Jermyn

Thanks, I highly recommend BR. In terms of overall product they really are great.

Thanks. Look no further. The trip report is back in action!


Even better, you can take the flight from AMS and avoid UK APD

That'll happen after a glass or two

ExpatSomchai

Not sure if the Khao Pad Gai beats the Moo Ping late at night but certainly fills a hole. Great report. Kop Khun Kap

smit0847

Looking forward to the rest of this TR!

PS you're girlfriend is a babe.

Jermyn

Part 4: BKK-DPS Thai Air Business Class B772

After an all too brief stop we strolled down to the lobby of the Peninsula to check out. The process was very smooth and efficient. Our bags were taken from us and a taxi was hailed from some hidden 'feeder' location, so that we had no wait whatsoever before heading to the airport. Once again the Pen's service shone through.

The Royal Silk (business class) check-in area at BKK isn't quite as elegant as the F section. In fact it is pretty weird. There are purple parasols everywhere and small leather ottomans to sit on whilst you are checked in to your flight. Although there were plenty of counters, only one of them was staffed when we arrived.


Still, we didn't have to wait too long and were soon through fast track security and in the main Royal Silk Lounge. This was my first time in the Royal Silk Lounge as previously I've been lucky enough to have access to Royal First.

It's a bit of a weird feeling knowing that this time you're 'not good enough' for a lounge that you've previously been able to use. This must be how ageing sports stars feel Much like the F lounge, the J lounge is very long and quite thin. This gives it something of a corridor-like feel.


Still, I actually prefer this lounge to the F lounge in a lot of ways. You can serve yourself rather than waiting for somebody to come to your seat with an iPad. The buffet space has a nice open feel and the staff there were great. One staff member was very engaging, asking questions about my travels and what I thought of Bangkok, he was also super quick to clear plates and replace lids on food whenever necessary. Dare I say it, he was probably better than the F lounge crew, who tend to just gather around the F bar and chat with each other.


After investigating the TG lounge we decided to head through the terminal to see what SQ had to offer.


The overall feel of the SQ BKK J Lounge is that of an intimate club. I much prefer this to the mega-lounges that you sometimes find, heaving with people.

My favourite two things about the lounge were the view of the airport's manicured garden and....


The rest of the food and drink offerings were very solid too.


I'd always choose this lounge over the TG lounges, unless my gate was absolutely miles away. The only downside is that it has no toilets, not a huge deal but still, I overheard a few different people asking staff members and reacting in an astonished fashion when they found out that they would have to leave the lounge to use the bathroom.

After half an hour eating coconuts and Thai milk tea ice cream we headed to the gate for our flight to Bali DPS.

BKK-DPS
Thai Air - Royal Silk Class (J)
B777-200
Seat 15 J

We were the last passengers to board in J, so were able to walk straight through the Royal Silk line whilst Y was still boarding. To be honest, unless the lounge is really bad I don't see the upside to being a premium gate louse.

TG refurbished their 772s in the past couple of years and removed the middle seat from what used to be a 2-3-2 config. This is a huge improvement, paying for J and ending up in a middle seat is just not on in this day and age.

However this was not a full refurb, the middle row now uses the same size seats as the sides. The result? Ridiculously wide-aisles.

This is immediately apparent upon boarding the plane.


The seat is not the most modern out there but is perfectly acceptable for a short 4hr hop. It is angled lie-flat rather than 180 and is very similar to QF's Skybed MkI seats.


The biggest surprise of the flight was the sight of two Porsche Design Amenity kits waiting for us as we approached our seats. At this point in time there had been reports of these replacing Rimowa kits in F, so to receive one in J for a 4hr flight was great!



PDBs were offered upon boarding, with refills too. However these were served "tray style" where you take your drink from a large tray filled with glasses of water, juice and champagne. I've noticed that very few airlines still take individual PDB orders in J nowadays.

As soon as we reached cruising altitude the FAs began the first of many laps of the cabin with their drinks trolley. I'm a sucker for TGs use of trolleys for J drinks and F caviar, they are a throwback to those 60s and 70s airline ads where middle aged men in black and white pictures are being served freshly carved roasts in their giant, retro armchairs.


The meal service was a little cheap looking. Much like the seat, this was great for a 4hr flight but long haul? I wouldn't be rushing to fly with this type of F&B.


After the meal I gave the IFE a miss and went with the organic entertainment option:


I'm a total sucker for a resort airport. My absolute favourite has to be Koh Samui for its outdoor luggage claim, immigration counters and well...pretty much everything is outdoors.

DPS is way larger than USM and the terminal is air conditioned but the temple-like gates still set this apart from the average airport. Our first time ever in Bali, the excitement was really starting to build

LH4116

Very nice report! I flew EVA Air Royal Laurel Class on JFK-TPE-BKK-LHR last year and my impressions of the product were fairly similar to yours. I was fortunate enough to get the Dom Perignon, though nowadays they have began serving Krug.

Bretteee

Peninsula looks wonderful.

Did you need vaccinations for Thailand?

No stomach problems?

OMGImInPattaya

I note you didn't give up your seat to the disappointed little boy 😄

LAXJetter

Always a pleasure to read TRs from the younger half of FT.

