Abu Dhabi & Indonesia on KLM and Etihad (Y-class) - With pics!
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RTM
Posts: 130
Abu Dhabi & Indonesia on KLM and Etihad (Y-class) - With pics!
Hi FT!
Here is a trip report on my short holiday to Abu Dhabi and Indonesia:
Background Story
After reading all of your great Trip Reports here, I decided to make one of my own! I have a travel blog (which is in Dutch), but a real trip report is something different! Any comments or questions are most welcome !
I have included a lot of pictures but, unfortunately, almost no onboard pics. On my next trip, I will try to make as much as photos onboard as possible!
A few months ago, I came across a great deal on Etihad: a MXP-AUH-CGK-AUH-CDG fare on Etihad for just $379,80 ai! I immediately posted the fare here on Flyertalk (hope it was useful for some of you!) and booked some flights for myself. Since I am in college, I simply can not travel too much (though I try!), so my total trip would only be 9 days. I am going to college in The Netherlands, so in order to position myself for my Etihad flights, I booked AMS-MXP and CDG-AMS flights on KLM for an additional $130,=. Still a great deal to Indonesia and Abu Dhabi, in my opinion!
Part 1: KLM and Etihad from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi
Flight 1: KL1627 from AMS to MXP, 1:40hrs on a Boeing 737-800
Flight 2: EY82 from MXP to AUH, 6:10hrs on an Airbus A330-200
I arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport by train, which is a 1 hour and 40 minutes ride from my home. The Schiphol train station is located directly under the arrivals hall: so very convenient to travel to or from the airport. I had checked in for my flights online, so I had secured seats at an emergency exit for the AMS-MXP leg of my flight (The KLM Boeing 737-800 has two rows of emergency exits: 1 for which they charge an extra fee and 1 which is for free, but can't recline. Since it's just a 1:40 hours flight, I did not plan on reclining, but some extra legroom was nice: so I went for the free exit row).
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in some cold but clear winter weather
I went to the Bag Drop section of KLM and I was surprised to see that the process was completely automated: I scanned my passport, put my suitcase in some sort of container which weighed my suitcase, a baggage label was printed and I put the label on my suitcase. Next, I received my luggage tag and my suitcase was transported away on the luggage belt. Never seen this before, so I was really surprised! There was absolutely no human interaction: the entire process it was just me and the computer. Maybe this is standard practice now, but I haven't flown KLM in a while, so it was new for me!
Since I had plenty of time before my flight, I decided to go to the panorama terrace before going through security. The Schiphol panorama terrace is great: you have great views on the tarmac and there is even a retired KLM Fokker aircraft stationed there, in which you can have a look!
Delta is always present at Schiphol
Lots of KLM planes
After going through security, I had a quick look at the Duty Free shops and I proceeded to the pier where Schengen flights (including mine to Milan) were departing. I noticed a KLM 747-400 at that pier, I wonder where that one was going within the Schengen area! After wandering around for some minutes, I noticed my flight was ready to board. Boarding was a breeze: I was seated in my exit row within minutes. The captain announced that we would take off from the Polderbaan, which is quite far away from the terminal. However, our short flight time of 1:30hrs would cause us to land in Milan on schedule.
The flight was quite uneventful: the first 20 minutes I had some great views of The Netherlands, but then it started to get cloudy and it was overcast until we had crossed the Alps. Onboard service was fine: a sandwich and a little snack were served, along with two rounds of drinks. On my first round, I ordered a coke, but the flight attendant looked at me and said: "You actually look like someone who would enjoy an ice cold beer. Can I get you that instead?". I really liked her suggestion and I went for the beer instead ! When she walked through the cabin some 15 minutes later, she noticed my empty glass and told me she would get me a new one! I really liked that!!
After a short flight, we touched down in Milan. It took ages for my suitcase to arrive, so I was really glad I had plenty of time between my KLM and my Etihad flights (they were booked on separate tickets). After waiting for my suitcase for more than 1 hour, I finally got it and I went upstairs to the Etihad check in. The check in had not opened yet, and I waited for almost an hour before someone to arrive at the check in desk. At that time, there already was a huge line of people waiting for the Etihad flight across the terminal. Luckily, I was one of the first people in line! Finally, the check in opened. I dropped my bag and I was told it would be checked through all the way to Jakarta. I was happy about that, since I had just 24 hours in Abu Dhabi and I did not want to waste my time collecting my bag and dropping it off again! I got my boarding passes and the friendly Etihad agent wished my a pleasant flight.
I still had 2 hours to kill before my flight, so I got some dinner, looked at some tax free stuff and surfed the free wifi. Milan Malpensa Airport isn't my favorite: it is quite small and there is only a bunch of way too expensive Italian brand stores. Finally, it was time to board. Boarding really was a mess: there was not actually a line, but a lot of families were just pushing their way through the crowd, acting as if the flight would leave without them. I took me almost 30 minutes to get aboard the plane. My first impression was great: the cabin was very clean and spacious, with nice soothing colors and mood lighting. Also, the boarding music was spectacular! I was sincerely welcomed by the flight attendants and one actually took the time to direct me all the way to my seat (which was somewhere back in the very rear end of the plane). Great service!
