Granted that we’re barely into 2013, but I’ve already set sights on one of our major trips for 2014. If you recall reading about my resolutions for 2013, I committed to expanding to new travel horizons. One of them was to touch foot in Africa. After thinking of reasons to visit Africa, my wife and I decided that a Safari would be the absolute perfect way for us to be introduced to the continent.

With days and weeks of research behind us, we’ve decided to visit the Ulusaba Game Reserve located in the Sabi Sands Reserve of South Africa in early 2014. The Ulusaba Reserve is owned by Sir Richard Branson and part of the Virgin Limited Edition Group of properties.

We’ll spend 6 days at the reserve and take advantage of their “Photographic Safari” program that caters to photographers. The package provides visitors with one on one workshops with accomplished wildlife photographers and specially trained game trackers to maximize the photographer’s experience. What I love about the package is that it limits vehicle occupancy to only 4 people which allows each photographer to have 2 rigs mounted on the vehicle. This allows for greater flexibility and eliminates the risk of damaging equipment when changing lenses, etc. Between my wife and I, I’ll be able to have 4 cameras mounted, each with a different lens which will cover most photo opportunities.

Each day, we’ll go on 2 extended game “drives” and 1 game “walk” which should provide plenty of opportunities to capture the stunning beauty of the African bush. When it comes time to book our tickets, we’ll be flying into Johannesburg on Lufthansa via Chicago and Frankfurt (my wife will finally have her first A380 experience!) and then transfer to a private charter flight to the Ulusaba Airstrip.

I’m excited about this trip since it will have many “firsts” for us. Hopefully these firsts will include several close encounters with some impressive wildlife. I’ve always wanted to know where I rank on the food chain.

And oh by the way, in the spirit of my Lufthansa Rubber Duck collection, Ulusaba did well by us when a few of these showed up in our mailbox soon after contacting them and beginning our booking process:

This post is a bit off topic but not every trip report necessarily requires a boarding pass and a flight….

This weekend, with temperatures in the mid 50′s, my wife and I decided to take a day trip to our favorite destination in Michigan: Traverse City. Being only a 2 hour drive from our home, it’s an easy place to reach for a day-trip or weekend getaway. With fantastic golf, vineyards, scenery, shopping and dining it’s a favorite destination for many in Michigan and surrounding states.

Approximately 15 miles north of Traverse City is the Old Mission Point — at the northern tip of the Old Mission Peninsula. It’s is a protected State Park which is home to the Old Mission Lighthouse that for decades helped ships avoid grounding themselves near shore. It had been a few years since I had been up to Old Mission Point and what I found on this visit left me in complete surprise.

If you live in the upper mid-west you always hear commentary about the water levels of the “Great Lakes” —they’re always “up” or “down” and are always in the news because of it. In recent years, the upper midwest has had below average rainfall and snowfall which obviously has had a major impact on water levels. What I found on this visit was just how shockingly low the water levels are at this point.

For those of you not familiar with the Great Lakes, they are a complex of 5 fresh water lakes that border the United States and Canada. Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota and New York each borders one of the lakes. The lakes include Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior and Lake Huron. These states along with the Canadian provinces that border the lakes are dependent on these lakes for the majority of water needed by residents. A statistic that I once heard suggests that if the Earth were flat and the lakes spilled out, they would cover the land masses in the western hemisphere of the earth with 2 feet of water.

Geography lesson aside, I was really surprised at just how low the water levels have reached in recent years. We spent nearly an hour walking the lake bed of Lake Michigan where once there was anywhere from 5-10 feet of water. The pictures do a great job of telling that story:

The Lighthouse dates back to 1870

Looking out towards Lake Michigan, the water level used to be where you seen the line of snow

Looking back at the Lighthouse (this photo should not be possible without a boat!)

Proof that the water levels used to be MUCH higher

More proof that there was water here recently........

There should be at least 5 to 10 feet of water covering this view.....

I should be underwater and not able to capture this image looking back at the Lighthouse.

Finally reaching the waters of Lake Michigan, after a 500 yard walk.

Desert or Lake?

Another view back towards the Peninsula that SHOULD NOT be possible without a boat!

During my latest trip to Hong Kong, I discovered a wonderful waterfront park quite by accident. Thanks to getting a good night’s sleep on my first night in Hong Kong, I was up and walking around the city at 7:00am on my first full day there. After a brief MTR (Subway) ride from Kowloon to Hong Kong, I found myself walking around some of the early morning markets that open before most retail shops and attractions.

