Airline review: Fiji Airways

When you are retired and bored, what do you do with all the time on your hand?  Feed the birds?  Play bingo? Babysit?  You take spur of the moment trips to countries you have yet to visit, right?  Ummm… yeah!  So I booked a one-way, Economy Comfort class ticket to FIJI🇫🇯 two (2) months before my November departure. One week prior to my departure I received and took advantage of the Bula Bid Upgrade invitation for a Business Class ticket, selecting the lowest possible offer (of course).  Well Golly Gee Willikers, my offer was accepted and a few days later I boarded an Airbus A350-900 for the 11-hour, non-stop voyage from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Nadi International Airport (NAN).  The A350 features two service cabins (Economy and Business) and approximately 330 seats, with a 1x2x1 configuration in Business Class and 3x3x3 configuration in Economy.  Although my travel experience with Fiji Airlines was generally positive, the level of service provided in business class was not worth the amount paid (even with the substantial discount, courtesy of the Bula Bid Upgrade).  As such, I will opt for an Economy class ticket when I return to Fiji (Winter 2024).   

PROS ✅

• Inexpensive fares (several options, with varying amenities and privileges offered)
• Generous checked bag allowance (30kg for Economy Comfort fares and above)
• Seamless and efficient airport check-in; dedicated lanes for Business Class
• Courteous and professional departure counter agents at LAX and NAN
• Complimentary pre-departure access to one of two lounges at LAX
• Lavish, nutritious, and savory breakfast
• Complimentary Wi-Fi available onboard
• Meal and beverage service offered in both cabins
• Ample in-seat storage space in business class
• In-seat USB ports and power charging  
• Amenity kit with body lotion, dental kit, ear plugs, eye masks, and socks provided to business class passengers (unable to confirm whether economy received the same)
  
  

CONS ❌

• Facial recognition scanning employed during the boarding processes (opt-out is possible)
• Business class seats were narrow and not as comfortable as I would like
• The lay flat mattress toppers were rather thin compared with that of other international airlines
• The level of service was not on par with the class of service; friendly staff, but not very attentive.
• The quality of the food served in business class, with the exception of breakfast, was less than stellar
  
  

✈️ Flight Experience Rating (On a scale of 1 – 10 miles, with 10 being excellent): Six and one-half (6.5) miles.

2023 Last Lap

2023 started off rocky courtesy of someone pulling the network plug at the FAA (my words, not based on facts—but if you know, you know) and severely disrupting air traffic.  However, things turned around in late June/early July during my milestone birthday.  Continuing the celebrations and wanting to end the year on a high, I decided to travel to the South Pacific and Europe during the last quarter of 2023.  While the details of each location visited will be recapped in subsequent posts, a 40,000-foot view of the adventure is summarized below.

🛩️ Two (2) new airline experiences ( Fiji Airways and  TAP Air Portugal)

💰 Four (4) currencies (Dirham (🇦🇪), Euro (€), Fijian Dollar (🇫🇯), and US Dollar (💵)

🗣️ Five (5) languages heard/used (English, Italian, Fijian, Portuguese, and Spanish)

🚌🚍⛴️Ⓜ️✈️🚖🚆🚃 Nine (9) modes of transportation used (buggy, bus, ferry, metro, motor coach, plane, taxi,train, and tram) 

🗺️ Seven (7) countries visited (Fiji/Viti, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Vatican City)

🏨 Seven (7) hotel reservations

✈️ Seven (7) airline reservations (Delta, Emirates, Fiji Airways, KLM, Qantas, Southwest, and TAP Air Portugal) 

💺 14 flights boarded

🛌 21 nights in hotels

⏳ 69.75 hours in flight

🌏 31996 miles flown

🚶🏽‍♀️Over 80km walked (30% is courtesy of getting lost in (I mean exploring) Rome 😂)

Happy Travels Family!

The Fear Factor

This post is not necessarily travel-focused, but was inspired by the awakening that I experienced during my 2023 milestone birthday trip.  Intrigued, eh? Keep reading!  Before the trip I was the ultimate people pleaser and constantly worried about the opinions of others.  Am I smart enough to start a business? Was I good enough to have this career?  Was I being a good partner?  When people asked me to buy items for for them, I often would do so without being offered nor requesting reimbursement.  Not because I am super rich or even because I truly wanted to do so, but because I wanted to be liked and I just felt like the golden rule was universal. I feared being an imposter and being alone. 
 