I got in my seat and immediately noticed the very big personal tvs. There also was a nice amenity kit, a blanket an a pillow. And not to forget amazing noise-cancelling headphones! Soon, we were ready for takeoff and we were bound for Abu Dhabi in no time. Onboard service was very good: the 6 hours flight included a couple of drinks services, some hot and cold snacks and a meal service with a 3-choice menu (which I really like for economy class). Dessert had 2 choices also and was served separately. The flight attendants were really friendly: they took the time to chat with passengers every once in a while, and one flight attendant from Australia asked me if I wanted to try a "great Australian beer" (for some reason, flight attendants always think I am in desperate need of beer. Maybe it is my college look....) After watching a bunch of movies on the great entertainment system, we were already descending into Abu Dhabi. I got some great views of the amazing skyscrapers in this city and the "nose view" camera in the personal tv was absolutely awesome!
Once touched down in the UAE, I immediately noticed the cleanliness of the airport. It really seemed like a well kept and polished place. Immigration and customs were a breeze, and within 15 minutes of leaving the plane, I was already outside the airport, waiting for the bus to Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Airport around 6am. (Sorry for the dark picture!)
Part 2: 24 hours in Abu Dhabi
Since I was feeling a little adventurous, I decided to take a local bus instead of a tourist shuttle or taxi into the centre of Abu Dhabi. The price of the ticket was no more than 3 dirhams, which is something like €0,60. I was happy to have some spare dirhams left from my trip to Dubai (I might post a trip report on that later!), since the driver did not have any change!
The trip into town took about 45 minutes and it was a great ride: I was really impressed with the great architecture in Abu Dhabi! There are skyscrapers everywhere, in the most amazing shapes! I kept taking pictures during the ride and all the local people stared at me if I were crazy (I was the only tourist in the bus).
Abu Dhabi has some amazing skyscrapers
At one moment, almost everyone got off the bus. It looked like it was the final stop, so I got off too. There wasn't really much to do in this place where I got off (probably because it wasn't even 7am yet), so I started walking towards the Corniche, the waterfront of Abu Dhabi. According to my map, it was a mere 4km walk. Since it was still quite cool in this early hour, I really enjoyed stretching my legs a bit after the tight seating on the 6 hours flight I just came from. I walked through the business district where every imaginable bank was present. And after an hour or so, I finally reached the Corniche, which is truly beautiful.
A random street in Abu Dhabi
High rise buildings
The waterfront of Abu Dhabi: The Corniche
It was still really quiet at the Corniche at this time of the day, there were only a few people running and skating, but most of the time it was just me there! I really enjoyed walking the Corniche: the views of the city, the beaches and the water were spectacular! I walked all the way from the Heritage Park to the Marina Mall, which is -according to my guidebook- almost 10 kilometers. It was getting quite hot already (it probably was 10 or 11am by then), so sometimes I had to take a rest on one of the many benches located everywhere on the Corniche. Normally, walking this far is not a problem for me, but after a night without sleep and with a temperature that was way higher than the temperature in The Netherlands at this time of the year, I started to feel a little bit exhausted. Luckily, the Marina Mall was fully air-conditioned, so I could cool off a bit. From the Marina Mall, I had a great view of the world-famous Emirates Palace hotel! According to some documentaries I saw, it is supposed to be the most expensive hotel ever built.
Beaches across the water, as seen from the Corniche
Skyscrapers everywhere
Abu Dhabi as seen from the Marina Mall
Emirates Palace Hotel as seen from the Marina Mall
Here is a trip report on my short holiday to Abu Dhabi and Indonesia:
Background Story
After reading all of your great Trip Reports here, I decided to make one of my own! I have a travel blog (which is in Dutch), but a real trip report is something different! Any comments or questions are most welcome !
I have included a lot of pictures but, unfortunately, almost no onboard pics. On my next trip, I will try to make as much as photos onboard as possible!
A few months ago, I came across a great deal on Etihad: a MXP-AUH-CGK-AUH-CDG fare on Etihad for just $379,80 ai! I immediately posted the fare here on Flyertalk (hope it was useful for some of you!) and booked some flights for myself. Since I am in college, I simply can not travel too much (though I try!), so my total trip would only be 9 days. I am going to college in The Netherlands, so in order to position myself for my Etihad flights, I booked AMS-MXP and CDG-AMS flights on KLM for an additional $130,=. Still a great deal to Indonesia and Abu Dhabi, in my opinion!
Part 1: KLM and Etihad from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi
Flight 1: KL1627 from AMS to MXP, 1:40hrs on a Boeing 737-800
Flight 2: EY82 from MXP to AUH, 6:10hrs on an Airbus A330-200
I arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport by train, which is a 1 hour and 40 minutes ride from my home. The Schiphol train station is located directly under the arrivals hall: so very convenient to travel to or from the airport. I had checked in for my flights online, so I had secured seats at an emergency exit for the AMS-MXP leg of my flight (The KLM Boeing 737-800 has two rows of emergency exits: 1 for which they charge an extra fee and 1 which is for free, but can't recline. Since it's just a 1:40 hours flight, I did not plan on reclining, but some extra legroom was nice: so I went for the free exit row).
