tsastor

Yes I have the same impression of Mumbai domestic and Goa airports. Also, the Mumbai domestic terminals are separated, so I could not escape to any lounge I would have otherwise had access to. But there was a nice enough restaurant, resembling a Fridays'.

quirrow

Let's hope the new terminal in Goa solves these problems!

quirrow

Grand porch to the entrance of the resort

The drive from the airport to the Grand Hyatt Goa was a surreal experience as we passed by village houses and rows and rows of palm trees and greenery while the last of the orange glow from the sun subsided into the horizon. And then on arrival at the Grand Hyatt, you are greeted with a huge covered porch. Unlike in Bali where one can usually find other resorts around, the Grand Hyatt Goa is located at the end of a village with no other hotels or establishments around it, making it something like an enclosed resort. The slightly remote location means most guests have their meals at the resort itself.


Check-in and reception area

Upon checking in, I was assigned a suite as expected having applied my suite upgrade onto the reservation. The process was fast as I was helped with my luggage when I exited the private cab that the hotel has hired to pick me up and once I got my room key, I head towards my room. The Grand Hyatt Goa is not like many resorts and hotels where the whole compound is connected. Instead there are separate distinct 'guest houses' which houses the hotel room and suites. Reception and the hotel restaurants are located in the main guest house which features a beautiful glass-roofed atrium with a water feature in the middle of this building. I was assigned a suite in guest house no 3 which is just beside the main guest house.


Main lobby atrium in the day

Most of the guest house have varying layouts and floors while I was assigned a suite on the second floor and the suite was located at the end of the walkway. It also seems that for some guest house, the rooms are all positioned to have a sea or bay view.


Suite entrance foyer

On entering the suite, there was a beautiful foyer with a wooden screen that partitioned the foyer from the main living and dining room. In terms of floor area, this suite is probably similar to the one I had in Grand Hyatt Tokyo. The size of the whole suite is impressive. On the left side of the suite, there was also a powder room.


Grand suite living room

Inside the main living room, there was a work desk near the foyer and a four seater dining table. The only drawback is perhaps the workspace was not as large but then again no one is expected to be working in a resort unlike in Tokyo! In the dining table there was a welcome fruit platter consisting of apples, while the TV console in the living room also acts as a wall between the bedroom and the rest of the suite.


Living and dining room

There was also an espresso machine in the suite with 2 bottles of mineral water. More bottles can be found in the bathroom and bedroom. The living room furniture consists of a daybed, a 3 seater sofa and a large square coffee table.

Compared to the rest of the suite, the bedroom was quite modest in size but also features a separate flatscreen TV with a couch and ottoman in the corner that faces the TV. The bed has been positioned to face the balcony that stretches from the living room.


Suite bedroom

Thus the back of the bed lies the bathroom which was beautiful and brightly lit. There was a huge bathtub in the centre and one bathroom vanity lies on each side. The left side of the bathroom features the toilet and bidet, the latter which seems to be prominent in all Indian luxury hotels. On the right side there was a separate shower stall.


Bathtub in the suite

Amenities included in the suite were by ‘Cornelia Signature’ and it was sweet floral scent which is quite good to use and I am neutral about it which means it is not better or worse than the usual Jane Jacobs branded toiletries usually found in Grand Hyatt hotels.


Shower stall on the right

As I also mentioned earlier, there was a large balcony that faces the bay and this is perhaps the icing on the suite. Because there was a fully functional outdoor jacuzzi on the balcony which can easily fit 2 person. There was also 2 lazy chairs and a 2 seater couch by the wall.


Jacuzzi with a sea view

Being pleased with my room, I head over to the Grand Club lounge for the complimentary evening snacks and cocktails that came as perks of a Hyatt Diamond member. The Grand Club is located in guest house 7 which is on the other side of the property past the swimming pool. Amongst all the guest houses, this one is also probably the largest of the lot with a nice fountain courtyard in the middle.


Courtyard of guesthouse 7

For a relatively large property the Grand Club is actually medium sized and not too large. There was ample seating for the guests that evening but if the property is full, finding seats might be a problem. The Grand Club also has its own reception as well as a TV lounge.


Grand Club lounge

The food served in the lounge was actually quite substantial. There was the usual papadums with chutneys, some small cocktail appetizers like parma ham with melon as well as a good fruits and desserts selection. There was also a salad bar and an extensive bar fridge with wines and beers served during this time. In addition, guests could also order some hot tapas from the a-la-carte menu. Basically I was quite full after having 2 servings of calamari and shrimps (due to a case of double order) plus all the other assorted snacks. The staff at this Grand Club lounge is also fantastic and provides very attentive service such as offering guests drinks and beverages as well as taking food orders enthusiastically. They also reminded guests before they cleared the buffet counter so that guests could go for their last bites.


