We can’t always travel business course across the world. We would love to, however it is not necessarily feasible. As well as for brief haul trips around Southeast Asia, we are more likely to travel among the popular inexpensive companies. After all, i might instead save yourself my cash and kilometers to make a 12 hour trip to Europe operating course. Meaning more budget flights around Southeast Asia. This is how we wound up testing out Tigerair to to Singapore.
Flying From Bangkok on Tigerair to Singapore
There are several inexpensive companies, or spending plan airlines, that fly throughout Southeast Asia. We’ve flown AirAsia, a whole lot. And, we’ve tested out Thai Smile on a domestic trip within Thailand. But, recently we had the chance to fly Tigerair to Singapore for the first time. We flew Tigerair within Australia a few times in 2009. This was our first-time flying Tigerair within Asia.
We flew from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Tigerair’s hub at Singapore Changi Airport. Our two hour journey had been every thing you’d want from a flight: quick, comfortable, and with friendly solution. And, because our company is luxury travelers, we opted for an “upgrade” on first row on our flight on Tigerair to Singapore and to exit row along the way right back. There’s always a way to fly having a little bit of luxury, even on a tight budget flight.
Updating on a tight budget Airline
Most associated with inexpensive providers who fly within Southeast offer customers this sort of “upgrade.” This might consist of buying meals aboard or roomier seats in exit line or at the front end associated with aircraft. Tigerair is not any various and offers all of these solutions. Just what sets them besides airlines like AirAsia, is Tigerair permits chair upgrades during the trip.
From my chair in the 1st row, I heard the statement that seats were available in rows one and 13 for purchase. An update mid-flight! This may be a great substitute for offer passengers. You may still find numerous fliers whom aren’t aware of these roomier seats or may have forgotten to pick this program once they initially booked their solution. Having one final chance to purchase additional leg space, also for cost, is a huge plus. On the other hand, I’m 6’4” while having extra legroom on my brain every time I fly.
Tigerair is Singapore Air, And More!
Tigerair is one of four airlines that comprise Singapore Global Airlines, the SIA holding company. SIA additionally operates Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, and Scoot. Scoot and Tigerair have a pretty close relationship. Scoot covers more long term channels, especially on the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Around we just flew Tigerair to Singapore, we could have seamlessly linked to Scoot, and flown to Australia and past.
At Singapore Airport, Tigerair and Scoot fliers can quickly move from flight to another to attain more locations throughout Asia. Our last location was Singapore so we didn’t hook up to a Scoot journey. But if we had, it was great to know our bags could have been transported directly to our next flight.
Tigerair and the Value Alliance
Tigerair is a member of the Singapore Airlines family, where Tigerair flights make KrisMiles. Tigerair is also a founding person in the worth Alliance. So that you can compete keenly against AirAsia, eight airlines formed the world’s first “pan-regional Low Cost Carrier” alliance. The worth Alliances includes Cebu Pacific associated with Philippines, JejuAir from South Korea, Nok and NokScoot of Thailand, Vanilla Air from Japan, and lastly Scoot and Tigerair.
Just what does this mean for Tigerair people? According to the Value Alliance, it indicates that people are in a position to book flights provided by any Value Alliance partner “when they visit any user web site.” Being the #AvGeek I am, I place this to the test on Tigerair’s web site. When I looked for flights from Seoul to Cebu, a route served by JejuAir, no journey resulted. I’m not sure if this is user mistake or in the event that scheduling system isn’t in place yet. I’ll consistently experiment to see exactly what arises. Regardless, this may be a big step forward the inexpensive providers in Southeast Asia within their efforts to compete keenly against AirAsia. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for tourists to find and book the roads they desire using one of these brilliant eight airlines.
As the final time we travelled Tigerair was at 2009, I’m delighted we had the chance to experience them again. And, it had been good to compare their solution to another cheap companies in Southeast Asia.
