Everest Base Camp Trek – Highlights

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Trekking to Everest Base Camp was a lifelong goal that I can happily say I crossed off my bucket list. This is the first in an eight part series I’m writing about my experience, and hope that this series will help those looking to make their dream of trekking to Everest Base Camp a reality! To kick off the series, I’ve curated a list of ten pictures that capture the highlight of my 12 day trek.

#1: Enjoying the thrill of both flying into and out of Lukla Airport.  IMG_4018

#2: Pausing for a moment during our second day of hiking where we ascended 890 meters!

#3: Watching buffaloes, horses and donkeys walk across these narrow suspension bridges high up the river valley floor.  IMG_4225

#4: Stopping for a break at the Trekkers Memorial. Trekkers Memorial#5: Feeling a complete sense of solitude walking through this desolate valley. IMG_4978

#6: Feeling completely alive during our helicopter ride around Everest National Park (highly recommend!)

IMG_5147#7: Appreciating the local culture and spiritual component throughout the trek.  IMG_5086

#8: Admiring the views of Ama Dablam throughout the trek. IMG_5045#9: Taking in the scenery of the surrounding mountains at Everest Base Camp. IMG_4879

#10: Reaching Everest Base Camp! IMG_4887

There were many other highlights throughout my 12 day trek to Everest Base Camp, but these were moments were definitely the most memorable. Stay tuned for more details on how I did it!

Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class New York to Hong Kong

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Earlier this year I traveled to Phuket for my college roommate’s wedding in Phuket. As luck would have it, I managed to redeem some American Aadvantage miles prior to American’s most recent devaluation to travel in Cathay Pacific Business class for the main long-haul portion of the journey. Here’s how the trip went.

Flight Stats

Seat: 11A
Carrier: CX 845
Route: New York, NY to Hong Kong, PRC
Flight Time: 15 hours, 20 minutes

Departure Time: 1:30 a.m.
Arrival Time: 5:15 a.m.
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER

At the Airport

After working a long day down in DC and catching a flight up to JFK, I was in desperate need for a shower to wash the stresses of the day away. Luckily, the JFK lounge had private showers!

Private shower at JFK Lounge

Private shower at JFK Lounge

Entrance to the shower

After getting all cleaned up, I hung out at the lounge for a few hours before my late night flight. The spread at the bar.

 

In-Flight Experience

After boarding the plane, I made my way to my seat: 11A.

Plenty of legroom and storage!

In-flight entertainment system.

My amenity kit and the menu.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Amenity Kit

Cathay Pacific Business Class Amenity Kit

One thing that I liked about this flight was that it was the first time flying right over the Arctic!

Cathay Pacific Business Class Dining

Here’s the menu.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Menu

Cathay Pacific Business Class Menu

For a 15hr 20min flight, I ate quite a bit!

My dinner.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Dinner

Cathay Pacific Business Class Dinner

I also had a couple of snacks during the flight.

Singapore noodles

Singapore noodles

Noodle soup

Noodle soup

And towards the end of the flight I had a light breakfast.

Cathay Pacific Lounge

On this particular trip my final destination was Bangkok. As a result, upon arrival at Hong Kong I got a chance to freshen up at Cathay’s Business Class Lounge. Because I arrived so early, I had the lounge to myself for nearly half an hour.

Entrance

Interesting art piece at the entrance of the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Early morning at the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Breakfast buffet at the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Breakfast bar

Breakfast bar

My breakfast

English breakfast at Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Breakfast at Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge

Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge Bathroom. After a 15 hour flight, it felt great to take a hot shower!

Overall

This trip was the first time I’ve flown Cathay Pacific Business Class, and only my second time flying international business class on a non-US carrier. The on-ground experience at both JFK and HKG were excellent, and I particularly enjoyed the food options available throughout the flight. With a retail cost of about ~$4500 for the one-way ticket, I’m glad I was able to redeem my points for this flight!

