Scuba Diving in the Dubai Aquarium at the Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall is home to the second largest aquarium tank in the world, known as the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. It’s home to over 30,000 living animals and over 300 different species of fish, including tons of sharks and rays that come in all shapes and sizes. There’s a number of different ways you can experience the aquarium but undoubtedly the most extravagant and memorable way is to scuba dive in it.

Dubai Mall Aquarium scuba dive — The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.

You don’t have to be scuba certified to scuba dive in the Dubai Aquarium, as they have an intro to scuba course (“Discover Scuba”) you can do in order to dive. Unfortunately, despite having like 7 dives under my belt, I’m still not scuba certified so I had to do the intro to scuba diving course once again. (I realize how much time and money I could save by getting scuba certified, my schedule just hasn’t been ideal for it yet, but I’m working on it!)

The good news is that the intro session is one of the quickest intro courses I’ve ever had to do. I mean, you’ll still get the proper training on the basics, but it doesn’t take as long as other intro courses might where you’re actually going into the ocean.

The intro course starts with a video introduction of the aquarium where you’ll learn about the hundreds of different species that inhabit the tank. You’ll then go over all of the scuba basics in a PADI pamphlet and sign off on your understanding of the book in addition to a waiver for liability.

Once you’re all versed in the basics, you’re taken over to the equipment racks where you’re fitted for your wetsuits and all of your equipment is set out for you. Then it’s off to the locker room to change into your wetsuits and get ready for the dive. Inside the locker room there are showers and also lockers which will allow you to lock up your personal belongings while you’re diving. Make sure you don’t come out of the locker room until you’re all zipped up as it’s a bit taboo in the UAE to show a lot of skin in a public place.

I think the Dubai Aquarium wins the award for most peculiar intro to scuba dive training area. That’s because the training takes place on a platform at the top of the aquarium tank, the same place where some of the huge rays like to hang out.

Thus, there’s a good chance you’ll have rays and perhaps even smaller sharks swimming around you as you learn the basics of clearing your mask and recovering your respirator. If you’ve never tried scuba before, I think the presence of these large rays circling you could be a little distracting (and slightly frightening) but just remember that they’re harmless and you should be fine.

The dive is set up so that you swim from vantage point to vantage point and check out the marine life from those spots. You’re probably only actually swimming 10-15% of the time, which is understandable since you’re in a confined aquarium and there’s so many fish. And I mean sooo many fish. It’s an incredible experience to be in the water with such a high concentration of beautiful and interesting fish. Yes, it’s not quite the wild but the unique opportunity to be immersed with so many marine creatures (in some spectacular lighting) is one of the main things that makes this dive so special.

Starting the dive

We started the dive off by dropping about 10 feet down on one of the higher ledges and kneeling down on the (artificial) rocks. You’ll be doing a lot of kneeling and lying on the rocks so make sure you’re weighted down properly before you head down or else you’ll be floating away every two seconds.

The thick wetsuits make it much easier to kneel down on the rough surfaces of the artificial rocks without scuffing up your knees, which is very nice.

From there we had a view of the entire tank. We could see the large glass panel (the largest of its kind in the world) looking out into the mall, the underwater 270º tunnel, and the cage and glass boats roaming around above. You notice really quick just how many different fish call this place home.

My only real negative about the dive is that they don’t allow you to bring your own GoPro (or even wear a head strap) unless you partake in their scuba photography course, which isn’t available for divers doing the intro dive. I’m sure they have their reasons based on safety and protection of the animals, but I was a bit bummed that I couldn’t get any shots of the marine life, since I really love underwater photography and could have gotten some amazing shots (all our footage was taken by our instructor).

Even though we couldn’t record our own shots, we did come away with some good footage, like the video footage of the rays below.

After staking out the rays from the ledge, we dropped to the bottom of the aquarium, which I believe is at a depth of around 27 feet. You’ll only spend a few minutes at this depth, so there’s no need to do a safety stop at the end of your dive.

While on the bottom we had some of the best view of the sharks and rays from below. It’s one thing to see the sharks and rays from behind thick panels of glass (which are about 30 inches thick!), but quite another to be sitting right below them in the water. You’re able to better appreciate their size and their graceful movements when you’re actually inside the tank.

After a couple of minutes on the bottom, we swam back up to another ledge, overlooking the underwater tunnel that cuts through the aquarium.

From our ledge, we could look down and clearly see visitors walking through the underwater tunnel, many of which were snagging photographs of us as we gawked back at them. It was kind of cool… kind of awkward… but overall a fun/interesting encounter.

You can see the mall spectators in the background of the photos. I have to say, it’s a really different experience diving with so many people watching. I love the solitude that the ocean offers when diving so having our diving experience put on live display felt a lot different. It was fun exchanging hand waves with some people in the crowd but I think I much prefer the solitude of the ocean over the busy background of a huge shopping mall for a diving spot.

One thing that’s really great about this diving experience is that you get a lot of practice in a short amount of time with adjusting the air in your BCD. For those who don’t know, this is what controls your buoyancy (how much you float). Because you’re hopping from a lot of different ledges at different heights, you really get to practice controlling your buoyancy, probably more than you would in a normal ocean dive since you rarely “land” on rock structures like you do in the aquarium.

As stated, you don’t get a lot of opportunities to swim in the aquarium and the video below shows about the longest distance you’re required to swim.

Shark encounter

We then swam up to another ledge, which seemed to be prime shark spotting. The ledge we were observing from had tiny holes in it to stick your fingers in to stabilize. If you look at our hands in the photo below, you can see where some of our fingers are inserted into the rock. I wish more of the rocks had those holes, because it would be a lot easier to stay positioned on some of the ledges.

The guide told us that the sharks for the most part follow the same routes throughout the tank so it’s pretty easy to get to a spot where they’ll be and in this tank, this happened to be one of those spots. We weren’t able to get super close to the sharks like I did in Australia’s shark tank, but it was still close enough to appreciate these animals.

There’s a number of sharks in the aquarium like reef sharks, nurse sharks, and others, but I think the sand tiger sharks were the largest and most interesting sharks in the aquarium. They are cousins of the great white sharks (but aren’t actually related to tiger sharks). They look about as mean as could be but they actually have no confirmed fatal encounters with humans and are very docile, so you shouldn’t have much to worry about. In any event, your instructor will have a short rod with him or her just in case the sharks come cruising a little too close for comfort.

The video shows some pretty close views of the two sand tiger sharks.

Final Word

This diving experience is unlike any other dive you’ll probably take. You’ll encounter an overwhelming amount of fish and species and do so while being spectated on by shoppers and tourists through the biggest acrylic panel in the world. It’s very different from your typical scuba dive but with its calm water and varied “terrain” it also could serve as a superb introduction to the sport of scuba if you’ve never attempted it before. If you’re looking to experience a bit of a thrill in the heart of Dubai, then I highly recommend booking yourself a dive!

Booking.com

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.

The Best Ways to Use Miles and Points to Get to Japan

Japan is a perfect destination to use award travel to get to. There are tons of options to get there so you should always be able to find a route and an airline for your and some redemptions are extremely cheap, even in business class. In this article, I’m going to focus on the best ways to use miles and points to get to Japan via Tokyo, although you can use many of the figures to estimate the requirements for getting to other parts of Japan.

Tokyo Airports

Tokyo has two large airports, Tokyo International (HND) and Narita International (NRT). While HND is a much busier airport than NRT, there are actually many more direct flights to NRT from the US than there are to HND. The only drawback is that NRT is much further away from Central Tokyo (about an hour farther away). My recommendation is to explore options with both airports to increase your chances of finding a flight that fits into your desired schedule.

Lots of direct flights

There are tons of different direct flights to Tokyo from various places in the US, especially from NRT.

Direct flights to NRT include (organized roughly west to east):

SEA (ANA, Delta)
PDX (Delta)
SFO (ANA, United)
SJC (ANA)
LAX (ANA, American, Delta, JAL, Singapore, United)
SAN (JAL)
DEN (United)
DFW (American, JAL)
IAH (ANA, United)
MSP (Delta)
ORD (ANA, American, JAL, United)
ATL (Delta)
DTW (Delta, 1X a week)
IAD (ANA, United)
EWR (United)
JFK (ANA, JAL)
BOS (JAL)

Direct flights to HND include (organized roughly west to east):

SFO (JAL, United)
LAX (ANA, American, Delta)
MSP (Delta)
ORD (ANA)
JFK (ANA)

All of these direct flights mean that you shouldn’t have much difficulty in finding a direct route to Tokyo. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with connecting and I’ll explore some of those options below, but I think it’s always good to have an idea on the direct options to a given destination.

Sushi class Tokyo — Taking a sushi class in Tokyo.

1. ANA

Alliance: Star Alliance
Ways to earn miles: American Express Membership Rewards, SPG

Miles needed:

Economy: 50,000
Business class: 75,000+

ANA

Booking ANA flights with ANA miles is a superb way to get to Tokyo because the hard product of ANA is one of the best and the fees are actually pretty reasonable. When booking on ANA’s metal, the mileage requirements will differ depending on whether you’re booking on low, regular, or high season.

Chart showing seasons for ANA.

The mileage requirements to get to Japan from North America are as follows:

Low: 75,000
Regular: 85,000
High: 90,000

The rates for booking an ANA flight for only 75,000 miles roundtrip in low season in business class also come with only $86 in fees! This is an absolute steal of a redemption but availability can be an issue sometimes so try to plan in advance and be flexible.

One of the best deals to Japan in low season.

You can also book stopovers on flights not departing from Japan when flying ANA.

Business Class, ANA B787 Dreamliner — ANA business class on 787. Photo by Jason Lawton.

To find out more about ANA and their booking policies read my guide on ANA.

Star Alliance Partners

When you use ANA miles to book with Star Alliance Partners, the travel seasons don’t apply and it’s just a standard rate of 85,000, regardless of when you travel. The drawback to booking partners with ANA is that you must book roundtrips.

Asiana

Asiana is one of the major airlines in South Korea and it’s a great way to use ANA miles to get to Japan because the surcharges are pretty reasonable and can stay around $160. What’s even better is that the availability is superb (at least when I searched). As I researched flights from the US, I found tons of flights with multiple business class seats. The business class seats on Asiana are often highly reviewed, so you’d get to experience a quality product on your way to Japan.

Asiana has a number of flights to the US including:

Asiana Airlines Business Class Seats on a 777. Photo by Luke Lai.

United

United always stands out as a great use of ANA miles because there are usually no surcharges when you book a United flight. However, you can’t forget that United usually does pass on surcharges for flights to Asia. These fees are usually pretty reasonable like Asiana’s, however and may be around $150 to $180 (although YMMV).

The problem with United is when I searched the United site for business saver seats, almost all of the flights were ANA or Asiana airlines. However, for economy flights, I found a lot more availability. Therefore, if you want to fly United in business, you may struggle to find open seats.

Other partners

Singapore Airlines could be a great use of ANA miles but according to Travel Codex, ANA prohibits award booking in first or even business class awards on the A380 or 777-300ER, so that makes things difficult ~~since Singapore flies the A380 to Tokyo~~ (no longer the case). Air China is another Star Alliance partner and it flies out of Beijing, but I struggled to get their flights to show up when searching so I’m not sure how good of an option Air China might be.

