Flying to Padang (for Ments trips)
Air Asia is the fastest and cheapest international carrier according to my quick research. Wikipedia lists these other airlines:
Batik Air: Jakarta–Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta
Citilink: Batam, Jakarta—Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta
Garuda: Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Jeddah
Indonesia AirAsia: Singapore (begins 9 February 2018)
Lion Air: Batam, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Jeddah
Sriwijaya Air: Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Medan, Pekanbaru
Susi Air: Muko-Muko, Sipora
Wings Air: Bengkulu, Gunung Sitoli, Jambi, Palembang, Pekanbaru
XpressAir: Bandung, Tanjung Pinang
You should be able to get Melb to Padang in one day with Garuda - boards come under sports allowance
Air Asia flight prob a bit cheaper via KL- but extra charge for boards each leg ?
Thanks Ben & Udo.
I meant how do Swellnetters actually get to Padang, rather than how CAN I get there.
And any useful info, hints or tips would be great too. Like, is it a hassle to go from international to domestic terminals at Jakarta? Things that only experience can teach, and that you're willing to pass on to other travellers.
Most guys go via KL personally id be going Air Asia to KL you can get super cheap flights into KL, Air Asia isn't to bad they do sting you for extras of all kinds though.
BTW. I think Air Asia has started flying Singapore- Padang again also.
Garuda is a better airline but hard to get decent priced flights into Jakarta, Jakarta airport is a bit of a chaotic maze but not to hard and free to get from International to domestic.
If you are going to spend more maybe check out Singapore Airlines into Singapore often expensive but can get bargains and they kick arse over any other airline going to Indo/KL/Singapore
If you have time both Singapore and KL are worth stop over on the way home for a wind down.
My fav spots are Singapore little India for food and cheap accommodation, botanic gardens to relax.
KL Bukit Bintang is a good area to stay good street food at Jalan alor.
This site is worth a look for flights, have used them and they even give refunds if cancel a flight. https://www.traveloka.com/ (sight is down at the moment though?)
Lion air don't allow credit card bookings anymore, god knows why, so we use it too book those flights.
PS. If you are after a safe stomach food, go the KFC hot and spicy in Indonesia or KL ten times better than when they had it in OZ.
Otherwise ion Padang obviously Padang food, but make sure it has heavy turn over so half fresh, also the saviour style Matabak in Padang is a must.
And my new fav hotel in Padang http://www.rockyhotelsgroup.com/RockyHotel/RPHP/rocky-plaza-hotel-padang...
Man this place is the bomb its pretty much 4 to 5 star and decent location, I've stayed at countless places in Padang and most losmen/homestay/budget hotel are around the $30 mark and I'm a just give me any losmen kind of guy, but most places are crap for that price, basic, dirty, everything broken kind of deal.
But last time i was in Padang the missus got this place for just over $30 and it's like as good as any hotel I've been including few star hotels in Aussie cities
Air Asia have had an average run of late but I flew with them average of 10 return trips a year for a few years and I love them . Better service and friendlier staff. Sure a pilot might program in an incorrect destination every now and again.....
With situations like Jakarta airport , it's a third ( second ? ) world city and sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. Whether it's easy or hard it's still an adventure and THATS why you're really going away . Waves are the sweet icing on the cake.
So just roll the dice , book your flights , stay loose and you'll have a ball.
Good luck up there. Equatorial Indo is very cool indeed.
Singapore is amazing too. If you've got a day or two then check it out. It's the way I imagine a space station would be operated . Brutal cleanliness and ordered living.
So fascistic but so efficient and clean !
They do a good public transport , botanic garden and light show. The money you save on the free stuff should go towards a FUCKING AMAZING hotel over looking the marina bay .
Singapore is about money as much as anything....