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in some cold but clear winter weather
I went to the Bag Drop section of KLM and I was surprised to see that the process was completely automated: I scanned my passport, put my suitcase in some sort of container which weighed my suitcase, a baggage label was printed and I put the label on my suitcase. Next, I received my luggage tag and my suitcase was transported away on the luggage belt. Never seen this before, so I was really surprised! There was absolutely no human interaction: the entire process it was just me and the computer. Maybe this is standard practice now, but I haven't flown KLM in a while, so it was new for me!
Since I had plenty of time before my flight, I decided to go to the panorama terrace before going through security. The Schiphol panorama terrace is great: you have great views on the tarmac and there is even a retired KLM Fokker aircraft stationed there, in which you can have a look!
Delta is always present at Schiphol
Lots of KLM planes
After going through security, I had a quick look at the Duty Free shops and I proceeded to the pier where Schengen flights (including mine to Milan) were departing. I noticed a KLM 747-400 at that pier, I wonder where that one was going within the Schengen area! After wandering around for some minutes, I noticed my flight was ready to board. Boarding was a breeze: I was seated in my exit row within minutes. The captain announced that we would take off from the Polderbaan, which is quite far away from the terminal. However, our short flight time of 1:30hrs would cause us to land in Milan on schedule.
The flight was quite uneventful: the first 20 minutes I had some great views of The Netherlands, but then it started to get cloudy and it was overcast until we had crossed the Alps. Onboard service was fine: a sandwich and a little snack were served, along with two rounds of drinks. On my first round, I ordered a coke, but the flight attendant looked at me and said: "You actually look like someone who would enjoy an ice cold beer. Can I get you that instead?". I really liked her suggestion and I went for the beer instead ! When she walked through the cabin some 15 minutes later, she noticed my empty glass and told me she would get me a new one! I really liked that!!
After a short flight, we touched down in Milan. It took ages for my suitcase to arrive, so I was really glad I had plenty of time between my KLM and my Etihad flights (they were booked on separate tickets). After waiting for my suitcase for more than 1 hour, I finally got it and I went upstairs to the Etihad check in. The check in had not opened yet, and I waited for almost an hour before someone to arrive at the check in desk. At that time, there already was a huge line of people waiting for the Etihad flight across the terminal. Luckily, I was one of the first people in line! Finally, the check in opened. I dropped my bag and I was told it would be checked through all the way to Jakarta. I was happy about that, since I had just 24 hours in Abu Dhabi and I did not want to waste my time collecting my bag and dropping it off again! I got my boarding passes and the friendly Etihad agent wished my a pleasant flight.
I still had 2 hours to kill before my flight, so I got some dinner, looked at some tax free stuff and surfed the free wifi. Milan Malpensa Airport isn't my favorite: it is quite small and there is only a bunch of way too expensive Italian brand stores. Finally, it was time to board. Boarding really was a mess: there was not actually a line, but a lot of families were just pushing their way through the crowd, acting as if the flight would leave without them. I took me almost 30 minutes to get aboard the plane. My first impression was great: the cabin was very clean and spacious, with nice soothing colors and mood lighting. Also, the boarding music was spectacular! I was sincerely welcomed by the flight attendants and one actually took the time to direct me all the way to my seat (which was somewhere back in the very rear end of the plane). Great service!
I got in my seat and immediately noticed the very big personal tvs. There also was a nice amenity kit, a blanket an a pillow. And not to forget amazing noise-cancelling headphones! Soon, we were ready for takeoff and we were bound for Abu Dhabi in no time. Onboard service was very good: the 6 hours flight included a couple of drinks services, some hot and cold snacks and a meal service with a 3-choice menu (which I really like for economy class). Dessert had 2 choices also and was served separately. The flight attendants were really friendly: they took the time to chat with passengers every once in a while, and one flight attendant from Australia asked me if I wanted to try a "great Australian beer" (for some reason, flight attendants always think I am in desperate need of beer. Maybe it is my college look....) After watching a bunch of movies on the great entertainment system, we were already descending into Abu Dhabi. I got some great views of the amazing skyscrapers in this city and the "nose view" camera in the personal tv was absolutely awesome!
Once touched down in the UAE, I immediately noticed the cleanliness of the airport. It really seemed like a well kept and polished place. Immigration and customs were a breeze, and within 15 minutes of leaving the plane, I was already outside the airport, waiting for the bus to Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Airport around 6am. (Sorry for the dark picture!)
Part 2: 24 hours in Abu Dhabi
Since I was feeling a little adventurous, I decided to take a local bus instead of a tourist shuttle or taxi into the centre of Abu Dhabi. The price of the ticket was no more than 3 dirhams, which is something like €0,60. I was happy to have some spare dirhams left from my trip to Dubai (I might post a trip report on that later!), since the driver did not have any change!
The trip into town took about 45 minutes and it was a great ride: I was really impressed with the great architecture in Abu Dhabi! There are skyscrapers everywhere, in the most amazing shapes! I kept taking pictures during the ride and all the local people stared at me if I were crazy (I was the only tourist in the bus).
Abu Dhabi has some amazing skyscrapers
At one moment, almost everyone got off the bus. It looked like it was the final stop, so I got off too. There wasn't really much to do in this place where I got off (probably because it wasn't even 7am yet), so I started walking towards the Corniche, the waterfront of Abu Dhabi. According to my map, it was a mere 4km walk. Since it was still quite cool in this early hour, I really enjoyed stretching my legs a bit after the tight seating on the 6 hours flight I just came from. I walked through the business district where every imaginable bank was present. And after an hour or so, I finally reached the Corniche, which is truly beautiful.
