Anglo Large Clawed Otter

About a year ago, I had occasion to cram a somewhat ambitious RTW itinerary into 2.5 weeks. A good chunk of the trip was spent flying, but I got to enjoy several days in Seoul, Khao Lak, and Cape Town/Hermanus:


Over the course of the trip, I got to sample the premium cabins of several airlines, including: CO (not featured here, as it was only for IAH-LAX), CZ, KE, TG, KQ, SA, and EK. With the exception of the SA and TG flights, all other flights and segments formed a portion of my RTW SkyTeam itinerary.

The trip started out after a full day of wandering around L.A. and Manhattan Beach, with LAX-CAN-ICN on CZ serving to get me to my first destination: Seoul.

Check in at the premium counter for China Southern was quick and painless, as I had arrived approximately three hours prior to flight-time. I was issued an invite to the (then) new SkyTeam Lounge at LAX TBIT. Although a shared lounge, Korean Air personnel staffed the lounge. The shared lounge there was one of the nicer SkyTeam lounges I had visited (although the decor was a bit cold and impersonal):


I was the first passenger to arrive in the lounge that evening, and took the opportunity to introduce my liver to the full bottle of Bombay Sapphire that the staff had so kindly left in the self-service bar area. They hit it off well, and kept each other company in the hours prior to the flight.

Eventually, it was time to proceed to the boarding scrum. The boarding process nearly matched Alitalia for totality of unrestrained chaos. It was necessary to board buses to a satellite gate, and the order of the day was every man for himself. Clawing my way over the backs of cane-wielding octogenarians, tossing screaming infants roughly aside, I was finally able to press myself into approximately two cubic feet of space aboard a poorly ventilated bus. I mooed softly to myself to pass the time, which was passing rather more slowly than I had hoped.

Finally we were disgorged at the satellite terminal, only to repeat the degradations of the boarding process once more. For a bit of variety, each passenger was at this point subjected to an infrared thermometer scan, as H1N1 had recently achieved near peak-hysteria. I tried my best to put forth a healthy appearance after having soaked myself in gin and engaged in repeated acts of spine-altering contortionism.

I was initially dismayed to find that my aircraft would not be fitted with the latest generation of angled-flat business-class seats deployed by China Southern. An assortment of institutional-grey recliners greeted me as I made the left turn upon boarding. At first, I was dubious.


Once firmly ensconced in my recliner, my opinion began to shift. The padding was extremely comfortable. Perhaps spending 13:30 in this chair would not be so bad, after all. A glass of nondescript bubbly (still better than anything I've ever had on UA) made things all the more pleasant, as boarding took a while to complete. The J cabin on this flight was fairly empty - I'd estimate about 40-50% full. Whether a result of the light load or simply common practice, the FAs on this flight were extremely attentive during pre-flight and the post-takeoff meal service. I never wanted for a drink, nor for prompt removal of finished items.

Unfortunately, I did not preserve any menus from this itinerary, but do recall that I had some sort of noodle/chicken dish, that was par for the course - neither greatly exceeding nor falling below the standards one would expect in business class. A sleep aid then made the rest of the 13+ hour flight slip by rather quickly, so I can't really comment on the in-flight or breakfast service during this overnight flight.

Regardless, whether it was the seat itself or the sleep aid, I slept soundly all the way to Guangzhou. Despite initial concerns about comfort, I found CZ's recliner to be one of the better, more comfortable recliner products I've sampled.

Dawn saw us landing in Guangzhou, and I was surprised at the size of the airport - the terminal was absolutely massive. After a minor adventure in clearing Chinese immigration for transit purposes, I would be off to the CZ Lounge for some breakfast, as I waited for my onward flight to ICN...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...The first thing one notices on exiting the plane into the terminal at CAN is the less-than-optimal air conditioning. Perhaps they haven't got it cranking all the way by 05:45am, but stepping into that terminal was like entering a steam-bath. It was not the most pleasant place to loiter.

