MilesDependent
Mar 27, 08, 12:03 am
This report covers the first part of my CMB (Colombo, Sri Lanka) special fare. This was not supposed to be a trip report, and I was going to post this in the Mileage Run forum that deals with the fare. But it ended quite long so I thought I would post in the Trip Report section.
As I did not intend this to be a trip report I’ve not included any photos. I do have some and will seek to upload them in the next few days.
If you are only interested in the CMB bit, then scroll down to the bold SRI LANKA bit as I cover that last. I’ve tried to include some useful tips for those embarking on their own CMB adventure.
SYD-BKK, BA 744, new J
SYD-BKK went premium economy on BA using QF points, and was upgraded to business class. I had somewhat mixed feelings about the upgrade as I was not a fan of the Club World seats. And my upgrade was a rear facing seat which I was not happy about – but hey, I can’t exactly b!tch and moan about my free upgrade seat. Anyway, to my surprise the 744 had the new club world. And now I am a convert. The seats are fantastic – probably my favourite business class seat. Definitely more comfortable than the QF skybed. Only negative of this flight was the IFE was inop the entire flight. I was not concerned as I was planning to read anyway, but BA handed out GBP75 vouchers. They eventually got the IFE to work, but it was without AVOD and the selection was quite old – I guess this is the backup system
Spent a few days relaxing at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. My first choice in BKK.
BKK-KUL, MH 734, Y
KUL-MLE, MH 333, Y
The first flight was in a packed 734. I had an aisle next to an Indian couple. There had been a snafu with the special meals as none had been loaded except mine. Even though not a vege, I typically order a vegetarian meal as I am a bit suspicious of “foreign meat”. So I had my vege meal but 4 people around me didn’t get theres. Call me a nice guy, but I ended up sharing the meal with the other veges – it weas mixed sandwiches and we each had one. Was quite an experience, sharing my lunch with 4 Indians up the back of a 734.
Had a 3 hour transit at KUL. A nice airport, but not a great deal to do. One thing I like about KUL is there are lots of random spaces where you can sit down completely on your own. So I found a little cubby on the first floor down the end of a long corridor – just past the SQ lounge. About 20 seats and not a soul to be found. I had a view of my supposed gate (C4) and noted the plane did not turn up until 45mins before departure time, so I knew an on time departure was not going to happen.
With a departure time of 20:05, we boarded at 19:55 and pushed back around 20:30. I was expecting this flight to be full of westerner honeymooners going to MLE, but there were only about 4 westerners on the plane, it was mostly full of Malaysians heading to MLE, and Sri Lankans heading to CMB (the flight went KUL-MLE-CMB-KUL). I was sitting next to a Sri Lankan labourer who was heading home to see him family. Was interesting chatting with him. Was surprised that there are no PTVs, very surprised actually. Overall, an aneventful flight, landed in MLE about 30mins late.
Maldives
Male is a good looking airport – very much a resort feel with open spaces and lots of timber. The Maldives is not really set up for individual tourists. I was asked no less than 3 times (including by the immigration official) where is my wife – Maldives is no fun on your own. To that I agree. My hotel was on the airport island (Hulhule Island hotel), and I can tell you – there is absolutely nothing on the island except the airport and the hotel.
The following morning after a quick exploration of the island, I hopped the hotel ferry across to the city of Male. Male is not a bad place. A lot of small cobble-stoned streets and motorbikes everywhere. Definitely does not have the chaos of India/Sri Lanka. Not a great deal to do there, but worth a wander if you are ever in the Maldives. Very unimpressed with the Airport Hotel – USD270/night, rude staff, luke warm water, bathroom covered in ants, twin room after requesting king etc. Anyway, was not there long enough to get my knickers in a twist.
My overall comment about the Maldives (based on my 16 hour tour) is there is not much to do. If you want to come with your partner and stay on one of the islands, sure, you’ll have a nice time, and you can go diving, and uhh “enjoy each other”. But it’s a long way to go (at least from Australia), and I think I’d rather go to Tahiti which has some great hotels and is a lot closer to home.
MLE-CMB, UL 343, J
Later that afternoon, back to the airport for my flight to Colombo flight. This was on a Sri Lankan 343 in J class – purchased for about USD170. Straight to the lounge at MLE where I was mesmerized by an Italian beauty sitting next to me – one of the most stunning women I have ever seen :D I think she must have been a bit put-off by my “mesmerizing” as she moved across the other side of the lounge after a while. Whoops. Anyway, as for the lounge, quite small and not many free seats. Dismal food offering although the banana cake was nice. 2 computers with decent internet connection although they were Macs which I found a little odd compared to PCs.
