Experiencing The Middle East - Trip Planning

A dream reminiscent of Arabian Nights that came true! Read on……

It all began with a speculative reservation at the renowned Al Maha - a Luxury Collection hotel.

Pre-devaluation, this was one of the sweet spots in the Marriott hotel chain, offering an all-inclusive resort experience with three meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast) included with an award booking of 70,000 Marriott Points. This made it an exceptionally worthwhile award booking.
Furthermore, I secured a reservation during the peak winter season, a time when many tourists flock to the Middle East for its relatively cooler temperatures (hovering around a pleasant 18-25 degrees Celsius). An added bonus.
With this reservation as the cornerstone, I then organized my flights and crafted a brief itinerary. Further details are outlined below!

Flights

It was difficult to find good Business Class award flights out of Singapore to Dubai, and it happened that Emirates offered the cheapest Economy flights at the time of booking. Considering that it was a day flight, I reasoned that Economy class on an Emirates B777-300 ER (although not as good as the A380) should be quite tolerable. Additionally, the prospect of experiencing my first flight with Emirates added to the appeal.

This journey marked my inaugural use of the Air Canada Aeroplan Program, and it has swiftly become one of my preferred mileage programs. The program's appeal lies in its extensive array of partner airlines beyond those in Star Alliance, coupled with reasonably advantageous redemption options for flights from Singapore to Europe or the Middle East.

For this particular occasion, I redeemed 80,000 Aeroplan Points to fulfil a flight on my bucket list: Oman Air First Class! The journey commenced with a brief trip from Abu Dhabi to Muscat in Etihad's Regional Business Class. While lacking lie-flat seats, one of the perks included access to the flagship Etihad Business Lounge.

The standout moment of this journey would have to be the one from MCT to BKK! It began with an overnight layover at the Oman Air First Class lounge. While some may have reservations about staying overnight in a lounge, but let’s just say that it provided me with one of the most enjoyable sleep and dining experiences!

Following the layover, I embarked on an early morning flight in Oman's Flagship First Class to Bangkok. It's safe to say that this experience could easily rival that of the top airlines.

The BKK-SIN leg was included in the Aeroplan redemption (excellent value, isn't it?), and it was my first time on board Thai Airways Business Class, albeit on a brief 2-hour journey back to Singapore. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the reverse herringbone configuration, which is possibly uncommon for a regional flight?

Hotels

First, on Al Maha Dubai, the impetus behind this journey: anticipating a Marriott Points devaluation, I decided to utilize my remaining points on this awesome property before the redemption rates increase significantly. A points booking that includes complimentary three meals (yes, you heard it correctly)? It's an experience I couldn't pass up on!

One of the sweet spots to redeem Hyatt Points, I chose to make a Points booking for Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, to see what the hype is about. Following my stay, I decided to book it once more for another trip with the missus a month later—a testament to the hotel's appeal. More details on that to come!

For my final flight back home, I had an overnight layover, and I felt that it wasn’t worth it to book Novotel Bangkok Airport (about S$200/night). Instead, I explored Agoda for nearby options and discovered Gate43 Airport Hotel. Opting for the Deluxe Twin Lake View, the second-tier room, it comes with a complimentary shuttle service to and from the hotel, conveniently situated around a 10-minute drive from BKK airport.

Lounges

I got to visit 3 distinct lounges on this trip. At Abu Dhabi Airport, I got the almost-full Business Class check-in experience (excluding the chauffeur service), and got to visit the flagship Business Class lounge, where I was impressed with the majority of the offerings.

Yet another standout moment of the trip was the Oman Air First Class Lounge in MCT Airport; I can confidently say it was the most unforgettable lounge experience I've had to date. More on that later!

Before my early morning Thai Airways Business Class flight back, I decided to check out the flagship Business Class lounge of Thai Airways in BKK. While the revamped lounge had really nice and refreshing decor, the same cannot be said for the level of overcrowding. My advice: steer clear of the early morning rush!

Travel Insurance

I continued to use my annual Travel Insurance Prestige Plan from Singlife for S$309.

Transportation

Transportation costs in the UAE, particularly taxis, proved to be exceptionally high and posed a significant expense during this trip. After careful consideration of all options, I opted for Sixt chauffeur services (called Sixt Ride) to travel from the airport to Al Maha Dubai, which cost a whopping $200! And this was the economical option available (prices from Al Maha Dubai, Uber, airportstaxitransfers.com and Blacklane, in which all were significantly more expensive).

Leveraging my Sixt Platinum status obtained through a Hilton Diamond status match, I enjoyed a nice car upgrade (from Standard to Business Car) to the resort. I followed the same approach for the return leg, choosing Sixt over other alternatives like Careem, despite the latter being a viable option (but it was difficult to hail a taxi from Al Maha Dubai).

For other local travel needs, such as visiting attractions like the Louvre Abu Dhabi and heading to the airport, I utilized the Careem app, which works like Grab app. In retrospect, I found Careem to be a more economical option than Sixt, and it is likely to be my primary choice for taxi services during future stays.

Miscallaneous

In terms of cellular coverage, I continued to use Airalo, which I found it very convenient to use during my overseas trip, and very affordable. I took a 1GB local data plan with 7 days validity, which cost only US$5, and was more than enough for me. The only negative is that SMS is not covered, but it does the job for me.

If you are interested in trying it out, sign up using my referral code G1063 to get USD 3 off your first purchase.

I used Klook to book my visit to Louvre Abu Dhabi beforehand, and used Shopback to get 5% cashback from my purchase. Use my referral code 94FOGP to earn $5 cashback upon accumulation of $10 of confirmed cashback or have $300 of fully paid PayLater orders within 180 days.

Conclusion

My first Middle Eastern expedition proved to be fantastic, leaving such an impression that I swiftly arranged a brief stopover with the missus on Etihad metal (more on that in a future trip report!).

Now, it's time to venture into the desert (with my signature Luffy grin😁) . Stay tuned!

Experiencing The Middle East - Trip Planning

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