Medan to Bali - Flight

This flight caused us quite a lot of confusion and problems when we tried to book it. Firstly we couldn't find any direct flights from Kualanamu International Airport in Medan as they all had one stop. Some of these seemed very short and we presumed we would miss our connection. However we then realised that these planes stop once to drop off and pick up passengers without you changing planes.

We found Lion Air to be the cheapest airline offering flights to Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport. They have 3 flights departing a day and we selected the cheapest one. However after several attempts and different credit cards it wouldn't accept any. After some research online, people said it doesn't accept international credit cards. The next plan was to use tiket.com to purchase these flight tickets. I had read mainly positive comments about this website. This time I had my credit card blocked at the payment stage (also happened to a friend). After unblocking my credit card and confirming my transaction was unsuccessful I gave up with Lion Air. 

My next option was Garuda Indonesia which I had heard great things about. Yes two flights cost quite a bit more at 3,185,000 IDR but using there website was quick and simple. The only downside was the departure time of 7am!

After booking we got confirmation electronic tickets and a couple of days before the flight we checked in using the mobile app. This allows you to pick your seats and collect your tickets at the airport as finding a printer can sometimes be a hassle!

The airport shuttle taxi cost 200,000 IDR and we got picked up at 3.30am. Thankfully at this time of the morning there is no traffic. Medan is very new and modern and we arrived just before 4.15am. We checked in with no problems and passed through airport security. We found some comfy sofas with plug sockets to chill on for a couple of hours before boarding. Around 5.30am some cafes started to open so we managed to grab a coffee and some breakfast!

Impressed with Medan's new airport!

Boarding was quick and efficient, we took a short shuttle bus out to the small plane. The plane was around 2 thirds full with plenty of room for everyone. During the first flight we received complementary breakfast and drinks. Breakfast consisted of sausage, omelette, veg and fruit. They also had a selection of hot and cold drinks to pick from. The food was good for a flight. 

Boarding

We landed at the first airport in Palembang around 8.30am and waited for people to disembark and embark. This took about half an hour and we were off again with the plane half full. The second flight was fine and again we got another small meal. This time is was spicy beef with rice and some jelly fruit. Not bad again but quite hot!

Finally we landed on time at Bali Ngurah Rai International and collected our luggage. Now a lot of people write about taxis from the airport to anywhere and getting ripped off. It's cheaper to head out of the airport or to maybe head to arrivals but we thought we would try the taxi counter.

On the sign behind the desk is a price to all destinations, don't pay more even if your hotel is slightly out of the centre! For Ubud the price is 300,000 IDR which was fine however they asked for 350,000 IDR as my hotel wasn't in the centre. Our hotel was on the road next to the main road and I refused to accept. The young guy behind the desk was very arrogant and I felt sorry for the drivers who wanted the fare! I said no and headed back towards the airport where I'm sure I could find someone to take us. A second later another guy from the desk shouted wait wait, 300,000 IDR is fine. Of course they won't turn away money. It just puts you in a grumpy mood that they try to constantly rip you off.

The drive was fine and took about 1 and half hours and the driver was nice. However no tip was left due to way the taxi desk acted.

One final point about Uber, we think that this is now legal in Bali. I believe the price is under 200,000 IDR, so if you already use them maybe it is a cheaper better option! Just don't tell people that you use them as a lot of signs have been put up in Ubud saying they are banned.

4 out of 5

Kuala Lumpur to Medan - Flight

We booked our flights a month in advance as we knew we would be leaving Kuala Lumpur the day after the F1 Grand Prix. The flights weren't expensive and cost 314 ringgit for two people. This package included a meal and 20kg luggage. Once again I didn't receive any confirmation emails from AirAsia when I booked the flights and had to contact them.

With our flight at 8.40am we decided to jump in a taxi from Chinatown (Petaling Street) around 5.30am, as the LRT doesn't open until 6am. We got the taxi to KL Sentral for 15 ringgit and then got on the KLIA express train to the aiport KLIA2. This again cost 55 ringgit per person but was very quick and efficient.

Compared to other airports on our travels, this one was huge! Check in and baggage drop off didn't take long and we headed to grab some food. We had plenty of choice for breakfast ranging from fast food to cafes.

Flight on time!

The flight itself boarded and took off on time. It took about 50 minutes, so by the time your up in the air it feels like your descending for landing. 

Upon arrival at Medan, Kualanamu International Airport we picked up our luggage and headed outside to the taxi rank. It took well over an hour as the Medan traffic is very poor in the city centre. The meter cost came to about 185,000 idr + 3,500 idr for the toll. This seemed reasonable as the hotel wanted 200,000 idr for pickup (however it was unavailable for us).

We stayed at Permata Inn which was nice and cheap for backpackers! Please note that Medan doesn't have much to offer and I would only stay for a day or a stop over. Next stop Bukit Lawang for jungle trekking!

