For he who says, “It is the journey not the destination that is important,” I say, “Have you stayed at a St. Regis?” My constant internal struggle of whether I prefer the posh life of platinum or the sensibilities of savings mimic that of a tragic hero whose fatal flaw is not being true to thy self.
Poetic stanzas notwithstanding, it’s hard to say I love the uncertainty of adventure when the pleasantries of pampering are only a butler page away.
The St. Regis Mauritius Resort opened in March 2013 in the southernmost tip of the island of Mauritius. It is a resort for those who want to getaway from those who want to getaway. The hotel is completely isolated from the rest of the island making it necessary to stock up on any supplies you require en route from the airport to the hotel. Otherwise, the cost of hiring a driver to explore the island is nothing short of outrageous. Worry not, once you do arrive at the St. Regis there will be no reason to ever leave.
As a SPG Platinum I was upgraded to a one bedroom suite steps away from the placid ocean. The room is everything you would expect from a St. Regis: a plush king size bed, bedside remote to control your world, and a bathroom that’s more like a day spa. Further accentuating the repose of this retreat is the patio equipped with a day bed and more fluffy pillows that further inhibit any impulse from leaving this parcel of paradise.
It is rumored the resort has a beautiful pool, countless water activities, and an excellent breakfast buffet. As to the veracity of such claims, I have limited knowledge for I spent my time lounging in this sequential order: night bed, day bed, beach.
Oh, St. Regis: It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend coming for a look:
Insert Your Own Captions.
In today’s Blog Giveaway nobody guessed the location of the picture correctly. Actually, most people commented that the photo was one of kebab, inspiring me to post where in the world you can find the best kebab. That should be reward enough on its own. However, choosing the location of the picture isn’t as valued as your participation. That’s why I’m going to pick a random winner from the respondents and help him or her plan their trip to the Maldives or maybe a place that’s not so points-centric like Buzios, Brazil.
While the picture is not of kebab, it is, like kebab, delicious.
The preparation of trompo in Monterrey, Mexico.
Si, Mexico.Doesn’t get better than trompo and tacos.
In today’s Blog Giveaway, I posted a picture of what many believed to be kebab(p) and responded to the location of the photo accordingly. This got me thinking and scanning my photo collection of where the best kebab in the world can be found. It also was remarkable that I could do a quick inventory of the places I’ve been, comb through the 26,000 photos I’ve taken, and come up with a well rounded list of kebab.
Noticeably absent are kebabs enjoyed in Germany, Hungary, and Toronto where I was more interested in satisfying my hunger than documenting doner, having no idea that one day I would ever become a blogger, let alone a kebab one.
Having said that, the absence of the above three does not takeaway from the answer to the question, “Where is the best kebab in the world?”
Take a look for yourself. Warning post may be NSFW if you can’t control your hunger pains.
This is not kebab!Where is the best kebab in the world?Is it on the streets of New York?Spicy and delicious.Is it in Istanbul, Turkey?Is it in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria?The kebab isn’t the only let down in Sunny Beach.How about the Red Light District in Amsterdam?Stockholm, Sweden?They have kebab in Mongolia, but is it any good?What’s your definition of kebab(p), doner or pita?Arabic inspired kebab or Turkish?Do you have to go out to the deserts of Dubai for great kebab?Old Dubai kebab tastes better than new Dubai’sAfter a long night out in LKF, Hong Kong kebab does not disappoint.But none of those places can compete with this kebab. Do you know where it is?The best kebab in the world is found in Bucharest, Romania! Dristor Kebap! Second to none.
Should I apply for a Sapphire or the Freedom? Can I get the Ink Card and the Sapphire on the same day?
These choices impact if you can execute the 30 Days to Maldives plan found in the Points 101 section of my blog. When I began my career in the points game, I was overwhelmed by the credit card offerings and the limitless possibilities for where my points could take me. I would read about round the world excursions, weekend getaways to Costa Rica, and jaunts across the United States and wonder if it was too late for me to get in on the party.
While the game has changed with devaluations and mergers, the fun still remains if you know where to look.
As a thank you for reading my blog, I will help the first reader who guesses where this picture was taken put together a credit card churn strategy for where they want to go, how they want to get there, and where they want to stay.
For the veteran readers, I know this is of little use to you but I recall when I was a newbie and how I harassed everyone trying to break the code of free travel.
