{"id":94332,"date":"2016-01-04T15:00:47","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T14:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/?p=94332"},"modified":"2016-03-02T23:20:25","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T22:20:25","slug":"top-10-my-2016-trips-that-i-am-most-excited-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/2016\/01\/04\/top-10-my-2016-trips-that-i-am-most-excited-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10: my 2016 trips that I am most excited about!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday newsletters<\/a>\u00a0always feature\u00a0top 10 travel lists<\/a>\u00a0to inspire.<\/p>\n

Today (January 4, 2016):\u00a0my 2016 trips that I am most excited about.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The past\u00a02 weeks, I reflected on\u00a0my most memorable travel experiences of the past year<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0biggest stories that dominated the\u00a0travel industry in 2015<\/a>. But now that 2016 is finally here, it\u2019s time to look forward and share with you 10 great trips that I have already planned for\u00a0the coming year and that I am looking forward to\u00a0share with you in my Wednesday blog posts (which always feature flight trip reports<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0luxury hotel reviews<\/a>).<\/p>\n

If you have\u00a0some tips and suggestions for my upcoming trips, please share them in the comments section<\/strong>\u00a0below!<\/p>\n

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*** Follow me on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for a daily <\/em>moment of travel inspiration ***<\/em><\/p>\n

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10. FLYING FIRST CLASS IN A\u00a0CATHAY PACIFIC BOEING 777-300ER<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In April 2015, I experienced a 24 hour delay<\/a> when flying Business Class in a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 from Qatar to Hong Kong, due to a sandstorm and the subsequent incompetence of the\u00a0airline to deal with the whole situation.\u00a0While it is not always possible for an airline to eliminate all of the factors that lead to a flight being delayed, it is crucial that there is no compromise in both communication and service for the passengers\u00a0in such situation. And this is exactly where Cathay Pacific failed, not once, not twice, but multiple times. After the ordeal, I\u00a0was in touch with Cathay Pacific (making a complaint using the link on their official website)\u00a0and I was\u00a0offered 2 upgrade vouchers as a compensation. I will now use those vouchers to upgrade myself from Business to First Class for my upcoming flight from D\u00fcsseldorf (Germany) to Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

\"CATHAY<\/a>
CATHAY PACIFIC FIRST CLASS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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9. TRYING OUT\u00a0LOS CABOS’ MOST EXCLUSIVE RESORTS<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In December 2014, I had planned a 4 night trip to Los Cabos’\u00a0Rosewood Las Ventanas<\/a>, an ultra luxe resort located on Mexico\u2019s Baja California peninsula that is a\u00a0favorite among Hollywood celebrities<\/a>. However, I had to cancel that trip\u00a0after\u00a0a category 3 hurricane slammed into Los Cabos, causing severe damage to almost all of the Cabo\u00a0resorts, who subsequently had to close their doors for months. But\u00a0the region\u00a0bounced back from the disastrous hurricane, rebuilding almost from scratch, and all\u00a0resort properties are back in business. I am now looking forward to return to the area, and finally stay at\u00a0the famous Rosewood hotel, as well as its neighbour\u00a0The One&Only Las Palmillas<\/a>. I am looking forward to find out how these hotels compare to that other high-end Cabo\u00a0hotel, The Resort at Pedregal<\/a>, where\u00a0I\u00a0spent a holiday a few years ago when it was still managed by\u00a0Capella Hotels & Resorts<\/a>.\u00a0I\u00a0will also sneak in some whale watching, since this is one of the best spots on the planet to observe\u00a0these magnificent creatures.<\/p>\n

\"LAS<\/a>
LAS VENTANAS AL PARAISO, A ROSEWOOD RESORT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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8. HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Canadian Rockies is one the world’s most scenic places<\/a>\u00a0and one of my favorite destinations. The\u00a0National Parks of Banff, Jasper and Yoho\u00a0offer\u00a0world-class and jaw-dropping scenery, centered around glacial lakes that are filled with deep crystalline waters, mirroring pine forests, dizzying mountains and endless sky. Wildlife is also abundant in these areas, with\u00a0grizzlies, bisons and wolves<\/a>\u00a0roaming free in the forests. And the Icefield Parkway between Banff and Jasper is one of the most scenic drives in the world<\/a>. I will bring a return visit to the area in September, and combine day hikes\u00a0and sightseeing\u00a0with stays at the\u00a0best\u00a0hotels and lodges in the area, such as The Fairmont\u00a0properties\u00a0in Jasper<\/a>, Lake Louise<\/a> and Banff<\/a>, Emerald Lake Lodge<\/a>,\u00a0and Moraine Lake Lodge<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"EMERALD<\/a>
EMERALD LAKE LODGE, CANADIAN ROCKIES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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7. ENJOYING ISLAND LIFE IN BORA BORA<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The lush strip\u00a0of land called Bora Bora lies in the South Pacific Ocean’s\u00a0most mesmerizing lagoon and has, as you probably expect, some pretty awesome beaches<\/a>. Luxurious bungalows nestled over ridiculously clear waters with Mount Otemanu as a tropical backdrop\u00a0put\u00a0Bora Bora atop\u00a0the bucket list of most\u00a0discerning travelers. I have booked a week-long\u00a0Bora Bora holiday\u00a0in May, which should be the start of the dry season, and I will stay at the St Regis<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Four Seasons<\/a>\u00a0resorts, both of them representing the best French Polynesia has to offer in terms of ultraluxe accommodations<\/a>. I will fly to Bora Bora in Business Class on Air Tahi Nui<\/a>\u00a0from Tokyo for just 25 USD (and 80,000 miles from my account with Amercian Airline’s AAdvantage, which I consider to be best loyalty program in the world<\/a>, even when it will devaluate later this year).<\/p>\n

\"FOUR<\/a>
FOUR SEASONS BORA BORA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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6. FLYING\u00a0<\/strong>FIRST CLASS IN\u00a0<\/strong>QATAR AIRWAYS’ AIRBUS A380<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Qatar Airways<\/a> has a superb and cutting edge\u00a0Business Class product on its Boeing Dreamliners (read my trip report here)<\/a>, Airbus A380s, and Airbus A350s, earning the airline a spot in my top 10 list of the best Business Class cabins in the skies<\/a>\u00a0(try to avoid their A330s though). Their First Class is a more elusive product, since they only installed it on their Airbus A380 fleet and Qatar\u00a0only has 6 of these planes in its fleet, mostly deploying them on the Doha-Paris and Doha-Bangkok route. They also offer a far from impressive First Class cabin on some narrow body planes that fly regional routes, and which is somewhat reminiscent of domestic First Class on USA airlines. In February, I will fly in First Class from Doha to Paris, and I cannot wait to report on that, as well as to post a review on the\u00a0Qatar Airways First Class Al Safwa Lounge at Doha, which is supposed to be the most luxurious airline lounge in the world. I paid\u00a080 euros (100 USD) for the flight, since I used 80,000 British Airways miles (Avios) to book the flight.<\/p>\n

Update: I have now completed this trip. You can read my trip report\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n