Mumbai, Langkawi and Dubai via Emirates + Malaysian Airlines business class
Jan 31, 2019, 2:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
Mumbai, Langkawi and Dubai via Emirates + Malaysian Airlines business class
Another year, another trip … only this time, my wife and I would be bringing our son along for the ride. My parents were heading down to India for personal and business reasons and we decided to hop along for the ride. The Mrs could only get 2 weeks off work and we had to spend those days wisely. After many discussions, the itinerary was as follows:
EK J YYZ-BOM via DXB
3 days in Mumbai
MH J BOM-LGK via KUL
4 days in Langkawi
MH J LGK-KUL
1 day in Kuala Lumpur
MH J KUL-BOM
3 days in Mumbai
EK J BOM-DXB
3 days in Dubai
EK J DXB-YYZ
Lets fly!
EK J YYZ-BOM via DXB
3 days in Mumbai
MH J BOM-LGK via KUL
4 days in Langkawi
MH J LGK-KUL
1 day in Kuala Lumpur
MH J KUL-BOM
3 days in Mumbai
EK J BOM-DXB
3 days in Dubai
EK J DXB-YYZ
Lets fly!
Jan 31, 2019, 3:12 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#sunnybutcold
The third party airport limo hired by EK arrived on time to pick us up and we were on our way to the airport in no time. Traffic was super light on this cold January morning.
Flyertalk readers: But wait, what do you classify as cold?
Me: -6 degrees Celsius
Montreal: howling with laughter.
Vancouver: Oh my, that’s cold.
Calgary: SMH
Oh look, Pearson upgraded to digital displays.
Emirates is located at aisle 13 and we had a 10-ish minute wait for check in.
Mile deep economy line.
With our bags checked all the way to BOM, we headed to security located near the E gates.
Junior getting a head start on us.
And running through the Tilter Spheres structure with the Mrs chasing after him.
Quick pic of the plane parked at E73.
Emirates uses the Plaza Premium lounge at Terminal 1 and it was an absolute cluster-f---- due to the full load of EK J passengers. There was a decent selection of hot food, snacks and drinks. We ended up snagging two seats in a corner of the bigger section of the lounge and managed to feed Junior to his satisfaction. People cleared out after an hour which gave us thirty minutes of calm before heading back to the gate.
Back at the gate and boarding was in full swing. No line up for boarding in J and we scanned in quickly and headed into the tube.
Junior charmed the cabin crew waiting at the door and we made our way to our seats.
The (in?)famous A380 J seat that everyone here knows.
Bubbles to start as a PDB.
Lets look at the menu.
All your vino connoisseurs please critique the list.
The plane pushed back 10 minutes behind schedule and had another 20-ish minutes of taxi+queuing time.
BA 777 landing right before our turn to jet off.
Peace out YYZ.
Junior is zoned into Nella the Knight and doesn’t care about us.
After the seat belt signs were turned off, the crew came around to slap the bedding onto the seat.
I took the time to head down to the bar which was being set up.
A shot out the window near the bar.
Snack menu.
The crew came around before take-off taking orders for lunch and drinks. Drinks were provided shortly after I was back at my seat.
Glenfidditch and deez nuts.
The seafood duo appetizer of cold prawn and scallop came out first. Decent.
Followed by the Vegetable korma main. Was not impressed at all with any of the mains so went with the safe choice.
Ended off with the chocolate gateau which was meh.
With the tray cleared away, the Mrs and I had the next 10 hours or so to keep Junior occupied. With his internal batteries charged full of sugar, we were pretty much up the entire ride to DXB.
Two hours prior to landing, breakfast was served and I went with the mushroom omelette.
Smooth landing at DXB and taxi-ed to the farthest end of concourse A.
The 777 is this shot would be our ride to BOM. We would have the fun task of walking all the way down to security after deboarding and the walk back to the same point.
Next installment on the blog.
Flyertalk readers: But wait, what do you classify as cold?
Me: -6 degrees Celsius
Montreal: howling with laughter.
Vancouver: Oh my, that’s cold.
Calgary: SMH
Oh look, Pearson upgraded to digital displays.
Emirates is located at aisle 13 and we had a 10-ish minute wait for check in.
Mile deep economy line.
With our bags checked all the way to BOM, we headed to security located near the E gates.
Junior getting a head start on us.
And running through the Tilter Spheres structure with the Mrs chasing after him.
Quick pic of the plane parked at E73.