2. Japan Airlines

Alliance: One World
Ways to earn miles: SPG

Miles needed:

Economy: 55,000
Business class: 80,000-100,000

Japan Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Japan and the second largest in the country behind ANA. JAL offers a number of tremendous rates for redemptions to places and the rates from the US to Japan are outstanding as well. The problem with JAL is that the only major transfer partner is SPG. This makes it very difficult to accumulate lots of miles compared to programs like ANA that is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards.

JAL

JAL awards for JAL’s metal operates on a region-based award system, with the following rates. When I went through the booking for one person in business class roundtrip from LAX to NRT, the total fees were only about $90 in addition to the 100,000 miles required.

JAL award chart to Japan from North America.

To find award availability with JAL you can search on their own website or use British Airways’ search function. Availability in business class was somewhat of an issue from some of the cities, so you might have to try a little harder to find open seats for business class. However, I came across tons of open economy awards.

JAL flies to the following destinations:

Partners

JAL awards on partner airlines operate on a distance-based award chart. For routes from the West Coast to Tokyo, you’re going to be looking at the lower 80,000 mile requirement for business class and for routes departing from the middle of the country or East Coast, you’ll be hit with the higher 85,000 mile requirement.

The surcharges listed (at the bottom of the award chart) for American Airlines and Cathay Pacific are both below $100, so if you’re looking to book with a partner, I’d consider those two to limit fees. Plus, the 80,000 and 85,000 mileage requirements are way cheaper than what American and even Alaskan would require for the same flights. Another good thing about JAL is that you’re allowed to book one-way flights, making it very easy to piece together itineraries.

3. Alaska Airlines

Alliance: Select partners
Ways to earn miles: SPG and Bank of America Alaskan credit cards

Alaska Airlines offers rates that differ depending on the partner, so here are a few of the best ways to use Alaska miles to get to Japan with a few of the best partners.

American Airlines

Economy: 50,000 (off-peak); 65,000 (peak)
Business class: 100,000

The rates in American Airlines business class using Alaska miles are 20,000 miles cheaper, but remember, Alaska Airlines has a very generous stopover policy allowing one stopover on one-ways and two stopovers on roundtrips. Thus you can get a lot more value using Alaska miles on American Airlines. (Keep reading below for availability.)

Cathay Pacific

Economy: 60,000
Business class: 100,000

You’ll need to search for award availability with British Airways or Japan Airlines since Alaska often doesn’t show Cathay Pacific award availability. Searching for availability about 4 months out and more, I found several flights with 2 to 4 open spots in business between HKG and HND/NRT. Availability from US airports can be a bit hit or miss but with enough searching it shouldn’t be too difficult to find (I found several seats in business class from SFO to HKG just 4 to 5 months out). Also, the business class product on Cathay typically receives pretty solid reviews.

Cathay Pacific flies to a number of cities in the US, including the following:

Korean Air

Economy: 70,000
Business class: 105,000

Korean Air availability is best found on its own website but you can also search for it on Delta’s website. I found a ton of availability to Tokyo with Korean Air and many of the award seats also showed up on Delta’s website leading me to believe that award availability to get to Japan with Korean Air is generally pretty solid, though you’ll find it easiest to book several months out.

Sometimes Korean Air will make more award seats available only to SKYPASS, so always try to double check with Alaskan or other websites like Delta to verify that you’ll be able to book the awards you find on the Koran website.

Korean Air flies to the following destinations

4. Etihad Airways

Alliance: Various partners
Ways to earn miles: Citi, SPG, Membership Rewards

Etihad Airways has several partners and they implement different award charts with these different partners. Looking through the various awards charts, many of the charts, such as the charts for ANA, Asiana, and Korean Air are distance-based. However, the mileage requirements based on these charts are substantially more than previous methods shown above so I won’t list them here.

American Airlines

Economy: 50,000 (off-peak); 65,000 (peak)
Business class: 100,000

One chart that isn’t distance-based and is actually better is the award chart for American Airlines. To get from North America to Japan, the chart shows 50,000 for off-peak economy and only 100,000 for business class. I’ve heard mixed-reviews about what it’s like to deal with booking partner awards with Etihad. Some have had very frustrating experiences but others have had more success, so that’s always something to think about. But if you really want to fly American, then this could be a good use of your Membership Rewards, especially if you transfer over your points during a promotional transfer rate.

5. American Airlines

Alliance: OneWorld
Ways to earn miles: SPG, Citi credit cards

Miles needed:

Economy: 65,000 (off-peak); 70,000
Business class: 120,000

Availability for economy SAAver to Japan from various cities was fantastic when I searched. For business SAAver awards it was much more hit and miss, but when I got about 6 to 7 months out, more of those flights started to show up, including many direct flights. Thus, American is a great option for economy but if you want to go with business, you may need to plan far in advance to ensure availability.

As already stated, Alaskan Airlines, JAL, and Etihad all offer cheaper redemptions for these flights on American, so I’d definitely consider booking an American flight with them, first. However, if you’ve got a lot of American miles, I don’t think the rates are very bad and I’d consider using them to get to Japan.

6. United Airlines

Alliance: Star Alliance
Ways to earn miles: Chase Ultimate Rewards, Chase cards, SPG (2:1)

Miles needed:

Economy: 70,000
Business class: 130,000; 150,000 (partners)

The major issue with United is that availability on saver awards is not always the greatest. Searching about 5 to 6 months out, it was very easy to find awards for partners, such as ANA or Asiana in business class but a bit more difficult for me to find actual United flights on its own metal. They are out there, but it’s just going to require extra effort to find them. However, when it came to economy flights, I founds tons of them available from a lot of different cities.

I’d really try to book partners with other methods, though because that savings can be huge. For example, if you were able to book a off-season award with ANA you’d be paying HALF of the miles needed for a roundtrip business class to Tokyo when compared to United!

7. Delta Airlines

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance
Ways to earn miles: SPG, American Express Membership Rewards, American Express credit cards

Miles needed:

Economy: 70,000+
Business class: 150,000+

Delta receives a ton of flack and rightfully so in many cases. Many of their redemptions are very high, they don’t publish an award chart, and their dynamic pricing makes searching for flights a huge headache sometimes. However, sometimes Delta isn’t a bad option at all and getting to Japan can be one of those times it’s not.

When searching for flights from about 4 months out and longer, I found tons of open seats on Delta’s website. These were for Delta’s own metal and for partners, such as Korean Air, China Southern, and China Easter Airlines. I even found one booking (pictured below) with China Southern for 150,000 miles roundtrip and only $184.96 in fees.

Delta award ticket to Japan for 150,000 miles.

150,000 miles is a lot more than what some of the other programs require so you may be wondering why I’ve included Delta. Well, first, I’d definitely try to book my award with the other programs that are cheaper first. But Delta has several credit cards with Amex that make it very easy to earn miles with. Right now the Delta Platinum credit card is offering 70K miles, which is enough to cover one roundtrip to Japan in economy. If you coupled that with another card like the Gold offering 50K, then all of a sudden you’re not far off from earning business class tickets. Sometimes Delta offers specials on their flights, so having a stash of Delta SkyMiles isn’t a bad thing.

Final word

If you’re planning on making Japan a destination then you’re in luck because as you can see you’ll have plenty of options to get there for cheap. Both the miles needed and the total fees can be very reasonable and you should’ve have to break the cash bank or the miles bank to get there, even in business class.

Booking.com

Daniel Gillaspia

Singapore Suites vs Etihad Apartment: Which is Better?

Singapore Suites and the Etihad Apartment are typically ranked in the top two or three first class experiences available in the sky. I recently flew on both of these extravagant cabins as part of a round the world trip, where I got to freshin’ up in a shower on Etihad and down a little Dom Pérignon before getting some shut-eye on Singapore’s renown double bed. But how did these experiences compare to each other? Is it possible for one to outdo the other? Here’s a head to head comparison of my first class experiences with Singapore Suites vs. the Etihad Apartment.

The first class cabins

Both cabins have their own unique appeal.

The Singapore Suites cabin is a bit more traditional, but very charming with its wood-grain panels, interior window shades, and sliding doors that all have a bit of a cozy train cabin feel to them.

Singapore Suites First Class A380 — Singapore Suites first class cabin.

Some people think Singapore Suites look a little outdated since they have been around a while (since 2008), but I still think they’ve got a lot going on. There’s something about the design and the coloring of the cabin that just made me feel good when walking through it. It’s really a work of art.

The Etihad Apartment cabin comes with a bit more mystique. The apartments — lining just a single aisle — are more concealed, and the mystical boarding music playing as you enter along with the mosaic lighting and decor almost put you into a spell as you marvel at the over-the-top luxuriousness of the cabin.

Etihad First Class Apartment — Etihad Apartment first class cabin.

Excluding the Residence, there are only 9 first class suites on board the Etihad A380, while there are 12 suites on board Singapore. When I flew them, our Etihad cabin was full (minus the Residence) and there were only 2 others on board our first class cabin but both experiences felt almost the same in terms of quietness and traffic (although I did have to wait on the lavatory with Etihad more).

In the end, I’d pick Etihad’s cabin over Singapore’s just because I felt the Etihad cabin felt a bit more high-class and intriguing.

The suites

The Seating

In terms of appearance, both of the seats and seating areas of the suites are superb, boasting high-quality full grain leather seats, which are as comfy as they are nice to look at. The color scheme and arrangement of the seats are also pleasing to the eyes, and the tray tables on each are huge and easily accessible and stored (once you get the hang of it). I do somewhat prefer Singapore’s table that comes out of the desk versus the table that folds out of the arm rest on Etihad, as the former is a little easier to deal with.

Etihad Apartment A380 — Etihad Apartment seat.

And of course, there’s plenty of leg room to be found on both.

While both seats are top of the line luxurious, there are some key differences.

The Etihad Apartment seat has more of a “throne” feeling to it. I think it’s just as comfortable to sit in as the Singapore seat but the “grander” nature of the seat along with the bench or mini-sofa for a foot rest, puts more of a presidential stamp on the flying experience. In addition, the ultra-spacious set up just feels unlike anything else in existence right now, while the Singapore Suites still feel like you’re in a cabin… a really nice cabin, but still just a cabin.

With that said, if you’re flying with your partner and you really like to sit next to each other then Singapore Suites offer you more of what you’re looking for, as you’ll be able to talk directly to each other at all times without getting up out of your seat.

When you’re sitting in the Apartment, even with the doors open and partition down, you have no direct view of anyone else. The walls and doors themselves don’t seclude you as much as the deep inlet that your seat sits in does. This is great if you’re looking for the ultimate level of privacy to keep those nosy passengers at bay but it also means that you won’t be spending time next to your partner.

To me, the lack of direct access to your partner isn’t a very big deal. If it’s your romantic partner you’re flying with, you’ll be seeing them every second of every day probably while on your trip so what’s a few hours “away” from each other? Plus, you can still eat and sleep right next to each other while on the Apartment, so it’s not a deal breaker by any means.

So I’d say the Etihad Apartment boasts the better seat, but if I had to choose a winner for best seating arrangements for couples, I’d give it to Singapore.

