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Bangladesh, Burma and Beijing the Long Way (with stops in Laos, Singapore and Tokyo)

Bangladesh, Burma and Beijing the Long Way (with stops in Laos, Singapore and Tokyo)

Old Jun 5, 2018, 9:38 pm
  #46  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
Do you know if they had an exterior viewing platform or deck?
Balcony rooms are available on the lower levels of the hotel, though the views are substantially worse. A tall concrete wall being the primary "view". Not sure If there's any viewing platforms near the roof. I believe some of the suites also have balconies, though the cost is substantially more.

Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
What was the location like? It looks a little tired. While it has all of the features and amenities, they are fairly basic and not necessarily luxury. The woods are all slightly different colors and tone.
The hotel is in a wealthy area of Yangon, close to the Shwedagon Pagoda. There are a bunch of (what passes for) mansions in the vicinity. Being outside the newer downtown core, there are no sidewalks so you really need to drive everywhere. That being the case, the hotel was close enough to downtown to be convenient and taxis are incredibly cheap. Newer, larger international chain hotels like the Pan Pacific and Lotte are substantially farther away, basically in the middle of nowhere.

It may be a 4-5 star hotel, but I wouldn't describe it as a luxury property. So if you're expecting the Four Seasons, you'll be disappointed. But I also only paid $100 per night, which is about the cost of a 2-star hotel back home. If you want luxury, you'd be better off with Strand or Belmond for 2-3x more. As for the wood coloring, I didn't notice and didn't care one iota...
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Old Jun 6, 2018, 4:16 am
  #47  
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Originally Posted by swingaling
The hotel is in a wealthy area of Yangon, close to the Shwedagon Pagoda. There are a bunch of (what passes for) mansions in the vicinity. Being outside the newer downtown core, there are no sidewalks so you really need to drive everywhere. That being the case, the hotel was close enough to downtown to be convenient and taxis are incredibly cheap. Newer, larger international chain hotels like the Pan Pacific and Lotte are substantially farther away, basically in the middle of nowhere.

It may be a 4-5 star hotel, but I wouldn't describe it as a luxury property. So if you're expecting the Four Seasons, you'll be disappointed. But I also only paid $100 per night, which is about the cost of a 2-star hotel back home. If you want luxury, you'd be better off with Strand or Belmond for 2-3x more. As for the wood coloring, I didn't notice and didn't care one iota...
What was the cost like per day? The days of Burma being dirt cheap are probably gone, at least for foreigners. I would imagine it is close to Malaysia in pricing now, though Malaysia is still cheap. Just not dirt cheap.
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Old Jun 6, 2018, 8:51 am
  #48  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
What was the cost like per day? The days of Burma being dirt cheap are probably gone, at least for foreigners. I would imagine it is close to Malaysia in pricing now, though Malaysia is still cheap. Just not dirt cheap.
Costs were very cheap, but I wouldn't say dirt cheap. I posted the minibar menu, which gives you an example of pricing. Minibar at a 4-5* boutique hotel in EU/NA would be at least 4-5x more expensive.

Overall, things like food and transportation were among the cheapest in the region. Definitely cheaper than Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. Though hotels in Malaysia (KL) tend to be quite cheap (especially relative to quality). I believe housing costs in Burma are somewhat expensive, which is probably part of the reason why the hotels aren't dirt cheap. Perhaps that will change as more international hotels open in the city.

Some examples from Burma:

4AM taxi to airport - 15km / 20min: $7.50 USD flat rate
Shwedagon Pagoda tourist entrance fee: $7.50 USD
Lunch at a casual restaurant with table service: $3.50 USD per person
Dinner at hotel restaurant: $15 USD

It's certainly possible to eat cheaper meals and do know that Yangon is by far the most expensive part of the country. Prices in other parts of Burma will be even lower.
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Old Jun 6, 2018, 9:34 am
  #49  
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Originally Posted by swingaling
It's certainly possible to eat cheaper meals and do know that Yangon is by far the most expensive part of the country. Prices in other parts of Burma will be even lower.
Yeah, but you pay to eat food safe for consumption. If I'm in a third-world country, I would rather pay a little more and eat in a restaurant that is up to food safety standards than save a dollar or two and eating something that will make me sick.
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Old Jun 6, 2018, 1:46 pm
  #50  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
Yeah, but you pay to eat food safe for consumption. If I'm in a third-world country, I would rather pay a little more and eat in a restaurant that is up to food safety standards than save a dollar or two and eating something that will make me sick.
Of course. I don't eat foods of dubious origin myself, but I know there are those who are more adventurous (foolish?) in that regard...
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 6:04 pm
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by swingaling
Cathay Pacific
Premium Economy Class (E)
CX811: BOS-HKG (Boston to Hong Kong)
18 May 2018
Boeing 777-300ER (77W Four Class Configuration)
B-KPN
Seat 33K

Departure: 01:45AM
Arrival: 05:10AM +1


I purchased this ticket last November during the CX Black Friday Sale for a ridiculously reduced price. I believe it cost roughly 50% of the typical going rate. At the time, I had no idea what I'd use it for, but I eventually formulated a plan in the months leading up to the flight.

This was my third BOS-HKG non-stop with CX, so it's become a bit routine by now. I turned up at the airport (via Uber) a few hours prior to departure. Despite the late hour, Logan Terminal E was a lot busier than usual. Emirates, British Airways and Lufthansa all had later night departures that night, so we had some company in the terminal.

As usual, I made my way to the adequate British Airways Galleries Lounge.

Espresso at 11PM is always a good idea.



Emirates B777 loading up with transit pax to India (via DXB, of course)



Unfortunately, I did not get an op-up this time around. I thought my chances were good, as Y and PE were both very full in the days leading up to the flight. But the op-up gods did not smile upon me this time around. There's always next time.


I did manage to be the first to board the plane, which is always nice.



Settling in for a long flight. There was a bit of turbulence early in the flight, but it smoothed out after dinner.



Dinner menu



I chose the steak for dinner, which isn't always a good idea. In this case, it worked out; the steak was pretty good. The starter, as aways with CX, was execrable. I don't understand why they insist on putting either fish or game in their PE starters.



I slept for 6-7 hours (aided by the wonder drug Unisom) and woke up about two hours before landing. Breakfast was served shortly thereafter and I chose the noodles. I'd had a similar dish in CX J on this route, and the PE version was quite good. They don't serve Guilin Chili Sauce with it in PE, and its absence was sorely missed. Overall, a tasty breakfast, though.



Sunrise over Hong Kong



Overall, it was an uneventful flight and I got a decent amount of rest, so well done once again for Cathay. We landed in HKG on time and I had to hunt down the boarding pass for my onward flight (separate tickets).
How are you getting op ups? AA EXP?
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 2:43 am
  #52  
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The sky is impressive, great pic^
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