Although I’ve traveled throughout much of Japan, I embarrassingly didn’t once set foot in the Tohoku region until a few days ago. That’s where the rail pass, the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), was of tremendous benefit. Firstly, let’s define the Tohoku region (in Japanese, 東北 touhoku, meaning northeastern): The Tohoku region is generally characterized […]
Travel Photography
Hotel du Lac, Tunis, Tunisia
Hotel du Lac (Hôtel du Lac), located in Tunis, Tunisia, was built between 1970 and 1973 by Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani. The hotel reaches up to 10 stories, and supposedly has ~416 rooms … although it has been vacant since 2000. In 2013, the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO) purchased the site, ostensibly intending […]
Two Lounge Reviews: ACV Business & Song Hong in Hanoi
At Hanoi Airport (HAN) in Vietnam, the international terminal (Terminal 1 is domestic, Terminal 2 is international) has three airline lounges: Vietnam Airlines, ACV Business Lounge, and the Song Hong Business Lounge. All three are airside, that is, you must first pass security/immigration to reach them. Let’s pay a visit to the two non-airline affiliated […]
Review: Short-Haul Saudia Business + Riyadh Saudia Alfursan Lounge
Whereas the crux of this article will cover the Riyadh Saudia Alfursan Lounge, I will also cover some aspects of the Riyadh airport (RUH) experience, as well as Saudia business class from Riyadh to Dubai. From Check-in to the Lounge Riyadh airport is huge. However, Terminals 1-4 are interconnected; if you happen to be leaving […]
Dubai Emirates Business Lounge, Concourse B
The Dubai Emirates Business Lounge at Concourse B … oh, a good* airport lounge for once. (We’ll get to that asterisk later) However, getting to the lounge wasn’t so peachy. I was in Saudia business, coming into Dubai (DXB) Terminal 1, needing to get to Emirates’ hub over at Terminal 3. For those in a […]
United Is Adding Flights from Newark to this Scottish Gem
Did you think I was referring to Aberdeen, the oil capital? Maybe from Houston. Having temporarily suspended routes between the United States and Scotland during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, United was the first U.S. carrier to resume flights between the two places back in March 2022, from NY/Newark EWR to Edinburgh EDI. Resumptions […]
The Leaning Tower of Niles
Did you know that the Leaning Tower was actually completed in 1934 as a way to conceal a water tank for swimming pools? If you didn’t, then you’re not alone. To be fair, I’m talking about the Leaning Tower of Niles, located in in the Illinois suburbs of Chicago. In the 1920s, Robert Ilg, owner […]
Trip Report: The New Terminal A at Newark International Airport (EWR)
stAfter reading about the opening of the new Kansas City International Airport (MCI) terminal on 28 February, I was … less excited about trying out the relatively new Terminal A at Newark’s airport (EWR), which debuted to the public on 12 January of this year. Current airlines at Terminal A include American Airlines, Air Canada, […]