Now it’s my turn to give back.
Here’s the pic!
Flint, Michigan?
I polled a group of points bloggers and asked them what factor is most important in planning where they go on their next trip. Here are the results:
43% said: Wherever has great award availability so I can indulge on Krug Grand Cuvée while in flight.
24% said: Wherever there is [INSERT HOTEL CHAIN], I get free breakfast with my copper status.
78.4% said: Wherever there is an exhaustive amount of Trip Reports, I want to see if I can get a better shot of the toilet than that other blogger.
Although these numbers are not scientific and strangely do not aggregate to 100%, the findings are tragically accurate.
Why do I use the word ‘tragically’? Because points have undoubtedly interfered with the adventurous temperament coded within our jet-setting DNA, mutating our development from budding globe trotters to passive spectators. This Prison of Posh as I have called it has led us to first consult the Hyatt Hotel Directory when planning a trip instead of the tried and true technique of spinning the globe and seeing where it stops.
Looking back through my old photographs, I came across pictures of Buzios, a quiet beach town north of Rio De Janeiro, overlooked by so many who venture to the land of samba.
Buzios doesn’t have a Park Hyatt or a Waldorf leaving a points traveler bewildered at the prospect of having nowhere to stay. Instead, Buzios is made of quaint bed and breakfasts called pousadas which range in price from budget to baller.
I stayed at the Hibiscus Beach Pousada and really don’t recall it being overly fantastic or terribly underwhelming leading me to wonder if this is the way memories of great vacations are supposed to be. To put it another way, shouldn’t the chronicles of our trips be centered around the afternoon spent trying to find Praia da Foca then on the fluffy pillows of the upgraded junior suite?
I certainly think so but, at the same time, still find myself perusing Hotel Reviews searching for the best hotel in Thailand that provides the most perks for elites.
If your visceral reaction while reading this is to say, “Check out the Conrad Koh Samui,” then you may be beyond salvation. If you’re still on the fence as to whether there are destinations worth both your time and hard currency, then perhaps these pictures from Buzios will convince you to stop repressing your wandering soul.
The other option is to surrender your metaphoric passport to adventure and go on a cruise.
Hibiscus Beach PousadaThe day of adventure beginsAnd this happened too.The deceiving signs that led to nowhere.The map was destroyed, not that it was of any help.You won’t find this in Rio.Missing the 3rd member of the teamPraia da Foca! Found at long last!Ten beaches in one day.The buggy that made it all possible.
Salida means exit in Spanish and also the name of the city where this picture was taken. I believe someone guessed Boulder, Colorado which is a 3 hour drive but let’s just call it ‘close enough’. Come forward and claim your prize!
Salida is a small town in Colorado that hosts FIBArk, America’s Oldest and Boldest Whitewater Festival, which takes place every summer.
I went to visit a Salida native and witness this spectacle first hand. While the skill of the kayakers are impressive, the best part of the event is the Hooligan Race where fools use all sorts of props to manufacture a workable vessel to get down the river.
None of them make it very far but that’s what makes it great.
Do you recall your first crush? You were so careless with your heart, putting it out to the world without considering its fragility. Time marched forward, relationships ended badly, and, as a result, you are too hesitant to pull the trigger and try to fall in love again.
This paralysis is exactly what redeeming points has become for many of us as we struggle with the following questions:
Should I do cash and points or pure points?
Should I save my points for an aspirational, yet wholly implausible and most likely unavailable trip or use them for something practical?
Are these points worth 2 cents or 2.02 cents? No, they are worth 2.025, I think…
So what do we do? We wait and wait, pay annual fees, and go nowhere.
Once upon a time this wasn’t the case for me. In December 2011, I was a young, ambitious points churner who could only dream of flying the business of Lufthansa, only Google seeing the bungalows of Maldives, and only Photoshop myself with the Sydney Opera House. After going on my first posturepedic run to New Orleans, I hit my minimum spend on my SPG card and received my 30,000 points.
Today, 30,000 SPG points are worth…
Luckily for me then, I wasn’t as obsessed with repeating countries and wasn’t worried if the opportunity cost of booking this SPG hotel would mean that I couldn’t go to that SPG hotel. It didn’t dawn on me that staying at a Sheraton instead of a Westin would draw the ire of bloggers who would lambast my decision to spend 4000 SPG points + $45 a night for a Category 4 hotel that probably should be a Category 3.
