During the summer of 2023, my family and I took a trip to Zambia and South Africa to reconnect with relatives, have new experiences, and see the sights for which Africa is renowned. We wanted to experience a safari and stay in a lodge that would bring us close to the wildlife, both during game drives and on the lodge premises. We also needed a lodge that was amenable to having a 10-month-old, a three-year-old, and a four-year-old on the game drives. We researched several of Africa’s larger and more renowned game parks, such as Serengeti, Masai Mara, and Kruger. Almost all had an age requirement that would have excluded us from experiencing game drives in an open jeep as a family. My cousins informed me about Mopani, a safari lodge that didn’t have age restrictions and had game drives that toddlers and infants could also enjoy in an open jeep.  Upon the strong recommendation of my cousins, who have visited multiple times, we booked our stay at the Mopani Lodge, located outside South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. This was the experience of a lifetime, and our stay was exceptional in every aspect, from the accommodations and service to the knowledgeable tour guides to the delicious food served daily. Here is a detailed recap of both our drive to the location and our stay.
On our way to South Luangwa National Park from Lusaka, we stayed a night at the Protea Hotel in Chipata. Protea is part of the Marriott hotel portfolio and is ubiquitous in Africa. I had never heard of this brand until I was searching on Marriott’s app for hotels in Chipata. About two and a half hours from South Luangwa National Park, Protea Hotel proved an excellent accommodation to break our journey.
This was my second time staying at the Langham in NYC, but my first time staying at the Langham as an AMEX Platinum cardholder—a whole new experience! Don’t get me wrong, I had a great first stay; it was what I expected for a 5-star hotel; however, as an AMEX Platinum cardholder, I felt like the experience was so much better. One of the card’s benefits is a $200 credit for booking hotels that are part of Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection. When I checked in, the staff immediately upgraded me to an executive suite with a kitchen on the 21st floor. Along with the upgrade, I was informed that I had a $100 credit for any of the following: spa, room service, or breakfast for two at their Michelin-star restaurant, Ai Fiori. I was also informed that I could check out at 4pm, which was very convenient since our flight was at 5:30pm on Sunday.
When we went to our room, my cousin and I first noticed the view through the large windows—we could see down 5th Avenue and the beautiful Chrysler building.
View of Bank of America Tower and the Conde Naste Building (with H&M sign)
Beautiful view of the Chrysler building and looking down on Fifth Avenue
The second thing we noticed was that we had a powder room—when does that ever happen? Needless to say, we had more than enough room. We even had some of our friends and cousins come up to hang out with us in the room; six adults and a baby were hanging out comfortably. All the cafes around us were closed, so we ordered lattes from room service (using my $100 credit), and they were excellent!
Full kitchen via AMEX Platinum upgrade
Views of Manhattan from the bathroom
Soap, shampoo, and conditioner were all Chuan, a holistic proprietary brand owned by Langham.
Another huge selling point for the Langham is its location. The hotel is centrally located in Manhattan, so we could walk to most of our destinations on Saturday. We walked to Washington Square Park, Times Square, and the Highline. The next day, we had to check out by 4pm and catch our flight at 5:30pm, so we didn’t have much time to waste. We woke up at 8am and called the doorman to arrange a ride to Central Park at 11am using the hotel car service (which is free!).
Pro Tip: The hotel has a Jaguar that will drop you off wherever you want to up until 59th Street. They start taking appointments at 8 a.m., and they are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Jaguar that’s provided for guests of The Langham
After our ride set up, we got ready and cashed in on our complimentary breakfast at Ai Fiori—which was phenomenal! My cousin and I decided to order a couple of things and share. We ordered the buttermilk pancakes, uova in Purgatorio, and the house potatoes—everything was phenomenal. You can see the picture below.
If you asked me what the stay was like after my first time, I would’ve said it was great—all the basics of a 5-star hotel. But staying here as an AMEX Platinum cardholder made this experience next-level amazing, to say the least! It is rare to have a travel experience where you don’t compromise on something, whether it be the room, service, or location. But I can genuinely say there was no compromising at the Langham NYC; everything was at the top of its game—the room, the service, the amenities, the location, and the (free) food were all a 5 out of 5.