I do this on purpose so that I can experience a version of Hong Kong that most visitors miss. At this time of day, small fruit, vegetable and meat markets are open throughout Hong Kong’s various neighborhoods and it gives a visitor like myself a great look into the daily life of Hong Kong’s residents. When I tour these markets, I purposely do not take photos or try to be any more obvious than I already am, I try to be the fly on the wall and not disturb anything.

As I was winding my way through the streets and alleys, I came down towards the waterfront near the Western Market and Macau Ferry Terminal. In this part of Hong Kong (Sheung Wan), you’ll find a large variety of dried seafood and other dried goods for sale by a multitude of shops. In this vicinity, across Connaught Rd, stands the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park with wonderful views of the Harbor and Kowloon.

This was my first visit to the park since I’m usually not the type to pause for long periods of time during my travels, but since I had an hour to pass before any of my favorite shops opened, I decided to take a break, buy a cup of tea and enjoy the park.

The park is named after a historic figure in China’s History. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is revered as the founding father and first President of the Republic of China. He played a pivotal role in the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Though he served as President of the Republic of China for only 2 months, his legacy has endured and is he is revered throughout Asia.

The park is a wonderful combination of green space and paths that allow people to enjoy themselves in a very quiet surrounding even though the park is surrounded by Hong Kong’s Skyscrapers. The park also has a soccer pitch and a few basketball courts as well. Hopefully the following photos give you a sense of the park’s space and attributes.

The east end of the park is set next to the Macau Ferry Terminal

More of the Macau Ferry Terminal adjacent to the park

A wonderful pathway lines the harbor along the entire park

Plenty of meticulously maintained green space

The park's location affords fantastic views of Kowloon

The park also has great views of Hong Kong's skyline as well

An open plaza encourages people to meditate and practice their morning exercises

This gentleman was practicing his sword work.......

The park excels at wonderful views.

The Memorial Lawn is the focal point of the park

A statue of Dr. San Yat-sen is centered on the Memorial Lawn

A sports complex (swimming pool) is located on the western end of the park.

Several Park Directories are located throughout the park to aide visitors.

The next time that you find yourself in Hong Kong, I would encourage you to find and enjoy this park. Especially in the mid morning hours, it is fairly empty and very quiet. There are many benches where you can take a seat and enjoy taking a break from the fast paced city that surrounds you. It’s a short walk from the Sheung Wan MTR station, and is also fairly close to the Hong Kong and Central MTR stations as well.

No, Boat Spotting is not a typo! I’m sure by now most of you are familiar with my hobby (therapist insists it’s an addiction) of plane spotting however I’m putting a little twist on it.

When I was in Hong Kong a few days ago I found myself walking the streets at 7am on my first morning, when most of the city was only beginning to wake up. Having a couple of hours to pass before my favorite places opened, I walked over to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Park to take in the water front. I noticed a flurry of boating activity and habit forced me to start taking pictures of the passing ferries, freighters and other types of ships. It got to a point where I started focusing on the harbor traffic and built quite a collection of photos.

As you look through them, you’ll see photos from the Kowloon side as well. You’ll be able to tell what side the photo is from based on the skyline that you’ll see in the background.

This was the slickest thing on the water.....

Parked at the ferry terminal next to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park

Sailboats out for a tour (taken from Kowloon)

I would see this tug twice - 10 hours apart

Skiing at full throttle......

....Skis retract when throttle is reduced

No visit to Hong Kong is complete without taking a few moments (or hours….) to appreciate the city’s skyline. It’s perhaps the world’s most beautiful urban landscape (and this coming from a native New Yorker!). Even after 3 trips to Hong Kong in the last year, I am not tired of appreciating it and capturing as many photos as I can!

On my previous trip during the Christmas season, most of the buildings were adorned in festive lighting. This time only one building was already in the holiday spirit so I had the opportunity to capture images that were different than on previous visits.

Please note that I had to reduce the size of my original files to 1024×768 in order to upload them. If you would like a full size copy of the file, please let me know. I took these photos in RAW format so the photos can be processed to be as large as posters.

I don’t have much else to say since the view says it all. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed being there to take them!