Suite design and layout

The layout to the Singapore Suites is pretty simple and there’s nothing game-changing different about it (these days) other than the fact that it’s extremely spacious and beautifully designed. However, the simplicity of it is kind of what I like about it; it’s not over the top gaudy but more classic and cozy.

On the other hand, the layout to the Apartment is unlike any suite because it offers you your own mini-sofa along with a “vanity unit” so that your suite really does begin to feel like an apartment. In addition, you have the mini-bar, powered window shades, drawers, touch screens, and closet rack, all coming together in a highly fashionable and elegant way.

Personally, I prefer the Etihad Apartment design and layout over the Singapore Suites.

As stated before, the Etihad Apartment is simply unlike anything else and being in that suite just fills you with a certain kind of zen. The Singapore Suites are phenomenal as well, but they still retain a traditional cabin feel to them that, while ultra-luxurious and comfy, just doesn’t provide you with the same “I can’t believe I’m sitting here right now” feeling the Apartment does.

In-flight entertainment

As far the as the functions and entertainment go, I’d probably give the edge to Etihad again.

The tv’s are reportedly about the same size but Etihad’s felt much larger (maybe I just didn’t realize how much closer I was). Also, the swivel feature of the tv when you’re lying down on Etihad is brilliant. In terms of content, both offered all of the movies and tv shows you’d probably be interested in or expect to see but Etihad has the added bonus of having live tv (that worked very well), split-screen feature (don’t think Singapore has that), and also multiple cameras to view your A380 from the outside and see what’s in front and below you. So for entertainment/tv set-up, I’d go with Etihad.

Service

I feel like I’m really splitting hairs with this comparison since the service we received on both airlines was the best I’ve ever received… anywhere… doing pretty much anything.

However, because this is a comparison and I have to choose one, I’d give the nod to Singapore. I think it’s a little unfair to compare since the staff only had to tend to 4 people on my Singapore Airlines flight but Etihad was maxed out at 9. (Plus, I gave Singapore a heads up that I was doing a review and they seemed to have taken notice.)

But with that said, the service from the Singapore crew just felt a little more dedicated and seasoned. I really got the feeling what they wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it was going to take to make the flight memorable for me. Even on our business class flights, the service was exceptional and beyond expectations. Singapore Airlines is known for their outstanding customer service and after a few flights on both business and first class, I have to agree with the general consensus: they are the best in service.

Dining

This comparison is a bit skewed toward Singapore since I had stuffed myself at the Etihad First Class Lounge before our flight and never really developed a full appetite to take on a full 3 or 4 course meal in-flight. With that in mind, I still think I enjoyed the food and beverages more on Singapore Airlines.

Between the caviar and Dom Pérignon, I had one of the most luxurious meals I’ve ever had on Singapore. Then throw an amazing chicken dish with a beautiful and tasty dessert in and it’s easy to see why Singapore won me over.

Etihad’s dining experience was still rock solid and they offered quality champagne and wines, too. One thing that I really love about Etihad is that the chef greets you personally and strikes up conversation with you, allowing you to inquire about different meals and dishes that you might prefer. While the individual attention was appreciated, I still think the quality on board Singapore was just a level above Etihad in both presentation and taste.

Sleeping experience

Amenity kit

It’s always nice to receive free stuff, but I have to confess that I rarely ever actually use anything in an amenity kit. For Singapore we received: cologne, lip balm, after shave and in the bathroom there were toothbrushes with tooth paste, razors, and a few other things. On Etihad, we got razors, a toothbrush and tooth paste, and some lotions and oils. Both also offered sleep masks and slippers. I think I got more from the Singapore amenities kit as the fragrance by Ferragamo was amazing and we actually kept it and intend on using it.

Pajamas

Both offer designer pajamas and both are very soft and comfortable. I think I preferred Etihad’s a little bit because they were a bit lighter and made it more comfortable for me to sleep, while Singapore’s baggy garments were pretty heavy and a bit warm for my liking.

The beds

Amenity kits and pajamas are great, but we all know what really matters when it comes to sleeping is the bed.

Singapore Airlines is one of the only major commercial airlines that offers the option of sleeping on a full-sized double bed. This in itself is a pretty marvelous feat and one that makes Singapore Suites feel special and unique once the bed is made.

For traveling duos on the Etihad Apartment, you’re able to lower the partition and “connect” half of your beds, so you feel like you’re sharing a bed, just not quite all the way. This arrangement is more comfortable and practical than it looks, as I felt like I had plenty of room on the bed, despite the beds appearing pretty narrow. The plus with Etihad is that if you want to get up from lying down and just sit in your seat and relax a bit, no problem.

I felt like the Singapore bed was more comfortable than Etihad’s but not by a long shot. I’m not sure if it was the mattress pad or the blankets, but I just felt more relaxed. It also helped that Singapore offered 3 pillows (versus the two offered by Etihad), since I’m somewhat of a pillow freak who likes to be surrounded by them when I sleep.

One thing I liked with Etihad was that the cabin was not nearly as warm as Singapore’s. The warmness made it a bit uncomfortable on board the Singapore A380, while the coolness of the Etihad cabin made it just perfect. This was honestly one of the only major knocks against Singapore during my flight.

Despite the temperature issue, in the end, sleeping on a double bed on a plane (with no partition) is a novelty that Singapore executes with near perfection, so I give the edge to them.

Shower and lounge facilities

This one’s pretty easy, since Singapore has neither a shower nor a lounge.

While the “The Lobby” lounge on Etihad is a nice feature, it’s not a bar area like Emirates or Qatar, so it’s kind of “just there.” It’s cool to check out and maybe hang around in for a little while but that’s about it. Maybe one day they’ll convert it into a shisha bar and make it worth our while. 😉

However, the shower is brilliant and is what puts the entire Apartment experience over the top, in my opinion. Taking a shower on a plane is really one of the coolest feelings I’ve experienced while traveling. It’s not only the fact of taking a shower on a plane that’s nice but the ability to freshen up just before landing just makes you feel so much better when you arrive to your destination, especially if you’re on a true long-haul flight.

Finally, when it comes to the lavatories (minus the shower), Etihad still wins with its more spacious and more ornately designed bathroom.

Final word

Right now, the Etihad Apartment is in a class of its own. Its product is just unique and everything from the cabins to the decor is over-the-top gorgeous and the epitome of class. Singapore Suites is still a fantastic option, however. It offers you exceptional service and world-class dining to go along with beautifully designed suites and the opportunity to sleep on a double bed in the sky. You can’t go wrong with either but if I had to choose one, it would have to be the Etihad Apartment.

Daniel Gillaspia

Visiting the Penguins of Boulders Beach Near Cape Town, South Africa

There’s one attraction near Cape Town that’s an absolute must if you are visiting the area. It’s an attraction that I didn’t think too much about while planning my trip to South Africa, but it ended up being one of my favorite experiences during my entire round the world trip. I’m talking about the penguins at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town, South Africa. These penguins are the epitome of cuteness and the ability to be among them in their own habitat is something that no zoo experience can compare to. Here’s what you need to know about visiting these cuddly penguins at Boulders Beach.

Boulders Beach Penguins South Africa — “Penguins this way”

Getting There

Boulders Beach is about a 45 minute car ride from Cape Town, along some very scenic terrain. A lot of people combine a visit to Boulders Beach with a stop to the Cape of Good Hope on Cape Peninsula as it’s only about an additional 30 minutes to the the Cape of Good Hope. As of the day of this article, the entry fee for adults is ZAR 65 which comes out to less than $5 USD, so it’s very cheap.

Boulders Beach is impressive by itself

First, I just had to point out that even without the penguins, Boulders Beach is a beautiful Beach that would be worth a visit.

It’s surrounded by giant granite boulders that are estimated to be 540 million years old (and are great for rock hopping) and the water is crystal clear. What’s more, the boulders and topography of the beach allow it to be shielded by the winds and waves making it a safe place to swim even for families.

When to visit the penguins of Boulders Beach?

According to the local officials, the penguins are at the beach year round. They state that during September and October their numbers are limited since they are mostly out fishing in the sea. However, we visited in the middle of September and we were greeted by plenty of penguins (though it wasn’t like some of the photos I’ve seen with hundreds of them hanging out on the beach).

The best time of day to see the penguins is apparently early in the morning or in the late afternoon. Our morning visit just after opening (8 am) was perfect as we didn’t run into any other visitors and the penguins seemed to be out and about in good numbers.

The open hours may vary depending on weather, holidays etc. but the hours for Boulders Beach are stated as:

Oct-Nov: 8:00-18:30
Dec-Jan: 7:00 to 19:30
Feb-Mar: 8:00-18:30
Apr-Sept: 8:00-17:00

How did the penguins get there?

The penguins are African Penguins, also known as jackass penguins, due to their loud braying which you will definitely hear when you visit. They inhabit a few colonies in South Africa and even Namibia but Boulders Beach is reportedly one of the most renown and best places to visit them.

These penguins are actually originally transplants that came over near in 1983 from Dyer Island. Dyer Island is a couple of hours east near Gansbaai and forms part of the borders of the famous Shark Alley, where great whites feast on seals (and from what I’ve heard on penguins, too). 🙁

Dyer Island map — Map showing the distance between Dyer Island and Boulders Beach.

When the penguins came over to Boulders Beach they discovered a plentiful supply of food (pilchards and anchovy) and the colony blew up and now is said to be home to over 3,000 birds. The African Penguin’s population is still nowhere near where it once was (about 50,000 now compared to over 1.5 million before), but nature reserves like Boulders Beach are doing their part to restore their population.

Visiting the penguins

The coolest part about going to Boulders Beach is that you’re able to walk and be among the penguins in their natural habitat. If you’re like most people, your only encounter with penguins has been at a zoo, but this is lightyears more exciting than any zoo experience you may have had.

You can also view the penguins from neighboring Foxy Beach. That area has wheelchair friendly platforms and offers great viewing opportunities of the penguins and more penguins are usually in that area than at Boulders Beach. However, I’m not sure that you can get out and walk around like you can at Boulders, so I’d plan on visiting both if you have the time (we spent all our time at Boulders since it was so entertaining).

When we first arrived to the beach we didn’t notice any penguins on the beach or in the water and so I was a little bit nervous that we wouldn’t see much. In fact, all we found were these husky marmots that were running around the rocks and sunbathing in the sand. While adorable in their own right, they weren’t quite the tuxedo-wearing penguins we were looking for.

But after a few minutes, we spotted the first trio of penguins waddling out of the pathway and onto the beach as if they were making an entrance in a sports arena.

I couldn’t get enough of them and could have watched them waddle around all day. I took tons of photos, but I think it takes watching a video of them to understand why exactly you’ll be wanting to adopt a penguin before you depart to go back home.

You’ll be tempted to the max to take selfies…

It’s probably the cutest thing you’ll ever see, especially when their little penguin feet patter into the ocean and then they belly-flop into the water where they become like little torpedoes darting around freakishly quick.

Yet, when the penguins aren’t shooting around underwater, you’d almost mistake them for ordinary ducks.

But once they back come out the water and pop back up to their feet, they take their unmistakably penguin appearance back on.

After three penguins came out, then about every couple of minutes an additional pair or quartet would come waddling out of that pathway.

A couple of them veered towards us and were very curious about what we were.

