piss-poor F experience on EK BKK-DXB, I arrived at Dubai airport and after a little bit of searching got the EK free limo to the Fairmont Dubai. Was a quick and pleasant ride. I am a Platinum President's Club member at Fairmont so got a free suite there. It was very nice and very large but a bit austere.
The Fairmont had 2 very nice rooftop pools.
The hotel had a very impressive interior with glass elevator.
The hotel is right next door to the super modern automated subway which was very impressive. They even have a first class subway cabin that you could pay a little extra for...
The architecture in Dubai is just amazing. Its like every developer told the architects to come back with something more expensive and elaborate after the architects pitched them on the building. And the malls....the malls were just unbelievable...a shopper's paradise. They had EVERYTHING. Every shop and restaurant conceivable....And the malls were gorgeous as well....Amazing...
I used a Fairmont certificate for US $100 worth of free food at their restaurant. Had an amazing dinner at Spectrum on One!!!
The hop on hop off double decker bus was a great way to see all the major attractions. It was a wonderful service with buses arriving at over 40 stops every 20 minutes.
Went to an amazing fish market.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 7:45 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 7 - Dubai Continued
After a night at the Fairmont, I switched over to the IC Festival City and got an excellent upgrade to a huge suite as a Royal Ambassador.
I then went to the Burj al Arab for their Friday brunch. This cost $160 and was amazing.
BUFFET NO. 7 - BURJ AL ARAB BRUNCH BUFFET
What an amazing view from the top floor restaurant!!
Was an amazing and opulent hotel.
This brunch was another 10, maybe an 11!!! Lobsters, caviar, you name it...All in beautiful opulent surroundings. Was a great experience. I wouldn't say that the food was much better than at the HK buffets, but tne environment is what pushed this over 10 out of 10, and into 11...
After a night at the Fairmont, I switched over to the IC Festival City and got an excellent upgrade to a huge suite as a Royal Ambassador.
I then went to the Burj al Arab for their Friday brunch. This cost $160 and was amazing.
BUFFET NO. 7 - BURJ AL ARAB BRUNCH BUFFET
What an amazing view from the top floor restaurant!!
Was an amazing and opulent hotel.
This brunch was another 10, maybe an 11!!! Lobsters, caviar, you name it...All in beautiful opulent surroundings. Was a great experience. I wouldn't say that the food was much better than at the HK buffets, but tne environment is what pushed this over 10 out of 10, and into 11...
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 8:06 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 8
Emirates from Dubai back to Bangkok in First Class
Remember my 'piss poor EK F leg' on the way to Dubai that nearly made me cancel this return leg? Well, this made up for it!!!!!! This was all that my F dreams are made of. It was spectacular. Everything was perfect!!! They made up for the last leg in spades....
BUT, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT - ONE MORE BUFFET - THIS WAS A SURPRISE ONE that turned out to be excellent! Another 10!!!!
It turns out that at the IC Dubai Festival City, they have an incredible buffet that rivals HK and even the Burj food wise. It is enourmous; one could not even come close to trying a fraction of the offerings. From amazing seafood included whole fresh fish grilled to order, to sushi, to prime rib - to everything. A true cornucopia and a bargain at about $60! I had no idea it would be so great.
Wow. OK. Sorry for the detour but this buffet was unexpected. I didn't plan on going here...
The Emirates First Class Lounge was out of this world.
It was a humongous buffet for breakfast. Better than most hotels buffet breakfasts. And excellent service. It also had a full menu to order from...
I didn't even have time to go to their complimentary spa....
So, this lounge counts as a full buffet. I think this is number 7? Was great...
Emirates from Dubai back to Bangkok in First Class
Remember my 'piss poor EK F leg' on the way to Dubai that nearly made me cancel this return leg? Well, this made up for it!!!!!! This was all that my F dreams are made of. It was spectacular. Everything was perfect!!! They made up for the last leg in spades....
BUT, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT - ONE MORE BUFFET - THIS WAS A SURPRISE ONE that turned out to be excellent! Another 10!!!!
It turns out that at the IC Dubai Festival City, they have an incredible buffet that rivals HK and even the Burj food wise. It is enourmous; one could not even come close to trying a fraction of the offerings. From amazing seafood included whole fresh fish grilled to order, to sushi, to prime rib - to everything. A true cornucopia and a bargain at about $60! I had no idea it would be so great.
Wow. OK. Sorry for the detour but this buffet was unexpected. I didn't plan on going here...
The Emirates First Class Lounge was out of this world.
It was a humongous buffet for breakfast. Better than most hotels buffet breakfasts. And excellent service. It also had a full menu to order from...
