Trip Report: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Druk Air, Amankora Journey & The Siam
 

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok - April 2015 - 1 night
We booked the expedited arrival service and limo pickup through the MO in advance. Despite a missed connection in HKG, I emailed MO and– they adjusted our pickup with no issues. We deplaned in BKK at a very far gate so it was a luxury to be met at the gate by a buggy. We were whisked off to the fast track immigration (note – due to construction we had to walk the last part of the way). Not sure this service would usually be worth the $$ but with a long flight and a far gate it was appreciated – would also recommend for anyone with mobility issues. The rep collected our checked baggage and we were led to our waiting BMW 5 series. The car that was equipped with WIFI, cold water and cold hand towels. It was Sunday morning so we had a short 25-minute drive to the hotel, using the Wi-Fi to catch up on email after the long flight from NYC.

Arrival at the MO was very efficient and check in was done in the room (booked through Amex FHR). We were greeted with an arrival beverage of lemongrass iced tea and a plate of fresh fruit. Our stay was only one night, with a very early departure of 4am the next morning. At this point jet lag and the 90-degree heat kicked us in the teeth so we settled in for a nap. Our room was a 1519 with a full river view in the Main Wing. I am not a fan of this layout with a window between the toilet/shower room and the bedroom. However we were here for less than 24 hours – so not a big deal. Bed was very comfortable and the furnishings are classic but all in very good condition. Nice and quiet and with black out shades to block the sun for sleeping.
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We had lunch at Verandah – Vietnamese spring rolls, Greek salad and Prosecco. Huge thunderstorm started during lunch so glad we opted for the indoor seating. Everyone outdoors had to dash for cover inside. Next up was the MO spa for a 90 minute jet lag massage. I always love taking the MO boat across the river to the spa – makes me smile! I arrived a bit early to use the steam room prior to the massage – which was great. Hands down the best massage I have ever had and very restorative after the long flight. My husband was suffering bad from jet lag and did not want to go out for dinner, so we ordered room service and turned in early.
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Wow, that's one epic itinerary.

Looking forward to this one, thanks for sharing!

Druk Air - KB141 - BKK to PBH
 

Druk Air KB141 – BKK to Paro (PBH) 4/27/15 6:50am
Gate – D8A
J Class – Seats 2A & 2C

We booked our 12-night Amankora journey with DavidO which includes the flights to and from Bhutan on Druk Air. Druk Air flights only leave from a few cities, so if you are planning a trip you need to get the positioning right. There are daily flights to/from BKK and Delhi, 2-3 weekly flights to/from Singapore and some from Kathmandu. Most of the flights seem to operate in the morning and if you miss it you have to wait until the next day. One interesting thing is that the business class seats are only about $100 more than economy, so definitely book in business. You cannot reserve seats prior in advance to wise to show up early at the airport for the best choice.

We were surprised that Amankora had a rep waiting to meet us at the check in area at BKK. He attached the Amankora luggage tags to our bags and brought us over to the Premium check in line. He had already reserved our seats for us so we got the desired Row 2 on the left side of the plane to have a good view of the Himalayas as we landed. After check-in he escorted us to the fast track security line and made sure we knew where to go – really friendly and great service.

For Druk Air business we were given passes to the Air France Lounge – a surprise because I was not aware they gave any lounge access. The Air France lounge at BKK is adequate but pretty basic. It did serve assorted breakfast foods on a buffet and had ample seating and good Wi-Fi.

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The gate for this flight was D8A, which meant bus transport, but business class had a separate bus. We were excited to be flying on Druk Air’s newest plane, an A319 with Sharklets, which entered service on 3/15/15. The plane was brand spanking new – still had that new plane smell. Business class seats were quite comfortable, dark brown leather with ample legroom and a decent recline. The first leg is about two hours with a brief stop in Guwāhāti, India (GAU). It is a quick 40-minute flight GAU to Paro (PBH). After departure, the elevation picks up pretty quickly and the Himalayan range starts peaking through the tops of the clouds. Descent is into a steep valley with pristine mountains on either side. The pilot actually makes an announcement not to be alarmed by the nearness of the mountains. Landing is smooth into Paro, a small airport built in traditional Bhutanese style. We find ourselves standing next to the pilot at baggage claim so we introduced ourselves and thanked him for the memorable flight - he is a pretty young guy still in his 20’s and one of only a handful of pilots qualified to land jets in Bhutan.

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^ Brings back wonderful memories, looking forward to the rest of your report!!

#jealous

Enjoy your trip and hope to see more in the coming weeks!

Looks wonderful and I always miss the Oriental, my Bangkok home.

From what I recall, at Paro you can upgrade to business for $50 if space is available.

I'm looking forward to the rest to see how Bhutan has changed since I was last there.

Excited to read more, especially since we just booked a trip through Pricesquire that'll take us to Kora, Taka, and Sara next spring!

We're flying from DEL, though that flight touches down in KTM, which'll allow us to see Everest. Plus, flying this route is particularly efficient from IAD on EY if using AA miles (F the way to DEL and super efficient layovers) if you leave on a Friday. Going through Bangkok seemed to take us much longer and we couldn't use miles to fly in F. I'd strongly recommend that people consider this route if they can depart from IAD and have miles/can purchase miles (we just bought miles). The only hiccup was that we need to purchase the third F seat since EY only releases two, but the price is almost bearable.

1. The cost difference between business and economy really makes it a no-brainer on Druk. I noticed that strange trend too. We're going to book those flights way early, though I can't seem to get the website to work and I'm too cheap to pay Aman the extra 5%.

2. It's interesting that the FIT surcharge is waived if you travel as 3+. Since our five year old son is coming, those charges were waived for all of us. This was a boon for sure, and just as odd as the econ > business pricing structure.

But you'd need a Indian visa for DEL which can be a big pain for many people. Unless you are transiting directly which is a pain after such a long trip to get to DEL. The reason I chose Bangkok is because I wanted to rest a few days there before continuing on to Paro. I'd hate to waste several days in Bhutan simply sleeping and dealing with jet lag. If you wake up at midnight, at least Bangkok has a nightlife. Bhutan pretty much closes up after 10pm. That plus the high altitude means you want to be fully adjusted to the time zone before you arrive.

report off to great start!

good to hear aman still offers this service, i think the previous mention of this service here was a while ago

Apparently, the Indian Visa process has become much easier for some:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

It can now be done online, doesn't require you to send them your passport, etc.

That's the Aman service I heard so many great things about. What a pleasant surprise!

Wow that does look good. I hope it actually works. I usually have to go twice to the embassy to get a visa.

So whether you choose to connect in DEL or BKK or elsewhere, my advice to Americans and Europeans is to stop over and get some rest and adjust to the local time before continuing onto Bhutan.

thanks for the TR--in the process of booking kora as well for year so looking forward to the rest of it.

Looks like a great start OP! Looking foward to the rest. I am not opposed to this thread staying in this forum but isnt this better suited for the trip reports forum as you are detailing your flight information as well?

they did not detail their flight(s) to BKK
they did detail amanresorts staff at BKK

bhutan flight situation is pretty unique