Grand Hyatt Baha Mar & Nassau

Over time, I've come to really appreciate solo travel. For the July 4th weekend this year, I decided to head to Nassau to mostly get some time off from the last few weeks of work insanity. Being a traveler who likes to utilize miles and points as currency, I looked to see which hotels could be booked with points. The solution: The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. 

First and foremost - the property is massive! It feels more like a resort in Las Vegas than anything else. A lot of the look and feel is also similar to the Bellagio on the strip. However, the hospitality is entirely different - everything is on island time and extremely relaxed. 

Despite boasting a massive casino – one of the largest – the casino was largely empty. And in fact, so were most of the pools and activity areas. The Baha Mar is a brand new resort and is still going through some initial growth pains. 

The hotel was passing out photocopied room service menus upon request, a few of the staff were still uninformed as to where some of the amenities were - I was sent into a construction zone / floor / boiler room before I could find the gym - and some of the room finishing is already falling apart – my sliding bathroom door didn't work because one of the major screws fell off. 

Regardless, it's an amazing property and I would highly suggest a visit if you're ever looking for options in Nassau. 

I also spent a few hours checking out the Nassau cruise port terminal. I'm not a huge fan of city tourism, but the town is definitely charming – colorful, lively and safe. I would absolutely love to visit some of the other parts of The Bahamas. However, this weekend had a single goal - sleep as much as humanly possible and relax without stressing out about work. That's for Wednesday.  

On Chasing Adventure

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”

— J.K. Rowling

Costa Rica, 2013. Slipping off the cliff without a proper security harness. 

In a little over 60 days, I depart on the most extreme adventure of my life - New Zealand with stops in Dubai, Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia along the way. 

It's an adventure that I've chased for longer than I can ever remember. To travel. To explore. To jump off bridges. To sitting in a boat and getting thrown off of it. To go down the world's fastest rapids with nothing but a camera. 

It is an expensive adventure. One I really shouldn't be splurging on, but here's the thing - who cares? I find that people work their entire lives without spending money on themselves. I'm a very strong supporter on saving money. I've followed that policy since my first paycheck and continue to do that today. But, I'm also a supporter of budgeting. If you can do it without going into debt - do it. 

But, this story isn't about savings. It's about figuring out what drives you to be better. 

I've had this conversation with multiple people over the course of the past few years - if something makes you happy - that's what you should be doing. 

Want to go out and have a beer? Do it. 

Want to hangout with someone? Do it. 

Want to quit your job? Do it. 

Want to fall in love with someone totally wrong for you? Do it. 

Want to jump out of a plane? Do it.

Want to live on the edge? Do it.

Want to quit? Do it. 

Seriously...do all of it if it makes you happy. I'm fortunate enough that my passion is building things with people I care about and where I can add value. 

Other than that, screw it. No amount of dollar signs are going to convince me. Why? Because I'll be unhappy the entire time. 

I chase adventure because it makes me happy. Yes, there are consequences, but who cares?

I choose to live on the edge because it makes me happy. Yes, I've almost fallen off a cliff to my death. But, I don't care. I've fallen from rocky waterfalls and broken my toe. I drove myself to the hospital, where they couldn't do anything. I still enjoyed my time.

Here's the bottom line - chasing adventure - is just like chasing life. If people hold you back, ditch them. This is your life. Live it the way you want it. You owe yourself at least that much.  

New Zealand 2015: Trip of a Lifetime

I've been traveling a lot for the past few years - often times for fun and sometimes for work. It's been a blast. 

As a photographer, I've been itching to go to New Zealand for a few years. Looking at my frequent flyer balances, I finally decided to pull the trigger and just do it. 

Here are some highlights of the planning thus far:

• Flying Etihad's First Apartment 
• Flying Thai Airways First Class
• Flying Emirates Business Class

Follow the journey here. I'll be posting photos + planning missteps along the way. 

Travel Startup Need: Visa and Immigration

I just booked a ticket to Bermuda for our executive retreat. Being the traveler in the group, it was my idea to get away from New York for a few days to plan for what the year has ahead of us. 

Unfortunately, as an Indian passport holder, I have to often apply for visas. Not ideal and definitely expensive over time, but I deal with it. 

However, finding the information for Bermuda immigration has been challenging to say the least. It is nearly impossible to find the right information. I asked my assistant, travel agency, the Consulate, the Bermuda Government, American Airlines, United Airlines and even American Express. 

Each time, I got a different answer. And each time I tried to call the agencies (commercial and government), it was nearly impossible to get to a person, let alone the right person.  

As someone who likes to travel a lot internationally, this is something I have gotten used to. But, it is also something that I strongly despise. Why isn't there one reliable database that is frequently updated and provides customer service and a built-in community for this information? I would pay an annual fee for such a service. 

And, if you're curious who provided the best information? It was the Bermuda Government and American Express. AMEX provided the exact same document that was provided by the immigration team at Bermuda, which is very impressive. 

Experiencing the 2014 FIFA World Cup

The 2014 World Cup had seen enough controversy even before it got started - poverty, corruption and danger. However, just like Sochi, some of it is hype and some of it is real. 

I had a chance to visit Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and in a few words - it was amazing! 

It was a very last minute trip and the process couldn't have been any smoother. I walked into the Brazilian consulate in New York and applied for a FIFA World Cup visa. The process took a few days and cost me nothing. I picked up my visa, booked a flight to São Paulo from New York, switched to the domestic airport after picking up a friend and flew to Rio. 

Before touchdown in Rio, there was a bit of celebration at the airport as Argentinean fans were celebrating on the ground and mid-air. 

Upon landing in Rio, the city airport had a lot of FIFA booths promoting the games and the energy was on an all-time high. 

Getting in a cab was straight forward and navigating to the hotel was painless. 

However, once at the hotel, the check-in process was slow and brutal. For an event as large as the World Cup, many hotels were not prepared for international language speakers, making it challenging to navigate. Thankfully, Google Maps was incredibly helpful and worked flawlessly in Rio. 

The first day, we played tourist - going up to the Cristo and exploring the nightlife. 

The second day, we tried to scalp tickets to the Argentina v. Bosnia game without any luck. Either the ticket prices were unaffordable or there were too many fakes in the market.

Instead, we decided to watch the game at the FIFA Fan Fest, which was an amazing environment and incredibly fun. 

The food, the people, the culture and the hospitality were absolutely spectacular. And an experience I'm glad I had the opportunity to enjoy. 

If you're still on the edge of going to Brazil for the World Cup or any other major sporting event, I would highly recommend making the leap and going for it.