I didn't even have time to go to their complimentary spa....
So, this lounge counts as a full buffet. I think this is number 7? Was great...
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 8:07 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
Part 9
Emirates First Class - Actually on board....
As far as I am concerned, this was the best flight I ever had.
I got the new configured F Class - the suites. It was on the 777-ER not the A380, but it was fab.
The menu was great but I was a bit full from breakfast as you can imagine, so all I had were appetizers, which were excellent. I also got to try Dom for the first time. I was happily surprised that I just loved it. I thought maybe it was all hype...but NO....it was great and deserves its reputation...
The entertainment system was just perfection. The selection and ease of use was amazing. Loved the external cameras as well. The entire experience was flawless. Got an amazing leather toiletry case and great pajamas. If you want to experience EK F, which I highly suggest, this route is a great route because F return from BKK - DXB is only $2600 or so for a full 6 hour return flight. Considering it is 17k or so from Toronto to DXB for about 13 hours, that is a great deal and a great way to be able to experience this excellence.
Bangkok again
I'm going to squeeze in a little part of my trip here because it was a crap bad part. I got a great deal using a coupon from Groupon kind of web site ($70 off a hotel for $20) and used it at the Landmark Hotel in Bangkok. I chose this hotel because I was planning on buying custom suits and the tailor was right next door.
As it turned out, this hotel was an absolute hell hole in my opinion. Dingy and depressing to the point I really couldn't bare it. And on top of it, after seeing the suits, I decided against buying any as they were fine, but just not up to the standards that I had in mind for myself at this point in my life.
Furthermore, this hotel is in the Nana district, and not to offend anybody, but I found this place incredibly seedy and did not feel at all comfortable on the streets, even though I am from a big city and can handle myself. Also, I found Bangkok in general to have hard to cross streets due to traffic and non-pedestrian friendly infrastructure. I found it humid as all hell. I was very much put off by all the older Westerners with young Thai girlfriends and very suspicious looks on their faces. In short, I found Bangkok to be a hell hole and would never want to return. I have since been told that i should have stayed at the Peninsula (of course) as it is in a nice enclave. Maybe so, but from my experience, it is hard to believe that Bangkok could be anything other than a steam, seedy, traffic jam, full of prostitutes. I really hope I am wrong because this is not what I had envisioned Bangkok to be like and the Thai people are the most gracious I have ever come across.
Emirates First Class - Actually on board....
As far as I am concerned, this was the best flight I ever had.
I got the new configured F Class - the suites. It was on the 777-ER not the A380, but it was fab.
The menu was great but I was a bit full from breakfast as you can imagine, so all I had were appetizers, which were excellent. I also got to try Dom for the first time. I was happily surprised that I just loved it. I thought maybe it was all hype...but NO....it was great and deserves its reputation...
The entertainment system was just perfection. The selection and ease of use was amazing. Loved the external cameras as well. The entire experience was flawless. Got an amazing leather toiletry case and great pajamas. If you want to experience EK F, which I highly suggest, this route is a great route because F return from BKK - DXB is only $2600 or so for a full 6 hour return flight. Considering it is 17k or so from Toronto to DXB for about 13 hours, that is a great deal and a great way to be able to experience this excellence.
Bangkok again
I'm going to squeeze in a little part of my trip here because it was a crap bad part. I got a great deal using a coupon from Groupon kind of web site ($70 off a hotel for $20) and used it at the Landmark Hotel in Bangkok. I chose this hotel because I was planning on buying custom suits and the tailor was right next door.
As it turned out, this hotel was an absolute hell hole in my opinion. Dingy and depressing to the point I really couldn't bare it. And on top of it, after seeing the suits, I decided against buying any as they were fine, but just not up to the standards that I had in mind for myself at this point in my life.
Furthermore, this hotel is in the Nana district, and not to offend anybody, but I found this place incredibly seedy and did not feel at all comfortable on the streets, even though I am from a big city and can handle myself. Also, I found Bangkok in general to have hard to cross streets due to traffic and non-pedestrian friendly infrastructure. I found it humid as all hell. I was very much put off by all the older Westerners with young Thai girlfriends and very suspicious looks on their faces. In short, I found Bangkok to be a hell hole and would never want to return. I have since been told that i should have stayed at the Peninsula (of course) as it is in a nice enclave. Maybe so, but from my experience, it is hard to believe that Bangkok could be anything other than a steam, seedy, traffic jam, full of prostitutes. I really hope I am wrong because this is not what I had envisioned Bangkok to be like and the Thai people are the most gracious I have ever come across.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 8:07 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 10
TRISARA, Phuket
Ahhhh, Trisara. Trisara. Trisara. Trisara. A divine place. Heavenly. Paradise. Simply the best resort I could imagine, and in fact I couldn't have imagined it being THIS good. Thank you to FT'ers who suggested this place. At US $750 a night it was a bargain believe it or not. I used my Scotia points though! Doh!
