A Kenyan Safari (Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli + EK F/EY J/F)
Jun 6, 2015, 3:26 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
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Great start. The food looks very well presented. Not so sure I like all that gold at the seat though. Interesting note you made about the IFE. I haven't yet flown EK so can't comment but other reports have suggested that it is one of the best out there in terms of selection of video.
Jun 6, 2015, 6:51 am
#18
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I was ready to daze off for a while now, and so I asked Maria to make my bed while I went to the washroom to change. This is also the shower spa room, and so effectively your restroom is huge. Emirates pjs are incredibly comfortable and of superior quality – just as the slippers. What blew me away was the amenity kit – a HUGE Bulgari bag full of Bulgari goodies inside. This beats even RIMOWA kits hands down, and the retail value of these nice, luxurious pieces must be well over $100. Government subsides go a long way to help offering such a product!
I came back to my suite and the bed was perfectly made. The bed overall was very comfortable, but definitely narrower than JAL’s, CX’s, or Etihad. In any case, I was able to sleep for 2-3 hours – and very comfortably for that matter. When I woke up I decided to order a glass of Hennessy Paradis – the crčme-de-la-crčme in terms of Cognac, and then I decided to stretch my legs and walk all the way back to the bar again. Here I found the same people that I was drinking with earlier (hehe), plus the lovely Carmen who was still working the bar. And so we talked some more, and some more to drink (two glasses of Paradis and one of XO are not a bad way to spend the evening) and wondered where on Earth we were, since the air show was not working. As the $1-for-500MB internet was working properly, we quickly went on flightaware.com to discover that we were over Italy and that we had 5 more hours to go.
Since most of the folks in business class wanted to catch some sleep, I bid them farewell and went back to my suite, where I started watching the 7th season of the Big Bang Theory.
A hour or so later I was getting a bit hungry again, and so I asked for some cheese, which was presented on a very nice board with crackers, nuts, and dried fruit. Boy, I can never resist cheese, and the quality here was pretty good. I had them with a glass (and then another one) of Sandeman 40yr Port Wine – again, excellent.
To follow, I had some more Dom and I decided to try the beef fillet, but the thoughtful Maria – afraid that I might be starving – suggested I had some mezze in between as the steak would take around 20 minutes to prepare. Sure, why not?
The mezze were very good and plentiful – served in little trays that could easily be arranged around the main plate. Mezze are always a good idea, even more so when in the Middle East. I probably ate Ľ of them – I was really full – and then the steak came.
I must say: it wasn’t bad, but it was a bit dry and definitely well-done. Actually, I take it back: it was bad. I probably ate half of it, and then passed out on my seat for 30 minutes or so, before being informed that my shower time had arrived!
How exciting! I took my clothes so that I could change back after showering, and Maria walked me into the shower where she explained how to properly work it. Then, I had 25 minutes all to myself to enjoy and refresh. Fantastic! I shaved, brushed my teeth, and then enjoyed the blissful sensation of showering while on a plane. It feels good, not only because you are doing something that only a select group of people in the World is able to do, but also because planes really make you feel gross! After showering, I used all the possible spa products in the washroom, dressed up, and went back to my suite, where there was a nicely-presented plate with cut fruit awaiting me.
So, after setting down in my seat, I started watching some more of the Big Bang Theory, and we were soon approaching Dubai for our final descent. The approach was very smooth, but unfortunately the weather was quite dusty around the city, and so I couldn’t take pictures.
After landing, we were the first customers to deplane. I bid farewell to my wonderful crew, and off I went to try the First Class Lounge.
Overall, this was a fantastic flight – perhaps the best in-flight first class experience I had to date. Great crew, great head product, excellent beverages and top notch food. While it wasn’t a perfect flight, it was absolutely worth every mile I used for it. In fact, I already can’t wait to fly Emirates First Class again!
I was ready to daze off for a while now, and so I asked Maria to make my bed while I went to the washroom to change. This is also the shower spa room, and so effectively your restroom is huge. Emirates pjs are incredibly comfortable and of superior quality – just as the slippers. What blew me away was the amenity kit – a HUGE Bulgari bag full of Bulgari goodies inside. This beats even RIMOWA kits hands down, and the retail value of these nice, luxurious pieces must be well over $100. Government subsides go a long way to help offering such a product!
