Baseops.Net

Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia - The Ritz Carlton is the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. We got arrangements to stay there made through a guy named Vince at the American Embassy. They treat guests like Kings. When we came back to our rooms after spending some time in downtown KL, our beds were turned down with a cookie and bottled water on the bedstand and slippers placed at the foot of the bed. Any place that's got a phone next to the crapper is awesome. In KL, visit China Town... it's a 2 dollar (10 ringit) taxi ride. The Ritz has a decent bar next to the lobby. IMPORTANT: if you are parked at the military ramp at the airport, then make sure you hit the bathroom before going back to the airport. They don't have nice porcelain, they've got squatters. Squatting's tough to do in a flight suit. Check out the world's tallest building in KL... ~Park Plaza International (6-03-2711-8866) was very nice, a couple of average restaurants in the lobby and the pool/gym are small but other than that it's a palace... very nice rooms, huge bathrooms, etc. Also it is a five minute walk from the Petronas Towers (tall twin towers) and the huge mall that is attached. Chili's in the mall has happy hour from 3-9 and great margaritas. Also try Delaney's Irish Bar (in the Park Royal Hotel)... happy hour from 6-8 with great beer and excellent food. China Town is fun and taxis are the way to travel. Also check out the Bangsar district which has many popular bars and clubs and is very popular with Australians and other tourists.

Gwang-Ju AB, Korea - Hidden Valley Inn was a total dump. Kunsan is great compared to this place. If you're going there your scheduler screwed you over. We were forced to divert in there to pick up cargo. The controllers' English is horrible. Gwang-Ju is a ROK base with a 30-person USAF presence keeping the lights on. The base commander happens to be a Captain. If you can stay off-base it's great (big city 1.2 million people) but on base you're screwed. Make sure you read the Giant Report and do a thorough airfield study. Although the base has F-5's and scheduled airline service, the taxiing is sporty to say the least. There are construction cones and equipment all over the place. One of our crews almost taxied into a ROK airman on a bicycle and during engine start they were playing soccer 20 yards away and accidentally kicked the ball in front of us a number of times. The cadre at Gwang-Ju will put you up in self-service contingency dorms complete with bottled water since it is not potable. The room is free so you get what you pay for. ;-) Food-wise your only choice is the Food Court across the street from billeting open 7-7 every day. There is a small shopette, Anthony's Pizza and American Grill. For cheap booze, check out Yoda's, the only bar on base. You can get loaded for $5 easy. For mission planning head to the Command Post but for filing just use the ROK 1801 and drop it off at the ROK base ops. Kunsan, Korea - Front Motel - I wouldn't want anyone to even think about staying here, so I won't give you the number. First of all, don't RON at Kunsan unless you absolutely have to. If you're faced with having to RON here, then lie, cheat, steal, just do whatever you can to get out of there. As of Aug 01, most of the visitor's quarters on base are occupied with permanent party, so you will be off base. Most of the hotels are in the city of Kunsan, which is about 10 miles from base. We stayed at the Front Motel, which SUCKED! I should've clued into the red lights illuminating the hallways. The clue light for me came on when I entered the hot, small room and saw a condom machine at the head of the bed and pubes in the sink. Thank God I had a small can of Lysol, which I used to disinfect the bed and bathroom. For those of you who like hair dryers, there's a coin operated hair dryer on the dresser. My room didn't have a coin-operated vibrating bed, but I'm sure I could get one if I asked. Problem was, NOBODY speaks English here. I hope this will be the low point of all my billeting experiences. Personally I've seen better TA and servicing at civilian FBO's back in the States. EVERYTHING is geared towards the fighters so expect to do everything yourself, hands down the WORST transient support I've ever seen for a heavy. When you arrive you can try to call command post or AMCC but they never answered our radio calls (this was the case the whole week, even after we talked to them on the phone). Try to get the frequency for the SOF in the tower and they can make things happen. If you get to land on the first approach you're lucky since they will usually break you out for the fighters. Heavy aircraft will shutdown the runway if you land on 36 because you have to back taxi to park. Basically the only taxiway for heavies is Bravo due to taxi restrictions on the parallel. Security Forces and Customs met us at the plane and then everyone left before we could ask for a lift to Base Ops. Our crew chiefs asked TA about fleet servicing and they replied, "What's fleet service?" In order to check NOTAMs at Base Ops you normally have to kick one of the people off their computer. Overall the biggest hassle was Trans. Make sure you call ahead for a U-drive if you can. They were more than happy to drive us around but that wasn't the hassle. If you are lucky to get a U-drive, someone has to take a 45-question driving test and then they have to take you off- base for a short orientation (not cool at 1 am). If you land late and need food your only option is the Community Center (open 24 hours and booze is available). There is also the local AAFES (Taco Bell, Robin Hood, etc) fast-food place called the "Jet Stream” which closes at 10 pm. There is a curfew off base (midnight) so grab booze and food before you leave the base; the BX is next to the "Jet Stream". Billeting is scarce so make sure you call ahead for reservations since you will most likely be off-base. We were put up at the Kunsan Tourist hotel, which is in downtown Kunsan. We were impressed that they had a bellhop and rooms were decent however the restaurant upstairs is not that great. If you need Won you can get it at the front desk and not get screwed on the exchanged rate. There are a number of restaurants and bars with walking distance of the hotel but good luck finding an English menu. There is an area not to far from the base called "A-town" which caters to Americans. It is nothing more than a few streets with restaurants and bars. At the entrance, there is a guy who will change dollars into Won; it’s the first place on the right when you get to the top of the hill. For awesome Korean food, across from the guy who does Won-exchange is a place called “Cherry Boys.” Ten bucks will get you some of the best bulgogi (Korean barbeque with rice) you’ve ever had and a beer. ~Kunsan was a dump! Thanks for making those of us who spent a YEAR in the Wolf Pack busting our butts on those "fighters" you obviously despise feel so worthy. It was never designed for MAC, why the attitude? Yes, Osan is a paradise in comparison. Something constructive - there are TWO billet structures at the Kun. Sounds like you were in the one by the theater. Yeek! Ask for space across the "golf course". Still not terrific, but at least the walls won't shake in the wind. Oh, and A-Town is GREAT if you don't wimp out too early... (enlisted) ~What IS "fleet service"? Emptying your trash and toilet? Um, no sir, dumpster is right over there. Ops OIC desk is second door on the right... Osan, Korea - The only good thing about the Garden Hotel is that it's right downtown next to all the good shopping. However, the room felt like a musty prison cell. I slept on top of the comforter and didn't take a shower in the morning cause I didn't trust the water. There are great bars and good entertainment all over the place. There is a military 2 A.M. curfew, however, and it's enforced very seriously. No cover charges anywhere and every bar has dancers on stage... although they all looked very bored with their jobs. The Asia Hotel (031-664-2367) is definitely one of the better hotels at Osan. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Rooms are good, pretty roomy with small kitchenettes that have a sink, microwave, and full refrigerator. TV/VCR combo in all rooms. If you have a LAN card with your laptop computer, they have some rooms with free broadband internet access. They've also got two computers in the lobby for guests to surf, check e-mail, etc. It's close to the main gate and within easy stumbling distance of the bars. If you need to do laundry, the staff will give you a laundry sack & do your laundry for you. You can check out their website, it's www.shinbiro.com/~songtan TA was helpful but did a horrible job parking us, we didn’t know what they were trying to do and didn’t use the hand signals properly. When you arrive, you don’t just have Customs meet you at the airplane, you also have to go to Korean Immigration before they let you go. Also, you must “out-process” through them or risk having ATC prohibit you from taking off (actually happened to someone). FYI, you can have one crewmember take everyone’s immigration/customs cards along with their ID’s to in and out-process them. If you are staying off base, Trans cannot take you to the hotel. After getting your Non-A slip, a shuttle bus from your hotel will pick you up. During the week, there is a curfew at midnight so if you arrive late, plan accordingly. We stayed at the Victoria Hotel and were very impressed with the friendly staff. They didn’t have any beer in the fridge in the lobby so they actually went out and brought us free beer at 1 in the morning despite it being –10 C outside. The front desk staff is more than happy to have food delivered for you. Command Post can get you a phone patch (661-7000); it wasn’t listed on the card in our rooms. Making calls is a big pain in the butt. The hotel is located smack-dab in the middle of all the shopping. Make sure you head to “Royal Bag” for flight gear and luggage tags. “Mr. Bo’s GQ” is around the corner and will custom make an A-2 flight jacket with all the trimmings (including a liner) for $140. A complete mess dress will set you back $260 (you have to provide the insignia). “Best Gortex Shop” will sell you a 3-in-1 Columbia or North Face Jacket knock-off for $60. Most of the places will ship to you and will make you pay the 4% credit card fee is you use plastic. Food- wise, Burger King is across the street from the Victoria and McDonald’s is up the street. The front desk has a little book of the places that deliver. Victoria Hotel was nice. Rooms are clean and well maintained. The A/C works this is very useful during Monsoon season. Centrally located to all shopping, night life and four blocks to the base front gate. Hotel has free drinks in a refrig in the lobby, water soda and beer for the guests. The owner walked to freedom with his Mother across the border from the Evil North when he was a child. Reliable Hotel shuttle van to the base. ~Prince hotel is a four star hotel only a few blocks from the main gate. Osan Tourist Hotel is a DUMP! Dirty, dank and very little to no hot water. Not a nice thing after a long flight. The bright side, close to the gate, shopping and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. FREE high speed internet in the lounge! Pizza Club, Great pizza near the gate. -135's take note, palletized cargo on these jets coming here is not ATOC's specialty! Transient support is fair to partly cloudy........nuff said. ~Turumi hotel was a palace! Lodging on base is nice, internet access available for $1.25 per half hour in the business center. Oriental House, one of the on-base food delivery options, is really bad. Eat on the economy or on the base -- just don't eat at the Oriental House! ~ Five Star hotel was nice 031 665-8354. Outstanding service. The owner; "GI" Joe provides aircrew with anything you may need. From free "Hite" beer to computers in each room. His staff goes out of their way to please. They will drive you anywhere in the area to include pick ups at the bars at curfew time. The rooms are standard for Korea. Ask for the Five Star in your three hour out call. ~Hotel Capital 611-7811 was decent. If billeting is full, don't expect them to hook you up with contract quarters. There is a book they will let you look at to find one your like. Also, there are usually a couple hotel owners loitering around the lobby to drum business. We opted for the Hotel Capital since the bus was right there. The owner is all about service: free cooked to order breakfast, free shuttle bus, free booze up in the bar, free drop-off laundry, decent cable TV, and T1 internet connections in your room. For coffee fiends, head to The Coffee Tree which is about halfway down the main drag down a side street on the left. The best non-Korean restaurant we found is called The Puffin. Go out the main gate and turn left. Turn right at the Fusion restaurant and go down the hill. It's a block down on the left. For good Korean food, turn right out the gate and about one block down is Han Yang. For those fortunate enough to break here, Seoul is quite easy to get to. First head to the BX and pick up a travel book for Seoul (e.g. Lonely Planet) and then head to the KEU Restaurant across the street from billeting. Buses leave every hour or so to Yongsan Army Base and costs $4.5 but you can get stuck in traffic. A cheaper and faster way is to head to Songtan Train Station (get a lift from your hotel or walk). For $1.5 you can go one way to Yongsan train station and transfer to the Seoul subway system (which is quite nice). There are three types of trains so catch the one that says "rapid service". Rechargable debit cards (T Money cards) are available but cost $2.5 and you put $10 on it. The upside is not having to buy tickets everywhere you go. The last train leaves for Songtan around 21:45 so plan accordingly. ~Asia Hotel was a palace! I've stayed in some real nice places before, but for some reason when a room comes with a 60 inch TV and a computer with internet access, I could care less about anything else. They even had pretty good DVD's. Hotel manger drove us around and even offered to settle a dispute with a vendor. Breakfast was not bad considering 2 old ladies making it with god knows what in the kitchen. Pretty close to base, 10 min walk to the train station.