Looking forward to your thoughts on accommodations in Bali, as I am in the early planning stages of where to stay next May

HMPS

Likewise, have a stay for seven days coming up in Bali. Probably the Marriott AC.
Looking forward to activities other than beaches.

joy16

Seemed like you missed the complimentary massage for TG J passengers.

heraclitus

I wouldn't feel too badly for the little boy... when you're 4 feet tall, every seat is J... or at least PE

BorussiaMG

Great trip report. I had a blast while reading. Thank you.

bmrisko

Thanks for sharing...I always enjoy reading your reports. Oh yea, the Conrad you two were at in your recent Instagram postings looks amazing. We've added it to our list for next year.

Jermyn

There are several distinct regions within Bali, each with their own unique topography and atmosphere.


Loosely speaking you have:


South Bali

This area includes Uluwatu (and its famous temple overrun with larcenous monkeys), Jimbaran and Nusa Dua.

Nusa Dua is a private strip of white sand upon which numerous hotels are located. You have to pass through security checkpoints to enter the area and access resorts such as the St Regis, Sofitel and Conrad. It scores approximately 0/10 in the cultural stakes but the beaches look pretty decent.

Uluwatu occupies the southernmost edge of Bali. It is home to a number of cliffside resorts such as Bvlgari , Banyan Tree and Alila Uluwatu. Whilst this offers around 4/10 in terms of cultural experiences the cliffside resorts are quite unique, with many rooms having uninterrupted ocean views which stretch as far as the eye can see. We chose to spend 2 nights in Alila Villas Uluwatu at the end of our trip. The hotel is a destination in itself and has won countless design awards. I was also very intrigued by the fact it is run by former Aman staff, with service standards reported to be of an exceptional calibre.



East Bali

Relatively off the beaten track save for Amankila and (to a lesser extent) Alila Manggis. There are numerous interesting villages to visit and you are close to some excellent hikes, including volcanoes and waterfalls. If you want to dive the Tulamben shipwreck (located in the northeast), this is a good place to stay. However, as mentioned above, the ocean views are somewhat spoiled by passing container/ cruise ships and the water can have the odd bit of garbage in it.



West Bali

Seminyak and Kuta are very close to the airport. For many young backpackers this is a place to just hang back and get totally effed up. Not the place to go if you want to experience yoga, quiet village ceremonies, a life free from chlamydia, etc.

Further up the western coast you have the very famous Tanah Lot Temple and with it a number of upmarket resorts such as the Fairmont Sanur and the Pan Pacific Nirwana.


As you continue up Western coast you will find numerous private hire villas which offer full service without the fuss of a hotel. Another Alila hotel: Alila Villas Soori, is pretty much the final large scale hotel you'll find on this side of the island.


North Bali

This area has a slightly more rugged coastline with plenty of temples, hot springs and lakes to be explored. Lovina is the most well known area here, it is the place to go for dolphin watching. At present there are no major hotels in North Bali. Your only real options are (incomprehensibly cheap) private villas or guesthouses.


Central Bali

The town of Ubud and its surroundings, dominate central Bali. This region of the island is famous for its picturesque jungle landscapes, rice terraces, yoga retreats and the numerous villages each specialising in one unique area of arts and crafts. Want a wood carving? There's a village for that. A sarong? There's a village for that. A stone head? There's a village for that. etc.

Whilst Ubud town centre has become hugely commercialised in recent times, the outlying villages offer a unique view into Balinese village life. We wanted to experience sunrise over a jungle valley, the sound of geckos chirping us to sleep and lazy afternoons enjoying cocktails poolside with no other guests to interrupt the experience.

In Ubud all of this is possible.

I'm all for collecting points for aspirational hotel stays. Some locations are best enjoyed from a hotel with a unique history or a spectacular, privileged view. The Park Hyatt Sydney immediately springs to mind.

However, I truly believe that Ubud is not such a place.

In Bali there are literally hundreds of villas with full complements of staff: cooks, cleaners, drivers, groundskeepers, all of which can be hired in their entirety for immensely reasonable sums.

Whilst Ubud has a number of very well regarded hotels - COMO Shambhala, Oberoi, Hanging Gardens, The Chedi Club and Amandari - all of these charge significantly more than our villa for a basic (albeit very tastefully decorated) hotel room with service and facilities to be shared with all of the other hotel guests.

After extensive searching we decided to begin our 5 night stay in Bali with 3 nights at Villa Shamballa.

Jermyn

Hey, as long as I'm geting Thai food delivered to my bedroom, I feel like I'm winning at life Thanks for reading!

Thanks

Almost reason enough to give them another go!

No vaccinations at all. I've been to Thailand numerous times and even lived there for 6 months. I'll be honest, it never even occurred to me to get vaccinations.

Of course, I wouldn't want to mess up the load distribution for the poor captain

I'm the younger half? Awesome! I hope my latest post is helpful. Feel free to shoot me a PM. I'm going back in October and January so feel like I have a pretty good handle on all the current hotel options on the island.

Do yourself a favour. Skip the Marriott and get a private villa with staff. A Marriott you can have anywhere on the world. The $300 private villas, available via airbnb, would cost you north of $6,000 a night in the USA.

Actually I had one, I completely forgot to report on it It was ok but a little weird to have a massage on a chair in a room full of people separated by thin curtains. It felt a bit like being in an opium den ... with airport announcements. The massage itself was good though.

Thanks!

Thanks. You'll be pleased to hear there a whole RTW for me to write before I even get to the report with the Conrad Koh Samui! Definitely make the effort to go there, it is spectacular.

True. Also, I'm pretty sure they don't load business class sodas or smiley face pasta on EVA Air. Although, if any airline was going to serve smiley face pasta, it would be EVA Air.