Government helicopter leaves from Hong Kong

The following picture is of The Peak Tower on Hong Kong as seen from Kowloon (with a bit of zoom!). The “Peak” provides an outstanding view from the “back” of Hong Kong looking towards Kowloon. I visited The Peak on a previous trip and was able to capture these images.

Beginning Of Sunset

Last Rays......

During The Nightly Light Show

On my trip to Hong Kong last week, one of my “to-do” items was to enroll in Hong Kong’s E-Channel program. This program, which replaces the Frequent Visitor Program, is designed to let you skip what can sometimes be lengthy lines at immigration. For those of you familiar with Global Entry, this is a similar program.

To qualify for enrollment, you need to meet 1 of 2 criteria. One way, is to have completed 3 “Round Trip” visits to Hong Kong in the previous 12 months. By this I mean your passport must have 3 entry and 3 exit stamps from Hong Kong Immigration. The other way is to be an elite member of one of 34 approved Airline Frequent Flyer programs. Here is the list of qualifying airlines (and program minimums in some cases):

Air Canada
Air China
Air France
Air New Zealand: Airpoints Silver, Gold, Gold Elite
ANA
Asiana Airlines
British Airways: Executive Club Silver, Gold
Cathay Pacific
Dragonair
China Airlines
China Southern
Delta
Ethiopian
Eva Airways
Finnair
Hainan Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines
Hong Kong Express
Japan Airlines
Jet Airways
Kingfisher
KLM
Korean Air
Lufthansa: All Miles & More Members
Malaysia Airlines: Enrich Silver, Gold and Platinum
Philippine Airlines
Qantas: Gold, Platinum, Platinum One, Chairman’s Lounge
Qatar Airways
Royal Brunei
Singapore Airlines: KrisFlyer Elite Gold and PPS Club
Swiss: All Miles & More members
Thai Airways
United: Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, Global Services
Virgin Atlantic: Flying Club Gold

When I first sat down for my enrollment session (no appointment is required) I had stated that this was my 3rd visit at which point the enrollment officer stated that I was not eligible for the program until I completed the visit and could enroll at the beginning of my 4th visit. I had assumed that the beginning of my 3rd visit would qualify me, but actually a 4th visit would be required. You must have 3 “complete” trips in order to apply. However, having familiarized myself with the program prior to leaving for Hong Kong, I asked if my United Frequent Flyer card would suffice in lieu of 3 complete visits, and that was satisfactory to her.

From there the process took 10 minutes. I handed her my passport of which she made a copy of the inside cover that contains your information and photo along with my Frequent Flyer card. 2 signatures on the enrollment forms, 2 digital fingerprints (left and right index fingers) and a quick look into a digital camera and I was finished. At the end of the enrollment the officer affixed a bar code sticker to the back cover of my passport and I was free to go. This was a lot easier than my GOES application and interview that was required for Global Entry!!

PLEASE NOTE that your E-Channel eligibility expires 6 months prior to your passport’s expiration. This was stressed a couple of times by the enrolling officer.

On my departure a few days later I had the opportunity to try the E-Channel program. At first I was actually going to just stay in traditional line so that I can get my Hong Kong exit stamp in my passport, but when I saw that the line was 15-20 people deep and I ONLY had 5 hours before my flight, I chose the E-Channel lane where no one was waiting.

Typical E-Channel Kiosks (photo courtesy of Hong Kong Immigration)

The E-Channel lane is a 2 step process with gates separating each one. First, you scan your bar code sticker at the first station, once completed a swinging gate opens that leads you to step 2. With step 2, you place one of the fingers you had fingerprinted on a reader and after a few seconds the second gate opens signaling your successful “emigration” from Hong Kong.

Closer view of Kiosk - 2 steps are involved: Bar Code scan and Fingerprint Scan (photo courtesy Hong Kong Immigration)

The E-Channel program allows frequent visitors to take advantage of expedited immigration at several locations:

Hong Kong International Airport
Lo Wu
Lok Ma Chau Spur Line
Shenzhen Bay
Macau Ferry Terminal
China Ferry Terminal

For those of you interested in applying for the E-Channel program at the airport, there are 2 enrollment offices. Both offices are IMMEDIATELY past passport control in the immigration hall however each office has different hours. The one located in Hall “A” is open from 10:00a to 6:00p and the one located in Hall “B” is open from 7:30a to 11:00p. When approaching the passport control booths from an arriving flight, Hall “A” is the left bank of booths while Hall “B” is on the right side. This area is large and it’s not immediately obvious that there are 2 banks of passport control booths so don’t worry if you don’t see one of them at first. If you’ve exited into the baggage claim area, you’ve gone too far and will need to go back through the automatic doors (but ask before doing so, since the doors are clearly marked as “DO NOT ENTER”). The enrollment offices are located just a few feet from the doors that open into the baggage claim area so if you missed it, you probably walked right by it!