Atsugi Japan - BOQ was very nice. Limited parking depending on the airwing schedule. BOQ is very clean, three computers available in the lobby, walking distance to the flight line. Flight plan filing is done at Japanese base ops. Great Japanese take-out restaurant just outside the main gate. Go through the security area and it's on the same side of the street across the intersection. Iwakuni MCAS, Japan - If you can avoid Iwakuni, do it. TA is slow, trans sucks, and the Q's are usually uncomfortable. There is an OK snack bar in the terminal, hours are anybody's best guess. The nearest city is Hiroshima so you can see the "Peace park", once is enough. The Sagura theater is FREE and shows first run movies. The new Eagles Nest is pretty nice, you can drink and play slots. The NEX is worth the cursory "shelf-check", highly encouraged because the cable sucks. Standard Navy hijinks with Officers and enlisted. They will usually stick you in the VOQ, not main billeting. Put off begging for better quarters as long as possible because it's useless to try. Oh, no DSN in the rooms. For AC's get ready for the walk to billeting to call the TTF or TACC. If you order your crew bus through a local, you wont get what you want. They have major contract problems. Talk to a Navy guy, ask for Chief Dougherty, he will help you. Iwakuni is one of those places you don't want to break at. ~Chicken Shack (or San Zouku, which means The Robbers Den): This is one place that everyone talks about here. There is a lot on the menu besides chicken, but the chicken is probably the best value there. The atmosphere is the neat thing about this place. There are several areas to eat; you can eat indoors at the low Japanese tables, or at tables outside on the hillside, with a stream, waterfalls, paper lanterns, etc. There is at least one aircrew taxi now... ~Kintai Inn (Main Billeting) was Super! I read your gouge concerning Iwakuni before I left on a trip there. Needless to see, your review paints a pretty dim picture. I have to say though, the rooms were awesome! All the rooms we had were the regular VOQ rooms and they were like suites. A huge TV in the living room. A TV in the bedroom. A lot of channels on the tube (the most I have ever seen at an oversees location). A big kitchen. The best part, new computers in every room with internet access for FREE!!!!! These were definitely the best rooms I have ever seen on a Navy/Marine base and rivaled many of the top AF facilities. The only edge going to the free computers in the room. The Eagle's Nest was good. Great hours and great food a cheap prices. The only problem we had was trying to store weapons and classified. You would think no AMC crews had ever come through there before. Trans was great. NEX was great. I only wish we had more time off so we could get up to Hiroshma to see the sites. ~I read the gouge before I left, so I decided to call ahead for rooms. Since it's a Marine base I told them we had 3 O-4's and 3 E-7's (Not a lie, just a guess) under my name for reservations and they put us all together. (They did ask for rank when I made the reservations, so I assume it makes some difference, but they didn't care at check-in) Nice size rooms with HI speed internet access (PC included) in some rooms. For dinner, we went off-base to a Sushi bar. Great food and service, the name escapes me, but it's out the gate, down to the '4 corners' and to the right. It's about 50yds (if that) on the right. Ask at the desk, they were very helpful. Don't expect lights or signs or anything else, just a traditional Japanese banner over the front of the door, but it's nice. (We walked past it the first time.) They have English menus and the prices are reasonable. (I went crazy buying Sake and Kirin for the crew plus loads of sushi for about $45) Enjoy Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan - O'club has excellent brunch starting at 1000 on Sunday. You get free pizza on Tuesday, and free "Chicago style dogs" (Really mini weeners, about half normal size hot dogs) on Wed. Of course Friday night still rocks with all the regular chicks there hanging out. 14$ for a 30 day temp membership is well worth it. ~When in Kadena with a short layover, try eating at The Four Seasons Steak House. Excellent lunch specials and good local beers too. Cooked right in front of you at a reasonable price to boot. Open daily from 1130-2300. One block from there is the Tiger Embroidery shop. They make flight patches of all sorts which can be mailed worldwide. Command post sells the old MAC purses, $10 ea, the inserts cost $2 ea. ~Okay, I have figured out all the places you do not want to stay at Kadena. The Sunabe is family style living, 8 to a room, enough said. Morimar near Tori Station isn't bad, but it is 3 bedrooms and a community living area, great for parties. Airway Inn near Naha is a 30 minute ride and as tiny as a room can get. The bathroom would be outdone by a airline bathroom. Rooms are hot and air kicks off when you pull your key out of wall. Not suitable for crew rest at all. Sunrise is borderline acceptable, across the street from Tigers and a 10 minute walk to the USO. the rooms were great compared to the above places we stayed at later on. Kadena is notorious for having bad, and I mean bad, ATOC/Pax terminal support. I don't think I got a load on time and in correct order at all in a month of flying in and out of there. Command post will routinely not answer their radios, and no one meets you in parking despite a 2 hour out cal, 30 minute call and on the ground call. Customs is the same. Misawa AB, Japan - The sign at the Misawa Inn says "best in PACAF" but it should also say "Slowest in PACAF." We faxed ahead to get billeting and when we showed up they tried to put us off-base (after they lost our reservations) but there was nothing to be had so they put us up in the TLF's which at Misawa are spread all over the base and the one we stayed at was in one of the base housing areas. If you are here more than a day or two you'll want on-base. The TLF's are three-bedroom houses (scheduled for demolition) with full kitchen but on the whole not to bad. FYI, you can't dial DSN from the TLF's so call 226-9899 to get a phone patch. Food-wise there are a few places right out the main gate but if you are stuck on-base the Cafe Moketeki (located inside the community center) is open 24 hours and has a good selection of food and full coffee bar. If you get off-base, park at the BX and walk, it's not far. Once out the gate, veer right down the alley where you'll find the famous Stagger Inn. Good pizzas and beer, there's a "mug club" which means cheaper beer and a mug you eventually keep. Also there is the Cheese Roll and Noodles which is farther down from the Stagger and is supposedly good. Trans was good to us but the vehicles were a little different. It looked like a standard small Japanese pickup truck but the shifting was different. It was a stick-shift with the shifter on the steering column instead of on the floor. Lastly, if you break here, call Outdoor Rec for information on local skiing. Yokota AB, Japan - This place rocks. First of all, if you stay on base the per diem is about $40. However, if they let you stay in Tachikawa, the perdiem is about $125. Not a bad deal. On top of this, the Tachikawa Palace Hotel (042-527-1111) is a fully western hotel located near a major train station that has two department stores/malls adjacent to it. These places are filled with awesome restaurants and shops (great Asian food as well as food for the typical uncultured American). The service is incredible at this place and bathrooms feature, check this out, a bidet. I was expecting a tiny room but it surprised me with its spaciousness. ~We deploy here often and here is the scoop. Communist Gyoza, AKA Gyoza Heaven, is located near the train station at Tachikawa, get a Tachikawa map from the Yujo Rec Center, take the train and look for the shake and 3 fries symbol for Tachikawa station. Called the Communist due to strict no doggie bag rules, great gyozas, like dumplings. Next place just outside Fussa gate and to the right 4 blocks is a place we call Bruce Lee's Chinese, because he has a bunch of Bruce Lee posters. Great chinese. Yujo Rec Center has a bunch of tours,like climb Fuji and other awesome trips, book early. Outback, next to O'club has good food and beer, especially if you are staying in building 120,across the street. E'club has great pizza delivery.