It was during my visit to the beautiful island of Cebu, Philippines where, during my time alone with God, I saw the purpose and vision for my life clearer than ever before. One day, after breakfast, I returned to my room where I planned to listen to some gospel music, while sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean.  As previously mentioned, or alluded to in prior posts, the first six months of 2023 were filled with challenges and quite tumultuous to say the least.  There were fallouts with certain individuals, a relationship that was on rocky ground, and the perpetual question of whether I would return to the workforce or retire for good.  Yes, by traditional retirement standards, I am not of age, but I have lived my life in a way that allows me to not have to work.  By the time I reach retirement age, I will have another stream of disposable income available to me, in addition to my retirement accounts.  But I digress.

Although I was (and still currently am) in therapy, I always prayed for God to reveal, remove, and replace those things and people who were not adding value to my life. To show me those things that were hindering me from fulfilling my purpose and living my best, authentic life.  While I may not have had a mountain top experience, it was definitely during this time alone with God that I realized I allowed fear to establish residency in my mind for far too long.  Fear kept me from living, fully enjoying, and advancing in life.  Fear kept me in one-sided relationships where I was always giving, compromising, forgiving, shrinking, and never receiving the love or respect I truly deserved.  Fear kept me from advocating for myself in the corporate world. I was always good enough to manage and support multiple projects, but not good enough for a timely promotion, respectable salary increase, or acceptable merit bonus.  Fear has stopped me from moving forward with plans to start a business. A business leveraging the same skills I used to make well-known companies millions of dollars in revenue. Fear almost stopped me from taking my milestone birthday trip.  

After my spiritual awakening, I realised that time waits for no person and I have to stop being lead by the fears in my head.  My “No” must be be just as acceptable as my “Yes”. If I want to spend my money to purchase a first-class flight on Emirates, so be it.  If I want to visit a country that others think is not safe because of what they heard or their personal experience (or bias), I will do my research and make an informed decision accordingly.  It was in that moment, that I came to an understanding that I worked too hard to allow the fear of what could happen or what people may think paralyze me. 

It has been several months since my milestone birthday and I still have not adjusted to the BIG number.  (Give me a few more months, especially since the gray hair is trying to force me to deal with reality😂).  However, just as we have started a new year, I know that I need start being more intentional about enjoying life and walking in my purpose.  Going forward, I must be steadfast in being lead by my heart’s desire and dreams and not by the fears in my mind. There are still some life-changing decisions I must make in the coming months, but one thing for certain and two things for sure – When it is time for me to take that one-way trip “home”, everyone will know that I finally learned to live life and was no longer living in fear.

Safe Travels Fam!

Hotel review: Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay

Located steps away from mass transit, the Sydney Opera House, the Rocks, and the Royal Botanic Gardens is the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel.  Among the property’s amenities are a gym, executive lounge, business center, and three (3) restaurants.  I did not dine in any of the restaurants; therefore, I cannot comment on the quality of the food or level of service.  However, I can say the food and the level of service in the executive lounge were pretty good.  I also did not visit the gym due to my tight schedule (yep, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it😂).  The business center was essentially two computers and a printer, in an open area, situated off of the main lobby.

Room features:

• Separate shower and step-in tub
• Complimentary bottled water
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Writing/work desk
• In-room safe
• Mini fridge

Be Forewarned ⚠️

• Loooooooooong elevator wait.  I could not exactly peg the wait to a particular day or time of day, but my longest wait for an elevator to the lobby was 20 minutes.  Going from the lobby to my room was typically only 5 minutes or so.

Nice To Know 🔎

• The executive lounge offered self-serve, adult libations during happy hour (just in case you needed to take the edge off😂). 

THE GOOD (What I liked)

• Location, location, location: Convenient to public transportation, restaurants, shopping, the Opera House, the Botanic Gardens, etc.
• Executive lounge access and breakfast
• Good Wi-Fi strength and coverage
• Mentos candy jar in the lobby

THE BAD (What I would like to change)

• The housekeeper who knocked on my door at 9:30a.m., even though I had the DND sign on the door and I had guaranteed late checkout🤬
• The guest bathroom was a bit dated and the floor tiles could use a good refresh/deep cleaning
• The shower was very narrow.  If you are a person with some size on you, it will be a tight squeeze getting in and out.  Forget about having any sexy time in the shower🤦🏽‍♀️
• Given the size of the room and the amenities offered, I felt it was a bit over-priced based on the value. However, I am sure the price was a bit elevated due to the Women’s FIFA games that were taking place at the time.