Emirates uses the Plaza Premium lounge at Terminal 1 and it was an absolute cluster-f---- due to the full load of EK J passengers. There was a decent selection of hot food, snacks and drinks. We ended up snagging two seats in a corner of the bigger section of the lounge and managed to feed Junior to his satisfaction. People cleared out after an hour which gave us thirty minutes of calm before heading back to the gate.
Back at the gate and boarding was in full swing. No line up for boarding in J and we scanned in quickly and headed into the tube.
Junior charmed the cabin crew waiting at the door and we made our way to our seats.
The (in?)famous A380 J seat that everyone here knows.
Bubbles to start as a PDB.
Lets look at the menu.
All your vino connoisseurs please critique the list.
The plane pushed back 10 minutes behind schedule and had another 20-ish minutes of taxi+queuing time.
BA 777 landing right before our turn to jet off.
Peace out YYZ.
Junior is zoned into Nella the Knight and doesn’t care about us.
After the seat belt signs were turned off, the crew came around to slap the bedding onto the seat.
I took the time to head down to the bar which was being set up.
A shot out the window near the bar.
Snack menu.
The crew came around before take-off taking orders for lunch and drinks. Drinks were provided shortly after I was back at my seat.
Glenfidditch and deez nuts.
The seafood duo appetizer of cold prawn and scallop came out first. Decent.
Followed by the Vegetable korma main. Was not impressed at all with any of the mains so went with the safe choice.
Ended off with the chocolate gateau which was meh.
With the tray cleared away, the Mrs and I had the next 10 hours or so to keep Junior occupied. With his internal batteries charged full of sugar, we were pretty much up the entire ride to DXB.
Two hours prior to landing, breakfast was served and I went with the mushroom omelette.
Smooth landing at DXB and taxi-ed to the farthest end of concourse A.
The 777 is this shot would be our ride to BOM. We would have the fun task of walking all the way down to security after deboarding and the walk back to the same point.
Next installment on the blog.
Feb 1, 2019, 3:11 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#quickshower #planeswap
We had 1 hour in transit before heading to board the next flight. We took the long walk down to security with me holding all the carryon bags while the Mrs was holding Junior who conveniently passed out during landing. Security took 10 minutes and we took the elevator right up the lounge.
As we landed around noon local time, the concourse and lounge was deserted. We snagged empty loungers and took turns to shower while Junior continued to snooze.
While I showered, Junior woke up and Mrs.I changed him out to summer gear. We then made our way to the gate for boarding.
The ride to BOM which was supposed to be the 200LR variant with the new business class. Was bummed to get the old 300ER business class. EK just TG-ed me.
Pink bubbles this time.
Lunch menu. The cabin crew member taking orders on my side of the plane totally forgot me as I was in the washroom at time. Mid way through service, I had to flag her down to place a choice.
Pushback and taxi onto runway 30R.
Be back in a few weeks, DXB.
I wanted to go with the Mixed grill for lunch but since it was out, I went with the Lamb ragout and it turned out to be a tasty meal.
Wrapping up with the Kala Jamun for dessert which was phenomenal. Never seen a mango cream filling inside and it really hit the spot. Convinced that DXB catering is better than outstation catering.
The flight was uneventful and we arrived at BOM with nothing exciting to report.
Taxi-ed to the gate in 5 minutes and off the plane to take the loooooong walk to immigration. Took us a total of 30 minutes from debarking to jumping into the limo which is amazing for BOM.
Our chauffeurs were waiting outside door B and funny enough, they had a sign with Junior’s name on it. EK has done away with the Merc C-class limos they used and has outsourced to Blacklane. We rode in the BMW while our luggage was sent in the van.
Next up – 3 days in Mumbai.
New installment on the blog.
As we landed around noon local time, the concourse and lounge was deserted. We snagged empty loungers and took turns to shower while Junior continued to snooze.
While I showered, Junior woke up and Mrs.I changed him out to summer gear. We then made our way to the gate for boarding.
The ride to BOM which was supposed to be the 200LR variant with the new business class. Was bummed to get the old 300ER business class. EK just TG-ed me.
Pink bubbles this time.
Lunch menu. The cabin crew member taking orders on my side of the plane totally forgot me as I was in the washroom at time. Mid way through service, I had to flag her down to place a choice.
Pushback and taxi onto runway 30R.
Be back in a few weeks, DXB.
I wanted to go with the Mixed grill for lunch but since it was out, I went with the Lamb ragout and it turned out to be a tasty meal.
Wrapping up with the Kala Jamun for dessert which was phenomenal. Never seen a mango cream filling inside and it really hit the spot. Convinced that DXB catering is better than outstation catering.