Review: Singapore Airlines Suites Class Los Angeles to Tokyo

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This review is a long time in the making. The Suites Class was my first time flying in international first class, and without a doubt it was certainly memorable. Here’s how that experience went:

Flight Stats:

Seat: 3C
Carrier: SQ 11
Route: Los Angeles, CA to Tokyo, JP
Flight Time: 11 hours

Departure Time: 3:45 p.m.
Arrival Time: 7:15 p.m.
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800

At the Airport:

Check-in at Thomas Bradley International Terminal at LAX went smoothly.

SQ11 Check-In at LAX

SQ11 Check-In at LAX

Despite being a first class passenger and having access to priority lanes at LAX, it still took quite a bit of time to get through security, something that I’d imagine should be taken care of considering how expensive this flight would’ve been had I bought it using cash.

Star Alliance First Class Lounge at LAX

Star Alliance First Class Lounge at LAX

Singapore Airlines doesn’t have a dedicated lounge at LAX. First class passengers instead have access to the Star Alliance First Class lounge. The lounge itself was nothing fancy, and compared to other first class lounges, rather small. I completely forgot to take a picture of it!

Here’s the menu.

And some of the drinks available.

 

After spending some time in the lounge, I headed over to the gate. View of the plane:

Singapore Airlines Flight 11

Singapore Airlines Flight 11

In-Flight Experience

After boarding the plane, I made my way to my very own suite!

Singapore Suites Class Suite 3C

Singapore Suites Class Suite 3C

Seating configuration on flights operating the suites class is in a 1-2-1 configuration. And here’s my seat!

Singapore Suites Class Seat 3C

Singapore Suites Class Seat 3C

Here’s some perspective on just how much space the two middle seats occupy on the plane. It’s huge!

Checking out the inflight entertainment system.

Singapore Suites Class Entertainment System

Singapore Suites Class Entertainment System

Waiting before departure.

Each suite comes with a small amenity kit.

Singapore Suites Class Amenity Kit

Singapore Suites Class Amenity Kit

 

And of course Bose headphones.

Singapore Suites headphones

Singapore Suites Bose Headphones

Singapore Suites Class Dining

The menu. Guests can also order a la carte through the duration of the flight.

Singapore Suites Class Menu

Singapore Suites Class Menu

img_2742img_2743I opted to try out the caviar — my first time ever!

Caviar appetizer

Caviar appetizer

How to eat caviar

How to eat caviar

For my main I had the lobster. To be completely honest, it wasn’t that great. I should’ve gone with the Japanese food.

Dinner!

Dinner!

 

And for dessert I had the strawberry shortcake.

Singapore Suites Class Strawberry Shortcake

Singapore Suites Class Bathroom

Singapore Suites Class Bathroom

Singapore Suites Class Bathroom

 

Bathroom products.

Singapore Suites Class Toiletries

Singapore Suites Class Toiletries

I thought this was pretty cool: pull-down seat that goes on top of the toilet.

Singapore Suites Class Bathroom Seat

Singapore Suites Class Bathroom Seat

Singapore Suites Class Turn-Down Service:

A few hours after dinner I requested my seat to be made up into a bed. Look at how much space there is!

Singapore Suites Class Bed

Singapore Suites Class Bed

 

Linens were also top class. In this case, Givenchy.

Singapore Suites Class Givenchy Linens

Singapore Suites Class Givenchy Linens

For those that wanted to know, guests in the middle two suites don’t have complete privacy on the plane. The blinds located on both sides of the door don’t pull all the way down.

Singapore Suites Class with door closed

Singapore Suites Class with door closed

Overall

I experienced a number of “firsts” with this flight:

  • First time flying international first class
  • First time flying on the A380. I was shocked that the takeoff and landing was so quiet!
  • First time sleeping on a completely lie-flat “seat” on an airplane.
  • First time sipping Dom Perignon and eating caviar.