Half empty J cabin even though expertflyer was showing J0C0D0. Perhaps because the flight routed LON-MLE-CMB and they kept seats blocked in the hope of selling LON-CMB. My gain, as I was in 1K with a spare seat next to me. I was expecting to be amazed by the scenery departing MLE, but was quite disappointed. Didn’t see any island except Male. Perhaps I was on the wrong side of the plane. Cabin service was not particularly friendly, and the sandwiches offered were disgusting. No alcohol offered on this short sector. The seat was comfortable – a lot of pitch between the seats.
Sri Lanka Arrival
I was pleasantly surprised by CMB airport. Very modern and spacious – really one of the nicer airports I have visited. No problems at immigration, passport stamped and on my way to customs in record time. Once you collect your bags you will notice there is a specific exit for non-Sri Lankans. Just inside this area is an ATM. I pulled out 20,000 Rupees for my 2 day stay (around USD200). This proved way too much as I had 10,000 left after giving my driver a 4,000 tip. I had organised a car & driver to meet me at the airport and after a few phone calls I found him. Transfer to the Hilton took about an hour and being Sunday there was little traffic.
Hilton CMB
Very, very impressed with this hotel. IMHO, aside from decent surroundings, a good hotel = good staff. And the Hilton CMB staff are top of their game. While not as polished as say, Shangri-La, they are all just so darn friendly, very open to chatting, and just genuinely nice people who go right out of their way to assist. The room was in decent shape – not grand but more than acceptable. I was on the Exec Club (top floor) not sure what the normal rooms are like. Breakfast is served in either the lounge or lobby. I partook in the lobby breakfast and was very impressed with the offerings, although the coffee was undrinkable. Overall, I’ve spent hundreds of nights in hotels, and rank the Hilton CMB up in the top 10%. My only possibly negative comment is security. I have stayed in a few dodgy places in the past (e.g. Pakistan) and was expecting some pretty heavy security at the Hilton. But there was virtually none. There was a guard with a flimsy road block at the entrance, minimal checking of entering cars – the security was far less compared to say BKK.
Safety & Security
Like a lot of you I was quite nervous about going to Sri Lanka, I needn’t have been. It really felt like one of the safest places I have been. True, a few buses have blown up, but you have to realise that in Sri Lanka every second car is a bloomin’ bus – you would have to be so incredibly unluck to get caught in a blast it is not worth worrying about. The area you are likely to come undone in is a car accident. The driving standards (particularly of the buses) is appalling. Frequent overtaking around blind bends and excessive speeding. I would recommend anyone travelling outside of CMB invest in a decent car/driver – it is a worthwhile investment. The death toll from car accidents in Sri Lanka certainly eclipses those killed in terrorist attacks in tourist areas.
There are checkpoints EVERYWHERE in CMB, but being a foreigner you will get waved through. To be honest, the checkpoint staff sit there not doing much. One thing interesting is the checkpoints are sponsored by companies. So you will see a sign saying “STOP: POLICE CHECK POINT – brought to you by Pepsi”. LOL. Security at CMB is tight. Road blocks where you will be stopped. Lots of bunkers with machine guns pointing at you. Machine gun toting army men everywhere. Metal contraptions on the road which can be deployed to stop a vehicle dead in its tracks. All in all, similar to Karachi if you’ve been there. Full metal detector and x-ray check to get to the check-in area. And then another comprehensive check before you get on the plane.
Overall, I felt very safe in Sri Lanka. Keep away from public transport (buses & trains) and you would be so very unlucky to have a problem. PM me if you want the name and contact details of the driver I used. He was also a very good tour guide. Not the sort of guide who cr@ps on endlessly about things, but gives just enough detail to give you a flavour. And he goes out of his way to help. But, most importantly, a very good defensive driver who avoided many potential accidents along the way. Very nice man – thoroughly recommend him.
Other Sri Lanka
Only really had one full day in Sri Lanka and went on a day trip to Kandy. The drive is interesting, through the hills, but man alive, the traffic in Sri Lanka is AWFUL. It took us 5 hours to get to Kandy and 4 hours to get back. As a result we didn’t really see much of Kandy, not that it looked very inspiring. Along the way saw the elephant orphanage (just OK) and the spice market (again, just OK). The main highlight was the drive – you go through lots of small towns and it is interesting to see – but the end sights at Kandy are not worth it. Due to the traffic I would not recommend anyone doing a day trip to Kandy or Galle (apparently just as bad traffic).