THE UGLY (I want a refund)

• N/A

🛌 Hotel Experience Rating (On a scale of 1 – 10 sleeps, with 10 sleeps being excellent: Six (6) sleeps.  Rating based on the location and the executive lounge access.

Hotel review: The Westin Manila

When it comes to subconsciously saving the best for last, I clearly manifested that when I chose the Westin Manila.  Months before my trip I heard so many negative things about and was encouraged to avoid Manila from several individuals, including my Filipino friends and “family”, but I refused to let it deter me.  My mantra has always been: “I cannot say that I do not like a place or a person until I have a personal experience with it or them.”  It is a good thing that I stayed the course because I would have missed out on the beautiful gem that is Manila and the wonderful people I met during my stay.  From the moment I arrived at the hotel until my departure, I was shown showered with love and kindness from a very attentive staff.  Built in 2020, the Westin Manila is one of the classiest and cleanest hotels I have had the privilege of staying in, with its peaceful ambiance and tasteful room décor and design.  The hotel staff were aware of the purpose for my trip (courtesy of management’s email inquiry a week or so before my stay) and gifted me a nice bottle of wine, some local fruit, and slice of cake. However, their gesture, while greatly appreciated, did not influence the review and rating…I was already prepared to give them high marks.

Room features:

• Wall-mounted flat screen television
• Enormously large soaking tub
• Complimentary bottled water
• Two-way light controls
• Full-length bath robes
• Writing/work desk
• Coffee machine
• Rainfall shower
• Chaise lounger
• Bottled water
• In-room safe
• Mini fridge
• Kettle
• Wi-Fi

Nice To Know 🔎

• Prior to entering the hotel, all persons and personal belongings are screened by security
• Tours and ground transportation booked through the hotel will be significantly more expensive than using a third party; however, you will be transported in style and able to customize your tour.  
• If you are a seafood lover, the Friday and Saturday buffet night is a MUST-DO.  Best investment I ever made!  My belly is still thanking me! 💃
• For those in need of retail healing, the SM mall is within a 2-minute walk from the hotel.  Be forewarned that crossing the street in Manila is like playing a game of Frogger or dodge ball (just walk next to the pregnant lady or senior citizen).

THE GOOD (What I liked)

• Smooth and efficient check-in and check-out processes
• The staff, the staff, the staff! 
  • Positive experience started approximately 1 week before my arrival until the time I tearfully departed
  • Staff members unselfishly shared their culture, language, and traditions with me.  Karlos (executive lounge member) kept me laughing, made the tastiest adult beverage for me, and is such a beautiful soul.  He even gave me suggestions for other islands to visit based on my personality and travel preferences.
• Very classy, elegant, and sophisticated hotel.  No hostel vibes here.
• Immaculate room, with the most heavenly and luxurious bedding to touch my body, and great amenities.
• The executive lounge was a one-stop shop for one’s traveling needs.  Who needs restaurants when you have an executive lounge of this calibre?  The food in the lounge was amazing– from breakfast, to afternoon tea, to happy hour.  The lounge staff went above and beyond to make sure I had a great experience, especially DJ, Phoebe, Karlos, Christine, and Therese.
• Even though the property is situated on a busy intersection in Manila, you will be hard pressed to hear a lot of noise.  More noise is heard outside my high-rise condo than my hotel room.
• Very good Wi-Fi strength and coverage
• The lobby pianist played all the classic from the… well, they are classics.  No need to truly age myself😂
• Business center with high-speed internet access and updated OS
• Really good water pressure in the sink and the shower
• Cleanliness is a top priority.  No matter where you went in the hotel, day and night, you would see staff members cleaning, disinfecting, and vacuuming.
  
  

THE BAD (What I would like to change)

• Similar to my experience at the Sheraton property in Cebu, I wish I could have stayed much longer.  I thoroughly loved every minute and cried like a baby when I left.  The staff truly made this a beautiful experience.

THE UGLY (I want a refund)

• N/A

🛌 Hotel Experience Rating (On a scale of 1 – 10 sleeps, with 10 sleeps being excellent: Nine and one half (9.5) sleeps.  Holding out the half sleep for my return visit!

Hotel Review: Hue Hotels and Resort Boracay

Located near Boracay’s Station 2 and minutes away from the famed White Beach and D’Mall, Hue Hotel is close enough to the action without being fully engulfed in it.  The hotel features a swim up bar just off the lobby, a restaurant, and various shops in the lower level, as well as a swinging chair and some games.  My first impressions of the hotel upon arrival was, “What in the 1990s youth hostel have I booked”.  Although I did not have any issues with cleanliness or food, if I knew then what I know now I would have chosen a different hotel.