I came back to my suite and the bed was perfectly made. The bed overall was very comfortable, but definitely narrower than JAL’s, CX’s, or Etihad. In any case, I was able to sleep for 2-3 hours – and very comfortably for that matter. When I woke up I decided to order a glass of Hennessy Paradis – the crčme-de-la-crčme in terms of Cognac, and then I decided to stretch my legs and walk all the way back to the bar again. Here I found the same people that I was drinking with earlier (hehe), plus the lovely Carmen who was still working the bar. And so we talked some more, and some more to drink (two glasses of Paradis and one of XO are not a bad way to spend the evening) and wondered where on Earth we were, since the air show was not working. As the $1-for-500MB internet was working properly, we quickly went on flightaware.com to discover that we were over Italy and that we had 5 more hours to go.
Since most of the folks in business class wanted to catch some sleep, I bid them farewell and went back to my suite, where I started watching the 7th season of the Big Bang Theory.
A hour or so later I was getting a bit hungry again, and so I asked for some cheese, which was presented on a very nice board with crackers, nuts, and dried fruit. Boy, I can never resist cheese, and the quality here was pretty good. I had them with a glass (and then another one) of Sandeman 40yr Port Wine – again, excellent.
To follow, I had some more Dom and I decided to try the beef fillet, but the thoughtful Maria – afraid that I might be starving – suggested I had some mezze in between as the steak would take around 20 minutes to prepare. Sure, why not?
The mezze were very good and plentiful – served in little trays that could easily be arranged around the main plate. Mezze are always a good idea, even more so when in the Middle East. I probably ate Ľ of them – I was really full – and then the steak came.
I must say: it wasn’t bad, but it was a bit dry and definitely well-done. Actually, I take it back: it was bad. I probably ate half of it, and then passed out on my seat for 30 minutes or so, before being informed that my shower time had arrived!
How exciting! I took my clothes so that I could change back after showering, and Maria walked me into the shower where she explained how to properly work it. Then, I had 25 minutes all to myself to enjoy and refresh. Fantastic! I shaved, brushed my teeth, and then enjoyed the blissful sensation of showering while on a plane. It feels good, not only because you are doing something that only a select group of people in the World is able to do, but also because planes really make you feel gross! After showering, I used all the possible spa products in the washroom, dressed up, and went back to my suite, where there was a nicely-presented plate with cut fruit awaiting me.
So, after setting down in my seat, I started watching some more of the Big Bang Theory, and we were soon approaching Dubai for our final descent. The approach was very smooth, but unfortunately the weather was quite dusty around the city, and so I couldn’t take pictures.
After landing, we were the first customers to deplane. I bid farewell to my wonderful crew, and off I went to try the First Class Lounge.
Overall, this was a fantastic flight – perhaps the best in-flight first class experience I had to date. Great crew, great head product, excellent beverages and top notch food. While it wasn’t a perfect flight, it was absolutely worth every mile I used for it. In fact, I already can’t wait to fly Emirates First Class again!
Last edited by Moomba; Jun 6, 2015 at 10:22 am
Jun 20, 2015, 7:14 am
#19
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Emirates Dubai First Class Lounge
Emirates has three first class lounges at DXB – One for each section (A,B,C) of the terminal. The newest and most famous one is in Section A, an equivalent one is in section B, and a smaller one is located in section C.
My plane landed in the middle part of the terminal, so I headed to the “B” section lounge. Now, I am not sure how it compares with the “A” section one, but this lounge is big. Comparing it with pictures I found online, it looks like it’s a little more understated, but overall it’s very comparable – bar the absence of quiet room (unless I missed it) and cigar bar. Check in was rather straightforward, and the attendant informed me that my flight would leave from section “C”, about 20 minutes’ walk from where I was now. He advised that Emirates had a lounge much closer to my departure gate, but that I was welcome to use the current lounge as well.