One in particular, who looked like a juvenile, followed us around wherever we went.

They warn you that the penguins can get a little bit aggressive and take a nasty peck at you with their sharp beak, so we kept our distance a little bit. However, for the most part these animals seemed very docile and were not shy and will even come right up to you or walk by you within inches.

As more of the penguins came out, they started congregating in huddles, where they would squawk at each other and give each other these funny sideways looks, which I guess is how they communicate.

Sometimes they looked just like humans having normal conversations out in public.

Then, after meeting up in a huddle they would all simultaneously head towards the water and get back to their underwater antics, sometimes chasing each other around in circles.

They always seemed to strike these interesting and funny poses.

Boulders Beach Penguins — Just hanging with some penguins…

Outside of the water, penguins could be spotted on top of the boulders, sliding down rocks, and even hopping down a flight of concrete stairs.

After about 30 minutes, the penguins seemed to be everywhere and their relentless braying came from every corner of the beach and was especially loud when you got close to the bushes, where I think a lot of the penguins were still hiding.

Other creatures

Besides the marmots, we came across a few tide pool creatures like sea stars, although this one looked like it’d been through some tough times.

One definite surprise guest was what I think was a sea lion, although I guess it could’ve been a seal. It looked like it was practicing its morning yoga the entire time as we looked on.

Final word

Boulders Beach is a unique experience that I think someone of any age will enjoy. You can’t deny the cuteness of penguins and when you witness them in person they’re 10X more entertaining than you probably imagined them to be in the first place. Add in the fact that Boulders Beach is a beautiful beach in in its own right with nice boulders to climb around on and you can see why I consider this is a must-stop for everyone coming to Cape Town.

Daniel Gillaspia

Helicopter Tour Review Over Cape Town, South Africa and The Two Oceans

Cape Town is one of those very few special places where you find a thriving urban area nestled into jaw-dropping natural beauty. These places, like Rio de Janeiro, are few and far between but they all are places that can only be fully appreciated when you’re able to admire the full scale of their beauty from above. Wether it be sky-diving, hang-gliding, a plane ride or helicopter ride, there’s just something about seeing destinations like these from the sky. If you’re headed to Cape Town, then I highly recommend to try to make a helicopter ride part of your itinerary so that you can discover how mind-blowing the natural beauty is of Cape Town, South Africa.

Booking

There are a number of (affiliate) helicopter tours available to choose from (all with solid reviews). Some tours will just quickly take you above the city and allow you to see Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, etc. from above. Those will do the trick if you just want to see the city and portions of the Atlantic Coast. However, if you really want to be blown away then I suggest that you book a tour like the Two Oceans tour (which I did) or go a step further and a book a tour that will take you all they way over to the Cape of Good Hope.

Our experience

The helicopter tour starts off with a take-off from the V&A Waterfront, where you’ll quickly ascend to capture the iconic view of Cape Town from the south, where you’ll seeTable Mountain and Lion’s Head, jut up above the city in dramatic fashion.

Capetown South Africa Helicopter Ride Tour — Cape Town aerial view from about 1,000 feet.

Your pilot may initially ascend to about 1,000 to 1,500 feet for this view but I recommend asking them to go up another 1,000 feet, because I feel like the view of the city is a bit more captivating from about 2,500 feet. That’s exactly what I did and so our pilot swung back out to gain a little over 1,000 feet in elevation.

As we swung out, I caught a few closer shots of the city, including Cape Town Stadium (home of the 2010 World Cup) with both Lion’s Head and Table Mountain in the background.

Cape Town South Africa Helicopter View Table Mountain Lion's Head — Cape Town Stadium aerial view.

I also got to see a nice shot of the downtown area. Downtown Cape Town, or more accurately, the “City Centre” is actually pretty small when compared to major downtown areas of the U.S. Although the City Centre isn’t as large, the metropolitan area of Cape Town has an estimated 3,740,026 people, so the entire sprawl of the Cape Town area isn’t exactly tiny.

Cape Town South Africa Helicopter Ride — Aerial view of Downtown Cape Town with Devil’s Peak in the background.

As we continued to swing out over the ocean, we caught a glimpse of Robbeneiland (Robben Island), which is of course where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of the 27 years he was forced to serve in prison.

Once we gained a bit in elevation, we came back over for another view of Cape Town, but this time close to about 2,800 feet. I preferred this view higher up because it gave more depth to the city and surrounding mountains and hills, so you could make out the formations a bit better and really appreciate the sprawl of the city that rests in the natural bowl formation. At that elevation, we were still about 700 feet lower than Table Mountain, although we would come close to matching it at some point on the tour.

As we moved toward the east, the view changed every second, so I captured a number of shots that all have very similar compositions. I couldn’t decide which view I preferred the most, although I think the image below is my favorite. I prefer the views that showcase the entire span from Signal Point to Lion’s Head with Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak looming behind.

After getting the shots of the iconic views of Cape Town, our pilot took us on eastwardly. This was the exciting part because I’d seen the one “iconic” view of Cape Town so many times in the past, but I hadn’t seen photos of the other side of the Cape Town and surrounding mountains. Thus, the views would all be fresh to me.

Below is what’s referred to as “Sea Point,” and it’s one of Cape Town’s most affluent and densely populated suburbs, with residential high rises lining the ocean front. The beach-front promenade, a paved walkway along the ocean front is a popular place to go for a walk or jog for both locals and tourists.

The hill to the left is “Signal Hill” (a great place to drive up and catch the sunset) and on the right is the famous “Lion’s Head,” a fun hike that offers superb views of the city and Table Mountain.

After getting out from the suburbs, we took off over the ocean. As you can tell from the photos, our tour took place on a completely clear day. The wind was nonexistent and the temperature was in the lower 70s, making for an absolutely perfect day. I would’ve preferred to have some cloud coverage (especially over Table Mountain) to make things interesting for the photos, but it’s hard to complain about weather so perfect.

One thing I found fascinating was that our pilot told us sometimes they can spot whales and even great whites from the sky, although we didn’t see any of those. Apparently, there are also professional spotters with binocular and telescopes who sit perched up in the mountains acting like guardian angels and watching for great whites in order to alert swimmers and surfers at nearby beaches.

Below, you can see the mountain ridges just east of Camps Bay. I believe these form part of the “12 Apostles” a notorious set of peaks that put on a magnificent showing at sunset, as the sun reflects off of their cliffs.

Next up was “Llandudno,” one of the most scenic areas in Cape Town. An interesting fact about the suburb is that “there are no street lights, shops or commercial activities, and the suburb has some of the most expensive residential property in South Africa.”

Llandudno Beach is a hot spot for surfers but not so much with swimmers due to its cold water and strong currents. The giant boulders surrounding the beach (which are common in this area) make it one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, too. Also, if you look to the far right on the image below, you’ll see “Sandy Beach,” a famous nude beach of Cape Town.

The hill above Llandudno in the photo below is called “Little Lion’s Head” as it looks a lot like the real Lion’s Head to the west.

After flying high over Llandudno the neighboring nudists, we made our way around a large peninsula of cliffs that surround Hout Bay, which I believe is part of Karbonkelberg/Kaptein’s Peak.

The area is an imposing formation that many rock climbers flock to. An area on its side has been subject to sand deposits from strong winds over the years and is a spot that others come to sand board on, apparently.

The view looking back north from Hout Bay is one of my favorite views I think I’ve ever encountered. You can see Lion’s Head on the far left, Table Mountain to its right, the 12 Apostles just below Table Mountain, Little Lion’s Head, and then Karbonkelberg/Kaptein’s Peak, all in one view. Pretty spectacular.

The view that emerges as you pass further east continues to impress. A large pointy formation known as the Sentinel, towers over Hout Bay pointing up to the sky like Pride Rock.

In the view below, you can see all of the major peaks once again but with the Sentinel and Hout Bay now in the shot. Interestingly, the entire low-lying area often referred to as Hout Bay was where early Dutch settlers depended on to get their lumber (using slaves of course), since little rainfall fell on the other side of the mountains where they had settled.

Chapman’s Peak drive, built between 1915 and 1922 and one of the most scenic and famous highways to drive, came into view next. Its winding roads that meander up and down the rugged coastline form South Africa’s version of Highway One found on the Pacific coast of the US. While it’s a sight to behold on the road, it’s also a quite the view from above.

The turquoise waters on the right what wash up beneath Chapman’s Peak Drive are part of “Noordhoek Beach.” Near the southern end of Noordhoek Beach you’ll find the wreck of the steamship “Kakapo”, which wrecked close to 100 years ago when the captain mistook Chapmans’ Peak for the Cape of Good Hope.

Another one of my favorite shots, you can see Chapman’s Peak, with Chapman’s Peak Drive winding around its base, with Hout Bay and Table Mountain in the background.

Chapman's Peak helicopter rout cape town — Chapman’s Peak, South Africa.

Our route then went inland over “Fish Hoek,” a suburb of Cape Town with a history tied to whaling. It’s well known for Peers’ Cave, where human skeleton remains dating back as far as 15,000 years were found. Today, the area is popular for commuters into Cape Town and is a “semi-dry” town where alcohol can’t be sold in stores but only in restaurants and bars.

The waters extending out are part of “False Bay,” where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, hence the name of the “Two Oceans Tour” (though some dispute exactly where that line is). False Bay earned its name from the fact that sailors going back as far as 300 years ago would mistake it for Table Bay. False Bay is known for its killer rogue waves and also for its great whites. If you look closely in the photo below, you can see a small granite island, which is the infamous “Seal Island” that the likes of Nat Geo and Discovery Channel often film at during Shark Week to get those amazing shots of great whites breaching

Cape Town helicopter tour — False Bay with tiny Seal Island.

Dropping in elevation, we next swooped over “Kalk Bay Harbour.”

Kalk Bay is a well-known fishing village but also offers some amazing swells for surfers. An interesting fact about the mountains and hills above this village is that they are filled with large cave systems, which is a rarity considering that the rocks are formed of sandstone.

As we pushed north in False Bay we flew over Muizenberg Beach, considered to be the birthplace of surfing in South Africa with its mecca being “Surfer’s Corner” pictured below.

Surfer’s Corner was the end of our coastal excursion and we headed back inland to make our way back toward Table Mountain.

Our inland journey took us over some farmland and vineyards that were nestled in the foothills below the large mountain cliffs. It’s much harder to distinguish the land inland than on the coast, but I’m pretty sure that below (toward the right) you’re looking at Constantia, considered to be one of the most prestigious suburbs in South Africa.

Judging by what I was told and how the area looks, it seems like this area isn’t too far off from being the Napa Valley of Cape Town, with its vineyards and affluent demographic.

Looking back on my experience in Cape Town, it’s impossible to see all of this affluence and not think about the townships we visited and poverty that existed there. The contrast is so stark that you wouldn’t believe that these places are merely separated by 15-20 minutes of driving.

Towering above the affluent neighborhoods are the mountains that make up the rear of Table Mountain, some of them holding massive reservoirs.

We finally came closer to making our turn around Table Mountain and flew over to popular stadiums in Cape Town. The rectangular stadium below is “Newlands Stadium,” the second-oldest rugby stadium in the world and to its right is “Newlands Cricket Stadium,” home to the Cape Cobras.