To learn more about the program, please visit the E-Channel website.

Late next week I set off for a few days to Hong Kong. Over the past year I’ve been able to visit twice and it has become one of my favorite places in the world to see. Being a native New Yorker, I never thought I’d find a city that I enjoyed more than NYC, but Hong Kong has given it a run for it’s money as far as I’m concerned. There’s no one thing that I can pinpoint that makes the case for Hong Kong being a favorite. I think it comes down to a confluence of several things including ease of navigation, breadth of cuisine, cleanliness of the city and the extremely friendly and helpful residents. Being one of United’s best “cost per mile” destinations only helps the argument.

On my previous visits, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency. This time, I’ll return to the Hyatt Regency simply because it’s location in the heart of Kowloon makes it very easy to reach most of Kowloon and Hong Kong. I love the fact that I am only a few steps from fantastic noodle shops, shopping and transportation the moment that I step out of the hotel.

Fortunately on previous trips I was able to take in several of the “Must See” places that new visitors are encouraged to see. This time I hope to expand my exploration to take in new places and sights. I’ve also been armed with a holiday shopping list by my wife that includes Chinese Puzzle Balls, Pearls, Tagua Nut Figurines and Jade Dragons so no doubt that will take a few minutes of effort!

I’m trying to actually do less planning for this trip in the attempt to do more things on a spur of the moment. I think this way gives me much more flexibility and spontaneity than sticking to a pre-meditated itinerary of places to go. The only “Must Do” on this trip will be Plane Spotting from the HAECO hangar area just off the airport campus.

For the outbound flight, I chose the traditional Grand Rapids-Chicago-Hong Kong route so that I can enjoy 16 non-stop hours in the bubble top of my beloved 744 and hopefully more great views of Siberia. However for the return flight I was “dared” to be a little more creative so instead of the easy Hong Kong-Chicago flight, I’m going to make my way from Hong Kong to Guam (yes Guam), then onto Honolulu and onward to Chicago and finally Grand Rapids.

In all, it’s a couple thousand more miles for the Frequent Flyer account with this more creative routing but I’ll have the new experience of stepping on Guam’s terra firma and perhaps adding a GUM stamp to my Passport. My understanding is that US citizens take care of Immigration in Guam and Customs in Honolulu. Something tells me I won’t find a Global Entry kiosk in Guam, but no matter, I’d wait in line for the stamp anyway.

Of course I’ll have my trip reports and photos to share once I return!

Related Posts:

The Diplomat Suite – Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

The Hyatt Regency – Hong Kong

Hong Kong Skyline Pictorial

A View From The Peak

Temple Street Market

Being the wonderful hosts that they are, Lufthansa associates (thanks Anja, Mi-Kyung and Ulrich!) had arranged a private tour of some of their facilities in Frankfurt while I was there to attend their Social Media Workshop. The tour included visits to their Technik Hangar, Engine Shop, Cargo (where I was able to be aboard an MD-11 while loading for it’s trip) and the Flight Simulator/Training Center. Out of respect for their wishes, I can not publish photos from the Engine Shop or Flight Simulator Center, however there were still plenty of great opportunities to take photos inside the enormous Technik Hangar where several aircraft were undergoing flight preparation and routine maintenance.

I had met up with my guide Ulrich at the Lufthansa Aviation Center and we set off on the tour. Once past security and “airside” we entered Lufthansa’s Technik Hangar. This facility is generally used for preparation of aircraft for their flights that day and for routine maintenance and inspections. It was a good day to visit as the Hangar was full of 747-400′s and A340-600′s. The idea of being “A kid in a candy store” came to mind, and even that would not do justice to how I felt!

As part of the tour I was given free access to explore the hangar and ask any questions. The fact that Ulrich is a retired Lufthansa 747-400 captain made it that much more enjoyable since he has a genuine passion for flying and aircraft. His insights during the tour were wonderful as demonstrated by the extended amount of time we spent sitting and talking in the 747-400′s cockpit. Having a pilot share his experiences from a career that spanned 3 decades was a great experience for me. The fact that he knew nearly everyone in the hangar was a huge plus as well!

