Showing posts with label flights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flights. Show all posts

27 September 2017

AirAsia offers KLIA Express train KLIA2 ticket + earn AirAsia big points

AirAsia travellers can book discounted KLIA / KLIA2 Ekspres ticket train fares at AirAsia’s website airasia.com. The new partnership with Express Rail Link allows AirAsia passengers travelling on the world’s best low-cost airline for the 9th year to enjoy maximum value for on-ground and flight transportation.

KLIA Ekspres is Kuala Lumpur’s fastest airport transfer to KL city in Malaysia, just 33 minutes journey between KL Sentral and KLIA2, offering travellers a fast, safe and reliable airport to city transfer.
 

AirAsia KLIA Ekspres tickets price offer is only RM48 for one-way/RM88 return trip, KLIA Ekspres child fares (two to 12 years old) at RM22 one-way/RM40 return trip, compared to the usual KLIA Express price RM55/RM100.

Book AirAsia KLIA Ekspres tickets under Manage My Booking page on airasia.com. AirAsia BIG members will earn 100 BIG points with purchase of KLIA Ekspres One-way Adult ticket and 200 BIG points for Return Adult ticket, with travel dates up to 6 months in advance, only available from now until 20th October 2017.

14 September 2017

Lake Toba Medan Indonesia travel guide holiday attractions must visit list

Lake Toba, Sipiso-piso waterfall, Parapat, Samoir Island, Berastagi Gunaling hill with views of volcanos Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung, Blue Lake Sibolangit waterfall, Taman Alam Lumbini Golden Pagoda Natural Park, Maimoon Palace, Mesjid Raya Al Mashun mosque are must visit attractions located in Medan and beyond, in North Sumatra Wonderful Indonesia.
 

Poised to be Indonesia ecotourism destination and top 10 must visit places in Indonesia, the fascinating lake toba flora and fauna greenery is set to be even more magnificent with new flower park and millions of new trees to be planted by 2019 through sustainable tourism planning.
 
Lake Toba, North Sumatra Indonesia (Medan to Danau Toba approx 4-5 hours drive)
 
Mejuah-juah ! Crater Lake toba (Danau Toba) in Medan Indonesia is the 2nd largest and deepest volcanic lake in the world.
 
 
The picturesque lake toba is a spectacular sight to behold with its breath-taking enchanting views amidst rolling green hills, colourful flora, primeval forest and gentle breeze climate at approximately 900 meters above sea level.
 
Rest, relax and recharge yourself in Lake toba pristine postcard perfect scenery and infinity instagramable places for ultimate holiday memories.
 
Sipiso-piso waterfall Indonesia (from Berastagi 45-minute drive)
 
Sipiso-piso waterfall Indonesia is the largest and highest plunge waterfall at 120 meters formed from a river cave in Karo Highlands at 800 meters above sea level.
 
 
Surrounded by enthralling flora greenery, Sipiso-piso waterfall with its cascading water forms rainbow hues as it descends in the gorge captivates  travellers to soak in the extraordinary panoramic views of northern Lake toba as its enchanting backdrop.

Nature lovers could trek to Tongging village and be right next to the magical waterfall in around 30 minutes.
 
Berastagi Karo highlands, Indonesia (from Medan, 2 hours drive)
 
With an altitude of 4595 feet above sea level, the beautiful city of Berastagi charms visitors pleasantly with cool climate of 18-26 degrees all year round with lush flora and fauna greenery, fruits picking farms and fresh vegetation.
 
Gundaling Hill in Berastagi offers alluring views of dormant volcano Mount Sibayak and active volcano Mount Sinabung with hotsprings in the vicinity.
 

Adventurous travellers can hike up Mount Sibayak for magnificent views and see a sulphur crater lake or trek down to foothills (around 2-3hours trek) to Sibolangit waterfall or Blue Lake Sibolangit, renown for its magical light blue and white colours due to the high phosphorus and sulfur content from the volcano.
 
 
Mount Sinabung volcano erupted gas while we were on Gundaling Hill and volcanic ash landscape offered another insight of wonderful Indonesia.

 
Taman Alam Lumbini Berastagi
 
Taman Alam Lumbini natural park is a replica of the renown Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar and is the second highest replica golden Pagoda outside Myanmar and surrounded by strawberries fields, raspberry, avocado and orange farms.
 

Officially opened in 2010 with a beautiful garden park behind the Golden Pagodas, vegetarian restaurant and souvenir shop, Taman Alam Lumbini was inaugurated by 1300 monks and hundreds of Buddhist devotees at Tongkoh village, Dolat Rakyat, Berastagi during the celebration.
 
