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Good Things Come in 3s - Emirates, Qatar, and Singapore First Class

Good Things Come in 3s - Emirates, Qatar, and Singapore First Class

Old Jul 10, 2019, 3:48 am
  #16  
 
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I’m reading your itinerary and it looks wonderful. Then I see Inverness and Glasgow sandwiched in between. As DanielW mentioned, it will interesting to read your comments on these locations / hotels in comparison to the others. (I’m not that far from Glasgow) Great start ^
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Old Jul 10, 2019, 5:37 am
  #17  
 
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Great TR. Have to try New EK 777 F soon, such an amazing product.
chongl Jr. Looked like he's definitely enjoy flying First Class, at dad's expense.
ps: How did you manage to photo that much stars in Maldives? It almost looked like somewhere in New Zealand to me (if you ignore the ground)
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Old Jul 11, 2019, 7:33 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by Seat 2A
I like your reporting style, chongl. Nice quality pictures without wasting our time with silly stuff such as pictures of things like crowded gate lounges, chopsticks presentation, hot towels or seat controls. Your son looks like a bright eyed little traveler, too - I look forward to reading his trip reports someday. Until then, I look forward to the rest of your report and your future reports ^^
Thank you Seat 2A. Those words carry quite some weight from one of the heavy hitters of the TR subforum.

Originally Posted by offerendum
So you are the first who knows of an upcomming crash
Without joking pretty cool
What ended up being your favorite gelato place in Rome?

Originally Posted by Unionruler
Saudia 787s have this dashboard too!
Makes you feel like a more knowledgeable passenger

Originally Posted by mike&co
I’m reading your itinerary and it looks wonderful. Then I see Inverness and Glasgow sandwiched in between. As DanielW mentioned, it will interesting to read your comments on these locations / hotels in comparison to the others. (I’m not that far from Glasgow) Great start ^
Thanks mike&co. I'm sure slumming it for a few days won't be too bad. I'm always impressed with how European carriers can serve a meal on a 50 minute flight when I can't even get pretzels and a drink until after an hour in the US

Originally Posted by antebellum
Great TR. Have to try New EK 777 F soon, such an amazing product.
chongl Jr. Looked like he's definitely enjoy flying First Class, at dad's expense.
ps: How did you manage to photo that much stars in Maldives? It almost looked like somewhere in New Zealand to me (if you ignore the ground)
Thank you antebellum. We lucked into the new F cabin with our flight. I had booked about 9 months out and then saw a seat change alert a few months back. I called to see what the deal was and they told me the cabin only had 6 seats, which gave me the OMG moment. Luckily I wasn't disappointed with an equipment swap. As for the photo of the stars, astrophotography is mostly just trying to get as much light to the sensor as you can. I always have a tripod in my luggage so I was out on the deck the first night doing 30 second exposures and playing around with a few different settings
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Old Jul 11, 2019, 12:54 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by chongl
What ended up being your favorite gelato place in Rome?
Hard to decide between Otaleg and San Crispino but think a notch more Otaleg.
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 3:58 pm
  #20  
 
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1. Where has this itinerary been all my life, it's awesome!
2. What a beautiful little boy, you guys all look so happy!!!
3. I just flew with my son too (PIC)............AA Y.....on a regional jet

Amazing start, thank you for taking the time to share. I am looking forward to the rest ^^^
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 5:34 pm
  #21  
 
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This is a great trip report, chongl. I am enjoying it very much so far, with great pics and commentary. Can't wait for the rest. Thanks!
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Old Jul 14, 2019, 10:29 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Madone59
1. Where has this itinerary been all my life, it's awesome!
2. What a beautiful little boy, you guys all look so happy!!!
3. I just flew with my son too (PIC)............AA Y.....on a regional jet

Amazing start, thank you for taking the time to share. I am looking forward to the rest ^^^
Thanks Madone59, but my routings aren't as amazing or creative as your RTW travels . And surely you've flown further with your son in a TR you haven't shared yet since I remember ours are roughly of similar age. As always, Team LH44

Originally Posted by UAL250
This is a great trip report, chongl. I am enjoying it very much so far, with great pics and commentary. Can't wait for the rest. Thanks!
Thank you for your kind comments UAL250
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Old Jul 14, 2019, 10:32 pm
  #23  
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We proceeded to immigration where we were one of the first to get through. Once that was completed, there is a small scanner for all the carry on bags before the carousels to grab any checked luggage. Our bags showed up relatively quickly, and with nothing to declare we walked out to see a St. Regis sign on an iPad. We were then escorted to the Transmaldivian Airways counter to check-in where our bags were tagged and weighed. Just a short walk away, we hopped into a van with the A/C on blast, Wi-Fi, and cold towels on offer