CMB-SIN, EK J class
Traffic from the Hilton to the airport was terrible. I left the hotel at 7am for the 10:25 departure. The first 40 minutes were spent stuck in a traffic jam out the front of the hotel. I was quite fearful I would miss the flight – what a disaster. Anyway, once we got through the traffic jam, we made good time and got to the airport at 8:30am. Nonetheless, I would recommend you allow 2 hours to get to the airport from the Hilton. A stress-free option would be the Taj Airport Garden Hotel which is about 1 mile from the airport on the main road.
Was directed to the Y class queue by some guy who spoke no English. I don’t think he knew there was a J queue as I pointed it to him behind a pillar and he seemed quite shocked. LOL. Advised of a slight delay to the flight (11:20am instead of 10:25am). It was here I was fearful of the “Sorry Sir, your ticket is invalid” but no issues at all. Straight through customs to the EK/UL shared lounge. Upon entry I was given a voucher for a complimentary massage which was my first stop. I chose the head and shoulders massage. It was not a great massage and I was looking forward to it being over. There are two masseurs a guy and a girl – I had the guy – recommend you try the girl, assuming they will do guy/girl (that sounds rather bad lol).
The breakfast buffet was comprehensive, but didn’t look too appetising. I settled for a cappuccino which was made by one of the staff. Best coffee I had in Sri Lanka – but that’s not saying much. Overall the lounge is very spacious and very empty. Great view of the runway where there is lots of military activity. Aside from a few UL flights, the only interesting commercial action was a SQ 772 departure, and Condor 763 arrival.
Was literally dragged out of the lounge by the matron on the third call – no need as the a/c was only just boarding when I got to the gate. Seat 1K. The flight operates DXB-CMB-SIN-JKT, transfer pax were required to remain onboard in CMB.
I have travelled EK a lot in Y class (8ish times), and this was my first J experience with them. The aircraft was a 777-300ER, there was a last minute substitute from a regular 773, hence the delay. The seat was very underwhelming. The pitch in the first row is pretty dismal and the seat overall was just not very comfortable. I understand EK are reconfiguring their J cabin – bring it on I say – the old seats are cr@p. Staff were very ordinary IMHO. Not smiling, not addressing pax by name, not responding to call button, no interest in chatting with the pax – all looked like they’d rather be somewhere else. Plus, the service took ages. The cabin was at best 1/3 full – I can’t imagine what it would have been like on a full flight. I have never been particularly impressed with EK, and this settles it. I will only travel them if the price is right.
Food was average. Choice of 2 starters and 3 mains. I had the prawn cocktail salad and the pan fried salmon. Great presentation but the taste was a bit lacking, particularly the main which was just not very nice. Dessert was a chocolate / raspberry cake and was divine. The menu also advised of tea/coffee service – but they skipped over me. Only other interesting event was some pretty bad turbulence about half way. I was waiting for a big thump with my wine glass hitting the roof, but never quite eventuated. Nonetheless, all service (or lack thereof) was stopped for around 45mins.
The saving grace of the flight was EK’s ICE product – so much choice – simply the best IFE I have ever seen – a truly remarkable product. I was not expecting to get ICE on this sector – and normally you wouldn’t, but for the last minute sub to a 77W over a 773.
Overall – one hour late, bad staff, ordinary food, average seat = not impressed. Saving grace was ICE. But given what I paid for the flight, I can’t really complain ;-)
SIN-SYD, SQ A380, J Class
Arrived SIN into Terminal 1 and was greeted with some pretty nasty immigration queues – very un-Changi like. I decided not to check my bag through to SYD, as I had plenty of time, and was keen to get the full experience of the new T3 by going through the check-in process. Transfer across to T1 was via a mini-train (seriously only about 8 meters long). Here my biggest fear was again “Sorry Sir, your ticket is invalid. None of that. Got a boarding pass for seat 20A on the A380 and was on my way.
I was absolutely gob-smacked by T3. Visually it is stunning. It is spacious. A serene place. Reminded me of a high class shopping centre you see in places like Dubai, but less crowded. Easily the best airport terminal I have been to (and I’ve gone through around 140 airports around the world). First stop was the Silverkris lounge. SQ – I am mad at you. My biggest issue with the T2 Silverkris lounge was the lack of natural light. And they’ve done it again. It is an internal area with a view of the departures area – why couldn’t they have put it facing the runway or the apron to allow some natural light. I really didn’t like the feel of the lounge, and ended up staying just on half an hour. The food was quite good and a decent selection of grog. Also had a quick shower – the shower stalls are small and cramped – reminded me of a public toilet. However, in SQ’s defence the only other shower/lounges I have used are the SQ first lounge in T2 and the AA lounge at LAX, and both were vastly superior. As a side-not, from the lay out it appears the F lounge might afford some natural light and views of the runway, but can’t confirm this. Overall lounge opinion = DDD, dark & dreary & depressing.