Finally, we turned back toward the city. Here you can see a north ridge of Table Mountain National Park known as Devil’s Peak to the left, the City Centre in the middle, and Robben Island looming in the background.

Dropping altitude, we flew over the industrial side of Cape Town full of trains and the Port of Cape Town. The area pictured below is known as “Woodstock.” It looks like just another industrial area but it played a significant role in “laying the foundation for urban renewal” after apartheid since it remained very integrated during that time. Today, it’s experiencing a bit of a resurgence as young professionals and others head their for its trendy restaurants, shops, and renovated Victorian architecture.

One of the smaller sections of the Port of Cape Town is designated for yachts.

Just before landing we got one last great view of Table Mountain with the V&A Waterfront and the City Centre in the foreground.

And finally, it was time to touch back down on land after about 30 minutes of taking in breathtaking scenery from the sky.

Final word

This helicopter ride showcased the beauty of Cape Town that can only be appreciated by flight. There’s so much more than to the city and surrounding area than the iconic “City Bowl” shot that dominates post cards and magazines and I was very happy to be able to see it and photograph it. While helicopter rides can be a bit pricey at times, I think that anyone who really wants to experience the natural beauty of South Africa, should consider booking helicopter tour. It will be worth very penny (or ZAR).

Daniel Gillaspia

Review of the Singapore Airlines First Class Suites Aboard the A380

The Singapore Airlines first class suites are consistently rated as one of top 5 first class experiences out of any airline in the world. They offer world-class dining and service along with elegantly designed cabins that come with unrivaled privacy and an opportunity to enjoy a full double bed while traveling. Here’s a review of my recent experience flying in Singapore Suites from NRT to SIN aboard the A380.

The lounge experience

My Singapore Suites experience started in Tokyo at the ANA First Class lounge in NRT.

It’s a smaller lounge that had minimal traffic when I was there. They served mostly Eastern dishes, such as sushi and other seafood platters, though they also had an array of rolls, cheeses, and sandwiches to choose from.

We were able to relax and enjoy some champagne and soup and wash up in their very nice shower facilities.

After I finished up in the shower and changed I realized I didn’t have anything to fix my hair (huge problem, right?), so about 25 minutes before boarding we left the lounge to find some hair product, which almost turned out to be a fatal mistake!

My Singapore Suites experience almost ended before it started…

We found a duty free shop near our gate and I sampled some hair product that worked amazing but had a strong odor to it that smelled just like a lumber store. I didn’t want to go around with me head smelling like Home Depot, so I passed on buying the hair product and headed back to the gate for boarding.

After about 15 minutes of waiting at the gate, we were finally only minutes away from boarding. I started digging around my bag for my passport and boarding pass and that’s when it dawned on me, I couldn’t find either of them!

If you’ve ever misplaced something important at the airport, you know the drill…. everything comes out of the bags!

I was scrambling and going through all of my luggage contents but they were nowhere to be found and the thought of missing my Singapore Suites flight was putting me on the verge of a melt down of epic proportions. Forget the issues with being in a foreign country without a passport, all I could think about was not boarding that A380!

Then it clicked… I must have set them down when I was trying that stupid hair product or when I was in the ANA lounge. Thinking they’d be more at risk of being lost at the duty free store, we first ran back over to the store and asked the cashier if they found anything. She said no. So we scoured the entire store, going through every aisle, and then finally, there they were: my passport and my (literal) golden ticket sitting undisturbed on a random shelf!

With those in hand and my sanity slowing coming back to me, we ran back to the boarding gate and as soon as we arrived they started calling out for the Suites to board. It was time!

Boarding

As we entered the plane through the first class entrance, the first class flight staff lined the walls to the entrance and greeted Brad and I by name as if we were on a first-name basis and as if they already could recognize our faces. I knew right away that this would be a great flight. They guided us through the luxurious first class cabin and I got the first glimpse of my seat!

The luxurious style of the suite, designed by French luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste, immediately blew me away. The leather, the wood-grain, the arm chair, the space, everything! It was especially nice being in the interior cabin where our private space was essentially doubled.

After making it to our seats, the staff wasted no time in asking us for our drink preference.

Of course, I had to go with Dom Perignon (2006). Little did I know, I’d actually had Dom before at my brother’s wedding (not sure if it was the same type), but both Brad and I enjoyed the taste of Dom and preferred it as our type of on-board champagne and had a few rounds of it to get our flight started. I’m not a big drinker these days but put me on a plane and bring me some top-shelf champagne, and I’ll definitely knock back some glasses.

After getting our drinks they came around with magazines and newspapers and I snagged my usual, NatGeo.

Once settled in, I scoped out all of the features of the suite. The suites have a 23-inch LCD tv, which while not exactly a game changer in size, is still perfect for your viewing purposes inside the suite. The in-flight entertainment is solid, offering plenty of new movies and tv shows.

You can store your carry-on luggage underneath your footrest, where you should have plenty of room to store it as well as plenty of room to extend your legs and relax. Just to your left, you’ll find outlets to charge all of your electronics.

Singapore provides you with noise-cancelling Bose headphones which are top of the line and reminded me why I need to get me another pair since they are perfect for flying.

They also provide you with a designer amenity kit by Salvatore Ferragamo, which includes a designer bag, lip balm, after shave, and cologne. I’m still in love with the Ferragamo cologne and to be honest may have found me a new “scent” to replace my Burberry Brit Rhythm which I’ve had for some time now.

The pajamas, which are made by designer Givenchy, come in a nice storage pouch.

Since this was a late flight, I decided to go ahead and change into the pjs before we ate so that I’d be able to get some rest straight away after dinner, so I went off to the bathroom to change.

The bathroom is nice like you’d expect for a first class cabin but nothing too overwhelming or game changing. I do like how Singapore stockpiles things like toothbrushes and razors in the bathroom so they are there for your convenience.

If you need to change, there’s a drop-down bench that falls over the toilet that should help you out.

The pajamas are extremely soft and comfortable and considering they are part of a plane’s amenity kit, they feel pretty heavy duty. In fact, they might be a little too heavy for some people since Singapore tends to keep their A380 cabins a bit warm. If you run hot naturally, these pajamas may keep you too warm for your liking.

It kind of looks like I’m wearing a onesie in the photo below but they are two pieces (although I wouldn’t be completely opposed to wearing an issued onesie with the right thread count).

After getting changed into the pjs, I decided to scope out some of the other parts of the cabin.

The hallways have a bit of a train feeling to them with the layout of the suites. In fact, a couple of people who saw my Singapore Suites photos initially asked if we were on a train.

The doors and walls to the suites are beautifully done. The wood grain paneling + diamond-stitched leather combo seats are an excellent combination that set Singapore Suites apart from other cabins.

One thing I really like is that you have so many options to tailor your privacy level. You can keep doors and window shades open, doors open but window shades down, or close up everything. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to keep the shades down for your privacy but keep the doors open so that you can flag down a staff member when needed.

With the window shades down and the doors shut you’re offered maximum privacy. The suite walls are higher than anything I’ve ever flown in (I think even higher than Etihad’s) and so you get an even more secluded feeling like you’re shut off from the rest of the cabin. As you can see in the photo below, there are still some slots where one can see inside the suite but those tend to vanish when the lights go dark.

I spent a little bit of time taking photos of the suites located along the wall. Nothing felt too different about them compared to the interior suites, other than the interior suites obviously being more spacious when combined. We may have opted for the window suites but with the option to experience a double bed on the plane it really was a no-brainer to go with the interior cabin.

Unfortunately, it looks like the window shades (for the exterior of the plane) are manually drawn so there’s no button like on the Etihad Apartment or other first class cabins.

Service

The service from the first class crew was phenomenal and it really made the experience unforgettable. From the moment we stepped on the plane and were greeted by name (they even accurately pronounced my crazy last name) until we left the plane, we were treated like royalty. Whether it was something big or small, the staff was there to quickly see what they could do to help us out and always did with an amazingly positive attitude.

Dining

I expected big things for the dining on Singapore Airlines and it didn’t disappoint whatsoever. If you wish, you can dine with another person sitting across from you at you’re table but since we were both sharing a suite that seemed a bit ridiculous and unnecessary so we just dined in our own seats.

After scanning through the menu, I decided on the chicken and to try caviar for the first time. (You can check out their menu here).

Before appetizers we had our canapé, which consisted of lamb and chicken with a spicy peanut sauce. For a canapé, this was actually pretty filling and could have almost taken place of a main dish. The lamb and chicken all were very satisfying.

We were in the mood to try something besides Dom so the staff brought out some Krug Grande Cuvée, which they actually recommended over the Dom Perignon. I preferred the Dom but can’t say bad things about the Krug.

Next, the caviar came out in a beautiful dish. I first tried the caviar all by itself (liquid courage to blame, perhaps?) but it was way too fishy and salty for me. So I then spread a small amount on the bread crackers and mixed in a little bit of all of the side ingredients and topped it with a squeeze of lemon juice. The result? Delicious!

Singapore Suites Caviar First Class A380 — Caviar

I skipped on the soup and salad since I wasn’t very hungry and didn’t want dinner to be a 2 hour affair, but Brad did try out the soup, which consisted of oriental broth and crabmeat. Brad loved it and I had a quick taste of it and liked it as well.

Next came the main course, which they seasoned to taste. The dish was a wok-fried sliced chicken in black peppercorn sauce with rice. I stayed away from the mushrooms but ate up the chicken and rice. The chicken had a nice little kick to it and although the rice could’ve used a bit more flavoring, overall I enjoyed the meal.

And then, it was time for dessert. I chose the gianduja chocolate cream with sable crumbs with vanilla ice cream and rose jelly, without any idea of what half of that was. But man, was it delicious. It came in a beautifully presented with floral garnish and raspberries. With the ice cream, crumbs, and jelly (jello), there were many different textures going on at once but the flavors were excellent and satisfied my sweet-tooth.

Brad went with the crème brûlée, which while tasty, didn’t compare to the gianduja chocolate dish.

Turn down service

After our meal it was time for turn down service. The staff came in quickly started to assemble the double bed. If you don’t know, the beds come out from the back wall after your seat is folded down. It’s an interesting way of doing things and Singapore business class seats work the same way as well.

I’d written to Singapore Airlines before our trip to request some kind of a nice touch to our flying experience and so they prepared our beds with a dozen roses and two stuffed teddy bears.

The bed’s not ultra-soft but it certainly does the trick and is on par for what you’d expect on a plane in any event. Plus, with the 3 pillows and soft blankets (all of which are also designed by Givenchy), you’ll have plenty of cushion to keep you comfortable.

They even brought us our own champagne stash.

And plate of chocolates…

Suffice it to say, I was on cloud nine.

Singapore Suites double bed First Class A380 — A glass of Dom just before bed on Singapore Suites.

Once the beds are set up you’re still about as far back as you were with your seat so you still have a perfectly good view of your television.

Eventually, the purple ambient lighting kicked on in the cabin and really changed the atmosphere to a more relaxing vibe. At that point, we drew down our shades and closed the doors to our suites for maximum privacy.

On this flight, I would sleep like a baby which is a rarity for me. I’ve only been able to sleep well a few times on a plane and this experience along with the Etihad Apartment were two of those times. Noise from the nearby galley was not an issue for me.