Hong Kong - New World Renaisance hotel was a Palace! (852-236-94111) Great hotel on the river over looking Hong Kong. It's less than 1/4 mile from great shopping, a park and the river boat to Hong Kong proper. The best bar area is Lan Kwai Fong. It's owned by US, Brit and Aussie Ex-patriots. A lot of fun, good prices and plenty of eye candy. Best days are the weekend.

HICKAM AFB, HI - Break or stay here... you're lucky. Billeting - We stayed in billeting in the new section which we basically one-bedroom apartments, very nice and close to everything on base. Hotels - If you can get off-base they'll put you up at one of the Outriggers most likely. We broke for a few days, and stayed at the Outrigger Luana and Outrigger Waikiki. Outrigger Waikiki has Duke's bar and restaurant with a friendly staff and the likes. Although, if you own laptops, BRING THEM!! You have to pay for public internet access in the lobby at $0.30 a minute! Access in rooms is free. Remember, HI is a predominantly military location, so military business is very much welcomed! Restaurants all over the place, along with good bars, and good per diem. The locals on the other hand still view a lot of us CONUS individuals as people from outer space! Still a great place to break!! Food - Free coupon books for most restaurants in Honolulu can be found in most hotel lobbies. Pacific Beach Hotel restaurant (early bird 5-6pm) has a HUGE fish tank/wall filled with sharks and Manta Rays... very cool. The Shorebird has cook your own everything, plan on dropping $20 for dinner. They give at least 10% discount (maybe it was 15%-been a while since the last time..) if you show them an employee ID from a major airline. Duke's is a good place to chill on the beach and drink. On base, there is the normal food court but try the Sea Breeze restaurant (drive towards Hickam Harbor). Four days a week there is a all you can eat buffet for $14 which is awesome and the restaurant sits right on the beach at Hickam Harbor. Moose McGillicutty's on Lewers Street (lots of military). They do 1/2 price pupus (appetizers) from 1600 to 1900 every day, but they're big enough to make a meal. Good selection of beer and reasonably priced. Ask for "Kim" upstairs...she's a sweetheart and will take of you (not like THAT, you perverts!) Web site: www.moosewaikiki.com. The Wave down on Kalakaua Avenue has more people - a younger and more diverse crowd. Both dance clubs had a cover on the weekends. Misc - Outdoor Rec has the best rates on equipment rentals. Swimming and sunbathing - Waikiki or drive to the North Shore. Bellows Air Force station is a good bet; the water is clear, the sand is white, and the scenery is literally out of Lost and Jurassic Park (they were filmed nearby). A one-day rental four-seat Jeep Wrangler ran $72 from Dollar, booked through our hotel. Nothing beats driving along the North Shore with an open-top car. Surfing - North shore or Sunset Beach! Boogie Boarding - Kaneohe Marine Base. Massages - try "The Massage Specialists" at 1750 Kalakaua Ave. Suite 512. Phone # 941-1068. It's across from the Convention Center. If you want a Lomi Lomi Massage, which is a deep tissue massage, ask for Lei and get one for a hour and a half. It's only $60. My wife has been a massage therapists for over 12 years and is very good, but this was one of the best massages I have ever had. If you have never had a massage before I wouldn't recommend a Lomi Lomi, but if you decide to have one make sure you drink a lot of water afterwards, or you will regret it. Flying - AMCC was very helpful and Base Ops wasn't bad. Car rental at the Pax Terminal. Plan on a STAR coming in and SID going out. Hickam is weird because it shares the runway with Honolulu Intl. If you're not ready to go when number one you won't make friends with ATC. Hickam is an uncontrolled ramp so you don't talk to Honolulu ground for engine start you talk to "Hickam Ramp." Read AP remarks or risk getting violated. Update for you folks going to Hickam, especially you C-130 crews!! When arriving into HIK (HNL), expect ATC to make you speed it up on final. We had to keep the gear up because they wanted us to do 180! Yes you are reading this right! So we we're configured, and had to raise the gear, only to lower it again! This was on final for 8L! When you land, you have to talk to Hickham Ramp Tramp on 133.6 for further taxi. When arriving into Base Ops, you'll notice an itinerary in Command Post for all transient crews to abide by (i.e. crews show 3+00 prior to T.O., taxi 0+30, etc) otherwise they will call you on UHF and wonder why you haven't departed or why you are late. They are extremely anal! When C-130 crews depart, follow the special departure procedure paragraph in the Trouble-T section because you're climb gradient is NOT going to meet the SID climbout. ATC is pretty good about this in your clearance because there were C-130's stationed here once upon a time. Just be aware. Just to piggy back on some comments about Hickam. It is definitely the place to break! However, Honolulu is a freakin tourist trap, and traffic is terrible! ALL TRANSITING CREWS, BE ADVISED: The baseops and command post here are extremely anal in crews departing on time. They literally have an itinerary you must follow (3+00 prior:Crews arrive; 0+30: Taxi, and so on), otherwise Command post will call you up and harass you. Hilo, Hawaii - Naniloa 808-969-3333 was a decent hotel. Landed at Hilo IAP on a Sat. Hilo doesn't have seem to get very many military aircraft, but we got very good service from the airport. The Air Service Hawaii guys were very helpful in getting us everything they could. One word of caution, they don't have airstairs. We were able to fax our 1801 to Hickam from the FBO, and Hickam faxed weather and NOTAMS right to the hotel. We left on a Sun. The USDA inspector called us at the hotel to set up a time to meet. If you leave on a weekend and are heading back to the States, you will have to pay for the inspection. Costs about $180. We gave the inspector the address and phone number to our Finance office and she was happy with that. The hotel was decent. The rooms looked like a standard billeting room (two beds, an old tv, a table with a couple of chairs, and a small refrigerator). It has a small shop in the lobby, a couple restaurants, a pool, and a bar. A better hotel to stay at might be the Hilo Hawaiian (1 808 935-9361), although the room rate may be above the max. We ate their (Hilo Hawaiian) dinner buffet, which was pretty awesome and not too expensive, $27 which includes all you can drink of their draft beer or house wines. Both hotels are very close together and only a few minutes from the airport. We stopped at Ken's House of Pancakes on the way to the airport and had an incredible breakfast. The place was packed and looked like a favorite of the locals. We didn't have much time to explore, however you can tour an active volcano that is about 30 minutes away. New addition - FedEx has airstairs for MD-11/DC-10 use, and only has one flight a day. These can be used, the ramp services contractor is now Bradley Pacific, contact them and they'll do the legwork. Aloha Air Cargo also has airstairs for 737 service, those will work better with KC-135 guys as the MD-11 ones are fixed scaffolding. Good food choices are Hilo Burger Joint (all locally raised beef, decent beer selection, reasonable prices for Hilo), Coconut Grille, Cronies (more expensive sports bar type place, typical Hawaii prices - 5 bucks a beer), Big Island Pizza though mostly to go since the seating area is a covered outdoor patio. For more upscale (and pricier)dinner try Cafe Pesto, Pescatore (Italian place), or Hilo Bay Cafe (in the Wal Mart shopping center). For CHEAP and delicious sushi, try Ocean Sushi downtown. For local food, Ken's is a favorite (and the only 24hr eatery in Hilo), also Cafe 100, and Verna's or Blaine's for fast-food-type local (tho they do have a good menu beyond burgers and fries). Sombat's Thai restaurant is awesome and reasonably priced, tho very small on the inside. Other choices are Maui Tacos or Spoonful Cafe (Thai) in the mall. The mall is also where the movie theater is, there's also a dollar theater in the downtown waterfront area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Got this from a Marine bud, recommendations for things to do in Oahu; thought it was worth sharing...Cheers! M2

