LET THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Setelah liburan di Bali bulan Agustus 2007, aku mulai berpikir untuk berani pergi ke luar negri sendiri. Dan segera aku realisasikan di bulan Desember 2007.

AirAsia really makes me fly..... jadi demen terbang ke sana kemari...

30 Desember 2007 - 5 Januari 2008,

JAKARTA - BATAM (by plane, AirAsia)- SINGAPORE (by ferry) - JOHOR BAHRU (by taxi) - PENANG (by plane, AirAsia) - KUALA LUMPUR (by plane, AirAsia) - JAKARTA (by plane, AirAsia).

30 Desember 2007 (Jakarta - Batam - Singapore),

di Dolphin Lagoon, Sentosa, Singapore
aku, Chandra dan anakku Jevon, sama ci Amoy, Jessica, Achan dan anaknya Niko, pergi dengan rute Jakarta ke Batam (+/- 500 ribu tiketnya karena hari libur) dengan AirAsia tentunya, terus lanjut ke Singapore dengan Penguin Ferry (150 ribu PP, yang one way malah lebih mahal, jadi kita beli yang PP deh, padahal kita cuma butuh perginya doank!!!), sampe deh kita ke Singapore, tapi sekarang jauh lebih mudah karena Air Asia sudah buka penerbangan langsung dari Jakarta ke Singapore, jadi gak perlu cape-cape lagi lewat Batam, mengirit waktu jg..... karena lewat Batam, kita berangkat pagi, sampai Singapore udah siang, tapi waktu itu tetep dilakuin karena pengen irit biaya fiskal jg, waktu itu kalo langsung dari Jakarta kena fiskal 1 juta, sedangkan kalo lewat Batam cuma 500 rb, lumayan kan separuhnya, dan harga tiket jauh lebih murah dibanding kalo kita harus langsung pergi ke Singapore waktu itu. Di Singapore kita nginep di hotel Oxford bintang 3 yang mur-mer jg..... kalo gak salah sekitar 130 SGD permalamnya, sebenernya kalo di kurs ke rupiah gak mur-mer jg sih, cuma saat itu di Singapore udah paling murah dengan harga segitu, apalagi pas high season. 3 hari kita habiskan untuk keliling Singapura, dari Orchard Road, Mustafa, Bugis Junction, dan tidak ketinggalan Sentosa Island, bawa anak-anak bermain Luge, Sky Tower, pertunjukkan Dolphin, dan jg Water World. Jessica dan keluarga hanya ikut sampai di Singapura saja, sedangkan keluargaku dan ci Amoy lanjutkan perjalanan.

1 Januari 2008 (Singapore - Johor Baru - Penang),

Dari Singapore, kita naik taksi ke bandara Johor Bahru (RM 60), dari Johor Bahru kita terbang dg AirAsia ke Penang (+/- 300 rb). Di Penang kita nginep di hotel Tanjung Bungah (RM 145/day), sangat memuaskan banget, hotelnya di pinggir pantai dan kamarnya pun bagus, di depan hotel ada restoran Sea Food terkenal di Penang, cuma sayangnya kita gak bisa berenang di lautnya, karena banyak jelly fish (ubur-ubur) yg bisa menyengat. Selama di Penang kita pergi city tour dengan menyewa mobil (+/- RM 30/hour). Untuk wisata, Penang Hill (seru naik kereta ke puncak bukit), Toys Museum (tempat mainan dari jaman bahela sampai sekarang, dari Spiderman, Superman, Star Wars, Dora Emon, Garfield, semua ada disini, one of the biggest di Asia Tenggara), Gurney Drive, Pantai Tanjung Bungah, menara KOMTAR, Snake Temple, dan untuk belanja jangan lupa mampir ke pasar malam di Batu Ferringi, barang dari harga murah sampai mahal ada di sini, dari yang asli sampai yang duplikat jg ada di sini. Gak ketinggalan selama di Penang kita jg ber-wisata kuliner, mulai dari Kwetiauw khas Penang, The Two Sisters Kwetiauw yang terkenal memang rasanya enak banget, dan Sea Food di Penang jg menggiurkan untuk dicoba, makanan di food center-nya pun murah meriah dan enak. Jadi kalo ke Penang, jangan lupa yah untuk berwisata kuliner. Penang is a nice place to visit with family.