The only complaint I’d have with my Singapore Suites experience is the temperature. It was just too warm for my liking (and I’ve read about others saying the same thing). If they could just drop the degrees just a tad, it’d be a lot easier to get comfortable under the covers and with the thicker pajamas and get to sleep.

Aside from that complaint, however, there’s really nothing negative to say about Singapore Suites…. Okay, so maybe they could use a shower or bar area like Emirates and Etihad but we’ll see what the future holds.

Final Word

Singapore Suites offers a world-class flying experience that can compete with the best of them. I think the biggest factors that stood out to me were the full-sized double bed and the unrivaled privacy that comes with the cabins, the dining options, and the service. This is definitely one of the flying experiences where I feel like I could spend a couple of days up in the air and be totally okay with that. It’s an awesome experience and hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy it at some point, if you haven’t already.

Daniel Gillaspia

Review of The W Dubai Al Habtoor City (V Hotel Hilton Curio)

The W Dubai Al Habtoor City is a hotel chock-full of personality and flare. It’s the type of hotel you come to in order to depart from the norm of having “just another” hotel experience and to experience something energetic, fun, and innovative.

I recently spent a few nights at this trendy hotel, which is home to futuristic Star-Trek like rooms and an ultra-swanky bar and lounge. After my stay, I came away with very positive impressions of the hotel and the staff, despite the fact that it’s still in its “soft opening” stage. So here is my review of the W Dubai Al Habtoor City (which is now known as the V Hotel and part of the Hilton Curio Collection).

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Check-in

The W experience begins as when you arrive at its brilliantly flashy entrance.

The entrance to the W Dubai Al Habtoor City.

The illuminated stripes extending from the exterior welcome you to an even flashier lobby on the inside.

W Dubai Al Habtoor City lobby — The lobby.

The jazzy effects found running across the interior walls and ceiling are showy reminders that this hotel is far from ordinary. It’s an almost trippy feeling the first time you lay your eyes on the lobby but you will get used to it as you go in and out, so if it’s a bit overwhelming to your eyes at first, just give it a little bit of time and it will hopefully grow on you.

You’ll be pleasantly greeted by staff members as you enter through the doors and approach the welcome desk. But this isn’t where you check-in. Instead, you’ll be guided up to the 30th floor, where the check-in desks are located. Your baggage will be taken from you and delivered to your room as soon as you’re settled in.

On the 30th floor, you’ll find multiple check-in desks, resembling bubbles, situated in front of the elevators. The staff will offer you a refreshing drink and you get to relax and take in the views from the 30th floor as they process your arrival.

Once you’re checked-in, it’s back down to your room level, where you’ll be guided to your room.

A wild pattern of inter-weaving silver and white lines run down the corridor floors of each level. This design drew inspiration from the many driving lanes of the main highway in Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road and is perhaps representative of the energetic pulse found throughout the hotel.

The signage in the hallway not only points you in the direction of your room, but provides a peak into the futuristic design style that your room will showcase, as you begin to take note of the space craft vibes of the hallways and rooms.

Much like the entrance to the hotel itself, the entrance to our hotel room was bright and reflective, consisting of multiple panels of mirrors which spanned from the floor to the ceiling.

Once you make your way past the mini hallway of mirrors, you’re presented with the first glimpse of your room.

It’s hard not to immediately conjure up thoughts of Star Trek when you first set foot into your room at the W Dubai. The lighting, wall decor, and sleek furniture all resemble what you’d expect to find living in a luxurious space craft. Buttons on the left and right control the lighting and the automatic curtains on the windows. Also, white (fully flexible) rods on either side of the bed offer you additional reading light.

W Dubai Al Habtoor City room — The Marvelous room

The Marvelous room (which we were upgraded to) is set up with an open layout, so your bathtub is not enclosed in a private area, although it is situated in a small enclave next to a radiant piece of artwork.

The sink area is directly across from the bathtub and forms a separate pathway to the front door from the mirrored walls.

In that same area, behind blacked out swinging doors is the toilet and the shower. The shower comes with a high waterfall shower head along with a secondary flexible shower head.

And along with the toilet, you’ve got two bidets.

If you’re in the mood for sweets or snacks, you’ll find containers full of an assortment of them, such as M&Ms, Pringles, cookies, etc. The hotel also provides you with complimentary water bottles upon arrival and upon request, so you should never go dehydrated no matter how hot it gets outside.

We were shown around one of their amazing suites, as well. Since it’s still a soft-opening not all of the suites were completed but they will be offering several different types of them. This one had the same type of open lay out as the Marvelous room but with even grander portions and a beautiful circular bed setting.

W Dubai Al Habtoor City suite — Stunning suite.

The suites have a celebrity penthouse feel and look to them that is very impressive and the lounge-like seating areas in them seem to be a great place to gather in before getting ready for a long night out in Dubai.

The service

The service at the W was all-around phenomenal. All of the staff members greeted us by name each time we entered and exited the hotel and were nothing short of professional and cheerful. They helped us find our way around the hotel, arrange taxis, communicate with our local tour guides, and check-in and check-out were a breeze.

The room service for in-room dining is quick and the food is tasty. For breakfast we went with the pancakes and the Belgium waffles and both were very satisfying served with fresh fruit slices (I’d go with the pancakes as you seem to get more bang for your buck).

One other thing I loved about the W Duabi was the “W Insider.” There’s a staff member, Vince, who is responsible for assisting guests with all of the inside information on places to go and things to do. His approach to the job goes beyond your typical concierge service and can help you find everything from the perfect lounge to visit based on your particular taste to where to find some of the top local fashion spots in Dubai.

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The bar and lounge

Back up on the 30th floor where check-in is, there’s also a bar and lounge area that occupies most of the floor.

Neon purple lights surrounding the bar create a nice vibe, especially at night.

Around the bar area, you’ll find super-swanky seating options up there and at night a live DJ playing. This lounge area is designed more for a “pre-game” night experience but it can also be a nice spot to hit up for a couple of drinks with no intention on getting out to any other place due to its unique offering of drinks.

Some of the seating areas, like the ones pictured below can be reserved for parties and social gatherings.

We tried some of the cocktails at the bar and loved them, especially the Nitro-Tini Art Deco, a sweet gin drink with white chocolate and lemon juice. There are many different types of drinks to choose from and some of these cocktails created by world-class mixologists are exclusive, so you won’t find them at other place.

There’s a club still being built and we weren’t able to scope it out but judging from the appearance of everything else in the hotel, I’m sure it will be beyond impressive and probably become a hot spot for Dubai night life.

Dining

The hotel has two restaurants. The restaurant “Level 7 Dubai” is located on the 7th floor while “Namu Dubai,” serving Asian, Korean, and Pan Asian food is found on the 31st floor. Level 7 serves up all meals throughout the day and even has snacks and drinks available 24 hours a day but Namu Dubai is more of a dinner spot, open from 6pm to 12am.

I didn’t have the chance to dine at these restaurants but during my walk through I got a peak at some of the dishes and they looked extremely appetizing. In addition to the dishes, the dining environment at these restaurants was something to marvel at as well.

The pool facilities

The W Dubai Al Habtoor City’s pool area is known as the “Wet Deck” and you can access it on the 7th floor. The Wet Deck consists of a bar area with plenty of seating and a number of shallow pools that are spread throughout the area and lined with various forms of decorative seating. It’d be a perfect place to lounge around and have a few drinks and take in the sun.

W Dubai Al Habtoor City pool wet deck — The Wet Deck.

Due to the heat and humidity, I took my photos at night but night or day I could tell that this would be great place to unwind and take a dip and maybe enjoy a drink or two.

The Gym

Also on the 7th floor is the gym. The gym area is very big, bright and modernly designed. It’s still undergoing a bit of development so the hotel may have even more machines when you arrive, but when I visited it had everything you’d need to have a great workout including benched, free weights, presses, bikes, treadmills, mats, and everything else you’d probably expect. All of the equipment appeared to be fresh and top-notch, just like the type of equipment you’d find at a top gym in your local area.

A small door opening in the wall of mirrors (pictured below) leads to a locker room area where you can store your belongings and I believe even take a shower.

There are even a number of shelves holding towels and water bottles for your convenience.

One cool plus about the gym is that you can schedule appointments with a personal trainer that’s on staff who can assist you with your workouts. In addition, the spa treatment is available at the St. Regis next door if you are interested in relaxing after a workout.

The only thing lacking at the hotel for the moment is that the surrounding area is still under development. It’s still less than a 15 minute taxi ride to the Duabi Mall and downtown area so it’s not terribly inconvenient by any means. In another year or so, when more surrounding development is finished for Al Habtoor City, there will be more going on in the area. Because the area is still new I advise you to get a business card from the front desk to show your taxi drivers so they’ll know where to go. If all else fails, tell them it’s near the St. Regis and hopefully they’ll know that hotel as it’s been there a little bit longer (2015).

Final word

Overall, I fully recommend the W Dubai Al Habtoor City for any traveler looking for a hotel with a lot of personality, superb service, and an altogether different kind of hotel experience. It’s flashy, chic, and offers everything you’d expect from a W hotel but on the level and scale that Dubai is known for. Although it’s still functioning on a soft-opening, its futuristic rooms and suites are a sight to behold and will be worth it for any guest not wanting to settle for “just another hotel room experience.”

Daniel Gillaspia

Review of the First Class Apartment on the Etihad A380

I don’t typically do flight or lounge reviews (I leave those for the experts) but it would be impossible for me to go without writing about my experience aboard the Etihad A380 in the first class apartment. The experience exceeded my expectations in just about every way imaginable from the time we walked through those sliding doors at the first class entrance to the time we touched down. Here’s an inside look at the Etihad Apartment and what you can expect if you’re lucky enough to fly in this unforgettable cabin.

The chauffeur pick-up

The “apartment experience” began with complimentary chauffeur pick up in an Audi from our hotel at the W in Dubai (a pretty spectacular hotel). Although Dubai is located about an hour away from Abu Dhabi’s airport, the complimentary chauffeur service for Etihad extends to anywhere in the United Arab Emirates, so our commute to AUH was easily taken care of.

Etihad A380 First Class Apartment — Getting picked up by Etihad chauffeur service at the W.

After close to an hour’s car ride, we arrived to the airport where we were dropped off at the exclusive entrance for premium passengers. One one side there’s an entrance for business class and on another side, shiny lit lettering marking the entrance for “First Class.”

Once inside, we were directed to the special first class check-in desk where staff members promptly issued our two boarding passes.

After that, they pointed us through a short security line and on to the Etihad First Class Lounge and Spa.

Etihad First Class Apartment Lounge — Etihad First Class Lounge and Spa at AUH.

Inside the lounge, there are showers, a cigar and whiskey room, relaxation chairs, and complimentary services for massages at the spa and even a room for haircuts and beard trims. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to fully indulge in all of those services but we did enjoy a phenomenal dining experience while there.

The dining experience at the First Class Lounge

We started with sparking water and champagne and an appetizer consisting of thin watermelon slices and feta cheese. The textures and unique blend of flavors combined to create an unexpectedly delicious appetizer.

Etihad First Class Apartment lounge dining — Watermelon slices and feta cheese for an appetizer.