4 out of 5 

Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur - Flight

The difference between flying from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur and getting the ferry/coach was very small. However one takes only 1 hour whilst the other 8 hours. Simple choice. We found AirAsia to be the cheapest airline and they had several flights leaving each day. We picked the cheapest flight leaving just after lunchtime at 12.50. This flight cost 187.96RM for 2 people with 15kg of luggage each.

Nothing but problems with AirAsia

After booking the flight I received no confirmation email from AirAsia. I managed to check my online banking to see that the payment had been successful. A couple of days later I got a general email to say I could check in for my flight which I did with no problem. Only after checking in did I realise that the flight time was now at 15.10. I didn't have any email to see if it was my mistake or if the flight had change.

I contacted AirAsia using there live chat feature online, I waited in the queue for over an hour. Here I got confirmation that my flight time had indeed changed so I asked them why I wasn't contacted to be made aware. The reply I got said, our staff my have been too busy to email you, which I thought was awful! I told them it was very unprofessional from AirAsia but thanked her for helping to which she abruptly left the live chat.

We turned up at the airport 2 and half hours before our flight departed. We had to use an AirAsia machine to print off our luggage tags before heading over to the bagged drop off. It was quite a quick and efficient method and we headed through to departures.

Langkawi airport is very small with only 4 gates and plenty of AirAsia flights leaving to KL. There was a lot of confusion with when our flight was boarding as some flights only had 10 minutes between them. For some reason our flight had been moved from 12.50 to 15.10 and the 15.20 flight was now leaving at 15.00. I have no idea who decides on all of this! 

Lots of confusion around times!

Finally we boarded the plane and headed towards the runway. However after lining up on the runway we turned around and headed back to the gate. We weren't told anything for a while and waited for some information. The pilot then told us something was wrong with the plane and we would be delayed by 30 minutes. After 45 minutes we got told we must take our luggage and depart the plane for the departures lounge.

Here we weren't given any updates for a while and only had a small snack shop available to us for food and drink. After hours of waiting we were informed that we would be boarding another plane at 6pm.

'Now Everyone Can Fly'

Once we were back on the plane we finally took off and reached Kuala Lumpur in about an hour. The plane was fine with limited legroom for someone over 6ft!

Upon arrival we got our luggage quickly and headed to the KLIA express train to KL Sentral.  We did hear taking a taxi was cheaper however when I asked for a quote at the taxi stand to Chinatown they quoted me well over 100 ringgit when I had been told it should be 80. The KLIA express is 55 ringgit each but only takes under 30 minutes. It is very easy and comfortable to use.

1.5 out of 5  

Pulau Perhentian to Penang via Kota Bharu - Flight

A few days before leaving Pulau Perhentian Islands, we decided to book our transport to Penang. We asked at our hotel reception about getting the bus but he told us that it was sold out Saturday and Sunday, with the next available bus Monday night. We asked the only other shops selling tickets on the beach and got the same reply. I think this was because it was the end of school holidays but book in advance to be safe!

With it costing too much to stay on the island any longer and limited availability on accomodation, we decided to fly. We had a look online and managed to book two tickets with Firefly. It cost 527.78RM and included 15kg of checked in luggage each.

The morning of our flight we left Pulau Perhentian Kecil at 8am and got the speedboat back to Kuala Besut. You have to pay 2RM to get a little boat out to the main speedboat. Another way to squeeze an extra couple of RM out of you!

Leaving Pulua Perhentian after a great week!

From Kuala Besut the airport is in Kota Bharu which is about an hours drive away. A taxi costs 75RM or a minibus is 25RM each. With no rush we opted for a minibus and waited. However after 45 minutes no one else turned up and the driver said he called us a taxi to take us. This was no problem and still only cost us 50RM.

Kota Bharu airport is basic and small but has more in it than Yangon's International Airport in Myanmar! We grabbed some food and then got our bags security checked and checked in. This was all a bit hectic!

After this you pass into the departure lounges and wait around, with plenty of seating and a couple of shops. We then waited for the passengers to depart the plane and walk past us to arrivals. We were running a little behind schedule and boarded the plane about 14.45 when we were meant to depart.

Loading up the plane

The plane itself was small and held about 80 people. The journey was great and only took 45 minutes, you also get given a free drink and snack.

Getting ready for take off!

From Penang airport we grabbed a taxi to Chinatown, Georgetown for 40RM.

4 out of 5

Yangon to Singapore - Flight

Following on from my previous post, we had over 12 hours to wait at Yangon airport before our flight. With my partner being very ill on the night bus, we decided to check into the hotel across from the airport. This was called Season's Hotel and was very overpriced at $50 for 8 to 12 hours! However we didn't have much choice and got some much needed sleep. Please note this hotel is very basic and dated but handy if needed.

We checked out about 4pm just over 3 hours before our flight so we could check in and get some food. Yangon's International Terminal is very small with limited seating and only one coffee shop. Don't plan to arrive too early at the airport as there isn't much there, even once you go through passport control, it is very limited.