Eventually made it to the gate (A2). Instead of a separate security screening for each gate, they have grouped screening for about 8 gates, similar to the BKK set up. Much more efficient. Once through you are in a massive holding pen. The flight was boarding when I got there so went through. There are 3 bridges. One for suites, one for upper deck and one for lower deck. Upper deck is business and some economy. It was quite a strange experience boarding to the upper deck of an aircraft. Greeted by the F/As and directed to my window seat (20A) in around the middle of the plane. Again, I was gob smacked. The seat is so wide!! Had some champagne and began exploring the seat. In the upright position it is actually quite comfortable. Lots of little spaces to store things. Pushback and takeoff – the A380 is one quiet aeroplane. I suspect being upstairs may have helped in that regard. But I was amazed by its sheer elegance. A beautiful aircraft, and with the SQ set-up, I was in plane-geek heaven. After take off SQ showed a video explaining how the seat worked. Just as well they did, as they explained that to convert into a bed, you have to stand up and then fold down the seat. It doesn’t just recline like a normal seat. There is a Do Not Disturb feature which I turned on (did not want to get woken for b/f).
Dinner service was spectacular. Beautiful presentation, glasses constantly refilled, addressed by name and simply delicious food. I felt pampered the entire flight. The crew were chatty and friendly. Nothing is too much trouble for them. It has been about 18 months since I have flown SQ J, having done a lot of QF. The SQ service is just so superior to every other airlines I have flown. Consistent, great product. And the new business class is brilliant – such a sense of space. I really felt like I was flying first class. I can only imagine what the Suites experience is like.
I normally don’t wander back to the whY (economy) cabin, as when I am sitting in Y I always shake my head at people who do this. But I wanted to have a look around the aircraft. I can’t say I have such positive comments for the Y section. It looked terribly cramped and full of screaming babies. But, I guess I am comparing it to SQ’s new J class. I really think SQ should have out a premium economy product in their A380 – there is just such a ridiculous difference between J and Y. I earn a pretty decent salary by most people’s standards, but could never justify flying SQ J compared to MH, EK and other cheaper airlines which are half the price in J. And nor would I fly Y on anything more than 4/5 hours. So SQ loses my business. Anyway, I digress.
After my journey into the seventh circle of hell (i.e. economy, only kidding – I’ve done my fair share of back seat miles) I folded my seat into a bed, had a cup of green tea (not the bag - real stuff) and checked out the Krisworld IFE. Again, I was speechless. The screen is huge, the picture quality splendid and the choice good. I say only “good” for choice as I am comparing it directly to EK’s ICE product which is out of this world. I would have liked for SQ to have more TV options. They’ve got a lot of shows, but only 1 episode each. Whereas EK often has 6-7 episodes of shows. Nonetheless, the screen and quality cr@ps all over EK, QF and everybody else. Still, fast forwarding is a jerky affair. I wait for the day when I can smoothly fastfoward/rewind a movie like a DVD.
I ended up drifting off and getting about 4 hours sleep. Quite amazing as I really find it tough to sleep on planes. The next thing I knew the Captain came on and we started decent into SYD. Weather for the arrival was something I’ve never experienced in SYD. We landed from the north, and the weather was totally clear right up until after we touched down, half way down the runway, where we entered thick fog. Remarkable. One half of the airport completely clear, the other so thick with fog you can barely see out the window.
Overall verdict from the SQ 380 flight is spectacular. One of the highlights of all the flying I’ve done. A great experience, and for what I paid, I feel like a bit of a thief ;-) My opinion on the new seat is it is great for sleeping – but not especially comfortable for sitting/working/eating etc. The seat only comes into its element when in the full flat position. I prefer the SQ seat over the new club world purely for the sense of space. Excluding that, I think the BA seat could be more comfortable.
Final note – apparently the day before my SIN-SYD flight, the A380 went tech and all pax were transferred to a 744! I was worried this would happen and ended up missing it by one day. For those interested, the a/c I travelled on was SKC, which is only about 2 weeks old.