The lounge is big, spanning an entire floor in almost all its width. There are self-service buffet areas scattered throughout the lounge, with light bites and refreshments. On the right hand side after entering stands the quiet area, an open space section with plenty of comfortable sofas where to sit. That is located next to the Timeless Spa, where First Class passengers get a variety of complimentary treatments. Since I am a sucker for spas, I went to book a back massage, and I was told to come back in about a hour.
So, I wandered around the lounge. I am not sure how I felt about it. It’s big for sure, and it offers plenty of privacy and areas where to relax. But it is so big to become disorienting. You have to walk quite a bit to go from the entrance to the main dining area, for instance, which is not the best if you’re carrying luggage with you. And from the dining area it’s another bit of a walk to get, for instance, to the showers.
Also, the lounge ends being so big to feel impersonal. Don’t get me wrong: it’s very well appointed and attendants are at every corner waiting to please customers; but it misses character. Lufthansa First Class Terminal, if you ask me, offers a much better overall experience.
In any case, I proceeded to the restaurant to check the food out. Upon seeing me standing by the entrance, one of the waitresses came greeting me and offered me a table, together with a menu and something to drink.
The restaurant area looks very nice, airy, and it features a nice buffet and an extensive a-la-carte dining menu. As you can imagine, I wasn’t exactly hungry at this point, but I was certainly in the mood for something nice. I hence opted for the heart of palm salad as “cleansing” measure, and I then went for some duck breast.
The salad was brought out in about 10 minutes. I have mixed feelings about it, especially because of the weird, gelatinous dressing at the bottom of the plate. The hearts of palm were good, but overall all the ingredients did not go too well together, and the dish had something missing.
The waitress offered me some wine with my lunch, and I first opted for the Australian pinot noir, which was nasty – I suppose because they left the bottle open and sitting for too long. The other option was a Bordeaux, which was better but still nothing to write home about.
The main course was much better. The duck breast was tender and flavorful, but the side coming with it was somewhat odd (as it seemed to have little bits of meat together with the vegetables, giving it an unlikely taste).
Overall, the meal wasn’t great. Perfectly edible, but not on par with Etihad, or Qantas, or Lufthansa lounges. The only great thing about the food was the presentation – excellent overall.
It was not time for my massage, and so I proceeded to the spa. After checking in, my 15 minutes back massage started. The massage was not that great. It was painful more than relaxing, and did not leave me feeling revitalized but it let me somewhat sore. There is no pleasing me today at this lounge.
About one hour before my flight, I decided to leave the lounge and proceed to the “C” section of the terminal, to be closer to my departure gate and to check the First Class lounge there. This lounge is much smaller than the one I had just come from, but it had a similar décor and had an extensive view over the tarmac. It was laid out over two floors, with the restaurant on the ground level and a seating area with a self-service bar on the second floor, together with a nice quiet room with lounging chairs, eye shades, and blankets. I had a carrot juice and I browsed the internet for a bit, before napping for a few minutes in the quiet room (the chairs are very comfortable). Yet, time to board approached quickly, and at 3.20p I proceeded to my gate for the final leg of my journey to Nairobi.
Overall, I was disappointed with the two lounges I tried here at DXB. While I am sure that the lounge in the “A380” section of the terminal be better, I do not understand the discrepancies in terms of quality and offerings among the three lounges. That was rather disappointing. Also, the whole concept of having a lounge spanning an entire floor is, in my mind, silly and detract from instead of adding to the overall experience. The food was overall decent but underwhelming (especially counting that there is a fully staffed kitchen preparing food made to order), and the spa possibly the worse lounge spa I have been so far to. While not bad and still glitzy, Emirates could definitely do the ground experience better. But, after all, this just means that not even Emirates is perfect.
My plane landed in the middle part of the terminal, so I headed to the “B” section lounge. Now, I am not sure how it compares with the “A” section one, but this lounge is big. Comparing it with pictures I found online, it looks like it’s a little more understated, but overall it’s very comparable – bar the absence of quiet room (unless I missed it) and cigar bar. Check in was rather straightforward, and the attendant informed me that my flight would leave from section “C”, about 20 minutes’ walk from where I was now. He advised that Emirates had a lounge much closer to my departure gate, but that I was welcome to use the current lounge as well.