Being situated in Bangkok, it’s always our preference to travel out of Suvarnabhumi versus Don Muang. Fortunately Tigerair flies out of the larger Suvarnabhumi. Overall, I became happy with this experience. The inflight meal we ordered had beenn’t the greatest we’ve had, but wasn’t the worst. The employees had been excessively friendly.
We were hosted for the journey on Tigerair to Singapore in order to attend a travel seminar hosted by TravMedia. As constantly, my ideas are my own. Also, since our journey, SIA announced that Scoot Air could be taking in Tigerair into the future. This will take a moment, however, therefore it is nevertheless possible to own this Tigerair experience traveling inside and out of Singapore.
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We spent a good chunk of our six week road trip along the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Starting in Tampa, we made our way west. We spent a night in Mobile, Alabama, visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast, followed by a week in New Orleans, and then off to Lafayette and Baton Rouge. This stretch of our American road trip was one of the tastiest. We ate some amazing food. But, some of the dishes we ate just stood out. These are the best Gulf Coast eats, and the ones you should track down!
We’ve never been big oyster eaters. I’ve occasionally had them raw, but I have always struggled a bit with the texture. When I started to hear about how prevalent chargrilled oysters are along the gulf, I became a lot more intrigued. 
Our first po’boy experiences were in New Orleans during our early trips to hang out around Bourbon Street. At the time, we focused on fried shrimp po’boys, essentially deep fried shrimp on a fresh baguette, dressed with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Sometimes, the shrimp po’boys would be served with a spicy remoulade sauce. Remoulade is a French inspired sauce, normally mayonnaise based with enough spices that it normally is a pink or red color. 
I was so looking forward to fresh biscuits during our Gulf Coast eats road trip, that we named our Kia Optima “Biscuit.” I don’t know what it is about a good biscuit. When well made, it’s just comforting.
The real reason behind the road trip across the south was BBQ. We both love BBQ, and wanted to eat as much of it as possible. Places like New Orleans are just not BBQ cities, but all along the Gulf Coast there are loads of places to get great BBQ. The great thing about a lot of these places is that they are not entirely focused on one style, they are a blend of Texas, North Carolina, and even Kansas City style BBQ. 
We are not big sweets eaters, focusing more on the savory. Besides, once we’ve loaded up on the oysters, po’boys, BBQ, and washed it all down with some craft beer, we are pretty darn full. That said, we had a couple of great desserts during our road trip. 
#USChowDown – An American Road Trip
Close your eyes and say the words “cruise ship” and what images pop into your head? For me, it’s always been large cruise ships, the size of a small city, where it’s nearly impossible to find a lounge chair near the pool. Where I would be one of a thousand people clamoring for a server’s attention at dinner.
For me, this presents almost a nightmarish scenario aboard a cruise ship. Long lines, cold food, all of which looks manhandled and unappetizing. Imagine spending a week when all of your meals involved elbowing people away to grab the last remnant of a lemon meringue pie. 
Dinner at the restaurant was always a la carte, and focused on international and local dishes. We ate escargot and frogs legs and chateaubriand, all paired with French wines. Although our fellow diners agreed that a few of the menu items over the week were “misses,” overall the dinners were fabulous. Honestly, they were way better than expected. 
Moreover, the folks on the Viking French river cruise did a great job of looking after guests with food allergies and other issues. We were traveling with a friend who was recently diagnosed with a disease that has altered everything he ingests. The Maitre d’, Imre, found our friend at every meal to ensure he was taken care of. Imre went so far as to go ashore and buy coconut milk, so our friend wasn’t stuck with soy. The attention was so good that at times our friend wanted to “cheat” a little, but didn’t want to disappoint Imre. It was amazing to watch.
I’ve always wondered whether I could enjoy a cruise if we didn’t fit the demographic of the cruise ship, generally misconstrued to be limited to older people. Our European river cruise was just such a test. Now, I should note that Eric and I tend to fit in very well with retirees. We always end up hanging with retirees at resorts or hotels. Some of our closest friends when living in Bali were in their sixties. Perhaps that is because we don’t stay up late partying and we value our sleep. 