I was pretty much stuck in a holding zone for the first 45 minutes after arrival, as I was a transit passenger without a Chinese visa. The immigration officer escorted me to a metal bench, then promptly disappeared with my passport for a little over half an hour. Towards the end of the wait, I pondered whether this was how the Terminal Man got his start. A steady stream of uniformed immigration officials walked briskly past my bench, but the one with my passport was nowhere to be seen. Just as I was beginning to get more than a bit concerned, he suddenly reappeared. My passport had a shiny new red stamp in it, hexagonal, with a stream of indecipherable characters (to me, at least) surrounding it.

I was then escorted up an escalator to a completely empty security screening checkpoint. The lone screener went about turning on the x-ray scanner and conveyor belt, then checked over my inscrutably notated stamp for a solid minute or so. Apparently, I passed muster, as I was then allowed to place my carry-on onto the scanner and pass through the metal-detector.

The exit to the security screening checkpoint for transit passengers was conveniently located near the entrance to China Southern's Business Class Lounge. At 06:30am, its air-conditioned confines were a welcome refuge from the sweltering main terminal. The lounge was nicely appointed on the inside, and had a decent selection of drinks (including a wide selection of interesting teas), as well as plenty of snacks. There were also a number of computer terminals with high-speed internet access, but firewalls kept me from accessing several websites I usually frequent (though thankfully not FT!). Once more, I was fairly impressed with China Southern, after having heard less than favorable reviews prior to trying them.


After a couple of hours, it was time to head down to my gate, which turned out to be a loooooooooooooooong trek from the lounge. Again, I was surprised at the size and scale of CAN's terminal. It's not Suvarnabhumi by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a sizable airport. I got to the boarding door just as boarding was about to be called, and fully expected to join a scrum, as I had in LAX. Thankfully, boarding at CZ's hub was a bit more civilized, with business class being called first.

I was not sure what to expect upon boarding, as I couldn't find any photos of CZ's regional biz product prior to the flight. I was hoping it wouldn't be something like EuroBiz, and was pleasantly surprised to find a dedicated J cabin with comfy cloth seats:


Soon after being seated, I had a pre-flight beverage in hand, and boarding was completed fairly quickly. We soon taxied out, giving me an opportunity to view an assortment of intriguing aircraft and liveries before takeoff (I hadn't done much intra-Asia flying to that point). We were quickly airborne and en route to ICN. The meal on this flight was not especially to my liking, as fish isn't one of my favorites. However, the cold noodle dish and kimchi were tasty, and the fruit was also very fresh:


The in flight-service was friendly and attentive, and although the main course wasn't really to my liking, a constantly refilled drinks glass kept me content (if not giddy, after nearly 18 hours of continuous travel or layovers). Soon enough, we were making our descent into Seoul, the first of three major stops on my itinerary...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...Once my bag rolled off the belt at ICN, I made my way to the Korean Air Limobus Counter (easy to find, with excellent signage in English). The final stop for the bus is the Westin/W, and it is considerably cheaper than dealing with a taxi. For the price, it offered a very comfortable ride, with leather seats that reclined deeply:


Seoul traffic is absolutely nightmarish, and it took quite a while to actually reach the hotel (Walkerhill isn't exactly close to either ICN or central Seoul). However, the room that waited for me on arrival was worth the trek. I had booked a suite on points at the W, and had received an upgrade from the basic suite to a "Fantastic Suite," which came with a huge common area (featuring a massive jacuzzi tub and panoramic views of the Han River), a separate living room with massive TV and Bose surround-sound system, and a separate bedroom:


Although the room was beautiful, I didn't want to spend all of my time in Seoul cooped up in a hotel. On day one, I decided to check out as many of the palaces as I could get to. After a refreshing sunrise soak in the room's jacuzzi tub (pictured above), I rode the hotel's shuttle bus to the nearest subway station, and then made my way into central Seoul. The subway system in Seoul is very easy to use, has excellent English-language signage, and is dirt cheap. There's really no point to using a cab, unless you prefer sitting in interminable gridlock and paying a fortune for the privilege.

Once in Seoul proper, I managed to find a breakfast place that was just opening, and snagged a delicious (and filling) breakfast of Dolsot Bibimbap for the princely sum of about $3. With breakfast out of the way, it was time to check out the temples:


Apparently, much of the palace architecture has been build and rebuilt over the years, as fires and wars have taken their toll. Viewing Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, and Jongmyo Shrine (not pictured) took up most of day one. After making it back to the hotel in the early evening, I took advantage of the W's Korean Baths (free to SPG Platinum members), and soaked in the various hot and cold pools before giving in to jet-lag.