A random street in Abu Dhabi
High rise buildings
The waterfront of Abu Dhabi: The Corniche
It was still really quiet at the Corniche at this time of the day, there were only a few people running and skating, but most of the time it was just me there! I really enjoyed walking the Corniche: the views of the city, the beaches and the water were spectacular! I walked all the way from the Heritage Park to the Marina Mall, which is -according to my guidebook- almost 10 kilometers. It was getting quite hot already (it probably was 10 or 11am by then), so sometimes I had to take a rest on one of the many benches located everywhere on the Corniche. Normally, walking this far is not a problem for me, but after a night without sleep and with a temperature that was way higher than the temperature in The Netherlands at this time of the year, I started to feel a little bit exhausted. Luckily, the Marina Mall was fully air-conditioned, so I could cool off a bit. From the Marina Mall, I had a great view of the world-famous Emirates Palace hotel! According to some documentaries I saw, it is supposed to be the most expensive hotel ever built.
Beaches across the water, as seen from the Corniche
Skyscrapers everywhere
Abu Dhabi as seen from the Marina Mall
Emirates Palace Hotel as seen from the Marina Mall
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RTM
Posts: 130
Part 2:
As the Emirates Palace Hotel looked really great, I was really interested in visiting it! Last year, I wanted to visit the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai, but that required a reservation in one of the restaurants. I finally managed to get one, and it was truly amazing! I'll post a report of that later!
I didn't have a reservation in the Emirates Palace, but I decided to take a chance! I walked up to the enormous gate (which was closed) and asked one of the guards if I could visit the hotel. I was told the particular entrance was for the Sheikh only and I had to walk 1 kilometer more for the "normal entrance". How cool is that? Having your own gate to a hotel? And not the least gate either:
The Sheikh's private entrance to the Emirates Palace Hotel
I walked further towards the regular entrance, and again I asked one of the guards if I could visit the hotel. "Of course, please go ahead! Do I need to call a car to come pick you up, or can you walk by yourself?" - I truly did not expect this answer!!! I asked him very much and told him I would enjoy the walk - which I did! The hotel is set between the greenest of gardens with lots of flowers and fountains. The hotel is truly spectacular from the outside! Here are some pictures:
As soon as I entered the hotel, I was even more impressed! The entire hotel seemed to be built out of marble and gold. Everything was really well polished, so it was so shiny I almost needed my sunglasses! I was immediately offered some cold towels to cool off a little bit. I was asked if I had a reservation and I told I just wanted to walk around a little bit. "Please go ahead sir. We have some very important and famous guests today, so I would like to ask you not to take any pictures of the public areas, in order to protect their privacy." I asked if she could tell me which famous guests there were staying in the hotel and she said "Believe me, you will recognize them as soon as you see them.". I started to get excited but -unfortunately- I did not recognize anyone in the hotel!! The hotel itself was truly spectacular, though! There is a large showcase with all the travel awards of the hotel and in the lobby there even is an ATM for gold!! You can get some gold bars, in case you really need them and left yours at home !
Here are some pictures of this amazing hotel:
Travel awards
Gold ATM
Impressive lobby!
Those were actually real palms!
Awesome bathroom
Gold and marble
Lobby
I absolutely loved this hotel!!! After wandering around for almost 2 hours, I decided to explore some more of the city. I took a cab from the Emirates Palace Hotel to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is one of the largest mosques in the world and built out of -again- marble and gold! Truly spectacular, especially since the sun made the enormous building look so white you actually needed your sunglasses to take a look at it!!! Here are some pictures of this amazing building:
After enjoying this beautiful building, it was already 4 or 5pm, so I decided to get back to the Corniche and the beaches to enjoy the sunset. At this time, it was really busy at the Corniche (this morning it had been really quiet): lots of people were strolling there, people were making live music and children were playing at the beach. It was really nice and enjoyable to see this people having fun! I settled myself at the beach with a book and watched the sun set. A real nice experience!!!
After a while, I had a quick dinner and I got ready to go back to the airport. I had bought a day pass for one of the lounges, so I wanted to take a shower and have a quick nap before my flight to Jakarta (leaving at OMG o'clock) would leave.
More on that later!
To be continued...
I didn't have a reservation in the Emirates Palace, but I decided to take a chance! I walked up to the enormous gate (which was closed) and asked one of the guards if I could visit the hotel. I was told the particular entrance was for the Sheikh only and I had to walk 1 kilometer more for the "normal entrance". How cool is that? Having your own gate to a hotel? And not the least gate either:
The Sheikh's private entrance to the Emirates Palace Hotel
I walked further towards the regular entrance, and again I asked one of the guards if I could visit the hotel. "Of course, please go ahead! Do I need to call a car to come pick you up, or can you walk by yourself?" - I truly did not expect this answer!!! I asked him very much and told him I would enjoy the walk - which I did! The hotel is set between the greenest of gardens with lots of flowers and fountains. The hotel is truly spectacular from the outside! Here are some pictures:
As soon as I entered the hotel, I was even more impressed! The entire hotel seemed to be built out of marble and gold. Everything was really well polished, so it was so shiny I almost needed my sunglasses! I was immediately offered some cold towels to cool off a little bit. I was asked if I had a reservation and I told I just wanted to walk around a little bit. "Please go ahead sir. We have some very important and famous guests today, so I would like to ask you not to take any pictures of the public areas, in order to protect their privacy." I asked if she could tell me which famous guests there were staying in the hotel and she said "Believe me, you will recognize them as soon as you see them.". I started to get excited but -unfortunately- I did not recognize anyone in the hotel!! The hotel itself was truly spectacular, though! There is a large showcase with all the travel awards of the hotel and in the lobby there even is an ATM for gold!! You can get some gold bars, in case you really need them and left yours at home !
