25 Sep - 26 Sep 2012 Kuala Lumpur





Southeast Asia
Flawed-Democratic Federation of Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
KLIA Sepang
Small and overpriced standard double room for a stiff MYR 103.24 or US$ 32.80 per night (booked over the internet, long ago); very bad value, but this is the only hotel near the airport’s LCCT. Friendly staff.
Beer: 320-ml cans of non-halal but cold, smooth Anchor Strong Beer (8.8 % alc./vol.) for MYR 7.40 or US$ 2.45 from the 7-Eleven convenience store in front of the Tune Hotel.


Click below for an interactive road map of the Tune Hotel near Kuala Lumpur's KLIA Low-cost Carrier Terminal and for directions:








 
Overnighting in the airport's prosaic Tune Hotel, making use of the convenient amenities and facilities (e.g. the still reliable and friendly but slowly deteriorating airport staff canteen Food Garden with its cheap, delicious but fattening Malay food and with 3-hour long free access to wifi) in this otherwise bleak neighbourhood, and hunkering over the laptop computers in order to plan our upcoming return appearance at our favourite snorkel-and-dive spot on Central Sulawesi, the friendly and well-run Prince John Dive Resort (managed with Teutonic thoroughness and insularity); Indonesian Germans and German Indonesians, here we come again, hooray!

 

Flying with Air Asia Indonesia (“Now Everyone Can Fly”) in a delayed, well-worn Airbus A 320-200 from Kuala Lumpur’s KLIA-LCCT to Makassar’s flashy and ultra-modern Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport for only US$ 36.- per person, one way and all inclusive, buying a non-extendable 30-day visitor visa (“Visa on Arrival”) for Indonesia (cost: US$ 25.- per person, payable in crisp banknotes, collectable on the spot, friendly and efficient  service), thereafter connecting with low-cost carrier Lion Air (“We Make People Fly”), an airline with one of the worst safety records known to man, in a jam-packed, brand-new Boeing B 737-900ER from Makassar to Palu’s somewhat agricultural Mutiara Airport for IDR 395,500.- or US$ 41.-, one way and all inclusive, plus IDR 40,000.- or US$ 4.20 per person for the compulsory domestic airport tax, and, all's well that ends well, being picked up by Prince John Dive Resort’s +6245771710 punctual Kijang shuttle (c. 35 km from the airport to the resort, 1 hour, IDR 150,000.- or US$ 15.60 for the ride); many thanks, Alex, for your reliable support.

“When a flight is proceeding incredibly well, something was forgotten.”
 
 

Click below for more blog posts about scuba diving in Sulawesi
26 Sep - 24 Oct 2012 Tanjung Karang
05 Sep - 15 Sep 2011 Tanjung Karang
04 Sep - 05 Sep 2011 Lebo
16 Aug - 15 Sep 2011 Tanjung Karang

Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2012 Map Konni & Matt

Visit the Konni & Matt Online Albums and order high-res travel photos
Konni & Matt Travel Photos


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Facing Sulawesi
© Konni & Matt