Nothing kicks off a new adventure quite like a long-haul flight.
Jeremy and I are headed to Nepal for mountain trekking, Momo eating, and, well, who knows what else! The first 15 days are an organized group tour, then we will have 10 or so days to play with.
But before the fun can commence, a long haul flight must be had.
Jeremy’s route was Hobart to Sydney to Malaysia to Kathmandu, 26 hours total. My route was DC to Doha to Kathmandu, 22 hours total. Not to bad considering some of the long haul flights I’ve put myself through in the past.
I flew Qatar Airways, and it’s my Frugal Foodies obligation to do a Qatar Airways economy class food review.
The Airport
I stayed at the Dulles Marriott Hotel the night before with my parents. After a hotel breakfast, I hopped on the shuttle to terminal two. Checking in at Qatar Airways took 10, maybe 15 minutes. There was no line at security. And I made it to my gate in 5 minutes. The time from arriving at the airport to getting to my gate was about as seamless as it gets.
Flight 1: Dulles to Doha, 12 Hours
While we were delayed 30 minutes, boarding was quick and efficient. There were little bags on the seats with socks, an eye mask, ear plugs, and a travel toothbrush and toothpaste. Everyone got travel pillows and blankets. And I was pleased with the amount of legroom.
Snack 1:
As soon as the plane was up, the flight attendants came down with drinks and crunchy snack mix. The immediate service was impressive!
Meal 1: Dinner
The options were spicy beef, roast chicken, or dahl with panner. I went with the spicy beef. The main dish consisted of a beef curry/stew of sorts with some mixed vegetables and rice. The beef was quite salty and quite chewy with no spice despite the name. But the rice and vegetables were perfectly fine.
It came with a roll in a bag ,which is never good. As well as a side dish of a farro, corn and chickpea salad, which was the highlight.
A thick rice pudding with some dried fruit was for dessert. Let’s be real, dessert is always good! The meal was edible, but I wouldn’t use the word “tasty” to describe it….
Snack 2: “Movie Treats”
Around four hours into the flight, the flight attendants came around with a tray of “movie snacks.” The options were chips, popcorn, or a Kit Kat bar. I got the caramel popcorn, which was great.
Snack 3: Savory Pastry
Halfway through the flight snack 3 came down the aisle. The options were a veggie or chicken savory pastry. I went with the chicken. The pastry was dry and the filling had zero flavor. Easily one of the most tasteless food items I’ve had on a plane. And that’s saying something!
Meal 2: Breakfast
Two hours before the flight was over, breakfast was served. The options left were the American breakfast or a bread pudding. I went with the American. The main dish had a biscuit, sausage link, and eggs– the eggs were totally dry, the sausage was rubbery, and the biscuit was mushy. A little cup of oatmeal saved the day, and the fruit wasn’t half bad either.
The Qatar Airways economy class food for this Dulles to Doha flight was very… not good.
However, there was a great movie selection! I watched 5 and here is my ranking:
- Ezra
- The Founder
- Joker: Folie à Deux
- Annabelle: Creation
- A Quiet Place: Day 1
The Doha Airport
I had a 2 1/2 hour layover in Doha, and I used the time to get some steps in. The Doha airport is quite impressive. There are loads of shops ranging from Valentino to Adidas and plenty of dining options. It’s clean and pristine with loads of bathrooms, water fountains, and seating. I got a coffee and leisurely explored before the second leg of the journey.
Flight 2: Doha to Kathmandu, 4 Hours
The flight was relatively short, and there was one meal served. I opted for the curry and chicken, and it was 10 times better than the food from the first flight. The chicken was surprisingly tender and the curry had a nice earthiness. The cous cous salad was so so. And the mango tapioca dessert of sorts wasn’t too sweet.
The flight was short and easy, and I even got a look at the Himalayas out the window near the back end.
Getting from the Kathmandu Airport to the hotel.
The Kathmandu airport is small, and we had to take a shuttle from the tarmac to the terminal. Once in the terminal, I went to the counter to pay the $50USD for my visa*, got some cash exchanged, and picked up my bags. Again, everything was quick and seamless. I hopped in a cab and headed to the hotel to meet Jeremy. It was 10 minutes and $10USD.
*Nepal does Visas on arrival. Here’s how it works:
- You fill out the visa application online, which is HERE.
- Save and print the form.
- Show it to the officials at the desk along with your passport and pay the $50USD.
Easy as that!
My Qatar Airways economy class meals got the job done of filling my belly. But I can’t say I was wildly impressed.
Which is a bummer because I’ve had decent Qatar Airways food experiences in the past (read about it HERE.)
However, the overall journey was about as easy as it gets for a travel day. Checking in a Dulles was seamless, my layover time was perfect, there were no issues with my bags, and all the flights were more or less on time.
A great start to a new adventure!