Berastagi Market
 
Berastagi fruit market beckons with countryside pony rides and horse drawn carriages, fresh strawberries and raspberries, beautiful flowers stalls and local village food.

 
Berastagi produces Marquisa passion fruits, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, avocado, mangos, melons, pineapples, carrots, vegetables and beautiful flowers like lavender and hydrangea with fruit picking farm tours available.
 

Fruit and veggies lovers, flowers fans rejoice as you take your pick for fresh fruits - strawberries IDR15,000 a pack, avocado around IDR20,000/kg, egg mango or mangosteen at IDR25,000/kg.
 

Enjoy a bowl of home style Indonesia's most famous instant noodles Indomie and a cup of piping hot Bandrek - a traditional popular Indonesian drink made from spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, palm sugar and condensed milk which Indonesians drink to keep warm in cool highlands or chilly  weather .
 

Sip a cup of Indonesia's  favourite Indocoffee and roasted sweet corn / sweet potato at local coffee shops in Berastagi market while admiring the soft cuddly rabbits opposite the flower shop during tea break.
 
 
Flying fox / fruit bats are the world's biggest bats and used in traditional medicine in Indonesia to treat asthma symptoms. We made a pit stop to visit a small flying fox farm before stopping for durians.
 

Take a break, have some durians at the local stalls stocked with abundant supply of decadent creamy Medan durians by native Karo villagers for sale at around IDR100,000 (USD7.50/MYR33/SGD10.50) for 3 durians, compared to Medan city for double the price. Most of the durians are collected from Berastagi villages before transporting to Medan city centre for sale.

Indonesia Berastagi hotels, resorts and accommodation in the vicinity

Berastagi cottage hotel sits on an immaculate flora landscape garden of a hill slope with Mount Sinabung view and a stone throw away from Berastagi local fruit market.
 

Mikie holiday resort hotel 4 star accommodation with weekend Funland theme park attraction offers 35 fun rides, carnival games and paint ball activities is the perfect choice for families with children and located in Sempajaya on a gentle hill.
 
 
 
Hotel Sibeyak 4 star resort with President Suite and white washed cottages is located on the foothills of Gundaling Hill, just five minutes walk to Berastragi fruit, vegetables and flower market. Reservations: res@hotelsibayak.com

 
Relax at the delightful Taman Simalem nature five stars agro resort on Merek Hill, Berastagi consisting of villa hotel hostel lodge, restaurants, golf course, Buddhist temple with carved statues from Fujian China, Batak cultural centre, mini zoo, flower nursery, orange, mango and passion fruit orchard, agriculture research centre, a natural river running through the sprawling resort with a spellbinding panorama bird's eye view of Lake Toba and beyond at 1200 meters above sea level.
 
 
Explore day trips, sports adventure, just for kids activities, cultural batik weaving handicrafts, art gallery, eco green activities tree planting, flower nursery, golfing, trekking, camping activities and more.

Dine in at Taman Simalem resort cafes and restaurants like Teahouse Chinese cuisine, toba cafe for quick bites,  Kodon Kodon rainforest Cafe, Pengambatan Asian and western style cafe and Afro organic cafe, most with views of Lake Toba and Mount Sinabung volcano at the hidden pearl of Lake Toba.

Taman Simalem resort offers a range of accommodation at Tongging Point Hotel, Waterfall Lodge Villa hotel lodge and Sidompak Camping for travellers with different needs and budgets and is located at Km 9, Jalan Raya Merek – Sidikalang, North Sumatera Indonesia. For reservation, email info@tamansimalem.com.

Parapat / Prapat Indonesia ( from Medan approx 5-6 hours drive)
 
Horas ! Visit beautiful Parapat and wake up to wonderful views of crystal clear lake toba, misty mountains and blue sky at Inna Parapat hotel, situated in front of the lake with its own private jetty.
 
 
Inna Parapet hotel sits on the sunsoaked lake front with alluring mountainous lake views and is located at Jl. Marihat No. 1 – Parapet,Lake Toba, North Sumatra Indonesia.
 
 
If you happen to be in Parapat on Saturday, visit the Pekan Tigaraja weekend market just next to the ferry pier and Inna Parapat hotel for local Batak handicrafts, fruit, flowers and more by the local farmers and  villagers.
 
Samoir Island Lake Toba Tomok / Tuk Tuk (Approximately 50 mins from Parapet pier)

Take a ferry cruise to Samoir island the largest volcanic island in Toba Lake and encounter the mythical legends of King Sidabutar, experience Tor-tor dance by Batak tribe of Christian beliefs living in traditional bolon house with peak roof in Tomok village, explore Lake Aek Natonang and Lake Sidihoni, renown as lakes above lake.
 