Day two brought an opportunity to see an area that I had always wanted to visit: The DMZ. I arrived at the appointed time (very early - but manageable, thanks to jet-lag) at the USO building at Camp Kim. After signing in and paying for/obtaining my tickets (I had made reservations in advance - which is suggested), I waited for only a short while before the group was herded onto the tour bus.

It took a little over an hour to drive from Camp Kim (in central Seoul) to the Joint Security Area (JSA) at the DMZ. It is necessary, upon reaching the JSA, to transfer from the USO Tour Bus to a different bus provided by the military. A military escort was then present on our bus for the remainder of our time within the JSA. Our first stop was at a building about a mile from the demarcation line between North and South Korea, where a video was played highlighting the history of the DMZ. Then the interesting part began - a trip to the UN buildings that straddle the border between North and South:


The UN Buildings are often used for talks or negotiations between the North and South (or US), and are constructed half on the South Korean side and half on the North Korean side. As a part of the tour, you are permitted to enter the buildings, and even cross onto the North Korean side. A soldier stands guard by the Northern door, to ensure that North Korean forces do not attempt to enter the building while tour groups are present.

After the tour of the UN Buildings, the tour bus moved on to a lookout where Gijeong-Dong can be seen. Gijeong-Dong is a Potemkin Village, with most of the buildings existing only as half-finished shells (with the finished side facing South Korea). It has the world's tallest flagpole, which flies an absolutely massive North Korean flag (which must be supported by steel cords running through it). For decades, North Korea used to broadcast propaganda nonstop from loudspeakers located within the village:


The DMZ tour then wrapped up with a view of the "Bridge of No Return," where Koreans were given a choice at the time of cease-fire - to remain either in the South or the North.


After the tour of the JSA had completed, our original tour bus took the group to a nearby set of tunnels that had been discovered several years ago. The tunnels had been bored by North Korean forces attempting to create covert entry-points into the south. For persons over 6', such as myself, crab-walking through the tunnels was not the easiest of feats.

More interesting (to me, at least), was what was adjacent to the tunnel complex - Dorasan Station. This train station was finished only a few years ago, and was intended to serve as a trans-border hub for train service, facilitating reunification of families that had been separated by the Korean War. South Korea has laid tracks all the way to the border, but Dorasan Station stands empty. It was eerily quiet inside, with the only sign of occupation being a gift shop, and a lone guard who watched over the entryway to the desolate platform:


With the brief tour of Dorasan Station over, it was time to get on the bus and head back into Seoul. By the time I had trekked back to the W, I was beat, and was in bed and asleep before the sun had set. The next day would be my last full day in Seoul, and I had decided to spend it closer to the hotel.

Just a few subway stops away, even further from the center of Seoul, was Namhansanseong Provincial Park. The park covers an entire mountain, and offers sweeping views down onto Seoul and the surrounding areas. Getting to the top of the mountain is fairly straightforward, but the path can be pretty steep. Taking it at a moderate pace, it still took me a bit over an hour to reach the top. The views were worth it, though, as was the view of Namhansanseong Fortress.

The fortress itself consists primarily of a preserved main gate, as well as walls and ramparts that run for hundreds of yards in either direction. It is possible to climb up onto the walls to view the surrounding countryside from the top of the mountain.


Exploring the park took up most of the morning and afternoon. I rounded out my last day in Seoul by sampling something I had been meaning to try: Korean BBQ. It was absolutely fantastic, and getting to cook your own meal table-side on a portable grill was good fun (especially after a liter or so of Korean beer).

My last day in Seoul done, it was time to pack and prepare to head to my next destination: Khao Lak...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...My last day in Seoul found me boarding the Korean Air Limobus for the slow trek back to ICN. Seoul traffic was bad as ever, and it took about an hour and a half to make it to ICN from the W. Once at the airport, I was able to quickly check in at Korean Air's premium counter for my flight to Bangkok. The agent was able to tag my bag to HKT via my connecting TG flight.

Once through security, I made my way to the Korean Air Sky Lounge. The lounge is very large, and offers sweeping views of the apron and runway, but the furnishings are beginning to show their age. On a positive note, the food/snack offerings (catered by the nearby Hyatt) were pretty tasty.