Room features:

• Wall-mounted flat screen television
• Bottled water
• In-room safe
• Shower-only
• Mini fridge
• Kettle
• Wi-Fi
  
  

THE GOOD (What I liked)

• The nightly room rate, based on the value of the property, was fairly priced.
• Complimentary breakfast was offered to guests. 
• Centrally located and within walking distance to restaurants, grocery stores, markets, and the beach
• Good water pressure in the sink and shower
  
  

THE BAD (What I would like to change)

• Check-in was not as smooth as it should have been; check-out was much easier.
• The hotel gives 1990’s hostel vibes. 
• Upon arrival, I was informed that the hotel required a 1000PHP/night deposit which was not previously disclosed.  Further, I have never been asked to provide the deposit in cash.  Perhaps advance notice and disclosure of this requirement/request should be provided to guest on the website or prior to booking.    
• Wristbands must be inserted into a slot to operate the electrical features of the room.  Unfortunately, the slot did not securely hold the wrist band without some form of manipulation.  As a result, the power to the room shutoff.  I highly recommend bringing tape, a rubber band, or something else to secure the wristband to the slot, if you stay at the hotel.
  • For awareness, if you lose the wristband(s), you will be assessed a financial penalty
• Pre-stocked refrigerator with an assortment of beverages for sale
• There are no washcloths in the bathroom, only bath towels and hand towels
• Loud music is played from the afternoon until approximately 10:30p.m. Perhaps all of this should be fully disclosed on the website.  If you typically have an early bedtime or value peace and quiet, consider another property.
• Limited storage space for personal items and hanging racks for clothing
  
  
  

THE UGLY (I want a refund)

• N/A.  Although the deposit situation almost made the cut.

🛌 Hotel Experience Rating (On a scale of 1 – 10 sleeps, with 10 sleeps being excellent: Five (5) sleeps.

Hotel review: Microtel by Wyndham Puerto, Princesa Philippines

Located on a dirt road and off the beaten path, in a mangrove, and approximately 20 minutes from the Puerto Princesa Airport, this hotel unfortunately was the “best” option available as there were no Marriott, Hyatt, or Hilton hotels in the area.  Due to the fact that I wanted to take a tour to the underground river, my lodging options were quite limited.  Be advised the hotel’s surcharge for the airport shuttle is quite excessive.  If you require a more budget friendly option, it would be best to arrange ground transportation through a 3rd party or take a taxi.

Room features:

• Shower only
• Mini fridge
  

THE GOOD (What I liked)

• The restaurant manager and restaurant staff were very hospitable
• Mini wardrobe to hang and store clothing, if needed
• Each room has a small refrigerator
• The adult libations were really good
• Complimentary breakfast
• Free Wi-Fi
  

THE BAD (What I would like to change)

• The hotel was quite over-priced based on the appearance and amenities offered
• Due to the location of the property, sandflies and mosquitos are rampant.  Liberal application and use of OFF, Deet, or Citronella are a must. 
• Room was a bit musty and the bathroom fixtures were dated
• No washcloths available for use, only bath towels and hand towels
• Limited food options, especially if you have dietary restrictions or food sensitivities. 
• The food is not palatable and is over-priced based for the value offered
• Water cooler in the lobby.  Bring your own water bottle.
• No in room safe; safes are available at the reception desk
• Breakfast was repetitive and sometimes the hot-food was cold.
• The code used to access the wireless network may only be used for one device. Guests with multiple devices must request a separate code for each one.
• Network service was not stable in all areas of the hotel. The strongest signal could only be obtained in front of the restaurant.
  

THE UGLY (I want a refund)

• Lack of cleanliness – The front desk staff were not responsive to my concerns regarding room cleanliness.
  • There were unwanted “visitors” (plural) in my room and when I reported this to the front desk, no action was taken.  I guess roaches are not a big issue to them, but they are a nightmare for me.  I tried to give them some grace after the first one and based on the location.  However, after seeing two more, I was ready to leave.

🛌 Hotel Experience Rating (On a scale of 1 – 10 sleeps, with 10 sleeps being excellent: Three (3) sleeps.  The rating is given solely based on my interaction with the restaurant manager and staff and the very nice adult beverages.