Next Vacation - Ideas

[Yaalili]

A family of four, to travel to Argentina and Brazil will cost $1280 just for visas/reciprocity fees, correct?

Correct if you are all American.

[reed]

Looked at the wiki. Only Chase UR option for 41st and Collins Area seems to be courtyard by marriott - wondering if there is anything nicer...

Happens to be a very nice hotel recently renovated. The old Cadillac. I stay there often

[Ergel]

Correct if you are all American.

Hmmmm....
Do I wait until we possibly become Canadian citizens? Only place with availability for the last week in December

[Yaalili]

Hmmmm....
Do I wait until we possibly become Canadian citizens? Only place with availability for the last week in December

Would be a total of $693 for four people to both countries if you apply as a Canadian. A savings of $587 from what Americans have to pay - $1280.

[Yehoshua]

has anyone here been to albuquerque NM for shabbos?

No, but I did spend shabbos in Santa Fe, NM. Close enough and prettier.

[Dan]

Would be a total of $693 for four people to both countries if you apply as a Canadian. A savings of $587 from what Americans have to pay - $1280.

Doesnt the US Visa last longer though?

[ilherman]

I wanna stop over in Asia on my way to the Maldives, from about Thu-Sun. Which city is worth staying at?

It's not about what city is "worth" staying at. It's about what miles your using, their hubs, and ease of transit.

You don't have the luxury to stop at a second-level city, i.e. Bali, Chaing Mai, etc. You're be confined to a first level city, e.g. SIN, BKK, HKG, ICN etc.

Which of those cities depends on the miles you're using.

To the point, exactly what I was thinking

Buys and girls, I am finishing to write up my routing possibilities and I hope that you guys will help me decide what my best options are.

It will probably be the longest post in this thread, so I am asking all of you to forgive me.

TIA.

[AJK]

Buys and girls, I am finishing to write up my routing possibilities and I hope that you guys will help me decide what my best options are.

It will probably be the longest post in this thread, so I am asking all of you to forgive me.

TIA.

FYI, historically, people get more help when they as discrete, pointed questions.

[Yaalili]

Doesnt the US Visa last longer though?

For Argentina it is basically the same, Americans great 3650 days, and Canadians get that amount OR month before passport expires.

The Brazil fee is half the years - 5 years - for roughly half the price $81.25 instead of $160.00.

For the amount that is being saved, I would say it is definitely worth it to do as a Canadian if you can.

[Emkay]

No, but I did spend shabbos in Santa Fe, NM. Close enough and prettier.

How was? Did you make your own shabbos? Shul there?

[Yehoshua]

How was? Did you make your own shabbos? Shul there?

It was really nice. Santa Fe is a pretty town and the country's highest state capital. We stayed with a family near the shul. The Orthodox shul is on the same grounds as the reform synagogue. This was years ago though.

[jaywhy]

A family of four, to travel to Argentina and Brazil will cost $1280 just for visas/reciprocity fees, correct?

Yes. 
Dan,
How much did the visa service you used cost?

[Geshmak25]

Happens to be a very nice hotel recently renovated. The old Cadillac. I stay there often

Thanks just looked into this and it doesn't make sense. Mariott's valuation of their points is very different from Chase's valuation. Mariott requires 35,000 points for a room that is currently worth $280 - $300. 35,000 chase points at 1.4 value = $490. Anybody else notice this?

[ilherman]

Buys and girls, I am finishing to write up my routing possibilities to the Maldives via Asia and I hope that you guys will help me decide what my best options are.

It will probably be the longest post in this thread, so I am asking all of you to forgive me.

TIA.

I have all currencies.

Here it goes..

I have 2 priorities

1) Maximize our time in MLE.

2) maximize F cabins.

Now, I have to leave the Maldives Thursday to make it home to NYC for Shabbos. Would I be able to leave NYC the Motze Shabbos before and be in MLE Sunday night so I have a full Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and some of Thursday in the Maldives that would be fine. But thats not possible... The earliest I can get to the Maldives would be Monday morning, and as much I wanna leave after Shabbos, I am not going to shlep to the Maldives for less then 3 1/2 days.

SO, I have to leave before Shabbos, stay somewhere in Asia for Shabbos so I can be in MLE Sunday afternoon/evening.

Now, if I ANYWAY have to be in Asia, why not explore Asia!

The first thing I have to look for, is a place where I can leave Motze Shabbos and be in the Maldives Sunday afternoon/evening.

