Life

Alaska: The Midnight Sun in Denali /  by Aanarav Sareen

For as long as I can remember, my heart has been set on Alaska to experience the midnight sun. This year, our stars aligned and granted us the chance to witness this on summer solstice. The anticipation had been building all day as we indulged in backcountry ATV rides and white water rafting. But nothing could have prepared us for the incredible evening that awaited us.

As the sky began to turn shades of pink and orange, we eagerly set out to explore the town of Talkeetna under the never-ending light of the midnight sun. Our initial plan was to find the perfect spot for photos, but our curiosity led us down winding roads and we ended up at 49th State Brewing.

With a beer in hand, we anxiously watched the clock tick closer to midnight, we were relieved to see that it was a clear sky - a rare occurrence in Alaska. And then it happened - at exactly midnight, the sun still shone brightly in the sky, casting an orange and pink glow over everything in sight. We piled into our rental van with heads swiveling in every direction, trying to take in every moment of this extraordinary experience.

Total Solar Eclipse in a Pilatus PC-12 /  by Aanarav Sareen

Earlier this year, on April 8th 2024 - I had an opportunity to fly from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York in a private Pilatus PC-12 to experience the path of totality.

Having never done this before, I did a bit of research and picked out my gear. For this trip, I would be taking photos with my trusty Sony a1; the Sony 100-400 GM lens and a solar filter. 

I also wanted to capture the experience of the flight. For that, I had a Leica Q2, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and a GoPro Hero 12. Along with a lot of batteries. A lot. 

Given the excitement of the flight, I got to Teterboro Airport nearly an hour before departure and after checking in - grabbed a few snacks and drinks before the flight.

A good friend of mine was piloting another aircraft from the same company and kept texting me updates as the flight path changed due to ATC restrictions and environmental factors.

After a quick briefing, we took off around 1:25pm. Our destination had changed from the Buffalo region to a waypoint called PATTA.

As we climbed higher into the sky, the excitement onboard was palpable. Everyone was eagerly anticipating a memorable flight.

The pilot announced that we were approaching PATTA and would soon be entering the path of totality.

As we crossed into the path of totality, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The sky started to darken, almost as if night was falling upon us.

I quickly grabbed my Sony a1 and started capturing the stunning view outside. The sun had turned into a black circle with a fiery halo around it.

The whole experience felt surreal - like being in a completely different world.

The view from above was unlike anything I had ever seen before - a mesmerizing combination of light and darkness.

After about 3 minutes of being in the path of totality, we exited back into daylight. But the excitement onboard continued as everyone shared their photos and experiences from this once-in-a-lifetime event.

As we made our way back to New Jersey, I couldn't stop smiling at how lucky I was to have witnessed such an incredible natural phenomenon from high up in the sky. It was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish for years to come.

Once we landed back at Teterboro Airport, there were cheers and applause from all passengers for our successful flight. As we disembarked, I couldn't help but feel grateful for this amazing opportunity and the memories I had created.

A Week at the Conrad Maldives /  by Aanarav Sareen

In 2017, my wife and I celebrated our honeymoon in the Maldives and it is a trip that we still fondly remember. Not only did it offer us infinite beauty in every direction, the hospitality of the Maldivian people left us humbled.

As our son was turning 1, we wanted to do something special for the grandparents, aunt and uncle - so we decided to splurge and booked 4 villas at the Conrad Maldives.

My wife and I spent a lot of time planning the trip over a period of 6 months and coordinated with the hotel in advance - not knowing if we were going to be able to go until a month prior - thanks to COVID spikes every few months.

After making dining, diving and spa reservations for each of the days we were there - the time came to finally pack our bags and head to the airport.

Upon landing at Male airport - we were greeted by the Conrad representatives and were escorted to the sea plane lounge. We were the first ones there and were offered cereal, coffee and some other pastries from the limited breakfast menu. We also spent some time finishing up all the resort paperwork for all the rooms to ensure that there was no billing confusion upon arriving at the resort.

Approximately 2 hours later, it was time to board the sea plane and fly to the resort. The sea plane flight from Male to pretty much any resort has to be the happiest flight on the planet - the excitement is palpable.

After 30 minutes, we landed at the resort and were immediately introduced to our island host - Shiraz. He introduced himself and mentioned that he would be in charge of all 4 villas. While we did reach before check in time, a beach villa was already prepared for us - before our complimentary upgraded villas were ready.

The beach villas are the base villas at the Conrad Maldives. However, our jaw still dropped when we walked in for the first time. There’s just something special about the Maldives.

After settling in, we ordered some lunch and a few minutes later, got word that our Grand Water Villa is ready and that they would deliver our meals to the new room. We packed our bags and took the buggy over to our new room. While the beach villa definitely led to dropped jaws, I’m fairly certain our jaws reached the floor when we saw our new home for the next week - it was absolutely incredible and huge! A living room, a separate bedroom, a large changing area / bathroom and a beautiful outdoor deck with an unparalleled view.

As the rest of the family slowly arrived, every was excited for the week ahead. During our stay, Shiraz, our host made sure that everyone was taken care of - that everyone got to their dining reservations and other appointments on time and that we were kept in the loop about special activities.

The first night, we were invited to the General Manager’s reception - which featured a cotton candy sunset with cocktails and canapés. Every night after that, we were at the free happy hour for elite members. While it was only for an hour, the drinks and cocktails were free-flowing into the 50% off happy hour. We made sure to attend each and every single one.

Every morning, we truly enjoyed our elaborate breakfast with fresh foods, juices and a large variety of food options.

Every sunset, we would spend some time in the hot tub and watch the sun set into the horizon - while dipping into liquor and beer bottles from the mini bar.

And every evening, we enjoyed delicious meals at each of the restaurants that the island had to offer.

On our second to last day, we had booked a boat to celebrate our son’s first birthday. Not only did the crew go above and beyond in terms of their effort - but in terms of their hospitality.

And on the very final evening, we moved to the Grand Beach Villa and were once again impressed as to how special every room at the property feels.

All in all, we flew back home incredibly thankful for the opportunity and cannot wait to return in the very near future. This truly was the trip of a lifetime - we enjoyed every sunrise, we had fun on every dive, we ate some incredible meals and enjoyed the company of everyone close to us after a long time.

A huge and humble thanks to Shiraz and the entire Conrad Maldives team for truly making this one of the most memorable trips we’ve ever taken.