This Bali vacation would not have materialized if we were not given complimentary flight tickets when we booked our Europe vacation package. Our plan was to utilize our tickets during the Chinese New Year period. However, the airline was fully booked and we had to find alternative dates. With the validity expiring end March, we thus decided on these dates, though we would have preferred to go on a longer trip.
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| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
Our flight to Bali was on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight 0836. Leaving Singapore Changi International Airport at 1730 hrs. Our group of four was at the airport at 1530 hrs. Approaching the KLM counter in Terminal 1, we were directed to the self check-in kiosks located nearby.
There were four self check-in machines though only 3 could check in KLM flights. We had to queue for almost fifteen minutes before our turn as everyone seemed to be having problems with the machine and there was nobody around to provide any assistance. People were getting frustrated and tempers were starting to boil. However, we were fortunate as we did not face any problems when we checked in our family of four except for the fact that one of our seats were totally separated from the rest of the group and though we indicated the change of seats, the boarding passes were printed with the original seats.
We then had to approach the KLM counter to check in our luggage and there we asked to change our seats but they said that the seat we originally chose was already taken up and there were no seats nearby. She asked us to check again at the boarding gate.
With some time to spare, we cleared customs and went to Delifrance for a bite. We were at the boarding gate by 1700 hrs and upon requesting to be seated together, we were all upgraded to KLM business class. WOW! What a pleasant surprise! It was as if we had hit the jackpot.
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| KLM Business Class flight amenity |
Our flight left at 1740 hrs, ten minutes later than scheduled. The journey was smooth on the whole and we had a great meal.
We touched down at Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport at 2020 hrs and by the time we disembarked, went through immigration, collected our luggage and cleared customs, it was already 2100 hrs.
Holiday Travel Tips:-
If you require a visa to enter Bali, you may purchase your visa on arrival at the respective counters for USD25. The queue to clear immigration for those with visa on arrival is so much shorter, and thus faster, than those who do not require visas from what we experienced, arriving on a flight from Singapore Changi International Airport.
Following the directional signs, we made our way to the Taxi Service counter and booked a taxi to our Bali accommodation for our two nights stay at The Rani Hotel and Spa in Tuban, South Kuta.
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| Ngurah Rai International Airport Taxi Service Counter |
Jalan Kartika Plaza
Kuta
Bali 80361
Indonesia
Tuban
Email: therani@dps.centrin.net.id
Tel: (62-361)752 732
Fax: (62-361)752 212
A mere ten minutes journey and we arrived at The Rani Hotel and Spa. We also negotiated with our taxi driver to bring us around for the next day and a half.
Holiday Travel Tips:-
Collect the various Bali information brochures at the Ngurah Rai International Airport so that you have an idea of where you would like to visit as well as the prices of the various tours or car charters.
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| Brochures easily available at Ngurah Rai International Airport |
Holiday Travel Tips:-
If you have a group of between two to seven persons, it would be advisable to charter a car and personalize your very own tour itinerary to explore this fully magical island. English speaking drivers are easily available and the main advantages are that you will be able to stop anytime and anywhere along the way as well as spend as much or as little time as you wish at any particular area. You do not have to keep to the fixed timings and itineraries, as you would need to if you were to book the specific tours directly with the tour agencies. Moreover you might find this a more economical way to travel, the bigger the size of your group.
We managed to negotiate with our driver for the following rates:-
9 hours sightseeing at Rp400,000 (USD43.95)
6 hours sightseeing at Rp300,000 (USD32.93)
It has been a wonderfully lucky day for us on the first day of our Bali free and easy vacation and we were looking forward to soaking in the various Bali attractions and culture in the next two days.
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