Greetings from 35,000 ft within the air!
I’ve been off gallivanting for the previous 5 weeks or so on a visit that started in French Polynesia earlier than persevering with onward to Oceania and now Japan.
That is an replace to, and a continuation of, my earlier journey that left off from Bora Bora a short time in the past. On the time, the remainder of my travels have been comparatively open-ended, however since I’ve now locked in a lot of the itinerary, I believed I’d share an replace right here as to my whereabouts and the journey planning course of.
The Journey
On this a part of my journey, I’ve been rediscovering Oceania after a very long time away. A number of years in the past, I had the chance to go to New Zealand, which left a long-lasting constructive impression on me, and it’s a spot I’m eager to return to time and time once more.
After a number of days hopping round New Zealand, I headed over to Australia to discover Sydney for the primary time and spent a while with a Prince of Journey staff member in Melbourne. The climate in Australia this time of 12 months is ideal, because it’s neither painfully sizzling neither is it chilly by any means.
I’d visited Melbourne a number of years in the past as nicely, and I used to be trying ahead to catching up with a staff member and exploring town by way of the eyes of a digital nomad native.
After sipping on some scrumptious espresso and testing some nice motels, I’ll jump over to Northern Japan for a while in Niseko. I’m assembly up with some mates within the journey house – Jarvis from The Luxurious Traveller, Immanuel from Flight Hacks, and Albert from JetAlbert – to do some snowboarding in considered one of Japan’s finest ski areas, which fellow staff member T.J. additionally visited earlier on this 12 months.
Following my time on the slopes, I’ll head again dwelling to Vancouver after what can have been the longest I’ve been away from dwelling for fairly a while, at round 5 weeks!
The Flights
On this a part of my journey, I had the chance to check out a pleasant number of new airways that I both haven’t flown shortly or which might be fully new to me. In addition, I additionally discovered myself in a number of lessons of service that I’ll not usually frequent. 😉
After an idyllic time in Bora Bora, my accomplice Jessy headed again to Canada, whereas I continued onward to the following a part of my journey.
I booked a premium financial system flight from Papeete to Auckland with Air Tahiti Nui for 25,000 American Airways AAdvantage miles. I figured it’d be a very good alternative to overview this product, and at 5 and a half hours lengthy, the consolation of a lie-flat mattress isn’t completely vital.
I needed to go to the capital, Wellington, throughout my keep in New Zealand, so I wound up reserving some financial system Air New Zealand flights from Auckland to Wellington and again for $200 NZD ($170 CAD).
When it got here time to go throughout the Tasman Sea, I booked a flight in Qantas A330 enterprise class from Auckland to Sydney for 22,000 Avios, which is an effective instance of the utility of Avios on short-haul regional routes world wide.
After a while spent testing Sydney, I flew to Melbourne in Virgin Australia financial system class, which I booked for 8,000 Aeroplan factors. I additionally had a while to benefit from the Virgin Australia Lounge Sydney, because of my Aeroplan Elite Standing and Air Canada’s lounge entry settlement with Virgin Australia.
The subsequent leg of the journey required getting from Australia to Japan. This one was just a little tough to e-book by way of discovering a product I hadn’t flown earlier than. I had locked in an ANA 787 enterprise class flight at first, however since I’ve already flown and reviewed ANA a number of instances just lately, I stored my eyes open for a last-minute different choice.
A number of days earlier than the departure date, I managed to seek out some nice flights from Melbourne to Sapporo by means of Brisbane and Taipei, with a mixture of Virgin Australia and EVA Air enterprise class – each on their flagship Boeing 787-10 and the brand new regional product on the Airbus A330.
I booked this leg of my journey for 65,000 Aeroplan factors, and I used to be thrilled on the thought of sipping on matcha milk tea whereas making my approach again to the northern hemisphere.
Following my ski journey, I’m seeking to check out Gran Class on the Shinkansen bullet practice to get from Hakodate again to Tokyo.
That is purported to be the “true” First Class cabin on Japanese trains, which I booked for about ¥40,000 ($412 CAD) – most probably as a one-time expertise, because the common Shinkansen seats are typically fairly snug too.
Lastly, after heading again to Taipei on an financial system class money fare with China Airways, I’ll end this journey on a excessive be aware by flying China Airways enterprise class from Taipei to Vancouver, which I booked for 84,000 Flying Blue miles plus round $300 (CAD) in taxes and costs.
This is likely one of the extra area of interest SkyTeam accomplice redemptions throughout the Flying Blue loyalty program, however maybe it shouldn’t be – by all indications, China Airways enterprise class seems to be to be a really snug strategy to get dwelling, and I’m trying ahead to reviewing the expertise and sharing my impressions.
There are many transferring components on this journey, which is summarized within the following map.
The Motels
In step with lots of my current journeys, I’ve endeavoured to cowl many luxurious motels from totally different lodge manufacturers on this leg of the journey, in assist of our journey company at Prince of Journey.
