Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

Melbourne Airport Terminal 2, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Daily: 4.20am - 12.30am Prior to my departure day, my travel buddy and I were delighted to receive an inexpensive upgrade offer for our Air New Zealand flight to Auckland. It was simply too good an opportunity to pass up as the upgrade also allowed us to check out Air New Zealand Lounge at Melbourne Airport. We had a late breakfast there before setting off on our journey across the Tasman Sea.

Andrews Avenue, Ninoy Aquino International Airport  Terminal 1,  Manila, Philippines Daily: 24 hours Philippine Airlines operates its flagship Mabuhay Lounge at Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. Stepping into the lounge was a much-needed break from the rather chaotic scene at the terminal. I really appreciated having a quiet space to grab a bite, recharge and gather my thoughts before the next flight to Sydney, Australia.

Truong Son Street, 3/F Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Le Saigonnais International Lounge is a welcome oasis designed with a contemporary touch, blending modern aesthetics with subtle nods to Vietnamese tradition. Located near Burger King on the third floor of the international transit area, it was previously accessible via Priority Pass, though this is no longer the case.

Near Gate 53 , Narita International Airport Terminal 1, Narita, Chiba, Japan Daily: 7.00am - 9.30pm I had about two hours to spend in ANA’s larger flagship lounge for Business Class passengers at Narita International Airport. As I stepped inside, I was welcomed by a faint, calming scent of ANA Original Aroma: a comforting blend of 12 natural fragrances, such as Japanese umbrella-pine, Yoshino cedar, rosemary and mint.

1-1 Centrair, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan Chubu Centrair International Airport, also known as Central Japan International Airport, is ocated on an artificial island off the coast of Tokoname in Aichi Prefecture. Opened in 2005, it was constructed to replace the former Nagoya Airport. It's since earned the reputation as one of the most efficient and passenger-friendly airports in the country.

Near Gate 32, El Dorado International Airport, Bogota, Colombia Daily: 3.30am - 12 midnight The flagship lounge of Avianca is located on the second floor near Gate 32 of El Dorado International Airport. While it may not measure up to the standards of some other flagship lounges globally, it's fairly spacious and divided into two areas: one for Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members, while the other is open to travellers accessing using programs such as DragonPass.

Avenida Domingo Diaz, Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama Daily: 5.30am - 9.00pm Before embarking on our morning flight to Bogota, Colombia, my BFF and I had the opportunity to visit the flagship lounge of Copa Airlines at Terminal 2 of the principal international airport of Panama City. The lounge, which can accommodate up to 420 guests, boasts a captivating design. However, the breakfast offerings left much to be desired.

Near Gate 53, Montreal - Trudeau International Airport, Quebec, Canada Daily: 4.00am - 10.00pm Today's short post is on one of the lounges at Montreal - Trudeau International Airport, a pretty highly rated one that my BFF and I accessed using our Priority Pass membership. The National Bank of Canada is the largest bank in the province of Quebec and the sixth largest commercial bank in the country.

Entry Road, Non-Schengen Area, Vienna International Airport,  Vienna, Austria Daily: 5.30am - 11.00pm To begin with, I'd like to say that this is going to be a really short post as my BFF didn't take a lot of photos. As we were going to fly in the Business Class with Austrian Airlines, we were entitled to access the Austrian Business Lounge in the non-Schengen area of the country's principal airport, which is actually a rather small one.

1 Terminal Street, Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Turkey Daily: 24 hours The spacious flagship lounge of Turkish Airlines occupies the upper floor of the transit area of Istanbul Airport. Many have raved about the Turkish Airlines Lounge at the old Istanbul Ataturk Airport , which I've never had the chance to experience, so I'm sure the new one is all th emore going to live up to those praises, right?

80 Airport Boulevard, Level 3 Transit Area, Changi Airport Terminal 3, Singapore Daily: 24 hours Before September ends, I thought I should spare some time to start posting about my short trip to Azerbaijan in the middle of the year. After more than two years of not travelling overseas, I almost teared up when I could finally go through the immigration checkpoint at our beloved Changi Airport, and then proceeded to the round-the-clock SATS Premier Lounge at Terminal 3.

1-1 Furugome, Narita International Airport Terminal 2, Narita, Chiba, Japan Daily: 7.30am - 11.00am, 3.00pm - 7.30pm Japan Airlines prides itself in its Sakura Lounge that exudes elegance with warm and earthy colour scheme. At Narita International Airport Terminal 2, there's a Sakura Lounge in the main terminal building and another one in the satellite building. I know I probably should've checked out the former, but I really enjoyed the serenity of the latter as there weren't many people around.

Level 3, Transit Area, Changi Airport Terminal 1, Singapore Daily: 3.00pm - 11.00pm Welcome to the next Japan travel series! While my current job doesn't allow me to fully experience the full bloom of  sakura  (lit. cherry blossom) in the Land of the Rising Sun, I was thankful for the opportunity to be able to catch some early-blooming ones in March last year. Before flying off from Terminal 1 of Changi Airport, I spent some time at British Airways Lounge.

Near Gate 26, Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport, Incheon, South Korea Daily: 5.00am - 12 midnight Asiana Airlines runs three Business Class lounges - Central, East and West - at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport in South Korea. My BFFs and I went to the Central lounge during our layover. It's not exactly the nearest to the gate for our next flight, but we went ahead with the first one that we saw.

Near Gate 15, Terminal 1, Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan Daily: 7.00am - 11.00am As my BFFs and I'd be flying out of Kansai International Airport with Asiana Airlines in the Business Class, we were granted access to ANA Lounge at the airport since both airlines are Star Alliance members. I'd harboured a high expectation for the lounge, but did I eventually leave feeling satisfied? Read on to find out.

Level 6, Near Gate 65, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Daily: 5.30am - 12.30am During the layover at Hong Kong International Airport, I spent most of the time at The Pier. It's not only the airport's largest, but also Cathay Pacific's most spacious lounge with a total area of 3,306 square metres. Originally inaugurated in 2001, it underwent a major renovation and extension in 2016.

Near Gate 71, Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Daily: 3.5 hours before flight departure Cathay Pacific unveiled its new lounge at Vancouver International Airport on 4 May 2016, adopting a contemporary and elegant design template that'd been rolled out in other airports in Hong Kong and Japan, but to name a few. Covering an area of 510 square metres, it has a seating capacity of 108 individuals.

Level 5, Near Gate 35, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Daily: 5.30am - 12.30am Cathay Pacific operates four departure lounges at Hong Kong International Airport. The Bridge is the latest addition that was declared open in October 2013. Occupying an area of 2,567 square metres, the lounge is split into two wings, north and south, without segregation for Business Class and First Class passengers.

Level 4, International Terminal, Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, Vietnam Daily: 6.00am - 2.00am Song Hong Business Lounge is "a peaceful oasis that retains cultural heritage of Hanoi" where "traditional luxury meets modern comfort". Female staff members are dressed in traditional long silk tunics, blending with the colours of nature that are purposefully chosen for the design of the lounge.

Level 3, Transit Area, Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar Daily: 24 hours Al Mourjan Business Lounge is Qatar Airways' flagship Business Class lounge, which takes pride in its "resort-like ambience, tantalising a la carte and buffet dining, and unparalleled hospitality". My BFF and I spent most of our layover time of 8 hours at the lounge that's spread over 10,000 square metres.