Quiet on the outside, but full of 747's and A340's on the inside.......

Rare view of an open Emergency Exit on the upper deck of a 747-400

Looking over towards another 747-400

Up close to an A340-600

The A340's Crew Rest area located on the lower level in the rear of the aircraft

A340's Galley below the main deck -- Elevators are used to bring the carts into the main cabin.

Top of the steps at the 747-400's main door

An A340 at the other end of the Hangar

Beneath the wing of an A340-600

A340 being prepared for a flight later in the day

An opened Emergency Hatch in the 747-400's cockpit.

The cockpit of the 747-400

Wall to wall "Heavies"

A 747-400's wing as seen through the Emergency Exit

747-400's crew rest area located above the main deck

The Heron looks great under a ray of sunshine!

Now that I’ve been home for a couple of weeks after returning from Singapore, I’ve repacked and later this week its off on Lufthansa to Europe to visit family and friends in Slovakia as well as a visit to my friends at Lufthansa in Frankfurt.

I’ve been looking forward to this trip for some time because it gives me another opportunity to visit my 99 year old grandmother who still takes care of her small farm in northern Slovakia. In addition, there will be a few days spent in Bratislava with cousins which will include seeing KHL powerhouses Slovan Bratislava and Moscow Dynamo face off against each other. I’ll finally get my fix for hockey this year since the NHL decided to lock out players so far this season.

From there I’ll fly SWISS from Vienna to Frankfurt via Zurich. I specifically chose this “scenic route” instead of a more convenient non-stop to Frankfurt just so that I can fly on an AVRO RJ100 “Jumbolino” from Zurich to Frankfurt. Earlier this year Lufthansa retired their last Jumbolino, and SWISS has plans to to the same, so I figured time was running out for experiencing this slick little jet.

Looking forward to my first ride on the "Jumbolino"

In Frankfurt I have a busy 3 days full of Lufthansa related activities at the airport which I’m really looking forward to. No doubt that I’ll return with hundreds, if not a thousand or more photos of what I see while in Frankfurt. I’ll also have a chance to experience first hand the new Terminal Pier A+ that has opened in Frankfurt. No doubt that I’ll return with plenty of things to talk about and share for days and days!

Singapore’s Chinatown district was on my short list of things I had to see while visiting Singapore last week. I’m glad I did because it perhaps is one of the nicest districts that you’ll find in Singapore. Ample shopping and dining were obvious and I took the better part of a morning just strolling up and down each of Chinatown’s avenues.

Due to Singapore’s fantastic Subway system, getting to Chinatown is easy and can be reached quickly from most parts of the city. Once you reach Chinatown, it seems like the rest of Singapore melts away and you are surrounded by the great Chinatown atmosphere.

Like other “Chinatowns” around the world, you’ll find a wide variety of things to see, buy and eat in Singapore’s edition. What sets it apart from other Chinatown districts that I have visited in other cities, is the fact that not much has changed from the early days of Singapore’s Chinatown in terms of architecture. Walking through the streets, I noticed that the majority of buildings dated back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So not only was there a lot to look at in terms of shops and dining, there was plenty of architecture to appreciate as well.

I for one am not a big fan of shopping the typical souvenir shops and stalls that I found in Chinatown (don’t like the shopkeepers coming up to me calling me their “friend”!!), so there’s not much for me to talk about it from a shopping perspective (though I did find an old “Schuco” Lufthansa 747 model….go figure!). I did however try to take photos of a wide variety of things that I saw, and for the purposes of this trip report will have be more of a pictorial than anything else.

When you first reach Chinatown, the colors and decorations will immediately draw your attention. Several streets are covered with hanging strings of very colorful lanterns. I imagine the must look fantastic when lit in the evening:

As I mentioned earlier, it was the architecture of Chinatown that I enjoyed the most. With the buildings being preserved to capture their 100+ year history, Chinatown is certainly a historic oasis in the middle of what otherwise has become a modern concrete jungle in Singapore.