The End
Thanks for reading – hope this is interesting for some, and useful for those embarking on the CMB adventure. Let me know if you’ve any questions.
mD
As I did not intend this to be a trip report I’ve not included any photos. I do have some and will seek to upload them in the next few days.
If you are only interested in the CMB bit, then scroll down to the bold SRI LANKA bit as I cover that last. I’ve tried to include some useful tips for those embarking on their own CMB adventure.
SYD-BKK, BA 744, new J
SYD-BKK went premium economy on BA using QF points, and was upgraded to business class. I had somewhat mixed feelings about the upgrade as I was not a fan of the Club World seats. And my upgrade was a rear facing seat which I was not happy about – but hey, I can’t exactly b!tch and moan about my free upgrade seat. Anyway, to my surprise the 744 had the new club world. And now I am a convert. The seats are fantastic – probably my favourite business class seat. Definitely more comfortable than the QF skybed. Only negative of this flight was the IFE was inop the entire flight. I was not concerned as I was planning to read anyway, but BA handed out GBP75 vouchers. They eventually got the IFE to work, but it was without AVOD and the selection was quite old – I guess this is the backup system
Spent a few days relaxing at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. My first choice in BKK.
BKK-KUL, MH 734, Y
KUL-MLE, MH 333, Y
The first flight was in a packed 734. I had an aisle next to an Indian couple. There had been a snafu with the special meals as none had been loaded except mine. Even though not a vege, I typically order a vegetarian meal as I am a bit suspicious of “foreign meat”. So I had my vege meal but 4 people around me didn’t get theres. Call me a nice guy, but I ended up sharing the meal with the other veges – it weas mixed sandwiches and we each had one. Was quite an experience, sharing my lunch with 4 Indians up the back of a 734.
Had a 3 hour transit at KUL. A nice airport, but not a great deal to do. One thing I like about KUL is there are lots of random spaces where you can sit down completely on your own. So I found a little cubby on the first floor down the end of a long corridor – just past the SQ lounge. About 20 seats and not a soul to be found. I had a view of my supposed gate (C4) and noted the plane did not turn up until 45mins before departure time, so I knew an on time departure was not going to happen.
With a departure time of 20:05, we boarded at 19:55 and pushed back around 20:30. I was expecting this flight to be full of westerner honeymooners going to MLE, but there were only about 4 westerners on the plane, it was mostly full of Malaysians heading to MLE, and Sri Lankans heading to CMB (the flight went KUL-MLE-CMB-KUL). I was sitting next to a Sri Lankan labourer who was heading home to see him family. Was interesting chatting with him. Was surprised that there are no PTVs, very surprised actually. Overall, an aneventful flight, landed in MLE about 30mins late.
Maldives
Male is a good looking airport – very much a resort feel with open spaces and lots of timber. The Maldives is not really set up for individual tourists. I was asked no less than 3 times (including by the immigration official) where is my wife – Maldives is no fun on your own. To that I agree. My hotel was on the airport island (Hulhule Island hotel), and I can tell you – there is absolutely nothing on the island except the airport and the hotel.
The following morning after a quick exploration of the island, I hopped the hotel ferry across to the city of Male. Male is not a bad place. A lot of small cobble-stoned streets and motorbikes everywhere. Definitely does not have the chaos of India/Sri Lanka. Not a great deal to do there, but worth a wander if you are ever in the Maldives. Very unimpressed with the Airport Hotel – USD270/night, rude staff, luke warm water, bathroom covered in ants, twin room after requesting king etc. Anyway, was not there long enough to get my knickers in a twist.
My overall comment about the Maldives (based on my 16 hour tour) is there is not much to do. If you want to come with your partner and stay on one of the islands, sure, you’ll have a nice time, and you can go diving, and uhh “enjoy each other”. But it’s a long way to go (at least from Australia), and I think I’d rather go to Tahiti which has some great hotels and is a lot closer to home.
MLE-CMB, UL 343, J
Later that afternoon, back to the airport for my flight to Colombo flight. This was on a Sri Lankan 343 in J class – purchased for about USD170. Straight to the lounge at MLE where I was mesmerized by an Italian beauty sitting next to me – one of the most stunning women I have ever seen :D I think she must have been a bit put-off by my “mesmerizing” as she moved across the other side of the lounge after a while. Whoops. Anyway, as for the lounge, quite small and not many free seats. Dismal food offering although the banana cake was nice. 2 computers with decent internet connection although they were Macs which I found a little odd compared to PCs.