From the moment I was greeted off the plane from Bangkok by the most gracious and polite gentleman with a sign, I knew I was in for something special. He took my luggage and directed me to his luxury Volvo SUV. He gave me Trisara branded water and a cold towel. We took a 15 minute journey to the resort. Calling it a resort though really does it a disservice. More like Fantasy Island, because it does not feel at all commercial. It doesn't even feel like a hotel. Its is more like an oasis on a deserted tropical island.
I was upgraded to a magnificant villa with myh own private salt water infinity pool. I was greeted by the General Manager, Anthony Lark, who is such a gentleman and host par excellence it is almost like he stepped out of a novel. I was given cool ginger tea and a cold towel to refresh as I was shown around the resort. There was no "check-in" as we know it...
Let the pictures tell you the story here...
This picture says it all to me. Inspired elegance with every last detail brilliantly conceived:
What is it? It is the water to clean your feet from sand when leaving the beach to head back to your villa. Genius. At Trisara, a water hose would have been far to simple and poorly conceived.
I loved the homemade cookies in the room refreshed every day. I loved the imported fine Australian coffee and the Bodum in the villa. I loved the homemade truffles left for me in my room every day. I loved the excellent food and the most amazing service in the world. I swear, whenever I left my room, when I cam back it was cleaned, as if by magic. They must watch to see when you leave so they can take care of it. No knocks on the door hollering, "HOUSEKEEPING!" here.
The food was excellent as well, although expensive no matter the meal, although breakfast was included. Forget the price though, because if you were sitting there and someone asked you for $50 to continue sitting in this amazing place, you would immediately hand over the money just for the amazing view and service.
I cannot recommend this place highly enough. It is a MUST to experience. It is simply the best.
TRISARA, Phuket
Ahhhh, Trisara. Trisara. Trisara. Trisara. A divine place. Heavenly. Paradise. Simply the best resort I could imagine, and in fact I couldn't have imagined it being THIS good. Thank you to FT'ers who suggested this place. At US $750 a night it was a bargain believe it or not. I used my Scotia points though! Doh!
From the moment I was greeted off the plane from Bangkok by the most gracious and polite gentleman with a sign, I knew I was in for something special. He took my luggage and directed me to his luxury Volvo SUV. He gave me Trisara branded water and a cold towel. We took a 15 minute journey to the resort. Calling it a resort though really does it a disservice. More like Fantasy Island, because it does not feel at all commercial. It doesn't even feel like a hotel. Its is more like an oasis on a deserted tropical island.
I was upgraded to a magnificant villa with myh own private salt water infinity pool. I was greeted by the General Manager, Anthony Lark, who is such a gentleman and host par excellence it is almost like he stepped out of a novel. I was given cool ginger tea and a cold towel to refresh as I was shown around the resort. There was no "check-in" as we know it...
Let the pictures tell you the story here...
This picture says it all to me. Inspired elegance with every last detail brilliantly conceived:
What is it? It is the water to clean your feet from sand when leaving the beach to head back to your villa. Genius. At Trisara, a water hose would have been far to simple and poorly conceived.
I loved the homemade cookies in the room refreshed every day. I loved the imported fine Australian coffee and the Bodum in the villa. I loved the homemade truffles left for me in my room every day. I loved the excellent food and the most amazing service in the world. I swear, whenever I left my room, when I cam back it was cleaned, as if by magic. They must watch to see when you leave so they can take care of it. No knocks on the door hollering, "HOUSEKEEPING!" here.
The food was excellent as well, although expensive no matter the meal, although breakfast was included. Forget the price though, because if you were sitting there and someone asked you for $50 to continue sitting in this amazing place, you would immediately hand over the money just for the amazing view and service.
I cannot recommend this place highly enough. It is a MUST to experience. It is simply the best.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 11, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 9:14 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 855
First class buffet trip report (cx f, ek f, tg f) yzz-hkg-mfm-bkk-dxb-bkk-hkk-yyz
PART 11
Back to Bangkok and then to Hong Kong to catch CX F to Toronto....
Well, I had to check out of Trisara after 48 hours of paradise. The Trisara driver took me to the airport where I was met by the Trisara chaperone who checked me in and took me all the way to the airplane gate.
The Thai business class lounge was comfortable and a reprieve from the otherwise crowded airport. There were some snacks there.
The one hour flight was comfortable and a light meal was served.