And then off to the lounges by the seaplane terminal



Their waiting area is called the great room, which has TVs, cold AC, and refreshments while you wait to board the sea plane. Payment details and any check-in details are mostly taken care of here so that it's just off to relax once you arrive at the resort







The menu











The relatively simple spread



The wait for the sea plane boarding was agonizing. After 20 hours of flying, we were hoping the sea plane would be scheduled so that we would arrive relatively early considering our Emirates inbound landed before 10AM. But finally, we were called to exit the lounge for the short drive to the terminal area



Transmaldivian Airways operates the largest fleet of sea planes in the world, with pilots that fly in flip flops





The breathtaking views and turquoise water





Our plane had to drop off some guests at a nearby resort first. What we hadn't anticipated though, was needing to get off the plane so that it could refuel



And then we were back in the air



We landed at the St. Regis about mid-afternoon where we were immediately greeted by our butler and presented with a set of fresh coconuts



Once done, we were given a tour of the island on a buggy, with the butler pointing out notable facilities and times of availability. This ended with a stop at our overwater villa where the basic features of the room were gone over. I was just ready to relax and take in the views







Some welcoming sweets



Mini bar



Bed and living area









Bathroom



Tub with a view



Rain shower



Closet



The majority of the room functions could be controlled by an iPad. This ranged from setting the thermostat, to turning on the TV, and ordering room service





[



Internet speeds were a bit on the slow side, but I guess that's understandable for a remote island



Outside area with private plunge pool







Our butler had preemptively booked us dinner at Alba, one of the restaurants that also hosts the breakfast buffet. Since we had just gotten in and wanted to get our son in bed, we opted to have a quick pizza at Crust. Ironically, we ended up sitting in the Alba dining area



Looking towards the beach and The Whale Bar



Drinks



...and pizzas





Once we were done with the meal, we hurriedly went back to our villa to get some sleep. In fact, baby ChongL was so tired we couldn't entertain him enough to keep him awake, and he fell asleep in Mrs. ChongL's arms as we were finishing up dinner. I had a good few hours of sleep, but as we all know, jet lag inevitably strikes, and I chose to waste the time away by setting up my tripod and trying some astrophotography out on the deck



And then I climbed back into bed and caught a few more hours of sleep until sunrise



The breakfast buffet opened at 7:00 AM, and we were one of the first guests who stepped inside. As a loyalty member, this was my chosen benefit, which included a large buffet spread with a la carte options





















Cold options with cheeses, cured meats, and other antipasti









Hot options, starting with a noodle bar. The rest of the selection varied slightly day by day, with different ingredients for the curries and types of stir fry









Ice cream



Cereals



Fruits and smoothies







Buffet selection. Those are beef sausages pictured there. For those who worry, there was also a variation by day to include pork and chicken sausages. And yes, normal pork based bacon is available a la carte





A la carte options, starting with the lobster and crab omelette with caviar





Ending my first breakfast with some taro ice cream



For most of the rest of the morning and early afternoon, we hung out inside the villa, still catching up on rest. This would end up being a common theme where we used our pool occasionally, or dipped into the ocean to do some short snorkeling stints. Our butler would come by with small bites and afternoon tea every day, starting with some red velvet muffins and fruit



We went to happy hour afterwards at The Whale Bar, intending to stay to watch the champagne sabering ceremony





Some small snacks



My Bloody Mary served in a shell



And then at 6PM, the procession began for the sabering









We ordered the lobster popcorn to whet our appetite



Sunset views



DJ spinning up some tunes



Baby ChongL drumming with some spoons





As the sun slowly dips under the horizon



Our dinner reservation at Orientale was coming up, so we left the bar and had a buggy ride over to the restaurant







Next up: The rest of dinner and a few more days in the Maldives. I had to split this post up since I hit an image limit
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 4:55 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by chongl
Thanks Madone59, but my routings aren't as amazing or creative as your RTW travels . And surely you've flown further with your son in a TR you haven't shared yet since I remember ours are roughly of similar age. As always, Team LH44
No, as far as travel with children you've got me beat by miles. So much so that I plan on showing your TR to my wife when it's done so I can talk her into bringing our little man across an ocean . There is no secret Madone59 Jr. trip report I am sad to say - no one wants to see CLT-SRQ-CLT hahahahaha. #Team44 !
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 2:13 pm
  #25  
 
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Subscribed! Still on the bucket list to fly such an itenary.
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Old Jul 16, 2019, 2:27 pm
  #26  
 
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great photos. St Regis looks luxe. Did you manage to get a cheap redemption booking when it first opened? We went to the Conrad Maldives for our honeymoon on points but still spent a bomb without being overly extravagant - guessing it was the same here?
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Old Jul 16, 2019, 9:06 pm
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Great photos! What kind of camera+lens setup are you using?
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Old Jul 17, 2019, 2:22 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by lloydje33
Subscribed! Still on the bucket list to fly such an itenary.
Thank you lloydje33

