A short trip to Semarang with Nam Air and express train
Jan 17, 2018, 5:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Programs: GarudaMiles, KrisFlyer, FlyingBlue
Posts: 163
A short trip to Semarang with Nam Air and express train
Hello friends of FlyerTalk!
Welcome to one of my reports. Firstly, as usual, I apologize for my bad English and not-too-good quality photos.
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
Kuala Lumpur in Half Day
Family trip to Bali & 1st Indonesian domestic flight with 777
2017 ASEAN Para Games KL + Short Trip of Sumatra
On this thread I will tell you my story in October 2017, when I had a short trip to Semarang. It is capital and largest city of Central Java Province, the province where Borobudur and Prambanan Temple are located. Semarang is an unique city with a mix of Javanese and Chinese culture. The Chinese people, especially from Fujian and Guangdong region, had been living in Semarang and surrounding areas in Northern Java for more than 6 centuries. They have been assimilated with local Javanese people, making a new identity culture like the "Peranakan" in Singapore, Malacca (Malaysia), and Jakarta. One of the result of the culture mix is a popular food of Semarang, "lumpia" or "loenpia", a Chinese spring roll with local Semarang taste.
Semarang is not a tourist city like Jogja or Solo, but many tourists make it as a starting point to Jogja, Solo, Borobudur Temple, Dieng Plateau, and Karimunjawa Islands. But the city itself has interesting sights, especially Chinese temples and unique foods.
For the Jakarta-Semarang route, I chose to fly with Nam Air. It's Sriwijaya Air's subsidiary. Both even fly together and share same ticket prices on many routes, like our route this time (Jakarta-Semarang), but there are also routes served only by one of them. The main difference between them is their fleets. Nam Air has only 2 airplane types: Boeing 737-500 and ATR 72, while Sriwijaya Air has Boeing 737-300/500/800/900 and recently orders 777-200 for long-haul flights. But inside the cabin their service are almost 100% similar. The similarities between them make many people, including me, quite confused.
The "NAM" name is derived from the Chinese name of Sriwijaya Air's owner (Mr Chandra Lie)'s father, Lo Kui Nam. It's focusing in domestic flights, but it also serves an international route from Bali to Dili, East TImor, v.v.
I was so curious about this carrier, so I chose it for my flight. The ticket costed IDR 340,000 (about USD 25.00).
I arranged to stay in Semarang for only a night, then returning to Jakarta on the next day. With my tight budget, I chose to return with an economy class express train.
PARTS OF THE STORY
Part 1: Jakarta - Semarang by Nam Air (IN 222), Boeing 737-500
Part 2: Day 1 in Semarang
Part 3: Day 2 in Semarang
Part 4: Semarang - Jakarta by "Tawang Jaya" express train
Welcome to one of my reports. Firstly, as usual, I apologize for my bad English and not-too-good quality photos.
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
Kuala Lumpur in Half Day
Family trip to Bali & 1st Indonesian domestic flight with 777
2017 ASEAN Para Games KL + Short Trip of Sumatra
On this thread I will tell you my story in October 2017, when I had a short trip to Semarang. It is capital and largest city of Central Java Province, the province where Borobudur and Prambanan Temple are located. Semarang is an unique city with a mix of Javanese and Chinese culture. The Chinese people, especially from Fujian and Guangdong region, had been living in Semarang and surrounding areas in Northern Java for more than 6 centuries. They have been assimilated with local Javanese people, making a new identity culture like the "Peranakan" in Singapore, Malacca (Malaysia), and Jakarta. One of the result of the culture mix is a popular food of Semarang, "lumpia" or "loenpia", a Chinese spring roll with local Semarang taste.
Semarang is not a tourist city like Jogja or Solo, but many tourists make it as a starting point to Jogja, Solo, Borobudur Temple, Dieng Plateau, and Karimunjawa Islands. But the city itself has interesting sights, especially Chinese temples and unique foods.
For the Jakarta-Semarang route, I chose to fly with Nam Air. It's Sriwijaya Air's subsidiary. Both even fly together and share same ticket prices on many routes, like our route this time (Jakarta-Semarang), but there are also routes served only by one of them. The main difference between them is their fleets. Nam Air has only 2 airplane types: Boeing 737-500 and ATR 72, while Sriwijaya Air has Boeing 737-300/500/800/900 and recently orders 777-200 for long-haul flights. But inside the cabin their service are almost 100% similar. The similarities between them make many people, including me, quite confused.