Here are some pictures of this amazing hotel:
Travel awards
Gold ATM
Impressive lobby!
Those were actually real palms!
Awesome bathroom
Gold and marble
Lobby
I absolutely loved this hotel!!! After wandering around for almost 2 hours, I decided to explore some more of the city. I took a cab from the Emirates Palace Hotel to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is one of the largest mosques in the world and built out of -again- marble and gold! Truly spectacular, especially since the sun made the enormous building look so white you actually needed your sunglasses to take a look at it!!! Here are some pictures of this amazing building:
After enjoying this beautiful building, it was already 4 or 5pm, so I decided to get back to the Corniche and the beaches to enjoy the sunset. At this time, it was really busy at the Corniche (this morning it had been really quiet): lots of people were strolling there, people were making live music and children were playing at the beach. It was really nice and enjoyable to see this people having fun! I settled myself at the beach with a book and watched the sun set. A real nice experience!!!
After a while, I had a quick dinner and I got ready to go back to the airport. I had bought a day pass for one of the lounges, so I wanted to take a shower and have a quick nap before my flight to Jakarta (leaving at OMG o'clock) would leave.
More on that later!
To be continued...
#7
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: United Kingdom
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Posts: 334
#10
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,608
Wow - great report for a stopover visit. You got in some great sights in a very short time.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RTM
Posts: 130
It's been quite a while since the first part of this trip report, but because I had a lot of law school exams, it took a while to write the next part. Anyway, here it is:
Part 3: Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta
Flight 3: EY472 from AUH to CGK, 8:35hrs on a Boeing 777-300
After a long and exhausting day in Abu Dhabi (I tried -and almost managed- to visit all the important sights within 24 hours, as you can read in my previous post), I took a cab back to the airport. I first wanted to take the bus like I did on my way to get into the city, but the cabs were cheap and plentiful and since I was quite tired, I decided to do it "the easy way".
Once I got to the airport, I got out at Etihad's own terminal and printed my boarding pass at self-service check-in. (My bags went all the way through from Milan to Jakarta, so no need to drop them off).
Etihad's own terminal at AUH airport
I had bought a day pass to the Al Dhabi Lounge, so I could have a quick shower to freshen up before my flight to Jakarta. I walked towards security control and found out that my AA frequent flyer number was not stated correctly on my boarding pass, so I went back to the check in desks and asked if it could be changed. This was fixed within seconds, but then the check-in lady said: "You are aware of your flight being delayed by more than 4 hours?" Of course I wasn't, since I had not checked my e-mail for the last 30 hours or so. The nice lady advised me to go see the transfer desk to see if they could accommodate me with some food vouchers for the long layover. (I arrived at the airport early, so I ended up with having to wait almost 8 hours for my flight to leave).
I went through security and immigration and got to the transfer desk (took me a while to find it, since it is located airside on the arrivals level. If you should ever go there: make an immediate 180 degrees turn once you get through immigration and climb the stairs to the 2nd floor). There was a huge line at the transfer desk, and after 35 minutes of waiting the very kind lady helped me with my long delay. She first accommodated me with an exit seat (so I could "rest a bit during the long flight") and then she started printing my food vouchers. She took another look at my itinerary and saw that I arrived almost 20 hours before from Milan. She was shocked: "Are you waiting for more than 20 hours already? I will immediately accommodate you with a hotel for the next couple of hours!" She was very helpful and apologizing, and she gave me vouchers for a hotel, transportation and dinner. I thanked her a lot and went off to the Al Dhabi lounge to have 1 or 2 drinks (Hey, I bought a day pass for that specific date, why not use it?) before going to my hotel.
The lounge was really nice, but actually located in another terminal (which is connected airside, so that was not a problem). I had a quick snack, some juice and a glass of whiskey. There was a great buffet with a lot of self-service snacks and complete hot dishes. Non-alcoholic drinks were self-served and there was a bar (with a very friendly bartender!) with a good selection of premium spirits. I ended up with a good glass of Lagavulin 16, which is not really common in airport lounges in my opinion!
Some snacks in the Al Dhabi lounge. I'm sorry I didn't take any more pictures.
After having some snacks, I went to the Etihad transfer desk, where a nice luxury car with driver was waiting for me. Normally, this chauffeur service is available for free for First & Business Class passengers for transportation within the United Arab Emirates. The driver was astonished that young students could pay First & Business Class fares. So I told him I was not flying one of the premium classes, and that I got the transportation because of a long delay. He smiled, but did not seem to understand what I just said ! He took me to the Mafraq Hotel, which was in an industrial zone about 15 minutes from the airport.