My stay in the lounge was fairly brief, and it was soon time to board my flight to Bangkok. My flight was aboard a 777-200ER that had KE's new Kosmo Sleeper First Class, and their then-current angled-flat business class seats. Unfortunately, I would not be sampling the Kosmo First Class seat on this flight, but found the business class seat to be very comfortable. My seat was in the forward business class mini-cabin, and the small size of that cabin made for an excellent flight - the service was extremely personalized and pleasant, and there were few outside distractions.


Boarding of the flight was quick and efficient, and I was soon airborne and en route to Bangkok. It took a while for the flight attendants to begin the meal service in the business cabin, and I was starving by the time they began handing out the meals. An appetizer of meatballs with some sort of dipping sauce was served first, which was pretty tasty. I then opted for the Cashew Chicken as a main course, which was passable.

With a meal (and a few glasses of wine) in me, I was ready to catch some rest during the few remaining hours of the flight. Although I am usually not a fan of angled-flat seats, KE's seat was surprisingly comfortable, with the angled recline position barely noticeable. I managed to get a few comfortable hours of cat-napping in before we touched down in Bangkok.


On landing at Bangkok, I began the arduous task of making my way to the domestic portion of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The airport itself is simply massive, and as I was not connecting TG to TG as a premium passenger, I did not have the benefit of a golf cart waiting for me on arrival (as I have on previous trips).

I had built in enough time for the connection, though, so was able to make my way to the domestic portion of the terminal, and even enjoy a few minutes in TG's domestic Royal Orchid Lounge before continuing onwards to Phuket.

The lounge would be the nicest feature of this portion of the journey. As I had not flown the type before, I had booked myself on one of TG's A300s. I was not aware at the time how lackluster the interiors of those planes could be. The business class cabin was decidedly retro, and not especially clean. Upon boarding, I was glad that I would only be flying a relatively short distance on that plane:


Flight time to Phuket was slightly under an hour, and I was fortunate that my bag was one of the first to roll off the conveyor. I had arranged a car service from Le Meridien Khao Lak in advance, and soon found my driver in the crowded waiting area of Phuket's arrivals area. As it was nearly midnight by this point, I dozed off in the back of the car during the 01:30 drive to Khao Lak...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...It was almost two in the morning by the time the driver pulled in to the Le Meridien Khao Lak. Groggily, I made my way into the lobby for check-in. I had reserved a suite on points, and the check-in was mercifully brief, given the hour. I was also glad to learn that my SPG Platinum status would result in free breakfast at the hotel.

After receiving my key, I made my way to the suite, which was situated at the far end of the main building (not one of the villas beyond the main building). The suite itself turned out to be gorgeous, with hardwood floors, a nice kitchen, beautiful bedroom and huge bathroom. There was also a nice fruit plate waiting for me on the living room table. Before collapsing into bed for the evening, I managed to snap some photos:


The room and grounds of the hotel were beautiful. After arriving at nearly 2am, I decided to just lounge by the pool and on the beach for my first full day in Khao Lak. I nearly had the entire place to myself. There were few others on the beach, and the pool area itself was relatively uncrowded.

I suspect the hotel was hard up for customers at that particular time, as very attractive happy-hour specials were offered during the afternoon (I must have consumed my body weight in Moscow Mules), and the spa offered deep discounts on beach massages (I opted for several).

The beach itself had perfect, soft white sand, and the Andaman Sea was quite warm. Unfortunately, several signs warning of jellyfish had been posted at the beach, so my incursions into the sea were limited.


Khao Lak was supposed to be the laid back, quiet part of my RTW trip; in this it did not disappoint. I spent several days in roughly the following order: (1) Gorge on fantastic, free Le Meridien buffet breakfast (absolutely one of the best I've had anywhere); (2) Lounge for hours by either the pool or ocean; (3) Consume unhealthy quantities of Moscow Mules; (4) Enjoy stunning sunsets over the Andaman Sea; and (5) Collapse into deep sleep, only to repeat steps 1-5 the next day.

