Farflung travel makes up some of the most memorable travels I’ve ever experienced. Now I’m into all kinds of free travel, and all kinds of travel. Relaxing on a beach is kind of my ideal day. But in terms of ideal travel, most of the time my most desired destinations are farflung.
By “farflung” I mean a place very far from where we’re from in terms of experience. That’s my kick. Even going to northern Bali you can see strange festivals that are about as culturally different as you can get. Experiences you won’t have at home. Remote places, weird places, culturally different places. When I can find a place like this to use my points, I do.
1) Tibet, China: Four Points Lhasa – 7,000 SPG points
Tibet is home to the highest mountain (Mt. Everest), although “Tibet” covers an enormous area (like China) and Lhasa is on a big plain at 12,000 feet elevation! An experience visiting there would be all kinds of interesting. The nature and the culture would be so interesting too.
I’ve wanted to go to Tibet for so long and have still not done a trip yet. Probably because I’m easily deterred by the hint of difficulty getting a visa, but now we have our 10 year Chinese Visa maybe we’ll go the extra mile for Tibet entrance.
If you’re into “farflung”, China is so different. Everywhere you go will surely be interesting. And from a miles and points perspective, you can stay in super nice hotels, all over the place, for super cheap. Many hotels scattered across China are category 1 and 2 hotels. And there are certainly places further in China (like Lijiang and Kunming) that have points hotels, but not as restrictive as Tibet.
China is farflung, but Tibet is more farflung. The best of the best by these standards.
2) Borneo, Malaysia: Batang Ai Longhouse Resort – 5,000 Hilton HHonors points
I have yet to even get to Borneo, but it seems to be about as remote and removed as you can get. It’s quite a trek to even get to the hotel in the jungle of Borneo. Reviews on the hotel are mixed, as some feel it’s too basic, or that it’s too boring/remote.
But if you’re looking for remote, you found it! And 5,000 points is nothing. As said earlier, I plan to get 180,000 HHonors points this month from 2 cards. See: 15 Credit Cards to Earn Hilton HHonors points.
Also, the Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan is an SPG category 1 (2,000 to 3,000 points) on the east coast of Borneo. Seems like a launching point but not itself as surrounded by nature. Another great place for an SPG and a Hyatt on Borneo is Kota Kinabalu. KK seems like a great place to visit, way more realistic, and an even better launching point.
3) Maasai Mara, Kenya: Fairmont Mara Safari Club – 2 night certs
I actually wrote a post on African Safari hotels on points, and one of the best options is the Fairmont in Maasai Mara. It’s actually just outside the park (so you’ll have to pay $80 per person to get in everyday), but it’s a nice area and it’s one of the “luxury camping” styled hotels.
Maasai Mara is also farflung in culture. It was so interesting hanging out with the people there. Talking about daily life as a tribe member, how many wives they have, and how the young men of the tribe used to have to kill a lion with a spear to be a man and marry.
The safari time was amazing.
Fairmont doesn’t actually do the points thing, but their credit card (a Chase card) gives you two free nights at any Fairmont for signing up. Still free.
4) Varanasi or Amritsar, India – 15,000 Club Carlson points
The most farflung place I’ve been (in terms of cultural experiences) was probably Varanasi. I’m not sure I recommend going though, as it is an overwhelming experience, to say the least… So I’m providing one of the easiest farflung experiences in India as an alternative.
Radisson Varanasi. The hotel is away from the Ganges River itself, but taxis in India are cheaper than even the food. I think we paid $1.50 for the long taxi to the Ganges.
The Ganges is… intense. Super intense. It’s totally wild seeing all the people bathing in such filth. But the most overwhelming parts were the crowds and the trash around the city. Just so much intensity. As my friend said, “faith and filth”. Google image search Varanasi and imagine that with incredible crowds, trash, and smells.
Radisson or Country Inn & Suites, Amritsar. Amritsar’s “Golden Temple” is one of my favorite places in India. An absolutely wonderful experience I recommend it to everyone. So peaceful, so unique, and it’s inspiring. They also have a free kitchen next to it where we ate and they feed thousands and thousands of people a day. It is sooo unique.
India is an adventure for anyone from the US as everything from the religion, to the history, to the cultural norms are incredibly different than our own. And luckily, there are super cheap points hotels all over India, similar to China.
5) Longyearbyen, Norway: Radisson Longyearbyen – 50,000 Club Carlson points
I learned of this from OneMileAtATime, and found out that this hotel claims to be the northern most “full service” hotel. I suppose that means that you can rent out an igloo somewhere, but it’s not really a hotel like a Radisson is a hotel.
