Azerbaijan, Baltic Sea cruise and Saudi airlines business class

[henleybeach]

It’s trip report time !
In a weeks time mrs Henleybeach and myself are off on our honeymoon after receiving my life semtencing last week
We fly to Melbourne next Monday for the night before flying out on Singapore airlines to Istanbul in business class.
(121k velocity points plus $86 pp)
We have One night in Istanbul before flying down to Azerbaijan (Baku) on Azerbaijan airlines in economy . 4 nights in Baku before flying to Copenhagen to start our 9 night Baltic Sea cruise on board Norwegian cruise line.
After 9 nights of food , wine and coughtails and feeling like I’ll need a wheelbarrow to get me off the boat it’s one night in Istanbul , then flying J class Saudi airlines IST - KUL ( paid $650 cash)
Looking forward trying Saudi , getting drunk on date smoothies and trying 787-9.
2 nights in KL before coming home to radelaide via Perth on Malaysia airlines business class ( paid cash $450)

Looking forward to the trip , I haven’t been to the Baltic Sea region or Azerbaijan, so if there is any tips before we leave , fire away !

 

[Jacques Vert]

I'm on-board for this TR. Dare I sit in JohnM's seat 1A? It looks vacant at this stage.

 

[Buzzard]

As a fellow Radeladian all I can say is go for it baby, have a great time. I look forward to stalking you on the trip.

 

[VPS]

Another Radelaidian and enjoyed your last TR so following along

 

[Boca68]

sounds wonderful.

But I'm curious, why Baku for a honeymoon? Family connection? Or other reasons. I honestly don't know too much about it other than lots of oil

 

[RooFlyer]

I had a few days in Baku and surrounds - trip report here. I'd suggest going out after dark - the lighting of the flame towers and many other buildings is spectacular.

 

[Major]

Certainly an interesting choice for a honeymoon

 

[henleybeach]

sounds wonderful.

But I'm curious, why Baku for a honeymoon? Family connection? Or other reasons. I honestly don't know too much about it other than lots of oil

We like going to countries that not many people go to and we needed to kill a week before our cruise . We hadn’t been to Portugal so it was a toss up between the two. We got a good deal at the Hilton hotel, $199 king club room so we were like stuff it lets do something different ! It looks fascinating Baku

 

[JohnM]

OK, OK, I'll take 1K....

 

[love_the_life]

OK, OK, I'll take 1K....

Not so fast. I'm there!

 

[Pushka]

It’s trip report time !
In a weeks time mrs Henleybeach and myself are off on our honeymoon after receiving my life semtencing last week
We fly to Melbourne next Monday for the night before flying out on Singapore airlines to Istanbul in business class.
(121k velocity points plus $86 pp)
We have One night in Istanbul before flying down to Azerbaijan (Baku) on Azerbaijan airlines in economy . 4 nights in Baku before flying to Copenhagen to start our 9 night Baltic Sea cruise on board Norwegian cruise line.
After 9 nights of food , wine and coughtails and feeling like I’ll need a wheelbarrow to get me off the boat it’s one night in Istanbul , then flying J class Saudi airlines IST - KUL ( paid $650 cash)
Looking forward trying Saudi , getting drunk on date smoothies and trying 787-9.
2 nights in KL before coming home to radelaide via Perth on Malaysia airlines business class ( paid cash $450)

Looking forward to the trip , I haven’t been to the Baltic Sea region or Azerbaijan, so if there is any tips before we leave , fire away !

You will love the Baltics. It’s very full on. I did a trip report last year - Russian around the Baltics. Unfortunately I am double booked this month but will try tune in when I can.
Russian around the Baltic with some spice to finish off!

 

[Ric]

Coming on board for this TR. Doing the same cruise in early June!

 

[Pushka]

Checking out your itinerary you cover the same ports, ours had a couple of extra ones as it was a little longer. It was much colder than we expected. Take warm stuff and layer. Stockholm sailaway is brilliant but freezing.

 

[OATEK]

Will also be following along henleybeach as were are off on a Baltic Cruise beginning late June.

 

[Boca68]

We like going to countries that not many people go to and we needed to kill a week before our cruise . We hadn’t been to Portugal so it was a toss up between the two. We got a good deal at the Hilton hotel, $199 king club room so we were like stuff it lets do something different ! It looks fascinating Baku

Well, fabulous!! Sounds perfect to me. And to have your +1 thinking the same way about travel is perfect.

Really look forward to seeing and reading about it.

 

[Pushka]

And this just popped up my Instagram feed:

Azerbaijan


And summoning @RooFlyer
Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaijan

 

[henleybeach]

And this just popped up my Instagram feed:

Azerbaijan
View attachment 125787

And summoning @RooFlyer
Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaijan

We have booked one tour to the
Khinalug region , it’s a big day .
12 hours and 300 km but out in the mountains and we will see the life of Azerbaijan outside of Baku . The scenery looks great. I’ve heard it’s a hidden gem!

 

[henleybeach]

Well the trip is starting , the excitement begins , the honeymoon starts .

We flew over to Melbourne the day before with virgin and stayed in the city at the quest grand and went for tea at plus 39 Italian. A great dinner and defiantly recommend it, Beautiful pizza and pasta!

My parents are with us for
The first leg to Singapore and then they connect to Paris while we go to Istanbul. It’s great travelling with someone who hasn’t flown business class before , it makes you not take it for granted , just
seeing their faces and how excited they are makes me excited .
We headed to the silverkris lounge ,
It was my first time in the Melbourne lounge and it was a bit meh. I seem to find Singapore airlines lounges everywhere pretty underwhelming.

We did a lounge crew and went to the air nz lounge which we all agreed was far better , had a lovely view of a Emirates a380 and qantas 787 . The food was better and with a better selections and there was a bigger selection of drinks as well. Next time i would go straight to the air NZ lounge

 

[henleybeach]

View from lounge

 

[RooFlyer]

We have booked one tour to the
Khinalug region , it’s a big day .
12 hours and 300 km but out in the mountains and we will see the life of Azerbaijan outside of Baku . The scenery looks great. I’ve heard it’s a hidden gem!

Holy smokes! That's a big day - but its an area I wanted to include in my trip, but it lost out to another.

And well done on the lounge crawl .