3 Januari 2008 (Penang - Kuala Lumpur),

Dari Penang, lanjut lagi perjalanan kita ke Kuala Lumpur, jg dengan pesawat kesayangan Air Asia (+/- 150 rb). Tiba di LCCT (airport khusus Air Asia di KL), kita naik bus Star Shuttle (RM 15) untuk sampai ke hotel Bintang Warisan (RM 150/day) yang terletak di tempat strategis di KL, yaitu di Jalan Bukit Bintang, dimana mall-mall besar (Sungai Wang Plaza, BB Plaza, Lot 10) hanya tinggal beberapa langkah kaki saja. Di depan hotelpun ada toko 7 Eleven yang buka 24 jam, di belakang hotel adalah Jalan Alor,(hawker center/pusat makanan). Jadi menurut aku, i get what i want in this hotel, termasuk mur-mer untuk hotel yang lokasinya di Bukit Bintang.
Selama di Kuala Lumpur, kita lebih banyak menggunakan taksi (jauh deket kurang lebih 10 RM selama masih di dalam kota) atau gak naik LRT untuk jalan-jalan. Tips : selalu nawar kalo naik taksi di KL, kalo gak pasti bayarnya muahaalll banget!!! Kita pergi ke Twin Towers, Pasar Petaling, Dataran Merdeka, dan yang bawa anak-anak jangan lupa main ke Sunway Lagoon. Di sana ada permainan-permainan seperti di Dufan, bedanya di sana ada Dry Park dan ada jg Wet Park, dengan tiket seharga 60 RM, rasanya kita perlu menghabiskan waktu yang lama untuk bermain sampai puas, biar gak rugi. hehehhehe.

5 Januari 2008 (Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta),

Setelah 3 hari puas bermain, wisata dan shopping di KL, skg waktunya kita kembali ke Jakarta deh, dengan pesawat AirAsia lagi tentunya (+/- 350 rb). Selesai juga perjalanan selama 7 hari, 4 kali terbang dengan AirAsia, sangat menyenangkan.

Tips beli tiket AirAsia : cari 6-7 bulan sebelumnya, atau pas lagi promo murah atau gratis pasti akan lebih menekan budget perjalanan kita, jadi sebaiknya rencanakan liburan anda jauh-jauh hari. Kalau anda yang tidak bekerja di kantoran, pesan di hari-hari kerja akan jauh lebih murah dibanding pada saat liburan!

Berbekal perjalanan aku sekeluarga dengan ci Amoy, aku mulai mendapat banyak pelajaran, dan memberanikan diri dengan membawa rombongan yang lebih besar. Tunggu aku di perjalanan berikutnya. Tetap dengan AirAsia!!!

Janna

I recently went on a holiday to Jakarta with my family and thanks to my buddy there we had a chance to visit Bandung (BDO). Though a very short stay in BDO we managed to visit some nice places and I would strongly recommend all the crazy shoppers out there to visit this place. All you need probably is a 4D/3N trip. Even 3D/2N should be enough. AirAsia flies to BDO 3x daily and taking the earliest flight you would arrive in BDO at 1110hrs. The weather in BDO is very nice and cool. You wouldn't feel very tired shopping around.

I am sure many of you have heard about the Factory Outlets...there have them there like mushrooms. And its a nice comfortable place to buy things. Some looks like real good boutiques. You should visit those like Donatello, Rumah Moda, Secrets, etc. There are many more like these. Another good place to visit for better bargains would be Pasar Baru. I didn't get there but my buddies told me that you get the same things there but at a cheaper price. For those intending to buy materials, good silk and lace you can get it a very cheap price compared to those in malaysia from Pasar Baru. A good pair of jeans cost you like RM50. Not sure if its original but the materials is very soft and comfortable. A good pair of shoes from Donatello (a well known brand in Indonesia) cost you around RM100!

Another place to visit, i liked it very much, is Cihampelas. Here also the shops have themes like Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Ironman, etc. Check out the pictures below:

Besides shopping, you should also take a drive to Lembang and visit this restaurant called Kampung Daud. It's quite cold here because it is said to be the highest point in Bandung. Not sure if they are open in the day but at night it was just superb. You would be surprised as I believe there is no such restaurant in Malaysia. As you walk in, you can see fire being set up here and there and benches around it where patrons can sit and warm themselves up. Try to avoid washing you hands as the water is cold as ice. There is a waterfall in the middle of the restaurant as you walk up and the water pressure is so strong making the sound of the water flowing so beautiful and peaceful. Those elderly people who have difficulty in climbing stairs might have a problem though coz you would need to walk up. But the kids...they would love this place. Price wise it is quite reasonable. 6 of us had dinner and it cost us about RM170 (IDR500, 000). This restaurant is said to be a landmark restaurant in BDO. There are also many other restaurants you would pass by as you drive up to Kampung Daun.

We stayed at hotel Winton, it cost a IDR365,000 (about RM100 +/ nite),. Rooms were nice, clean and comfortable. Breakfast was very simple but it didn't matter so much to us. I've also stayed at Hotel Naval and it's very very nice. There are many more hotels.

Those starting work and need to buy some office attire or intending to change their collection of clothes should get here. I think for about RM1000 you can buy a lot. Beware men...carry limited money or you will get back broke. The ladies go crazy !! Well, even I did coz I took my little daughter along with me.

Travel with us and witness the fun. Do not forget to pre-book extra baggage, trust me you would need it!!

WHY CAN'T WE FLY EASIER?

Asks John Weinthal an ex-pat pensioner living in Malaysia since August 2004 and member National press Club of Malaysia

I love travel.

As an AirAsia regular I like the fares, no frills service, enthusiastic staff and the fact that it has one of the youngest big jet fleets.

But even with flying becoming more affordable it is still not notably user friendly, and not just thanks to supposed Security issues.