I did take some time away from such shiftlessness to enjoy several massages, and also took advantage of a Thai cooking class offered by the resort (well worth the price). By my next to last day, I decided to get out and view some of the surrounding areas. I booked a jungle tour of Khao Sak National Park with the hotel's tour desk, which would include river rafting and elephant rides.

The tour left in the morning, and it was about an hour's drive North to Khao Sak National Park. Once there, our guides dropped inflatable rafts into the river, and the tour group climbed aboard for a float down the river, with impressive views of surrounding mountains and jungle scenery:


The guides stopped along the riverbank midway through the float, and were nice enough to build a fire and brew some (very strong) coffee for the group over the fire. Afterwards, we continued to float down the river, admiring the scenery, for about another half-hour. The tour-van was waiting for us at the designated pick-up point, and took us to another location in the park where a picnic lunch was waiting.

Immediately after the lunch came the highlight of the tour: an elephant ride through the surrounding jungle. This was the first time I had ever ridden an elephant, and the sensation was definitely unique. I couldn't quite get used to the lumbering gait of the beast, and constantly swaying side-to-side in my perch above its shoulders, like some sort of drunken sailor. The ride itself, though, was fantastic; it was definitely a memorable way to round out my time in Thailand:


At the end of the elephant ride, the mahout had buckets full of fruits and vegetables available for a nominal fee. My elephant was eyeing the bucket very intently, so I figured I shouldn't disappoint. I got to spend the few minutes before the van returned to the resort making my erstwhile ride through the jungle very happy with an assortment of different foods.

Although the jungle tour was very disneyfied, I enjoyed the experience. I hadn't come to Thailand to do anything extreme, and was not craving any sort of "authentic" eco-adventure where hygiene would be supplied in inverse relationship to intestinal parasites. I had come to be a quintessential tourist, relaxing on a beach with a steady supply of alcohol. I had done this well.

Although my near-week of blissful laziness was nearly at an end, at least I could look forward to a convoluted routing (HKT-BKK-NBO-JNB-CPT) to get to my next destination, as well as the scenery, wine, and penguins that awaited me there...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...I got to spend until early afternoon at the Le Meridien on my last day in Khao Lak, as my flights did not begin until early evening. Again, I availed myself of the hotel's car service to get to the airport in Phuket. After about a nearly hour and a half drive, I was dropped off at the terminal. I checked my bag only as far as Bangkok, as I had a fairly long layover, and had my doubts whether a bag checked for HKT-BKK-NBO-JNB-CPT would make it from start to finish.

Check-in was quick, and I was soon through security and into the Domestic Lounge at HKT, which although small, was nicely appointed:


The lounge had only non-alcoholic drinks (TG does not serve alcohol on domestic services), and a selection of warm snacks, which were quite good. Everything was on time with my flight, and I had managed to obtain a seat in the F Cabin of TG's 747. TG only sells economy and business classes on its domestic flights, but it is often possible on a paid business ticket (especially if one has Star Gold status) to obtain a seat in the F cabin.

Prior to the flight, I did not know whether I would get the old F seat or the new one, and was pleasantly surprised to find TG's new F seat waiting for me upon boarding:


I tried out the recline settings while the aircraft was parked at the gate, and found the seat to be fairly comfortable in recliner-mode. Once we were airborne, I picked at the small snack we were offered, and decided to check out the seat in bed mode. Once fully flat, the seat was certainly more comfortable than TG's J product, but it felt a bit lumpy and hard in places. To be honest, I think that TG's old F product, although not as private, was far more plush and comfortable in terms of the seat itself:


Almost as soon as we were airborne, it was time to descend again, HKT-BKK being a fairly short flight. I returned my seat to its upright position, and prepared for what would no doubt be a trek through BKK's airport (monstrously big).

Collecting my bag was relatively easy, but I soon realized I would need to wait nearly an hour for the KQ counter to open. To kill the time, I milled around the "obscure airlines" terminal where KQ's check-in desks were located and gawked at some of the carrier signage within the terminal - Druk Air and Uzbekistan Airways caught my eye.

Soon enough, the KQ counters finally opened, and I learned on check-in that my flight would be delayed by about two hours. Considering I only had a three hour connection scheduled in Nairobi, I was somewhat concerned, but decided my time would be better spent in the lounge with Gin & Tonics than worrying; I would find my way to Cape Town somehow.

The check-in agent checked my bag as far as Johannesburg (where I would pick up a separately-purchased SA flight to CPT), and issued me an invitation to the KE Lounge (which KQ uses in BKK). After a relatively short walk (by Suvarnabhumi standards), I was in the mostly vacant lounge, enjoying my first of many G&Ts:


The lounge itself wasn't much to look at. It felt fairly antiseptic and spartan, with little other than rows of (well-worn) leather chairs. Oddly (for a KE lounge) the walls were plastered with AF posters and memorabilia. My best guess is that it either used to be an AF lounge, or it's a shared lounge facility between KE and AF.

After many hours of draining the lounge of its gin reserves, my delayed flight was finally ready for boarding. Thankfully, the gate area was only a short walk from the lounge, and I had made it to the boarding area just as business class was being called.

I was curious to try out KQ's business class product, as it is a carrier that a U.S. based flyer rarely comes across. I had read decent reviews of its lie-flat seat, and wanted to check it out for myself. Once aboard, I was greeted by several rows of red, polka-dotted seats that looked a bit dated. However, once seated, I could tell that the seats were quite comfortable. The padding was especially thick, and the seat was comfortable even in the fully upright mode.

Considering the late (early, actually) hour, all I wanted to do by this point was get some sleep. Nearly as soon as the 767 was airborne, I set the seat to horizontal mode and went straight to sleep. The photos below don't really do the seat justice - it looks lopsided/crooked in fully reclined mode, but it certainly felt fully horizontal, and I slept soundly and comfortably for most of the flight:


The FA tapped me awake for breakfast as we neared the Somali coast. I don't really recall much of the breakfast - it didn't really make much of an impression. As I went to sleep immediately after takeoff, I really can't comment on the food service aboard the flight. The FAs seemed friendly enough for the few minutes I was actually conscious. As I recall, IFE was old-school, via projector screen on the front of the business cabin, although I wasn't really paying attention to that, either.

Upon touchdown in Nairobi, there was still about an hour to go until my connecting flight to JNB departed. If staying International--->International, there is no real transit procedure in NBO; you merely stay within the same terminal. Considering that I had some time until the next flight boarded, I decided to check out the Simba Lounge:


Although very nicely designed on the interior, the lounge was tiny, and very crowded. I only had room to stand by the snacks and drinks counter. After a quick glass of juice, I decided I was better off in the main terminal, near my gate. A small cafe near my gate sold half-liters of Tusker Beer for about $2 (not bad for airport prices), so I decided to sample the local brew, which wasn't half-bad for a lager.

With a breakfast of cheap beer out of the way, I was ready for the experience that is boarding a KQ flight in NBO. The experience was comparable to boarding my CZ flight at LAX - barely restrained chaos. I just inserted myself amongst the mass of people that all appeared to be slowly pressing towards the boarding gate, and eventually found myself ensconced in an impressively nice regional business class seat aboard a 737:


Again, the seat padding was very cushy, and the leg-rest actually extended far enough to be comfortable in the reclined position. It was certainly a far nicer product than what SA fields aboard its narrow-body aircraft. In fact, I'd say it was easily the nicest premium hard-product that I've sampled on a narrow-body airliner (haven't yet tried any PrivatAir or similar flights).

Still tired from staying up so late the night before in Bangkok, I managed to sleep comfortably in my seat for most of the flight to Johannesburg. Once on the ground there, I had to collect my bags and clear customs/immigration, before making my way to the SA counters to check in for my JNB-CPT flight.

Check-in was seamless, and I was soon on my way to the Baobab Lounge to wait for my flight. The lounge itself was quite large, had excellent views to the tarmac and runways, and also stocked a good selection of drinks and snacks. It was a nice place to while away an hour, but after having already flown HKT-BKK-NBO-JNB, I was just ready to get to my destination.


As I drifted in and out of a Jet-lag, gin, and exhaustion induced daze, it was finally time to board my flight to Cape Town. SA employs a somewhat bizarre premium cabin layout on its narrow-body aircraft. My A319 had a 2-3 seating configuration in business class. These were not convertible EuroBiz-style seats, but were definitely unique. On a longer medium-range flight like NBO-JNB, I'd much rather opt for a product like KQ's, but this was fine for a relatively short flight like JNB-CPT. The seats even had a small footrest that folded down from the seat-back in front.


