Our reader success story comes from Ted, Jess’s husband, about his trip to Bora Bora as a Player Two. He definitely has a different perspective about why this points and miles trip meant so much to him, reminding us once again how important it is to “you do you!”

 

“When you see the Southern Cross for the first time

You understand now why you came this way.”

—Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills & Nash (1981)

 

Ted’s Story

Jess just got back from a points-and-miles trip to Bora Bora, and that reminded me of one of the highlights of a trip that she and I took to Bora Bora in 2024, also with points and miles. I was able to see two astronomical sights there that I had always wanted to see but never had been able to see before. Points and miles made it possible! 

(Warning: Nerd alert! I am about to geek out! Please proceed with caution.)

 

Seeing the Southern Cross in Bora Bora

When I was a kid, I developed an interest in astronomy. I remember learning about the Southern Cross, which is part of the constellation called Crux (creatively enough, Latin for “cross”). The Southern Cross is of great significance to the cultures of people living in the Southern Hemisphere. And the Southern Cross appears in literature and many songs, including the Crosby, Stills & Nash song I quoted above. The Southern Cross even appears on the flag of Australia! (Read about the Southern Cross on Wikipedia here.)

I was very disappointed to learn that the only way to see it was from the Southern Hemisphere (or close to it). I never dreamed that I would someday be able to travel that far and see it. When I was a kid, my family could not afford to take long trips like that, so traveling to the Southern Hemisphere seemed like an impossibility.

Now, many years later, enter points and miles. Once I learned that we were going to Bora Bora in 2024 on points and miles, I remembered the Southern Cross, and I very much wanted to see it while we were there. And I was successful! Here’s a picture of it, which I took with my phone camera, no filter. In the left view, you can see the stars unlabeled; on the right, it’s the same photo, but I have circled the stars that make up the Southern Cross and drawn the cross that they make. I never would have been able to see the Southern Cross without points and miles!

 

 

How to See the Southern Cross

Step one is that you need to be in the Southern Hemisphere or close to it. That’s where the points and miles come in! If you’re more than 35 degrees south latitude, you will be able to see the Southern Cross at all times during the night every day of the year. But you can even see it some of the time as far north as the southern part of the Northern Hemisphere, up to 16 degrees north latitude. So use your points and miles to get yourself there!

After that, you’ll have to find it in the sky. Once you find it the first time, it’s easy to spot. I like to use an augmented-reality app on my phone that helps me locate objects in the sky. (I use SkyView and SkyView Lite. There are others, too.) Or you can search the web for information on how to locate it. (Here is one site; here is another.) When I saw the Southern Cross, it was to the south, not far above the horizon, at around 10:00 p.m. 

One caution: There are other stars that appear to form “false crosses,” so make sure you actually have found the real Southern Cross. (Accept no substitutes!) Look carefully at your app or at a picture of the Southern Cross and surrounding stars, and make sure it matches what you are seeing. Good luck!

 

Bonus Sighting: Mercury

I will continue to let my geek flag fly and tell you about another astronomical sighting on the same trip: the planet Mercury. I had never been able to see Mercury before this trip, though I had always wanted to do so. 

You don’t have to be in the Southern Hemisphere to see Mercury, but you need two things: (1) a clear view low on the horizon and (2) a low level of light pollution. I certainly do not have either of these things in Houston, or in Chicago, where I grew up! But from our overwater villa in Bora Bora, I was able to easily see Mercury. Below is a picture I took on my phone. Mars is also visible in the photo. (I enhanced this photo a little to make the planets stand out more.)

 

 

Again, without points and miles to get me away from the big city, seeing Mercury would not be possible! (Read about Mercury on Wikipedia here.)

After you’ve used your points and miles to get somewhere with a good view close to the horizon and relatively little light pollution, you can locate Mercury in the sky. You can sometimes see it in the morning right before sunrise, and sometimes in the evening right after sunset.

It will be in the east in the morning and in the west in the evening. (You’ll always see it in the direction of the Sun because Mercury is closer than we are to the Sun.) However, sometimes you won’t be able to see it because it will be obscured by the Sun. I recommend doing a quick web search, which will help you find out exactly when and where you can see it (if at all) at any given time of the year. You can also use an app on your phone to help locate it (such as SkyView or SkyView Lite, as mentioned above).

 

 

Bora Bora Was Great!

Don’t get me wrong: I very much enjoyed Bora Bora for all the same reasons that non-nerds enjoy Bora Bora. The Conrad Bora Bora Nui, where we stayed, was magnificent, and I’ve never stayed anywhere like the over-water villa that we had. Even without seeing the Southern Cross and Mercury, this trip would have been spectacular. I highly recommend it for nerds and non-nerds alike. If you go, enjoy! And if you try to see the Southern Cross, Mercury, or anything else in the sky, I wish you the best of luck in seeing it!

Jess booked this trip for 120K Hilton points a night with help from her Player Two (Ted). They stayed five nights and paid for four. 

Redeem four nights, get the fifth night free when you redeem points for a consecutive five-night Hilton hotel stay. You can receive a fifth Reward Night free, redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.

 

 

Bottom Line

Whether your goal with points and miles is to travel domestically, travel internationally, or see the constellations and planets up close and personal, you can make this happen. What dream do you have for travel? Credit card points and miles can make dreams come true! Thanks, Ted, for your reader success story from a Player Two perspective!

 

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