Dubai – I Get Around

Ever since renting the Sex in The City 2 movie from RedBox in 2009, and being charged $30 for not returning the movie on time, I’ve been dreaming of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Kinda like dreaming of white Christmas since moving to Los Angeles and Atlanta. I thought it was a bit out of reach, well anything is possible in Atlanta. Anywho! Back to my dream. I dreamed of a camel backride across a sea of Arabic desert sand while being adorned in the finest of 18-24K gold, almost like Trinadad James, all gold EVERYTHANG! Also spending time in the Palace while being wined, and dined by an UAE Prince, like Harry of Wales like Sarah Jessica Parker. Well MOST of it came true, while some of those details were absent. To start, I ventured to the UAE as a first time solo traveler. EEEK! Scared out of my mind, but a good friend encouraged me to go, because Dubai is one of the safest places to travel alone. Eureka! He was right!

Once I landed in Dubai, there was a sense of calm, even late night. Everyone was very friendly, and helpful, as I asked for directions on the train. Dubai has one of the most sophisticated and best train systems, besides Hong Kong, that I have EVER taken. Dubai Metro trains are not driven by an actual person, they’re driverless. The Metro includes first class, also a women and children ONLY section. It is easily able to be accessed from the Dubai International Airport, and can be used to get to the Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina, and Gold Souks. There are two smaller Trams connected to the Metro that run from 5:30am to 1am. I totally had a blast exploring Dubai by Metro. 

~ Miliwest 

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The Lights, Northern Lights – Iceland

Many travelers, nomads, and wanderists have made their way to the Land of the Ice in 2016. With so many jaw dropping error fares and flight deals to Iceland, as low as $99 each-way on WOW Air this year, your trip to the real tundra is just a hop, skip and jump away! Airport Diaries, amongst other anxious explorers, feverishly jumped on the opportunity to experience a frigid cold vacation, filled with volcano hikes, backpacking through waterfalls, random hot-tubs in mountains, the Blue Lagoon, and of course the hope to catch the beautiful Aurora Borealis.

Aurora Borealis, or what many of us would call the Northern Lights, is a phenomenon that can be seen clearly in the night skies from September to mid April. If you’re lucky enough to experience the Northern Lights, you’ll LITERALLY want to kiss the sky. I tried! Aurora Borealis appears in many colors, although pale-green and pink are the most common. Absolutely breath taking! 

Airport Diaries caught up with photographer and blogger Mary Ella Jourdak, to get her perspective as she chases down the Northern Lights. Mary states “After my first trip where I had just a few short hours spent alternating between a hysterical joy and overwhelming awe under an undulating green sky, I brought home an insatiable need to see them again. And again. And, probably in the very near future, again. Iceland, in my three trips there in 2016, has been akin to a fever dream. Days full of strange light clambering over rocky trails, long nights of driving through velvety blackness, spartan and dynamic scenery, bumpy back roads, and the unending push and pull of the wind, the sea, and the need to see more. The dizzying cherry atop these wild days is to chase after the Northern Lights, a scene that tops many bucket lists.”

The good folks at Airport Diaries HIGHLY recommend adding Iceland to your bucket list! Not only is it a nature lovers dream, but you can find great pubs, food, fashion, and strikingly beautiful people. Have you pictured yourself rollin down the Icelandic streets? Let us help you secure your trip and plan all the exciting and wonderful things to take advantage of in Iceland! Contact airportdiaries15@gmail.com for a consultation, today!

~ Miliwest

Costa Rica… Save your Colones — USD Please

  

While roaming around Costa Rica for 7 days I found that the good ole American dollar reigned supreme!💯✔️ Costa Rica is a place that gives you excessive amounts of Colones (Costa Rica’s currency), but charges you up the wahzoo for everything. I recommend you keep $200-$300 USD, and exchange $300 if you have plans to travel throughout the country or even party. Here’s my experience.

