Getting to Sorong from the NYC area

[jcclink]

Garuda allows an extra 15 kg on sporting/scuba equipment free of charge. I've been flying Garuda & Lion/Wings for domestic Indo flights the past several years without problems. Jakarta has a decent Airport Transit Hotel in international terminal, but it may be ungoing remodeling in Nov. I just got bumped for a mid Oct arrival, so overnight a hotel near airport instead. The hotel is very convenient because Garuda gate was just downstairs. All Garuda flights go out of international terminal. EVA has been great for me departing LAX. If you want to go to Bali first then fly there directly thru your connecting city. No reason to go to Jakarta. Since I usually fly to Manado/Lembeh at the beginning of my trip Garuda Jakarta/Manado has been more convenient.

My local agent tells me that Express Air only books 30 days in advance. Not knowing that I'm on a flight that late would make me very nervous making connections.

 

[jake11]

I would avoid Jakarta as well. All I can remember from Jakarta is that it took us forever to go about a mile from our hotel to the airport. Horrible traffic!!! Chill out in Manado, Bali or Ambon before your trip! have fun!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Not just to avoid Jakarta, but the airport itself. The international baggage and arrivals area is ridiculous. The domestic departure in the middle of the night was a gong show. I've no interest in red eye flights in any event, but it was particularly hard on me for the beginning of the beautiful liveaboard trip in Raja Ampat.

If I'm fortunate enough to do that trip again, I'll be taking another route, no matter if I have to stay over an extra night somewhere or not.

 

[pinewoodsfarm]

We are flying Newark to Singapore with a couple hour layover in Japan. In Singapore we're staying a couple hours at the Ambassador Transit hotel at the airport and then flying to Bali (DPS) via Singapore Airlines. Couple days in Bali and then to Raja Ampat (SOQ) through Ujung Pandang (UPG) via Garuda. The domestic flights on Garuda (DPS - UPG - SOQ and return) are $232.00 per person.

 

[jeremyl]

The issue with SIN is getting from there to Sorong seems to always cost a bit. SIN -> DPS is ~$500 USD return. From US to DPS is about that much more than getting to SIN or JKT... so no easy/cheap way for me to get to Bali to chill first. Anyone know of (relatively) inexpensive way to go from SIN to Sorong? We will also be in our "chill spot" for NYE so would like it to be somewhere decent, but it has to be fairly close as our LOB leaves on Jan 3. So maybe we chill in SIN and eat the cost to go from there to Sorong. Its not bad on Garunda ($400 return) but that goes thru CGK - which is apparently to be avoided at all (or reasonable) cost.

 

[jake11]

If you have to overnight in Makassar stay at the Hotel Aryaduta! Great place with a great BBQ night!

 

[ukdave0]

Fly Air Asia SIN to SUB. Overnight in SUB, then Lion Air/ Wings SUB to SOQ via AMQ.

 

[Shasta_man]

Just for completeness, I went through Jakarta and didn't have a problem with staying in the transit hotel. It was a fine room and actually better than expected. It worked out particularly well after I paid them to check me in because the airline screwed up my 5 AM flight reservation and the only way I got on the plane was because of the driver from the hotel who spoke the language. Food choices weren't real wide but plenty of edible stuff and then just a walk back to the room. For Express Air, we were on the flight that you meet in Makassar if you come from Manado. I preferred being on the flight already rather than having another potential failure point for Indo domestic air. YMMV

 

[reubencahn]

There are a lot of stories of dive gear not making it on flights from MDC to SOQ to the point where the most experienced posters on Wetpixel recommend using CGK. Lionair also gouges on overweight bags and last year, they reduced checked baggage on Wings (which flies the MDC-SOQ route) to 10kg. Having said that, CGK is a hellhole. But the worst part of CGK is getting from the international to other terminals. Now that Garuda flies to Sorong, you can avoid that nightmare. I would make the decision based on arrival day. Silkair is ending Tuesday flights to MDC, so there will be no service on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. If I needed to fly one of those days, I'd opt for CGK.

One other thing that might be worth checking into: you can fly Silkair SIN-UPG on Tuesdays and Thursdays and connect from there to SOQ. I never hear of anyone doing it, but it seems like it might be convenient.

Oh, if you've got time to build in a stay in Lembeh or Ambon, do that.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Shasta man, I could swear the redeye Express from Jakarta didn't stop along the way to Sorong. Suppose could be wrong about that as i was pretty out of it. Upon arrival at the Meridien(?) in Sorong, whilst my boatmates chowed down on the buffet breakfast (eww) and took a walk about, I checked in and had a nap. On the return, as i was going to Bali, I got myself upgraded for a few extra dollars. The nap and upgrades did add a couple hundred dollars to my total but saved me on baggage fees, reducing the financial burden and all leaving me better able to cope with delays etc.

As for the 30 days out for purchase of domestic tickets, apparently that is true. One really wants to be in a position to be immediately responsive to the liveaboard booking one's domestic flights.

In future, will also be doing my best to get on Garuda.

Used United points to fly from Singapore to Jakarta and back to Singapore ftom Bali, first class, 25,000 points each way. Can't recall what points were for economy.