Papadum with chutneys and other snacks

The Grand Hyatt Goa is a luxury resort and it has the amenities to match. From buggy service between the guest house to a wonderful swimming pool, the resort feel tranquil and yet accessible. This could be due to how the guest houses are spread out and thus ensuring much peace for guests. The swimming pool in the day pumps out popular music that adds a certain vibe while not being too loud as I still noticed some guests having no problem reading with the background music.


Full moon over the Grand Hyatt


Poolside loungers

While in Goa, the main attraction is perhaps the beach. Though the Grand Hyatt Goa has a beach, it is not really meant for swimming in. Guests would do well swimming in the main pool which is large and beautiful. However the beach is nice to stroll in with soft shimmering sand that has a sparkling texture in the sunlight. Somehow it looks different compared to beaches elsewhere. Between the beaches and the guest house 7, there was also a small ruin which adds some heritage flavour. If I am correct, the guest houses are also built with architectural influences based on the colonial era.


Palm grove with a bay view


Shimmering sands of Bambolim beach

In addition to the facilities, the hotel does have several restaurants to dine in, though they does not seem to provide as much variety as the Grand Hyatt Mumbai. The main all-day dining venue is 'The Dining Room' in the east wing of the main building while the west wing houses an Indian restaurant called 'Chulha' and a fine dining restaurant called 'The Verandah'. For Hyatt Diamond members, they could have breakfast at The Dining Room or at the Grand Club lounge, and I had it at the former since there was more selection and I got to be seated at the outdoor patio facing the pool.


The Dining Room during breakfast


Preparing dosa for breakfast

Similar to the other hotels, there was the usual made-to-order dosas, egg stations, a huge selection of Danish pastries, salads and fruits. Probably one of the best breakfast served in the Hyatt properties I visited thus far. The hotel also served one of the tastiest dosa I had during my trip so this was another plus! Perhaps the ambience during breakfast mattered since I had a nice cool sea breeze, plenty of sunshine with the blue skies and the serenity of the resort in the morning.


Breakfast of dosa

For my stay in Goa, I visited 2 different properties and I was glad I did because I enjoyed both the Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt Goa. They do cater to different needs and really depends on what guests are looking for. Since I had suites for both stays, I had more or less similar sized rooms so that makes for a good comparison. Both stays were also at the end of my India trip where I wanted to just relax in the resort and just enjoy their facilities.


Guest house 7 in the morning

I would say the Grand Hyatt feels more like a luxury hotel but it has a generic-feel since the pool design and furnitures are similar to some other Hyatt properties in design. Neither does it have a real beach but it was tranquil and has an upscale atmosphere. In my next post I would compare it to the Park Hyatt Goa which would provide potential visitors to Goa a better perspective on the resort they would like to visit. If the question was would I visit the Grand Hyatt Goa again, I would answer definitely since I do enjoy this visit and the staff at the resort has been fantastic and perhaps the best since my visit to the Fairmont Jaipur.


Reflection on the water feature

quirrow

Both the Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt Goa provides me complimentary transfers to and from the airport. The Grand Hyatt transfers were due to staying in a suite with club access while the Park Hyatt transfers were from booking a special package that includes 5,000 Rupees worth of credit for spa and dining in the resort. Thus when I checked in at the Grand Hyatt, I mentioned that I would be needing transfer to the Park Hyatt, and somehow the 2 hotels arranged it for me to get the transfer on the day I checked out at around 2pm. It was a lazy afternoon drive to the Park Hyatt which was about 40 minutes away by car and I had a private car transfer which was very much appreciated.


Lobby lounge

The arrival at the Park Hyatt showed a different hotel that was older. Now if many of you do not yet know, Park Hyatt is reserved for smaller properties and is considered the creme-de-la-creme of Hyatt's house of brands. And I am a huge fan of their hotels and resorts having stayed at their properties in the Maldives, Melbourne, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul. In fact the Park Hyatt Goa was one of the resorts I was looking forward to. The room rates in both the Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt Goa was actually quite similar around (12,000 Rupees for a standard room) and the Park Hyatt will turn out to be more value-for-money when you consider the 5,000 Rupees credit.


Main resort building

The resort in the Park Hyatt seems more popular as it was more crowded during the day I stayed there. One of the host welcomed me to the resort and directed me to a seating area facing the water feature and the pool while she handed me a cold towel and a fresh young coconut as she takes my credit card and passport to conduct the check-in process. Since I had the transfer from the hotel car, most of the procedures were probably completed but with a seat that made me comfortable, a nice view and a wonderful coconut drink, I was in no hurry to get to my room just yet.


