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New Marriott Safari Lodge
If you have always fancied a safari but been put off by the cost, now may be the time to start saving those Marriott points (you can get points from the Marriott Amex card or Platinum card, you don’t need to stay). Marriott has announced it will enter the safari segment in Africa. JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge will be located within the Mara National Reserve, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife conservation and wilderness regions. JW Marriott is one of their more luxury hotel offerings and it is expected to open next year in 2023.
Overlooking the banks of the River Talek and on the edge of the reserve, JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge’s location will offer guests an elevated camp from which to discover the Masai Mara National Reserve, its stunning vistas, abundant wildlife, and endless plains. Plans for the new-build lodge feature 20 private tents, including one presidential canvas-topped pavilion and two interconnecting canopied suites, ideal for families, each with a private terrace overlooking the river. Shared spaces will include a restaurant, lounge bar, spa, and a large outdoor terrace with fire pits that will play host to traditional Masai dance performances in the evening. The reserve will offer guests the opportunity to observe the “Big Five” that Masai Mara is home to: lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceros and elephants. Between June and September, the reserve is also host to the annual great wildebeest migration, when more than 10 million animals travel a distance of 1,800 miles from the Serengeti in neighbouring Tanzania.
I think the mock-ups look pretty stunning, so it will be interesting to see how expensive it it. I would expect it to be at the top end of their pricing range.
Finnair’s new route and polar routes for North Asia
With several Finnair routes suspended due to the avoidance of Russian airspace, they have announced a new route along with their summer schedule plans. Finnair has unveiled its latest Asian service to Mumbai in India as part of its updated 2022 summer schedule.
Tickets for the new three times a week service go on sale from April 5 via finnair.com. The new route to Mumbai is the latest in a series of changes being made to the Finnish flag-carrier’s schedules as they adapt to the closure of Russian airspace.
Finnair customers who take flights to Japan and South Korea now pass over the North Pole and receive a special certificate to mark the moment. The first flight over the North Pole in almost three decades took place on March 9 this year, as the AY073 flew from Helsinki to Tokyo Narita. But instead of heading directly east, it headed north and passed directly over the North Pole as part of its extended flightpath to Japan, skirting around now closed Russian airspace. Finnair’s Airbus A350 took 12 hours and 52 minutes to complete its journey across the polar expanse, with customers on board being told when they passed over the North Pole.
Ole Orvér, Finnair Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Summer sees us increasing flights to over 300 daily flights.
“We continue to serve our key Asian destinations despite the longer routings caused by Russian airspace closure, and also have an excellent offering in Europe and North America.”
Frequencies across Finnair’s European network have been adjusted following the reduction in transfer traffic. Finnair continues to serve most destinations in Asia with daily flights to Bangkok, Delhi, Singapore, and Tokyo, three weekly flights to Seoul, twice a week to Hong Kong, one weekly frequency to Shanghai, and now Mumbai, thrice a week.
Apart from flights to Tokyo, other services to Japan have been temporarily suspended for the summer 2022 season, due to the Russian airspace closure. Finnair had originally been scheduled to serve Tokyo Narita and Haneda airports, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, and Fukuoka with 37 weekly flights. Finnair is also postponing the start of its new Busan route.
There are still some great fares on Finnair. The cheap Helsinki return was still available on a few dates and there are fares from £1300 from London to Singapore and Bangkok or around £1100 from Stockholm. The new business class will start on the Singapore route from 11 May.
Singapore opening up for travel – end of VTLs
Singapore has announced a relaxing of measures from 1 April including at the border. All fully vaccinated travellers, as well as children aged 12 and below, will be able to enter Singapore with just a pre-departure COVID-19 test from 11.59pm on 31 March. This replaces the existing VTL arrangements.
There will also no longer be a requirement to wear masks outdoors from this time. Food and alcohol sales will be allowed after 10.30pm again also.
Hilton’s new Singapore hotel
I am a lover of Singapore and hoping to head there very soon. I will definitely have to check out Hilton’s newest offering the Hilton Singapore Orchard which has just opened its doors. It’s in a great location at the heart of Orchard Road and more like a resort with 1,080 rooms. It’s attached to the luxury shopping centre Mandarin Gallery, which is very handy.
The lounge looks really good and I usually find in Asia hotels are more generous with drinks and snacks. It also seems to be a really foodie hotel with even a 2 Michelin star option.
From Osteria Mozza, the Asian outpost of the award-wining LA eatery by celebrated chef Nancy Silverton, to relaxed all-day dining restaurant Estate, Hilton Singapore Orchard’s five concepts has plenty of choice. For afternoon tea or an aperitif, guests can enjoy barista-quality brews, botanical-inspired afternoon tea, handcrafted cocktails or artisanal pastries at Ginger.Lily. Two-Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro and award-winning Chatterbox famed for their local Singapore delights round up the stellar culinary line up at Hilton Singapore Orchard.
