Indonesia – The Wknd Travel

2019 Rewind: Crossing Borders & Making Dreams Come True

Another year of travels is coming to an end. Those of you following me since 2016 know that I always post a year-end blog detailing what happened to me & where I went in that specific year. 2016 was all about travelling solo, exploring places by myself; 2017 was exploring relatively known & unknown places & 2018 was all about reuniting & travelling with friends. 2019 is a mix of all 3 years of recaps. I went & explored places by myself, I flew & took trains to both & unknown places & I had a few trips with my friends. I can say 2019 is my best year yet for travelling – I’ve crossed many borders & made my long-time dreams come true.

Allow me to share with you details of my 2019 in terms of trips taken. I will also give insights of the interesting content developments here in my website.

trips recap ✈️

SORSOGON 🇵🇭

I started off the year with a day trip to the beaches of Matnog, Sorsogon. I didn’t post about this day trip in this website but I believe it’s worth sharing here. My cousins from Australia welcomed the new year in our hometown. Days after the new year, we took them to the islands of Subic, Matnog in Sorsogon. We first went fish feeding in a sanctuary then continued to Subic Beach. It was a fun day spent with cousins in the beach.

JAPAN 🇯🇵

Back in February, I flew to my favorite Japan for 9 days. My supposed-to-be trip to Nagano, Kanazawa & Toyama turned into a family trip around Tokyo & Kansai Region (Osaka, Nara & Kyoto). I flew with them to Tokyo then took a side trip to Nagano then met my sisters in Osaka afterwards. It was a delight seeing the snow monkeys in Nagano & spending some alone time in a very cold & snowy place in Japan. I then flew to Fukuoka to spend a day around the city before catching my flight back to Manila. I may not have been to Kanazawa & Toyama in this trip but I’ll make sure to go next time.

I didn’t post much about this but I went to Japan again a few months ago. My friend & I decided to surprise another friend in her flight to Fukuoka & to ruin her first ever solo trip. We spent 48 hours around Fukuoka, Japan, went to pretty interesting places, savored every Japanese meal & drowned ourselves with the Lipton milk tea drink.

Blog List:
Japan Highlights 2019: TOKYO – 36 Hours In The Land Of The Rising Sun’s Most Famous Metropolis
Japan Highlights 2019: NAGANO – 48 Hours In The Inland Prefecture Of The Snow Monkeys
Japan Highlights 2019: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN – A Theme Park That Brings You Back To Being A ‘Kid’ Just For A Day
Japan Highlights 2019: KYOTO – Japan’s Ancient Capital In One Day
Japan Highlights 2019: NARA – A Morning Visit To The Deer Park
Japan Highlights 2019: MATSUMOTO & FUKUOKA Stopovers

BACOLOD 🇵🇭

Office friends & I went on a spontaneous Bacolod weekend trip last February. We flew to the city & went to the famous Ruins then had chicken inasal for dinner in Manukan Country. We then went to the town of Don Salvador Benedicto to check out Negros’ Little Baguio. After a few hours around the mountains, we went back to the city & decided to just eat out until we flew back to Manila.

Blog: Spontaneous BACOLOD Weekend: 48 Hours In The City of Smiles

MELBOURNE 🇦🇺

I flew to Melbourne, Australia with Leng & Shane (from Sydney 2018 trip) during the Holy Week break last April. I spent 8 days around the city & the nearby suburbs. We also went to the Brighton Bathing Boxes, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Country. My friend Lord, who I was with on It’s The Ship 2018, joined us on our first few days in Melbourne.

We didn’t make out Melbourne itinerary that busy compared to our Sydney one. We just enjoyed our time there, strolling around the beautiful city, trying out different cuisines & hoarding every single interesting item in the supermarkets.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas
N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb
N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial
N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife
N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day

TAIWAN 🇹🇼

It’s been years since our last family trip to Singapore. My parents decided to bring the family to Taiwan for the Fathers’ Day weekend. We went to the city of Taichung on our first day as per my sister’s request. She wanted to see the flower farms in Taichung plus take nice photos with the family. We then went around the city on Fathers’ Day – went to church, strolled around Daan Park, ate at Din Tai Fung, hiked the Elephant Hill & walked around Raohe Night Market.

On our third day, we took the Klook guided tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street & Shifen then finished the day around Ximending. We spent our fourth day in Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Liberty Square & in the airport for our flight back to Manila. I met with my good friend Richard, whom I knew in Komodo, Indonesia in 2018, for a few nights in Taipei. He was also in the city waiting for his flight back to Europe. It was fun catching up with this man over food & drinks!

Blog List:
TAIWAN All Over Again – Family Long Weekend In Taipei
TAICHUNG Photo Blog: Picturesque Places Outside Taipei
YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN Klook Tour – Perfect & Hassle-Free Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

YOGYAKARTA 🇮🇩

One spontaneous trip I took this year was that to Yogyakarta. I saw a piso-fare ticket to Jakarta last June for an August trip & decided to buy that ticket. I contacted Yudi, a friend I met on Its the Ship 2018 who is now based somewhere in Indonesia. We then agreed to meet in Yogyakarta & volunteered to take me around.

Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, who joined me in Melbourne last April, decided to join me a week before the trip. We then met with Yudi & his friend Dallin in Yogyakarta & we went around the city. We went to different temples (Borobudur, Prambanan, Taman Sari) & also took the lava trail tour in Mount Merapi. We ate in different local restaurants & tried several local dishes. We spent most of our time in Yogyakarta in the road, in restaurants & in our hotel. It was a relaxing trip; not the usual busy one. It’s nice to step back for a while & just enjoy chilling.

Blog: The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

BORACAY 🇵🇭

My buddy Rick & I flew to Boracay last September to surprise our high school friends having their holiday in the island. They didn’t know that we were coming so we decided to show up on the afternoon of their 2^nd day, right after arriving in the island. We ate in nice restaurants, walked along the shore, swam on the beach & spent some quality time with the group.

Rick & I stayed for 2 more days in the island & just spent most of the time relaxing, eating, walking & drinking. I didn’t expect this September trip to have its 2^nd part after the Bohol weekend in 2018 but I hope there will be a 3^rd installment in 2020, 4^th installment in 2021 until this becomes a regular trip with them. By the way, I didn’t join my family in Hong Kong to join these people plus I also don’t have my passport during this time.

E-U-R-O-P-E!!! 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇨🇿 🇩🇰

Finally, A TRIP TO EUROPE! This is the highlight of my 2019. It was a dream come true. I haven’t posted anything about this trip in the website but I’m happy to share that this long-time plan of going to Europe happened last October to November 2019.

One of my Europe trip highlights – a trip to Český Krumlov. This town is picturesque & peaceful. 🇨🇿

It all started with an affordable ticket I got from the Singapore Airlines & BPI promotion last January 2019. I got tickets flying from Manila to Amsterdam, Netherlands & leaving from Copenhagen, Denmark, both via Singapore. I saved up the whole year, planned my itinerary, booked my hostels & booked the inter-country flights ahead of time. I applied for a tourist visa on my own – no help from any agency & got it after a week.

Nyhavn – my favorite place in Copenhagen… It’s where the Danish Christmas market is found! 🇩🇰

And the trip happened. Due to busy work schedule, I didn’t have time to do more research & make my final itinerary. I arrived in Amsterdam with no plans, not even a single idea how to go to my hostel. I got scared at first but I ended up having the best days of my life around Europe. I went to 4 countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark), explored cities & small towns, reunited with friends I met from previous trips, met cool new friends along the way, took walking tours in every city / town, drank more beers than waters in a day, walked thousands of steps & tens of kilometers a day & ate all local food I can in every place. I did all of these alone! Yes, I FLEW TO EUROPE ALONE & I SURVIVED. It was probably the bravest thing I did this year.

Obligatory photo with the canals of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.. Can’t wait to go back here! 🇳🇱

I have so much to share about this trip but I am reserving that for the individual posts. I hope you’ll watch out for those write-ups.

Blogs: TO FOLLOW.

blog highlights ✨

Aside from the usual blog contents I post, there were 2 significant developments in this blog. First is the continued posts for the Tuesday Tips & Hostel of the Day features. I had 3 Tuesday Tip posts & 7 hostel of the day features published in my website solely for 2019. I still have a long list of Tuesday tips to share & hostels (especially the ones from Europe) to publish so watch out for those. My main goal of posting these Tuesday tips & hostel features is to show the world that there are nice things out there that don’t need hefty amounts of money. You can have the same fun & memorable experiences by paying small amounts.

Blog List:
Hostel of the Day: DOT HOSTEL NAGANO – Wooden House Turned High-Rated Affordable Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: KHAOSAN WORLD ASAKUSA RYOKAN & HOSTEL – Clean & Affordable Traditional Japanese Accommodation In The Heart Of Tokyo
Hostel Of The Day: NEW WORLD INN OSAKA – Simple, Affordable & Modern Property Near Tennoji
Hostel Of The Day: FUKUOKA HANA HOSTEL – Fukuoka’s In-Demand & Best Valued Tourist Accommodation
Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City
Hostel Of The Day: UINN TRAVEL HOSTEL – Modern, Space-Themed & Excellent Taipei Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL BORACAY – Paradise Island’s Hidden Party Hostel Gem
Tuesday Tip: 4 TRUSTED HOSTEL GROUPS To Check When Looking For AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION in JAPAN
Tuesday Tip: 6 WAYS To SAVE MONEY In MELBOURNE
Tuesday Tip: Do-It-Yourself SCHENGEN TOURIST VISA Application With VFS NETHERLANDS

This year, I introduced a section in my website called Flight Reports. You guys know I love flying & my interest in aviation is something else. I thought of sharing my flight experiences with different airlines – how the service is from check in to boarding to in-flight services & cabin crew service. Since I started the section in June, I already published 8 flight reports about 5 local & international airlines. I didn’t expect this section to get hits but I’m happy that I get regular website visits for these specific posts. I still have about 5 or 6 flight reports to share with you, most of them from my European trip. I hope you’re excited for these flight reports as I am!

