Part 5 - Getting home:
We were driven by Lumbalumba to the Manado airport, arriving about one hour before departure. We didnt use the airport porters, but if you do, theyre the guys with orange shirts on. Surprisingly, there was no line to enter the check-in area (I read beforehand that the lines can be very long), so we just showed our e-ticket receipt and passport to enter. Our entire luggage was screened here. We then went to the departure tax window thats located just to your right as you enter the check-in area, and near the stairs to the second floor boarding area. The international departure tax was 100,000 Rupiah per person. After checking our luggage and getting a boarding pass, we walked upstairs to the general boarding area, and waited outside our gate for the gate area to open. The airport is not air conditioned and there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, so be prepared. About ½ hour before the flight, the gate area opened up. We showed our departure tax receipt and passport to enter the gate area (hand luggage was screened here). Silk Air checked our bags through to Virginia, and also gave us boarding passes for the Singapore Airlines flight. The Silk Air flight to Singapore left just about on time.
When we arrived in Singapore, we went to Terminal 3 and checked into the Ambassador Transit Hotel thats located on the upper level near the food/restaurants. Take the elevator to level 3 or use the escalator. The room was nice with 2 twin beds, a TV, and bathroom with shower, hair dryer, shower gel and shampoo. We thought that the 70 USD or so that we spent was worth being able to stretch out horizontally and nap for a few hours, and take a shower before the next long leg of our trip home. Reservations were definitely a good idea, as the hotel was booked and had to turn people away. Next to the transit hotel was a free movie theater where you could kill some time, and a lounge where you could relax (the lounge also had shower facilities). There was free internet access downstairs on the main level. When we went to our departure gate, we had to wait in a very long line to go through another security check to get in the gate area (gates A16-21). So be sure to leave enough time before your flight in case you have to do this the gates seemed to be closing about 30 minutes prior to departure. Overall, Singapore airport is fantastic.
Our next flight left on time and the rest of the trip was more or less uneventful (if not depressing because I had to go back to work the next day!). Similar to our experience on our departure from JFK, when we returned to JFK and after going through customs and immigration, we had to exit security and go to the domestic Delta terminal for check-in and boarding passes. This time we had to take all of our luggage with us, because there was no option for us to recheck our bags before leaving security. When we got to Deltas domestic terminal, it seemed to be in a state of disarray without anyone really managing the luggage that was piling up behind the check-in counter. Not surprisingly, even though there was plenty of time for this flight, all of our bags missed the connection. Luckily, our bags arrived in Virginia on a later flight and showed up at our house that evening.
Do you know what we like about flying? NOTHING!
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Here are the web links we used to arrange the trip:
Travel to Indonesia, Dive Bali, Manado Diving, Komodo, Wakatobi, Lembeh and more (Bunnie for flight arrangements)
Ambassador Transit Hotel (for Ambassador Transit Hotel at Singapore airport)
Gangga Island Resort & Spa, Manado - A luxury resort for divers and non-divers
Scuba Diving Lembeh Strait Sulawesi Indonesia
Diving Bunaken / Manado with Lumbalumba Diving, North Sulawesi - Diving Bunaken with us
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So thats our story. Again, despite the flight hassles and long trip that it took to get to North Sulawesi, it was definitely worth it. We met some really nice people and had some of the best diving of our lives. The weather could have been better at Lembeh and Bunaken. September is supposed to be a nice time to travel there weather-wise, but we understand that this dry season has been uncharacteristically wet. Well be back sometime and next time well stay longer. Im not a photographer, but when I figure out how to attach some of the photos I took, Ill post them too.
We were driven by Lumbalumba to the Manado airport, arriving about one hour before departure. We didnt use the airport porters, but if you do, theyre the guys with orange shirts on. Surprisingly, there was no line to enter the check-in area (I read beforehand that the lines can be very long), so we just showed our e-ticket receipt and passport to enter. Our entire luggage was screened here. We then went to the departure tax window thats located just to your right as you enter the check-in area, and near the stairs to the second floor boarding area. The international departure tax was 100,000 Rupiah per person. After checking our luggage and getting a boarding pass, we walked upstairs to the general boarding area, and waited outside our gate for the gate area to open. The airport is not air conditioned and there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, so be prepared. About ½ hour before the flight, the gate area opened up. We showed our departure tax receipt and passport to enter the gate area (hand luggage was screened here). Silk Air checked our bags through to Virginia, and also gave us boarding passes for the Singapore Airlines flight. The Silk Air flight to Singapore left just about on time.
When we arrived in Singapore, we went to Terminal 3 and checked into the Ambassador Transit Hotel thats located on the upper level near the food/restaurants. Take the elevator to level 3 or use the escalator. The room was nice with 2 twin beds, a TV, and bathroom with shower, hair dryer, shower gel and shampoo. We thought that the 70 USD or so that we spent was worth being able to stretch out horizontally and nap for a few hours, and take a shower before the next long leg of our trip home. Reservations were definitely a good idea, as the hotel was booked and had to turn people away. Next to the transit hotel was a free movie theater where you could kill some time, and a lounge where you could relax (the lounge also had shower facilities). There was free internet access downstairs on the main level. When we went to our departure gate, we had to wait in a very long line to go through another security check to get in the gate area (gates A16-21). So be sure to leave enough time before your flight in case you have to do this the gates seemed to be closing about 30 minutes prior to departure. Overall, Singapore airport is fantastic.
Our next flight left on time and the rest of the trip was more or less uneventful (if not depressing because I had to go back to work the next day!). Similar to our experience on our departure from JFK, when we returned to JFK and after going through customs and immigration, we had to exit security and go to the domestic Delta terminal for check-in and boarding passes. This time we had to take all of our luggage with us, because there was no option for us to recheck our bags before leaving security. When we got to Deltas domestic terminal, it seemed to be in a state of disarray without anyone really managing the luggage that was piling up behind the check-in counter. Not surprisingly, even though there was plenty of time for this flight, all of our bags missed the connection. Luckily, our bags arrived in Virginia on a later flight and showed up at our house that evening.
Do you know what we like about flying? NOTHING!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the web links we used to arrange the trip:
Travel to Indonesia, Dive Bali, Manado Diving, Komodo, Wakatobi, Lembeh and more (Bunnie for flight arrangements)
Ambassador Transit Hotel (for Ambassador Transit Hotel at Singapore airport)
Gangga Island Resort & Spa, Manado - A luxury resort for divers and non-divers
Scuba Diving Lembeh Strait Sulawesi Indonesia
Diving Bunaken / Manado with Lumbalumba Diving, North Sulawesi - Diving Bunaken with us
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So thats our story. Again, despite the flight hassles and long trip that it took to get to North Sulawesi, it was definitely worth it. We met some really nice people and had some of the best diving of our lives. The weather could have been better at Lembeh and Bunaken. September is supposed to be a nice time to travel there weather-wise, but we understand that this dry season has been uncharacteristically wet. Well be back sometime and next time well stay longer. Im not a photographer, but when I figure out how to attach some of the photos I took, Ill post them too.