Beautifully preserved buildings remind visitors of Chinatown 100 years ago

Most buildings are colorful and very ornate

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Singapore, and certainly one of the architectural centerpieces of Chinatown:

In addition to the Buddhist temples, there is a very interesting Hindu templed known as Sri Mariamman. It has a very unique tower at it’s entrance:

Examples of religious offerings such as this were evident throughout Chinatown:

Walking around Chinatown I came across a “people’s market” that housed hundreds of tiny little shops selling trinkets, low cost clothing and household items. However in the basement of the market I discovered a busy fish market that had several rows of vendors selling the day’s catch:

Fish hawker scaling the day's catch. Moving so quickly that his hand was a blur!

I’m sure they tasted as good as they look!:

As I said earlier, Chinatown is known for shopping and dining. Though I didn’t shop much, I did take time to treat my self to Singapore’s Chili Crab at a small restaurant in Chinatown. It was one of the best meals that I had while in Singapore:

Tasted as good as it looked!

Though not pictured, there was another stop I made in Chinatown for one of Singapore’s culinary specialities. Bak kwa is a traditional Chinese dried pork speciality similar to “jerky”. It’s usually a very popular item during the Chinese New Year, and people have been known to stay in line for hours at their favorite Bak Kwa shops. I stopped by Kim Hwa Guan for my first Bak Kwa experience. I had basically used “Google” to find a reputable Bak Kwa hawker and Kim Hwa Guan was very well reviewed. For those of you planning a visit to Singapore, I definitely recommend a stop there for Bak Kwa. It’s located on the first floor of the People’s Park Food Center, a large food hawker building near the heart of Chinatown.

In all, I enjoyed visiting Chinatown. Being there from mid-morning into early afternoon probably did not give me the best feel for it, since most shops and stands light up for the crowds in the evening. Since I was only in Singapore for 2 nights, and had already decided to visit the Night Safari I probably missed out on seeing even more of this vibrant district. However, I could imagine just how festive it must be at night, and if you are the kind of traveler that enjoys immersing yourself into a crowded market to shop and dine, there is no doubt that you will enjoy a visit to Singapore’s Chinatown.

Other Posts Related To My Singapore Trip:

Grand Hyatt Singapore – Great Hotel, Great Location

Planespotting from Singapore’s Changi Aiport

During my visit to Singapore last week, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt (10 Scotts Road) and had an excellent experience. From Check In to Check Out the hotel was simply a great place to stay. The fact that it is extremely convenient to public transportation and great shopping opportunities made it that much better.

Prior to my stay, I had confirmed an upgrade to stay in their “Duplex Suite” and I would not be disappointed. It’s perhaps among the larger Hyatt Suites that I have stayed in.

My flight on Singapore Airlines from Houston, with a brief stop in Moscow (More on that in a future post) arrived early, but unfortunately early was 5:00a and I was bit apprehensive about my ability to check-in at such an early hour. Being that this was my first time to Singapore, and not being familiar with their mass transit systems, and the fact that I was arriving pre-dawn, I had hired a car from the hotel to pick me up. I did not want to deal with navigating in a new city after spending 22 out of the previous 24 hours in the air (not to mention my positioning flight from Grand Rapids and 8 hour layover in Houston! It made for a long 2 days, and I wanted things to be easy at that point!

Fortunately, I was one of the first passengers off the plane and there were no other arriving aircraft at the airport who’s passengers would need to go through immigration. I cleared immigration and was street-side within 10 minutes (the walk from the airplane to immigration took most of that time). I was pleasantly surprised to see a cheerful driver holding up a sign with my name on it. The driver was extremely pleasant and helpful with advice (like not chewing gum, since it’s against the law). The drive took about 20 minutes and I was in the hotel lobby within 30-40 minutes of landing.

Check In went much better than I had expected, since my expectation was that my room would not be ready. However, after a few minutes of formalities with a wonderful Hyatt associate at the Check In desk, I was on my way to my room. After the bellhop toured me around the Suite, I settled in and decided to take a nap until 9:00a. This worked out perfectly as I woke up rested and perfectly acclimated to the new time zone.

The suite itself was quite large and had separate living areas. Upon entering through the main door, you immediately step into a small Kitchenette complete with a small refrigerator and microwave. A nice bonus with the Kitchenette is that it comes fully furnished with stoneware and utensils. There is also a small half-bath adjacent to the Kitchenette.

The view upon entering the suite:

First view when entering suite

The Kitchenette, looking back at the main entrance:

Functional and well equipped.