The lounge is big, spanning an entire floor in almost all its width. There are self-service buffet areas scattered throughout the lounge, with light bites and refreshments. On the right hand side after entering stands the quiet area, an open space section with plenty of comfortable sofas where to sit. That is located next to the Timeless Spa, where First Class passengers get a variety of complimentary treatments. Since I am a sucker for spas, I went to book a back massage, and I was told to come back in about a hour.
So, I wandered around the lounge. I am not sure how I felt about it. It’s big for sure, and it offers plenty of privacy and areas where to relax. But it is so big to become disorienting. You have to walk quite a bit to go from the entrance to the main dining area, for instance, which is not the best if you’re carrying luggage with you. And from the dining area it’s another bit of a walk to get, for instance, to the showers.
Also, the lounge ends being so big to feel impersonal. Don’t get me wrong: it’s very well appointed and attendants are at every corner waiting to please customers; but it misses character. Lufthansa First Class Terminal, if you ask me, offers a much better overall experience.
In any case, I proceeded to the restaurant to check the food out. Upon seeing me standing by the entrance, one of the waitresses came greeting me and offered me a table, together with a menu and something to drink.
The restaurant area looks very nice, airy, and it features a nice buffet and an extensive a-la-carte dining menu. As you can imagine, I wasn’t exactly hungry at this point, but I was certainly in the mood for something nice. I hence opted for the heart of palm salad as “cleansing” measure, and I then went for some duck breast.
The salad was brought out in about 10 minutes. I have mixed feelings about it, especially because of the weird, gelatinous dressing at the bottom of the plate. The hearts of palm were good, but overall all the ingredients did not go too well together, and the dish had something missing.
The waitress offered me some wine with my lunch, and I first opted for the Australian pinot noir, which was nasty – I suppose because they left the bottle open and sitting for too long. The other option was a Bordeaux, which was better but still nothing to write home about.
The main course was much better. The duck breast was tender and flavorful, but the side coming with it was somewhat odd (as it seemed to have little bits of meat together with the vegetables, giving it an unlikely taste).
Overall, the meal wasn’t great. Perfectly edible, but not on par with Etihad, or Qantas, or Lufthansa lounges. The only great thing about the food was the presentation – excellent overall.
It was not time for my massage, and so I proceeded to the spa. After checking in, my 15 minutes back massage started. The massage was not that great. It was painful more than relaxing, and did not leave me feeling revitalized but it let me somewhat sore. There is no pleasing me today at this lounge.
About one hour before my flight, I decided to leave the lounge and proceed to the “C” section of the terminal, to be closer to my departure gate and to check the First Class lounge there. This lounge is much smaller than the one I had just come from, but it had a similar décor and had an extensive view over the tarmac. It was laid out over two floors, with the restaurant on the ground level and a seating area with a self-service bar on the second floor, together with a nice quiet room with lounging chairs, eye shades, and blankets. I had a carrot juice and I browsed the internet for a bit, before napping for a few minutes in the quiet room (the chairs are very comfortable). Yet, time to board approached quickly, and at 3.20p I proceeded to my gate for the final leg of my journey to Nairobi.
Overall, I was disappointed with the two lounges I tried here at DXB. While I am sure that the lounge in the “A380” section of the terminal be better, I do not understand the discrepancies in terms of quality and offerings among the three lounges. That was rather disappointing. Also, the whole concept of having a lounge spanning an entire floor is, in my mind, silly and detract from instead of adding to the overall experience. The food was overall decent but underwhelming (especially counting that there is a fully staffed kitchen preparing food made to order), and the spa possibly the worse lounge spa I have been so far to. While not bad and still glitzy, Emirates could definitely do the ground experience better. But, after all, this just means that not even Emirates is perfect.
