Greetings Travellers! 

With Katy taking the scenic route on Lupine Racing's race across the UK & Ireland, I’ve offered to share some musings. 

If you’re anything like me and grew up during the peak dial-up era, you’re no stranger to the pinnacle of digital entertainment back then: desktop screensavers. Mesmerized by lime green loops and shimmery switchbacks of  Windows 3D Pipes, it was easy to fall into the void. 

I swear if you stared long enough, they held the secrets of the universe. I’d imagine pipe people stuck inside this infinite maze. I’d imagine crawling with them, folding over myself, trying to take every conceivable path because I didn’t want to miss out. 

Turns out this feeling would only amplify in my adulthood, especially when it comes to travel, and I’m not the only one. John Koenig, the author of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, even went so far as to coin a name for this feeling, Onism. He describes it as:

“It’s as if you’re standing in front of the departures screen in an airport, flickering over with so many exotic place names, each representing one more path you could explore or one more thing you’ll never get to see before you die - and all because, as the arrow on the map helpfully points out, you are here.”

And just like navigating that endless maze, our travel bucket lists can feel overwhelming when we want to take every path possible.  

Which leads me to ask you, dear reader…

Faced with the beautiful, privileged frustration of onism, what places and experiences on your travel bucket list truly refuse to leave your mind?

Drop your thoughts in the comments section or join the conversation over on our community’s Facebook thread. 

May your departure screen never stop flickering, 

Akasha - Community Content Strategist

Will - Navigator

Will is on a mission to eat the best burger ever. Using his base in London, he's exploring every historical nook and far-flung cranny to find it. When he isn't, you'll usually spot him exploring a new world in a book or video game. Sometimes he also falls ungracefully from climbing walls. Very occasionally he writes (when he isn't daydreaming about burgers...).

We've all been there: You're browsing every search engine for the best value long-haul flights to Asia and Australasia, and no matter where you look, Chinese airlines keep catching your eye. Why wouldn't they? They’re often hundreds cheaper than other carriers…

But the swell of excitement might be tinged with hesitancy, from turning your back on your favourite tried-and-tested airline or uncertainty over the quality you're paying for.

I had been on the lookout for flights to Hong Kong for a while, and when I saw them drop to £275 return with China Eastern, it's safe to say my eye was well and truly caught. Four flights later, I'm ready to give you the deep dive on every nook, cranny, and noodle I could get my hands on.

Prefer to watch your reviews? Navigator Lauren also recently flew with China Eastern, and you can see how it went for her here!

General Facilities

As you may have seen in the video, Navigator Lauren was comfortable with the amount of legroom, and my travelling companions felt the same way. However, at about 5ft 11in (ca. 180 cm), I'm a bit taller than the others. Certainly no giant, but I definitely felt cramped at times, having to contort my body a bit like a diver doing a pike off the diving board, although with much less style.

Sadly, because I was unable to get comfortable, sleep mostly eluded me on the outbound journey and amounted to around 4 hours on the return leg, made up of 30-minute bursts. Take this all with a pinch of salt, as I'm not a great sleeper on planes, but I expected more after a taxing return layover.