Fresh towel and coconut drink

With the check-in completed, the host escorted me to the suite while explaining the layout of the resort and provided me a map of the resort with the key holder. She further mentioned my suite will face a lagoon and I was actually expecting another ocean view suite. Apparently suite upgrades will only get Diamond guests suites facing the lagoon and not ocean view suites since those are a different layout and a higher category I believe. It turns out that did not matter at all as I will explain later.


Main resort building

The rooms in this resort is even more spread out than that in the Grand Hyatt Goa. The layout of the rooms here were more like chalets, as in several small buildings are located around the huge hotel compound with each building housing around 8-12 units of rooms and suites. My suite is located on the second floor of one of the buildings about 3 minutes walk from the lobby. This layout is meant to create a village-like atmosphere with a decorative water lagoon meandering around a landscaped garden.


Reflection of the lodges

Inside the suite was a large spacious living space with a powder room just beside the entrance. The living room has a two-seater sofa and 2 armchairs with one ottoman leg rest. On the corner beside the TV console lies the ornate and large work desk with 2 chairs. The living room also has a large cabinet which houses the minibar and safe.


Living room in the suite


View from the work desk

A narrow archway leads guests from the living space to the bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom lies on the right and is furnished with another TV cabinet, a dressing table, a sofa and a King-sized bed.


Bedroom with dressing table

The bathroom on the left side has an interesting layout as the first section when entering is the toilet and bidet again, as found in most of the hotels I have visited in India. Then guests will find a long alleyway with a wardrobe and luggage storage on one side and a double sink bathroom vanity counter on the other side of the wall. The highlight of the bathroom is the sunken bath in the corner with louvred windows that open out to the lagoon.


Bathroom vanity


Sunken bath

Having the Park Suite on the second floor also meant more privacy though it can be a hassle bringing your luggage up the stairs. It was fortunate there was bellboys helping me with the luggage though. Another feature I liked was the wrap-around balcony that links the bedroom to the living room of the suite, providing great views of the lagoon. There was some lounge and dining chairs on the balcony along with towel racks that would come in handy to dry my swim gear.


Balcony in the suite

The only hiccup I had in this resort was the very fixed timing they had for laundry services and they could not process the laundry within a day (dropping off in the afternoon and getting it back by the morning). With the spa and dining credit, I made a reservation for a spa appointment in the evening before dinner time and also ordered room service in the room as I was feeling somewhat hungry. I ordered grilled prawns and it was huge and delicious which satisfied me somewhat before I took a walk around the resort.


Grilled Goan prawns

Even though the Park Hyatt was an older resort, it has a village charm to the whole place. There was a lot of beautiful sceneries around the garden and somehow the resort feels more inter-connected due to the covered bridges that links some parts of the resorts. I spent the afternoon walking around the huge palm tree grove that lies between the resort and the beach. This was actually one reason why the ocean view would not make much difference since the extent of the palm grove created a barrier between the resort and the beach.


Sunset at the palm grove


The palm grove between the resort and the beach

Arossim beach fronting the Park Hyatt is a real beach destination and there are 3 huge cabanas by the beach along with a row of beach chairs managed by the resort. There was also some beach shacks operating around the beach with some water-sports centre that provides paragliding activities. The sunset in the beach is definitely memorable and marks a high of my visit to Goa.


Arossim beach


Sunset by the beach

Guests would also want to enjoy the sunset from the poolside which is another beautiful area as the pool is comprised of 2 level and is a true resort pool with water slides and a jacuzzi and hot tub corner. There was also ample deck chairs by the poolside. Some of the accommodations in the resort are located around the pool, so do highlight that if it is important. The pool also seems to be very family friendly with the resort being popular amongst families, and that means the ambience is not as serene compared to the pool in the Grand Hyatt.


Sunset by the pool

Another venue to enjoy the evening would be the village courtyard where nightly entertainments were held during dinner time. After my relaxing spa session at the Sereno spa, I had dinner here and the dining concept was smart. Since all the restaurants in the hotel are located around the village, diners could be seated anywhere around the fountain courtyard or in the individual restaurants and order from any one of the restaurants. Guests are provided with the menus of all the restaurants and there was a lot of selection. Definitely a great concept for large groups and families since different members could want different cuisines.


