Indonesia ash cloud

[joe552]

With many flights cancelled, I wonder if NIrish guy is stuck in Bali, a horrible thought I know :) :)

[Nirish guy]

Hi Joe,
You can rest easy as yes I'm still in Bali - but only by choice as I'm not booked to leave for just over another week or so.

However two other farang friends who are also here HAVE been caught up in it and things are now getting very messy for them. Their airlines ( Virgin being their main booking carrier but Malaysian airlines being used as the code share carrier) have ( as always I find) been next to useless and they've now been ordered to to the airport 3 times only to be turned away again when it was blindingly obvious flights wouldn't be going anywhere.

Likewise they've then had to spend nearly an hour ringing the airlines ( useless) international call centres trying to get flights changed and their hotel bookings in Bkk moved ( all unsuccessfully to date I should add and the costs are starting to mount up for them).

There is I believe a fair amount of carnage too at the airports and hotels are getting quickly booked up again, but thankfully for once for me it's a total non issue - although as I'm seeing they're forecasting the eruption could go on for several "weeks" now apparently I'm hoping that the wind shift that's they're forecasting that's required to open the airport again does actually happen or things really could start getting out of hand !

But for me for now it's all business as usual and Bali is living up to all my usual thoughts about it being both SO cheap ( I'm spending half what I would in Pattaya or less !) and also just as much fun - if not more ! :-)

[joe552]

Glad to hear you're not affected yet. Hope it's all cleared up by next week.

[Yraen]

Has anyone suggested getting on a bus to Java and then picking up flights from other airports. I know my Javanese "contacts" find it very easy to get to Denpassar airport when they want; their alternate airport is Jakarta. So there are bus services Bali to JKT if anyone really needs to get out from under.

Just a thought, Yraen.

[Nirish guy]

I'm not sure, I really couldn't comment on that suffice to say if it was practical I'm sure many people would have being doing it already as there was quite a back log built up, but thankfully the airport has reopened ( for now although that's permanently open to change based on wind direction) and they are working their way through the backlogs it seems.

Thankfully it had the reverse effect in my plans as rather than bugger then up I've actually decided to forfeit some of my Pattaya time to remain here in Balu for a further week, which gives as good an indication as any as to my thoughts about the place and the good time I'm having here I guess :-)

[danny99]

Has anyone suggested getting on a bus to Java and then picking up flights from other airports. Just a thought, Yraen.

Just so happens to be also the major Muslim holiday for Idul Fitri,,,,buses have been fully booked for many weeks. For good measure also the Bali Hindu holiday for Gallungan and Kuningan. Airport situation changes everyday and during the day as well...I got out Monday with MAS [albeit a few hours late as traffic was queued coming in and out, just hope there is no ash next Tuesday for my return?