Go to Raffles. Have a Singapore Sling or three. Eat the peanuts , throw the shells on the floor as the sweat from a tropical afternoon is soothed by the slow beat of the coconut palm ceiling fans. Sit back happily buzzed on Slings and imagine the terminally complacent English colonists barking drink orders at the native bar Boys as the Japanese silently worked their way South through the thick jungle to ambush the British who had all of their artillery pointed South towards the sea.
Just a suggestion .
Great stuff ID & Blowin, thanks.
I did see Air Asia now has flights from Singapore, and that did make me question whether or not to trust AA. Singapore is an amazing city and I'd love to do an overnight or 2 there, with Singapore Air topping it off. My wife & I love the Botanic Gardens and orchid displays, it's clean & safe to walk around the city and the food is incredible. I did go into Raffles with the intention of having a Sling but walked out after seeing the prices - something like $30 for one, and over $10 just for a beer.
And KL is good too. Great train from the airport to the city - I wish Melbourne had something like that! Last time we stayed there, our hotel room looked directly at the Petronas Towers, lit up at night like a candelabra.
Hmm, maybe I might leave my options open and risk Air Asia from KL or Singapore.
I'll just wait and see if I can get any cheap flights to any of the 3 cities and go with whichever one gives the best deal.
I'm hoping this trip happens (no surf trips last ear and got skunked on the trip to Rote (small surf the whole 10 days) in 2016. Haven't been to the Ments or any of the islands off Sumatra and I've been wanting to go to Aloita for maybe 10 years, before it started promoting itself heavily. G-Land has always been too attractive to me to go elsewhere, and combining that with time in Ubud for my wife, but now with Agung still threatening to come back to life (travel insurance won't cover us if it does start up again), this is a good time to finally go there.
Crip I’ve been to the Ments from Melbourne a few times.
Flown Air Asia to Kl then Padang, and also flown Emirates to Kl then Air Asia to Padang.
Just happened that Emirates had a good deal on and they were great to fly with.
Air Asia you get what you pay for, but it’s all part of the overall experience of going on a surf trip.
Enjoy!
Air Asia starting Avalon to KL flights this year.
I've flown with air asia a good number of times (Sydney to KL and back multiple times to visit the in-laws in malaysia, plus a number of internal flights within malaysia), and generally found them to be a perfectly good airline. Plus they've got the best food of any airline I've flown with in my opinion (if you're into malaysian fare).
I've never flown with them with boards though, so YMMV.
pain in the arse with boards.
better than they used to be but make sure pay upfront when you get the ticket because they will ream you at the check-in counter.
Not hard at all with boards FR. Flown a few times with em' to Padang via K.L and when you book on line just be sure to include 'sports luggage 30kg' for EACH leg of your flight along with regular check in luggage. You can even pre book meals on any leg for fuck all and as someone above said, the tucker is pretty good.
From memory, the last return trip out of Melbourne airport cost about $600 which is pretty bloody cheap IMO.
*Just be sure to double or even triple check every field you complete before you click submit/pay because if you stuff up one or more leg of the journey THAT'S when you pay through the nose at the airport.
Yeah never had trouble with boards when ticking the sports luggage option. Always arrived with the flight and no damage.. touch wood!
Air Asia have been on the nose with their compliance the last couple of years.
You might not want to fly with them, they have no bloody clue and here are a couple of great examples.
But regardless of those negative reports, have a great trip!
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/07/airasia-pilot-fli...
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/downed-airasia-flight-took-off-from...
Had Air Asia cancel / reschedule the same flight 4 x this year prior to heading to Indo. Never again for me.
AirAsia - new Jakarta Padang flight $45 AuD
I'm trying to work out how I can get to Padang for a trip out to the Mentawais. I had assumed I'd be flying from home (Melbourne) to Singapore or KL and then a quick hop over to Padang. But it looks like Air Asia is the only airline flying into Padang from SGP or KL, and I'm a bit reluctant to trust Air Asia. So I guess it's Melbourne to Jakarta and then on to Padang, probably on Garuda.
Obviously this is a very common trip so I thought it would be worth asking the Swellnetters. How do you get there?