Blog List:
Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 328 – Legazpi to Manila – ₱600 ($11.50) Flight Back To Manila
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7551 – Yogyakarta to Jakarta – Redemption Flight Back To Indonesia’s Capital
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 905 – Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) – Short & Relatively Empty Flight To Paradise Island
Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6244 – Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila – Quick Turboprop Flight Back To The Metro
Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 915 – Manila to Singapore – 5-Star Economy Class Experience In A New Generation Boeing Dreamliner

By the way, this just came in. This website has finally hit 90,000 site views! This is another milestone hit before the end of the 2019. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the endless support – from sharing my articles & posts, to commenting & liking the posts that appear on your timelines to your comments & questions. I appreciate all of these.

Thank you for giving me the reason to continue sharing more content in this website. I can tell you this is not the end, it is just the start of more tips, flight reports, itineraries & blog posts. I have a long list of topics to share & upcoming trips & flights to take. You’ll definitely see more in this website next year.

Here’s to an adventure-filled 2020. Happy New Year, dear readers!

PS. Some photos were taken using my HTC U11. Shout out to my friends Junelle, Mark & Richard for allowing me to use your photos in this post.

The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

Hello & long time no post! After about a month of being quiet, I am back. I just came back from a big trip somewhere far & I cannot wait to share more details about you guys. For now, it’s time to catch up on some backlogs. Today, I will revive my Wonderful Indonesia Series. In the past, I have shared with you details about my trip to Bali, Nusa Penida & Komodo. Today, I will bring you to another amazing place in Indonesia – YOGYAKARTA.

Borobudur Temple – one of the 2 big temples you will see when you go to Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Last August, my friends & I went on a relaxing weekend trip to Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Yogyakarta, in the local terms Jogjakarta or Jogja, is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. It is the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarch. The city has a long history in terms of arts & culture. Nowadays, the city is the center of Indonesian education. Many youngsters move to the city to finish their degrees. To the tourists, it is the home of the world-famous Borobudur & Prambanan Temples.

Join me as I share with you the details of this quick but relaxing weekend getaway in one of Indonesia’s most beautiful cities.

Flight Tickets

I didn’t have plans of going to the city & country this year until my Indonesian friend Yudi, whom I met on Its The Ship 2018, invited for a weekend trip in Indonesia. Last June, I managed to book a return Cebu Pacific Air piso-fare ticket to Jakarta for ₱2,471 for an August long weekend. I immediately contacted my friend Yudi & we decided to spend the trip in Yogyakarta. I booked my Jakarta-Yogyakarta-Jakarta ticket with Indonesia Air Asia for only ₱3,155 return.

Overall, I spent ₱5,626 for 4 flights from Manila to Yogyakarta (via Jakarta) & back. Not bad, not bad at all. Actually, I posted reviews about 3 of these 4 flights. Check out the flight reports here: Manila (MNL) to Jakarta (CGK) with Cebu Pacific Air, Jakarta (CGK) to Yogyakarta (JOG) with Indonesia Air Asia & Yogyakarta (JOG) to Jakarta (CGK) with Indonesia Air Asia. I decided not to cover my flight back from Jakarta to Manila as I was asleep most of the time.

last minute joiners

Yudi & I have been in constant communication about the trip & tried to plan where to go or what to do. About 2 weeks into the trip, Dallin & Lord decided to join us for the trip. Dallin is Yudi’s friend while Lord is a Singapore-based good friend of mine who runs the LordAroundTheWorld blog. Lord was responsible for me joining Its The Ship 2018. He also joined us for a few days in Melbourne last April. Lord & I met in Yogyakarta Airport & we eventually met the other 2 guys in our hotel in the city.

Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel

We took a break from the hostel / dormitory life & decided to stay in a hotel in Yogyakarta. It didn’t hurt much cost-wise since accommodation in Indonesia is cheap compared to other cities in Southeast Asia, way cheaper than Manila hotels. We picked Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel & paid IDR 1,736,836 (₱6,511.39 reflected in my statement) for 3 nights in a 28 sq m superior room for 2 people.

This 4-star hotel is centrally located in Jalan Prawirotaman II where nice hotels & restaurants are located. The nearby Jalan Prawirotaman is the hipster street of Yogyakarta. The hotel is fab & well-designed. It has an inhouse fitness center, swimming pool, spa, art gallery, bar & restaurant. The hotel staff was accommodating, helpful & friendly. The hotel WiFi connection was fast & reliable.

We got a spacious superior room with a private balcony & a view of the city. The room has impressive lighting, lots of space & has an ‘office corner’ where guests can do some work. The hotel is clean & well-maintained. Buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. I am happy to say they have a good variety of dishes in the 3 mornings that I had breakfast.