Maldives is a magical place, and the hotel we stayed at, Conrad, did a fantastic job making us feel comfortable. The Maldives is one of the world’s premier beach destinations, and there isn’t any place like it. Crystal clear waters, abundant marine wildlife, and unparalleled hospitality, regardless of your chosen hotel. This particular Conrad is located on Rangali Island, an island that is part of the Alif Dhaal Atoll. The Maldives have 26 different atolls, some subdivided into two or three.
The atolls of The Maldives.
Getting There
The only way to get to Rangali Island is via a 45-minute seaplane flight on Trans Maldivian Airways from the capital city of Male. The distance between the two islands is about 59 miles or 95 km. Since my wife and I booked with Conrad, our experience started upon landing at Velana International Airport in Male. The Conrad staff guided us to an exclusive Conrad Lounge as we waited for our seaplane to arrive. It’s rare for a hotel to have a branded airport lounge; this was our first time experiencing one. The lounge was spacious, had a decent selection of food and drinks, and was clean and well-maintained. It also offered free Wi-Fi and couches that could be used as beds. It was much better than most airport lounges we’ve visited.
About 45 minutes later, our seaplane arrived, and it was time to take the much-anticipated flight to Rangali Island.
I apologize for taking this video vertically. The plane seats around 15 people and flies at about 5,000 feet. You get some fantastic views of the other atolls and islands on your way. It was a loud flight due to the propellers, but it was much smoother than I had anticipated. Once we arrived, we boarded a golf cart that took us to our villa. The staff gave us a tour of the villa and the amenities and explained their services to us in detail. We also found a complimentary bottle of sparkling grape juice and a fruit basket left for us. You can see the video of our villa below.
Retreat Water Villa (Overwater Villa)
Thestairs lead you straight into the water. I’d say the depth is around seven feet.
The path to the beach areaJacuzzi with a viewShower areaPrivate spa roomThe various colors of the jacuzzi at night.Majestic sunsets are the norm in the Maldives.
Conrad upgraded us from a water villa to a retreat water villa as a Hilton Gold member. The retreat water villa came with our own jacuzzi and had a more private feel since the neighboring villas were several hundred feet away. The villa itself was incredible. This property has won numerous awards, including the best luxury resort in the world. Each villa also included a private spa room with two massage tables. We didn’t use this service since we wanted to be outside and soak in the sun. Each villa also has stairs that take you right into the water. I would estimate the depth to be around seven feet at the villas, so if you don’t know how to swim, you might want to keep that in mind. It gets much shallower once you’re near the beach.
Dining
As Hilton Gold members, we were entitled to complimentary breakfast, free afternoon tea at Mandhoo Spa Restaurant, and complimentary cocktails/mocktails between 5-6pm. The breakfast had many options, and I had something different every day. The afternoon tea at Mandhoo was more like a lunch since they also had sandwiches. Purchasing meals at this property was quite pricey. I mean, it is a Conrad Hotel, after all. To minimize meal costs, we would have breakfast at the latest possible time, around 10:30 a.m., and then have the complimentary tea and lunch at Mandhoo Spa Restaurant at 4:30. Since this was pretty darn close to dinner time, we only utilized the Atoll Market for dinner once. Dinner can quickly run past $120 a person, so if that matters, it is something to beware of.  Conrad Maldives is also home to the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant. Unfortunately, all the daytime slots were reserved during our visit there, and there was no point in making a reservation during the evening hours since you couldn’t see the marine wildlife.
Mandhoo Restaurant
Pastries, cookies, and tarts
The roast beef sandwich and the fruit tart were delicious.A wide variety of teasYou can help yourself to as many sandwiches as you want
Other Areas of Conrad Maldives
This property actually has a total of three islands. Two of them (Rangali and Rangalifinolhu) are used for guests, and a third is used only for employees. To get from one island to another, we just called the front desk, and they sent a golf cart, which brought us from place to place. You can certainly walk the distance if you want to, but it would take 25-30 minutes. You will save a ton of time by using the gold cart below.
I didn’t measure the Wi-Fi speed in the villa, but it was pretty fast, and I had no issues with connectivity. They also have a fantastic business center within a lounge on the second floor if you need one. I only used it for a few minutes to print documents, but it had everything you needed. If you’re a Mac person, they had those as well. Great job, Conrad!