I am generally not a fan of group tours because I don’t like being on a tight schedule. I value my free time. I like to nap. I want to ensure I have time to write, or to work, or to just sit and chat with someone. I was a little concerned that cruise travel would be too scheduled. Too many ports of call, on board activities, and excursions. 
Eric is almost a giant. He doesn’t fit anywhere. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve never booked a cruise. I didn’t want to feel cramped in a tiny cabin with a giant. For that ill fated Chinese river cruise years ago, we had two tiny single beds, up against the wall, and a bathroom that was virtually unusable. Add to this the fact that I’ve recently developed a minor case of claustrophobia, and I was nervous about being stuck in a small cabin space for a week. 
On our Viking Buri ship, we had a Veranda Stateroom. We had floor to ceiling windows, and a balcony. We had a queen sized bed and a shower that Eric could fit in. The stateroom was about the same size as a typical hotel room in Hong Kong, cozy, but functional, and not in the least bit claustrophobia inducing. 
Through our recent luxury travel experiences, we’ve learned what to expect from a luxury hotel. A well appointed room, a decadent lobby, well trained staff.
The most notable artwork was “Beijing Girl” by Zhang Xiang Ming. Her deep, soulful eyes greeted us each time we walked through the lobby.
We arrived in Chengdu and didn’t even need to leave the hotel to experience local Sichuan food. At Niccolo Chengdu’s Yue Hin, we indulged in a tasting menu with about a dozen different dishes. We started with cold dishes, including a smoked fish and a ridiculously spicy cucumber skin. A series of hot dishes started to arrive at the table, so many that we quickly ran out of space on our table. 
I’ve now eaten abalone multiple times in the last several months, particularly during some of our fancy Cantonese meals in Hong Kong. At Yue Hin, steamed abalone was served in a pea broth. It tasted tender and well prepared, but abalone is still not something I understand, or really get. It looked pretty though.
The highlights of the main course for me, though, were the Sichuan dishes. Dishes included one of my all time favorites, stir-fried chicken with Sichuan chili peppers. This dish should be served with the amount of chili peppers vastly outweighing the amount of chicken. It should leave the lips tingling. It did not disappoint. 
And, a Sichuan style meat ball was loaded with a home-made pepper powder. It was similar to a five spice powder, but with the addition of Sichuan chilies. 
At the end of the hot dishes, the server brought out what was described in the menu as “Vegetables Big Platter.” And, that is just what arrived. But the presentation was stunning, with each slice of vegetable laid across the plate to form a fan design. Bird’s nest and saffron trimmed the edges. 
Then, the main courses arrived. No, all of the platters of food that covered every inch of our table were not enough. And, they were not even our main courses. A three tiered platter of dim sum arrived, including a goose pastry shaped like a swan, with little doughy panda bears on guard at each end. A wild mushroom steamed dumpling was topped with truffles. And a steamed bun, filled with mushroom and gravy, was made to look like a mushroom itself.
And, not to cater too much to the pescatarian friend in our group, we indulged in NK’s Meat Lovers’ Delight. The platter included some of the most tender and juicy lamb chops, grilled chicken, and soy marinated short ribs. Presented in a large cast iron pan, the server placed this mountain of meat directly in front of Eric, most likely intentionally.
I am infatuated with the notion of afternoon tea.
I never thought I would be eating French food in China. It was, of course, not the reason why we were traveling to Chengdu. Our trip focused on spicy Sichuan food. But, Niccolo Hotel had a visiting chef from Xiamen, China, in for a promotion the week we were in Chengdu. And, the chef just happened to be from France. This is how we ended up eating French food in Chengdu.