We had a pleasant stay at Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel; we were able to take advantage of the hotel amenities. Food was good, the service was top notch & the location was perfect. I recommend that you consider this hotel when going to Yogyakarta.

Getting Around Yogyakarta

We used my friend’s car to go around the city. There was no need to hire a private car charter or to take public transportation, Grab, Gojek or rickshaws to go from one place to the other. There are multiple options in going around the city, but the best way in my opinion is to rent a motorcycle for a day or two or to rent a car & drive around for the whole duration of stay. The highlights of the city like Mount Merapi, Borobudur & Prambanan Temples are located far from the city & far from each other.

places visited

Let me warn you. All of us went to Yogyakarta with no plans or anything in mind. I didn’t do any research & I asked my friend to plan out our itinerary. Apparently, they also didn’t plan anything. We ended up going to the places we only feel like visiting. Most of the time was spent eating in nice restaurants (wait for the post about this!) & in our hotel. We were there to take a break & relax. Anyway, check out the places we went to.

JALAN MALIOBORO

Jalan Malioboro, commonly known as Malioboro Street, is Yogyakarta’s major shopping street. This street is the best place to go shopping & have the local street food. At night, the long strip transforms into a busy market with all sorts of stuff you can think of. Both locals & tourists flock this street every night. Warning! Prices can be expensive, especially if know that you are tourists.

TAMAN SARI WATER CASTLE

Taman Sari used to be the garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It used to be the sultanate’s hiding place, also his place of rest & meditation. The water castle is now one of the city’s top attractions with only a few buildings left from the old times. Locals also started to reside in some of the castle buildings / grounds.

MERAPI LAVA TRAIL TOUR

My friends & I drove about 1.5 hours away from Yogyakarta center to Mount Merapi & take the lava trail tour on a 4 x 4 jeep. Mount Merapi is an active volcano located in the border of Yogyakarta & Central Java. It is a popular tourist destination because of its lava & boulder trails brought by the volcanic activities.

There were 3 options for the lava trail tour. We opted for the shortest one. The tour & the bumpy ride around the lava trails took about 1.5 hours. I’m sorry I forgot how much we paid for the whole tour. It wasn’t that much. Was it worth the time & effort going to the volcano grounds? It was alright; not much interesting things to see. I won’t do it again in the future.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE

My main reason of flying to Yogyakarta is to see the world famous Borobudur Temple. This UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site is the world’s largest Buddhist temple built in the 9th century. The temple is also famous for its round stupas containing a unique Buddha structure inside.

Most tourists go to the temple during sunrise / sunset, but we opted to go there during midday. An entrance ticket is required to enter the temple grounds. Lord & I opted for the US$45 combined entrance ticket for Borobudur & Prambanan Temples.

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE

Prambanan Temple is another UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site found in Yogyakarta. This Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 10th century. This, together with Borobudur Temple, are the main attractions for people visiting Yogyakarta.

We got a combined entry ticket worth US$45 per person (for the 2 temples) to access the temple grounds.

This pretty much sums up my Yogyakarta weekend with friends. It felt good seeing them again after a while & spending quality time over good food & drinks & amazing scenery. Nothing much really happened, it was all about taking a break from our daily routines.

Have you been to Yogyakarta? How did you find the city? Is it a place you’d love to go back or maybe a place you’d love to visit? Post your thoughts in the comment section below. Do you have any questions about the information mentioned above? Send them to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll respond as soon as I can. Please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Watch out for the list of restaurants you shouldn’t miss when in Yogyakarta – that’ll be the next post about this amazing city.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7551 – Yogyakarta to Jakarta – Redemption Flight Back To Indonesia’s Capital

Hola to another flight report! Last time I shared with you how my Jakarta to Yogyakarta on Indonesia Air Asia went. It was a winner for the price but just okay in all other aspects. There are a lot of points which they can improve on such, as seat quality, legroom & flight punctuality.

Today, I will share with you my Indonesia Air Asia flight back to Jakarta from Yogyakarta. I really didn’t have plans of covering this flight, but my great experience forced me to do so. I’m calling this a redemption flight – a redemption of all the not-so-good experiences I had on the flight to Yogyakarta.

Believe it or not, we used the same old aircraft back to Jakarta. There’s not much I can do with these details but the service topped it all. Allow me to share with you some details of this amazing flight. Please expect a shorter review this time as most details are already mentioned in the previous Indonesia Air Asia post.

indonesia air asia

As mentioned in my previous flight report, Indonesia Air Asia is a low cost airline that is based in Jakarta Airport. It is the Indonesian counterpart of Air Asia Berhad based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline currently flies to over 20 destinations in Indonesia, Southeast Asia & even in Australia. It operates an all economy class Airbus A320 fleet. Just like any other low-cost carrier, the airline offers basic flight services. Any additional service needs to be purchased.