Jun 20, 2015, 2:30 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2014
Location: OSL
Programs: SAS EBD, QR Platinumr, HH Gold, Intercont Platinum Ambassador,CC Gold
Posts: 158
A Kenyan Safari (Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli + EK F/EY J/F)
Fantastic report again, oneworld82.
I awaiting the remaining part, and also your final verdict on EK-F.
How do you churn all those miles?
I awaiting the remaining part, and also your final verdict on EK-F.
How do you churn all those miles?
Jun 29, 2015, 8:22 am
#24
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Location: DFW
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DXB-NBO on Emirates First Class (EK F, 77W)
After leaving the lounge I proceeded to Terminal C, where regional Emirates flights (and other airlines flights) leave from. Here I found another Emirates First Class lounge – much smaller than the previous one but with a restaurant and a quiet room (adequate to spend a hour or so, but overall underwhelming).
Boarding happened on time, and first class customers were let in first. Emirates has a very interesting proposition – first class seats on every plane. On its 77W (regional flights) EK installs only 6 seats. Seatguru reported that this particular plane had recliner seats, so I was not expecting much. But to my surprise, the seats were rather private pods that fully extended into a bed.
After seating down (I was one of the first guests in First Class) the flight attendant in charge of pre-take off beverages came by and offered me a drink. I opted for a carrot juice, as I wasn’t too hungry/thirsty for champagne yet.
I was surprised that the seat featured a small mini-bar on the side, and a decent amount of storage space. For a regional plane, this wasn’t bad at all. The only real negative of the seat was the IFE system, which was dated and of lower quality. The offerings of movie was, though, very good, and I would watch Big Hero 6 during this relatively short 4h flight.
As soon as we took off I put my seat in sleep mode and dozed off for about a hour and half. It was rather chilly, and while I appreciated that the flight attendant did not wake me up for the meal service to let me rest, I would have appreciated if he had at least brought me a blanket.
After waking up I went to the restroom and once back my FA approached me and asked me whether I wanted anything to drink/eat. I ordered my dinner and a glass of Dom and off we went.
I wanted to try a couple of dishes, and I first order a lamb appetizer which was pretty good.
I like how Emirates brings you a whole basket of bread with your meal.
After the veal it was time for some seafood biryani which was – believe it or not – very good! And I say “believe it or not” because seafood on planes usually isn’t that great. Granted, it was a bit dry, but overall EK did a good job.
The dish was served with a very good salad, and I washed everything down with a nice glass of Chateu St Emilion.
To finish the meal I had an espresso and a glass of the excellent Hennessy Paradis.
We landed on time in a nice Kenyan evening and we had to be shuttled to immigration as the arrival jetway was not operating properly. Within minutes, I was ready to start my Kenyan adventure.
Boarding happened on time, and first class customers were let in first. Emirates has a very interesting proposition – first class seats on every plane. On its 77W (regional flights) EK installs only 6 seats. Seatguru reported that this particular plane had recliner seats, so I was not expecting much. But to my surprise, the seats were rather private pods that fully extended into a bed.
After seating down (I was one of the first guests in First Class) the flight attendant in charge of pre-take off beverages came by and offered me a drink. I opted for a carrot juice, as I wasn’t too hungry/thirsty for champagne yet.
I was surprised that the seat featured a small mini-bar on the side, and a decent amount of storage space. For a regional plane, this wasn’t bad at all. The only real negative of the seat was the IFE system, which was dated and of lower quality. The offerings of movie was, though, very good, and I would watch Big Hero 6 during this relatively short 4h flight.
As soon as we took off I put my seat in sleep mode and dozed off for about a hour and half. It was rather chilly, and while I appreciated that the flight attendant did not wake me up for the meal service to let me rest, I would have appreciated if he had at least brought me a blanket.
After waking up I went to the restroom and once back my FA approached me and asked me whether I wanted anything to drink/eat. I ordered my dinner and a glass of Dom and off we went.
I wanted to try a couple of dishes, and I first order a lamb appetizer which was pretty good.
I like how Emirates brings you a whole basket of bread with your meal.
After the veal it was time for some seafood biryani which was – believe it or not – very good! And I say “believe it or not” because seafood on planes usually isn’t that great. Granted, it was a bit dry, but overall EK did a good job.
The dish was served with a very good salad, and I washed everything down with a nice glass of Chateu St Emilion.
To finish the meal I had an espresso and a glass of the excellent Hennessy Paradis.
We landed on time in a nice Kenyan evening and we had to be shuttled to immigration as the arrival jetway was not operating properly. Within minutes, I was ready to start my Kenyan adventure.
Jun 29, 2015, 8:40 am
#25
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: DFW
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Posts: 2,863
Many ways to accrue EK miles, and it's not that difficult either. PM me if you like.
Jul 4, 2015, 8:45 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 152
2. We actually have several hospitals and even flying doctors available, but seeing OP was here only for a couple of days, he probably didn't want to spend any in a waiting room. Over the counter medication is also available.
If you plan to come to Kenya and have any questions, feel free to ask. I love encouraging tourism esp to my country. Don't stress over it! Just do it! You'll enjoy.
Jul 7, 2015, 4:02 pm
#27
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1. You need to bring a Yellow fever vaccination book if you're coming from a yellow fever prone country.
2. We actually have several hospitals and even flying doctors available, but seeing OP was here only for a couple of days, he probably didn't want to spend any in a waiting room. Over the counter medication is also available.
If you plan to come to Kenya and have any questions, feel free to ask. I love encouraging tourism esp to my country. Don't stress over it! Just do it! You'll enjoy.
2. We actually have several hospitals and even flying doctors available, but seeing OP was here only for a couple of days, he probably didn't want to spend any in a waiting room. Over the counter medication is also available.
If you plan to come to Kenya and have any questions, feel free to ask. I love encouraging tourism esp to my country. Don't stress over it! Just do it! You'll enjoy.
Firstclasser is right: Kenya is well-equipped from a sanitary standpoint - and even in provincial towns yo ucan find medicines and doctors. I would not discourage anyone in visiting Kenya because of health concerns!
P.S.
- I was there for 9 days
Jul 7, 2015, 4:16 pm
#28
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Maasai Mara - Part I
Maasai Mara is a sort of state of mind (yes, just like Malibu, but better). The word Maasai evokes fierce African warriors, that call this land home – and that helps setting expectations right. But the Mara reserve (this is a non-fenced area, so it’s not a National Park) is much more than that. As the northern extension of Serengeti in Tanzania, this is a true wildlife paradise, that sees the annual wildebeest migration every summer (when around two million gnus and following predators cross north from Tanzania), one of the grandest shows that nature ever put up. While we visited the reserve in February – far from when the migration hits the road – we still thoroughly enjoyed the Mara, as the landscape is beautiful and the number of animals is simply incredible. In two days at the reserve we saw lions, cheetahs, hyenas, buffalos, elephants… only the elusive leopard was missing in action, but that’s to be expected. Our tour guide, Robert, was a safe and knowledgeable driver with 18+ years of experience. He could navigate the reserve (and Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli) very easily, which proved absolutely invaluable in spotting animals. The park is hilly, but with vast expanses where grazing animals linger about either feeding or resting. I do not think that I need to write a lot, because hopefully pictures will do the job much better than any of my words. I will just add that we stayed at the Sopa Lodge – a good three star hotel near the Northeastern gate of the reserve – and that we did one afternoon drive, one full-day drive, and one early morning drive. In my opinion, that was enough to see everything we needed to see.
The second day was reserved for a full-day drive. We got deeper into the park, and we got to see a more diverse, more dramatic landscape. The landscape is really stunning – you can literally feel what Karen Blixen must have felt while writing her Out of Africa novel. Rolling hills, extensive plains, rivers, animals, very few humans… This is really Paradise on Earth.
The second day was reserved for a full-day drive. We got deeper into the park, and we got to see a more diverse, more dramatic landscape. The landscape is really stunning – you can literally feel what Karen Blixen must have felt while writing her Out of Africa novel. Rolling hills, extensive plains, rivers, animals, very few humans… This is really Paradise on Earth.