On our final day in India we are up early and finalising our packing for a 05:30 pickup. Jishoy and Udayan insist on a final photo before we set off for the airport. Today could easily have become a three-breakfast day, but we give our first, the hotel pack-up, to Jishoy and Udayan.

Four men pose together indoors beside a parked white SUV, smiling at the camera near a building entrance.

Cochin airport is quite special, it the first airport in the world to be entirely solar powered, and it regularly wins awards, and is hugely profitable for the local government and it’s other owners.

The armchairs are a massive improvement on the standard board. 

Wide interior of a spacious airport terminal with rows of seating and travelers waiting near shops on the left.

Onboard this three-hour flight across the Arabian Sea we get another breakfast which is rather good, and watch the first movie in the recent Wicked series.

Two men sit in business-class seats on a plane, smiling, with orange juice and a water bottle on the tray in front of them.
In-flight meal on a tray: croissant, bread roll, fruit bowl, yogurt with berry sauce, a main plate with vegetables and sauce, and a glass of orange juice on the tray table.

The mountains as we approach Muskat look fabulous, and we catch a glimpse of a mosque and interesting roundabout / clocktower.

Aerial view of rugged brown mountains and dry valleys with winding trails and sparse vegetation in a desert landscape.
Aerial view of a dry, hilly landscape with a small town clustered along the bottom left and winding roads crossing the terrain.
A sprawling desert city with numerous mid-rise apartment blocks under construction and a network of highways in a barren landscape.
Aerial view of a desert city with a large domed mosque and minaret next to beige apartment buildings and palm-lined streets around parking lots.
Aerial view of a large roundabout with a tall brick monument at its center, green lawns, and palm trees, with a long line of cars on the surrounding road.

In the lovely lounge here we resist another meal, but cannot resist a slice of Victoria Sandwich! The airport is very modern and attractive.

Man in a pink button-down shirt sits in a beige chair, holding a plate with a slice of cake.
A man in a white shirt and khaki pants stands in a luxurious hotel lobby with gold lattice walls and tropical plants behind him.
Interior of a modern multi-story shopping mall with glass railings, storefronts (Lancôme, Amouage, Clinique) and a central circular escalator/viewing area.

As well as juices, but no champagne yet, Oman Air offers fabulous pre take-off coffee. Shortly after take-off the champagne arrives.

Flight attendant in a teal vest serving a drink on an airplane, holding a metal pitcher and glass.
Man in a pink shirt and glasses sits in a business-class seat, holding a champagne flute toward the camera with a smile.
View from airplane window showing the wing and engine nacelle with a desert landscape below and a blue sky above

The menu looks good – we enjoy prawns & chicken, then beef & more prawns, then cheese but we skip the pudding, all with great matched wines. We also enjoy the second Wicked movie, the Bose headphones making it sound very much better that the cinema experience.

White restaurant menu card labeled DINING with sections for Modern European, Afternoon Tea Set, and Cheese and Dessert visible on the page.
Shrimp arranged on a white rectangular plate with lime wedge, herb garnish, and small yellow jelly cubes; butter bowl visible nearby in a fine-dining setting.
In‑flight meal on a tray: rectangular plate with roulade pieces, greens and drizzle; bread rolls in a bowl with butter, alongside a wine glass and a water glass, plus cutlery and condiments.
Plate of roasted meat with greens, purple potatoes, and orange sauce, garnished with a herb sprig.
Plate of shrimp with yellow rice, cherry tomatoes, and green peas; two wine glasses and a water glass on a white table in an airplane cabin.
Wine and cocktails menu page showing sections for Champagne, White, Red, Cocktails, and Beers, with descriptions under each heading.
Cheese board with assorted cheeses (blue, Brie), yellow cheese, red fruit jelly slice, green grapes, crackers, and a small bowl of crumbled topping on a white plate.
Man dining in a first-class airplane cabin, with a food tray, glass of red wine, and window seats in the background.

Much later in the flight afternoon tea arrives, fortunately we only have one between us – it’s huge.

Assortment of tea-time treats on a tray: chocolate muffin with nuts, jam, vanilla ice cream, two scones, and colorful finger sandwiches with a cup of tea nearby.

It takes an hour to get from Heathrow to Gatwick, where we have no choice but to stay over since there’s no flight to TFS that fits into our schedule, so we check into the Sofitel and pretty much reset our body clocks in one go.

Hotel atrium with glass skylight, curved white walls, and multiple floors of windows surrounding a central lounge area.

After an expensive breakfast (but what price an English banger?) we take a nice hour walk around the service roads of the airport, then check in for our 14:00 flight home. It’s not too long before we’re seeing Teide still with snow, and another fifteen minutes to land around 18:40. 

Snow-capped mountain range viewed from above the clouds under a blue sky.
Snow-capped mountain peak rising above a sea of clouds under a clear blue sky.

There’s been so much bad publicity around the new biometrics system at TFS but we rattle through it much faster that the old system, and by 20:00 we’re home, unpacked and laundry sorted ready to go in!

A person standing in a laundry area, sorting through large piles of clothes spread on a tiled floor.
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Neil
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