Ticket

I paid ₱3,155 for a Jakarta – Yogyakarta – Jakarta return ticket with Indonesia Air Asia. I booked the ticket 6 weeks before the scheduled flight. I still consider the fare cheap considering it was booked a few weeks before the flights. The ticket includes complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage per way – a great add-on for the ticket. I hope all low-cost carriers offer this even just to its domestic services.

flight details

The flight was operated by a 6.2-year old Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an all economy class configuration. The plane has a 180-seating capacity & has 30 rows of 6 seats each. The flight departed Adi Sucipto International Airport on time & arrived Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta 40 minutes ahead of schedule. The flight only took 1 hour 1 minute back to Jakarta. It surely made it up from the flight I had a few days before.

CHECK-IN, BAGGAGE & BOARDING

Indonesia Air Asia uses Terminal B in Adi Sucipto International Airport. I arrived at the airport 2 hours before the flight & the check-in counters were packed. If I can remember it correct, I was 15th in the line. It took me about an hour to check-in. The check-in process was very disorganized. For me, this was the only let down of the flight. It was the total opposite of the check-in experience I had on the flight to Yogyakarta.

As mentioned above, all passengers were given 15-kilograms complimentary check-in baggage allowance. I checked-in my luggage to reduce the inconvenience of walking with a heavy bag. This free add-on is definitely a win for the airline – a low-cost carrier offering free baggage allowance. Great job, QZ!

Indonesia Air Asia, just like any other Air Asia flights, board passengers via seat numbers. They prioritize Premium Flex guests & those assigned on Rows 1-5, 12 & 14. Passengers seated from rows 15-30 come next & those seated from rows 6 to 11 board last. The boarding process in this flight was smooth & organized. It didn’t take us long to board the aircraft.

Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

The airline’s system automatically assigns seats to all passengers days before the flight. If the passenger doesn’t like the seat assigned to him / her; he / she has the option to choose a preferred seat with an additional fee. This can still be done during check-in process. I was lucky enough to get an exit seat- well not just exit but the front-most seat, 1E. I was in the middle of 2 Malaysian guys who know each other so I offered to exchange seat with one of them. I eventually got seat 1D by the aisle. The legroom on these 1st row seats were the best. It had so much space. The seats of this 6.2-year old aircraft are due for change. Their seat covers are already old & over-used. I hope the airline changes them soon. Just like the CGK-JOG flight, the seat belts on this aircraft were too tight.

Indonesia Air Asia doesn’t offer complimentary meals. Snacks & rice meals are available for pre-order during booking or during the flight itself. The available items can be found in the Santan Magazine provided in every seat pocket. The airline also doesn’t have in-flight entertainment systems. They only provide a seat pocket consisting of the airline’s magazine, Duty Free brochure & the safety card.

lavatory

I was seated in the 1st row, so I had the chance of checking the aircraft’s lavatory. I’d say the crew did a fantastic job in maintaining the front toilet clean all throughout the flight. They offered the basic amenities like tissue & liquid hand soap.

cabin crew service

Cabin crew service was probably the most outstanding part of this redemption flight. The crew were helpful & super friendly. They didn’t make any unnecessary noise during the flight. Believe it or not, meal & food service was finished 15 minutes after take-off. All of the cabin crew were attentive to all of the guests requests. I’m glad I experienced the genuine Air Asia hospitality in this flight. Hats off to the crew assigned to this flight last August.

verdict

Overall, my Indonesia Air Asia flight from Yogyakarta to Jakarta on QZ 7551 was awesome. The airfare, assigned seat, boarding process, early arrival, complimentary baggage allowance & cabin crew service made this flight my best QZ flight so far (had about 5 – 7 QZ flights in the past.)

The only dent I saw on this almost perfect flight was the long & disorganized check-in process & the old aircraft used for the flight. Everything was great aside from those things. I am happy that Indonesia Air Asia redeemed themselves in this flight back to Jakarta. Will I fly them again? OF COURSE. Nothing beats their affordable fares & amazing schedules, plus the complimentary baggage allowance. I personally don’t mind flying low-cost carriers to nearby destinations.

For those of you who are interested on the flight & aircraft information, check out the details below.

Airline: Indonesia Air Asia
Flight Date: 26 August 2019
Flight Number: QZ 7551
Route: Yogyakarta (JOG) – Jakarta (CGK)
Duration: 1:01 hours
Seat Number: 1D
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: PK-AZE
Age: 6.2 Years
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you ever flown with Indonesia Air Asia? If yes, how was your flight experience? If not, do you plan to fly with them sometime soon? Feel free to post your comments, questions, experiences & thoughts in the comments section below. You can also send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you so much for joining me in today’s Flight Report. Watch out for more flight reports soon. Ciao!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City

Hello & welcome to another flight report! Today, I will share with you my experience with Indonesia Air Asia on their domestic service from the country’s capital Jakarta to the royal city of Yogyakarta. I will discuss on the fare, in-flight service, pricing, etc. just like the previous flight reports.

