My expectations of Philippines Airlines were quite low. My only experience of Philippine Airlines had been a single adequate domestic flight five years ago. Instead, I found that PAL holds their own and offers service that is, overall, currently better than both Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines. As those two airlines’ standards appear to have slipped, PAL has overtaken them. Best of all, I managed to snag business class fares that cost less than a third of those being charged by Singapore Airlines. I got a very comfortable ride. All my flights were marred by…
I have flown (and ranked) every One World Member Airline
With my recent hop from Casablanca to Doha, with Royal Maroc Airlines, I have now flown every one of the 13 One World airline members. The One World Alliance was formed in 1999 and includes 13 airlines which carry half a billion passengers a year via 14,000 flights a day. Each airline continues to operate independently but through the Alliance, they “work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience“. One World has two major benefits for me. The first is the ability to earn frequent flyers points across the entire alliance. I use…
More food than I can eat- riding a Thai Train
The in-transit catering on Thailand trains is amazing. Streams of salespeople hop on and off at every station on the “all stops” trains. They are usually selling hot and cold coffees, ice cold sweetened Thai teas, and fresh fruit, meals, snacks, and take-home goodies. Basically if you want anything from a sliced apple to a Phad Thai, they will find it for you! The first time I rode a train in Thailand, I went to the supermarket to buy snacks beforehand, little knowing that every part of the 4,044 km (2,513 mile) rail system has…
Royal Air Maroc Business- Could do better
Overall, I enjoyed my first-ever flight with Royal Air Maroc (RAM), the Moroccan flag carrier from Casablanca to Doha in Qatar, aboard a very comfortably laid out Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The experience, however, wasn’t One World standard. RAM is owned by the Moroccan Government and is headquartered at Casablanca-Anfa Airport. They joined the One World alliance in 2020. I had planned to fly them that year, but obviously, I was grounded. Flying them means I have now been on flights with every One World carrier (existing and previous). Booking I used 42,000 American Airlines Advantage…
Video: Chefchoen, the Blue Pearl of Morocco
Chefchoen شفشاون one of the most Instagrammed places in the planet is a city of 43,000 in the Rif mountains northwest of Morocco. It’s about two hours south of Tangier and four hours north of Fes. Known as the “Blue Pearl”, the city is painted blue for reasons no one really remembers. There are many, many theories as to why. It definitely brings the tourists in now. I could not resist creating this Blue Blue world Tiktok video…. TikTok link: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS82W2R64/ Related Posts:
Unique Roadside Meal in Morroco
A new one for me. Deep in rural Morocco this is a butcher shop/ cafe. Behind the sheep and cow carcasses, you can see hanging up are a slicer, mincer and barista coffee machine. My driver pulled in here whilst en route from Chefchoen to Fez, raving about the food here. Fresh Moroccan tea appeared at our table first. Customers were served tea or coffee or meals or kilos of fresh meat to take home. Never had this experience before! We had a beef koftah served with tomato & onion and hunks of flat bread…
Easily Exploring Morocco by Train
Recently enjoyed ten lovely days traversing Morocco, a country known for its vibrant culture, ancient history, and picturesque landscapes. The country also has one of the most comprehensive and comfortable rail systems in Africa. This includes a high-speed train system also known as the LGV (Ligne à Grande Vitesse) or Al Boraq or TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) based on the French design. I used the rail system as the backbone of my adventures adding bus and car connections to Chefchoen and Essaouira. Booking Many people warned that it is almost impossible for a foreigner…
Al Stewart, Music and Morocco: Time Passages & Year of the Cat
Whilst travelling around Morocco, I kept hearing the music of 1970s British singer-songwriter Al Stewart, known for his thought-provoking lyrics that often weave together historical and literary references with personal experiences. Two of his most popular songs, “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages,” have become classics of the era and remain popular to this day. Both songs showcase Stewart’s ability to craft intricate, poetic lyrics that tell compelling stories and offer insights into the human experience. “Year of the Cat” is perhaps Stewart’s most famous song. Released in 1976, the song tells the story…
Ten Amazing Days in Morocco
A dream for 41 years became a reality with a recent trip across Morocco by bus, car, and train. This beautiful and diverse country, with its rich history and culture provided me with one of the most unique and exciting experiences, I have ever had as a traveller. Morroco was also the 80th country I have ever been to. Arrival I started by flying into Marrakech. I was very impressed with my arrival at the modern Marrakech airport which has flights to and from 78 airports. It is also possible to fly into Casablanca or…
Tasting Interesting Drinks across the World
This appeared in a cafe chain across Thailand. Gingerbread Earl Grey iced tea latte. Would you try this? I enjoyed it but it was still sweet even when I asked for “wan noi” (little sweetness). Thais consume one of the sweetest drinks on the planet Thai iced tea which has black tea, star anise, cardamom, and tamarind seed, red food colouring, sweetened condensed milk and oodles of sugar. It has a creamy layer on top and a punch of sweetness. I am a huge fan of Bubble Tea; it has become a weekly treat for…
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