The flight was uneventful and we arrived at BOM with nothing exciting to report.
Taxi-ed to the gate in 5 minutes and off the plane to take the loooooong walk to immigration. Took us a total of 30 minutes from debarking to jumping into the limo which is amazing for BOM.
Our chauffeurs were waiting outside door B and funny enough, they had a sign with Junior’s name on it. EK has done away with the Merc C-class limos they used and has outsourced to Blacklane. We rode in the BMW while our luggage was sent in the van.
Next up – 3 days in Mumbai.
New installment on the blog.
Feb 3, 2019, 6:59 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#ootandabootinmumbai
Yes, I said oot and aboot because you know ... that’s how we crazy Canadians pronoonce it. 
After a quick breakfast at the Westin, we headed out to meet my parents at a restaurant for … second breakfast.
Found a bunch of waiting rickshaws that were queued up outside the Westin main entrance on the main road. For those of you not in the know, Mumbai rickshaw drivers are a fickle bunch – while most of them agree to take you to your destination, some may not if the destination is not far enough or if its rush hour. How does one transact with a rick driver?
Successful scenario:
Me: “Goregaon West, Mahatma Gandhi road?”
Driver: *barely imperceptible nod of the head indicating to get in*
Unsuccessful scenario:
Me: “Goregaon West, Mahatma Gandhi road?”
Driver: *sucking teeth noise followed by looking away from you*
Meters are now digital and are somewhat less tamper proof compared to the older models. The 2nd picture indicates the old meter.
Borrowed off the interweb.
We eventually arrived at the intersection of MG and SV road with the fare being 45 rupees or less than $1 CAD.
Forgive the poor pano shot.
Into a local favourit for breakfast.
Where’s a ridiculously long masala dosa was ordered to feed an entire family.
Junior being utterly fascinated with the length of the dosa.
Other favourites ordered.
Plus chickoo milkshakes. Who says you can’t have milkshakes for breakfast?
After breakfast, we walked down MG road to burn off the over filling brekkie. This is around 9am before traffic built up.
Into the neighbourhood street where 3 generations of my family currently live under the same roof.
Some abandoned ricks that may eventually be sent to the scrapyard.
The morning was pretty much spent catching up with family members. We hit up other family members living nearby in an apartment.
With an interesting sign in the elevator on common etiquette.
A view of the skyline from the rooftop terrace.
I hung around the apartment while my mother and wife went to the salon. After they were done, we headed to the Goregaon station area where we did some shopping which also includes midday snacks before lunch. Fun tidbit – the train tracks are the dividing line between some suburbs in Mumbai. Therefore, suburbs like Goregaon, Borivali, Andheri are split into East and West.
First stop here for some lassi and ice cream. Remember, there are no rules to what you can eat while on vacation.
And then in search of some …
Remember everyone, no ice in your drinks and yes, this is the jumbo version.
Fast forward past lunch and shopping and we ended up back at the station area for dinner.
We got out of the rick as there was a jam closer to the station. It was a 10 minute walk to the restaurant. Here are some pics along the way.
Another local favourite.
How dare they don’t serve coke?
Ended up getting 3 dishes consisting of Tandoori chicken biryani, chilli chicken and stir fry cauliflower. What they lack in presentation, they damn well make up in flavour and taste.
The next day, we hired a car to do a bit of sightseeing. Despite leaving early, we still hit traffic and took us roughly 1.5 hours to get into the downtown area.
Traffic coming out the Westin gate entrance.
Passing by Victoria Terminus which is now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Construction first started in 1878 and took 10 years to complete and was originally named Bori Bunder before being renamed as Victoria Terminus in honour of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. It was renamed again to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in 1996 before being renamed again to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
After another 10 minutes, we arrived at the Gateway of India. Our driver dropped us a few steps away from the main entrance and we made our way inside.
Even though it was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, it was never finished until 1924.
GoPro shot with the Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
After 30 minutes, we made our way to Marine Drive.
After driving down, we passed by Haji Ali Dargah which is a mosque and tomb. Built on an islet, accessibility to the structure is dependent on the tides. Low tides reveal a causeway that people can use to traverse and walk to the structure. At the time of this picture, the causeway was full of people.
On the move again to take the Bandra Worli Sea Link bridge back to the hotel.
Passing by some colorful slums.
And driving by the Jama Masjid.
Junior and I were dropped off at the hotel while the others went shopping. The next day, we would pack up to head to Malaysia. More to come.