Fountain courtyard at night


All the menus at the Park Hyatt

For dinner I picked the Prawn curry again since I did not have a great experience with the pomfret curry in Mumbai. Compared to the prawns served during my room service, this one was quite small and not as tasty. Thankfully they do serve a decent garlic naan. It could be I do prefer North Indian cuisine after all which seems to have a richer curry flavour.

Goan prawn curry with garlic naan

Breakfast was included for me and I had it at the Village Cafe which is essentially in the same courtyard where I had dinner. Selections during breakfast was kind of similar to the Grand Hyatt in terms of variety with the usual continental selections of cold cuts, pastries and cereals along with eggs and bacon. Though there was also roast meat available along with parathas, puris and Indian desserts. This was definitely another breakfast feast and does not lose out to the Grand Hyatt Goa. For drinks the resort also offers Masala Chai in addition to the usual coffee and tea.


Indian breakfast at Village Cafe

During my stay, I also had a massage at the Sereno spa since I had the hotel credit, though that 5,000 Rupees probably only went to pay for my spa and the room service since the spa costs around 4,000 Rupees for a 75 minute treatment. The therapist was excellent and the resort has a very relaxing spa ambience with individual treatment rooms. The spa consultant would come by and make recommendations on the various spa treatments based on individual guests' needs and preferences and I do think she made a good recommendation for me. Though without the spa credit, it is not one of the spas I would consider visiting since it was not the best massage I had.

Another feature I liked about this resort was the DVD rental list provided in the room, and I was able to get some DVDs for entertainment at night in the room. However the only DVD player was in the bedroom which is connected to the smaller TV. It was simple enough to move it to the living room which has a larger TV screen.


Reflection of the resort

On the last day when I checked out, I had to arrange with the hotel for the complimentary transfer to the hotel. In addition, I had also asked for a postcard of the hotel since Park Hyatt gives out these awesome black & white postcards which I collect. This took some time for the front desk agent to pass to me but fortunately I did not miss the transfer since it was a scheduled transfer by bus. There would only be one other passenger and myself during the transfer and the journey took probably 30 minutes as the bus needed to go uphill on some one-way street which means it could take longer during busy travel season due to the need to give way on some of the narrow village roads.


Reception lobby

Comparing the Park with the Grand Hyatt, I liked both properties but I would give a slight nod to the Park because of the slightly more intimate service by the host, the DVD rental service in the rooms and the beach which I think is what visiting Goa is all about. Though if the Grand Hyatt was cheaper and one does not head to the beach at all, that would be my choice.

tsastor

Thanks again for your trip report that brings back great memories. I visited Arossim beach in November 2012 and since tourist season hadn't really started, it felt like I had around 1 km of the beach for myself!

ozziegumby

wow - simply stunning pictures....loving this amazing trip report and picture quality

offerendum

It`s a dream, but this country won`t see me till they have it in order.

Thunderroad

Beautiful shots. Thanks for posting them.

quirrow

The beach was quite busy when I arrived but there was still lots of lounge chairs to savour the sunset.

Thank you ozziegumby!

It is true that the country has a lot of things to fix though I am not sure if they would be able to have it in order anytime soon...

Thank you Thunderroad!

quirrow

6E332 Goa Dabolim GOI - Delhi Indira Gandhi DEL
STD-STA: 1500-1730
Actual: 1534-1803
Airbus A320-200 VT-IFR
Gate 2C Seat 1B

Initially I was scheduled to fly on Jet Airways back to Delhi where I would catch an international flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Jet Airways flight was scheduled to fly via Mumbai and I found out the flight I was on was delayed and I managed to get on the earlier flight by calling the Jet Airways counter that would still let me make the connecting flight from Mumbai, scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 1835 with enough time for my international flight departing at 2125. So I was dropped off by the shuttle between the international and domestic terminal, but not knowing which terminal is which, I just head to one direction and turns out it was wrong. Anyway Air India does use the international terminal in Goa, while all other airlines uses the domestic terminal.


JetKonnect Boeing 737 at Goa

Passengers need to show their tickets before entering the terminal and there was different security screening for different flights, so the queue can get quite long since afternoon is a busy period for flights out of Goa. Flights to North India was a mess that day due to fog or so according to Jet Airways, whose flights to Mumbai are all delayed.

With a connection to Delhi, I had to cancel and buy another ticket on IndiGo where one of the staff actually helped me find a seat on. The service by Jet Airways staff was commendable at first but he had to leave me halfway as he had to return to his desk which is a busy period for Goa airport. So after purchasing my ticket, I needed to get the refund for my Jet Airways ticket but somehow the system is taking a long time and I am approaching the time cut off for check-in for the IndiGo flight. This meant I had to make the refund in Delhi instead. Again, I was forced to re-join the queue which is much longer now and the security screening was also very long for the IndiGo flight.