The "NAM" name is derived from the Chinese name of Sriwijaya Air's owner (Mr Chandra Lie)'s father, Lo Kui Nam. It's focusing in domestic flights, but it also serves an international route from Bali to Dili, East TImor, v.v.
I was so curious about this carrier, so I chose it for my flight. The ticket costed IDR 340,000 (about USD 25.00).
I arranged to stay in Semarang for only a night, then returning to Jakarta on the next day. With my tight budget, I chose to return with an economy class express train.
PARTS OF THE STORY
Part 1: Jakarta - Semarang by Nam Air (IN 222), Boeing 737-500
Part 2: Day 1 in Semarang
Part 3: Day 2 in Semarang
Part 4: Semarang - Jakarta by "Tawang Jaya" express train
Jan 17, 2018, 5:04 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Programs: GarudaMiles, KrisFlyer, FlyingBlue
Posts: 163
Part 1: Jakarta - Semarang by Nam Air (IN 222), Boeing 737-500
October 4th, 2017
From my lovely home in Depok city at the southern side of Jakarta, I took an express bus to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The traffic of Jakarta at 11.00 a.m. was still quite terrible, with a long traffic jam on Jakarta's inner toll road. We were stuck in the jam for about 1 hour, but after that the traffic was good, only a queue at Cengkareng toll plaza before entering the airport.
As usual, the bus would enter the Terminal 1 first, before our destination at Terminal 2.
There was an A330 of Lion Air at Terminal 1.
Reaching Terminal 2. A plane of Vietnam Airlines could be seen. I wonder when it will move to the new Terminal 3.
The bus arrived at Terminal 2, and I had to alight here.
Terminal 2F is dedicated for domestic flights. It was previously used exclusively by Garuda, but since its moving to Terminal 3, it's currently used by Sriwijaya Air and AirAsia. Citilink has also planned to move here after the moving of all Skyteam members to Terminal 3.
Flight schedule. Our flight was IN 222 to Semarang.
Sriwijaya Air and Nam Air shared the same check in counters.
I had done the online check in, so I only needed to print the pass. It was very simple, using a paper which reminded me to grocery stores' receipts.
As there were still more than 30 minutes before boarding, I explored check-in counters of other airlines at Terminal 2. Personally I really loved the "Singapore Girls" shown at SQ's counter.
Then I proceed to the boarding gate. As usual, there was a security check before entering it.
Waiting room of Gate F4.
While waiting for boarding, I took some pics outside the window. Unfortunately, I did not see my favorite Gulf and European carriers.
The boarding was scheduled at 1.00 p.m., but we were actually called at 1.30 p.m., 30 minutes behind the schedule.
The plane, Boeing 737-500 with reg code PK-NAL, titled "Kesejahteraan" (prosperity). It was 22 years old (December 1994), having been operated previously by Continental / United Airlines before handed to Sriwijaya Air and Nam Air.
Reaching the plane through an aerobridge.
Need more space? You can choose the business class.
*I took the picture after arrival.
The economy class.
Sights out of the window.
The plane was pushed back at 2.00 p.m. Then the beautiful young cabin crews started the safety instructions.
Some pics before take-off. Cathay, Eva Air, and Oman Air were also seen.
Garuda's 777 with Skyteam livery. It was used for Hajj flights at that time.
We had to wait this Garuda with "retro" livery to land, before the plane could fly.
Leaving the land for a while.
The seatbelt sign was switched off. I then checked all stuff inside the pocket.
Safety card.
Prayer card, containing prayer of 6 official religions in Indonesia.
"Sriwijaya" magazine.
In-flight shopping catalogue.
Around 30 minutes after departure, the cabin crews started to distribute our snacks and drinks.
During the flight, we could still see the land. The pilot told us that we were flying at 25,000 ft above sea level.
Time to land. The Semarang's airport runway was on the seashore.
The airport terminal.
Parked together with Garuda.
The plane stopped perfectly, and it was time to leave the plane.
*Notice the Spanish "servicio" sign.
The final shot of PK-NAL plane which had brought me here.
No aerobridges here, so all passengers walked on the apron to terminal building.
The baggage claim area was very simple.
Arrival zone.
Airport's entrance gate.
