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Airport Lounge Review: Conrad Rangali Island Lounge, Male, Maldives

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Our first trip to the Maldives left us in the Male airport for only a few minutes before flying to Rangali Island on Trans Maldivian Airlines. This time around, however, we had about an hour to kill and spent it in the Conrad’s airport lounge.  I was excited to visit since we missed it last time.  This post reviews the lounge!

The Conrad airport lounge.

For a bit of background, almost everyone visiting the Conrad Rangali Island will fly into Male and then transfer to a sea plane to fly to Rangali Island. Some times the transfer is immediate; other times its longer. For those longer waits, the Conrad opened a lounge in Male’s Transmaldivian Airlines Terminal. All guests staying at the Conrad are welcome, but only on arrival. There is no access to this lounge when departing.

Land at the Conrad Rangali Island.

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A Long Weekend in Nairobi, Kenya!

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Dan and I spent a long weekend in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month en route to a safari in Masai Mara National Park.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I had a bit of difficulty pre-planning, but we ended up having an enjoyable stay (with only one possible attempt to scam us in a taxi). For those planning a visit or layover, you need at least one full day to see the main sights, and two are preferable.  This post details where we stayed, what we saw, and where we ate, plus a few practical tips for visiting Nairobi, Kenya!

Welcome to Nairobi, Kenya!

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Airport Lounge Review: Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, Terminal 8, JFK (New York)

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On our trip to the Maldives last Thanksgiving, Dan and I flew out of JFK’s Terminal 8 (AKA JFK’s American Airlines terminal). We got to the airport early, as one does, and were looking for a decent spot to waste the time before our flight. Unfortunately for us, while JFK has numerous Priority Pass lounges, as well as a Centurion lounge and a new Chase lounge that we can access, it has zero of these lounges in Terminal 8, and we could not access the few lounges in the terminal (flying Qatar without status). However, lucky for us, the Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Terminal 8 gives Priority Pass members and 1 guest a credit of $28 (equivalent to “one lounge visit”) per person to be used on food and/or drink at Bobby Van’s (for a total of $56 for two). Dinner at Bobby Van’s it was! *SIDE NOTE – check your specific PP membership to confirm that you can bring a guest*

Bobby Van’s Steakhouse at JFK.

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A Weekend in Doha En Route to the Maldives!

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On a recent trip to the Maldives, Dan and I spent a few days in Doha, Qatar en route. We selected Doha because (1) you have to connect when traveling to the Maldives from the New York area and (2) we have already been to Dubai and Abu Dhabi (the other two big connection spots in the Middle East – the other connection option is Europe). We enjoyed our weekend stay, but we are not in a rush to return to Doha, simply because we didn’t find too, too much to do, and it was very reminiscent of a less exciting Dubai. That being said, the people of Doha were lovely, we were treated very well in Doha, and I would have no problem stopping over in Doha again if the time/price was best (its just not the most exciting IMO). This post details what we did in Doha during our weekend getaway!

Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar – one of Doha’s best activities for tourists.

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