During the check-in, I was fortunate to meet another solo traveller who actually paid for my 'upgrade' to the bulkhead seats. But being a low cost carrier, it also meant I needed to pay for my checked luggage. After getting my boarding pass, I now had to rejoin the super long queue for another security screening to enter the departure hall. There was a Korean family with 2 kids behind me that was also quite frustrated with how the airport functions but I think they still made it in time.


IndiGo boarding pass

Fortunately I got past the chaos and into the terminal which is no better as it was noisy with really nothing else to do but wait. The saving grace was that I could see the tarmac from the second floor of the waiting hall which IndiGo uses. Oh and to get to the second floor, there was only the elevators as the escalators are not working. Goa really needs the new airport terminal fast!


Security queue and yes it was a ‘snaking’ queue

As it got close to boarding time, I was getting impatient to board, partly due to the anxiety and wondering if the IndiGo flight will even depart on time. Anyway the boarding was slightly delayed but at least there was some sense of order and queue. Amongst the other Indian airlines, IndiGo perhaps stand out with the way they used new buses that have lower platforms making it easier to get on board with luggage. Another surprise awaited when I arrived in front of the plane. Passengers seated in the front could get onboard via this ramp which allow cabin baggage to be carried up with ease. Now all airlines should have these in place especially if they frequently need to do remote stand embarkation and disembarkation!


Boarding the IndiGo way


IndiGo Airbus A320

Once onboard, I was also pleasantly surprised with the well-maintained cabin that sparkles in comparison to the cabin onboard Air India or Jet Airways. This really got me excited as I thought to myself what a blessing in disguise this whole turn of events has been. Well I guess this far in my trip, IndiGo seems to perform better than either 9W or AI.


Bulkhead cabin seats

The blue theme of the airline is carried onto the cabin and it reminds me of Jet Blue in the United States. IndiGo operates an all-economy class seating though charges extra for preferred seats and it also features transparent plastic divider on the bulkhead which 'opens' out the cabin a bit. Boarding took some time as there was a break in between the buses arriving to drop off passengers. I took this chance to take photos from the still relatively empty cabin.


Another IndiGo A320 at Goa

With the boarding process completed, the tone of the flight set by the crew was a stark difference from Air India or JetKonnect. The crew seems more upbeat about the flight and definitely lifted our spirits along during take-off. The seats in the Airbus A320 fleet were slightly less comfortable though due to the thin seat back materials but the whole cabin experience and legroom was a vast improvement over other Indian airlines. Even though I was in the middle seat, it was still the best domestic flight I had in India!

My newly-made friend came onboard later as he had lounge access from his credit cards and thus boarded much later. Originally seated across the aisle from me, he was able to change seats with my original seat-mate and thus we just started chatting the flight away. Turns out he was in Goa for business the whole week and is heading back to Delhi where he lives. When I mentioned Bangkok would be my next destination, I learned more since he is a frequent visitor to Bangkok and the city is also a favourite destination amongst many Indians as I had recently read in a magazine at the Park Hyatt.


Inflight magazine onboard IndiGo

Having a seat mate as a conversation partner made the flight seems faster and about half an hour after take-off, the crew offered buy-on-board snacks and beverages. My seat-mate got some sandwiches while I bought a Masala flavoured potato stick snack that I shared with my seat mate. However as I was not even hungry, I did not finish it at all, even if I did enjoy the snack. I also got myself some water from the crew which they serve complimentary to passengers.


IndiGo masala potato stick

After offering the inflight meal service to passengers, the cabin crew came around to conduct duty free retail, and the items being sold could actually be seen from the Hello 6E inflight magazine. I was originally interested to purchase an IndiGo t-shirt as a memento of this flight but the airline was not able to accept any credit card as payment and thus I had to abandon that plan.


Addicteed - IndiGo t-shirt I was keen to purchase

Anyway during the flight my seat-mate did not pay the server for the buy-on-board as his wallet was left in his bag on the overhead compartment but he did so after the completion and service and it seems the cabin crew was fine with that. I had some short rest during the flight as I knew I had a long night ahead and before long it was already sunset and the captain announced out descent into foggy Delhi.


Sunset view from the flight

Disembarking at Delhi, there was the ramp once again which made IndiGo such a great airline to fly within India but the funny thing was the bureaucracy was at work again. We disembarked right outside the terminal door, but passengers were directed to take the bus which had to drive some distance, made a U-turn and drop us off at a few steps from where we started. The whole thing just left me wordless on what to say...