 
Try Batak toba local staple food - mie gomak, a curry noodle with condiment, Sidak fish or shop for ulos traditional woven cotton fabric for gifts or souvenirs at Samoir island or Parapat.
 

Most of the stalls retail similar items, do negotiate and typically you could purchase a batik shirt for IDR60,000 and a scarf for IDR50,000.


Samosir attractions on the island include Pusuk Buhit dormant volcano, 1800metres above lake toba with Aek rangat sulfur hotsprings at the foot of the mountain, Binangalm waterfall, Batak ulos cloth weaving at Lumban suhi-suhi village, Batak museum tomok, Sigale gale puppet show or simply hike, trek, kayak, jet ski, swim or cruise in the crystal clear lake.
 
 
On your cruise back to the Parapet hotels, keep a lookout for Batu Gantung hanging rock on the edge of a mountain which resembles a lady.
 
 
Silangit Airport (approximately 2h+ drive from Parapat)
 
Take a 45 mins flight from the new Silangit airport to Medan Airport - Kuala Namu on Garuda Airlines, Sriwijaya Air, Susi Air or it's only a couple of hours away for 90Km drive.
 

 
Medan City Tour, Indonesia
 
Medan is the capital of South Sumatra and the largest fourth city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung with new Kualanamu international airport (KNO) as gateway to Lake toba and beyond.
 
Maimoon Palace Medan / Istana Maimun is the royal residence for Sultanate of Deli and was built in 1888 during Dutch colonial times with Malay, Moghal and European influences across its 30 rooms and sprawling gardens, just next to great mosque of Medan, the Al-Maksum mosque.
 

The Istana main throne room functions as a museum attraction with historical artefacts and Maimoon palace offers a heritage insight to the majestic grandeur of inauguration throne, golden royal bedroom and state meeting rooms.
 
Visitors could dress up as Sultanate royalty in traditional Malay costumes for an incredibly small fee from RP10,000 (approximately from USD 80 cents/ SGD 1.10, MYR 3.30) depending on your choice of costumes, accessories like gold necklaces, diamanté tiaras, rubies, ceremonial kerises daggers and even gold shoes!
 

Onsite photographers are available and would take your photographs for you, print and deliver your very own royalty momento to the hotels in the city from only RP25,000 per copy.
 
Mesjid Raya Al Mashun mosque was built in 1906 and is reminiscent of the great mosque in Banda Aceh. Beautifully built and maintained, it's certainly instagram worthy to visit the biggest mosque in Medan at Jalan Sisingamamangaraja, Medan Kota.
 
 
Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni is a majestic Marian Shrine dedicated to Mary, Our Lady of Good Health with a chapel of Annai Velangkanni and a garden for Marian Pope John Paul II.
 
The Medan Indian Catholic Church's impressive Indo/Mogul architecture, intricate designs and towering temple design draws devotees, visitors and tourists to step into the community hall on the ground hall, worship place on the first floor with balcony and a seven storey tower with triple domes symbolizing Heaven, home of God.

 
Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni was built in 2005 and is located at Jl.Sakura III, No.7-10 Tanjung Selamat, Medan 20134, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia  
 
Gunung Timut  (Temple of eastern mountain/Yuk tong kuang) Chinese temple at Jalan Hang Tuah, next to Babura river is the largest Taoist Temple in Medan with devoutees in droves during Chinese festival celebrations.
 
 
Sri Mariamman temple in Medan is the oldest Hindu temple and was built in 1884. Adjacent to sun plaza, Sri Mariamman temple is at Teuku Umar 18, Kampung Madras, Medan.
 
 
Durian lovers can look forward to indulge in Medan durians, known for its lighter taste and goes extremely well with sweet glutinous rice and cockles satay at popular Ucok Durian Shop.

Takeaway boxes of durian prices range from IDR100,000 to IDR250,000 (approx. USD19/MYR81/SGD26)
 
 
Medan souvenir shopping includes Bolu Meranti sponge cake, Bika Ambon Zulayka cake, Napoleon cake, Indo coffee, Sido Muncul ginger tea and tingting ginger sweet.

Medan is famous for Indonesia food, do embark on a culinary delicacy tour in the city. Rumah Makan Sinar Pagi Indonesian food,  Bihun Bebek Kumango Koh Asia noodles, Jalan Perniagaan roti canai, Tip top restaurant colonial deco with charcoal oven opened since 1929 and bakery cake shop next door are some popular restaurants. Try local street foods at Merdeka Walk or while zipping across the city in motorised rickshaws becak or toyoko.
 


