Bali via Frankfurt

[torsion]

Hi all,

Just wanted to get some research in and ask the questions here. I will be heading to Bali in May on a short trip for my friend's wedding. Looking at flight options I could be stopping over in Frankfurt - any recommendations on cigar lounges in the airport and any cigar shops worth checking out?

I think I read recently someone else passing through Frankfurt and having a few smokes somewhere.

I will be bringing my own smokes (as I don't know what Bali is like for sticks) for the trip but hoping I can get some special CC somewhere on the way - my friend is a fellow BOTL and has asked for some NCs as I'm coming from the USA (Nat Sherman Timeless no.2)

Thanks in advance!

[Rushman]

at first I thought your post was "Bail via Frankfurt".........good thing its "Bali"

enjoy your trip

[TCContender]

Hey torsion,

I will be in Frankfurt April 4 connecting on a APAC/EMEA business trip. I have found that the Sheraton hotel, adjacent to the airport has a nice cigar-friendly bar. I guess it is technically a cigar bar with nice leather chairs. They have a decent selection of cigars, but as you are no longer airside, the prices have VAT applied. Best to buy at Heinemann Duty Free before leaving the airport. They have a decent selection of the standard Habanos in boxes and 3/5 packs (no RE or LE):

Cohiba

Robustos

Esplendidos

Maduros

Siglo 2, 4, 6

Bolivar

Coronas

BBF

Hoyo

E1

E2

Especiales

Montecristo

#2

Opens

Edmundos

Prices are marginally higher than our host, without the knowledgeable service, premium selections or specials.

One of the better airports in Europe, IMHO. I will be in Dubai as part of this trip, so I will likely hold off on any major purchases in Frankfurt.

[TCContender]

Oh yeah, they have a website as well. Google it for an exhaustive list.

[Lotusguy]

The person posting recently about Frankfurt Airport was me - I had a couple of smokes in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge (but you have to be a Gold member on Star Alliance for access). The duty free doesn't have any special releases.

[polarbear]

Any CC's you might find in Bali will be fake

I was at a Cuban restaurant in Kuda a few months back that had a humidor stocked with the main HSA brands (Cohiba, Montecristo, RyJ ect) but they were expensive ($50au for a Siglo 1) and I'm not sure they were genuine as they wouldn't let me inspect the stock before making a selection, you order off a menu and its delivered to your table. I'd stay firmly on the side of caution

There are a few hand rolled Indonesian cigars that can be found in the tobacconists in some of the larger shopping centres that can be quite nice. I'd bring plenty of sticks with me, but if you get the opportunity to try the local strains, I would

[OZCUBAN]

My advice would be to bring your own

[SokaKiel]

Any CC's you might find in Bali will be fake

I was at a Cuban restaurant in Kuda a few months back that had a humidor stocked with the main HSA brands (Cohiba, Montecristo, RyJ ect) but they were expensive ($50au for a Siglo 1) and I'm not sure they were genuine as they wouldn't let me inspect the stock before making a selection, you order off a menu and its delivered to your table. I'd stay firmly on the side of caution

There are a few hand rolled Indonesian cigars that can be found in the tobacconists in some of the larger shopping centres that can be quite nice. I'd bring plenty of sticks with me, but if you get the opportunity to try the local strains, I would

That's also my experience from two years ago, even in higher end places you might come across fakes. I didn't take a chance and smoked my own or bought a local one.

Try 'Mosaique' in Ubud for fine dining in the garden or the classics 'Potato Head' and 'Kudeta' in Seminyak. Booth good for relaxed afternoon smokes, lunch and dinner. The W used to have a good nightclub, the Alila in Uluwatu has a stunning pool and Tea pavilion sitting high up on the cliffs, one of my favorite places on Bali!

The person posting recently about Frankfurt Airport was me - I had a couple of smokes in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge (but you have to be a Gold member on Star Alliance for access). The duty free doesn't have any special releases.

The Lufthansa Business Lounge also offers a room to smoke but it's not really a lounge, you sit on bar stools along the wall with a counter in front of you. It is way better than the usual cigarette smoke filled little smoking rooms in between the gates though!

And I can second the opinion on the Sheraton, if you have the time just sneak out of the terminal and head into the bar on the ground floor, quite comfortable for a smoke!

[mk05]

...stopping over in Frankfurt...

I will be bringing my own smokes...from the USA (Nat Sherman Timeless no.2)

Don't bring your own, just buy everything at the dutyfree on the way over.

[LordAnubis]

I will be in Dubai as part of this trip, so I will likely hold off on any major purchases in Frankfurt.

Don't hedge your bets on Dubai. Concourse A has a cigar shop on both sides of the terminal, both are small and carry half and half Cubans and non Cubans. They can sometimes be very picky about not letting you open boxes for inspection. There is some **** HOUSE quality there so do not buy blind!

Terminal C doesn't have any cigars worth mentioning, Terminal B has one big cigar shop towards the higher gate numbers side, and a smaller shop towards the lower gate numbers side. They do have some older boxes, if you are looking for that then this is your best bet. Again not a place to buy blind.

The Emirates lounges have cigars as well for a reasonable price. Mostly sell the 3 packs for smoking there in the smoking lounge.

[torsion]

So only a month to go now from today until my trip to Bali which I'm excited about as its a friends wedding - a fellow BOTL that I met in Singapore in a cigar bar. On the way back I'll be stopping off in Kuala Lumpur to visit family and smoke with my cousin who I got into the habit of cigars :-) I will be taking some of my own smokes (as advised) but also picking up some 3'ers/5'ers in Frankfurt on the stop over.

I checked out the Heinemann duty free site as suggested and likely to pick up Cohiba and RyJ.

First of all tubos preferred over cardboard right guys? I'm likely to get Siglo VI tubos to smoke with my cousin as it was what we had on my stag/bachelor party last year and as most agree they're a cracker stick. Also interested in Esplendido or CCE neither of which I've tried but think they're cardboard packaging.

For RyJ - again yet to try any of this marca but very interested in the Churchill tubos.

What do you think?Any thoughts on CCE and Esplendido in cardboard?

[torsion]

Bumping this thread again as I am now 7 days away from being in Bali!

Going to be taking at least 15 of my own sticks and buying a few tubos in duty free, I will prob dry box the sticks for a few days.

Question - I'll be in Bali for 4 days, I'm taking a herf-a-dor type travel humi, do I really need any humidification for this short trip? Looking at the humidity over there it's like between 70-80%. Looking for advice/opinions especially from those in high humidity countries and obviously anyone who has been on a similar trip.