San Jose Around Town – San Jose is not for tourists that are not Colones savvy. If you don’t speak Spanish, at least learn the numbers quickly! Here’s the trick, if you take a taxi from the airport or around town ALWAYS have them to drop you off in front of your hotel or destination. If not, they will spew out numbers in excess of 4,5, or 800,000 colones, please don’t freak out; ask them to convert to USD. If not you convert to USD and pay them with the USA dollar. Save your colones. USD PLEASE!

  San Jose Restaurants- San Jose has some of the BEST Costa Rican/Mexican eateries around town. You can definitely tell the difference from the richness of their food compared to Chipotle, or the late but great Chi Chis Mexican restaurant. This is where you are more than welcome to make it rain Colones on the waiter or waitress. Don’t be afraid to order appetizers, entrees, desserts, and several cocktails. I KNOW most Americans love leaving tips, or go over and beyond with tipping their server. NOT. Well, you’re free and clear here in San Jose, you stingy buzzards! Restaurants do not require that you tip the wait staff. So as I said MAKE IT RAIN COLONES FOR FOOD.

Shuttles – There are several shuttle companies that’ll take you from San Jose, Haco Beach, Coco Beach, Arenal, Tamarindo, and Liberia. Just be sure not to plan any major activities on that day. The scheduled 3 hour shuttle ride can quickly double or triple depending on the additional people they have to pick up or drop off. SAVE YOUR COLONES with shuttle services! They prefer to be paid in USD PLEASE. Now it all depends on what you’d like to do — the shuttle service can rang from $40 USD to $150 USD.

Tamarindo Clubs – Upon arriving at Tamarindo, surfers heaven, after my 6 hour shuttle ride; a drink was needed. At the Tamarindo clubs, SAVE YOUR COLONES! It cost a whopping $3 USD PLEASE to enter the Crazy Monkey. El Loco Monkey is a well known discoteca (club) that offers two rooms normally playing reggae/hip-hop in one, salsa/live band in the other, and a lady outside selling meat on a stick (I pray that it was chicken). They even offer live entertainment such as very hot Costa Rican and Asian dudes playing with fire on a stick lol Hace Calor!

Costa Rica is a country that understands and respects the value of the USD. However, as I’ve seen in every country, there’s always someone looking to take advantage of your lack of knowledge of their culture, and currency. Hopefully this will help you to save some Colones and USD! In the words of the great poet Tupac Shakur, Airport Diaries “gets around”. Love a little, travel a lot, and step outside of your comfort zone. 

~ MiliWest 

Ping Pong. Anyone?!





Ping Pong, some know as Table Tennis, is an international sport that’s been a part of the Olympics since 1988. Welllllllll we’re gonna enlighten you on the Thai Ping Pong today. 

Ping Pong. It’s not quite what it sounds. Thai Ping Pong shows may include two or more people, and anything from Ping Pong balls, darts, and even animals being ejected from vijay jays. Acts of pleasure are also performed on stage, that would normally be banned in the states. It’s a mixture between a pleasurable strip tease, and an erotic massage; that ends with crowd participation, and the famous happy ending. 

Airport Diaries received a message in a bottle that gave us a full run-down on their “Ping Pong” show experience in Thailand. 

The message in a bottle that washed ashore to Airport Diaries estates reads “I was very much intrigued by the act that was being performed on stage, until I was asked to be a part of it. I was very apprehensive, nervous, yet ready to take on the challenge. I was immediately forced down on stage as two Thai temptress began to explore my body first with massages, next with kisses. Things began to get intense, before I realized what we were doing, I remembered there were onlookers.  I truly began to give them both my all, and gave the crowd a show they’ll NEVER forget.” 

On Bangla Walking street in Phuket Thailand, you will be badgered by several tourist teasers, similar to Vegas, offering discount tickets to “Ping Pong” shows. Attend at your own moral risk. 

Airport Diaries promises to give you real life experiences abroad, that other blogs are afraid to expose. If you want to send your message in a bottle to our estates, unique travel abroad experiences, email airportdiaries15@gmail.com . 

