Cancun - Hyatt Ziva All Inclusive Review / October 8, 2021 by Aanarav Sareen

I’ll be the first one to admit - I was not a huge fan of all inclusive resorts. They felt like vacations in a box. But, after our trip to Cancun - I can admit that my opinion of all inclusive resorts has completely changed.

My wife, son and I flew down to Cancun from Newark this past weekend. Our goal was to take celebrate our honeymoon in the sun, before the harsh reality of winter came knocking on our doorstep. The flights were relatively inexpensive as was the hotel.

Upon landing, we got in our rental car and drove 30 minutes to the resort. Unfortunately, our suite wasn’t ready just yet - but the hotel was kind enough to provide us with a complimentary room so that our son could take a nap. A short while later - we got a message indicating that our suite was ready and that someone would be along shortly to move our bags.

As soon as we got to our suite - we were in awe. The hotel had decorated our suite and even had a bottle of champagne, a small dessert and balloons in the bedroom. This trip took a whole new turn.

For the 3 days that we were there, we had one of the most relaxing weekends that we’ve had in a very long time - it was heavenly to not carry around a wallet everywhere. Everything was included - including alcohol and room service. We dined at a handful of hotel restaurants - including the dedicated dessert one and had drinks the entire day - starting at breakfast to the swim up pool bar.

We didn’t need to leave the hotel once and the staff was amazingly accommodating to various food allergies. They even accommodated the various custom requests that we had for our son’s food prep and it was correct every single time - truly - a huge accomplishment given the scale of the operations.

We spent our days in the pool and on the beach just spending time together.

For some reason, the simplicity of it all just made it an incredibly relaxing experience and I can’t wait to visit again and try some of the other all inclusive properties.

Review: qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia / January 9, 2021 by Aanarav Sareen

As we await the world to re-open, this is a brief review of qualia on Hamilton Island.

In 2014, I had an opportunity to travel to the Great Barrier Reef. As we touched down in Hamilton Island, I was in awe of the stunning beauty of the island. At that time, I could not afford to stay on the island and instead had to stay on the mainland - nearly a 2 hour boat ride away. Little did I know, we would be back on Hamilton Island in 2019.

We decided to splurge and stay at qualia. I had heard a lot about the resort via various trip-reports and was really looking forward to our trip.

After booking the hotel via American Express, we got a few follow-up emails leading up to the trip so that we could plan excursions and other activities. My wife and I decided to book two diving trips along with a helicopter tour of the region.

The resort had also coordinated a pickup from the airport - a mere 10 minute drive away - and had refreshing towels and drinks waiting for us in the vehicle.

After being escorted to the hotel, we were given a brief overview of the islands: no motorized vehicles, other than golf carts and hotel vans.

Once we reached the hotel lobby, we were offered champagne and were given an overview about our room, the resort’s features and how to make the most of out of our stay in paradise. Not only was the hotel lobby awe-inspiring, the employees were incredibly passionate as they explained some of the benefits of the property: free yoga classes, fresh breakfast every morning, free mini-fridge replacements, in-room plunge pool, and a golf-cart to go around the island in style.

For the most part, our daily itinerary was the same: early morning breakfast, a day excursion, sunset and dinner.

Every morning we’d head out for breakfast and genuinely looked forward to it - despite the early wake up calls. Everything was freshly prepared and the views were unbeatable - an endless view of the Great Barrier Reef.

For our excursions, we had booked two diving trips, one helicopter flight and a day on Whitehaven Beach. Each and every excursion was amazing - despite the long boat rides. Unfortunately, our dives were a bit underwhelming given that a huge portion of the Great Barrier Reef was bleached and we didn’t get to see much underwater.

When we didn’t have a day-trip planned, we simply relaxed and enjoyed the pool in the afternoon. qualia offers its guests an absolutely beautiful pool with quite a few activities, including kayaks and paddle boards by the ocean. This is another thing that makes the resort just so stress free - you don’t have to worry about discussing money before each and every basic activity.

In the early evening it seemed as the entire island would gather at the same point to view the sunset with their cocktails and cheering on the vibrant sky. It was a fun experience that we had the privilege of experience nearly every single day that we spent on the island.

For dinner, we had most of our meals in town and surprisingly - every meal was able to be billed back to the resort - which continued to enhance our seamless experience on the island. From pizza to proper sit-down meals, we enjoyed our peaceful evenings. Every night when we would return back to the room, housekeeping would have the room setup for a tempting bath and different chocolates and scents every night.

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel to so many incredible destinations and resorts all over the world - but this is one of the very few times we really looked at extending our stay - it is just that good. We can’t wait to go back.

2020: Unique on All Counts / January 1, 2021 by Aanarav Sareen

In early January, my wife and I were stepping back into JFK airport - after spending nearly 10 days in the Swiss Alps. We had a chance to explore incredible little towns, sleep in some unique accommodations and had a blast with friends and family.

Little did we know that it would be our last international trip for a very long time.

When March arrived and the news of the pandemic accelerated, New York and New Jersey were one of the first few states to implement strict measures - including curfews and a ban on non-essential businesses. Being naive, I thought that the pandemic would be over by the summer and that we’d be able to travel and explore the world.

As of this writing - that seems like a lifetime away.

But, it’s inevitable. We’ll return to the basics - the ability to go to a bar to grab a drink, the ability to gather with friends and family, the safety of celebrating milestones - big and and small. And most importantly - the ability to live in a world that has been rocked by this pandemic.

We take a lot of things for granted - shaking hands, hugging friends, meeting new people, etc. None of that has happened in the last few months - but through pure force and drive - we’ve been able to maintain relationships. We’ve been able to see people grow, friendships evolve, and businesses give it their all to make an impact.

The things we used to take for granted - commuting to work, conference calls, package deliveries, medical personnel and even food delivery - will always and forever change because of this. It’s a shift unlike any other.

But, change is good.

I was able to earn three FAA licenses, focus on building a kick-ass team and most importantly - bring a baby boy into this world.

Yes, it has been challenging. Yes, the world has suffered. Yes, the mental pressure is absolutely insane. But, we’ll get through this. Because years like this - hopefully - only happen once in a lifetime.

Quarantined Summer / October 18, 2020 by Aanarav Sareen

I love summer. The random weekend getaways and the extra hours of daylight make it one of my favorite seasons of the year.

Unfortunately, 2020 has been incredibly different. In New Jersey, we started our summer as the lockdown was ending. We made as many socially-distant outdoor plans as possible - from boat rides to beach trips.

It has been a unique summer and I’m certainly glad we got to explore our own backyard. Here’s a quick glance of our quarantine summer:

NYC Subway / May 6, 2019 by Aanarav Sareen