Half empty J cabin even though expertflyer was showing J0C0D0. Perhaps because the flight routed LON-MLE-CMB and they kept seats blocked in the hope of selling LON-CMB. My gain, as I was in 1K with a spare seat next to me. I was expecting to be amazed by the scenery departing MLE, but was quite disappointed. Didn’t see any island except Male. Perhaps I was on the wrong side of the plane. Cabin service was not particularly friendly, and the sandwiches offered were disgusting. No alcohol offered on this short sector. The seat was comfortable – a lot of pitch between the seats.
Sri Lanka Arrival
I was pleasantly surprised by CMB airport. Very modern and spacious – really one of the nicer airports I have visited. No problems at immigration, passport stamped and on my way to customs in record time. Once you collect your bags you will notice there is a specific exit for non-Sri Lankans. Just inside this area is an ATM. I pulled out 20,000 Rupees for my 2 day stay (around USD200). This proved way too much as I had 10,000 left after giving my driver a 4,000 tip. I had organised a car & driver to meet me at the airport and after a few phone calls I found him. Transfer to the Hilton took about an hour and being Sunday there was little traffic.
Hilton CMB
Very, very impressed with this hotel. IMHO, aside from decent surroundings, a good hotel = good staff. And the Hilton CMB staff are top of their game. While not as polished as say, Shangri-La, they are all just so darn friendly, very open to chatting, and just genuinely nice people who go right out of their way to assist. The room was in decent shape – not grand but more than acceptable. I was on the Exec Club (top floor) not sure what the normal rooms are like. Breakfast is served in either the lounge or lobby. I partook in the lobby breakfast and was very impressed with the offerings, although the coffee was undrinkable. Overall, I’ve spent hundreds of nights in hotels, and rank the Hilton CMB up in the top 10%. My only possibly negative comment is security. I have stayed in a few dodgy places in the past (e.g. Pakistan) and was expecting some pretty heavy security at the Hilton. But there was virtually none. There was a guard with a flimsy road block at the entrance, minimal checking of entering cars – the security was far less compared to say BKK.
Safety & Security
Like a lot of you I was quite nervous about going to Sri Lanka, I needn’t have been. It really felt like one of the safest places I have been. True, a few buses have blown up, but you have to realise that in Sri Lanka every second car is a bloomin’ bus – you would have to be so incredibly unluck to get caught in a blast it is not worth worrying about. The area you are likely to come undone in is a car accident. The driving standards (particularly of the buses) is appalling. Frequent overtaking around blind bends and excessive speeding. I would recommend anyone travelling outside of CMB invest in a decent car/driver – it is a worthwhile investment. The death toll from car accidents in Sri Lanka certainly eclipses those killed in terrorist attacks in tourist areas.
There are checkpoints EVERYWHERE in CMB, but being a foreigner you will get waved through. To be honest, the checkpoint staff sit there not doing much. One thing interesting is the checkpoints are sponsored by companies. So you will see a sign saying “STOP: POLICE CHECK POINT – brought to you by Pepsi”. LOL. Security at CMB is tight. Road blocks where you will be stopped. Lots of bunkers with machine guns pointing at you. Machine gun toting army men everywhere. Metal contraptions on the road which can be deployed to stop a vehicle dead in its tracks. All in all, similar to Karachi if you’ve been there. Full metal detector and x-ray check to get to the check-in area. And then another comprehensive check before you get on the plane.
Overall, I felt very safe in Sri Lanka. Keep away from public transport (buses & trains) and you would be so very unlucky to have a problem. PM me if you want the name and contact details of the driver I used. He was also a very good tour guide. Not the sort of guide who cr@ps on endlessly about things, but gives just enough detail to give you a flavour. And he goes out of his way to help. But, most importantly, a very good defensive driver who avoided many potential accidents along the way. Very nice man – thoroughly recommend him.
Other Sri Lanka
Only really had one full day in Sri Lanka and went on a day trip to Kandy. The drive is interesting, through the hills, but man alive, the traffic in Sri Lanka is AWFUL. It took us 5 hours to get to Kandy and 4 hours to get back. As a result we didn’t really see much of Kandy, not that it looked very inspiring. Along the way saw the elephant orphanage (just OK) and the spice market (again, just OK). The main highlight was the drive – you go through lots of small towns and it is interesting to see – but the end sights at Kandy are not worth it. Due to the traffic I would not recommend anyone doing a day trip to Kandy or Galle (apparently just as bad traffic).