Thailand. Sense of Freedom

While sipping martinis and reflecting on my life, plans and future goals on Phuket Beach, there were major distractions both young and old, wanting to converse with the American girl with the European face. Lol Some of the greatest memories were while exchanging polite pleasantries until curiosity killed the international cat. And just before sunset, kismet happened. I was approached by a rather handsome Parisian gent with kind blue eyes and a mischievous smile. Talking, laughing, and even following each other on Instagram were a part of our agenda to keep an international connection.

Airport Diaries first entry comes from Mr. Parisian aka Carlito, a breakdancing Bboy from Paris:

What has your experience been like in Thailand: contact with the locals, food, transportation, hotel stays? Any recommendations?
My second time traveling alone was in Thailand, I could feel the sensation of freedom better this time because I was no longer afraid. I started this trip with two friends, after two weeks with them I continued alone for an additional two weeks. Thailand had changed a lot, the first time I was there (2003) locals were nicer, not focused on money, just real. This time around I saw such a huge change, especially in Phuket and Koh Phiphi, I didn’t like that. This time they were less welcoming and didn’t smiling, just stared like they were sizing me up.
Also for hotel, some are really good and nice and other could be really dirty, and expensive for nothing. You really have to check reviews ( trip advisor, etc) before booking something, or the best way is to go be yourself before book a room.
About food, I like it, it’s so good. You have to like seafood and fried food. Just pay attention to the cleanliness of the restaurant where you eat.
Night life is good, it depends where you are and what you want. You can find crazy big clubs, ping pong shows (that have little to do with ping pong ;)), sexual market blah, blah, blah. I preferred the cool and nice bar settings, calmer, nicer music and people.
I recommend to go to Koh Tao (one of the cheaper places in the world for scuba diving), and Koh Phangan, I love it there. Nicer people and locals are great. Next time around I would Avoid Phuket (especially Patong). It’s the main tourist spot, great for first time travels but not somewhere I would continue to visit. I recommend Koh PhiPhi (just go by boat from Krabi or other island) around for one day trip because it’s absolutely beautiful.
No matter how bad I speak about Thailand, this country stay amazing when you know where to go, I hope the situation won’t be worse… I want to go back to visit small island like Koh Lipe, Koh Lanta and some others.

Traveling isn’t just a blast, it’s a luxury; and it’s a mind clearing necessity. There’s a certain Je-ne-sais-quoi…maybe, no definitely, there is a sense of Freedom. Free your mind, free your heart and free your soul from fear of the unknown. Take new experiences in stride and be open to learning about other cultures.

Land of Thai – How you Rollin???

Vacationing in Thailand for two weeks or more is the way of life for thousands of tourist yearly, says an European stud muffin. “In order to get the entire Thai experience, you must explore every nook, cranny, temple, island, bar, market, and beach to get a full understanding of the Thai culture.

However, transportation to local sights were aplenty, and VERY expensive, if they figure you’re from America due to your “funny accent” or “American face”. I still lol about that one. You’re looked at like “fools gold”. So wisen up QUICKLY, and play them at their own game!

DONT be afraid to be the dirty car salesman/woman. Ask for the cost of a ride to… Then hit them with the lowest, and MOST absurd counter-offer ever. They’ll laugh, suggest another cost, or stick to their guns. If they stick to original cost, DO NOT be afraid to walk away. As the old cliche goes “if you miss one ride, there’s always another comin every 15 paces”, or sumthin like that! Lol there’s five, YES, only five forms of transportation on each island, outside of hotel/activity shuttle. The ONLY ways to get around are bus, boat, cab/taxi, tuk-tuk (smaller modern magic school bus), and scooter taxi.  DONT be afraid to hail any of them, they may drive reckless, but they’ll ALWAYS get you to your destination safely.

So go “get around” in Thailand, as the GREAT poet Tupac Shakir once said! 😬

~ Airport Diaries15 ✌️