Indeed AirAsia had finally penetrated into Eastern Indonesia which is quite unknown to most Malaysian and Indonesian as well. As a frequent flyer to this side of Indonesia, the newly introduced route will provide adequate exposure to all to discover the abundance of mysterious and exotic attractions, especially in Sulawesi.

Manado has transformed into a melange of old and modern city (capital of North Sulawesi - SULUT) as compared to a decade ago. Its image as one of the world best diving spot is undisputed as based on my observation, 90% of the travellers are divers as the Bunaken Marine Park offers splendid opportunity to discover variety of big pelagics.

As I am not to elaborate further on "attraction beneath the sea", there are actually abundance of other attractions beyond Manado. The highlands, merely 25kilometres away will eliminate the heat and noisy atmosphere in Manado, as one will experience a cooler and "acceptable" noise level though occassionally the blasting noise from the "biskota" will take away your focus on the lushful green forest all the way from Manado to Tomohon ("Kota Bunga") via the long and turning road.

There are plentiful of stalls on both sides of the road, selling fruits, flowers and also "Rumah Makan" (Padang and Minahasa as well; beware of the later selling exotic delicacies ranging from rats, bats, flying fox and the beloved domestic animals).

One is able to see Manado town and also the Marine Park on the left side of the road. Plentiful of coconut trees as well as cloves indicated the main comodities in these areas, previously known as the Spice Islands (till today). In fact after harvesting, it is possible to buy freshly dried cloves by the road side as the cloves here are bigger than their counterpart in Sumatera and elsewhere. To be continued......

It’s been almost a month since the launch of the AirAsia Blog and we continue to receive posts from our happy and not-so-happy guests on a range of issues. Besides topics on routes, we seem to attract many posts on the Low Cost Carrier Terminal . Ah yes, the main airport gateway into and out of the country if you’re flying AirAsia.

Some of the ‘interesting’ posts about LCCT have touched on its overcrowding to its lack of quality facilities and the messy toilets. AirAsia wants to see a better LCCT as much as all of you. So we wish to hear from our readers. What is it about LCCT that’s not up to standard? What can be done to improve?

With your feedback, we hope to work together with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), the body which manages, operates and maintains the airport, toward a better LCCT. Tell us now.

I just got back from our Gold Coast flight yesterday, after launching our Melbourne route. Had to handle a barrage of media queries/interviews and caught up on emails. Adrenaline from the last intense 48-hours is finally dissipating.

Launching a new route, especially a major destination such as Melbourne is a mammoth undertaking, and one that we tackle with bare minimum resources to make it happen. Its always a major drama. Final regulatory approvals need to be secured. The booking engine with promo fares must be loaded to face the onslaught on sales at midnight. Advertisements and press releases must be vetted. Logistics of the press conference must be scrutinised - especially when we were lucky to be graced by the presence of two senior Victorian Ministers at our event: Minister of Trade & Industry Theo Theophanus (whom I've come to regard as a personal friend after working with him for over a year to make Melbourne happen), and Minister of Tourism Tim Holding.

Wouldn't have been possible without a stellar team: Kat, Spencer, Senthil, Darren, Sherliza and many others who made this happen through sheer will spiced with madness.

The flight back yesterday was an 8+ hour day flight. I only managed to get 1-hour's work done on the laptop before my mind started zoning out. Couldn't focus and concentrate any more.

Thankfully, since July, AirAsia X has introduced portable media players that come with a selection of Hollywood blockbuster and regional movies, TV shows, music and games - to while a way the long flight hours - for a small fee ;-) (RM35)

We've realised that for long-haul flights, we must provide an entertainment option for our guests who cannot sleep on the flight. The new aircraft that will come into service this November, will be equipped with in-flight entertainment systems in all seats! Latest interactive, touch-screen system with a lot of entertainment content as well as cool applications, including a USB port to charge your iPod/Blackberry (two devices I always have with me when travelling).