anak_negeri

Hello friends!

Hello friends of FlyerTalk!

Welcome to one of my reports. Firstly, as usual, please apologize my bad English and not-too-good quality photos. Please also not to be surprised if you see similar reports on other sites, as I wrote them all by myself.

Before to the main story, I will recap all my reports written here.

First Time & Last Time by Air France, Singapore-Jakarta
An Indonesian Domestic Flight with Garuda Indonesia, from Jakarta to Pekanbaru
A Short Trip to Malaysia & Singapore with KLM (B77W) and Indonesia AirAsia (A320)
Jakarta, Medan, Aceh, KL, and Malacca in 4 Days
A Journey with Jetstar and KLM + trip to Genting
Malaysia Airlines + KLM + Overland Trip to Thai Border
Another Indonesian Domestic Flight with Sriwijaya Air
5th freedom route of KLM (once again) + Malaysian overland tour

IMPORTANT NOTE

In all of my reports, the abbreviation of "KL" always refers to "Kuala Lumpur", not KLM's IATA code (except in flight numbers). Please not to be confused.

BACKGROUND STORY

Actually this trip was out of my initial itinerary.

On July 6th, I'd bought a ticket for my KL-Jakarta flight in July 27th, as you would get cheapest price for only around IDR 500,000 (USD 37.00) if you buy the ticket at least 21 days before your trip.

After buying that ticket, I've planned to go to Pontianak, then do an overland journey to Kuching (Sarawak) and fly from Kuching to KL.

But before buying other tickets for my planned itinerary, a bad news came. My final test was "re-scheduled" from July 19th to July 26th. Hearing that news, I was almost to faint. I didn't know what I have to do.

But then I still decided to go to KL, as I had to buy an important book there (only available in Malaysia). It was also better than losing your KLM flight.

The test was at night, and it was scheduled to finish at 8.30 p.m. So? I did not have any other choice but the midnight flight from Jakarta to KL by Malaysian AirAsia (AK) which was scheduled to depart at 1.30 a.m. The ticket costed around IDR 350,000 (USD 26.00), including seat selection. I didn't buy any pre-booked meals, as I chose to sleep during the flight.

PARTS OF THE STORY

Part 1: Jakarta - Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia (AK 383), Airbus A320
Part 2: Kuala Lumpur in Half Day
Part 3: Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta by KLM (KL 809), Boeing 777-300ER

anak_negeri

Part 1: Jakarta - Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia (AK 383), Airbus A320

After finishing the test at my college, not too far from Gambir Railway Station, I walked to the railway station to catch an express bus to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. It was operated by DAMRI, a government-owned transport company.







The traffic to the airport was good, without any jam.





Entering the airport area. The express buses to the airport always go to the Terminal 3 first, then to the Terminal 1 and finally Terminal 2.



Terminal 1 (domestic terminal) dominated by Indonesia's largest airline, Lion Air.





Reaching Terminal 2.







Some international airlines, especially Skyteam members, had moved to the new Terminal 3. KLM, my favorite European carrier, will also move there soon.





The flight timetable.


I reached the airport at 9.30 p.m. while my flight was scheduled to depart at 1.30 a.m. There were still 3.5 hours before boarding. I decided to spend my time at A&W Restaurant and have a glass of root bear topped with floating ice cream. The drink was A&W's signature. The airport's A&W is operating 24 hours and equipped with power plugs.





After drinking the root beer and re-charging my cellphone, I left the restaurant and entered the check-in counters.







AirAsia's counter, filled with passengers making a queue to check-in for this midnight flight. The flight was suitable for passengers continuing their journey by AirAsia X to Korea and Japan that left KL in the morning.





But I did not join the queue, as I had done the online check-in. I just had to print my boarding pass on the self-check-in computer.





Then I proceed straightly to the airside, after having my passport stamped at the immigration counter. There were still 1.30 hours, and I decided to see some sights at terminal 2D. More carriers are operating in this terminal.