Medan shopping at Centerpoint mall with anchor tenants H&M, Lotte Supermarket, Ace Hardware, restaurants, cafes and more.

Popular Medan hotels - JW Marriott Hotel, Grand Aston City and Danau Toba hotel are all in the vicinity together with Medan rooms stays budget accommodation for everyone to visit the beautiful Medan city.
 
 
Grand Aston city hotel in Medan is a five stars property home away from home, located in the heart of the city, directly opposite airport railway station (30mins ride from Medan Kualanamu international airport, ticket IDR80,000), Merdeka Walk market and Centerpoint shopping mall.


 Airlines to Medan Indonesia Kualanamu international airport includes AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Indo AirAsia, Batik Air, Malindo Air, Lion Air, Garuda airlines from Singapore and Jakarta, Singapore Airlines, Silkair, Jetstar Asia.
 
Lake Toba Medan Travel destinations Indonesia
 
Best weather to visit Medan : Dry season April to September, wet season October to March.
 
Lake toba festivals in Indonesia : Lake Toba festival, Coffee Festival Toba, Samoir Jazz festivals, usually May to November, check Wonderful Indonesia travel events page for latest updates
 
 

Suggested Medan Indonesian itineraries: Medan, Lake Toba, Berstragi, Gunaling Hill, Sipiso-piso waterfall, Mount Sibayak crater, Sibolangit blue waterfall, Mount Sinabung,  Taman Simelan eco resort, Parapat, Samoir Island.
 

 
AirAsia flights from Malaysia to Indonesia Bali, Bandung, Banda Aceh, Jakarta, Lombok, Makassar, Medan, Manado. Padang, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Pontianak, Semarang, Solo, Surabaya and Yogyakarta - 16 different cities with more than 350 times weekly flights including Kuching to Pontianak to explore Indonesia, the biggest country in South East Asia.
 

Singapore to Medan flights (flight time from Singapore 90 minutes) includes Garuda Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, Silkair, Jetstar Asia or via Kuala Lumpur by Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia , Batik Air,  Malindo Air and Lion Air (flight time from Kuala Lumpur 60 minutes).

Garuda Indonesia Medan Singapore holiday packages with spa and shopping options starts from S$299

Visit Wonderful Indonesia to discover the wonderful wonders and Thank you Wonderful Indonesia for the warm hospitality.

10 September 2014

VIETJET SINGAPORE AIRLINE REVIEW | VIETNAM SAIGON DA LAT FLIGHT ON SKYBOSS DELUXE

VietJet Air offers daily flight from Singapore Changi International Airport Terminal 3 to Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport, connecting VietJet domestic flights to  Ha Noi, Can Tho, Da Nang, Da Lat, Hai Phong, Hue, Vinh, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Buon Ma Thuot, and Phu Quoc.

International routes include Seoul and Busan (South Korea), Bangkok (Thailand) and new VietJet Air routes Taipei (Taiwan),  Siem Reap (Cambodia), Vladivostok (Russia) and KunMing (China)  in 2014 and 2015.

VietJet  Air invited Singapore media to experience VietJetAir's Flight of Smiles and explore Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) historical places of interest and Da Lat idyllic sights.


VietJet Singapore to Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Saigon

We travelled on  VietJet Skyboss deluxe with business class privileges. Perks included Airport lounge access,  flexible flight amendments, premium service  like priority check in, free check-in baggage, priority boarding with premium seats selection, optional inflight entertainment via tablet  for  an ultimate flying  experience on board.


VietJet Airport lounge access for SkyBoss Deluxe class
After checking in at VietJet priority counter, we stopped by Premier lounge, managed by SATS Gateway located above the departure hall for some refreshments before our flight.

We were seated at row 1 bulkhead seats with ultra legroom. After the flight safety demonstration, VietJet flight of smiles VJ8952 took off smoothly at 1240pm with the friendly cabin crew.


VietJet air brand new Airbus A320 aircrafts are fitted with leather seats for both Sky boss deluxe business class and eco fare passengers where they enjoy the roomy 29inch pitch legroom, delectable inflight cuisine at ultra pocket friendly price and duty free shopping on board.


VietJet inflight dining Jet Café hot meals selection and favourites

Our inflight meal was served and we had a taste of authentic Vietnamese cuisine, even before reaching our destination as all inflight meals  are prepared in Vietnam.