After a quick breakfast at the Westin, we headed out to meet my parents at a restaurant for … second breakfast.
Found a bunch of waiting rickshaws that were queued up outside the Westin main entrance on the main road. For those of you not in the know, Mumbai rickshaw drivers are a fickle bunch – while most of them agree to take you to your destination, some may not if the destination is not far enough or if its rush hour. How does one transact with a rick driver?
Successful scenario:
Me: “Goregaon West, Mahatma Gandhi road?”
Driver: *barely imperceptible nod of the head indicating to get in*
Unsuccessful scenario:
Me: “Goregaon West, Mahatma Gandhi road?”
Driver: *sucking teeth noise followed by looking away from you*
Meters are now digital and are somewhat less tamper proof compared to the older models. The 2nd picture indicates the old meter.
Borrowed off the interweb.
We eventually arrived at the intersection of MG and SV road with the fare being 45 rupees or less than $1 CAD.
Forgive the poor pano shot.
Into a local favourit for breakfast.
Where’s a ridiculously long masala dosa was ordered to feed an entire family.
Junior being utterly fascinated with the length of the dosa.
Other favourites ordered.
Plus chickoo milkshakes. Who says you can’t have milkshakes for breakfast?
After breakfast, we walked down MG road to burn off the over filling brekkie. This is around 9am before traffic built up.
Into the neighbourhood street where 3 generations of my family currently live under the same roof.
Some abandoned ricks that may eventually be sent to the scrapyard.
The morning was pretty much spent catching up with family members. We hit up other family members living nearby in an apartment.
With an interesting sign in the elevator on common etiquette.
A view of the skyline from the rooftop terrace.
I hung around the apartment while my mother and wife went to the salon. After they were done, we headed to the Goregaon station area where we did some shopping which also includes midday snacks before lunch. Fun tidbit – the train tracks are the dividing line between some suburbs in Mumbai. Therefore, suburbs like Goregaon, Borivali, Andheri are split into East and West.
First stop here for some lassi and ice cream. Remember, there are no rules to what you can eat while on vacation.
And then in search of some …
Remember everyone, no ice in your drinks and yes, this is the jumbo version.
Fast forward past lunch and shopping and we ended up back at the station area for dinner.
We got out of the rick as there was a jam closer to the station. It was a 10 minute walk to the restaurant. Here are some pics along the way.
Another local favourite.
How dare they don’t serve coke?
Ended up getting 3 dishes consisting of Tandoori chicken biryani, chilli chicken and stir fry cauliflower. What they lack in presentation, they damn well make up in flavour and taste.
The next day, we hired a car to do a bit of sightseeing. Despite leaving early, we still hit traffic and took us roughly 1.5 hours to get into the downtown area.
Traffic coming out the Westin gate entrance.
Passing by Victoria Terminus which is now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Construction first started in 1878 and took 10 years to complete and was originally named Bori Bunder before being renamed as Victoria Terminus in honour of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. It was renamed again to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in 1996 before being renamed again to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
After another 10 minutes, we arrived at the Gateway of India. Our driver dropped us a few steps away from the main entrance and we made our way inside.
Even though it was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, it was never finished until 1924.
GoPro shot with the Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
After 30 minutes, we made our way to Marine Drive.
After driving down, we passed by Haji Ali Dargah which is a mosque and tomb. Built on an islet, accessibility to the structure is dependent on the tides. Low tides reveal a causeway that people can use to traverse and walk to the structure. At the time of this picture, the causeway was full of people.
On the move again to take the Bandra Worli Sea Link bridge back to the hotel.
Passing by some colorful slums.
And driving by the Jama Masjid.
Junior and I were dropped off at the hotel while the others went shopping. The next day, we would pack up to head to Malaysia. More to come.
Feb 5, 2019, 12:16 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#backtolangkawi
Our 3rd day in Mumbai was just spent lazying around in the hotel because that’s what people do on vacation I guess. Our MH flight was at 11.30pm and I managed to get a 6pm late checkout. This would give us an extra two hours to kill at our family’s place before heading to the airport. We ordered a cool cab (blue taxi) to pick us up for 8pm and we reached the airport in 20 minutes.
The ramp leading to the airport was filled with blockades but we eventually made it to the drop off area.
Looks like this is the right place. As with all Indian airports, it’s a complete scrum outside with people sending off family members and only leaving after they went through the doors. Security is pretty tight as anyone taking a flight would need to show proof of such to military personnel guarding all entrances to the check-in hall.
Impressive design.