The 1/2 Bath adjacent to the Kitchenette:

Half-bath next to Kitchenette

Once through the Kitchenette, you enter the main room of the suite that features a separate and large dining table and adjacent to that a spacious living area with a large couch, chairs and office area. For you Diamond members, you’ll find your complimentary amenities on the coffee table. In my case it was 2 liters of Evian water, 6 perfectly ripened plums, a box of truffles, a box of vegetable chips and a box of pineapple pastries. A perfect snack at arrival! The minibar is in the credenza in the living room and was full of your typical beers, juices and candy bars.

The Dining Area (Large enough to host a dinner party!):

Plenty of room for friends and guests

The Main Room:

Spacious living area

In between the Dining and Living area is a work-space area complete with a comfortable chair, desk, lamp, etc. A nice feature of the desk area is that it housed one of the 2 safes in the suite. The safe is hidden in a drawer and was large enough to accomodate my 15″ MacBook Pro, Ipad, Cameras, travel wallet, etc.

The Suite’s Work Area:

View Of The Living Area and Dining Area From The Bedroom:

At this point you may be wondering about the color “scheme” of the Suite. It is quite “brown on brown” and doesn’t have that “pop” that I had experienced in other Hyatt Suites. The use of teak wood was obvious throughout the suite and did not help the tonal brown look of the suite.

The bedroom area is adjacent to the Living Area and is separated by a pocket door for privacy. There is also another entrance to the suite from the bedroom area.

The bedroom was large and the king size was extremely comfortable (something that has been pleasantly common for me in every Grand Hyatt that I’ve stayed in). I have never complained about not getting a good night’s sleep in a Hyatt. A nice feature in the bedroom is the Ipod/Ipad compatible alarm clock.

The Bedroom As Seen From The Foyer Of The Second Entrance:

A View Towards The Bathroom,Second Entrance & Walk In Closet:

A large bathroom and walk-in closet are a few steps from the bed. The bathroom was very nicely decorated with Marble through out. A separate shower contained a fantastic “rain” shower head that could literally lull you to sleep if your not careful. The bathroom contains two vanities and came very well appointed. Tooth brushes, Combs, a sewing kit, emery board, razors and shaving cream were readily available in a small box on the vanity. June Jacobs toiletry amenities were used throughout with a theme of Green Tea/Cucumber. A high power hair dryer is also provided next to the vanity.

The Bathroom:

Beautiful and well appointed

As seen from the bathroom's entrance

Across the hall is a spacious walk in closet furnished with more than enough hangars, an ironing board and storage drawers. Being that I only packed for 3 days, I did not take advantage of all the storage space that’s provided:

Wish my closet at home was this big!

My specific Suite had a “city” view which was fine. Fortunately there were no tall buildings immediately near my window so the suite receives plenty of natural light.

Looking out from the bedroom

A greenspace breaks up the monotony of the buildings

Final thoughts:

I genuinely enjoyed the Suite. With room enough to house a family, it gave me plenty of room to spread out and not feel like I was doing everything in one room. The entertainment system was impressive and had approximately 30-40 channels of varying themes from around the world. It also had several radio channels built into it as well. Another feature that I appreciated was the dual voltage outlets. As long as your device can operate on 220-230v you can use your “USA” style power cords for your electronics.

Things That I Liked:

The Space: Plenty of room to relax and spread out.
The Amenities: Fresh fruit, snacks and plenty of water after a long, long day came in handy.
Convenient Location: A short walk from Shopping-Centric Orchard Rd and Subway Station.
Friendly Staff: Each interaction with a hotel associate started with a pleasant smile from them.
Early Check-In: Forget about check out times, in this case being able to check-in at 5:45a was great!
Clean: The room and hotel grounds in general are spotless. As is the rest of Singapore!

The One Thing That I Would Improve:

Suite Color Scheme: The Suite is too nice to just have a monotone brown theme. This can be easily remedied with some bold and bright accents such as flowers, vases, artwork and furniture pieces. The brown on brown theme gives the impression that the suite is old and tired when in fact it’s not.

On the scale of my Experiences with Hyatt Suites in the past year, I would rank them as follows (but I recommend staying at any of them!):

1. Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong (click for review).
2. Hyatt Regency, Hong Kong (click for review).
3. Grand Hyatt, Singapore.
4. Park Hyatt Macka Palas, Istanbul (click for review).
5. Andaz Liverpool Street, London (click for review).