Let me take you to Yogyakarta (JOG) via Air Asia – Indonesia’s Royal City located in Central Jaya!

In case you missed yesterday’s post, I shared with you details about my $24 international flight last month on Cebu Pacific Air from Manila, Philippines to Jakarta, Indonesia. It was an awesome night flight – crew was great, the emergency exit seat pitch was spacious & the flight arrived on time. I was a happy passenger considering I only paid a that much for the 4-hour flight.

Be sure to also check my previous flight reports on EVA Air’s Taipei to Manila service & Cebu Pacific Air’s domestic service from Legaspi to Manila. Now back to the Indonesia Air Asia, allow me to discuss the flight details in the parts mentioned below.

indonesia Air asia

Indonesia Air Asia is a low-cost airline headquartered in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the Indonesian counterpart of Air Asia Berhad based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline currently flies to over 20 destinations in Indonesia, Southeast Asia & even in Australia. It operates an all economy class Airbus A320 fleet. Just like any other low-cost carrier, the airline offers basic flight services. Any additional service needs to be purchased.

*Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is a clean & nice airport. It has that local vibe! 🙂*

Air Ticket

You might have noticed in my previous post that my recent Indonesia trip was booked only 2 months prior. I wasn’t able to get the chance of getting really low fares for the domestic sector in Indonesia. Thank God for Indonesia Air Asia, I was able to get a Jakarta – Yogyakarta – Jakarta ticket for about ₱3,155 (amount reflected on my credit card statement.) This fare is already cheap considering it was booked 6 weeks before the trip & I was flying in & out during peak days of Friday & Monday.

The ticket summary – each flight comes with 15 kilograms complimentary checked baggage!! 🙂

The airfare includes a guaranteed seat in the flight plus 7 kilograms carry on baggage. Unlike other low-cost carriers, Indonesia Air Asia offers complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage for all its domestic routes. Take note this free baggage allowance is only applicable to flights departing & arriving at an Indonesian destination. I don’t have any idea on what’s the reason behind this, but it is a great free add-on!

Flight Details

This flight service from Jakarta to Yogyakarta was operated by a 6.2-year old Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an all economy class configuration. The plane has 30 rows, with 6 seats per row.

The flight started taxiing 10 minutes after scheduled departure time & arrived 40 minutes after the scheduled arrival time at Adi Sucipto International Airport . The flight was delayed due to the busy air traffic at Yogyakarta Airport. The flight that was supposed to only take 50 minutes ended up taking 1 hour & 48 minutes. It was not Indonesia Air Asia’s fault. However, the delay still affected the flight experience.

Check-In, Baggage & Boarding

Indonesia Air Asia flies from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 2 in Jakarta. Check-in counters in this terminal are spacious & efficient. Passengers are expected to check in using the self check-in kiosks located near every counter. After printing the boarding pass, passengers with check-in baggage are advised to go to the bag drop counters to leave their bags. There were no lines or whatsoever. In fact, I finished the check-in process (with bag drop – of course I had to make use of the free baggage allowance) in less than 5 minutes.

As mentioned above, Indonesia Air Asia offers complimentary 15-kilogram baggage allowance in all of its domestic sector. It is a great addition; at least passengers don’t need to purchase baggage allowance for their flights. My luggage was a little over 7 kilograms but I still checked it in. It feels good to walk around the airport without a heavy bag on your back.

Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

Like any other low-cost airlines, these services are for additional fees. Indonesia Air Asia assigns seats to all its guests days before the flight. If you want to change the seat assigned to you, you need to pay extra for your preferred seat. They also do not allow seat changes upon check-in. You either take your assigned seat or pay at the check-in counter for your preferred seat. In my recent Cebu Pacific Air flight, the ground staff granted by request to be seated in the emergency exit row free of charge.

The legroom – not the best. It was okay for a short flight but not for a medium / long haul flight..

I got seat 3B for this flight. I got a premium or hot seat as they call it. Is it really premium? I don’t think so. Legroom has 29-inch seat pitch – the same with Cebu Pacific Air’s. The only difference is that Air Asia’s seats are the soft, old & thick ones while Cebu Pacific Air’s seats are the thin new ones that provide more legroom for the passengers. The seats were already old up to the point my back can feel the knees of the passenger behind me. The seats & tray tables were not that clean; the seatbelts were too tight. I guess I’m not a fan of Air Asia’s seats.

In-flight meals or snacks can be pre-ordered or purchased on board. The cabin crew goes around with the snack tray & offers food to the passengers. Air Asia offers an extensive choice of snacks & drinks. The choices can be found on the airline’s inflight menu called, Santan. I didn’t avail of any meal or snack for this short flight. Airplane food for sale on-board are expensive & overpriced.

There’s nothing in front of you except for a red seat cover & magazines to read during the flight..

Indonesia Air Asia doesn’t have personal entertainment screens on their aircraft. Passengers are only given in-flight literature & Duty Free magazines to read / browse during the flight.