I also want a place which is nice, as well as a place with some nice F cabins transiting that hub.

Now for where to stay is Asia? I don't know. You guide me based on all what you read here. But I would love to fly SQ R, MU R, EK F, CX F, EY F, KE F. Top priority now is MU R followed by SQ R and EK F

Here are some of my fantasies...

Option #1

Monday night JFK-ICN KE F, be Wednesday in ICN, Wednesday night ICN-HKG KE F, be in HKG till after Shabbos. Now getting to MLE is where this becomes complicated, CX has a direct flight Sunday which lands in MLE 8:45 PM which is no good because  I am not in MLE until Monday morning, the only 2 other options to get me in MLE Sunday about 3:00 PM are QR via DOH and EK via DXB. Both don't have availability as of now. for the return I would do MLE-SIN-PVG on SQ/MU (again no availability here) and catch MU R Friday morning 11:30 and land In JFK 2:30 (the zman is around 7:30)

Cost would be 160k KE miles for the KE and MU F/R flights plus HKG-MLE and MLE-PVG flights which Im not sure now how to book. (No availability yet)

Pros:
1. MU R (I fear that availability will be gone soon).
2. I get to check out ICN and HKG.

Cons:
1. Have to leave the Maldives Thursday morning
2. Im not set yet with the HKG-MLE and MLE-PVG flights
3. No direct flight from HKG-MLE and MLE-PVG.

Option #2

Starting with KE as above, but heading to PVG for Thu-Sun, (instead of HKG) im considering PVG rather than HKG just because QR has availability out of PVG to MLE via DOH and I arrive in MLE Sunday mid day.

Returning is the same as option #1

Pros:
1. MU R
2.  I have flights (availability) from PVG to MLE

Cons:
As option #1 besides for that I a have flights with availability PVG-MLE (also I am not getting to see HKG?)

Option #3

Monday night JFK-ICN KE F, be Wednesday in ICN, Wednesday night ICN-SIN KE J, be in SIN till after Shabbos.

Sunday morning SQ J SIN-MLE, im in MLE 10:45 AM (YEY!)

Return as option # 1/2.

Pros:
1. MU R, KE F
2. Getting to see ICN and SIN
3. Im in MLE Sunday morning with a direct flight from SIN (YAY)

Cons:
1. Have to leave MLE Thursday morning.
2. Not set with MLE-PVG flights.
3. MLE-PVG is not direct.

Option #4

The outbound is the same as option # 3 the inbound will be EY F, leaving MLE Thursday night! (or EK F if availability opens up)

Pros:
1. KE F, SQ J, EY/EK F
2. Getting to see ICN and SIN.
3. I am in MLE Sunday morning.
4. I don't have to leave MLE Thursday morning
5. All flights are set!

Cons:
1. Missing out on MU R

Option # 5

Monday night JFK-ICN KE F, be Wednesday in ICN, Wednesday night ICN-BKK KE F, be in BKK till after Shabbos.

Sunday morning PG J BKK-MLE, Im in MLE 11:30 AM (YEY!)

The inbound would be as option # 4 (EY/EK F)

Pros:
1. KE F, PG J, EY/EK F
2. Getting to see ICN and BKK.
3. I am in MLE Sunday morning.
4. I don't have to leave MLE Thursday morning
5. All flights are set!

Cons:
1. Missing out on MU R

I am considering either option 4 or 5

Any help/imput will be greatly appreciated!!!

ilherman

[Marco Polo]

4 or 5 get my vote.

[ilherman]

4 or 5 get my vote.

Thanks! Between 4 and 5 what would you recommend? Where can I spend better, BKK or SIN?

(I only have like 1 1/2 days to spend wherever I am going)

[Marco Polo]

Thanks! Between 4 and 5 what would you recommend? Where can I spend better, BKK or SIN?

(I only have like 1 1/2 days to spend wherever I am going)

I was in BKK overnight and never been in SIN. Though sounds like SIN may be nicer.

[ilherman]

From the Thailand thread wiki it seems that I can get some nice activities just 2 hours away from BKK, like elephant riding and more.

Would I rathet enjoy a day in SIN?

[dealfinder85]

From the Thailand thread wiki it seems that I can get some nice activities just 2 hours away from BKK, like elephant riding and more.

Would I rathet enjoy a day in SIN?

its hard enough being able to take time off from work to make it worth going to MLE
also, kid/kids interfere

[ilherman]

its hard enough being able to take time off from work to make it worth going to MLE
also, kid/kids interfere

huh?