Inside the terminal, it was just left to waiting for my luggage which once again took some time. It seems the domestic terminal is less efficient than the international terminal. Even though my IndiGo flight arrived late, it still arrived earlier than my scheduled flight and definitely earlier than my much-delayed flight. So I still had time to just take the free shuttle bus to the International Terminal after collecting my luggage. However, the bus just did not come even after waiting for around 20-30 minutes. There was no timetable of the schedule and just a lot of touts around the waiting area that just irks me a little bit such that I made my decision to take a cab to the new International Terminal.


Delhi domestic airport terminal

Now comes the interesting part, it was originally stated the taxi fare would be around 300 Rupees or so, and that was more or less what I had left since I was on the tail end of my Indian trip and I did not have much cash left on me. The taxi should have switched the meter but my driver said his meter was faulty and wanted to ask for the additional airport parking fee. Somehow I insisted on just 300 Rupees and not a single more as I think it was a good rate for a 5 minute drive. The whole incident just left a bad impression of India on me as I believe in sticking to a price negotiated and not give extra surprises to passengers. The whole infrastructure problem even with such a nice international airport seems like a half-hearted effort that just spoils my day. Practically the flight with IndiGo was the only high point of my day so far and I was hoping that the flight on Malaysia Airlines might be a new high.

tsastor

Yes quirrow, I agree IndiGo is the most professional appearing airline of India by far. I also remember paying a small fee for priority check-in in Mumbai.

I think I'm lucky not having to change terminals in Delhi. Either the domestic leg has left from the international arrivals terminal or I have had an overnight in Delhi.

Spymon

Thanks for the report which I have enjoyed during my own trip to India, particularly the places I have not managed to visit during myself. Your photography is once again fantastic. I was about to agree with you about IndiGo being the best of the domestic carriers until our final segment on Jet in what looked like a brand new 737 which was as good a short haul flight as I can remember.

Jimgotkp

Another fantastic report by quirrow. I hope you keep traveling OP, I really enjoy your reports and pictures!

quirrow

Changing terminals in Delhi is not the most pleasant experience ever, and you are lucky indeed not to have to experience that tsastor! There seems to be a growth of new hotels around DEL airport including a Holiday Inn probably for the numerous mis-connect pax seeking lodging at the last minute...

Thanks for your comment Spymon, would be great if you did a report on that Jet Airways flight! The thing about Jet and AI that I experienced is inconsistency in their ops, kind of like you never know what you're gonna get. And they do not even have direct flights between GOI and DEL. Furthermore both I think are more prone to delays which can really disrupt travel plans. Thus on the overall I find IndiGo to be more reliable, and would still be my choice if I ever need to travel within India again.

Thank you Jimgotkp! I hope I can still continue to travel as much as I did! But most probably the coming year is not really going to happen due to some other commitments. Most of my travels in the coming year will be quite boring I think but we shall see...

quirrow

MH191 Delhi Indira Gandhi DEL - Kuala Lumpur International KUL
STD-STA: 2125-0515
Actual: 2213-0523
Airbus A330-300 9M-MTG
Gate 1 Seat 2K

Transferring from the domestic terminal did not take too long though there was a slight traffic hold up in one of the junction which according to my driver was due to some VIP needing to use the road. I also noticed the shuttle buses from the airport being held up here which might explain the delay in the shuttle.


International terminal at Delhi

Check in at the Malaysia Airlines counter was with a pleasant agent and the encounter was very nice after a series of incidents and delays. So I thought my luck had changed for the better! The agent thought I was some journalist or something with my DSLR camera and yeah while a job at Nat Geo might be cool, I am just doing photography as a hobby.


Malaysia Airlines check-in

What I liked about Delhi airport is that First and Business class passengers get dedicated immigration and security lanes which was relatively empty while long queues abound in the normal lanes. Thus security was a breeze compared to what I experienced in Mumbai days ago.


Skoda car and Hublot watch advertisement

The international terminal was designed more or less similar to the new domestic terminal used by Air India and Jet Airways and forces passengers to route through a duty free like in London Heathrow and Sydney's airport. Beyond that space there was a large waiting atrium with shops and a food court on the second floor. The airline lounges were also located on the second floor and Malaysia uses the airport lounge that was managed by ITC Hotels.


Entrance to the ITC Green lounge

Having been impressed by ITC hotels, I was hoping some good catering in the lounge but sadly it was just more of the normal lounge quality food. There was some hot samosas and puffs along with a variety of other hot dishes that I managed to nibble on for a light dinner.