Having met with Chef Olivier early in the day, he promised us frogs legs. I am used to eating Asian style frogs legs, mostly in Vietnam. They are often deep fried and seasoned with garlic, chili, and lemongrass. During our French river cruise, we ate a whole frog in a creamy sauce with tomato and pepper. But, Chef Olivier’s version was Provencale style, layered with tomatoes and juicy green peppers. 
For many Americans, bigger is always better. For us, that is just not the case, despite the fact that Eric is over 6 feet tall. We worked with Kia America during our road trip, so we were blessed that we did not have to rent a car for our 6 week road trip. 
Do as I say, not as I do? 
It’s easy to fly to the largest cities in America. It’s a lot harder to hit the secondary, or even tertiary destinations. An American road trip was our opportunity to visit cities like Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Macon, and Athens. These are four cities we’ve not only never visited before, but weren’t really on our radar until they became stopping off points between the larger cities, like New Orleans and Memphis and Savannah. 
After a trip to Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company in Mississippi, and a week of drinking craft beer in New Orleans, I think my taste buds are getting the hang of American craft beer. I am still not a fan of the IPAs, which are a little too hoppy for my tastes. But, I’ve been enjoying quite a few of the beer we’ve tasted. 
On this week’s episode of the food travel podcast, we sit down with Andrew to talk hop wizardry, how he ended up in the American craft beer industry, and why the food in Lafayette, Louisiana is so darned special. 
As we are in the final weeks of our #USChowDown, we are already planning for our 2017 travels. Although we have spent a lot of time this year returning to places we love, we are hoping to get to a few new destinations, and in particular new countries, in 2017.
During our current #USChowDown, we’ve been exploring Southern BBQ. From The Shed BBQ in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to a weekend of BBQ love in Memphis, we’ve been enjoying loads of different types of tasty BBQ. And, although many people think that BBQ goes perfect with beer, we’ve been experimenting with BBQ and wine. During the #USChowDown, we were pairing refreshing sparkling red Lambrusco with home made BBQ, seasoned with Mama Honey’s Hiney Rub in Macon, Georgia. We’ve been eating and drinking well, so I am sold on the concept of BBQ and wine.
The Excelsior Wine Contest is called BBQ to Braai. Their goal is to find America’s First Braai Master. In a partnership with Cape Classics, Excelsior Wine’s importer into the US, and South African Airways, they are offering one lucky American grill master a trip for two people to Cape Town to learn how to make South African braai, on the wine estate!
Because we recently ate loads of tasty foods in Chengdu, I asked our friends Agnes and Cez, China experts, to share their recommendations for foods you must eat in China.
Agness ready to try some fried pork with rice and veggies. 
This dish is a perfect dinner option as it combines sweetness and sourness. It is served everywhere across the country so you can find it in small and big cities in any decent restaurant. The chicken is very crispy and tastes amazing when served with fried rice. This is by far my favourite dish in China. I often find myself ordering it when I go out with my friends in Shanghai or Beijing. You can order a glass of wine as well as it fits this dish perfectly.
Crispy goose is a traditional dish served in the Southern part of China, well-known for its roasted meat and BBQ taste. You will definitely love its taste – crispy skin and tender meat. The goose is often seasoned with various spices and served with a bowl of rice. Not trying it is simply a sin!
If you make it to China, trying baozi and jiaozi is a must! Both are dumplings, but what’s the main difference between then? Baozi are much bigger than jiaozi, they are steamed and filled with meat (mince) and veggies (carrots and cabbage). They can be consumed daily and will fill you up quite quickly. Jiaozi are eaten during the Chinese New Year and they are not only popular in China, but also in South-East Asian countries, especially Vietnam and Thailand. They look tiny in comparison to baozi, but you will find them more crispy and salty if they are fried. Jiaozi is also easily found in local eateries, served throughout the day in baskets where they were previously steamed, and also put into soups instead of noodles. It’s hard to spend a few days in China without eating either Jiaozi or Baozi.
Congee is a 
Although you can taste spring rolls anywhere in Asia, Chinese ones (called 
Thanks to Agness and Cez for sharing their food tips!