Indian couple's ₹5.5 lakh per night stay at Maasai Mara resort stuns internet
New Delhi: An Indian couple has captured the attention of social media with their extraordinary stay at the JW Marriott Masai Mara, a luxury resort in Kenya. Anirban Chowdhury, a credit card enthusiast, shared details of their experience in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that the cost of their stay amounted to an eye-watering ₹5.5 lakh per night, including taxes.
Just ticked off a bucket list experience at one of Marriott's most exclusive and expensive properties—JW Marriott Masai Mara! 🌍💎 If you're dreaming of luxury safaris, this is the place. Stunning tented suites, epic game drives, and personalized service in the heart of the Mara!… pic.twitter.com/rwWv5sk77b
— Anirban chowdhury (@VoyageBliss) September 15, 2024
Chowdhury documented their trip, which featured an all-inclusive package that covered accommodation, meals, selected beverages, bush meals, sundowners, and daily game drives. Additional activities such as horse riding, hot air balloon rides, and Maasai village tours were available at extra cost.
Despite the high cost, Chowdhury secured the stay using Marriott Bonvoy points, disclosing that he used 106,000 points per night for two. He praised the value of the experience, noting that it was worth even more points and that out-of-pocket expenses were minimal unless opting for additional paid activities.
Chalo, it's time for some myth-busting:
— Anirban chowdhury (@VoyageBliss) September 17, 2024
1. The price per night for two isn’t 3.5L, it's actually 5.5L INR with taxes. For 5 nights, that totals 27.5L INR.
2. I offset that cost by using 424,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Marriott has a 5th night free program on award bookings. So,… https://t.co/2ZEPTNDkSd
The post has garnered over 1.5 million views and numerous reactions. Many users expressed amazement at the luxury and expense, with comments ranging from astonishment at the cost to admiration for the luxurious details.
Chowdhury clarified that the total cost for five nights was ₹27.5 lakh, offset by using 424,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, thanks to Marriott's 5th-night-free program. His posts have sparked significant interest and discussion about luxury travel and the use of reward points for high-end experiences.
Some users admired the luxurious details. "This is next-level luxury. The attention to detail sounds incredible!" wrote one user. "I'm saving up my Marriott points just for this-hoping to experience it someday," said another.
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