Incredible aerial view from the plane.
I checked in at the Conrad Hilton in Bangkok. This time I used the AOT limo service to go to the hotel and it was easy and reasonably priced. I got the hotel for free from a stay promotion, although I upgraded it to a suite at a discounted upgrade rate. the hotel was nice and higher end but a bit dark and dreary throughout. I would not stay there again to be honest even though it was modern and clean. The executive lounge had some good evening buffet snacks. They were good but the lounge and the food was not nearly as nice as the Bangkok IC. Really there is no comparison between the Conrad and the IC in any respect. IC is much better.
I went to a huge nightmarket that featured a massive outdoor "food court". You would buy tickets to redeem for food and drink from the vendors. I had Pad Thai of course.
Afterwards I caught a ride back to the hotel in a Tuk Tuk which was a riot.
The next day I checked out and the AOT limo took me back to the airport. I never had any real issue with traffic going to the airport or into the city. I checked in at the Thai First Class counter after being greeted curbside and a porter taking my bags. I had the sit down check in service and then was taken to the First Class lounge where I had my first massage ever. It was complimentary but I only had time for the neck and shoulder one not the full body. By the way TG was able to check my bags all the way through to Toronto even though I would be transferring to CX in Hong Kong. That was great.
The First Class lounge was very nice with excellent service and a full menu I was not hungry at that point since it was so early (about (9:30 am) and I had a meal approaching on TG F.
Aboard TG F, it was the new F cabin again which was great. I pre-ordered Pad Thai with lobster. It was OK but not great, but preferable to the regular breakfast offerings from the menu in any event...
The Hong Kong Airport is a fabulous airport although huge. I actually got to see most of it due to a gate change. I also got to see the Wing and the Pier. I was underwhelmed by both to be honest. Both were quite crowded at times, and I did not think the food offerings were all that impressive. There was a decent selection and the quality was good, but it did not have much of a wow factor, at least to me.
I then proceeded to board the flight to Toronto on Cathay Pacific in First Class. The service was top notch and I was the only person in the F cabin, which was a hoot!
The menu was very nice and appetizing.
Back to Bangkok and then to Hong Kong to catch CX F to Toronto....
Well, I had to check out of Trisara after 48 hours of paradise. The Trisara driver took me to the airport where I was met by the Trisara chaperone who checked me in and took me all the way to the airplane gate.
The Thai business class lounge was comfortable and a reprieve from the otherwise crowded airport. There were some snacks there.
The one hour flight was comfortable and a light meal was served.
Incredible aerial view from the plane.
I checked in at the Conrad Hilton in Bangkok. This time I used the AOT limo service to go to the hotel and it was easy and reasonably priced. I got the hotel for free from a stay promotion, although I upgraded it to a suite at a discounted upgrade rate. the hotel was nice and higher end but a bit dark and dreary throughout. I would not stay there again to be honest even though it was modern and clean. The executive lounge had some good evening buffet snacks. They were good but the lounge and the food was not nearly as nice as the Bangkok IC. Really there is no comparison between the Conrad and the IC in any respect. IC is much better.
I went to a huge nightmarket that featured a massive outdoor "food court". You would buy tickets to redeem for food and drink from the vendors. I had Pad Thai of course.
Afterwards I caught a ride back to the hotel in a Tuk Tuk which was a riot.
The next day I checked out and the AOT limo took me back to the airport. I never had any real issue with traffic going to the airport or into the city. I checked in at the Thai First Class counter after being greeted curbside and a porter taking my bags. I had the sit down check in service and then was taken to the First Class lounge where I had my first massage ever. It was complimentary but I only had time for the neck and shoulder one not the full body. By the way TG was able to check my bags all the way through to Toronto even though I would be transferring to CX in Hong Kong. That was great.
The First Class lounge was very nice with excellent service and a full menu I was not hungry at that point since it was so early (about (9:30 am) and I had a meal approaching on TG F.
Aboard TG F, it was the new F cabin again which was great. I pre-ordered Pad Thai with lobster. It was OK but not great, but preferable to the regular breakfast offerings from the menu in any event...
The Hong Kong Airport is a fabulous airport although huge. I actually got to see most of it due to a gate change. I also got to see the Wing and the Pier. I was underwhelmed by both to be honest. Both were quite crowded at times, and I did not think the food offerings were all that impressive. There was a decent selection and the quality was good, but it did not have much of a wow factor, at least to me.
I then proceeded to board the flight to Toronto on Cathay Pacific in First Class. The service was top notch and I was the only person in the F cabin, which was a hoot!
The menu was very nice and appetizing.
Last edited by blueline7; Dec 12, 2010 at 11:58 am