Time to enter the boarding gate.







From the gate I could see a 767 of Japan Airlines, waiting for its return to Tokyo (Narita) in the morning. The morning flight from Jakarta to Narita was suitable for transit flights to USA, as Japan Airlines has codeshare flights with American Airlines.





There was also a 787 of ANA. It would also leave Jakarta in the morning.



Then the AirAsia plane arrived. It was painted in special livery. I would take the "better" picture later in KL.





Time for boarding.





I proceed straightly to my seat.



While waiting for boarding process completed, I checked all stuffs inside the seat pocket.







AirAsia Group's flight routes. Recently they launched the new route from KL to Honolulu through Osaka-Kansai.


"Santan" (Malay/Indonesian word for "coconut milk") inflight meals menu and duty free shopping catalogue on the same book.






Boarding process was completed at 1.30 a.m. (UTC+7), and 2 seats beside me were vacant. Thanks God, I could sleep better.

Cabin crew then started the safety instructions as usual, while the plane was proceeding to the runway.

Some shots outside the window before take-off.




Then the plane started to fly.





Seatbelt sign was turned off, and I could move freely. I then checked the toilet. Very clean.



Cabin situation.


Back to my seat, I explored the IFE web portal which could be accessed by our own cellphones through the Wi-fi network. Internet service was also available, but of course, it was very expensive and quite useless for this short flight.






Here you can also order your foods.












Games.


In-flight shopping could also be done through the portal.


And this is what happened when there is any announcement.


Then I adjusted the most comfortable position for me to sleep.

About an hour and some minutes later, the plane's speaker woke me up, reminding us to prepare for landing.

Then the plane landed safely in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 4.20 a.m. (UTC+8).



Entering the KLIA2 terminal building. The KLIA2 was dedicated for LCCs.





Final shots of the aircraft. Its registration code was 9M-AHE, painted in special livery promoting "Honghe Nativeland", a tourist sight in Yunnan, China.



Most of AK 383 passengers continued their flights to other cities, especially to Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and Korea.

How about me? My final destination was KL, so I proceed to the immigration counters and baggage belts.





The sights outside, dominated by AirAsia.


Baggage belt.


Adjacent to the KLIA2 was a shopping mall named "Gateway @klia2". As it was 04.30 a.m., majority of shops and kiosks were closed.



I then decided to spend my time before sunrise at the mall's foodcourt with a glass of "Teh Tarik", a popular Malaysian milk tea.





Here I checked the position of KLM plane which would bring me home. I was very glad that I would get one of its newest aircraft, PH-BVR (Gunung Mulu National Park).


OK, let's continue to the next part.

anak_negeri

Part 2: Kuala Lumpur in Half Day

It was 6.00 a.m. I bought the ticket for express bus from KLIA2 to KL Sentral, KL's main transport hub.











Entering KL city area, we faced some traffic jams, as it was commuting time to work.



Passing the Brickfields area, KL's "Little India".





Arriving at KL Sentral.



From here, I took an LRT train to Dang Wangi Station. What for? I got an information in the internet that there was a good place for breakfast close to it.







Crowded train.





Reaching the place to have my breakfast, "Warung Pak Hassan". I ordered a plate of "Nasi Lemak", a fragrant rice dish which was very popular in Malaysia and some places in western Indonesia. The dish was delicious. But the best thing was the cashier "makcik" (auntie). She was very kind and friendly.





The "Warung Pak Hassan" was located in Kampung Baru (literally means "New Village"). It was perhaps the only original Malay village left in modern KL, surrounded by KL's skyscrapers.





And this picture was "very KL". KL Tower and KL Monorail.


Then I walked to the Petronas Twin Towers, my main destination. What for? Well, I have written in the beginning that I had a book to buy, and one of the bookstore selling the book was in Suria KLCC, a shopping center located on Petronas Twin Towers' ground floors.

Petronas Twin Towers, KL's icon. They were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, before the opening of Taipei 101.