Anderson AFB, Guam - Outrigger is a very nice hotel with an excellent location - right in the middle of food, entertainment, beach, etc. The only problem with the Outrigger is that checkout can take forever, just plan your alert sequence accordingly. ~Pacific Islands Club (P.I.C.) was fantastic! Excellent crew rest awaits! The PIC is a full resort with snorkeling, swim-thru aquarium, water park, slides, golf, tennis, sailing, etc. Everything you could ask for (which explains why billeting is hesitant to send you there). Each meal is an international buffet, often catering the Japanese vacationers but good food. Noshing at the buffet costs $12-Breakfast, $18-Lunch, and $25-dinner. Military discounts apply, just show your ID at the counter or ask for coupons at the front desk. 24-hour burger bar is ok for a midnight fix. Honor bar is available in your room, but don't buy anything. $5.50 for a can of Pringles? Yeesh! Lots to do if you're into water activities, plenty of fun downtown, and the A/C works VERY well. The PIC is well worth the 30 minute bus ride. You'll never want to leave! ~If you are on-base: The billeting rooms have recently been remodeled. It's a two-room suite with a microwave and refrigerator. If you're stuck on-base with no UDI (typical), you can rent a car at the pax terminal/base ops ($35/day) or ask about the shuttle bus schedule to get around base. Or head to the golf course or the on-base beach (follow the signs on the far side of the runway that say "Beaches"). Oscar's Bar is down at the end of the road across from Turagi Beach. There's typically an Outdoor Rec trailer from which you can rent snorkeling gear for a few bucks. ~On-base is less than spectacular, we had to change rooms due to ants and roaches. Also, the base is spread out so get a rental car or take the shuttle bus. The National Rental Car place at the AMC Terminal will pick you up. FYI, taxi's can't come on base after 9pm so if you get to billeting after then you're screwed since everything else closes (except pizza delivery). If you are stuck there, take a drive around the island (about 3 hours). Also, the base beaches are usually deserted. ~Outrigger/Hilton was a nice place, although the part about checkout taking forever is right on. Ideal location with Hard Rock at the base and across from the Viking and down the street from Club USA, both must do clubs. Get the 5 dollar massage from the older lady at the Viking. Watch out for the maids is you stay on base, our Nav had his clothes stolen and at bus time was calling the maid at home where she had his stuff. Hilton is a bit far down from the action but a nice hotel nonetheless. It's a 10 dollar cab ride to the action, great breakfast buffet downstairs. ~Royal Orchid hotel was a dump! Just got back from several trips though Guam. On the first way though got put up at the Hyatt, downtown. Nice place! Right on the beach and centrally located for all the food and shopping. Second stay got sent to the Royal Orchid..... A dump! The first thing that you notice is the smell. A cross between mold and mothballs; radiates though the entire place, and bad enough that some did not get good crew rest. Second, the place is in need of a remodel. Torn carpet and walls that have pealing paint or patched paint. Finally, the refrigerator in the room was broken and the ice-machine on the floor did not work. During checkout ops called to extend our stay and we then called billeting for another hotel. They threatened to send us to on-base lodging and we figured that it was better than the Orchid... Ended up at the Marriot across the street... Very nice! Plan on walking or taking a cab to get something to eat or for entertainment. Also don't plan on a vehicle from trans unless it is mission essential. ~ Westin Hotel: Good rooms with a good central location in order to walk to fine establishments. G-Spot was by far best "gentlemens" club on the island. Also, stopped in at the VFW post on the base and had a great time; they love to see folks on their way through town and the beer prices were ridiculously low (free at some points). As far as bars go Max and Martis and Bullys were the two which stand out from a week long binge.

Diego Garcia, BIOT - AMCC is your point of contact for everything here. They have snorkel gear, bicycles, and other sports equipment that will make your stay bearable. There is a shuttle that runs between all over the base every 15 minutes, or check out a bike unless you want to hoof it everywhere. The club has a make your own pizza and the O'club has live music and a patio right on the beach with a local live band that was decent. There is a comissary-type store with convenient hours and a "ship's store" with BX-type stuff and movies for rent. Check out the outdoor theater with 2 shows per night next to the well-equipped gym. The Seamen's Club has really good chow. Burgers and Bytes has short-order junk food as well as computers for surfing if you happen to catch them open. If not, there is also a internet cafe with free computers if you don't mind waiting an hour or so for 30 mins of net time. Get a FREE haircut at the barber shop next to the Q's. Also, get one of the locals hanging outside your Q to put a spitshine on your boots for 4 bones! Best sorkeling is on the lagoon side near the E-club -- beautiful water, coral, and fish. Watch for jellyfish, sharp coral, and the equatorial sun. Fishing at Diego is incredible. Talk to Vic at the Marina or call AMCC and they will transfer you. He can set you up with a trip for $150 for the boat (max of 4 people). It is best to be at the marina early, I think it opens at 0700. The locals will gut and fillet the fish you catch and then you take the fillets to the United Seamans Service and they will cook it all for you for $6 a person. Also, if you are at Diego on the weekend, go to the plantation on the other side of the island. It costs 1 dollar for a pass you have to get from the BIOT police. They have a shuttle bus that runs three times a day. Bring snorkeling gear, the beaches on the Lagoon by the plantation are like no other--pristine, and not crowded. Wifi internet is available at most of the MWR/Services locations, you have to buy a $20 phone card that you can use to call home or for the internet. If you use it for only the internet it is $5 and hour. You can make DSN calls from your Q room but the AC has to approve it when the AMC rep meets you at the jet.

