Indonesia. Hajj.
 

Which UK airlines are going to Indonesia this year for the Hajj? I have never done it before from Padang. Has anyone got any information on Padang? Any information (especially on hotels, restaurants, trips, etc) would be very useful. Is Jeddah still as bad as ever? Thanks. :}

Thomson Airways will be in Padang and Balikpapan - 2x767-200s

TFlyguy,

If Mr Cambridge is not who he says he is - you have now supplied him with information about the basing of your aircraft for the duration of the Hajj !!
It would not now be too difficult for him (or anyone else who reads this stuff) to now deduce what hotel you're all saying in ...

DO NOT publish this type of information on an open forum

Gentlemen ... this is an absolutely genuine question. I understand your concerns, but mearly want information about Padang.
Absolutely nothing sinister I promise you.! I know T. Cook operated their before, and I was hoping one of their team might come up with some useful information.

Indonesia...
 

I consider Indonesian food as the most delicious of Asia...
Somewhat of a mix of Indian and Chinese food in style and tastes.
Favorites are "nasi goreng", "bahmi goreng", "satay" etc...
Get a variety of dishes on your table by requesting a "rijstafel" (Dutch for rice table).
Indonesia has one of the best lagers of Asia - brand name is "Bintang"...
xxx
Last time in Jeddah was 2005. Was still ok for shopping.
No need to tell you about their... beer...!
:E
Happy contrails

Padang is an OK base - it shakes a bit !

You can expect a tremor every 3 - 5 days which is part of life. If you are in one of the main hotels, they are usually earthquake proof.

Local restaurants are excellent - cheap and good.

Have a plan in the event of a tsunami warning - torch, shoes, bag of goodies etc because you may need to move quickly.

Flying - easy....... Gents hours, 2 crew, day departures, overnight returns.
Airport is very easy to operate into and out of - coastal. high ground to the east. Usually depart north, arrive south, straight in, no issues.

We were pulled out last year for a load of poor info and wrong decisions due to old geophysical data about earthquakes. I would not hesitate to operate out of Padang, it has been there for a while and will be there for a while more :ok:

Cambridge,

This is not about your post!
This is about PPRuNe being an completely open forum.
Nor is it about al-friggin-Qaeda ... this is about the local village idiot who decides (having read your post) that it's close enough for him to have a go

But seeing as you said "Absolutely nothing sinister I promise you", then I'm sure it will all be fine ... :ugh: