Conclusion:
We were able to take advantage of one of the last “built your own” Aeroplan Mini RTW’s where there were manually calculated MPM restrictions that were easy to figure out. At the time, it was just find reward availability, pick your city, and make sure that it was under the published 5% MPM. Now, the routings are much more restrictive and difficult to figure out with an arbitrary MPM number that doesn’t seem to make much sense. Sadly, no more West Coast North America – Europe – Singapore routings anymore.
In that process, we were able to try some terrific products. Air Canada’s Boeing 787 is a great aircraft and ups the game for overseas travel. Singapore Airlines Business Class was pleasant with a nice quiet cabin and terrific service. Air India was an entertaining proposition – it was as expected in someways and surprising in others.
Despite being one of the most written about places on Flyer Talk, the Park Hyatt Maldvies is still an awesome place to visit. The house reef is absolutely spectacular. I’d go back every single year if I had the means, time, and the ability to redeem points to get the long long distances to get there. Exploring around the capital city of Male, Maldives was also a fascinating look into Indian Ocean life. It was among one of the pleasant surprises of the trip.
Ultimately, the highlight of the trip was India. Many many people down at the local organic grocery store go on and on about how travel to India changed their life. Everyone seems to know one of these people. . . I didn’t have the same core life changing experience, finding time in the country to be a bit artificial thanks to the way we structured the trip (with handlers and fine hotels). I also didn’t yearn to get the opportuntity to wander around independently, traveling on trains or by coach. Ultimately, it was fascinating to see a country that has a 1.25 billion person population. India represents a fascinating and deep culture similar to the depth that you get when you dig into Japan. Complimenting the experience are the over the top hotels within India. If you can get it right, it’s a stellar service experience. It was also one of the countries that I find myself thinking about on a regular basis now that I’m back home. I’d highly recommend a visit for all you seasoned travelers. And for those that have reluctant wives, maybe you can show them a few photos from this report to convince them.
Thanks for following along and until the next time, Happy Contrails.
Coming up:
Dodging Volcanic Ash: Returning to Bali and Singapore via Asiana’s A380, Delta, KLM and Japan Airlines.
The next trip is an overseas trip with my 11 year old as we search out slightly tamer environments looking for beaches, culture and world experiences.
The next Trip Report starts in Sept 2015! I hope you'll follow us then too...
