Wanna go to wine country, kid?

Greetings, earthlings. Welcome back to Daily Drop, the newsletter that’s “out of this world” good.

Honestly, not sure why I’m feeling the space/alien theme. It just kind of happened.

Speaking of aliens, I’ve got some EXCITING news for you:

• 🍷 We’re giving away a luxury trip to Napa Valley

• 🏃🏼‍♂️ Mike on the Move: The best transit city in the world

• 🖼️ Meme

🍷 We’re giving away a luxury trip to Napa Valley

I promised you we’d have another giveaway soon, didn’t I…?

That’s right, you spoiled travelers, I’m here to announce that we are launching our next giveaway, this time to the world-class Meritage Resort in stunning Napa Valley, California.

If you’re lucky enough to win this trip of a lifetime, you’ll receive:

• Four-night stay (for two) in a Grand Reserve Suite at the Meritage Resort

• A welcome bottle of house-select wine

• Choice of (depending on season): A pool cabana at the Grand Reserve pool, a Firepit beside the wintertime on-property ice rink, or bowling at the on-property alley for up to four people

• $150 food and beverage credit

• $2,000 to cover flights and other activities

This. Is. AWESOME.

Honestly, after how chaotic my travels have been, a luxurious trip to Napa Valley sounds absolutely incredible and relaxing.

Especially when you consider the amazing suite, great wine, and extra activities.

I mean, look at this place…

The best part?

You can all enter to win this trip. Right now. All you got to do is click the button below and confirm that you’re subscribed to Daily Drop.

C’mon, you know you want to click it…

Just do it.

Here it is:

If you’re super keen on winning this trip, you can even enter multiple times by completing tasks like following us on social media, installing a browser extension, and more.

So hurry up and get those entries in. The giveaway ends on October 19th, and we’ll be announcing the winner right here in Daily Drop on October 23rd.

See you in Napa, kiddos. 🍷

🏃🏼‍♂️ Mike on the Move: The best transit city in the world

Well, folks, it’s been another pretty crazy week of travel for me here in Africa as I enter the penultimate week of my trip around the world.

But the other day, I discovered something completely unexpected… A hack that fell into the palm of my hand.

And now, I bestow this hack unto ye.

Here’s the background:

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world, especially for traveling around Africa.

So naturally, my trip is taking me through their hub in Addis Ababa a few times.

The downside? They all involved 12-hour, overnight layovers… 😭

Honestly, I’d been dreading this part of my trip for a while because of these obnoxious layovers.

Normally, I’d just leave the airport and book a hotel for the night, but Ethiopia requires you to purchase a full tourist visa to leave the airport.

Between that, the cost of the hotel, and the amount of effort needed to get a visa (one for each of my overnight layovers), I just decided to “rough it” in the lounge for the night.

Except no.

You see, when I arrived at Entebbe Airport in Uganda before my flight to Addis Ababa, I was handed this sheet at check-in:

You probably can’t read all the deets, but this is a voucher for a free hotel for my overnight layover, for flying in Economy.

Basically, the airline provides accommodations and meals for overnight layovers, even if you book through a partner airline and use points.

I used Aeroplan points for all of my journeys through Addis and still received the voucher.

Ethiopian will essentially provide a shuttle bus from the airport that brings you straight to the hotel. While you’re technically leaving the airport, you aren’t clearing customs and immigration and, therefore, do not need a visa.

You just aren’t allowed to leave the hotel and will be shuttled back straight to the gates in the morning.

First of all, BRAVO ETHIOPIAN. Amazing value and service.

But there’s more…

You see, if you fly in Business Class (which I am on other transits through Addis on this trip), you get an even better perk:

A comfy room at a brand-spankin-new hotel right inside the airport terminal just steps from the gates.

This hotel was extremely convenient. After checking in, I was able to go right back up to the gate areas to get some food and exchange some cash for my destination country, and in three minutes, I was back in bed.

Being able to roll out of bed in the morning, take a shower, and be just three or four minutes from my boarding gate was just… incredible. Especially when it’s free.

I’ve always loved flying Ethiopian, but I do even more now.

They are a world-class airline that has taken the African continent by storm. Being centrally located on planet Earth, they’re a great option to get just about anywhere in the world with a single layover.

As you can see, they fly to plenty of North American cities, making it just as good of a transit option as places like Dubai or Qatar.

Knowing that I can get a free hotel during a long, overnight layover makes me much more inclined to choose Ethiopian in the future.

For reference, Ethiopian is a Star Alliance partner, meaning you can book them by transferring points to programs like Aeroplan, United, Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish, and more.

I find that they have one of the better economy products out there, too.

They have way more legroom than most airlines, great in-flight entertainment, and full meals—even on short two-hour flights.

So, if you want to fly across the world with an airline that offers insane value to its customers (even when it’s not required to) and is easy to book with points, fly Ethiopian.

And maybe consider spending a few extra days in Addis Ababa—it’s a great city!

🖼️ Meme

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That’s all for today, amigos. I’m SUPER excited about this giveaway to wine country, and I can’t wait to hear how it goes for the lucky winner.

Speaking of wine, tell me something:

Take care, have a great day, and I’ll see you bright and early. ❤️

33.9249° S, 18.4241° E