MH check-in at aisle J.
Check-in was pretty quick after a short 5 minute wait. We headed to immigration and security after that.
I guess BOM was still in a festive mood in January.
The long security queue awaits. With 4 stamps on our boarding passes from the paramilitary dude, we were permitted to pass through.
Post security, we went all the way to the last immigration counter on the right side as this was for First/Business class passengers. What I did not know was that security for F/J passengers was also located on the far right of the check-in hall. Thanks Mom and Dad for conveniently not remembering this from your last trip.
Post immigration, we were spit out into duty free.
With nothing of interest, we headed to the GVK West lounge to kill time and also feed the little man. BOM does not have separate airline lounges like most airports and instead airlines send all its F/J passengers to GVK lounges.
Once scanned in, we were requested to take the elevator downstairs. The lounges have both an upstairs and downstairs section and in this case, MH passengers were sent down. When leaving Mumbai on EK, we were sent right instead of downstairs. What’s the difference? … none as far as I could tell, although the main level did have a first class section which was roped off. The lounge was packed when we came in but cleared out after an hour.
Buffet + dining area.
I requested a shower room to freshen up.
View from the lounge.
We left T-45 before departure for our gate which as usual was at the farthest end of the concourse.
Chaos at gate 75.
With the business class line on the other side.
Our birdie to KL.
My lovely throne seat with my wife and son sitting together in front of me.
The sucky part of a throne part was the cramped footwell. Pro tip – get 1K if you are flying solo as it has the footwell is the largest in the entire cabin.
The cabin crew came by offering PDB’s and I went with the orange juice.
Air India and Swiss parked next to us.
Whats on the menu tonight?
Pushback + taxi and we were roaring off into the night sky.
GoAir taking off ahead of us.
Oh hi AC.
After take off, I put my seat into bed mode and knocked out as did other passengers. The only exception being my dad who stayed up during the meal service and went to town on the satay and whiskey. He even had the cheek to taunt us that we missed out on some good satay which MH is apparently known for.
Woke up an hour before landing to some good views.
Descent into KUL.
Back on terra firma.
MASKargo terminal with an Antonov in the background.
Again, parked at the furthest gate and made the long trek to the train to take us to the domestic terminal. Once there, we made our way to immigration and security that took around 30 minutes. The domestic MH Golden Lounge was right after security and we had 15 minutes to quickly freshen up and have a bite.
Lounge.
View from the lounge.
At our gate.
Our birdie to LGK.
Decent for a quick 55 minute hop.
Service began right after the seat belt sign went off. Junior’s meal below.
Followed by my wife’s choice of dim sum.
And my chicken sammich.
Junior didn’t like Ribena so I gladly finished it. Ribena = nectar from the gods.
Before we knew it, we descended into LGK.
Great weather to start the beach holiday.
We’re back!
Next up – 4 days in Langkawi.
The ramp leading to the airport was filled with blockades but we eventually made it to the drop off area.
Looks like this is the right place. As with all Indian airports, it’s a complete scrum outside with people sending off family members and only leaving after they went through the doors. Security is pretty tight as anyone taking a flight would need to show proof of such to military personnel guarding all entrances to the check-in hall.
Impressive design.
MH check-in at aisle J.
Check-in was pretty quick after a short 5 minute wait. We headed to immigration and security after that.
I guess BOM was still in a festive mood in January.
The long security queue awaits. With 4 stamps on our boarding passes from the paramilitary dude, we were permitted to pass through.
Post security, we went all the way to the last immigration counter on the right side as this was for First/Business class passengers. What I did not know was that security for F/J passengers was also located on the far right of the check-in hall. Thanks Mom and Dad for conveniently not remembering this from your last trip.
Post immigration, we were spit out into duty free.
With nothing of interest, we headed to the GVK West lounge to kill time and also feed the little man. BOM does not have separate airline lounges like most airports and instead airlines send all its F/J passengers to GVK lounges.
Once scanned in, we were requested to take the elevator downstairs. The lounges have both an upstairs and downstairs section and in this case, MH passengers were sent down. When leaving Mumbai on EK, we were sent right instead of downstairs. What’s the difference? … none as far as I could tell, although the main level did have a first class section which was roped off. The lounge was packed when we came in but cleared out after an hour.
Buffet + dining area.
I requested a shower room to freshen up.
View from the lounge.
We left T-45 before departure for our gate which as usual was at the farthest end of the concourse.
Chaos at gate 75.
With the business class line on the other side.
Our birdie to KL.