Brisbane, Australia - Holiday Inn 61-7-32382222 was a nice hotel with pubs and restaurants nearby. At Brisbane International our handling agent was Brisbane Jet Base, 61-73860 phone, www.adagold, or 129.9 Mhz. Glen was running the show - fuel, customs, food and drink was outstanding. Glen will broker the exportation of some XXXX Bitter or other hooch from Down Under. The Aussies' seem to like Americans more than we like ourselves, and their a-political outlook is a pleasant change. Geelong, Australia - Sheraton 4 Points was great! (0011 61 3 5223 1377). We came down for the Avalon Airshow. Town of Geelong is 20 minutes away. Hotel is brand-new and very nice, across the street from the bay and park. Many restaurants and bars abound. Go to Irish Murphy's for great beers and food with an Irish flavor. If you have a car check out the "Great Ocean Road", for a neat drive down the coast all the way to the 12 apostles. Perth, Australia - The Crown Plaza Perth will meet the US Per Diem rate if you ask the manager. The taxi ride from the base (RAAF Pearce) is expensive so make sure you get a receipt. The northbridge area has the best nightlife but was mostly dead on the Tuesday night we were there. The hotel can arrange for cheaper transportation back to the base. Expect a 45 minute ride. RAAF Williamtown, Australia - Hotel IBIS, Newcastle (61-2-4925-2266 / Fax 61-2-4925-3373) was decent. Accommodations on base are slim pickings. There is virtually nothing hotel wise available just outside the base. There is an O'club on the base that serves a daily buffet that ran about $20AUS. We stayed at the Ibis hotel in Newcastle which was about a 20 min drive from the base. The drive each day was worth it, though as the hotel and staff were great and went out of their way to accommodate the "Yanks". The hotel is a few block from the train station that will get you into Sydney in a couple of hours for about $7.50AUS round trip. There is plenty to do right around the hotel (with a short walk). The waterfront offers a few more hotels (better positioned but a bit more expensive) such as the Crown Plaza, and Noah's as well as a few pubs including the "Brewery" which is an all nighter type pub with a great view of the harbor. Try Darby Street (a couple of blocks away) for all of the great restaurants, a great local pub - The Hotel Delany and a really good Irish Pub - M.J. Finnegans. Sydney, Australia - Ibis Sydney is a short drive from the airport and about $15 taxi ride to the center of Sydney. The Ibis has food / bar in the hotel which is open almost 24 hours. Kings Cross area of Sydney has packed bars any night of the week. The FBO at Sydney IAP is great and with 30 mins notice can provide alomost any needed service. The are called Universal Aviation and the Operations Coordinator is James Nainggolan. Their VHF is 131.95, phone is 61 2 9693 0877 and email: sydeny.ops@uvglobalnetwork.com. Hotel Ibis Sydney, Australia (+61)2/95630888 was great. We stayed at the Ibis in Darling Harbour for a week (coordinates for you google earth types: 33°52'16.53'S 151°11'52.94'E ). The Novotel is right next door, but usually only has a few rooms to give out at the mitary rate. Its about a 20 min ride from the airport (YSSY) and fairly easy to get to (rental car desk at airport provided directions). The area is heavily populated by tourists, so the prices for food and beverage are a little higher than can be found a short walk away (or one stop on the monorail which stops at the Harbourside entrance to the Ibis). You can't be better plugged in to Sydney (at the military rate) than here. Darling Harbour is very picturesque anytime day or night with a great view of the Sydney skyline. The harbour is lined with more pubs, bars and restaurants than can mentioned. We started out at the 'Club 26' bar at the end of the Pyrmont bridge...about a 5 minute walk from the hotel and made for watching the crowds. If you want to venture down to the Opera House, take the monorail to the City Center station and walk straight down Pitt St to Circular Quay (about a 10 min walk). Just to the west of the opera house is the 'Rocks', where there are more pubs than you could ever hit in one TDY. The 'Fortunes of War' is a good place to start here (almost directly across from the opera house on George St) and a block further down is the 'Orient' pub. Try out the Three Wise Monkey's Pub (555 George St Sydney) for a more local crowd and three levels of pubs and dance floors. For a late night, be sure to head to the 'Slip Inn' pub (111 Sussex St, Sydney) for a great crowd and numerous fine beers. On the way back to the hotel, hit the 'Cargo' bar in Darling Harbour nearby the Aquarium. Upscale and trendy...its the place to see the Aussie celebs and 'beautiful people'...i.e. collared shirt and no shorts. Cabs are pretty easy to come by just about any time day or night and are reasonable. We had conferences at the naval facility just to the east of the opera house and cabbed in every day for about $5US.

NSTU, Pago-Pago American Samoa - GCA International, Inc tel 684 699 7877 fax 684 699 6655 CONUS POC (tel) 623 935 6520 fax 623 935 6568 (aircraft ground handling company). Rainmaker Hotel (dump) is the only hotel that is survivable. Roaches, rats, mildew and no cable. The air conditioning works almost half the time. Good places to eat are a ten minute walk away and will be obvious as you walk by. DO NOT CREW REST HERE. ~I concur the Rainmaker sucks, But there is hope the Pago Pago Inn and there is new one on the plan. give Bill (GCA Intl)a call at 623935 6520. GCA Intl and AMC have parted due to a difference of opinion. If you are not flying AMC give us a call. we service everyone but AMC. Al the info is on our web at www.gcainternational.com - commerical services. ~Clarion Tradewinds Hotel was a nice hotel! Big upgrade in Pago over previous facilities. Hotel is now 3-4 years old. King size beds, working A/C, good cable, clean showers and most importantly; no room lizards like in the old "rainmaker" (now defunct). Hotel restaurant bar/hotel is good but limited selection. Recommend Anna's Hideaway for a good Mex style dinner. Short cab ride, food takes a long time but well worth it. Clarion Hotel Tradewinds (684) 699-1000 was clean and close! Good place in the middle of a dump island. Wireless in the hotel's coffee shop. The hotel restaurant, Equator, actually had great food - though pricey. Reduce crew rest here, because the hotel is close and quick and the island is 3rd world.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan is a real gem in the rough. The Hotel Intercontinental (011 998 71 120 7000) is a great place. The embassy gets the per-diem rate. Food in the hotel is xpensive so try to eat on the economy. You get bags of money here as Per Diem, but can eat at local restaraunts... with beer for about 5-7 dollars... The hotel would run you about $20. The bar in the hotel has Happy Hour from 5-8 where you get two for one beers or local vodkas. That makes the beer about 3-4 dollars each if you pay in the local currency. Good work-out room, pool and sauna. Take the metro (70 sum = 8 cents) downtown... three stops and eat at the Restaraunt BAHOR. Ask for directions, but good food.. fancy, and with two glasses of wine, appetizer, soup and main dish came to $10. Check out what they call BROADWAY... a street with cafes and shopping. Taxis cost about 2000 sum ($2) but at the driver's descretion he may try to charge you 3000. Trade money at hotel for 910 sum per dollar, but you won't be able to trade it back unless you fill out a declaration at the airport when you arrived (we didn't). Not many people speak english on the economy, so if you can get a russian phrase book that would be a plus. Termez, Uzbekistan - Finca hotel was okay. If you have to stay in Termez, Uzbekistan, this is the "best hotel" in town. Very cheap and friendly staff. They have a bar and domestic food. The beer, "Baltika 3", is ok but take it easy with the food..........

Fujairah, UAE - When TDY to Fujairah you are at the whim of the Navy ATOC. There are four hotels they will send you too. They are the Hilton, Siji, Oceanic, and the Ritz. Stay in them in that order. The Hilton is on the water and is really nice. The Siji has just been renovated and is downtown, the rooms are the size of racquetball courts- pretty nice. The Oceanic is on the water and the hotel is nice. It's flaw is that it's a 45 minute bus ride away- standard tiny buses, it sucks. The Ritz is to be avoided. Like the other hotels they include meals, but they took 1+15 to prepare a disgusting steak for me. They have 5 bars in the hotel that don't get a lot of use. The music shakes the hotel all night. For the Siji and Ritz there is a supermarket within easy walking distance. There are no inflight meals at Fuj. Overall a good moneymaker, but not too much to do unless you are at the Hilton. ~If you're going to stay the night in fuj, stay at the Hilton. I've been there three times and the Hilton beats the Siji. I'm not familiar with the other two hotels you have listed on the site. The staff at the Hilton will hook you up with any request. Our flight was scheduled to leave before they served breakfast. The staff opened the breakfast buffet early for us. The food was awesome and would satisfy any american diet/tastes. During my last trip there, the staff made boxed breakfasts for crewmembers who had to miss breakfast due to crew duties (free of charge even)! I would give the Hilton a Green Star. If you want to go shopping (gold, cheap electronics, etc. etc), tell the staff and they will hail you a cab and give the cabbie instructions. The Hilton in fuj has been one of my best hotel experiences overseas.