VietJet inflight dining hot meals selection are five spices chicken with sticky rice, stewed beef noodles, crab and shrimp fried vermicelli noodles, BBQ grill pork skewers, Singapore noodles, spaghetti beef Bolognese, BBQ pork fried noodles and Vietnamese steamed cake with pork floss.

The succulent Roast chicken with sticky rice was a hot favourite, followed by crab and shrimp vermicelli. The stewed beef was good but the rice noodles was a little too dry. If you like spicy, the BBQ grill pork skewer is moist with lots of gravy.


Fresh coconut juice (40000VND) on VietJet air flight menu won approvals unanimously as it was perhaps the only airline that chose the healthy nutritious fruit on its permanent beverage menu.

Skyshop Jet Cafe Hot meals selections at 50000VND can be prebooked online before the flight. Hot Combo meals with soft drink  are available at 65000VND. Instant Vietnamese beef noodles, congee, noodles, snacks, chocolate, drinks and  Vietnamese beer are also available for purchase from only 5000VND to 40000VND (SGD 25 cents to SGD2). There is a surcharge of 20000VND (SGD1.20) per item for international flights.


VietJet Duty Free Shopping

Enjoy duty free shopping at VietJet SkyShop on board all VietJet flights or purchase VietJet merchandise like duffle travel bag, teddy bear, polo tee and more as souvenirs.

VietJet flight landing at Vietnam Tan Son Nhat International Airport was smooth and we arrived at ten minutes to two in the afternoon after the one hour  fifty minutes short flight.


VietJet VIP Lounge for business class passengers at Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City airport for international flights commands a bird's eye view of the runway for plane watching. Sky boss deluxe class passengers could relax on the massage chairs, or try the  assortment of local sandwiches, fresh fruits, Vietnamese canapes, snacks and beverages before heading to the gate hold room.


Our return flight on board VietJet VJ8931 at 850am experienced a smooth take off and landing, arrived at Singapore Changi Airport at 1140am.

VietJet Ho Chi Minh to Da Lat Domestic flight

We also travelled on VietJet domestic flight to Da Lat, a picturesque town that is only 25 minutes by flight. CIP airport lounge access with  a good variety of local Vietnamese cuisine, snacks, fresh fruits and drinks are available for Sky Boss deluxe class passengers at both Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Da Lat Lien Khuong Airport.


The aircraft's seats configurations are the same and we enjoyed the roomy legroom even though it was a short flight. The flight attendants even have time to walk down the aisle to serve water to all passengers before preparing for landing.



VietJet Airline Review : 
  • VietJet flight take off and landing were smooth for both the international and domestic routes. VietJet flights were flown by experienced captains and co-pilots with  friendly  attentive cabin crew.
  • Comfortable leather seats with ample 29inch pitch legroom for both Sky boss deluxe class and standard eco fare passengers makes traveling on Vietjetair a pleasant and delightful journey.
  • Skyshop Jet Cafe authentic Vietnamese, Asian and European hot food, instant food and drinks menu are super affordable at around SGD1.45 to SGD3.70. VietJet airline food is perhaps the most value for money among low cost budget carriers in the region.
  • Browse through VietJet One-2-Fly in flight magazine, shop for duty free items or just sit back and relax on board the Flight of Smiles.

At the media reception held in VietJet Ho Chi Minh City head office,  VietJet’s Managing Director Mr Luu Duc Khánh shared that passengers  will enjoy VietJet Flight of Smiles experiences with a modern fleet of fifteen aircrafts, operating 24 flight routes with 700 flights per week at cost efficient prices.  


Currently, VietJet air have a thirty percent market share in Vietnam aviation scene and will be expanding new international routes in 2015 as well as adding a second flight to Singapore to meet increasing demands.

VietJet VJ8931 flies from Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 850am to Singapore  Changi International Airport, arriving 1 hour and 50 minutes later at 1140am and turnaround flight VJ8932 departs at 12.40pm back to Saigon.


VietJet Singapore to Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City connect to VietJet's extensive domestic routes and International routes like Seoul, Bangkok with new routes to Busan, Siem Reap, Taipei, Vladivostok and KunMing.

Book Vietjet sale airfares offers to Vietnam for as low as S$100, reserve discounted tickets  or even enjoy free flights (airport taxes and charges applicable) during flash sales and promotional periods at Vietjet Website: www.vietjetair.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VietjetSingapore or Mobile site : m.vietjetair.com .

 *Photography by BeauteRunway.Com using mainly Nikon Camera D5200 with 18-300mn lens. Visit Nikon Singapore at www.Nikon.com.sg to discover Nikon DSLR, Nikon CoolPix, Nikon 1 and Nikkor  lens including the all new Nikon D810 and J4.
 
 

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