Maybe the following thoughts - they can hardly be original - are unsupportable thanks to IATA or some other busybody.

Flight Planning:

I want to go to Bali then Jakarta returning to KL via Thailand, but affordable flying seems geared solely for the A-to-B-to-A traveler.

I have just about given up on multiple destination trips, or I pay the penalty for switching flights. Changing tickets is a great profit centre for airlines. It is all profit involving no financial outlay. With a few keystrokes your requirements are met. You could easily do it yourself.

I understand surcharges if flights are changed less than say three days out, but beyond that I suggest it is amoral profiteering. Worse is when you bring a flight forward. Clearly there is an unsold seat or the change would be impossible.

One books a holiday for 14 days but after eight you have had enough. "No problem", says nice lady. "That will be X amount". A more appropriate reply would surely be: "Thank you for filling our empty seat and giving us time to sell another."

Who can doubt that many more would fly, more often and possibly a lot further if there was transparent fair flexibility?

Who Will Fly?

On booking - online, over the counter or with that modern anachronism, a Travel Agent – one reveals all: names, passport details, a couple of phone numbers, email and more.

Fair enough. I accept airlines must know with whom they are entering a business transaction.

However, if I am paying for more than just myself the airline requires similar details for all. Why? The others are my responsibility. They have no business relationship with the airline.

Does this matter?

It can.

The purchaser may want one or more staff to attend a conference or whatever, but is uncertain who.

I need assistance to travel, but do not know who among my friends or family will be free at the time.

I want to give someone a surprise trip; a birthday present perhaps.

Why can I not purchase a number of seats at appropriate fares without detailing who the passenger(s) will be? The airline gets its money. I choose who flies, and when I will advise them of the trip.

I can see no SECURITY bonus in knowing more than, say, three days in advance who will occupy a seat. The only time the passenger is verified with a picture against face-to-face meeting is at the check-in counter.
PRICING ON INTERNET BOOKING AND IN ADS

Why cause delay and added frustration by giving a fare first then later - after all the rigmarole of entering many details - declaring the real cost. We must pay fuel surcharges and various taxes. They are not options like baggage charge or insurance. Declare them upfront - don't frustrate or confuse your customers.

NOW EVERYONE CAN FLY, says AirAsia.

Why not move ahead of the rest and make it: NOW EVERYONE CAN FLY EASIER

A sound business case can be made for this,surely?
John Weinthal

Kami sekeluarga memang suka melancong. Kalau dulu guna MAS,memang mahal. Kami sekeluarga sudah ke Japan, Hongkong, Korea, Beijing China(2 kali), Medan (4 kali), Bandung dan Jakarta dengan MAS. Tapi bila ada AirAsia nampaknya ia memberikan pulangan yang menguntungkan. Kami mula menggunakan AirAsia sejak tahun tahun 2007. Target utama kami bercadang untuk melancong ke seluruh Pulau di Indonesia dengan AirAsia melalui pakej Go Holiday. Memang menguntungkan. Sebagai kakitangan kerajaan kami akan melancong setiap 5 bulan mengikut cuti sekolah (InsyaAllah). Semenjak ada AirAsia ia memang banyak membantu menyelesaikan masalah minat kami sekeluarga yang suka melancong. Dengan AirAsia kami telah pergi ke Jakarta 2 kali, Surabaya, dan InsyaAlah akan Jogjakarta pada bulan jun ini(sudah ditempah)

Pemandangan Kota Surabaya dari hotel
Kapal Selam ditengah bandarSurabaya?
(read more...)

Recently, 10 of us from Malaysia traveled to Jakarta definitely with AirAsia! It was my 1st experience together with my spouse & daughter fly with AirAsia. It was the day we supposed to be back to K.L(actually we wanna stay longer!!!) and we were @ Suhaerno-Hatta Jakarta airport about 7pm(supposed 8.30pm Indonesia time- departure).Right after the passport checking,we were told by ...that flight delay..hmm..

I said to my self..this could be the best time for me and family to browse all the free duty shops @ the airport...!! And 10 of us separately window shoped and I knew some of my friends just chose to chit-chat @ a nearby cafe during the delay...

We really took our sweet time from door to door shopping,until I & my daughter finally rested right in front of flight screen information. She was curious with all the info& I started to brief whats the detail of it..until I read the details of our schedule flight!!! WHATTT!!! a LAST CALL from our flight!!???Hey!! where is everybody???? I saw them still enjoy @ cafe!!! I quickly signal & told them what I've read!!! Everybody was shocked & started running towards the Gate no....!!! Few of my friends were @ the other cafe(near Gate...) panicked too as they saw us running & they immediately joined us running towards the Gate!! We were very lucky as finally 10 of us made the AirAsia flight, just a few minutes before it departed!!! As we were late, everyone of us had to seat @ different locations!! and when looking @ each other...we were laughing at what had just happened to us!!!

Although we spent 2 nights(1 night each @ Bandung & Jakarta)but with AirAsia we enjoyed so much on cost, time and most recommended!!

Us in front of the row of famous flea markets in Jakarta