After nearly 24 hours of flying, I had finally reached my destination. All that was left was the hour or so it would take to get out to Kleinmond/Hermanus, where the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa awaited...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...The drive to Kleinmond/Hermanus from CPT takes a little over an hour, or a bit more when the mountain passes are socked in by heavy fog, as they often are during the winter. It was dark when I first arrived at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa, so I didn't get a good look at the surroundings. However, having been to South Africa before, I was sure that my sunrise view likely wouldn't disappoint.

The property itself is a few kilometers outside of Kleinmond, and sits by itself on a piece of land covering thousands of hectares, adjacent to a massive lagoon and surrounding mountains. The hotel itself is also stunning, with massive hardwood beams framing the lobby, and beautifully decorated rooms. I had, again, booked a suite on points, and was happy to find a large suite with a massive balcony waiting for me on the top floor (which is actually lobby level, as the hotel is built down a steep slope):


Although the room and surroundings were gorgeous, I couldn't just stay at the resort while in South Africa. This trip would be divided roughly equally between: (1) Wine; (2) Penguins; and (3) Cape Point National Park. It would be borderline criminal to visit Cape Town and the surrounding areas without touring some of the beautiful wineries in the Somerset West/Stellenbosch/Paarl regions to the East and North of Cape Town.

There must be some correlation between stunning scenery and great wine. I simply can't decide whether the area around Cape Town or the South Island of New Zealand is the most beautiful place on Earth, but both have wines that should not be missed. During this trip, I made it to Lourensford Winery (simply outstanding wines), Vergelegen Estate (great scenery, but the wines are merely good, not great), Asara (great wines, incredible views, and a top-flight restaurant), and Van Ryn Brandy Distillery (beautiful building and tour):


All of the wineries are within a relatively short (30-45 minutes) drive from either Cape Town proper or Kleinmond/Hermanus, and the drive itself is scenic and beautiful (either along the coast road or through the mountains if coming from Kleinmond). I found rental cars at CPT to be reasonably priced, and driving in that area is quite easy. In many cases, the highways are in better condition, less crowded, and better marked with signage than many American highways.

Day two of the trip would be devoted to scoping out Hermanus, then looping back to Kleinmond to visit the penguin colony at Bettys Bai. Hermanus is situated along some steep cliffs and mountainsides, near the meeting point of the Indian, Atlantic and Southern Oceans. That stretch of the Western Cape is known as the "Whale Coast," and during the right time of year, whales can generally be spotted directly from land, very close to shore. Unfortunately, I was there about a month before the whales were due to arrive (and peak season is generally September).

However, Hermanus itself is a very picturesque place, and there are quite a number of good restaurants there if one doesn't want to rely on room service or hotel restaurant fare if staying at the Arabella:


With breakfast out of the way, it was time to head over to Kleinmond, and then to the penguin colony at Bettys Bai. I hadn't originally intended to stop in Kleinmond, but a small beachfront park with a beautiful lagoon drew me in en route to the penguins. After a stroll up and down the beach, marveling at the massive waves rolling ashore, it was back into the rental car for a drive down the coast road to Bettys Bai, where a colony of African Penguins awaited:


After the penguins, it was back to the resort to lounge on the balcony and soak in the view with a nice bottle of wine picked up the day before. Day three would involve the most driving of the trip, so I decided to take it easy. Depending upon traffic, it can take close to two hours to drive from the Arabella Western Cape to Cape Point National Park (due South of Cape Town, near Simon's Town - home to another penguin colony). The drive is well worth it, though, as it is quite scenic, and Simon's Town and Cape Point are both a must-see if in the area:


Driving back to the Arabella that night, I reflected on how sad it would be to leave South Africa behind the next day. It is truly one of the most beautiful and fun places I have ever traveled to, and I enjoy returning as often as possible. At least my exit on this trip would be aboard Emirates, which turned out to be quite a treat in business class...

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

...My last day in South Africa at hand, I made one last stop at Vergelegen Estates and Lourensford wineries en route to the airport, to replace some of the bottles that had been consumed over the course of my stay. The wineries are conveniently located just a few kilometers from the main highway that runs between Hermanus/Kleinmond and CPT.