My lovely throne seat with my wife and son sitting together in front of me.
The sucky part of a throne part was the cramped footwell. Pro tip – get 1K if you are flying solo as it has the footwell is the largest in the entire cabin.
The cabin crew came by offering PDB’s and I went with the orange juice.
Air India and Swiss parked next to us.
Whats on the menu tonight?
Pushback + taxi and we were roaring off into the night sky.
GoAir taking off ahead of us.
Oh hi AC.
After take off, I put my seat into bed mode and knocked out as did other passengers. The only exception being my dad who stayed up during the meal service and went to town on the satay and whiskey. He even had the cheek to taunt us that we missed out on some good satay which MH is apparently known for.
Woke up an hour before landing to some good views.
Descent into KUL.
Back on terra firma.
MASKargo terminal with an Antonov in the background.
Again, parked at the furthest gate and made the long trek to the train to take us to the domestic terminal. Once there, we made our way to immigration and security that took around 30 minutes. The domestic MH Golden Lounge was right after security and we had 15 minutes to quickly freshen up and have a bite.
Lounge.
View from the lounge.
At our gate.
Our birdie to LGK.
Decent for a quick 55 minute hop.
Service began right after the seat belt sign went off. Junior’s meal below.
Followed by my wife’s choice of dim sum.
And my chicken sammich.
Junior didn’t like Ribena so I gladly finished it. Ribena = nectar from the gods.
Before we knew it, we descended into LGK.
Great weather to start the beach holiday.
We’re back!
Next up – 4 days in Langkawi.
Feb 6, 2019, 9:32 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 4,028
I stayed in the Andaman a couple of years ago - very nice hotel, lovely beach too.
I absolutely loved Langkawi - also stayed in The Danna while we were there, which is firmly in the top 3 hotels I’ve stayed in
I absolutely loved Langkawi - also stayed in The Danna while we were there, which is firmly in the top 3 hotels I’ve stayed in
Feb 6, 2019, 12:27 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#backattheandaman
This was our 2nd stay at the Andaman in under 12 months. We loved it so much that we decided to come back with our son who, like us, is a beach fanatic. Has anything changed since we were last there in May 2018? Short answer - No. Its still "rustic" in common areas and could use a bit of paint but it did not deter us from having a wonderful time because its the staff who make this resort. I won’t put up pictures of the resort again as you can find it here and here. Instead, I will post pictures of our shenanigans around the island.
We were welcomed back by the staff and were informed that we have been upgraded to a suite but since we arrived early (11-ish am), our room wouldn’t be ready till 1pm. We changed and headed down to the beach where Junior went cray cray and ran to the water without a care in the world. Kids …
Around 1:30-ish, a staff member found us and informed us that our room was ready. With key cards delivered, we headed to our room which was located on the 3rd floor of the south wing of the resort.
Welcome to the Swordtail Suite – located at the farthest end of the floor and it comes with a guardbat. What’s a guardbat you ask?
Behold!
We never got to visit the onsite coral nursery the last time we visited. Since it was right below our room, we took Junior over where the local team grow coral as part of a conservation effort. One of the team members will provide a guided tour of the nursery where they show the different species of coral growing in the nursery plus fish species.
Junior and I attracting some small fish in the water.
Once we were done, we headed back to the beach for some R&R. I rented a canoe to take Junior out for some fun.
We booked a van to take us out for the evening on a short tour.
Our first stop was the black sand beach … that had no black sand.
Second stop was the outer public beach of the Tanjang Rhu town.
Then we drove through a forest area to arrive at a secluded beach.
A row of stalls before entering the beach area.
No aiskrim to be found …
.
We then made our way back into town for the night market where we stuffed our faces with delicious eats.
Satay.
Various meats on a stick.
Anyone for crepes?
Assorted sweet and savoury cakes.
Beef or chicken over egg on rice.
Fried chicken.
Murtabak.
Shawarma to go.
The Mrs demanded a mango drink.
Moar meat.
This hit the spot.
Peanut pancakes.
The next morning, we headed out to the cable car for a ride up the mountain. Where the entrance had a wooden bridge obstacle that shook with people walking over it.
Top of the mountain.
Made it to the kiosk only to find a sign that indicated the skycab was closed due to high winds at the top and no time as to when it would reopen. Rather than waiting around, we took a cab over to the Seven Wells waterfalls.
The trek to the bottom of the waterfall included a gradual incline.
Followed by stairs.
Looks like we are headed in the right direction.
Hello friend.
A straight path.
Leading to the bottom of the falls.