Lounge on the second floorBusiness center within the lounge
People have often asked what we did after sunset. We made it a point to sleep by 8 p.m. every day. Sunset was at 6:20 p.m., so we woke up at sunrise, around 6 a.m., and made the most of our day. If you’re in a place like the Maldives, I’d strongly recommend waking up early and not sleeping in. Regarding activities, you can go on excursions such as swimming with whale sharks or scuba diving and jet skiing. If you’re used to paying a specific price for those activities, you will pay double and triple that here. Seeing the exorbitant costs, I just preferred to snorkel at the reef right off the island and swim in the waters right near my villa. If only they were allowed to book excursions with miles. This Conrad also has two infinity pools, one on each island, which all guests can use. I took full advantage of that as well.
The beach area at Rangali Island. Both islands have beachesInfinity Pool Two. The Dhoni ferry in the background is another way to get from one island to another.The seaplane platform which is also used to connect Rangali Island to Rangalifinolhu Island. It’s beautifully lit in the evening.
When I made this reservation, I informed them that my wife’s birthday would be on the second day of our stay there. They remembered that housekeeping made a nice gesture when we entered our room after breakfast on the second day.
They also surprised her with a delicious cake during dinnerNighttime was perfect for the jacuzzi
Final Thoughts
To sum it all up, it is a fantastic resort with pristine beaches, excellent food, excellent service, super friendly and helpful staff, and an experience I hope to be a part of again. If you do decide to book at Conrad Rangali Island, having the AMEX Hilton Surpass card or the AMEX Platinum card and the Gold status that comes along with it will take you a long way. I estimated I got over $700 in value just by having the card.
View of the Conrad Rangali Island from the seaplane
Some of you have asked if you could take a speedboat rather than a seaplane to Rangali Island. From my understanding, the only way to get there is by seaplane. It’s way overpriced for what amounts to a 30-minute plane ride, and unfortunately, if you don’t have miles that can be redeemed for cash (Chase Ultimate Rewards or AMEX Membership points), there really is no way around it. Trans Maldivian Airways monopolizes this route, so it probably won’t change soon. If the seaplane cost is a turnoff, remember that plenty of excellent hotels only require a seaboat transfer from Male. That cost isn’t cheap, but it’ll save you about $500 for two people.
My wife and I got to experience this beautiful property courtesy of our AMEX free weekend night certificates. Unfortunately, the American Express Hilton Honors Ascend Card no longer has this benefit on the cardmember anniversary. You have to spend $15,000 in a given year to get the free night, and I don’t think it’s worth forgoing points with Chase or AMEX Platinum/Gold to pursue a free night with Hilton in most instances. Since my wife and I have the AMEX Hilton Honors Ascend Card, we combined our free nights into a weekend stay. The nightly rate for our room was $450, so we got $900 worth of value plus $50 credit toward dining for the annual fee we paid for both cards ($95 per card).
Check-In
Walking into the hotel, take the elevator to the third floor. There is no second floor; the third floor is where the check-in desk, lounge, restaurant, and lobby are located. Upon checking in, the receptionist verified our Hilton Gold status, courtesy of the AMEX card, and upgraded us to a room on the 9th floor. We could choose 1,000 Hilton points or a $50 dining credit as Hilton Gold members. We took the dining credit (I don’t recommend taking the points in this scenario). The receptionist was kind enough to give us a mini-tour of the hotel, Estuary restaurant, and some of the amenities this hotel offers.
The circular lamp changes color each hour.
My first impression when walking in was that this hotel did not have many 90-degree angles. The architect made a concerted effort to make the interior as curvy as possible. The lobby was beautiful, and since the hotel was only 45 days old when we stayed, it still had that brand-new scent.
Looking down from the 10th floor to the lobby below.
Room
Our room was on the 9th floor, with a nice view of New York Street below. Keeping up with the theme, the room was curvy but spacious and very comfortable.
Coffee and snacks
As an avid coffee drinker, I always appreciate it when a hotel provides a Keurig-type machine with pods. The coffee was complimentary, per usual, but the snacks were completely overpriced. If you need snacks, there is a CVS across the street where you can get the same offerings for 1/4 of the price.
The bathroom provided two sinks and a separate blurred door to the toilet so two people could use the bathroom simultaneously while still having some privacy.