Lavatory

I didn’t get the chance to visit the aircraft’s lavatory during the flight. I was a bit shy to tell the person seated beside me to stand & I also didn’t feel the need to use it.

Cabin Crew Service

Air Asia’s cabin crew service is known for being passenger-friendly & hospitable. The crew on this flight isn’t an exception. They welcomed all the passengers with their smiles in their faces. They were all nice & attentive. Crew service was fast & efficient; they were able to finish meal service 20 minutes after take-off. The only downside I can remember was the noise they created in the front galley when we were waiting for landing. 2 ladies were chatting in loud voices about random stuff. Other than that, service was good.

Verdict

I had an ‘okay’ flight experience with Indonesia Air Asia on flight QZ 7550 from Jakarta to Yogyakarta last August. The flight had both hits & misses so I can’t generally say it was an awesome flight. First miss, the aircraft used was already old & some cabin features are already outdated. Seats are not comfortable; legroom isn’t that good. Second, the flight was delayed due to runway traffic in Yogyakarta Airport. It was not the airline’s fault, but then again, it has stained the flight experience. Third, cabin crew were alright. They were responsive, friendly & hospitable, but they also had unnecessary noise in the front galley towards the latter part of the flight.

The flight also had some wins. First, the fare was great. Considering I booked the ticket about 2 months into the trip; I still managed to get it for around ₱1,600 per way. Second, the ticket included a complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage allowance. This is a rare add-on for low-cost airlines – thank you Indonesia Air Asia. Lastly, check-in & boarding process was fast & efficient. It didn’t take long to finish all these processes.

At the end of the day, the airline was able to bring me to Yogyakarta for that affordable price. I am thankful I got the my destination safe & sound. Will I fly them again in the future? Maybe yes, maybe no. I really can’t say. The main deal-breaker will probably the airfare. If it’s cheap, then I’ll give it a go. If it’s almost the same as a full-service airline, I’ll go with the full-service airline.

In case you’re interested in the flight & aircraft details, check out the specifics below.

Airline: Indonesia Air Asia
Flight Date: 23 August 2019
Flight Number: QZ 7550
Route: Jakarta (CGK) Indonesia – Yogyakarta (JOG) Indonesia
Duration: 1:48 hours
Seat Number: 3B
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: PK-AZE
Age: 6.2 Years
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you ever flown with Indonesia Air Asia? Where did you fly to & how was your flight experience? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. If you want to remain anonymous to everyone, you can also send it via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Flight Report! Watch out for the next one.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia

Last month, I flew to Indonesia to spend a long weekend with my friends. We all flew to Yogyakarta to go around the city for 3 full days & visit the majestic Borobudur Temple. Watch out for the post about that trip. I first flew to Jakarta & spent the night there before continuing my journey to our destination. Believe it or not, I flew with Cebu Pacific Air for only ₱1,236 one way. It’s crazy cheap for a 4-hour flight; guess I’m lucky in getting these kinds of deals. I will share with you how my experience was on that flight. Note that I won’t be covering my Jakarta to Manila flight because I just slept the entire flight.

Did you know that I already talked about my previous Taipei to Manila flight with EVA Air & Legazpi to Manila flight with Cebu Pacific Air? Check out those flight reports in this link.

Cebu Pacific Air

As mentioned in my previous flight report, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippine’s largest airline, flying to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific & the Middle East. The airline is known for it’s Piso Fare promotion where they offer flights for as low as ₱1 base fare. They hold these promotions at least once every quarter or during special occasions, milestones or holidays.

If you want to know more about the airline, feel free to visit their corporate website by clicking this link.

Airfare

My ticket from Manila to Jakarta & back cost me only ₱2,471 – ₱1,236 from Manila to Jakarta & ₱1,235 from Jakarta to Manila. Jakarta’s airport authority, Angkas Pura II, has pretty much the same fees & taxes imposed by our own Manila International Airport Authority. I was able to book this cheap ticket last 12 June 2019 when Cebu Pacific Air had their Independence Day Piso Fare sale.

The ticket included only 7-kg carry on baggage. I didn’t avail of any additional services because the trip only lasted for a 4 days; I didn’t have to bring a lot of stuff. What do you think of the airfare? Imagine flying 4 hours for only that much; that’s around ₱300 per hour – even cheaper than my almost an hour Grab ride to the airport.

flight information

The flight was operated by an 8-year old Airbus A320-314 aircraft – built & delivered in 2011. The plan operates an all economy class configuration with 3 seats per row & 180 seats in total. It took us 4 hours & 13 minutes to get to Jakarta, 2 minutes earlier than the airline’s allotted 4 hours & 15 minutes flying schedule. The flight had a lot of turbulence along the way, especially when we were flying to our assigned cruising altitude.

Airport Check-In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air’s check-in facilities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 were alright. They divided the flights & check-in counters by destination. They also have a special line for web & mobile check-in & a priority lane for senior citizens, persons with disability & people travelling with infants. I already checked in via the airline’s mobile application so it only took me about 10 minutes to check-in.