Buffet counter in the lounge

The lounge was moderately busy but there was enough seats for guests and a more private workspace in the centre. To use the wifi in the lounge, guests need to ask for the password and user name but it was a very inconvenient way to access the wifi as it took some time. I would not say the wifi is very good either for streaming videos but should be good enough for social networking, checking emails and surfing sites.


Workspace area in the lounge

Since the lounge was not very enjoyable, I decided to leave earlier as I realized I forgot to request for a refund for my Jet Airways flight. I searched in vain for a Jet Airways service counter on the airside of the terminal but did not manage to find one and thus head back to the gate where my Malaysia Airlines flight was due to depart from. When I arrived, the crew was just preparing to board the plane and it was probably another 10-15 minutes before they started boarding for the disabled, family with kids and the elderly.


Malaysia Airlines crew boarding the flight

What irks me was that even with the segregated Business and Economy line up, the airport agent would not even allow boarding for premium passengers 10 minutes after the initial boarding of needy passengers. Not even with me requesting for an earlier boarding and showing her my boarding pass. I believe it was a rule by the Indian airport staff. Again something that I just cannot fathom since the airport ground staff at Singapore Changi Airport was just so pleasant to deal with. This might sound like first world problems but when I was already frustrated with the delays and incidents earlier on and having to stand at the queue for 15+ minutes, I just was not in the mood to take such bureaucratic nonsense.

Once I boarded the flight, I got around to take photos of the Business class cabin which was still empty fortunately but as my photos show, the cabin crew was just not attentive or in the mood at all. Note the headrest cover in one of the seats which drop down in my photo. This was even before anyone boarded. As I entered the plane there was no greeting or whatsoever since the crew was just mingling at the back. No offers to help with the luggage either. Come on MH, even SQ stewardess does offer help to me in Economy class! It's not that I am a weak guy or anything but to me it is the thought that counts.


MH Business class on the A330

Malaysia Airlines uses a seat made by Recaro as indicated in the seat controls and it was actually alright and felt snug. It is definitely narrower than SQ's regional business class seat. The colours were dull but the plane still looks new that is until you spot the dirt in the crevices. Somehow while the plane was new and seems new, maintenance was not very good by the crew.


Window seat in the Business class cabin


Seat controls

Even with me seated the staff were still nowhere to be seen. It wasn't until when the cabin was more or less filled that the cabin crew started to offer newspapers and magazines, then they gave out hot towels, and then welcome beverages. I had an orange juice and returned to reading my newspaper while my seat mate got seated and passed on the welcome drink. This looks to be a very full flight in all classes since I noticed a lot of families and leisure travellers out for the Christmas holidays and my seat mate seems to be a government official of some sort travelling for work. He was very quiet and spoke not a single word to me. Not that I wanted a conversation anyway after having a chatty neighbour in my previous flight.


Welcome drink

Such a late evening flight in Delhi means there was not much wait in the tarmac before we took off. Due to the delayed boarding and full flight, we took off kind of late. The good part of Malaysia Airlines is perhaps the ability to use the inflight entertainment even when we were on the ground and I started watching the movie 'Pacific Rim'.


Ambient lighting for supper service

Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, the cabin crew came around to take drink orders and I had a Teh Tarik which was served with peanuts. Considering the short flight, I wondered why they didn't just skip this and went on with the proper meal service.


Teh tarik and peanuts

Malaysia Airlines did not scrimp on this flight though since they still serve their famous satay, which I did enjoy. The peanut sauce for the satay includes beans and creates a different flavour so if I have to choose I rather go for the sauce provided by Singapore Airlines. For the satay meat itself, both seemed to be quite similar.


Satay for appetizers

The menu for the flight read as follow:

SUPPER | New Delhi - Kuala Lumpur

APPETIZER

Malaysian Satay
Our Award-Winning Signature Dish
Charcoal hand grilled chicken and lamb skewers with peanut sauce and traditional accompaniments

Passion Ka Wada
Crisp fried white lentil fritters drenched in passion fruit flavoured yoghurt

BAKERY SELECTION

With unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar on request

MAIN COURSE
Accompanied with plain yoghurt and mints

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Traditional mix of basmathi rice, diced chicken and spices cooked in a sealed pan accompanied with egg masala

or

Methi Palak Coriander Gosht
Lamb cooked in gravy of fenugreek, spinach and coriander leaves paste with herbs and served with chickpea mint basmathi rice and stir fried carrots, beans and peas foogath

or

Grilled Fish with Pesto Sauce
Accompanied with fried potatoes and buttered grilled vegetables

DESSERT

Gajar Ka Tukda with Rabdi
Cardamom flavoured sweetened carrot dessert served on a bed of rich reduced milk sauce