With some locals already taking a dip to cool off from the morning heat.
What we came to see.
Tried taking one for the ‘gram but the zen master on the rock didn’t want to move.
After spending time at the waterfalls, we made our way back to the resort where we spent the day on the beach again.
Next up – 24-ish hours in KL.
New installments up on the blog.
We were welcomed back by the staff and were informed that we have been upgraded to a suite but since we arrived early (11-ish am), our room wouldn’t be ready till 1pm. We changed and headed down to the beach where Junior went cray cray and ran to the water without a care in the world. Kids …
Around 1:30-ish, a staff member found us and informed us that our room was ready. With key cards delivered, we headed to our room which was located on the 3rd floor of the south wing of the resort.
Welcome to the Swordtail Suite – located at the farthest end of the floor and it comes with a guardbat. What’s a guardbat you ask?
Behold!
We never got to visit the onsite coral nursery the last time we visited. Since it was right below our room, we took Junior over where the local team grow coral as part of a conservation effort. One of the team members will provide a guided tour of the nursery where they show the different species of coral growing in the nursery plus fish species.
Junior and I attracting some small fish in the water.
Once we were done, we headed back to the beach for some R&R. I rented a canoe to take Junior out for some fun.
We booked a van to take us out for the evening on a short tour.
Our first stop was the black sand beach … that had no black sand.
Second stop was the outer public beach of the Tanjang Rhu town.
Then we drove through a forest area to arrive at a secluded beach.
A row of stalls before entering the beach area.
No aiskrim to be found …
.We then made our way back into town for the night market where we stuffed our faces with delicious eats.
Satay.
Various meats on a stick.
Anyone for crepes?
Assorted sweet and savoury cakes.
Beef or chicken over egg on rice.
Fried chicken.
Murtabak.
Shawarma to go.
The Mrs demanded a mango drink.
Moar meat.
This hit the spot.
Peanut pancakes.
The next morning, we headed out to the cable car for a ride up the mountain. Where the entrance had a wooden bridge obstacle that shook with people walking over it.
Top of the mountain.
Made it to the kiosk only to find a sign that indicated the skycab was closed due to high winds at the top and no time as to when it would reopen. Rather than waiting around, we took a cab over to the Seven Wells waterfalls.
The trek to the bottom of the waterfall included a gradual incline.
Followed by stairs.
Looks like we are headed in the right direction.
Hello friend.
A straight path.
Leading to the bottom of the falls.
With some locals already taking a dip to cool off from the morning heat.
What we came to see.
Tried taking one for the ‘gram but the zen master on the rock didn’t want to move.
After spending time at the waterfalls, we made our way back to the resort where we spent the day on the beach again.
Next up – 24-ish hours in KL.
New installments up on the blog.
Last edited by injian; Feb 6, 2019 at 1:35 pm
Feb 8, 2019, 11:59 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#backinKL
Left the resort the next morning to catch our 10.45am flight to KL. The airport was completely renovated since our last visit and looked much better.
With nothing much to do in the airport, we passed through security and waited until our flight was ready for boarding.
Walking to our birdie.
Back of J class again.
OJ PDB.
Bye LGK!
Forgot what the other choice was but went with the chicken curry.
Back on the ground in KL.
In the taxi to the hotel.
Arriving at the Renaissance KL – east wing tower.
Check-in took some time as the agent seemed a bit frazzled but nevertheless, we were processed and headed up to our room. We booked a room in the east tower which was older but got an upgrade to a club room in the west tower.
After a quick fresher upper, we walked over to the Petronas towers that was a 10 minute walk away.
Getting close.
Then I saw this sign and smelled wonderful aromas and had to stop.
You know it’s good when there’s a queue …
When it’s your turn, the guy will have a plate of white rice ready and you choose whatever you want and you can pile as high as you want. After that, you take your plate to a guy waiting at the end of the queue who will eyeball your plate, punch in the amount in the computer and give you a card. You take the card to the cashier who will tap the card on the pad and you pay the amount indicated on the screen.
The spice level was off the chain.
Once everything was devoured, we made it to the towers.
After a quick nap, we took the monorail to Jalan Alor.
Yum.
After feeding Junior, my parents took him back to the hotel while the Mrs and I heading back to the Petronas for a quick night shot.
Pretty.
For da ‘gram.
The next morning, we headed to the Batu Caves and it was an absolutely packed. We didn’t know that it was a statutory holiday in KL to celebrate Thaipusam. A quick google search revealed that it was a festival celebrated by Tamil/Mayali communities during the month of January/February.