This flight would typically cost ~$6,000. I would’ve not been able to do this flight if it weren’t for my Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which I had been saving up to redeem specifically for this flight.  It was absolutely worth it!
*Note: As of October 23, 2016, this route will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, which means the Suites Class option won’t be available on this route. If you’re stateside, your only option to fly the Suites Class going forward will be on Singapore’s New York to Frankfurt route. H/T onemileatatime

Review: Japan Airlines Business Class Tokyo to New York

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A while back, I managed to redeem my American Aadvantage miles to book a business class seat on a flight between Tokyo and New York JFK on Japan Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner.  With a total flight time of nearly 13 hours, I had a lot of time to enjoy the experience. Here’s how it went:

Flight Stats:

Seat: 2A
Carrier: JL 004
Route: Tokyo, JP to New York, US
Flight Time: 12 hours, 55 minutes

Departure Time: 6:30 p.m.
Arrival Time: 6:25 p.m.
Aircraft: Boeing 787-900

At the Airport:

Business class passengers queue up in a separate area.

JAL Business Class Check In

JAL Business Class Check In

At Narita, business class passengers have access to the Sakura lounge, which is identified on your boarding pass.

Sakura lounge

Sakura lounge

The lounge itself is spread over two floors: sitting area on the 1st floor, and dining on the 2nd floor. After checking out the area downstairs, I headed upstairs to get some food.

Japanese curry: one of my favorite dishes!

Japanese curry: one of my favorite dishes!

 

A while later, it was time to board. Here’s a view of the aircraft:

JL 004 NRT-JFK

JL 004 NRT-JFK

 

In-Flight Experience

Seating configuration on the flight in business class is in a 2-2-2 configuration. And here’s my seat!

JL004 Seat 2A

JL004 Seat 2A

 

I’m a pretty short guy (5’ 5’’) and my legs couldn’t even reach the foot rest!

Can't reach the foot rest!

Can’t reach the foot rest!

A view of my monitor. Nice and big!

Our route map

Our route map

 

 

Seat controls. More than I’ve ever seen on any flight!

JL004 seat controls

JL004 seat controls

The seat is definitely more than just a seat. In fact, Japan Airlines officially calls this their “SkySuite.”

Seat length

Seat length

Ready for take off!

Ready for takeoff!

Ready for takeoff!

For those sitting near the window, a sort of wall separates you and your neighbor, which made this seat particularly private.

JL004 seat dividers

JL004 seat dividers

 

For perspective, here’s how the business class section looks like.

JL004 business class section

JL004 business class section

When you’re ready for your bed to be made up, you can request turn-down service from the flight attendant. The padding JAL used was amazingly soft.

JL004 lie-flat seat

JL004 lie-flat seat

Another interesting aspect about flying with JAL was the bathrooms. Specifically, it was my first time seeing a bidet (or any option frankly) available on an airplane.

Toilet options on JL 004

Toilet options on JL 004

 

JAL Business Class Dining

Business class passengers had the option of going with either Japanese or Western cuisine. Here’s the menu.

JL004 Menu

JL004 Menu

 

 

 

JL004 page 1

JL004 page 1

JL menu food options

JL menu food options

 

 

I opted for the kobachi bowls as my appetizer. Here’s one of them:

JL004 Kobachi bowl

JL004 Kobachi bowl

 

 

I also thought this simple crane to rest your chopsticks was a nicely done touch. 

JL004 crane chopsticks holder

JL004 crane chopsticks holder

 

View from the Wing:

This was my first time traveling on a Dreamliner. One thing that I thought was interesting was how you raise and lower your window shades. Rather than a manual window shade, the Dreamliner had a button that gradually made the window opaque. I definitely thought that this was something different, and I’m not sure I quite like it. It’s a lot easier to simply pull up or down a shade rather than pressing a button.

JL004 Dreamliner window shade button

JL004 Dreamliner window shade button

 

A favorite part of flying between the US Northeast and East Asia is the wonderful scenery we got to fly over.

 

 

View of the Canadian Arctic

View of the Canadian Arctic

 

Frozen waters somewhere over Canada

Frozen waters somewhere over Canada

Overall

Japan Airlines Business Class Sky Suite was definitely a memorable and worthwhile experience. I’d highly recommend opting for a seat near window as it affords extra privacy. Overall I highly enjoyed this particular journey, and can’t wait to do it again!