The toiletries were Shanghai Tang, and the scent was very nice—not too overpowering but not too light either. The room also provided slippers, a safe, laundry bag, iron, and bathrobes.
Estuary and Estuary Bar
Estuary is the restaurant on the premises on the 3rd floor. We went there for breakfast on Saturday morning and ordered a custom-made omelet and buttermilk pancakes. Both were delicious, albeit smaller in portion than your typical brunch diner.
The Estuary Bar area was spacious, and seating was plentiful during the day. If an event is going on at the hotel, it’ll likely get packed in the evening and into the late night.
Third Floor Terrace and Rooftop Bar
Since the hotel was only 45 days old during our stay, the Rooftop Bar was not officially open to guests, so I could only take pictures from behind the glass door. The 3rd-floor terrace was open for use.
View from the Rooftop BarThe Terrace on the 3rd-floor
Fitness Center
The fitness center was one of the better ones I had seen at a hotel. Upon entering, guests are greeted with towels, earphones, and apples.
There are multiple treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikesIf you’re into lifting, they have that covered as well.
Concluding Thoughts
Although I forgot to measure the internet speed, I had no speed or Wi-Fi connectivity issues. If you plan to park your car at the Conrad, parking in their garage is $36 a day. I used the ParkWhiz app and found a garage two blocks away, allowing me to park for $14. There is also metered parking on the street, but it has a three-hour time limit during business hours and is free overnight. One of the most appealing aspects of staying at Conrad DC is that the National Mall, White House, Capitol building, Smithsonian, and many other points of interest are only 10-15 minutes away by walking. I also want to acknowledge the receptionists on the 3rd floor who always gave us complimentary bottles of water whenever we walked by. The staff made an excellent stay that much better.
Even though Airbnb has been around since 2008, I never used it to book an accommodation until 2015. For those of you who have never used it, it is a website where homeowners rent out their houses, apartments, condos, cabins, even tree houses. There are filters that allow you choose what type of accommodation you’re looking for such as an entire place or a single room. I have used it seven times since and all but one of my stays were excellent. Five of those trips have been in Europe where I strongly believe booking Airbnb was the better option versus booking a hotel. During our trip to Prague, decent hotels were going for $140+ in desirable locations such as Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Nonetheless, there were many excellent apartments and condos near these locations that were listed on Airbnb. Â These accommodations were just a 5 minute walk away from Old Town Square or Wenceslas Square, which eliminated the need for taxis, Uber, etc. Including taxes and cleaning fees, our total for 3 nights came out to just $67/night. I’ve included pictures of the place we booked below.
There are a few things to keep in mind prior to booking an Airbnb:
1) Make sure the place you’re interested in has a minimum of five reviews that are spaced apart (I ignored this step once and ended up booking a place that had no reviews. Â This resulted in my one below average experience using an Airbnb.)
2) If the owner has not posted pictures of the interior, that’s a red flag and you should avoid it.
3) Try to book a place that is a short walking distance away from as many tourist attractions as possible. By doing this, you’re saving money avoiding taxis and Uber.
So whether you’re traveling somewhere where hotels might be pricey or if you’re traveling with multiple families and want to rent out an entire house on a beach, Airbnb is a great alternative to hotels. If you use my link here you will also get $40 off your booking of $75 or more.  If you have used it before, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below. As always, thanks for reading.
Even though Airbnb has been around since 2008, I never used it to book an accommodation until 2015. For those of you who have never used it, it is a website where homeowners rent out their houses, apartments, condos, cabins, even tree houses. There are filters that allow you choose what type of accommodation you’re looking for such as an entire place or a single room. I have used it seven times since and all but one of my stays were excellent. Five of those trips have been in Europe where I strongly believe booking Airbnb was the better option versus booking a hotel. During our trip to Prague, decent hotels were going for $140+ in desirable locations such as Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Nonetheless, there were many excellent apartments and condos near these locations that were listed on Airbnb. Â These accommodations were just a 5 minute walk away from Old Town Square or Wenceslas Square, which eliminated the need for taxis, Uber, etc. Including taxes and cleaning fees, our total for 3 nights came out to just $67/night. I’ve included pictures of the place we booked below.
Miles for places 