In Auckland, I booked two separate stays earlier than heading off to Wellington. Once I arrived from Bora Bora, I stayed on the Park Hyatt Auckland, which I booked for 20,000 World of Hyatt factors.
I then redeemed 60,000 Hilton Honors factors for a keep on the Hilton Auckland. Money charges have been comparatively excessive presently, which led me to a factors redemption as a substitute.
My keep in Wellington was a bit extra modest, as I stayed on the DoubleTree by Hilton Wellington, booked with money for $250 NZD ($213 CAD).
Upon arrival in Sydney, I checked in on the Shangri-La Sydney, which I booked on an business fee. After very nice stays in Toronto, Vancouver, and Hong Kong, I used to be excited to take a look at this property throughout my first go to to town.
From there, I made my approach all the way down to Round Quay and to the Park Hyatt Sydney, broadly thought of to be top-of-the-line Hyatt properties on the planet. I booked my keep at this Class 8 property for 40,000 World of Hyatt factors, which was a wonderful deal in comparison with the money fee.
Previous to leaving town, I ended by the 4 Seasons Sydney to get one other style of the 4 Seasons model, which I booked on an business fee.
I had a complete of three nights in Melbourne. Having stayed on the Grand Hyatt on my final go to, I believed I’d examine it to the Park Hyatt Melbourne this time, which I booked on a money fee of $280 AUD ($260 CAD).
For the second evening, I redeemed a Free Evening Award price 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors, after which topped it up with one other 12,000 factors, for an evening on the W Melbourne.
It’s by no means troublesome to discover a cause to remain at a W, and with the model’s current Australian enlargement in Brisbane and shortly Sydney, I believed I’d verify the Melbourne location off my checklist.
I wrapped up my go to to Australia with a keep on the Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Avenue, which I booked for $280 AUD ($255 CAD).
For the final leg of my journey, I put my IHG Diamond standing, which I earned through a short-lived standing match alternative final 12 months, to good use with a keep on the ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo for ¥14,400 ($150).
There aren’t too many different good lodge choices in Sapporo, and since my time within the metropolis was comparatively brief, I figured I’ll as nicely take my under-utilized IHG Diamond standing for a spin.
That brings us to Niseko, the place I’ll be splitting my 4 nights throughout a double-header between the highest two luxurious properties within the space, each of which opened fairly just lately.
I’ll spend the primary two nights on the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, for which I redeemed 35,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening.
This lodge seems to be completely gorgeous and affords an opulent ski-in ski-out expertise, so I’m thrilled to be visiting with some mates and reviewing the property.
From there, I’ll head throughout to Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, for the following two nights. Higashiyama seems to be to be a a lot smaller property than the Park Hyatt at solely 50 rooms, although no much less luxurious.
Whereas this got here at a steep price of 95,000 Bonvoy factors per evening, I’m trying ahead to my first-ever stick with the Ritz-Carlton Reserve model and discovering out about what units it other than common Ritz-Carltons.
The final lodge I’ve booked for this journey is a little more modest. With one evening in Tokyo earlier than heading dwelling, and peak cherry blossom season approaching leading to sky-high money charges, I booked the AC Lodge Tokyo Ginza – which was going for upwards of ¥100,000 ($1,000)! – for 42,000 Bonvoy factors.
I appreciated the AC Lodge’s central location in Ginza, which might enable me to hit up a number of eateries inside strolling distance, in addition to get my Rimowa suitcase repaired on the close by boutique after one of many wheels broke in Brisbane Airport per week or so earlier.
Plus, having toured lots of Tokyo’s prime motels throughout my first post-pandemic journey to Japan final September, I believed there’d be some worth in beginning to overview a number of the extra budget-friendly lodging, as town guarantees to stay an especially common vacationer hotspot for a few years to return.
Conclusion
Following my “pre-honeymoon” journey to Bora Bora, I’ve been busy rediscovering some outdated favourites in Oceania and snowboarding in Hokkaido.
This journey has been a really fulfilling combination of labor, connecting with mates and staff members, and getting in some train in a few of my favorite locations world wide.
As with most of my journeys, I’ve additionally had the chance to pattern some airways and motels which might be both new to me or that I’ve been excited to revisit after a few years. The truth is, I’ll have redeemed factors for flights in all three of the most important airline alliances – together with a head-to-head comparability of the Taipei-based EVA Air and China Airways – by the top of this journey.
Having stated that, at about 5 weeks’ length in complete, this additionally occurs to be the longest time I’ve been away from dwelling in fairly some time.
Scripting this abstract in the direction of the tail finish of the journey, I need to say I’m nearing the purpose of full exhaustion. I’m trying ahead to spending an prolonged interval at dwelling by way of the upcoming months, and I in all probability gained’t be planning too many extra five-week journeys sooner or later!