I got to the airport about three hours before flight time, to enjoy the lounge. It turned out that EK uses SA's Baobab Lounge in CPT, which I had visited before on a previous trip with SA, and enjoyed:


The lounge itself is stylishly decorated, has a decent array of snacks and drinks, and SA's lounge staff are exceptionally friendly. Soon enough, though, it was time to board my flight to DXB. The flight was being operated by a 777-300ER, and this would be my first flight on the type. On boarding, I was greeted by one of the more impressive angled-flat business products that I've sampled (it was actually comfortable in recline and bed mode):


Once more, I didn't really pay attention to service or food on this flight. I recall eating something, and it was probably pretty good, but I was on the tail end of several lounge-provided G&Ts by this point, along with pre-flight champagne, and mostly just wanted to catch some shut-eye during the relatively short 08:30 flight to DXB.

I was reclined and out like a light as soon as the meal service was cleared, only to be awakened by the FA on final approach to DXB. On deplaning in Dubai, it was necessary to make my way to a transit desk, to pick up boarding passes for the onward DXB-IAH flight. With those in hand, I re-cleared security and made my way to EK's business class lounge.

Feeling a bit hungover and still a bit tired, I didn't manage to snap any photos in the lounge. I do remember being surprised by the layout, though, and was not especially impressed. The lounge was packed to the gills with people, despite being massive, and I don't recall the decor or seating as being all that aesthetically pleasing or comfortable. It felt like an over-sized version of a doctor's or dentist's waiting room. However, the food on offer was varied (western, middle eastern, and Asian), excellent, and plentiful.

My connection in DXB was relatively short, and it was soon time to board my flight to IAH, which would be aboard a 777-200LR. I had tried the type before with DL between JFK and ATL, but never on the sort of long-haul route it was intended for. I was curious to see what 8,000 miles and 16 hours on a plane would be like, as my longest flight to that point had been SFO-SYD.

Thankfully, the J seat on EK's 77L was nearly identical to the very comfortable angled-flat seat I had just sampled on the 77W. The only noticeable difference was that the 77L had a wireless touch-screen remote for the huge IFE screen embedded in the seat-back of the seat in front:


I don't really recall the meal service that well on this particular flight, but do recall that we were fed three times. I'm sure the food was fine, as mediocre or bad food would have stood out in stark contrast to the excellent seat, IFE, and service. I do recall the wines and champagne onboard being especially good, though.

I spent most of the flight alternating between fantastic wines, episodes of "Dexter" and "Mad Men" on EK's incredible ICE IFE, and snoozing in the very comfortable seat. The load was surprisingly light in J on our flight (a rarity I've heard on the DXB-IAH flight). As a result, I was able to haul down several of the mattress-pads from the overhead bin to make a nest in my fully reclined seat. The seat is comfortable enough with just one of the pads, but two or three will turn it into the most comfortable angled-flat product in the sky. I was perfectly content for the entirety of the 16 hour flight.

Finally, we began making our descent into Houston, after having arced over Eastern Europe, Greenland, and Northern Canada. My first RTW adventure had sadly come to a close, but I was hooked, and determined to do another as soon as possible.

BlissWorld

No meal porn? Tsk, tsk

Looking forward to the rest.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

I made sure to include some meal pr0n in Post 2 for you. I don't recall taking too many meal photos on this trip. The three S (sights, scenery, and seats) monopolized most of my shutter-time.

glu800

Very cool! Can't wait for the rest of this... I've always wanted to do a RTW trip, maybe I'll have enough miles saved up in a few years CZ doesn't look half bad!

bakedpatato

Yeah, totally agree, CZ's product looks nice! If it weren't for KE's stupid restrictions on RTW tix booked through them(you can go only one direction so no CAN-ICN for example) I would do the Otter and go LAX-CAN-ICN
And Anglo Large Clawed Otter,looking forward to the rest of the report!

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

Have updated the entry for Seoul. Hope to have ICN-BKK-HKT up tomorrow, which is a mix of angled-flat biz on KE and the poor excuse for a biz product found on TG's A300s.

roadwarriorafrica

Great report. Can't wait for the rest

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

ICN-BKK-HKT added.