One of the many Cebu Pacific Air check-in counters in Ninoy Aquino International Airport T3!! 🙂

I mentioned in my previous Cebu Pacific Air flight report that the airline offers prepaid baggage on all its flights. My recent Indonesia trip only lasted for 4 days, so I didn’t avail of any check-in baggage for my flights. In case you are wondering how much the updated baggage rates are for Cebu Pacific Air’s Jakarta route, check out the screenshot below.

The boarding process was done by sections / seats. Those travelling with infants, small children, senior citizens & those needing special assistance were asked to board first. They were followed by those seated from rows 16 to 31. The last group to board were those seated from rows 1 to 15. Boarding didn’t take us a lot of time – all passengers were already inside the aircraft about 20 minutes after boarding started.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Airline, being the country’s biggest low-cost carrier, offers all add-ons for additional fees. You can avail of these extra services as early as during the ticket booking process up until 4 hours into the flight.

Seats are automatically assigned by the airline a week before the flight. Passengers can view their assigned seats in the ‘Manage Booking’ section of the website. If any case they don’t like the seat assigned to them, they can change it & purchase their preferred seat for a fee. Alternatively, passengers can just ask for a window, an aisle or an exit seat during check-in.

Here’s the updated seat selection free for the Manila-Jakarta route. Rate as of 21 September 2019.

I was initially assigned seat 24A during this flight, but I asked the ground staff for an available emergency exit seat during check-in. Voila, I was transferred to seat 12F with no extra cost; plus I had the whole exit row to myself. The legroom on exit seats is amazing; seat pitch is big – not the usual 28 or 29 inches in a regular seat. The only downside of getting this emergency exit seat is that the seats do not recline. I guess you really can’t have it all.

Thank God for this spacious seat pitch on seat 12F; glad I was able to request for an exit seat to CGK.

Cebu Pacific Air doesn’t offer free in-flight meal & entertainment. Rice meals & snacks are available for purchase from the time the ticket is booked up to 24 hours into the flight. Guests who failed to purchase snacks or meals can still buy from the items being offered on-board by the cabin crew. Feel free to check out these snack items at the Fun Cafe menu found in the pocket in front of each seat. I didn’t avail any snack during the flight; I made sure I had a heavy dinner before the flight. The airline also doesn’t have personal entertainment screens; they only have their in-flight magazine & duty free magazine for you to check or read.

Here are the updated prices if you decide to pre-book your in-flight meals & snacks on the website

Fun Cafe menu – this contains the treats & drinks available for purchase onboard during the flight

I didn’t really expect anything from Cebu Pacific Air in terms of these matters. They’re a low cost airline; they will only provide passengers the basic flight needs for super affordable fares. I don’t mind flying with them in short haul international destinations – you’ll arrive at your destination after a few hours.

lavatory

I used the aircraft’s front lavatory before we left Manila & prior to landing in Jakarta. I must say that the lavatory was clean & properly-maintained by the crew. Kudos to the flight crew for constantly checking on the front lavatory.

cabin crew

Cabin crew on this 4-hour flight were great & welcoming as expected. One thing I found good about this crew was how fast they finished meal service after the seatbelt sign was switched off. If I remembered it right, it only took them about 15 minutes to finish serving the pre-booked meals & offering in-flight snacks to the passengers. Also, they were super attentive to every request made by the guests & stayed alert throughout the flight. From experience, Cebu Pacific Air’s cabin crew has always been great & I’m glad that they keep that vibe throughout the years.

verdict

My flight with Cebu Pacific Air last 22 August 2019 on 5J 759 from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia was great. Even though the aircraft was already 8 years old, the in-flight facilities such as the seats, lavatory & ventilation, are up-to-date & well-maintained. The flight was on time & the cabin crew were amazing as always. Paying only ₱1,236 for this Manila to Jakarta leg was definitely a steal. You don’t get that much chance to fly to international destinations at that cheap rate. I am thankful I recently had the chance to do so.

Will I fly Cebu Pacific Air again? Of course! I will be flying them again in December when I fly back to my home town for the holidays & probably back to the metro in January, plus I have another flight with them to a new destination in February. I am already looking forward to these Cebu Pacific Air flights & I cannot wait to fly with them again with cheap fares!

Having 2 empty emergency exit seats beside you was the best thing in this 4 hour flight to CGK!! 🙂

In case you’re wondering what the statistics of this Manila to Jakarta flight are, check out the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 22 August 2019
Flight Number: 5J 759
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK)
Duration: 4:13 hours
Seat Number: 12F
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3267
Age: 8 years
Year Delivered: 2011

Have you flown with Cebu Pacific Air on a ₱1-base fare international flight? Where did you fly to & how was your experience? Feel free to share your flight experience in the comment section below. You can also share them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Flight Report! My next flight report will be about a famous low-cost airline in Southeast Asia. Watch out for it soon.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.