Originally Posted by diningdecadence
great photos. St Regis looks luxe. Did you manage to get a cheap redemption booking when it first opened? We went to the Conrad Maldives for our honeymoon on points but still spent a bomb without being overly extravagant - guessing it was the same here?
I got in a booking at 60K per night and then paid the upgrade to the overwater villa. We did Conrad Maldives 2 years ago and the hard and soft product at the St. Regis is on a completely different level. In fact, I saw pictures of that trip from 2 years ago and the rooms from then looked so bland and dated in comparison

Originally Posted by iluvdoco
Great photos! What kind of camera+lens setup are you using?
I'm using mostly a Sony A7RIII body with either a 24-70GM or 16-35GM. Occasionally I'll use my RX100 VA when I need something smaller
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Old Jul 18, 2019, 10:16 am
  #29  
 
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as usual, amazing trip report! Thanks for sharing!
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 3:37 pm
  #30  
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Orientale specializes in Asian/Indian cuisine with a separate kitchen for each: Japanese, Chinese, and Indian. Since I live in the San Gabriel Valley, Chinese food was definitely not appealing to me as I could get much better at home. I was iffy on Japanese, so I instead opted for Indian.





Starting with a hand washing ritual



With the daylight fading, I snapped a picture of the Iridium Spa nearby



Chicken kebab, which unfortunately came under cooked with some pieces raw in the center. I sent it back and they were going to make another one, but once again my son was dead tired so we asked them to take it off the bill instead



Garlic naan and another chicken dish





Turn down service





The next morning, our son woke up hungry, so we ordered some pancakes...oops I meant pancake



I then took the chance to take a few more low light pictures before the sun came up







Once breakfast opened, it was more or less rinse and repeat for the next few days, with slight variations here and there. Being that it was early enough without the sun searing everything in sight, we again walked to the buffet



Crust and Craft, where the pizza and burgers are served



The Whale Bar in the morning



Dining outside with a nice breeze and changing up the a la carte options







We had booked the massage special, supposedly not on the menu and only for elite members for Sunday afternoon, with my wife and I taking turns. I was free to ride the bike over, but I ended up taking the long way since I followed the signs. Funny thing is, I told my wife to head in the correct direction but completely disregarded my own instruction





I had some ginger tea while taking in the views for a few minutes, and then I had a relaxing session for an hour before I head back to the villa to swap places with my wife. In the early evening, it was Crust time for an early dinner



Fried chicken burger



Bruschetta



And another pizza



Running into a ray as we head back towards our villa



Our butler came by with some sweets for international chocolate day, and then we hit the sack for the night



The next morning, trying new options as usual, starting with a hash brown





French toast



Our butler was able to arrange a complimentary session at Blue Hole, which uses heated seawater and water jets to help relax muscles and soothe the body. We ended up being the only ones there, so it was a private session















Before the jets are turned on. Depending on timing, a seaplane may or may not taxi right in front of the pool





To the sides are the treatment rooms where massages and other services are offered



Jets on (much more powerful than they look). One is meant for the neck and shoulders whereas the other is meant for the back





Dock/seaplane terminal flanking Iridium Spa





Quite a few fish on the way back to the villa



Per the usual, afternoon tea was brought by our butler



The wife got hungry, so I hopped on the bike to grab a pizza to bring back to our room. Same view, different angle from Crust





The boutique, which also has an observation platform at the top



Stairs outside Alba



Returning with our glorious pizza



Dinner reservations were at Alba, but first, we took in the scenery as the sun dipped below the horizon





Alba lit up at night



Amuse bouche



Bread with roasted garlic



Ribeye steak cooked medium rare



Lobster ravioli



The next morning, repeat the breakfast ritual







Followed by a complimentary photography session at 11:00AM. This is available to guests for 20 minutes...10 minutes for shooting and 10 minutes for picture selection. You are allowed to get 3 photos free of charge that are emailed directly to you. The location is set on the beach in front of Orientale









When we returned, our butler had set up a bubble bath and a small cake









Followed by yet another new flavor of afternoon tea



After which I decided to have a cigar that I brought with me on the outdoor deck



There was a manager's reception on Tuesday evening with invites going out to all Marriott Bonvoy members. It was held at the Crust/Craft beach area with wine, juices, and canapes served. Much of the St. Regis staff were present to engage members to gather feedback about the resort, how it compared to other places guests have been, and just casual conversation to get to know everyone as more than just a face.





No champagne sabering today



But I went to The Whale Bar anyway to grab a few pictures











Then we head back to our room and ordered room service



Maldivian lobster, butter chicken, and some chicken nuggets for the little one









Next up, last day in the Maldives and Qatar J flight to Doha
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