CMB-SIN, EK J class
Traffic from the Hilton to the airport was terrible. I left the hotel at 7am for the 10:25 departure. The first 40 minutes were spent stuck in a traffic jam out the front of the hotel. I was quite fearful I would miss the flight – what a disaster. Anyway, once we got through the traffic jam, we made good time and got to the airport at 8:30am. Nonetheless, I would recommend you allow 2 hours to get to the airport from the Hilton. A stress-free option would be the Taj Airport Garden Hotel which is about 1 mile from the airport on the main road.
Was directed to the Y class queue by some guy who spoke no English. I don’t think he knew there was a J queue as I pointed it to him behind a pillar and he seemed quite shocked. LOL. Advised of a slight delay to the flight (11:20am instead of 10:25am). It was here I was fearful of the “Sorry Sir, your ticket is invalid” but no issues at all. Straight through customs to the EK/UL shared lounge. Upon entry I was given a voucher for a complimentary massage which was my first stop. I chose the head and shoulders massage. It was not a great massage and I was looking forward to it being over. There are two masseurs a guy and a girl – I had the guy – recommend you try the girl, assuming they will do guy/girl (that sounds rather bad lol).
The breakfast buffet was comprehensive, but didn’t look too appetising. I settled for a cappuccino which was made by one of the staff. Best coffee I had in Sri Lanka – but that’s not saying much. Overall the lounge is very spacious and very empty. Great view of the runway where there is lots of military activity. Aside from a few UL flights, the only interesting commercial action was a SQ 772 departure, and Condor 763 arrival.
Was literally dragged out of the lounge by the matron on the third call – no need as the a/c was only just boarding when I got to the gate. Seat 1K. The flight operates DXB-CMB-SIN-JKT, transfer pax were required to remain onboard in CMB.
I have travelled EK a lot in Y class (8ish times), and this was my first J experience with them. The aircraft was a 777-300ER, there was a last minute substitute from a regular 773, hence the delay. The seat was very underwhelming. The pitch in the first row is pretty dismal and the seat overall was just not very comfortable. I understand EK are reconfiguring their J cabin – bring it on I say – the old seats are cr@p. Staff were very ordinary IMHO. Not smiling, not addressing pax by name, not responding to call button, no interest in chatting with the pax – all looked like they’d rather be somewhere else. Plus, the service took ages. The cabin was at best 1/3 full – I can’t imagine what it would have been like on a full flight. I have never been particularly impressed with EK, and this settles it. I will only travel them if the price is right.
Food was average. Choice of 2 starters and 3 mains. I had the prawn cocktail salad and the pan fried salmon. Great presentation but the taste was a bit lacking, particularly the main which was just not very nice. Dessert was a chocolate / raspberry cake and was divine. The menu also advised of tea/coffee service – but they skipped over me. Only other interesting event was some pretty bad turbulence about half way. I was waiting for a big thump with my wine glass hitting the roof, but never quite eventuated. Nonetheless, all service (or lack thereof) was stopped for around 45mins.
The saving grace of the flight was EK’s ICE product – so much choice – simply the best IFE I have ever seen – a truly remarkable product. I was not expecting to get ICE on this sector – and normally you wouldn’t, but for the last minute sub to a 77W over a 773.
Overall – one hour late, bad staff, ordinary food, average seat = not impressed. Saving grace was ICE. But given what I paid for the flight, I can’t really complain ;-)
SIN-SYD, SQ A380, J Class
Arrived SIN into Terminal 1 and was greeted with some pretty nasty immigration queues – very un-Changi like. I decided not to check my bag through to SYD, as I had plenty of time, and was keen to get the full experience of the new T3 by going through the check-in process. Transfer across to T1 was via a mini-train (seriously only about 8 meters long). Here my biggest fear was again “Sorry Sir, your ticket is invalid. None of that. Got a boarding pass for seat 20A on the A380 and was on my way.
I was absolutely gob-smacked by T3. Visually it is stunning. It is spacious. A serene place. Reminded me of a high class shopping centre you see in places like Dubai, but less crowded. Easily the best airport terminal I have been to (and I’ve gone through around 140 airports around the world). First stop was the Silverkris lounge. SQ – I am mad at you. My biggest issue with the T2 Silverkris lounge was the lack of natural light. And they’ve done it again. It is an internal area with a view of the departures area – why couldn’t they have put it facing the runway or the apron to allow some natural light. I really didn’t like the feel of the lounge, and ended up staying just on half an hour. The food was quite good and a decent selection of grog. Also had a quick shower – the shower stalls are small and cramped – reminded me of a public toilet. However, in SQ’s defence the only other shower/lounges I have used are the SQ first lounge in T2 and the AA lounge at LAX, and both were vastly superior. As a side-not, from the lay out it appears the F lounge might afford some natural light and views of the runway, but can’t confirm this. Overall lounge opinion = DDD, dark & dreary & depressing.
