This guy used a clever frequent-flyer strategy to take $30,000 worth of flights around the world - here's what it was like
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Jul 26, 2021, 12:45 IST
After heading to Europe, Friedeberg flew first class on Thai Airways to Bangkok, Thailand, where he played with baby tigers...
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...and big ones too.
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In Siem Reap, Cambodia, he was able to bribe security guards to let him up to the top of Angkor Wat. He saw the sunrise by himself and then got lost in the Ta Prohm temple, where "Tomb Raider" was filmed.
In Saigon, Friedeberg made a friend who lent him a motorcycle so he could experience the thrill of riding in a sea of other riders. And he sampled the local nightlife.
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But it was time to head to Hong Kong.
There he met a stranger at the top of the tallest hotel in the world, Ritz Hong Kong, and snuck through the stairs to go swimming in their pool on the 118th floor.
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In Macau, he dined in both of the Michelin three-star restaurants.
Here's the desert cart at "Robuchon au Dome."
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And the grand piano.
He also took in the craziness of the casino scene.
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In Shanghai, Friedeberg had the pleasure of relaxing and swimming in a pool on the 93rd floor for a few days.
In Yangon, Myanmar, he went gambling and lost all of the money he had, so they gave it back to him.
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Here's the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.
A closer look inside.
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In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he attended the great symphony at the Petronas Towers.
In Phuket, Thailand, he relaxed and then literally ran from a monsoon when he noticed it approaching in the ocean.
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In Penang, Malaysia, he went around the city finding the greatest three dimensional graffiti.
Here's another shot.
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In Singapore, he swam on the 57th floor infinity pool on the top of the Marina Bay Sands.
It was Formula 1 weekend, so there were lots of cars. This is a Lamborghini Sesto Elemento.
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Other cars were harder to get pictures of as they sped by.
The crowd there ended up getting drenched.
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In Bali, Friedeberg could see the Milky Way when traveling around the Indonesian island.
But the beach view was also nice.
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And there were plenty of monkeys.
Time to go to Tokyo, Japan — flying first class from Jakarta.
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Here was the breakfast.
In Tokyo, he went to the Tsukiji fish market, one of the largest fish markets in the world.
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Here are the tools of the trade.
He went to a cat cafe, ordered Ramen from vending machines, and had his taste for sushi changed forever.
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And he made a new little friend.
Visiting Koya-san, officially called Mount Koya, he stayed at a Buddhist monastery at the top of the mountain and prayed with them at dawn.
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Here is the cemetery.
In Osaka, he tasted Kobe beef and realized that meat can actually melt in your mouth.
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In Boracay, Philippines, he found the whitest sand he'd ever seen.
Then it was time to head to South Africa in business class.
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In Vaalwater, South Africa, Friedeberg was the only guest at Zulu Camp Shambala.
So he had several butlers, a private chef, masseuse, and a game driver all to himself.
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Of course, it wasn't just about the hotel.
At Addo Elephant National Park, he accidentally stayed past closing time.
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He had dozens of elephants walk right next to his car.
He was terrified they were going to crush the car, and him along with it. But it ended up alright.
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He flew to India, where he met up with him mom and took an elephant ride.
In Udaipur, India, he stayed at the amazing Taj Lake Palace, a floating marble hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola.
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During the day, he learned how to tame cobras.
But he had to leave the elephants...
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...and head to Dubai.
In Dubai, he went to Formula 1 weekend and got to spend time aboard the Titania, a 236 foot yacht.
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He got to do some driving of his own too.
Then he flew to Europe. There were only two people in his Qatar Air first class cabin during the flight from Doha to Paris.
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In Budapest, Hungary, he attended the opera where he and a friend watched from a box that they had all to themselves.
In Italy, he went to the Ferrari museum.
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Then he flew to South America. In Rio de Janeiro, Friedeberg went to the Carnaval festival, drank too many Caipirinhas, and built sandcastles on the beach.
In Peru, he chewed too many coca leaves.
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He then headed back to Europe, where he drove the breathtaking Furka pass from Switzerland to Italy.
Here's another shot.
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He went to Apricale, a beautiful mountain town in Italy.
But that wasn't it. Friedeberg's trip continued, zipping back and forth across the globe.