October 4th, 2017
From my lovely home in Depok city at the southern side of Jakarta, I took an express bus to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The traffic of Jakarta at 11.00 a.m. was still quite terrible, with a long traffic jam on Jakarta's inner toll road. We were stuck in the jam for about 1 hour, but after that the traffic was good, only a queue at Cengkareng toll plaza before entering the airport.
As usual, the bus would enter the Terminal 1 first, before our destination at Terminal 2.
There was an A330 of Lion Air at Terminal 1.
Reaching Terminal 2. A plane of Vietnam Airlines could be seen. I wonder when it will move to the new Terminal 3.
The bus arrived at Terminal 2, and I had to alight here.
Terminal 2F is dedicated for domestic flights. It was previously used exclusively by Garuda, but since its moving to Terminal 3, it's currently used by Sriwijaya Air and AirAsia. Citilink has also planned to move here after the moving of all Skyteam members to Terminal 3.
Flight schedule. Our flight was IN 222 to Semarang.
Sriwijaya Air and Nam Air shared the same check in counters.
I had done the online check in, so I only needed to print the pass. It was very simple, using a paper which reminded me to grocery stores' receipts.
As there were still more than 30 minutes before boarding, I explored check-in counters of other airlines at Terminal 2. Personally I really loved the "Singapore Girls" shown at SQ's counter.
Then I proceed to the boarding gate. As usual, there was a security check before entering it.
Waiting room of Gate F4.
While waiting for boarding, I took some pics outside the window. Unfortunately, I did not see my favorite Gulf and European carriers.
The boarding was scheduled at 1.00 p.m., but we were actually called at 1.30 p.m., 30 minutes behind the schedule.
The plane, Boeing 737-500 with reg code PK-NAL, titled "Kesejahteraan" (prosperity). It was 22 years old (December 1994), having been operated previously by Continental / United Airlines before handed to Sriwijaya Air and Nam Air.
Reaching the plane through an aerobridge.
Need more space? You can choose the business class.
*I took the picture after arrival.
The economy class.
Sights out of the window.
The plane was pushed back at 2.00 p.m. Then the beautiful young cabin crews started the safety instructions.
Some pics before take-off. Cathay, Eva Air, and Oman Air were also seen.
Garuda's 777 with Skyteam livery. It was used for Hajj flights at that time.
We had to wait this Garuda with "retro" livery to land, before the plane could fly.
Leaving the land for a while.
The seatbelt sign was switched off. I then checked all stuff inside the pocket.
Safety card.
Prayer card, containing prayer of 6 official religions in Indonesia.
"Sriwijaya" magazine.
In-flight shopping catalogue.
Around 30 minutes after departure, the cabin crews started to distribute our snacks and drinks.
During the flight, we could still see the land. The pilot told us that we were flying at 25,000 ft above sea level.
Time to land. The Semarang's airport runway was on the seashore.
The airport terminal.
Parked together with Garuda.
The plane stopped perfectly, and it was time to leave the plane.
*Notice the Spanish "servicio" sign.
The final shot of PK-NAL plane which had brought me here.
No aerobridges here, so all passengers walked on the apron to terminal building.
The baggage claim area was very simple.
Arrival zone.
Airport's entrance gate.
Jan 17, 2018, 5:29 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Programs: GarudaMiles, KrisFlyer, FlyingBlue
Posts: 163
Part 2: Day 1 in Semarang
October 4th, 2017
From the airport, I walked to the closest bus stop, and took the "Trans Semarang" bus. It's popularly called "BRT" (Bus Rapid Transit) by locals, though it isn't 100% rapid, with no dedicated line (unlike the Trans Jakarta "busway").
I alighted at a bus stop close to Tugu Muda. "Tugu Muda" is a monument built to commemorate "Pertempuran Lima Hari" (5 Days Combat), a fighting between Indonesian and Japanese national armies.
Behind the monument is "Lawang Sewu", a Dutch heritage. It was formerly the headquarter of a railway company in the Dutch era.
From Tugu Muda, I walked to another important sight in Semarang. "Sam Poo Kong" is a Chinese temple dedicated to Admiral Zheng He, who led naval expeditions to South Asia, Middle East, and East Africa. He was actually a Hui Muslim, but the Chinese people who were together with him during the expedition respected the admiral and built a temple to worship him.