Our flight was with Jetstar at a reasonable price of $148 for two people including 15kg luggage. Check in was swift and opened about 2 and half hours before departure.

Passport control and security checks were very quick and easy, just make sure you have your departure card filled in beforehand. At this side you have a choice of one restaurant and one cafe. We picked the restaurant which cost nearly 20,000 kyat for two waters, soup and a burger which seemed pricey! Food was ok.

We boarded the plane on time and left on time. The planes were fine, we got asked to sit in front of an emergency exit free of charge as the plane wasn't full. This meant we had lots of extra leg room. The trolley service selling drinks and food passes down once during the flight with several currencies accepted.

The plane landed on time at 11.45pm after the 1hr 30min time difference. Again on on this side passport control and luggage collection was quick.

Singapore airport offers you a lot when you arrive including a range of shops and places to grab some food and drinks. They also have several ATM's including an HSBC one that doesn't charge you a fee to use.

After that, we located the airport shuttle service and paid S$9 (singapore dollars) for a minibus to our hostel downtown.

4 out of 5

Bangkok to Yangon - Flight

Before you do anything you must apply for an E-Visa for Myanmar (Burma). It costs $50 and takes a day or two for approval.

So do we fly or get the bus from Thailand to Myanmar? We decided a month in advance that we would fly as prices were only around £30 including free 15kg hold luggage.

The two main companies offering flights out of Bangkok daily to Yangon were AirAsia and NokAir at similar prices however you have to pay extra for luggage with AirAsia.

We booked tickets for the 10.25am NokAir flight from Don Muang airport in Bangkok. We decided to get a taxi not long after 6 to beat the rush hour traffic. We advise you not to get a taxi around Khao San Road and instead walk just a few minutes to the main road to flag down a taxi. You can alternatively book a minibus service with various travel agents.

After a couple of taxis wanted 500 baht upfront we finally found a taxi to use the meter. We knew the cost should only be around 250/300 baht. We also got the choice of going on the highway or not which costs 120 baht extra in toll charges. We did this however you don't need to at that time of the morning as the roads were very quiet.

All international flights leave from terminal 1.

Check in was available 3 hours in advance and was quick and efficient. You must have your Myanmar E-Visa approval letter printed off to show them. Passport control to get stamped out of Thailand took quite a while as they only had a few members of staff working. Try and go to the foreign passport control section furthest to the left as they had more staff counters available. Remember to fill in your departure card beforehand!

Don Muang airport had plenty of shops and coffee/food outlets including Boots, Starbucks and McDonald's. There is also a lot of currency exchange counters however you can't get Mynamar Kyat from any of them.

Boarding didn't take too long and we got a shuttle bus from the terminal to the plane. The outside of NokAir planes have a fun bird design!

Interesting plane design!

The flight took 1hr 10min. You get given arrival and custom forms to fill in upon arrival at Yangon airport. You also get a small snack box with water and a muffin.

After landing at Yangon airport, immigration control was very quick for foreigners as the majority of people on the flight were from Myanmar. You hand all your paperwork in and after a few minutes you get stamped into Myanmar. At the airport you have a few currency exchange counters to get some Kyat and also there are some ATM machines available.

After going through customs with your bags you can easily get a taxi to downtown Yangon at the taxi counter for 8,000 kyat which takes about an hour in traffic.

Downtown Yangon

5 out of 5 

Hanoi to Vientiane - Flight

We made the decision to fly from Hanoi to Vientiane instead of getting the bus. Our main reason for flying was it takes little under an hour whilst the bus would take 24 hours. Of course the flight cost quite a bit more but it was a nice change from long buses and trains.

We found Lao Airlines offered the cheapest flights for the day we were travelling with flights at £79 per person which included checked in luggage of 20kg. It was very simple to book online via there website and no online check is needed beforehand, simply print your e-tickets to take to the airport.

Hanoi airport is easy to reach via taxi, we paid for a taxi through our hotel which cost roughly $15 and took around 30 minutes from the old quarter. Check in at the airport didn't take long and they ask you for seat preference (aisle or window seat).

After that you go through passport and baggage control which doesn't take long. Hanoi airport has a range of small establishments to buy food, drink and duty free products. We personally found it quite expensive. They also have a lot of souvenir shops!

Boarding was swift and the plane itself offered plenty of leg room. During the flight you get a small snack box with a sandwich and carton of water for free. Try and get a window seat as some of the views are very impressive from high up!

Entering Laos you fill in a couple of forms for arrival and applying for a visa. It was straight forward and you need just one passport photo. For UK residents it cost $35, most countries seemed to be priced between $30-40. After this we picked up our backpacks and got a taxi to our hotel. If you arrive at Laos with no currency like us there are plenty of cash machines at Vientiane airport with the standard fees and rates.

Overall experience 5 out 5