Our flight from Jakarta to Bali was delayed for 40 minutes. Not uncommon for Garuda Indonesia (or any other Indonesian airline for that matter), but this time we were somehow grateful. If it weren’t, we would definitely be late for it, since obtaining the fiscal tax-free recommendation letter took us a whole day and drained us of our spirits (seems that even the holiest of hermits won't manage to bear with the notorious Indonesian bureaucracy...)
I always thought that Garuda Indonesia tickets are way overpriced compared to the quality of service they offer, especially now that dozens of budget airlines are flying its routes. As a result, it was never my first option when planning a trip within the country. However, we were surprised to be offered a fabulous bargain of just IDR 421,000 (roughly 55% of the normal fee) for the Jakarta-Denpasar flight, the only restriction being fixed date and fixed flight. For this price, I wouldn't mind waiting for 40 minutes!
We spent a short night in Denpasar before flying to Dubai via Hongkong on Cathay Pacific. Cathay used to be a very well-known, prestigious airline but rumour has it that it’s no longer so. It might be true, but the flight to Hongkong was truly enjoyable (even the notorious stormy weather seemed to compromise a bit that time). Every seat had ample space and was equipped with a personal video screen with over 20 channels to pick, the foods were also nice with surprising Indonesian local flavours, and the cabin crews were equally friendly.
The (new) Hongkong International Airport was (of course) modern and… very huge. So huge I hate it. It’s actually pretty easy to know where you are and how to go anywhere, but man, it took us 20 minutes just to get to our boarding gate (Gate 66) from the centre point of the departure terminal. It turned out to be a stupid waste of 20 minutes because when we got there, there was no one but a stewardess waving a small notice board saying, "The boarding gate for CX 736 (our flight) is moved to Gate 44", exactly to the opposite direction! We somehow managed to get there in time, though, only to find out that the flight was delayed due to unpleasant weather (now this is more like it).
The flight was delayed for approximately one hour. We were exhausted and upset to find out that the seats on this flight were closer to each other, leaving just a little space for our feet. Needless to say, I couldn’t enjoy myself during the longer (8 hours) flight to Dubai. An inspiring Korean movie called "The King and the Clown" helped me getting through the first few hours, but that’s all. As a result of the delay, the food was served much later than scheduled, and a few minutes after I managed to sleep, we were given a box of snack (sandwiches and salads).
We arrived at Dubai International Airport at around 11 PM, the temperature outside was 33C (relatively mild for Dubai). The airport itself wasn’t big, but the immigration area was and still it was packed with hundreds of people (mostly Asian workers). All airport staff wore long robes (white for the guys, pitch black for the ladies). Surprisingly, we were asked to feel no arrival cards, no health declaration forms, nothing! Not even a single question asked by the immigration staff. A senior staff picked us up at the airport, along with some more Indonesian fellows.
It took around 20 minutes to our accommodation in an area called Al Quoz. Tall and modern buildings (including the fabulous twin structures of the Emirates Towers and the construction site of world’s tallest-building-to-be, Burj Dubai) garnished the long, superwide, and dusty streets. Hardly any other car was in sight.
We were dropped at different blocks, mine was relatively close to both activitity centres (there are two in the complex). Every room was air-conditioned, of course (I’d be dying were it not!). The first thing welcoming me (beside my roommate, who was sleeping deeply) was a bottle of mineral water and a welcome snack parcel on my tidied bed…
A new life has begun for me.
I always thought that Garuda Indonesia tickets are way overpriced compared to the quality of service they offer, especially now that dozens of budget airlines are flying its routes. As a result, it was never my first option when planning a trip within the country. However, we were surprised to be offered a fabulous bargain of just IDR 421,000 (roughly 55% of the normal fee) for the Jakarta-Denpasar flight, the only restriction being fixed date and fixed flight. For this price, I wouldn't mind waiting for 40 minutes!
We spent a short night in Denpasar before flying to Dubai via Hongkong on Cathay Pacific. Cathay used to be a very well-known, prestigious airline but rumour has it that it’s no longer so. It might be true, but the flight to Hongkong was truly enjoyable (even the notorious stormy weather seemed to compromise a bit that time). Every seat had ample space and was equipped with a personal video screen with over 20 channels to pick, the foods were also nice with surprising Indonesian local flavours, and the cabin crews were equally friendly.
The (new) Hongkong International Airport was (of course) modern and… very huge. So huge I hate it. It’s actually pretty easy to know where you are and how to go anywhere, but man, it took us 20 minutes just to get to our boarding gate (Gate 66) from the centre point of the departure terminal. It turned out to be a stupid waste of 20 minutes because when we got there, there was no one but a stewardess waving a small notice board saying, "The boarding gate for CX 736 (our flight) is moved to Gate 44", exactly to the opposite direction! We somehow managed to get there in time, though, only to find out that the flight was delayed due to unpleasant weather (now this is more like it).
The flight was delayed for approximately one hour. We were exhausted and upset to find out that the seats on this flight were closer to each other, leaving just a little space for our feet. Needless to say, I couldn’t enjoy myself during the longer (8 hours) flight to Dubai. An inspiring Korean movie called "The King and the Clown" helped me getting through the first few hours, but that’s all. As a result of the delay, the food was served much later than scheduled, and a few minutes after I managed to sleep, we were given a box of snack (sandwiches and salads).
We arrived at Dubai International Airport at around 11 PM, the temperature outside was 33C (relatively mild for Dubai). The airport itself wasn’t big, but the immigration area was and still it was packed with hundreds of people (mostly Asian workers). All airport staff wore long robes (white for the guys, pitch black for the ladies). Surprisingly, we were asked to feel no arrival cards, no health declaration forms, nothing! Not even a single question asked by the immigration staff. A senior staff picked us up at the airport, along with some more Indonesian fellows.
It took around 20 minutes to our accommodation in an area called Al Quoz. Tall and modern buildings (including the fabulous twin structures of the Emirates Towers and the construction site of world’s tallest-building-to-be, Burj Dubai) garnished the long, superwide, and dusty streets. Hardly any other car was in sight.
We were dropped at different blocks, mine was relatively close to both activitity centres (there are two in the complex). Every room was air-conditioned, of course (I’d be dying were it not!). The first thing welcoming me (beside my roommate, who was sleeping deeply) was a bottle of mineral water and a welcome snack parcel on my tidied bed…
A new life has begun for me.
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