Fresh Fruits

GOURMET COFFEE AND TEA

Paratha and papadum are available on request

BEVERAGE SELECTION
COFFEE
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Brazilian Santos
White Coffee "O"
Nescafé Gold Blend
Nescafé Decaffeinated

FRUIT JUICE
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Pink Guava Juice (Available on flights from Kuala Lumpur)

CHOCOLATE
Milo

MINERAL WATER
Still - Spritzer Natural Mineral Water
Sparkling

TEA
Teh Tarik
Ceylon Meda Watte
Ceylon Finest Black Tea
Earl Grey
Camomile Herbal Infusion
Jasmine Green Tea
Japanese Green Tea
Tea Blend
Oolong Tea
South African Rooibos Tea

First the cabin crew came around and laid out the table cover but it was sometime before they started serving the fruit platter, yogurt and a deep fried white lentil doused with passion fruit yoghurt. It was a good light starter though the lentil seems more appropriate for dessert since it was very sweet.


Crisp fried white lentil fritters drenched in passion fruit flavoured yoghurt

The main course I picked was the Hyderabadi chicken biryani, which came well presented though it was lacking in the chicken as I should have read the menu more closely. They should have named this dish Nasi Briyani with Eggs.


Hyderabadi chicken biryani

But it was not a big issue having had a light dinner at the lounge and I was quite satisfied with the eggs and the sauce anyway such that I even passed on the dessert since it came really late and I wanted some shut-eye before landing.

When the crew passed around dessert by hand (they even skipped the tray), I got one for a photo. My seat mate was already in full bedtime mode by this time but the full flight meant many guests were still on the meal and the cabin light was not even dimmed. Anyway dessert was a carrot cake with milk reduction and I did not fancy it anyway so no way to know how it tasted like. The highlight of the meal was perhaps the Malaysian satay but again it is not my favourite.


Cardamom flavoured sweetened carrot dessert served on a bed of rich reduced milk sauce

One thing to note was that the flight did not have the German Riesling indicated in the menu and I was instead given an Australian Semillon Sauvignon blanc. Not very professional of Malaysia Airlines anyway since this might be the first time an airline does not stock what they wrote on the menu. During the meal service, I also ordered a hot milo which was thankfully okay.

The wine menu for the flight are as follow:

CHAMPAGNE
Champagne Deutz Brut Classic NV, France

WHITE WINES
Pierre André Montagny Premier Cru Blanc 2011/2012, Burgundy, France

Dr. Loosen "Blauschiefer" Riesling Trocken 2012, Mosel, Germany

RED WINES
Château Liversan AOC Haut-Médoc 2010, Bordeaux, France

M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage "Les Meysonniers", AOC C.H. 2010/2011, Rhône, France

After the meal service, I stopped the inflight entertainment since I did not really find the movie to be that engaging or perhaps I was just tired since it has been a long day after all. I reclined the seat to an angled lie-flat position. Generally I found the seat to be the least comfortable compared to Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines regional business class seats which are similarly angled flat. The cushion was a bit hard and is perhaps fine for a day flight.


Inflight moving map after the meal

I managed a couple of hours of sleep since the flight was already over the Indian Ocean when I laid back to get some shut eye. I woke up around the time they were prepping the cabin and headed to the lavatory to refresh myself. There might have been some hot towel given out but I do not remember. Perhaps I was just too tired then.


Descent into Kuala Lumpur

All I could say now was that it was a very lacklustre flight when compared to Singapore Airlines or even to Thai Airways, both of whom are probably the biggest competitor. Honestly speaking I would only consider Malaysia Airlines when they are cheaper but at the same price, it would be SQ and TG any day.


Terima kasih from MH

Upon arrival in KLIA, I had to get the onward boarding pass, but the transfer counters were unable to print them out and instead hand-wrote them on a boarding pass stub and I was told to exchange them at the gate for official ones.


Handwritten boarding pass

At the Golden lounge, due to recent renovation works, the bathroom was not operational and there goes my hope of a shower to freshen myself up. Somehow my end of bad luck just did not seem to go away.


Golden lounge at KLIA satellite terminal


Inside the Golden Lounge

I did however have a very fantastic breakfast of nasi lemak with sambal squid at the lounge since the noodle bar has yet to open. Nasi lemak is probably what Malaysia excels in since it was the best I have had in an airline facility. And the Golden lounge at the satellite terminal serves ice cream by Kapiti, so while the facilites and lounge design leaves much to be desired, at least the food is good!


Smaller dining area with buffet counter


Having nasi lemak for breakfast