Zheng He's expedition brought some Chinese people to Semarang, making Semarang as one of Indonesian cities with strong Chinese influence.
Then I took an "ojek" (motorbike taxi) to "Sleep & Sleep" Hostel, where I would spend a night. Here you can get a "capsule" bed to rest for only IDR 40,000. Very cheap.
The unique thing was that the hostel had a cafe with this unique layout. Looks like a plane cabin.
Even there was a "runway" to our room.
The capsule beds.
After taking a rest for about 2 hours, I went out from the hostel to have my dinner. This time I picked Nasi Goreng Babat Pak Karmin. "Nasi goreng babat" is a fried rice with sliced beef tripe and scrambled egg. Semarang has many stalls offering this unique food.
Then I took another "ojek" to Simpang Lima. In Indonesian language, "Simpang" means "intersection" while Lima means "five" (not to be confused with Peru's capital). The area, which is also Semarang's 0-km point, contains a green area as a leisure place for the local people especially at night.
At the end of this day, I ate once more for my dinner at "Nasi Gandul Pak Subur". "Nasi Gandul" is a rice dish with something like a meat soup. I can't explain this food by words, but you must try. While enjoying your meal, a group of "Keroncong" music band sings some "Keroncong" songs to accompany your dinner.
Finally I went back to the hostel by an "ojek" and sleep peacefully.
October 4th, 2017
From the airport, I walked to the closest bus stop, and took the "Trans Semarang" bus. It's popularly called "BRT" (Bus Rapid Transit) by locals, though it isn't 100% rapid, with no dedicated line (unlike the Trans Jakarta "busway").
I alighted at a bus stop close to Tugu Muda. "Tugu Muda" is a monument built to commemorate "Pertempuran Lima Hari" (5 Days Combat), a fighting between Indonesian and Japanese national armies.
Behind the monument is "Lawang Sewu", a Dutch heritage. It was formerly the headquarter of a railway company in the Dutch era.
From Tugu Muda, I walked to another important sight in Semarang. "Sam Poo Kong" is a Chinese temple dedicated to Admiral Zheng He, who led naval expeditions to South Asia, Middle East, and East Africa. He was actually a Hui Muslim, but the Chinese people who were together with him during the expedition respected the admiral and built a temple to worship him.
Zheng He's expedition brought some Chinese people to Semarang, making Semarang as one of Indonesian cities with strong Chinese influence.
Then I took an "ojek" (motorbike taxi) to "Sleep & Sleep" Hostel, where I would spend a night. Here you can get a "capsule" bed to rest for only IDR 40,000. Very cheap.
The unique thing was that the hostel had a cafe with this unique layout. Looks like a plane cabin.
Even there was a "runway" to our room.
The capsule beds.
After taking a rest for about 2 hours, I went out from the hostel to have my dinner. This time I picked Nasi Goreng Babat Pak Karmin. "Nasi goreng babat" is a fried rice with sliced beef tripe and scrambled egg. Semarang has many stalls offering this unique food.
Then I took another "ojek" to Simpang Lima. In Indonesian language, "Simpang" means "intersection" while Lima means "five" (not to be confused with Peru's capital). The area, which is also Semarang's 0-km point, contains a green area as a leisure place for the local people especially at night.
At the end of this day, I ate once more for my dinner at "Nasi Gandul Pak Subur". "Nasi Gandul" is a rice dish with something like a meat soup. I can't explain this food by words, but you must try. While enjoying your meal, a group of "Keroncong" music band sings some "Keroncong" songs to accompany your dinner.
Finally I went back to the hostel by an "ojek" and sleep peacefully.
Jan 18, 2018, 8:11 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Programs: GarudaMiles, KrisFlyer, FlyingBlue
Posts: 163
Honestly, I'm still confused about the category of Sriwijaya Air and Nam Air.
LCC? They do provide on-board meals and free baggage inclusion.
FSC? They don't have FF programs, IFE system, and other luxury facilities?
The ticket prices are almost similar with well-known Indonesian LCCs (Lion, Citilink, AirAsia, etc), sometimes even cheaper.
LCC? They do provide on-board meals and free baggage inclusion.
FSC? They don't have FF programs, IFE system, and other luxury facilities?
The ticket prices are almost similar with well-known Indonesian LCCs (Lion, Citilink, AirAsia, etc), sometimes even cheaper.