Driving to my hotel
The Mafraq Hotel was actually really nice: it was modern and stylish with a nice swimming pool and restaurant. The staff was really helpful and friendly and after a quick dinner, I went of to sleep for a couple of hours! (I first took a good warm bath, since my feet were really hurting after a long day in Abu Dhabi). Here are some pictures of the hotel:
The lobby
After a couple of hours of quick sleep, I got a wake up call from the front desk and I got ready for my drive back to the airport. I was dropped off at the First & Business Class entrance of the airport, which was quite nice.
The flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta was quite uneventful: everybody was really tired of waiting the entire night at the airport, so most of the people were asleep during most of the flight. I had a quick breakfast, watched some movies (the IFE is really good on Etihad!) and had some sleep. By the time I woke up, we were flying over Singapore and starting our descent into Jakarta-Soekarno Hatta International Airport.
Immigration was a breeze: you pay $25,=, get a sticker in your passport and that's it. I was almost first off the plane, so no lines for me ! However, it took almost an hour for my bag to arrive! And the baggage area was a non-airconditioned chaos with pushing and yelling people. But for some reason, I actually enjoyed watching all the chaotic Indonesian families who seemed to have at least 5 suitcases, 3 fridges and 2 televisions per person as checked-in luggage.
When I finally got my bag, I took a cab to the centre of Jakarta (which -even after negotiating like crazy- was way too expensive at almost $30,=, as I would find out later). It took about 45 minutes to get to my hotel (Mercure Jakarta Kota, known by taxi drivers as Mercure Hayam Wuruk). The hotel and its location happened to be excellent! Within walking distance of the old Dutch centre of Jakarta (Batavia) and directly in front of a bus stop of the Jakarta MRT.
The lobby
View on Jakarta by night from my daybed!
After a good night of sleep (I realize I seem to sleep a lot... I guess I really needed a break from studying!) it was time to explore the city of Jakarta. More on that later!
To be continued...
Part 3: Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta
Flight 3: EY472 from AUH to CGK, 8:35hrs on a Boeing 777-300
After a long and exhausting day in Abu Dhabi (I tried -and almost managed- to visit all the important sights within 24 hours, as you can read in my previous post), I took a cab back to the airport. I first wanted to take the bus like I did on my way to get into the city, but the cabs were cheap and plentiful and since I was quite tired, I decided to do it "the easy way".
Once I got to the airport, I got out at Etihad's own terminal and printed my boarding pass at self-service check-in. (My bags went all the way through from Milan to Jakarta, so no need to drop them off).
Etihad's own terminal at AUH airport
I had bought a day pass to the Al Dhabi Lounge, so I could have a quick shower to freshen up before my flight to Jakarta. I walked towards security control and found out that my AA frequent flyer number was not stated correctly on my boarding pass, so I went back to the check in desks and asked if it could be changed. This was fixed within seconds, but then the check-in lady said: "You are aware of your flight being delayed by more than 4 hours?" Of course I wasn't, since I had not checked my e-mail for the last 30 hours or so. The nice lady advised me to go see the transfer desk to see if they could accommodate me with some food vouchers for the long layover. (I arrived at the airport early, so I ended up with having to wait almost 8 hours for my flight to leave).
I went through security and immigration and got to the transfer desk (took me a while to find it, since it is located airside on the arrivals level. If you should ever go there: make an immediate 180 degrees turn once you get through immigration and climb the stairs to the 2nd floor). There was a huge line at the transfer desk, and after 35 minutes of waiting the very kind lady helped me with my long delay. She first accommodated me with an exit seat (so I could "rest a bit during the long flight") and then she started printing my food vouchers. She took another look at my itinerary and saw that I arrived almost 20 hours before from Milan. She was shocked: "Are you waiting for more than 20 hours already? I will immediately accommodate you with a hotel for the next couple of hours!" She was very helpful and apologizing, and she gave me vouchers for a hotel, transportation and dinner. I thanked her a lot and went off to the Al Dhabi lounge to have 1 or 2 drinks (Hey, I bought a day pass for that specific date, why not use it?) before going to my hotel.
The lounge was really nice, but actually located in another terminal (which is connected airside, so that was not a problem). I had a quick snack, some juice and a glass of whiskey. There was a great buffet with a lot of self-service snacks and complete hot dishes. Non-alcoholic drinks were self-served and there was a bar (with a very friendly bartender!) with a good selection of premium spirits. I ended up with a good glass of Lagavulin 16, which is not really common in airport lounges in my opinion!
Some snacks in the Al Dhabi lounge. I'm sorry I didn't take any more pictures.
After having some snacks, I went to the Etihad transfer desk, where a nice luxury car with driver was waiting for me. Normally, this chauffeur service is available for free for First & Business Class passengers for transportation within the United Arab Emirates. The driver was astonished that young students could pay First & Business Class fares. So I told him I was not flying one of the premium classes, and that I got the transportation because of a long delay. He smiled, but did not seem to understand what I just said ! He took me to the Mafraq Hotel, which was in an industrial zone about 15 minutes from the airport.
Driving to my hotel
The Mafraq Hotel was actually really nice: it was modern and stylish with a nice swimming pool and restaurant. The staff was really helpful and friendly and after a quick dinner, I went of to sleep for a couple of hours! (I first took a good warm bath, since my feet were really hurting after a long day in Abu Dhabi). Here are some pictures of the hotel:
The lobby
After a couple of hours of quick sleep, I got a wake up call from the front desk and I got ready for my drive back to the airport. I was dropped off at the First & Business Class entrance of the airport, which was quite nice.
The flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta was quite uneventful: everybody was really tired of waiting the entire night at the airport, so most of the people were asleep during most of the flight. I had a quick breakfast, watched some movies (the IFE is really good on Etihad!) and had some sleep. By the time I woke up, we were flying over Singapore and starting our descent into Jakarta-Soekarno Hatta International Airport.
Immigration was a breeze: you pay $25,=, get a sticker in your passport and that's it. I was almost first off the plane, so no lines for me ! However, it took almost an hour for my bag to arrive! And the baggage area was a non-airconditioned chaos with pushing and yelling people. But for some reason, I actually enjoyed watching all the chaotic Indonesian families who seemed to have at least 5 suitcases, 3 fridges and 2 televisions per person as checked-in luggage.
When I finally got my bag, I took a cab to the centre of Jakarta (which -even after negotiating like crazy- was way too expensive at almost $30,=, as I would find out later). It took about 45 minutes to get to my hotel (Mercure Jakarta Kota, known by taxi drivers as Mercure Hayam Wuruk). The hotel and its location happened to be excellent! Within walking distance of the old Dutch centre of Jakarta (Batavia) and directly in front of a bus stop of the Jakarta MRT.
The lobby
View on Jakarta by night from my daybed!
After a good night of sleep (I realize I seem to sleep a lot... I guess I really needed a break from studying!) it was time to explore the city of Jakarta. More on that later!
To be continued...
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RTM
Posts: 130
Part 4: Exploring Jakarta
The next morning, I got up early and enjoyed the great and extensive breakfast buffet at my hotel. After that, I decided to walk to the old colonial centre of Jakarta, known to the Dutch as Batavia!
It was a nice walk (even though the city itself was quite busy, hot, smoggy and dirty), with a lot of "action" around the streets: a lot of vendors, thousands of scooters and motors, street artists and so on. I was amazed how many electronics stores (big and small) I passed on my walk! Especially stores specialized in sound equipment seemed to be popular. After some 30 minutes, I arrived at Fatahillah Square, a beautiful colonial square in the old centre. The old, colonial Dutch buildings were amazing (with still some Dutch phrases written on it in some cases). Here are some pictures of the square and its buildings:
The old "Gouverneurskantoor"
This one currently serves as post office
The Indonesian people happened to be very nice and chatty: I was approached several times by people who were interested in where I was from and what I was doing there. Apparently, not a lot of tourists visit those places. Everyone was really willing to tell me something about Jakarta and it's history and they gave me some great ideas of places to visit. A funny side note: a lot of people wanted to take pictures with me, because I was so "tall and white". For your info: I am a guy of average length and I considered myself pretty tanned at that moment... But of course, I obliged and a lot of people are now having my photographs !
After hanging around at the square, I visited some of its museums, which were pretty interesting! (I don't remember the exact entrance fees, but I do remember it was incredibly cheap: like $0,25 or so...). Most information was in Indonesian though, but a lot of people were willing to share some information in English!
After visiting the square, I took a cab to the current centre of Jakarta: the National Monument!
I walked around it to make some pictures and after that, I decided to go in (again, incredibly cheap). The National Museum, which is in the basement, shows a lot of diaramas of the Indonesian history. They are mainly about oppositions and risings against the Dutch, so they were really interesting to see, since most Dutch history book show the other side of the story!
After the museum, I decided to go up the National Monument for a view of the city. There was a huge line for the elevators, but the waiting area was outside the building and there was a nice breeze, so I decided to wait. After some 45 minutes, I took the elevator up (they managed to squeeze 25 people and a dog in a small elevator) and enjoyed the views of Jakarta. The city is not exactly a beautiful one as seen from above, but it was nice anyway!
The city from above. The train station on the right is Gambir Station
Looking towards the business district. Note the large entryway to the National Monument on the right
I had a great Indonesian dinner in one of the small restaurants nearby and after that, I went back to my hotel. The next morning I took a cab to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, which was suggested to me by one of the people I met the day before. That is a big park with replicas of buildings from all over Indonesia, which gave me the opportunity to see some more of Indonesia, even though I would only spend a couple of days there. The drive from my hotel to the park took more than an hour, but cost less than $10,= by cab! (That was when I figured out I paid way too much for my drive from the airport).
The park itself was beautiful and truly HUGE! There are actually a lot of smaller attractions (including a bird park and a reptile zoo) within the park and there are taxis and buses to drive you around. I decided to walk around the entire park (my feet did not like that) and it was really nice! Here are some pictures:
I also visited the bird park and reptile zoo within the park. The bird park was really nice, with lots of different birds flying around freely in big walk-through aviaries. The reptile zoo was quite small and deserted, with animals in small habitats. However, there was a really nice and big Komodo dragon. Its (his?) cage was just being cleaned and I was invited in to see the Komodo dragon up close. I could even touch him, which was quite scary, but great to do so in the end ! I wanted to share the picture of me with this prehistoric beast with you:
Crikey!