At about that time, our server recommended we try a cocktail and so given our destination, we went with the “New York” signature cocktail, an applejack, walnut-infused bourbon with pressed apple juice that packed quite a kick.

After a palate cleanser and being poured a nice complimentary glass of wine, our main dish of lamb was served. The lamb’s tender texture and juices made it easily the best lamb I’ve tried in recent memory and the red wine paired amazingly well with it.

Etihad First Class lounge dining AUH — Scrumptious lamb.

Finally, it was time for dessert.

Our server brought us two separate dishes to finish up our dining experience. The first was a sampler platter of various desserts including a hard and soft chocolate, a small brownie, and a Japanese cheesecake topped with strawberries and some form of white chocolate candies.

The second dessert dish came in a martini glass and was full of vanilla ice cream, some type of fruity sorbet-like substance, whipped cream, and caramel popcorn. I’m usually not one to overfeed myself, but in this instance, the bit of gluttony was well worth it and felt well called for.

After dining I went in for a quick beard trim since we didn’t have much time before needing to leave to clear pre-arrival customs back to the US. The barber pampered me for a good 15 minutes, lathering my face up and shaping up my beard about as finely as I could ask for. Once that finished up, we were out on our way to clear customs and the second line of security for US arrivals. Thankfully, there’s a Global Entry stand at the customs line and so we bypassed a fairly long wait to get through.

Once through security and customs, Etihad staff redirected us to the business class premier lounge to wait for our flight to board. This lounge, while decent, was crowded and felt muggy, making it a feel like a far cry from the luxurious first class lounge experience we’d just left behind. But after a few minutes, it was time to board and we lined up begin our apartment experience aboard the Etihad A380.

The apartment experience

I’d viewed the photos of the apartment and read reviews what felt like hundreds of times before our flight became a reality, so I experienced that first shock-like feeling as soon as we stepped into the first class cabin area — I couldn’t believe it was finally happening.

Etihad A380 hallway First Class Apartment — Boarding the first class cabin.

I immediately noticed the ornate suite walls and lighting, along with the enchanting Etihad boarding music setting the mood just right.

I found my “apartment number” 4K and Brad parked in the neighboring apartment, 3K. I sat down in the deep thrown of a seat and marveled at the space I’d have to occupy for the next 4 hours. The deep seat, 3-window wall, and mini “hallway” inside the apartment gave me this sense of space that nothing I’ve ever flown on has even come close to (not even the beloved Singapore Suites).

If you’re able to lower the partition between a neighboring apartment the space opens up even more, transforming your apartment more into a loft.

Sitting in this seat, you can’t help but to feel a slight sense of zen, as if you might actually be royalty.

Champagne and a welcome letter help further set the tone for the upcoming unforgettable flying experience.

After enjoying the initial dose of overwhelming glee, it was time to start checking out all of the features and compartments. The first feature I fixated on was the large 24-inch television, definitely the biggest I’ve had to myself on an airline.

Next, I scoped out the many different compartments found in the apartment.

Compartments include a dresser-like drawer with plenty of room for your passport, phone, and other personal belongings; a compartment for hanging clothes; a slot for storing your high quality headphones, and even your own mini-bar (you’ll have to add the alcohol). There’s also a storage rack beneath the sofa that should fit any reasonably sized carry-on luggage.

Then there’s the three-panel mirror display, which opens up with amenities found inside. You’ll find a razor, toothbrush and toothpaste, lotions, and Q-tips. You’ll also be given a sleeping mask, slippers, and very comfortable pajamas.

Etihad First Class Apartment mirror — “It’s the mirrors”

There are two lamps found in your apartment, one by the windows and the other by the door, each with multiple settings for you to set them at just the right amount of dimness.

Automatic blinds and shades are an additional feature of the cabin and can be controlled by a small button at their base or remotely.

The tv offers several nice features in addition to movies and tv shows, such as live television and multiple real-time camera angles of your plane so you can admire your surroundings without even opening a window.

While the amenities and features are what you’d expect to find in such a cabin, the overall presentation and design of these things combined with the brilliant lighting, mystic background music, and wall and door decor create an ambiance that doesn’t scream flash and bling, but unrivaled class and luxury — two things that are hard not to absorb as you get immersed in relaxation.

The Service

There’s something to be said about what it feels like to receive service from individuals who are solely focused and determined to provide you with the highest grade of service possible (and are actually professionally capable of doing so). It’s a feeling that I’ve honestly only felt a few times in life, with the Etihad Apartment and Singapore Suites experience being two of those.

Enough cannot be said about the first class staff on board the A380, the chef himself included. I found the staff to be engaging on multiple levels including both personally and professionally. We got to know a little bit about each other while at the same time exchanging ideas on what dishes and drinks might fit my palate and hunger level at that moment. What I liked best is there wasn’t that kind of awkwardness that can sometimes accompany receiving such high level, bend-over-backwards for you service. Everything just felt genuine and appropriate.

The dining experience

Dining in the Etihad Apartment is “on-demand” meaning that you pick and choose exactly what you’d like to eat and at what time you’d like to receive it.

As I’d eaten quite a lot in the lounge pre-flight, my appetite didn’t show up very much on the flight. However, I knew I had to at least try a few dishes to experience the renown in-flight dining first-hand. So before we requested turn-down service, Brad and I decided to eat a quick meal. For our first meal, we sat across from each other in my Apartment and despite the two of us not being exactly tiny, we still sat pretty comfortably.

For the meal, I went with a chicken dish while Brad went with their beef for our first meal. Both dishes were extremely satisfying.

Later, for a second meal that effectively replaced my breakfast, I went with a steak, cooked medium-well and finished up my meal with a cheesecake. All of which met my expectations and left me very pleased.

The sleeping experience

Once you’re ready to get some shut-eye, a simple request for turn down service will initiate the transition from sofa to bed in your apartment. The staff will graciously pull out your cushion and blanket and assemble everything for you so that you don’t have to lift a finger.

Etihad First Class Apartment lounge lobby — “The Lobby”

During this time, I decided to go and spend some time in the lounge or “The Lobby” for a few a minutes to see what it was all about. Nobody else was in the lounge and so Brad and I just sat around for a little bit and talked while we waited for the turn down service to be complete.

I opted to wear the complimentary pajamas (as always) but if your body runs hot, you might find them to be a bit too warm for your liking. While Etihad kept its A380 much cooler than Singapore did on our 2 flights with their A380s, it wasn’t exactly chilly throughout the cabin.

After a couple of minutes, we were back in our apartments but with fresh new bedding set for us, including two large soft pillows.

Etihad First Class Apartment double bed — Freshly made bed.

So, how was the sleep?

Let me start by saying that I’m one of those unlucky people who struggle to fall asleep almost all of the time. When it comes to sleeping on planes in economy, there’s no chance of that happening (even on 14 plus hour flights to and from Australia). Even in a lie-flat business class I still struggle to fall asleep. I think it has something to do with being in an unfamiliar place and in a moving vessel that just doesn’t sit right with me, but unless I’m completely relaxed and comfortable, sleep just doesn’t happen for me.

Etihad First Class Apartment bed turn down service — Getting ready to actually sleep on a plane for once.

With that said, I was extremely relieved to catch some quality shut-eye during our flight. If you’re someone who has to sleep on your stomach, you’ll be in heaven in the apartment as the sleeping cushion and blankets are very comfortable and seatbelt easily stretches with a light tug when you have it buckled over you. You can pretty easily turn over on your side, stomach, and back without being forced to contort your body in odd and uncomfortable positions like you sometimes have to do in business class.

I loved being able to share the sleeping space with Brad, too. Having the partition down made so much more spacious and for some time Brad went back to his seat so I had more room than I could ask for while lying down.

With the doors closed to your suite, you feel maximum privacy. I don’t think the walls are as tall as those in the Singapore Suites but they are still tall enough to afford you with the feeling that you’re secluded from the rest of the cabin.

An added bonus is that the tv swings out from the wall so that you can watch it as you drift to sleep. I settled on watching a throwback, Space Jam as I fell asleep to a bit of nostalgia.

The shower experience

Only a couple of airlines boast a shower available for first class passengers and Etihad is luckily one of them. The way the shower works is that around take-off a member of their staff will take down your preference for when you’d like to use the shower. You’ll be given 5 minutes time for water and I think up to 30 minutes total to get all dolled up in the lavatory. In between each shower, the staff does a superb job cleaning the facilities so you don’t have to worry about too much about who came before you.

Much like the entire Apartment experience, taking a shower on a plane is an absolutely surreal feeling. As soon as you hit the “on” button in this shower, hot water comes flowing out with water pressure that I felt was about as much as you’d expect (and could ask for) on a plane. They supply you with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, in addition to a towel, so you don’t have to worry about bringing any of that in with you.

Etihad A380 First Class Apartment shower — First shower on a plane!

When the dial pictured above reached the red zone, the water cut off which I believed to be a standard warning to finish up with my rinsing process. I learned that to reactivate the water, I simply had to open and close the door and then re-hit the start button. (I assumed this was the standard procedure and not a hiccup.)

After your shower you’ll find some amenities located in the lavatory but try to remember to bring in your own amenity kit with you so that you’ll have everything you need. I didn’t have a comb on me but Etihad gladly provided me one so if you realize you’re short any items, just pass a quick request to someone on staff and they’ll probably be able to take care of you.

Etihad A380 First Class Apartment lavatory — Etihad first class apartment bathroom.

It’s immensely refreshing to spring from a shower about 10 to 11 hours into a flight. You feel fresh and if you were able to combine that with quality sleep, you don’t even feel like you’ve been stuck in a plane for half of an entire day. I felt like I could have easily gone another 10 hours in the plane.

Final Word

The Etihad first class Apartment is something completely different from anything else available right now. Every detail and component of the experience is well done standing alone but when you combine the extraordinary service, the fine dining, the elegant lighting and decor, the features, and the spectacular uniqueness and comfort of the Apartment itself, something is achieved that can only be understood by experiencing it. It truly is flying re-imagined.

Daniel Gillaspia

Tsukiji Fish Market Tour and Sushi Making Class Review

On our recent visit to Tokyo, we wanted to take part in memorable experiences unique to Japanese culture. So we booked a green tea ceremony, a food tour through the streets of Tokyo, and decided to try out a sushi making class and tour of the Tsukiji Fish Market. As I’m not a true sushi-eater I was a bit hesitant to go forward with the sushi class, but after giving it a try, I had zero regrets. Here’s a review of our experience and what you can expect if you book a Tsukiji Fish Market tour and Sushi making class in Tokyo, Japan.

The tour begins

Our day started with being picked picked up at our hotel in a large bus at around 8:30 AM. From there, we were taken to Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal where different tour companies congregate and begin their tours. Inside the bus terminal, it’s a bit of a mad house with a frenzy of people running around trying to make it to their busses and many others trying to find which table they need to sign-in at.

Despite the chaos, our bus driver introduced us to our tour guide who soon rounded us all up and led us to the subway station where we quickly travelled about 3 stops over to the Tsukiji fish market. Navigating the subway stations and narrow market alleys with throngs of people isn’t easy when you’re trying to keep a group together but our guide led us flag-in-hand making it easy to keep up. It felt a little awkward playing follow the leader through a major metropolitan area but other groups were doing the same thing and it seemed to be working so I couldn’t complain.