Erkelit, Turkey - Hilton Hotel was a palace! Just returned from a week-long trip to the European Tactical Airlift Meet in Turkey. Erkelit AB is the home of most of Turkey's Airlift forces. Hotel was incredible. Most rooms have California Kind-Sized beds (some have 2 twins... roll of the dice). Bathrooms have real Turkish Cotton towels and large, CLEAN bathtubs with showers. The breakfast buffet was included in our $50/night room rate and is second to none: 3 kinds of eggs, sausage, fruit galore, about 30 kinds of jams/jellies/preserves for their bakery-fresh breads, 5-6 kinds of fresh-squeezed juices (orange, cherry, peach, mulberry, etc.), great coffee... and the list goes on! You can find the hotel's information by going to the Hilton Website and select their locations in Turkey. Plenty of sight-seeing to be done here. Right across the street from the old city where the bazaar is located. Oriental Rugs, pottery, and jewelry beyond your dreams. Be sure to bargain the merchants down! Per diem rate was $79/night and we ate & drank like kings. If you can swing it, talk with the Turkish Air Force folks and see about going to their Officers/NCO Club on base! Great pool, food, and drink. So very inexpensive! 15 beers (a round for our crew) + dinner for the pilot only cost $23 US. Crazy! Incirlik AB, Turkey - Mostly ONW folks. Complex is huge and the facilities aren't bad. Boots shined like corframs within 30 minutes for $2. Dining hall is not to bad but meat is overpriced. Off-base experience Mudjat's (cheesebread is excellent). If you are just passing through and getting hungry: when you are checking in with ATOC, place an order with Mudjat's--they will make the food and have it delivered via cab to ATOC. Short ground times are no problem (<30 min). Recommend Chicken Tava w/cheese, Chicken Chop, or Shrimp Tava; cheese bread always, with spicy ketchup. Gold is cheap and carpets are a good deal too. ~2 years after spending a TAD in Incirlik I still miss it. You can't go wrong with Pop's Leather in town for all your aircrew gear and leather needs. Get one of the shotgun cases for $109 and bring back as many Winchester Supreme Sporting Clays over and under shotguns as the ATF will let you. The forms are on the BATF website and make sure you use the one for the military. I sold all the ones I brought back for $750 and paid $350 for them. You need to be there over a month for it to work out with the paperwork. Agree on the cheesebread. Ask a cabby to take you to McDonalds in Adana on Sunday afternoons the locals call it ass-central. Tons of twenty something Turks in tight pants. ~If you are planning to RON, you will need NATO orders to inprocess the country. The 728 AMCC (DSN676-3286) will get your NATO orders "Red Stamped" into the country and "Out Stamped" when you leave. If you lose your "Red Stamped" orders, you will be charged $45 for a VISA. NATO orders can be done on-the-spot if you divert. ~If you are looking for hand-made carpets, Top Gun is the place. Cheesy name but great selection and prices. 1/3 of the way down alley on the left. They will sit you down and teach you all about them, as well. No hassle or pressure. Decent selection of machine-mades as well. I purchased a hand-made Persian at Abe's (near Pop's Leather) (poor selection and higher prices) and saw the same carpet at Top Gun on my next trip for $200 less. Abe's is OK for machine-mades. Talked to a guy from USAFE that used to be stationed there - bought 30 carpets from Top Gun! Leather: Pop's. Baker's Racks: Big John's. Food: Mujahts, Red Onion, Midnight Cafe. ~Comments on Airbase carpets...In January '04 I was there, made a deal for two carpets. Wanted the tassles cut off, then finish the edging. I was told no problem. I was on a C-21, so I couldn't fit them with me (large rugs), the salesman (CJ) told me he would finish the rugs within two days then MPS them to me and I'd get them (at Ramstein) within two weeks. Two months later, after repeated phone calls, I received the rugs. Small one ok, but the new edging on the ends didn't quite match the sides. The large rug had the tassels cut off, but was just left like that...looked like crap. He also told me if my wife didn't like it, bring it back for a full refund. Wife didn't like it. I called him, he said no problem, bring it back. In May 04 I got another trip there. I called him the night before asking if I could still bring it back, he said ok. Next day, I get it in his shop, pull it out, and he says he can't do anything for me. He would give me an even exchange on another carpet, but I wanted some $$ off another one for all my hassle, not to mention not being able to get a full refund. No deal. He wouldn't do it. So, after 45 minutes of arguing with him, I told him I would just take my carpet back with me and file a complaint with the legal office on base, which I did. Legal office said they've had other complaints with him telling buyers they get a 100% wool rug when it isn't. So, bottom line, DON'T BUY FROM AIRBASE CARPETS!! ~Totally agree on Top Gun carpets. Yes, the name is a little weak but it's leaps and bounds above Abe's Carpets. Quality product, better prices and you can even walk out without being harassed into coming back in. ~If you go through Incirlik and don't have much time, order the breakfast burritos from the bowling alley. They are the best breakfast burritos I've ever had. Awesome bread and no grease. ATOC will give you the number. They will deliver them to the front of the Pax terminal 30 minutes after order was placed. The cost is $3.75 and they take American dollars. If I had known how good they were, I would have ordered 2 or 3. ~Update Jan07: Turkey was fun. The guy from Top Gun moved further down the road into a 2 story building next to the gas station. He explains everything with no pressure. Basically loves teaching about carpets. Mr Rolex (next to Mudjat's) had good prices on the fake watches. Picked up 2 Brietling imitations for $100 total and they still work. Food was awesome everywhere. Great Baklava right outside the main gate.

Saudi Arabia Toro says this place stinks. If you are coming here, pray (to Allah) that is only a TDY where you can gas and go, then get the f*** out of there while enjoying a month of tax free. The people are rude, the drivers are worse than any country I have ever been to, they shut everything down five times a day to pray, you can't get s*** done because nobody has any sense of urgency, and working with the Saudis makes me want to shoot myself if the face on a daily basis. No booze, all the women are dressed as ninjas, no pork products, no extracurricular activities, and generally nothing to do other than dodge camels in the road. IHTFP That probably wasn't very helpful.

Al-Udeid, Qatar - I also spent several days as a transient at Al-Udied in Qatar. That place just went up after Sept 11th. It's so new, on the rotator out, NOBODY could tell me where Al-Udied was. It wasn't until I was in Bahrain that anybody had a clue. They still have a lot of stuff to work out. Persco/billeting was a disaster. We had to fight to get our flight from there to Seeb--calling ATOC several times per day. They also use the 3 beer/day rule, but it's 7 days a week. They serve from 0700-1300 and 1900-0100. Services are ok, they have a tent with about 8 rooms with TV/VCRs, and a couple with DVD/Playstation 2s. They also have a snack bar, one TV which they occasionally show movies on, and a dart board. The bar has lots of board games and 4 TVs showing 2 different stations. There are 2 volleyball courts there. Transients sleep 12 to a tent on cots. Not sure how nice the permanent tents are. There is officially no travelling off base, however I did hear one guy trying to rally people to go on a trip to a shopping center once (not sure if it was an opportunity or a petition). Check out Al-Udeid updated maps and satellite photos. Also, read more about the base. ~Beer tent ... 0700-1400 and 1900-0200 (3 beer daily limit). The beer tent has both a sports tv section and a news section. A tv/movie tent plays tv shows and movies 24hrs and has pingpong and pool tables. Weights and conditioning facility (acceptable). Three chow halls, one by OPS/Flightline, two in tent city. If the food at the main chow hall in tent city isn't to your liking, do a touch-n-go and head to the smaller "american" chow hall which serves hamburgers, hotdogs and cold cuts. A miny BX is open 0900-2100 daily. There is also a barber and beaty shop if you need to get a "slappy". To go downtown, you have to get the OSI briefing and a qualified driver (not going to happen for transient crews). If you need flight meals, you have three options. In all cases, you need an AF FORM 2039 filled out by your AC. The OPS/Flightline chowhall will allow carry out. They also can provide you with box nasties. The meals consists of two pre-fab sandwiches (usually turkey or ham with cheese) two bags of chips and a cookie. You have to get your drinks from the chowhall fridge. If you so desire, MRE's can be had from the main chowhall in tent city. For billteting, expect a field tent with cots. PERSCO can hook you up with a foam pad and blankets and pillows (it sucks). ~Update to the Deid. All the tents are gone. All of the living quarters are white double wide trailers with 15 12x12 rooms down each side. Most TDY rooms have a phone, but dialing CONUS is blocked. If you are deployed there, you can receive calls from outside lines though. All rooms have a cable tv connection; tv's not included. All rooms have bunk beds. Whether or not you have a room mate is up to your squadron. The gym in the compound is mediocre. It is packed in the evenings. I recommend the Ops Town gym. It's smaller, but you can get a quiet workout. The chow hall in compound is open 24/7. The food is ok; the taco bar is great! The Ops Town chow hall has certain hours of operation. Be prepared, the lines get long. Beer is from 0900-0200 everyday- three beer limit. They have also started serving mixed drinks. There are also coffee shops around base. Couldn't tell you what transient services are like because I deploy there on a regular basis.