Pretty unique, and it appears to be similar to an Iceland experience. But my google image searches produce really bleh results. Very gray and brown. Not my heart’s desire, but I’ve also never been to Iceland either. I’m sure if I went it would be awesome.
6) Iguazu Falls, Argentina: Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa – 12,500 to 16,000 SPG points
Ya gotta love the fact that TripAdvisor says “#1 of 1 Hotels in Iguazu National Park”. This is the best hotel in the national park… because it’s the only one.
Being in the middle of the Rainforest at one of the biggest waterfalls in the world (way bigger than Niagara Falls). Many friends have been and rave about the remote experience. And that’s what this is- this is a nature experience. You don’t get this experience in a visit to DC.
7) Cusco Peru: JW Marriott Cusco – 35,000 Marriott points
Yes, Cusco is the most touristy place in Peru, but the mountains are super farflung. The JW Marriott and the Starwood hotels are probably not “farflung” but if you’re willing to explore a little, wow. The indigenous people in Peru live far different lives.
I don’t expect people to do what we did: hitchhiked a bus (long story), taxi’d around the most dangerous road in the world (a dirt road about car-width 200 meters above a river), and hiked along train tracks… all to get to Machu Picchu. But I can tell you we had the adventure of a lifetime, and came across some of the most interesting characters I’ve ever seen. Including an indigenous woman who also hitchhiked the bus in the highest part of our trip in the Andes. She obviously lived in some kind of hut, took care of animals, wore handmade clothes, and was hooked on those Coca leaves.
The most farflung cultural trips we’ve done in the Americas… by a long shot.
Conclusion
Just saying “China and India” would have been list enough. Just to some place in northern India… or some place not Goa, and you’ll have an interesting cultural experience. Or go to inland China, like some place not Beijing or Shanghai, and you’ll have an interesting cultural experience. I guarantee it… or… you just didn’t leave the Park Hyatt.
In fact, the entire continent of Asia, as diverse as it is, is totally different. The Middle East, India, China, or even Thailand. Even in many touristy places in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, etc… the culture is still fascinating. I could spend my entire life exploring Southeast Asia and be fine with it (if we didn’t value seeing our home community).
People saying “Africa” as if it’s a single tiny country is my pet peeve. Like “I hear there is a lot of crime in Syria, Serbia and Africa”, as if Africa is all the same. It’s not. A few places are war torn, and most places are very peaceful. That being said… traveling to Africa is always a different experience. I’ve never been to the touristy island of Zanzibar, but I’m sure even that is a unique experience, and a great one at that.
Going some place really different is my favorite part of travel.
If you have any suggestions for hotel redemptions in farflung places, then please let me know. I’m always looking to combine my passion of burning hotel points with my passion of farflung travel.
Adding the country in the headline of #3 will be really nice
Thanks
Great post. The Four Points Sandakan is a genuinely nice hotel and a good use of SPG points, particularly on weekends. The Hyatt KK is one of my favorite hotels in the world and an absolutely amazing use of Hyatt points.
Yea, I’ve heard awesome things about the Hyatt in KK. Did you like the town itself though? Looks farflung enough for me!
Sandakan has been on the US State Dept no go list, as well as lists from other countries, due to the slim chance of pirates and kidnappings. Probably quite safe, but worth knowing in advance.
Until now, I hadn’t known about the May 14th kidnapping in Sandakan. Thanks for pointing this out, Tony Manzi. Previously, the pirate risk had mainly been in the super fancy/expensive dive resorts on islands off of the eastern coast of Sabah not near cities. I’d still feel safer in all of Sandakan town than in parts of many American cities. The mainstream media reports on the most recent kidnappings that I’ve read suggest it was highly targeted on two individuals who had been identified as affluent. Still, it’s particularly troubling that this happened on the mainland. Sabah has such amazing potential as a tourist destination and is having such a terrible past two years for such a wonderful place. I really hope things
improve for the benefit of the generally awesome locals.
Nothing useful to add, but this is a really cool post. Between this and all the stopover tips you provide such interesting trip ideas. Posts like this are, for me, what really makes your blog unique.
Thanks JayP, I appreciate the encouragement.
I’ve stayed at 2 of your “far flung” hotels. Iguazu was very fun but, at the time, you didn’t need a visa for Argentina, and Brazil just let you cross the border for free. Now you need expensive visas for both (I think they’re each $160). Personally, that curbs my enthusiasm — I hate ridiculously priced visas.