Behind the tower was a garden with a lake on its center.


Suria KLCC shopping center.




Kinokuniya bookstore, a Japanese-based bookstore. It has some branches in Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Here I bought my desired book.



From the twin towers, I walked to Bukit Bintang area through the recently-built pedestrian bridge.







And this was my other purpose to visit KL: trying its newest public transport mode, the MRT. The complete route from Sungai Buloh to Kajang was launched in July 17th. Before that, from Sungai Buloh the train finished its journey in Semantan, and you still needed to take other transport to KL's city core.

Bukit Bintang MRT Station.






The ticket (token).








Arriving in Muzium Negara (national museum) MRT Station, connected to KL Sentral by a very long walk.




Here I had my lunch. I ordered a bowl of "bee hoon" (rice vermicelli). Unfortunately the taste was not too good, but enough to fill your stomach.



From KL Sentral, I took an express bus to KLIA to catch my flight back to Jakarta.



Passing the beautiful Kuala Lumpur (old) Railway Station. This was KL's main train station before the opening of KL Sentral, but today the high-speed ETS trains and commuter trains still stops at the old station.



Malaysian Royal Museum. This was the King's palace before moving to the new palace located in Bukit Damansara.


Sungai Besi Airfield.


The bus arrived in KLIA at around 2.00 p.m.




OK, let's continue to the next part.

anak_negeri

Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta by KLM (KL 809), Boeing 777-300ER

From the airport's bus terminal, I walked to the departure area.

Whose car is this?


Flight radar.


Check-in counters.








KLM's counter.




Here I got the powerful card.


From the check-in counter, I proceed directly to the immigration counter


To reach our boarding gate located in the satellite terminal, we had to take the aerotrain.








Reaching the satellite terminal.










There were still 1 hour and 20 minutes before boarding. I decided to see some sights outside the window.

A 787 of Saudia.


Eva Air.


Mahan Air. A rare sight.


Srilankan.


Malaysia Airlines' airbus duo.


Then I watched the KLM plane arrived after a long journey from Amsterdam.




The boarding time was so close. I proceed to the boarding gate. Here we faced a strict security check. Even shoes or sandals had to be put off.




The KLM plane ready to continue its journey to Jakarta. Its registration code was PH-BVR and titled "Gunung Mulu National Park", a nature park located in Sarawak, Malaysian part of Borneo Island. The plane was delivered in mid-2016.




Then I saw the Eva Air pushed back before flying to Taipei. What a great moment.


The gate's waiting room.


The boarding started at 3.50 p.m.








Entering the plane, we were greeted by senior cabin crews. As usual, firstly we entered the business class area. I wondered when I will be allowed to sit here.


Economy Class.








Power plugs were available at the bottom side of the seats.


While waiting for boarding process completed, the IFE could be explored. It had great collections of movies, TV serials, and musics from all over the world.











Even as an European airlines, KLM's IFE also had a great collection of Asian musics.




In-flight games. Here you can see 2 of my favorite games, "Bejeweled" and "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", that I usually played on my PC.


You can also connect your own flash drive to the IFE throught the USB slot.


You can even buy your desired items here.




Boarding completed. All passengers had embarked the plane. Beside me was an European guy (I didn't know where he came from). Majority of the passengers were Indonesian and European. There were also Malaysian passengers. Close to me was a family (a couple and their 3 children) speaking Spanish, but I'm not sure whether they came from Spain or Latin America. There was also an Australian family with connecting flight by Garuda Indonesia to Sydney.

Then the IFE started to show the safety instructions video.











Unfortunately, as my seat was located on the aisle side, I could not see the sights outside the window before take-off.

The plane started to fly smoothly at 4.20 p.m (UTC+8). The weather looked bright and nice.

After the seat belt sign turned off, I checked the toilet.


Cabin situation.


Back to my seat. Cabin crews started to distribute the headphone. Don't expect the high audio quality of it.




