DEM Flyers maintains a Trip Suggestions Index as we travel and do our research around the world. I’ve added some new suggestions from my recent travels around Asia and the US!
United States πΊπΈ
Korea π°π·
Category: Uncategorized
12 days trekking Everest Base Camp!
I just finished up a 12 day trek through Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, Chola Pass, and Gokyo lake in the Himalayan region of Nepalπ³π΅! It was physically and mentally challenging but totally worth it for the views, and getting insights into the local culture of the Himalayan regions.
There’s a lot of information and tips out there already [1] [2] [3] [4] but hopefully I can add a bit more detail and practical tips that aren’t just normal trekking tips, as that’s pretty well covered. Many of these tips will also apply to other trekking regions in Nepal as well, such as the Annapurna Circuit.
JAL Global Club members and the Life Status Program transition
Japan Airlines has made major changes to their frequent flyer program starting in 2024 by introducing a new Life Status program, and tweaking the membership requirements for JAL Global Club. There likely was an overabundance of elites who qualified for lifetime elite benefits by earning JAL Sapphire once, and JAL wanted to rectify the situation (see blog post by TRAICY).
I fortunately was able to qualify for JAL Sapphire through the Fly On program in 2023, and as a Japanese resident applied for JAL Global Club membership by switching my credit card to a JAL Global Club card. While JAL promised that members who were JAL Global Club members in 2023 would keep their status, it remained to be seen how exactly JAL would implement this. We weren’t sure if membership would continue past 2024 just for holding a JAL Global Club credit card or living outside Japan and renewing with miles.
More Trip Suggestions & TikTok Page!
We’re now on TikTok at DEM Flyers! Content will be mostly the same as our Instagram page, but you can follow us if you prefer TikTok instead.
I went through the rest of my bookmarks around the world and compiled them into city specific maps. They are in various stages of comprehension, but can be a good starter when you are visiting a place. You can see the full Trip Suggestions Index, but these are the new entries, spanning 21 cities across 14 countries.
Welcome Money Abroad Readers!
Welcome! Feel free to browse through the site, you can find important information like Travel Hacking Resources and our Trip Suggestion Index on the sidebar.
I also have an expat life newsletter (focusing on Japan and Taiwan) at Michael in Asia.
I do paid travel hacking consultations (credit cards, banking, award tickets), as well as consultations on how to move to Japan or Taiwan, if interested reach out at hello@michaelmwu.com.
EDC China 2023 Review: Music, Mud & Memories
EDC China 2023 was held recently on October 2-3 over the Chinese National Holidays in Suzhou. This was the first time EDC had been held in China since a 3 year hiatus from the last edition in Guangzhou due to the pandemic. I’m a big fan of Insomniac and EDC, having been to EDC Las Vegas 7 times. As I live in Asia and already had a valid Chinese visa, checking out the festival was a convenient decision.
Updated Trip Suggestions!
As we’ve traveled the world for the past few years, DEM Flyers has collected a list of bookmarks of places we’ve been and either researched or experienced. I’ve done a major update of Trips Suggestion Index, spanning 35 places across 16 countries!
The new places are:
New York, New York π½ Brussels, Belgium π§πͺ France π«π· Cannes NiceMarseille
Starting a newsletter for life in Asia
As some people may know, I moved to Japan in early 2020 and I feel like I’ve successfully established myself. I’ve also spent time in Taiwan throughout the years and am starting a phase of splitting my time between Tokyo and Taipei so that I can explore my roots. These two places are a great base to explore Asia from, and I’ve been frequently traveling all around. Thus, I’m starting a new blog / newsletter for practical guides for life in Asia that will be separate from DEM Flyers content, though travel tips will still be cross-posted here! I would greatly appreciate any support.
Surviving Tomorrowland Winter
Last year in March 2022, I went to Tomorrowland Winter for the first time! And now this year I am going again in a few days! I’m a fan of snow sports as well as music festivals, and having been to the summer version of Tomorrowland a few times, I thought this would be the perfect festival. And it was a blast, though there were a few rocky edges.
Where and when?
Tomorrowland Winter is held in the beautiful ski resort town of Alpe d’Huez in the southeast of France, in late March. The first edition was held in 2019, but then 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to COVID. Tomorrowland has a 5 year contract with Alpe d’Huez, so it’s safe to say the next few years will be held there. The event goes on for a week – you can either get a 7 day pass for the whole week or a 4 day pass for the latter half of the week. Most of the main DJs will be in the latter half of the week, and I didn’t want to spend a whole week there, so I opted for the 4 day option. However, this year I’m going for the full 7 days.