The Batang Ai Longhouse is quite fun and, if you make it to Sarawak for at least a week, it’s definitely worth a stop for anyone with any HHonors points to spend. You need to stay at least 2 nights (don’t stay more than 3) and, if it’s not your first rodeo, you should rent a car and drive yourself from Kuching. Certainly interesting (in a “why is this hotel here” kind of way), but if you have less time, you should go to Bako National Park instead. No animals to see at Batang Ai.
I’ve been to Cusco a couple times and I recommend it (although it’s better to spend more time in the nearby Sacred Valley), but I haven’t stayed at the JW Marriott. Simply a question of expense. You need a lot of points, and nice non-chain hotels in Cusco can be quite reasonable. I usually don’t redeem for “expensive on points” hotels unless there isn’t a good alternative. Is Cusco, there are lots of them.
With Iguazu, can you go the falls without crossing the border? because if not, that would be a total disappointment.
The hotel in Borneo looks really in the middle of nowhere. Seems like an odd park to build on. But still interesting. I’ll try it eventually if it stays a cat 1.
With Cusco we stayed in just some cheap hotel. But I know a lot of people tend to only stay in nice hotels, or have the points and would just like the experience of the hotel. Not how I would use my points.
If you fly into the Argentine Iguazu airport, you could get away with only having an Argentine visa. For an American, the easiest way to get to the park is probably by flying LAN from Lima into the Brazilian airport, but there are also flights from Buenos Aires to the Argentine airport. The “better” side of the falls is the Argentine side, but both sides are worthwhile. It would be a disappointment to be at the Sheraton and not be able to see the other side; on the other hand, it probably also wouldn’t be worth an extra $160! That’s the annoyance.
Bantang Ai is definitely an oddly-located hotel, and it feels like it’s not doing as well as its developers hoped. When I was there (Xmas-time), it was probably at 10% occupancy, although I was told other times are busier. Definitely not worth a trip to Borneo JUST to stay here, but if you’re in Sarawak for a week and a HHonors gold with points, it’s certainly worth the drive for a couple days. I’d go sooner rather than later because I’m not sure how long this hotel will stay a Hilton. It felt quite marginal.
How do you feel about outrageously priced visas so many visitors have to pay to come to the US? It is not a visa, it is a reciprocity fee.
Drew, You may find this interesting http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/11597145/Living-and-working-in-paradise-the-rise-of-the-digital-nomad.html
Thanks, I’ll look at it more in a bit. But already relate to a lot of the themes.
And the working spaces seem like really cool ideas, as I like to have a different work place and sleeping space, but it’s a total luxury. Only happens when we get huge suites.
Great point on the “Africa” pet peeve…I agree but am also guilty of it in certain situations. I am searching for any such redemption for safari lodging in Botswana, Zimbabwe, or Zambia. I will be at Victoria Falls in September and have to pick my jaw up off the ground every time I check rates, though the rates at the Zambezi natl. Park near Vic Falls appear to be the most reasonable. I assume I’ll be using Barclay Arrival + “miles” but curious if anyone has any insight.
The post I linked to in this post has some info on redemptions: http://travelisfree.com/2014/11/10/african-safari-hotels-on-points/
Victoria Falls River Lodge is certainly not cheap… But seriously it’s AWESOME. The drinks, food, and game drives are all included and all great. The staff is top notch. The “tents” are ridiculous. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say you will not be disappointed. Otherwise, we had some friends who camped and had a lot of fun. Also don’t worry about being really close to the falls, I didn’t see any hotels that had a view of the falls (although I could’ve somehow missed it) and a half day or so is all you’ll really spend at the falls itself. They have some crazy high swing deal and Devil’s Pool (Google it) from the Zambia side if you’re interested in that. I think you have to get shots to cross over to Zambia though, we skipped it.
If you’re near Harare check out Imire. It’s a big conservatory. We were there for a day trip but had a really great time, good food, and it looked like they had nice accommodations. This was last year.
Been to the Sheraton Iguazu Resort and loved it. As you said only hotel in the national park so the trails to the falls start right out the door. Hotel even has view of the falls and so do some of the rooms. Good use of points because I recall room rates were expensive.
I have been to Varanasi and loved it. There is nowhere like it. I would recommend it for a short visit but definitely not a place for someone that only likes staying at a Hyatt. I prefer staying by the Ganges even though there are no places to use points. Makes it easier to see the Ganges by boat around sunset and sunrise which I recommend. Also some places by the river have a view of the Ganges.
Amritsar is an amazing city. See if you can snag the Holiday Inn Amritsar on IHG PointsBreak for 5K. I did it and the hotel was amazing. Ultra-modern, amazing buffet dinner for < $12. Golden Temple is one of the most serene places on earth. Such a contrast from what India normally feels like.