Month: December 2016

Cochin International Airport

Cochin International Airport (COK) is the fourth busiest international airport in India and the seventh busiest in India, overall. Despite this volume of traffic, on August 18th 2015, it became a fully solar powered airport. In fact, it is the first of its kind in the world.

Currently there are two terminals (T1: International, and T2: Domestic), with a third terminal under construction to take over international traffic, leaving the current international terminal to handle domestic traffic. The existing domestic terminal would then be for private planes only.

To give you an idea of the destination served by COK, I did a quick search on Google Flights to identify non-stop destinations. In addition to various location within India, there are flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, various cities on the Arabian Peninsula, and Malé.

Both domestic and international terminals have lounges available to PriorityPass members. While both lounges are named “Earth Lounge”, they offer different amenities. You can see the details of each lounge on the PriorityPass website, above.

International Terminal Lounge

Known as the Earth Lounge and available to everyone with a Priority Pass membership, or traveling Business Class, the lounge in the international terminal at COK is found on the third floor (level ‘2’) of the airport. It offers expansive views of the apron, which makes for some excellent plane watching! There is a buffet that is stocked with a decent spread of Indian goodies, as well as a bar.

Doha – Hamad International Airport

Though I might not agree with all the social policies of Qatar, the Doha airport was by far the safest I have felt throughout my entire vacation. The Hamad International Airport is positioned for expansion and has received many awards over the years. In fact, it is currently rated as having the best staff service in the Middle East and being the best airport in the Middle East. Any interaction with the staff will immediately make it clear why they have consistently won in these categories. They are spectacular in these regards.

In addition to having a truly world-class airport, the surrounding areas of Doha are being developed quite nicely. Driving from the hotel to the airport, we noticed that a large amount of plants were being planted. Though this serves multiple purposes, the one that has the most noticeable impact is that it reduces the dust in the air. In fact, within the next 10 years it shouldn’t be surprising to see this turn into a tourist destination.

Al Mujra Business Class Lounge

Since we weren’t flying Qatar airways from Doha to London-Heathrow, the lounges that were available to us were the Al Mujra Business Class Lounge or those available from Priority Pass. We opted for the former and we were not disappointed! The lounge itself is very spacious and offers ample seating and outlets to charge your devices. There are also many personal flight kiosks so you can remain up to date on your own departure time.

London-Heathrow

As we were departing on Virgin Atlantic flight 107, we made our way to Terminal 3. Thanks to the miles available and given the duration of the flight, I had booked Upper Class tickets. This allowed us entry to the Upper Class wing of Terminal 3, complete with private security lines as well as access to the expansive Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse

The Clubhouse itself is located beyond the shopping in Terminal 3, and is a fair distance from most of the gates served by Virgin Atlantic and Delta. Upon entry we were informed that in addition to a concierge, there was a deli, bar, spa and hair salon, and that we would be waited upon as soon as we were seated. Since this was our first time in a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, we weren’t really sure what to expect, but the treatment blew us away! If you ever have the opportunity to visit a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, you will not be disappointed.

As promised, as soon as we were seated, we were greeted by a very friendly waitress who took our orders for a quick breakfast. I opted for an Egg Royale, pictured below, and also poked about the deli. For those curious, the full menu can be found below as well.

Full Menu

Vacation Report, India: Grand Hyatt Mumbai // @HyattConcierge

Grand Hyatt Mumbai

For our brief stay in Mumbai (Bombay), I opted to reside at the Grand Hyatt. Located near the airport it offered some appealing amenities, including a spa and multiple restaurants.

Upon arriving at the airport, I was greeted by a driver from the Grand Hyatt and promptly taken to the hotel. There, I was greeted by a personal assistant and taken to the room. Talk about service! All members of the staff that I had the pleasure of interacting with were incredibly helpful and polite.

Room

I stayed on the second floor (third floor for those of you in the US), and though no suites were available for upgrade, this room was spectacular. Certainly not disappointed!

Somewhat narrow, but packed full of features!

Closet and a restroom that can be sealed off from the room

The view from the room… with a private park below

Lighting controls on the right side of the bed, window shade controls on the other side (not pictured)

Amenities

As I mentioned earlier, the Grand Hyatt houses more than one restaurant. Of these is one of the highest ranked Italian restaurants of Mumbai. Impressive!

Also at the hotel is the Oasis Spa, which I had the pleasure of experiencing. The prices are more than reasonable and I can’t recommend it enough. Do it!

Complimentary transfers are offered for those residing in suites, but as my upgrade request did not clear, I was only given a one-way transfer because of my status with Hyatt. Definitely not complaining, though, as it was the best hotel pickup experience I have had to date.

Vacation Report, India: Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park, and the tiger reserve, is located in Thekkady within the state of Kerala. Situated around the Periyar lake, it is a protected region that offers for some spectacular views. Unfortunately, given the diurnal nature of tigers, we weren’t able to see any of them during our visit. 🙁 Alas!

I have quite a few photos, below, from our recent visit to the region. You can see that the water level is considerably lower than normal due to a few years of consistent drought. Given the use of hydroelectric power in Kerala, this has implications beyond that of the animals in the region.

Beautiful sculpture expressing the relationship between animals

An old palace… now on-park accommodations!

Regional Flora

At the entrance to the park are specimens of trees that are found in the area. They were kind enough to attach placards to the trees to identify them as well as their fruit and purpose!

Animals!

As I mentioned earlier, we weren’t able to see any tigers, which was sad though not unexpected given their diurnal nature. If you want to see tigers, the best times are early in the morning or during twilight hours in the evening, as that is when they are most active.

We were able to get rather close with many monkeys, however, as well as see water buffalo, an elephant, and many birds.

“If you aren’t going to give me treats, I’ll get my own!”

Or as our guide called them “Wild Piggies”

Now… remember kids… silence is a best. 🙂

Vacation Report, India: Poetree Sarovar Portico

Poetree Sarovar Portico

This branch of the Sarovar resort chain is located in the hills of Thekkady in Kerala. Though not a long distance from Kochi, because of the switchbacks and road conditions, it took more than six hours to arrive.

Arrival

On the way we drove past quite a few tea plantations, which piqued our interest as all of us enjoy a nice cup of tea! (Though you’ll never hear me turn down a cup of coffee, regardless of the hour!)

The resort entrance was tucked away behind a few backroads and further up a hill, which made for an adventure in and of itself, but once we were there, it was smooth sailing.

Rooms

Our rooms were located a short distance away from the main building, and offered an excellent view of the valley. Most mornings we were greeted by the sounds of wildlife from outside.

Christmas Decorations

The infinity pool area was completely decorated for Christmas Eve dinner, and looked quite lovely.

Upcoming Deals

If you have some vacation time coming up and don’t mind the trek, I highly recommend taking advantage of some of the deals at the Sarovar properties!

Vacation Report, India: Arrival