As usual, I did not forget to check the stuffs inside the seat pocket.






"Holland Herald" magazine (I forgot to take the pic of its cover).










The book I bought in KL's Kinokuniya. It was a biography of Hannah Yeoh, a Malaysian politician that was current Selangor's parliament speaker. She's a devout Christian, and as a Christian I want to know how she can live in a country where Islam is its official religion.


Then the cabin crews started to distribute our meals and drinks. Nothing special, only a "Pie Vege Risoles" (as an ex-Dutch territory, we Indonesians have been familiar with "risoles") and a cup of drink.






After enjoying the meal and drink, I continued exploring the IFE.














There was still an hour before landing. I chose to read the books and magazines available on board while listening to musics from the IFE.

Finally the plane landed safely and smoothly in Jakarta's international airport at 5.25 p.m. (UTC+7).

Time to leave the plane.




Economy comfort class.


Business class.


Entering the terminal building through an aerobridge.


Final shot of the plane. What a bad pic.


Close to it were 2 famous Gulf carriers: Emirates and Qatar Airways.




I proceed directly to the immigration counter and baggage belt.









From the baggage belt, I went to the airport's bus shelter to hop an express bus to Gambir Station.











OK, that's my report for this short but worthed trip. Any suggestion and feedback are appreciated. Thanks for reading.

El Regina

Besides Kampung Baru/Kampong Bharu, there are some other traditional Malay villages in KL such as Kampung Pandan, Kampung Datuk Keramat & Kampung Sungai Penchala. All these traditional Malay villages are famous among locals for their cheap and delicious Malay eateries. Dont forget to visit these places next time when you are in KL

anak_negeri

Thanks for your information. I will come to these kampongs next time. I really miss authentic Malay fooods.

michlflyer

Thank you very much for sharing.

It's always nice to read a report full of engaging human interest details. You seem to have made the best of a disappointing situation when you had to change your original plans.

The only thing I'm not sure about is how I would take to take to root beer with ice cream floating on top.

Hope you will get to Kuching soon. I was there several months ago and found it a very friendly and attractive place.

All the best for your future trips.

anak_negeri

Thanks for your comment.

There were only 2 choices:
- Go to KL on midnight and return on the same day
- Cancel my trip and let my KLM ticket blown away

I then chose the 1st choice, and I was so sure that it was a right decision.

Sorry, I don't understand this. Do you mean how to drink the the root beer? It's very easy if you use a straw.

But personally I prefer mixing the ice cream float with the root beer, creating a new flavor.

Wanna try?

Yeah, I've planned to visit Kuching maybe in October or November.

gaobest

Great TR! Hope exam went ok after a nice day in KL.

I assume that the A&W root beer float is a classic USA treat. I've enjoyed it my whole life. I went to A&W in Singapore in 1988 and then returned to an A&W in Wisconsin earlier this month. The float is still good but of course there's a lot of great root beer made in USA these days, especially available in "draft" form like beer.

OP, glad you got your book. We have that same Japanese book store in my city and other USA cities.

camsean

I think he or she means that they don't know if they would like root beer, or not.

Thanks for trip report. I always enjoy your TRs.

anak_negeri

Thanks for your comment. I'm still waiting for the result.

The root beer float has been A&W's trademark.

But in Indonesia A&W also offers fried chicken (similar to KFC), french fries, sundae, etc.

Actually Jakarta has also 3 branches of it. But KL and Singapore's Kinokuniya have more book collections.

anak_negeri

Maybe the root beer will lose its flavor.

Thansk for your comment.

michlflyer

Sorry, I didn't make the meaning of what I said clear enough.

Camsean interpreted it correctly: I wasn't sure if I would like root beer with ice cream floating on top. However, I should try it sometime and see whether it really tastes ok.

frobozzelectric

i miss KLs killer nasi kandar. nice pics.

anak_negeri

I don't know the best nasi kandar in KL, but I've tried the Pelita Nasi Kandar. Very nice.