Islamabad, Pakistan - If you ever get stuck at PAF Chaklala overnight, there is a one man TALCE crew that will take you to the Serena Hotel, about 30 minute drive. This place is the best kept secret in the AOR. Not only is meal per diem $63/day, but this place looks and feels like a palace. I would not wonder far off from the serena, but if you have plenty of time and need a drink, catch a ride to the AmerEmbassy (about 4 blocks away). Go to the only club/eating establishment on the compound (it is called the American Club). They have no limits on the alcohol consumption and relatively good prices too. Eat at the Serena unless you are craving American food (or you cant stomach the Pakistani stuff), then eat up at the embassy

Muscat (Seeb Int'l), Oman - The C-130 base ops put us up at the Hotel Intercontinental in Muscat, awesome place. (Phone: +968-600 500, fax: +968-600 012 email: muscat@interconti.com) About 25 minute drive from the base. They have a buffet on the ground floor, a little pricey, but ask for the American Embassy meal cards from the C-130 base ops before going down town (then your meals will be paid for without using your perdiem!). Has a great pool and health club. Be careful, the Flight meals you order from the ATOC support guys cost $15.00 a piece, there a some KFCs, Pizza Hut, etc. on the way back to the airport, and the drivers were happy to stop for us to get food. Salala, Oman - I've diverted into Thumrait; but this was before the US buildup after Sept 11. We traveled to Salala for the Hilton (perks of flying a KC10). This was a 1.5 hour drive from Thumrait, but 15-20 minutes from downtown Salala or the airport. The Hilton in Salala is located on the edge of town on the Gulf heading towards the Yemen border. The complex is new and it is very very nice. The rooms are large and very plush. There are four restaurants and a couple of bars. The food is outstanding; especially the restaurants outside near the pool and beach. Check out the stir fry huts (the best I've ever had). The breakfast buffet wasn't all that considering the cost (the most expensive meal there) but it is acceptable. I would rate the Hilton in Salala a green star.

Ganci Airbase - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - Tent city set up after 911. Good services: BX, gym, rec centers (x3) with a 2-beer limit via beer ration card, movies, barber, library. No Burger King, Pizza, etc. Chow hall is a mix of UGR's (bulk MRE's) and some fresh food. Possibly expect MRE's for inflights or stock up on pretzels and coke at the BX. If staying long, morale trips into downtown available. Email/internet work good. Tents have proper bunks with mattresses. Check NOTAMS well. Local control is a bit dicey at times but if you coordinate with the USAF/USMC controllers listed in NOTAMS you'll help yourself out. Runway is in horrible condition, a real teeth-rattler on takeoff. Local weather identifier UAFM is always doom and gloom. Try French identifier EQBA for more accurate forecasts. ~As of Apr 04, beer was cut off by the Wing CC. You could still go downtown, but you were not allowed to drink. You can still purchase near-beer on base (two bucks a bottle), but don't even think of bringing near-beer from the BX's (four bucks a six pack) in Afganistan to Ganci. Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan - Welcome to Siberia or the frozen wasteland of a former Russian state. Temperatures average -30. I recently returned from a stay at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan. The facilities I stayed in were substandard at best. Only one step above being outside. I had to trudge through 3 feet of snow to the bathroom and froze my way back from the shower. And the toilet paper was the consistency of sandpaper. All this while the guys next to me were staying in spacious 4 star billeting rooms. And don't even drink the water. I had the Kyrgy squirts the whole time I was there. The only good part was the #9 beers and the chili. The beer is named after the percentage of alcohol in it. The chili would be worth paying for in the states. And with the Perdiem rate I ate my fair share. Air service into this location is spotty at best. I had to fly on some dirty, smelly ancient old aircraft. One high point is that is in what used to be USSR. And they have taken a liking to the American dollar. Shopping is cheap and the gruel is good. Every day was "Groundhogs Day" and "Hogans Hero's" combined. Everyday the same and locked away in my cell & fenced in. Food isn't bad. Managed to get fatter since i have been here. Just joking! Really not a bad place for crew dogs. Billeting is pretty standard. Usually doubled up but showers are hot and everything is in-doors. Tents are a possibility if crew upsets the wrong people.

Amman, Jordan - Le Meridian hotel was a Palace! Modern European style hotel. The embassy guys can hook you up with this place. Several places to eat at the hotel and two bars in the lobby! Avoid going through the airport terminal on the way back to the aircraft if possible. The "customs" officer is well known for shaking down the crews for "gifts" for his "friend in customs". He will hit you up for money to buy smokes to give to his friend in order so "smooth" over a fictitious problem with your passports.

Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait - As of 14 Dec 2003, there are four types of rooms available for the flyer types. Small Room, Smaller Room, Smallest Room and Tent. The aircrew will get stuck with two or three per room. Some of the rooms have their own bathroom or the common bathroom in the middle of the building. If you are there for a while, the tents are a better option (more room). Dining hall is marginal - if you can stand all the cats and rats running around. Beg, borrow, steal a vehicle from Trans and go Downtown for some fun!! Avoid the box lunches!! Go with the MRE's and snacks. Kuwait City, Kuwait (OKBK) - Crowne Plaza (965 424-2000) was A Palace! Nice hotel amid all the sand and heat. 24 hr gym and sauna. They put us up in the club rooms on the 7th floor. 6 hotel restaurants to choose from. Transportation to and from the airport and downtown shopping. Air conditioning that makes you feel like you're traveling across the Arctic tundra. ~Agreed on the Crowne Plaza, it's a great hotel to stay at. Kuwait City is pretty safe, so disregard what other aircrews say about not leaving the hotel, that's BS. Go out and check out the area. While at the hotel, eat at the Sakura Restaurant, it's really good. The teppanyaki beef tenderloin is THE best steak you will EVER taste, trust me on this! Have fun and enjoy OKBK. Safir Airport Hotel 427-5000 was decent. OK hotel as far as room size and cleanliness, but you're stuck there. Rec room has worn out equipment. ~Sheraton (965-242-2055) was a palace! Upgraded rooms for military aircrews. Great service and security has been upgraded. Although Kuwait City is safe, you are restricted to the hotels due to force protection. Crews may be forced to use the Safir if crews do not adhere to this policy. ~HIlton & Raddison were palaces! As of 6/2005, crews being put in the Hilton or Raddison. Great rooms either way. The food is better at the Hilton, as is your chance of staying in a "Royal Villa" with your own pool. We liked the ambience at the Hilton more than the Radisson, but either make a great stop. Try the El Goucho steakhouse next to the Radisson if you're there, pricey but a good steak!

Kirkuk AB, Iraq- Kirkut is a nice place to spend your time in Iraq... Everyone is now in Mods and the Army are in their Pods. Chow hall is good, hey lets face it there is nothing wrong with eating ice cream during alarm conditions. Beware in the rainy season as there dust there turns to mud and gets very deep. Rooms were sitting 7 for Airmen, 6 for NCO 4-5 SNCO Officers 3-4 per room and commanders have their own pod. Tallil, Iraq - Transient Tent was okay. Had to spend the night when the herky broke. Standard GI tent with cots. There is a Pizza Hut and Burger King right outside the U.S. compound. Rumor has it that the Italian dining hall is the place to go (wine!). al Sahra Airfield, Tikrit, Iraq - Twenty four hour Subway and Green Beans Cafe located near the pax terminal. Contact JAMOC for any needed help from AF guys.