Sushi Class Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Tour — Following our tour guide down into the subway.

Our guide took care of our subway tickets so there was no need to purchase any tickets and we simply fed our tickets into the machine and went on our way. If it’s your first day in Tokyo, this can be a nice introduction to the subway system, which has to be one of the easiest I’ve ever navigated due to their simplified numbering system.

Once we made it to Tsukiji Station, it was time to explore the famous Tsukiji fish market. If you don’t now, it’s one of the biggest fish and seafood markets in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. It’s a huge market and after its upcoming relocation to more modern facilities, it’s going to be even bigger!

Our tour took us on the “outer” fish market (the inner fish market is restricted to wholesalers, I believe). The outer market consists of a few long alleys of stores selling various seafood, produce, groceries, and other random things like cooking supplies and even traditional Japanese swords. It’s not quite as smelly like you might think, but it can be very crowded and some of the alleys are more narrow than others, so you need to be ready to navigate through herds of tourists and locals. If you can, try to only carry a small bag with you instead of a large backpack that will surely be getting knocked into by everyone.

Our guide gave us an option of exploring the market on our own or following her around and we opted to follow her in order to find out more about the market.

As we wandered through the narrow alleys, we discovered all sorts of different produce, raw fish, food stands, and restaurants. Some of the vendors allow you to sample their products for free and so we ate a few things along the way which were quite tasty, although I’m still not sure exactly what some of them were.

You can also opt to buy a few things to munch on while you’re exploring the alleyways but you’ll want to make sure that you’re saving plenty of room for later, since you will have plenty of sushi to eat.

After around 30-45 minutes or so it was time to leave Tsukiji fish market. We walked about 5 to 10 minutes to the kitchen of a well-known sushi restaurant, where we would receive instruction from a sushi master. After slipping off our shoes and trying our best to stuff our feet into pairs of undersized slippers, they ushered us into the classroom where we had name tags and stools set up for us.

As soon as we got situated, we pulled up our stools to the front of the class where it was time to start to receiving instruction from the sushi master.

Our guide translated all of the instructions for us into English and it was surprisingly easy to follow along. While there are a number of steps involved, it’s not as difficult as you might thing to properly make sushi rolls.

You begin by spreading the rice along the seaweed in an even layer, leaving just enough space on the end of the seaweed to allow the sheet to come together.

Next, you spread a bit of wasabi in a specific way (exact amount based on your personal preference) and sprinkle sesame seeds in the roll.

After sticking in your cucumber or whatever else is given to you, it’s time to roll up the sushi roll. They will teach you how to use the roll mat (made out of bamboo) to properly create a tightly rolled sushi roll. It’s not particularly difficult to do so but it does require a little bit of touch and technique to create that perfectly sealed roll without smooshing your roll or allowing the contents to spill out. If you ever forget a step or can’t seem to replicate what your sushi master did, there are a couple of assistants (along with your guide or sushi-making partners) who should be able to help you.

After you create the rolls, you’re taught how to create a hand wrap, which resembles a cone of seaweed and is stuffed with rice, (imitation) crab meat, and a few other ingredients. The hand wrap requires a bit more skill to execute since it involves forming a tightly wrapped cone, but it’s still not too difficult.

Once you’ve rolled it all up and allowed it to sit out for some time, it’s time to cut the roll into small, eatable pieces. I definitely cut mine up into pieces way too big and while they tell you there’s really no wrong way to slice up your roll, I suggest going with the 6 section method rather than cutting it into thirds or fourths. Also, pay attention to the method they show you for slicing through the roll, as you can ruin your sushi by trying to cut through it the wrong way.

After creating the sushi rolls and the hand wrap, we moved on to making the seafood sushi dishes (Nigiri), with salmon, tuna, eel, squid, scallops, shrimp, and a couple of other pieces of raw fish I can’t recall.

Creating these pieces required mastering the rice molding technique that allows a small serving of rice to stay packed under each piece of seafood. This is accomplished by a series of repeated squishing and patting methods that eventually results in a brilliant piece of sushi. It takes a few attempts to get the patting routine down but once you do, it becomes much easier to pack the rice in and mold it to fit into the seafood.

As you complete each sushi creation, you place them on your wooden board until you’ve got a beautiful display of sushi filled with enough pieces to completely satisfy your appetite.

Once you’re finished, they’ll bring you out some chopsticks, green tea, and soy sauce and you’re finally able to taste test your final sushi product. I found the sushi to be an unexpected delight. Remember, I didn’t even consider myself a fan of sushi, but I still enjoyed eating it all (*maybe not the eel so much*). So even if you’re not crazy about sushi (or you just think you aren’t), this tour can still be a great way to experience Japanese cuisine and culture.

To conclude our tour, our guide made sure that we knew how to get to our next destination, which was very nice since our next destination required about 5 transfers on Tokyo’s subway. Our guide mapped out our changes that we needed to do and made getting to where we needed to be an absolute breeze. We finished around noon so the tour took a little bit more than 3 hours total.

Final word

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone looking for a uniquely Japanese experience while in Tokyo. How many people can say they’ve eaten sushi prepared by themselves… especially while in the heart of Tokyo? Not many. After this tour, I’m definitely much more open-minded about going out for sushi and for my sushi-loving partner, that makes him very happy.

Daniel Gillaspia

Where to Get the Giant Fluffy, Jiggly Pancakes in Tokyo Everyone Is Talking About

If you haven’t heard, there’s a place in Tokyo serving up giant fluffy pancakes that people are going crazy for. They’ve been featured on all sorts of different media outlets and I first heard about these jiggly pancakes in a Business Insider video and once I found out they were in Tokyo (where I was headed in just a few weeks), I decided I’d have to give them a try.

After trying them out first-hand, I can attest that these are some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had and although the cafe only produces a limited amount each day, it’s not too difficult to get your hands on them. Here’s everything you need to know about the famous pancakes of Cafe Gram in Tokyo.

Getting to Cafe Gram

Let’s start by getting to the restaurant. The restaurant is located in a shopping and entertainment area on Takeshita street. This area is full of souvenir shops, department stores, toy stores, crêperies, ice cream eateries, and of course, Cafe Gram. It’s aimed at the younger crowds (I feel so old writing that), but it’s got a little something for everyone and makes for a nice little stop while in Tokyo.

An easy way to get there from central Tokyo is to head to Harajuku Station via the JR Yamanote Line. (Harajuku Station is one stop over from Shibuya Station, the site of the famous crosswalk where mayhem ensues.) Once you arrive at Harajuku Station, you’ll walk through the Takeshita Street gate where you can catch yourself on a ribbon board running across the gate, just watch out for incoming traffic if you opt for a pic.

You’ll follow this main street until you see a 7/11 and then you’ll take a right, as shown in the map below. It’s about a 4 to 5 minute walk from the station, so it’s extremely easy and convenient to get there.

Once you turn right from the main street, it might not look like there’s anything there but just keep walking down the street and then you’ll see the little green cafe on your left! (In case you’re wondering, there’s a little bit more room in the cafe than what what it looks like from the outside.)

Making sure you get your pancakes

As stated, Cafe Gram only serves these “premium” pancakes 3X a day and they only make ~20 servings at each serving time. These serving times are at 11am, 3pm, and 6pm. Moreover, they only allow a couple of people to have their pancakes at certain 15 to 30 minute increments. Thus, for the 11am slot, they may only allow a couple of people to eat at 11am, then 11:30am, then noon, and so on. For one serving, it will cost you about $10 USD.

I recommend going for the 11am slot as that’s what time the cafe opens, and I’m not sure how far in advance they take reservations for the 3pm and 6pm slots. Although the cafe officially opens at 11am, there are workers inside who will occasionally pop out of the cafe before 11am and take your name down for a reservation. Therefore, I recommend you arriving there 30 minutes to an hour before 11am and trying to get the attention of a staff member who can then take down your name and give your your pancake “tickets” (it’s pretty serious over there).

Once you have your premium pancake tickets you can then wander around the area, checking out all of the shops to kill some time before your reservation. If you don’t have data on your phone you can slip into the McDonalds nearby and take advantage of their free wifi.

The pancake experience

We entered the cafe about 10 minutes before our reservation time and were seated promptly. They give you a chance to order other items if you’re hungry but considering how big these pancakes were, we decided to save as much room in our appetite as we could for them and just waited for them to arrive. After about 15 minutes, the servers delivered our two fluffy pancake towers to us.

They come topped with butter and powdered sugar, some form cream on the side, and a small container of maple syrup (though you could probably ask for other helpings). I think everyone else who ordered the pancakes watched the same videos that we did as everyone’s first instinct seemed to be to give their plate a shake and watch these pancakes jiggle a bit.

After playing around with the pancakes stacks a bit it was time to try them out.

Cafe Gram’s famous fluffy pancakes in Tokyo

To be honest, I had somewhat low expectations for the pancakes as I’ve found that “gimmicky” foods don’t always pack the best flavors and I wasn’t crazy about the meringue used in the recipe. However, I decided to douse the stack with some syrup and see how it worked out.

So how did they taste?

I can honestly say the pancakes blew me away!

They were creamy but still resembled the texture of “real” pancakes enough to enjoy without trying to get used to something foreign hitting your palate. It might be a challenge for you to get all the way down to the last pancake and finish it, but with enough willpower you can do it! And if you fail, I think you’ll enjoy every second of your attempt so go for it anyway!

I’d never experienced pancakes quite like these before but I’m very glad that we gave them a try. Not only are they a novelty, but they’re a tasty novelty at that. Cafe Gram is so easy to access that if you’re in Tokyo and interested in trying these, you should definitely give them a try. Just remember to show up at least 30 minutes to an hour early to put your name on the list and you should be fine.

Booking.com

Daniel Gillaspia

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Starting the dive

Shark encounter

Final Word

Tokyo Airports

Lots of direct flights

1. ANA

Miles needed:

ANA

Star Alliance Partners

Asiana

United

Other partners

2. Japan Airlines

Miles needed:

JAL

Partners

3. Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Cathay Pacific

Korean Air

4. Etihad Airways

American Airlines

5. American Airlines

Miles needed:

6. United Airlines

Miles needed:

7. Delta Airlines

Miles needed:

Final word

The first class cabins

The suites

The Seating

Suite design and layout

In-flight entertainment

Service

Dining

Sleeping experience

Amenity kit

Pajamas

The beds

Shower and lounge facilities

Final word

Getting There

Boulders Beach is impressive by itself

When to visit the penguins of Boulders Beach?

How did the penguins get there?

Visiting the penguins

Other creatures

Final word

Booking

Our experience

Final word

The lounge experience

My Singapore Suites experience almost ended before it started…

Boarding

Service

Dining

Turn down service

Final Word

Check-in

The service

The bar and lounge

Dining

The pool facilities

The Gym

Final word

The chauffeur pick-up

The dining experience at the First Class Lounge

The apartment experience

The Service

The dining experience

The sleeping experience

The shower experience

Final Word

The tour begins

Final word

<img decoding="async" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=natparandmor-20&amp;l=li3&amp;o=1&amp;a=0147546540" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />Getting to Cafe Gram

Making sure you get your pancakes

The pancake experience

So how did they taste?

Getting to Cafe Gram