The cab driver dropped us on the other side of the highway and we had to walk under the overpass to get to the entrance.
The sea of humanity.
This was the farthest we could make it.
Some stalls.
We headed to the train to head to KL Sentral. After an eternity of waiting for the train to leave plus another 30 minutes of travel time, we finally made it.
Where we took a taxi to Merdeka Square to take in the sights like …
Art Gallery that was free to the public.
With the heat beating down, we decided to call it and headed back to the room and rest up before heading to the airport for the flight back to BOM.
With nothing much to do in the airport, we passed through security and waited until our flight was ready for boarding.
Walking to our birdie.
Back of J class again.
OJ PDB.
Bye LGK!
Forgot what the other choice was but went with the chicken curry.
Back on the ground in KL.
In the taxi to the hotel.
Arriving at the Renaissance KL – east wing tower.
Check-in took some time as the agent seemed a bit frazzled but nevertheless, we were processed and headed up to our room. We booked a room in the east tower which was older but got an upgrade to a club room in the west tower.
After a quick fresher upper, we walked over to the Petronas towers that was a 10 minute walk away.
Getting close.
Then I saw this sign and smelled wonderful aromas and had to stop.
You know it’s good when there’s a queue …
When it’s your turn, the guy will have a plate of white rice ready and you choose whatever you want and you can pile as high as you want. After that, you take your plate to a guy waiting at the end of the queue who will eyeball your plate, punch in the amount in the computer and give you a card. You take the card to the cashier who will tap the card on the pad and you pay the amount indicated on the screen.
The spice level was off the chain.
Once everything was devoured, we made it to the towers.
After a quick nap, we took the monorail to Jalan Alor.
Yum.
After feeding Junior, my parents took him back to the hotel while the Mrs and I heading back to the Petronas for a quick night shot.
Pretty.
For da ‘gram.
The next morning, we headed to the Batu Caves and it was an absolutely packed. We didn’t know that it was a statutory holiday in KL to celebrate Thaipusam. A quick google search revealed that it was a festival celebrated by Tamil/Mayali communities during the month of January/February.
The cab driver dropped us on the other side of the highway and we had to walk under the overpass to get to the entrance.
The sea of humanity.
This was the farthest we could make it.
Some stalls.
We headed to the train to head to KL Sentral. After an eternity of waiting for the train to leave plus another 30 minutes of travel time, we finally made it.
Where we took a taxi to Merdeka Square to take in the sights like …
Art Gallery that was free to the public.
With the heat beating down, we decided to call it and headed back to the room and rest up before heading to the airport for the flight back to BOM.
Feb 8, 2019, 12:41 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
#backtomumbai
Checked out and hopped into a cab back to the airport.
This concerned me on the way there …
Thankfully made it in one piece and make our way to the check-in counters. Oddly enough, the agent wanted to see our tickets, so I had to produce it on my phone.
With the formalities done, we passed through security, immigration and made our way on the train to the international concourse.
The MH Golden Lounge is located above the train and you have to take the elevator up one level.
Turning left after being scanned through.
Bar area on the left.
Entering the main area. Loved the overall design.
Fruit station.
Having filled our stomachs with little bites, we left after an hour to head towards our gate.
Managed to side step the crowd and head down the left door for business class.
The middle seats.
Cabin shot.
Guava PDB
Turkish and Mahan next to us.
Peace out Malaysia.
Whats for dinner?
Dinner heading the other way.
Here comes the satay!
Can I have everything?
Yum.
That view though.
Psychedelic.
Rented a cool cab.
Back at the Westin where we were upgraded to a club room this time.
This concerned me on the way there …
Thankfully made it in one piece and make our way to the check-in counters. Oddly enough, the agent wanted to see our tickets, so I had to produce it on my phone.
With the formalities done, we passed through security, immigration and made our way on the train to the international concourse.
The MH Golden Lounge is located above the train and you have to take the elevator up one level.
Turning left after being scanned through.
Bar area on the left.
Entering the main area. Loved the overall design.
Fruit station.
Having filled our stomachs with little bites, we left after an hour to head towards our gate.
Managed to side step the crowd and head down the left door for business class.
The middle seats.
Cabin shot.
Guava PDB
Turkish and Mahan next to us.
Peace out Malaysia.
Whats for dinner?
Dinner heading the other way.
Here comes the satay!
Can I have everything?
Yum.
That view though.
Psychedelic.
Rented a cool cab.
Back at the Westin where we were upgraded to a club room this time.