Cairo, Egypt - Tiger Aviation Services will take great care of you and are very reliable. Tiger will do all of the handling including paying for transportation to and from the Hotel. Sheraton Heliopolis (2022677730) is 10 min from Apt., other hotels closer to downtown can be over 1 hr in peak traffic times. Hotel is great, and within per diem rates, pool, gym, good security with over 5 restaurants. ~Swissotel, El Salam was great. Very nice hotel, 3 restaurants (Italian, Indian/Thai, French Style Cafe), a bank, a work out center, casino, pool with bar, a bar in the lobby, the room had a stocked mini bar and the TV had 3 or 4 English channels (MTV, MTV2, Discovery, TMC). The entrance to the hotel had a metal detector ( Americans were not screened). The hotel was only 10 minutes from Cairo East Military Base in Heliopolis. DO NOT drink the water or eat things washed off with tap water anywhere in Egypt. Ice cubes are a no-no also (personal experience). Go shopping at the Khan in downtown Cairo. They will barter with you. The Nile River Supper cruise is a good experience (about $25.00-$30.00). Hurghada, Egypt - The Hilton Hurghada is a very nice place, highly recommended. Hurghada is a resort city on the Red Sea that caters to Europeans and Russians. We waited quite a while in the terminal for customs but the rest of the stay was well worth it. This is a great place to RON if you are flying from Eastern Europe to Eastern and Southern Africa or to middle or southern Saudi Arabia. The room rate after conversion to USD was only $50.00 a night! Several of the crew took double takes after we figured out the conversion, we couldn't believe the room rate was so cheap. The rate also includes all meals. If this location can be justified to pass through, do NOT turn the opportunity down. All people from the airport to the hotel and locals were very friendly. There several discotheques in the area which cater to Europeans. We weren't there long so we didn't get a chance to really see the nightlife beyond the hotel but it looks great!

Dhaka, Bangladesh - Paradise Garden Hotel Ltd Pvt. was decent. One of four embassy approved places that air crew can stay at. There is no fire protection here, no sprinklers or fire extinguishers here. The ability to have any kind of force protection is non existent as there is easy access to the front of the hotel, no gates, and the hotel staff will give out room numbers and names to anyone who asks. Our entire crew got sick when we were there, but that could have been from any place. The internet access is limited and costs 50 Taka per half hour. The nice thing is that you are in the embassy district and in a control zone so your chances of encountering criminal elements are greatly reduced. Shopping here can be great, ask to see the pearl vendor near DIT 2 where all the leather and antique shops are. The American Club is really the only safe place to eat and work out. If you get a chance, spend some time with the street kids at the ABC school run by the American International School Dhaka.

Bahrain - Book rooms at the Diplomat Hotel through the Navy ATOC. Hotel is amazing for the Middle East. Great Irish pub downstairs and just short cab ride away from the islands bars. Great pool and poolside bar(usually being visited by British Airways flight attendants); Good restaurant. Highly recommend hitting the Savage Garden disco a few blocks away. Note for aircrews, make sure you get everyone's room number since the staff sometimes had trouble looking up English-sounding names. The Gulf Hotel 00973 713000 was fabulous. No less than 4 fine restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Lebanese) within the hotel. Also no less than 4 different bars / lounges within as well. Spare no expense here. If time permits, use the health club, swimming pool, and tennis courts. Enjoy. ~If you are just quick turning Bahrain International make a food run to the Indian Place in the back of the Gulf air maintenance hangar. If you are facing the ATOC from the ramp if is at your 7 o'clock position. Go through the hangar and then behind the hangar is a little trailer. You can full up on all kinds of curry goop for way under 5 bucks. Take it to go or eat it there. Make sure to get a few pieces of Naan (bread). In US Indian Restaraunst Nann us usually a buck or two a piece. These guys will throw it in for free or for only a few cents. The Merridian is a 5 star hotel with pool bar, 4 restaurants, large rooms and exceptional service. It also has an Irish bar and is close to a descent mall and Chili's. ~Novotel hotel 97317 298 008 was decent. Very nice rooms. Very well appointed, but the service was poor and the staff arrogant. Nice place to rest or overnight, but not much to do. Very poor restaurant selection. Novotel Al Dana is the nicest, newest resort in Bahrain. Super rooms, close to base, more of a mid-east clientel -- no flight attendants here! Full breakfast buffet (with omelets, salmon, etc) included. Twenty plus english tv channels, best hotel gym I've ever seen. ~Rick's Kountry Kitchen has good american style food. Ciro's Pomodoro has Italian with a good selection and good quality. ~If you are in Bahrain, the best place to stay is Le Royal Meridian Resort Hotel. Having spent two months staging out of Bahrain, we stayed at the other hotels listed here and while they are good, they don't compare! It has several great restaurants, two work out rooms, two huge pools, one indoor and one outdoor. A private beach/cove with Wave Runners to rent, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts and an excellent spa. This place is incredible! UPDATE: The Meridian is now the Ritz Carlton Bahrain, but the taxi drivers still know it as the Meridian. It's an awesome hotel with several good restaurants, including Trader Vic's.

Waterkloof AB, South Africa - USDAO Pretoria will set you up well. They provide a contracted embassy driver to take you wherever you wish to go. The drivers know the best places to go (as well as where to avoid) for food, clubs and souvenirs. The embassy will even set you up for a photo safari. South African Air Force is a great host. They'll set you up with anything you need flight wise and will normally greet you with at least a case of the local brew. Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport is a nice hotel with good facilities but is good drive away from the food and clubs in Pretoria. Try to get a hotel closer to Pretoria if possible. Food and drink here are cheap, so you can eat like a king and still make a good profit.

Dakar, Senegal - Presidential Meridian is decent and is the nicest hotel around. It is on the water and offers plenty to do right there at the hotel/resort. The poolside restaurant might be the most ideal spot for seeing the topless French ladies and the food is pretty good. Nine of us on the crew decided to go downtown to the market (free hotel van both ways) for some shopping; Don't Do It! Usually nine crewmembers all together are pretty safe....not here. As soon as the van rolled away, we were mobbed by 50+ africans who tried to pick-pocket us while shoving their products for sale in our face. We hid out in the first bar we could find for a few hours until the van came back to get us. The hotel has a beach, topless pool, 3 or 4 restaurants and a few bars. The rooms are a little older and a little musty. If you are a C-5 crew....the place where they have you taxi the airplane to get gas in not even close to legal for wingtip clearance. We had to take the wing over a blast fence...be very careful and put several scanners on the ground. ~Le Meridien President 00221-869-6969 was the best place to stay in Dakar. Decent restaurant, within walking distance of other restaurants and small market (out the gate, go right until the beach). Rather expensive, but you make $87/day. Large pool frequented by South African, Belgian, Air France flight crews. Lousy golf course, but it's there. (No, I mean LOUSY as in fairways=rough, greens=??) 20 minute car ride to the airport, Senegalese military side easy to work with and very helpful. Ask for Lt Col Touba Lo, the base Ops Officer. ~Hotel Ngor Diarama was a dump! Insist on any other hotel if possible, numerous crewmembers had no A/C and i found a spider in my bed. The only benefit is its close proximity to the airport. It was clean, but that's about it. The runway is a black hole, but it and the ramp areas are in good condition. ~Le Meridien President (PH 221-869-69-69 FAX 221-869-69-24) was a decent hotel considering you are in Africa. The hotel is clean and the rooms are equipped with cable internet. No sign of insects in my room. The sink and toilet would not drain. There is a business center with limited hours of operation that is cheap and you can print IMT crew papers there, provided it's open. The two restaurants are decent and the bar is good. Do not drink the water or consume ice. Bring bottled water. The mosquitoes were very bad ... take your Doxy. Verizon's world-wide cell works here. The hookers fill the hotel at night ... beware. The concierge recommended a good spot for quick shopping. The taxi was disgusting. You can shop in the hotel but it is more expensive.