Eventually made it to the gate (A2). Instead of a separate security screening for each gate, they have grouped screening for about 8 gates, similar to the BKK set up. Much more efficient. Once through you are in a massive holding pen. The flight was boarding when I got there so went through. There are 3 bridges. One for suites, one for upper deck and one for lower deck. Upper deck is business and some economy. It was quite a strange experience boarding to the upper deck of an aircraft. Greeted by the F/As and directed to my window seat (20A) in around the middle of the plane. Again, I was gob smacked. The seat is so wide!! Had some champagne and began exploring the seat. In the upright position it is actually quite comfortable. Lots of little spaces to store things. Pushback and takeoff – the A380 is one quiet aeroplane. I suspect being upstairs may have helped in that regard. But I was amazed by its sheer elegance. A beautiful aircraft, and with the SQ set-up, I was in plane-geek heaven. After take off SQ showed a video explaining how the seat worked. Just as well they did, as they explained that to convert into a bed, you have to stand up and then fold down the seat. It doesn’t just recline like a normal seat. There is a Do Not Disturb feature which I turned on (did not want to get woken for b/f).
Dinner service was spectacular. Beautiful presentation, glasses constantly refilled, addressed by name and simply delicious food. I felt pampered the entire flight. The crew were chatty and friendly. Nothing is too much trouble for them. It has been about 18 months since I have flown SQ J, having done a lot of QF. The SQ service is just so superior to every other airlines I have flown. Consistent, great product. And the new business class is brilliant – such a sense of space. I really felt like I was flying first class. I can only imagine what the Suites experience is like.
I normally don’t wander back to the whY (economy) cabin, as when I am sitting in Y I always shake my head at people who do this. But I wanted to have a look around the aircraft. I can’t say I have such positive comments for the Y section. It looked terribly cramped and full of screaming babies. But, I guess I am comparing it to SQ’s new J class. I really think SQ should have out a premium economy product in their A380 – there is just such a ridiculous difference between J and Y. I earn a pretty decent salary by most people’s standards, but could never justify flying SQ J compared to MH, EK and other cheaper airlines which are half the price in J. And nor would I fly Y on anything more than 4/5 hours. So SQ loses my business. Anyway, I digress.
After my journey into the seventh circle of hell (i.e. economy, only kidding – I’ve done my fair share of back seat miles) I folded my seat into a bed, had a cup of green tea (not the bag - real stuff) and checked out the Krisworld IFE. Again, I was speechless. The screen is huge, the picture quality splendid and the choice good. I say only “good” for choice as I am comparing it directly to EK’s ICE product which is out of this world. I would have liked for SQ to have more TV options. They’ve got a lot of shows, but only 1 episode each. Whereas EK often has 6-7 episodes of shows. Nonetheless, the screen and quality cr@ps all over EK, QF and everybody else. Still, fast forwarding is a jerky affair. I wait for the day when I can smoothly fastfoward/rewind a movie like a DVD.
I ended up drifting off and getting about 4 hours sleep. Quite amazing as I really find it tough to sleep on planes. The next thing I knew the Captain came on and we started decent into SYD. Weather for the arrival was something I’ve never experienced in SYD. We landed from the north, and the weather was totally clear right up until after we touched down, half way down the runway, where we entered thick fog. Remarkable. One half of the airport completely clear, the other so thick with fog you can barely see out the window.
Overall verdict from the SQ 380 flight is spectacular. One of the highlights of all the flying I’ve done. A great experience, and for what I paid, I feel like a bit of a thief ;-) My opinion on the new seat is it is great for sleeping – but not especially comfortable for sitting/working/eating etc. The seat only comes into its element when in the full flat position. I prefer the SQ seat over the new club world purely for the sense of space. Excluding that, I think the BA seat could be more comfortable.
Final note – apparently the day before my SIN-SYD flight, the A380 went tech and all pax were transferred to a 744! I was worried this would happen and ended up missing it by one day. For those interested, the a/c I travelled on was SKC, which is only about 2 weeks old.
The End
Thanks for reading – hope this is interesting for some, and useful for those embarking on the CMB adventure. Let me know if you’ve any questions.
mD