After almost the entire day in the park, I took a cab back to Jakarta and had a look in the modern city centre (lots of glass and steel skyscrapers and high-end shopping malls). I took a look in some shopping malls, and there is extensive security (almost airport-like) at the gates. Bags go through scanners, I got a pat-down 2 times and some people even had to take their shoes off. But when inside the mall, it was really nice (and airconditioned! Which I really needed after a long day in hot Jakarta!) Surprisingly, the brand stores were actually more expensive here than in The Netherlands!
A different part of Jakarta...
After visiting this modern side of Jakarta, I went back to my hotel. I went to bed early, since I was planning on taking an early train out of Jakarta to Bandung. More on that later!
To be continued...
The next morning, I got up early and enjoyed the great and extensive breakfast buffet at my hotel. After that, I decided to walk to the old colonial centre of Jakarta, known to the Dutch as Batavia!
It was a nice walk (even though the city itself was quite busy, hot, smoggy and dirty), with a lot of "action" around the streets: a lot of vendors, thousands of scooters and motors, street artists and so on. I was amazed how many electronics stores (big and small) I passed on my walk! Especially stores specialized in sound equipment seemed to be popular. After some 30 minutes, I arrived at Fatahillah Square, a beautiful colonial square in the old centre. The old, colonial Dutch buildings were amazing (with still some Dutch phrases written on it in some cases). Here are some pictures of the square and its buildings:
The old "Gouverneurskantoor"
This one currently serves as post office
The Indonesian people happened to be very nice and chatty: I was approached several times by people who were interested in where I was from and what I was doing there. Apparently, not a lot of tourists visit those places. Everyone was really willing to tell me something about Jakarta and it's history and they gave me some great ideas of places to visit. A funny side note: a lot of people wanted to take pictures with me, because I was so "tall and white". For your info: I am a guy of average length and I considered myself pretty tanned at that moment... But of course, I obliged and a lot of people are now having my photographs !
After hanging around at the square, I visited some of its museums, which were pretty interesting! (I don't remember the exact entrance fees, but I do remember it was incredibly cheap: like $0,25 or so...). Most information was in Indonesian though, but a lot of people were willing to share some information in English!
After visiting the square, I took a cab to the current centre of Jakarta: the National Monument!
I walked around it to make some pictures and after that, I decided to go in (again, incredibly cheap). The National Museum, which is in the basement, shows a lot of diaramas of the Indonesian history. They are mainly about oppositions and risings against the Dutch, so they were really interesting to see, since most Dutch history book show the other side of the story!
After the museum, I decided to go up the National Monument for a view of the city. There was a huge line for the elevators, but the waiting area was outside the building and there was a nice breeze, so I decided to wait. After some 45 minutes, I took the elevator up (they managed to squeeze 25 people and a dog in a small elevator) and enjoyed the views of Jakarta. The city is not exactly a beautiful one as seen from above, but it was nice anyway!
The city from above. The train station on the right is Gambir Station
Looking towards the business district. Note the large entryway to the National Monument on the right
I had a great Indonesian dinner in one of the small restaurants nearby and after that, I went back to my hotel. The next morning I took a cab to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, which was suggested to me by one of the people I met the day before. That is a big park with replicas of buildings from all over Indonesia, which gave me the opportunity to see some more of Indonesia, even though I would only spend a couple of days there. The drive from my hotel to the park took more than an hour, but cost less than $10,= by cab! (That was when I figured out I paid way too much for my drive from the airport).
The park itself was beautiful and truly HUGE! There are actually a lot of smaller attractions (including a bird park and a reptile zoo) within the park and there are taxis and buses to drive you around. I decided to walk around the entire park (my feet did not like that) and it was really nice! Here are some pictures:
I also visited the bird park and reptile zoo within the park. The bird park was really nice, with lots of different birds flying around freely in big walk-through aviaries. The reptile zoo was quite small and deserted, with animals in small habitats. However, there was a really nice and big Komodo dragon. Its (his?) cage was just being cleaned and I was invited in to see the Komodo dragon up close. I could even touch him, which was quite scary, but great to do so in the end ! I wanted to share the picture of me with this prehistoric beast with you:
Crikey!
After almost the entire day in the park, I took a cab back to Jakarta and had a look in the modern city centre (lots of glass and steel skyscrapers and high-end shopping malls). I took a look in some shopping malls, and there is extensive security (almost airport-like) at the gates. Bags go through scanners, I got a pat-down 2 times and some people even had to take their shoes off. But when inside the mall, it was really nice (and airconditioned! Which I really needed after a long day in hot Jakarta!) Surprisingly, the brand stores were actually more expensive here than in The Netherlands!
A different part of Jakarta...
After visiting this modern side of Jakarta, I went back to my hotel. I went to bed early, since I was planning on taking an early train out of Jakarta to Bandung. More on that later!
To be continued...
Last edited by Vlntn; Jun 15, 2012 at 4:13 am
#13
What a great report! I'm originally from Indonesia - it's fun to read the report from a visitor's perspective and get our take of my hometown.
It's funny though, I don't think I've ever been to the Batavia area, at least not to walk around...
It's funny though, I don't think I've ever been to the Batavia area, at least not to walk around...
#15
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Perth (PER)
Programs: VA Gold
Posts: 263
I'm heading to Abu Dhabi myself at the end of the year after university wraps up, great to read your experience as a younger person there (I myself am a young student at 21 years old!)
Looking forward to the return!
Looking forward to the return!