Hong Kong, Sydney, Abu Dhabi Trip Recap

With the full trip report finally done, I wanted to wrap up with an overall summary and links to the individual posts so it was easier to find everything. We had an amazing time on our over the top flight on Cathay Pacific First Class from Boston to Hong Kong, a quick but culturally packed day in Hong Kong, Thai airways Royal Orchid Lounge may be the best I have experienced, a Four Seasons disappointment but an incredible time exploring Sydney Australia, the most ridiculously amazing flight experience I have ever had thanks to Ethiad Apartment Class Sydney to Abu Dhabi, and an incredible day exploring The Grand Mosque. And the absolute best part is that all of these flights combined cost less than $400 total for two people!

Part I:    Cathay Pacific First Class Boston to Hong Kong First Class

Part II:   Hong Kong in a Day
Part III:  Hong Kong Transportation and Hotel Review

Part IV:  Thai Airways First Class Hong Kong to Sydney

Part V:   Sydney Australia recap, Things to Do & Places to Eat

Part VI:  Etihad A380 Apartments Class & Etihad 787 Business Class Review

Part VII: Abu Dhabi in a Day

This trip was so much fun to plan, and absolutely lived up to its expectations of amazing destinations, incredible flights, and overall enjoyment. If you have any questions about these destinations or planning your travel please let me know! 

Have a great day!

Abu Dhabi Trip Report

Abu Dhabi was an amazing place to spend a day, if I had known how much fun I was going to have there, I would have extended it to 3 or 4 days!

We decided to stay at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island and it was incredible! We checked in early and our upgraded room was all ready for us.  The resort is large, well run, and so well staffed its hard to believe.  It is the type of hotel where if you glance at a menu someone is running up to you to take your order and make sure you have everything you need.  You can read my tripadvisor review here. Security was visible with various guards taking your name and room number as you moved throughout the property.  It wasn't obtrusive, but it did help the area feel safe.

Our room was huge and so beautiful

Also, the grounds of the resort are stunning

St. Regis Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi

During our short trip to Abu Dhabi the one thing I absolutely needed to see was the The Grand Mosque and it did not disappoint!  I feel like this is one of those times a picture is worth a thousand words.

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

The St. Regis ran a shuttle to the The Grand Mosque which was very convenient, and the Mosque itself was so stunning.  Entrance is always free, and guided tours run frequently with incredible guides who are happy to answer any questions and points out significant items you are likely to miss if you are wandering around on your own.

Dress code at the Mosque is strict, so be sure to wear a loose, floor length dress or pants, something that covers your shoulders and elbows, and of course, a headscarf.  I choose a flowy maxi dress and cardigan and was fine.  The Mosque has items you can borrow if you aren't properly covered.

While Abu Dhabi in a day is so quick, you can still get in amazing sights, and even better, plan for your next trip out!  Abu Dhabi was so beautiful and with the Louvre opening soon there will be so many great cultural experiences to have in this beautiful city!

Etihad A380 Apartments Class and B787 Business Class Review

Etihad Apartments Class A380 Sydney to Abu Dhabi

Written by: Passports and PeeptoesEtihad Apartments A380 Apartments Class A380 Sydney to Abu Dhabi

When we started planning our trip to Sydney Australia, I didn't intend to fly us around the world BUT, that's what happened.  In my searching I found that Etihad was flying their brand new A380 between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, and with my American Airline miles, Etihad Business Class (which was available for 2 tickets when the scheduled opened) was just 55k miles per ticket.  The real value however, was that Etihad First Class was just 67.5k miles per ticket. And that my friends is why we visited Abu Dhabi on this trip and I flew us way out of our way to get home.  Because this isn't just any First Class, no, this is Etihad Apartments Class.

Etihad A380 Seat 4A

Etihad A380 Apartments Class

And it is divine.  And it has a shower, and 2 bathrooms for 9 seats, and a bar, and a flying chef. 

In our Apartment (yes 1 per person) we each had a Vanity, a minibar, and 2 seating options - the bench seat folded out into a very awesome bed.  

Etihad A380 Seat 4A

In addition to Etihad's amazing flight experience, their ground service was outstanding. Our trip from Sydney started with getting picked up with Etihad's signature Chauffeur service at our Hotel and whisked off to Apartments Class check in at Sydney Airport.  Lounge Service here was also incredible.  The lounge was spacious, service was outstanding and there was a nice spread of small plates and snacks with full meal service available.  We choose to just have Champagne - Dom 2004 was served in the lounge as well as in the air, and a few snacks before we boarded.  

On board Champagne and Dates

Etihad Business Class 787 Abu Dhabi to Washington D.C.

Business class was great, but not nearly as fun as Etihad Apartments Class!  I did enjoy flying the 787 Dreamliner, it was very quiet, and was a comfortable flight.

Lounge service in Abu Dhabi was good, but the lounge was vey busy when we got there.  We didn't stay long because we had to go through U.S. Customs before boarding (the Etihad flight arrives into Washington pre-cleared) so we needed to leave enough time before take off in case there were lines. We ended up clearing quickly with our Global Entry and were waiting for the flight which was late taking off for a bit.  We boarded, got our champagne and settled in for our 14 hour flight to Washington!