No, back then I didn’t care. I saw a beach, I saw a pool, I saw that it would be free and I booked it.
Today the Sheraton Nassau is no longer an SPG hotel, the cash and points option for any SPG property requires more cash and more points, and I, even after staying at the St. Regis New York do not regret that spring break trip to the Bahamas.
Oh to be young again!
Look at me! Look at me! That’s what travel blogging has become. I’m flying all around the world, here’s me at the Conrad Maldives, I’m on an Emirates A380, or I’m eating lobster on Singapore Airlines. How shameless!
To combat these selfish acts and to inspire blog readership, I’m going to give back to the community by offering my Award Booking Service for free to whomever can identify the location of the picture below.
Here’s the legalese:
Service must be used within one month from when winner is announced.
You have to call the airline yourself once the route has been found. (Wi-Fi calling in Mongolia is unreliable.)
I will need a full break down of your points. I hope you have British Avios.
There are no guarantees that the magical flight will be available so no booking is guaranteed.
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.
Island breezes, world-class hospitality with no care in the world, that’s my idea of heaven.
At the Conrad Maldives, heaven, like good service, will have to wait.
Last Christmas as part of my $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, I stayed at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in a breathtaking bungalow that overlooked paradise. Looking out to the sea, everything was spectacular, but focusing my attention on the resort’s geniality, everything was average.
I hate to gripe about a beautiful place like Maldives so I’m going to keep the negatives to a minimum:
It started with the $500 seaplane that was delayed, then delayed, and delayed again with both the hotel and the seaplane company blaming one another for the problem. Then came the unannounced cancellation of happy hour for Hilton Gold and Diamond members where for one hour a day, literally everyone on the island would make a mad rush to the bar for complimentary drinks. The resulting anger displayed from hotel guests was a telltale sign of three things: 1) The prices in Maldives are ridiculous. 2) Everyone is a raging alcoholic. (The Maldives is one of 3 countries that does not allow the purchase of alcohol by visitors even at the Duty Free.) 3) Points travelers may be in a little over their heads even staying on points. Finally, and most notably, upon checking out, the hotel mixed up my bags with that of a Chinese traveler and but for dumb luck my passport was headed with him to China. (An interlude for obvious Travel Advice, keep your passport glued to you even while scuba diving.)
The hotel’s response for all of this was one of indifference and that’s putting it nicely.
But enough about them interfering with my blue heaven, let’s talk about the celestial Maldives archipelago:
View from the Wing, Gary?The infinity pool that we never used.The bridge to the bungalowMy Blue HeavenNot Happy Hour Delicious BeerUpgrading for $650 a night was well worth it.You need the jacuzzi, trust me.Inside the bungalowView from the bathEvery second is a photo oppYou may recognize this as the cover of my book!Maldives at sunsetBYOBThe Breakfast Spread was Vegas-esqueWaiting for room service? Keep waitingHappy Hour, Happy LifeThe alcoholics breakfast. 5 parts bubbly, 1 part breakfastDrink up people!Entrance to the underwater restaurantSo high that I can touch the water? #kanyeInstagram profile picUnderwater emptyCan’t get enoughthe $30 hamburgerNot so delicious, overpiced lobster but when in Maldives…Salute Your ShortsThat was an expensive lunchHonestly the breakfast is incredible. Don’t go to Conrad unless you are at least Hilton Gold so breakfast is freeHas anyone seen my bungalow?In case of emergency, use stairsStairs to my officeHello lovelyPop champagneHanging around waiting for 5-Star service that isn’t comingAll aboard the seaplane, the departure
So this wasn’t Flint, Michigan
While nobody guessed Langkawi, Malaysia, the correct choice, I did send off some free books to those that made an effort. If you didn’t win the liberation from your cubicle by picking this beautiful island getaway, you can still win in life by picking up a copy of my book Everyone’s Advice Is Wrongfrom Amazon. (Click here to purchase.)
If you’re still in denial that you hate your job then you can set this photo as your work wallpaper and pretend that you are still there.
Obviously, you didn’t Make Tuesday Humpday.
The Westin Langkawi
The preparation of trompo in Monterrey, Mexico.
here this picture was taken. I believe someone guessed Boulder, Colorado which is a 3 hour drive but let’s just call it ‘close enough’. Come forward and claim your prize!
