Namaskar! A rare report on an elusive airline to the roof of the world: RA J KUL-KTM

[SQflyergirl]

The room's a little sparse if you ask me though




Certainly no flat screen TV here.


Still - this is apparently one of the nicer places to stay in KTM

I'd skip the regency club (happy hour snacks were not particularly appetising, nor drink selection anywhere near as good as expected) Save the money on a nice meal at the buffet.

Next up: a few pics of city life in KTM

[SQflyergirl]

City pics

I certainly won't be able to describe these properly, so I'll just let them do the talking Just some random shots of things I saw.

Coke is it - coca cola is it! Not even here is the Reach of Atlanta not felt.




Pear like fruit




My masterpiece in photography. Not. Rather creatively titled: Man with Goat on Bike.


Western consumer goods part deux: You can also fill up with Netherlands's best.

[SQflyergirl]

You find little shrines like this all over.


A tea shop. Different connotations in the west, this one here sells tea for in-situ consumption


Didn't get to see much as I was only there 24 hours. Of which it was raining most of the time. Will make sure I stay longer and do more next time (and there'll BE a next time - I somehow have this strange feeling i'll be back before too long )

Next up: Going home. You won't believe how many security checks it takes to get on a plane here

[SQflyergirl]

A scant 24 hours after arriving I'm back in the complimentary Hyatt airport shuttle going back to Tribhuvan


Gridlock!


Here's where I'll run a little guessing game: how many hurdles do you think it takes to get through to your plane?

[jjpb3]

A tea shop. Different connotations in the west, this one here sells tea for in-situ consumption

I'm impressed: they sell San Mig there?

Great TR as always, SQfg. (Beer para sa iyo, mare. )

[SQflyergirl]

I'm impressed: they sell San Mig there?

Great TR as always, SQfg. (Beer para sa iyo, mare. )

Hindi pare. Lychee Martini para sa akin lang

[SQflyergirl]

Awesome!!!!
Can't wait for the next installment for KTM scenery and Hyatt insight report....
Truly awesome insight report from the truly traveler....!!

I'm enjoying this TR a lot

Great report thanks!

looking forward to more pix!

Nice one

Looking foward to the rest....

Thanks Enjoyed writing it

What no Krug????

I'm sure they had it somewhere - just that they didn't whip it out for me

Great report - Thanks. Looks like an interesting trip. Haven't flown on a 757 in years, always was a powerful machine. Way too much aeroplane for most of the missions it flew. Found a nice niche on transatlantic routes now though.

According to the engineer I spoke to - it's ideal for KTM also. They needed a rocketship with good performance. (KTM, whilst in a valley surrounded by mountains, is itself already at an altitude) It's a tricky approach in and departure out from what i've been told, and to have a bird that can clear obstacles quickly is an advantage.

[SQflyergirl]

Smooth as Silk - the ride home

I guess I'd read about what it was like to depart KTM - and I have to say, it's one of those weird airports where Departing is far more stringent than arrivals. I don't know why.

The shuttle drops me off - and I have to present my ticket and boarding pass for inspection to get into the terminal proper (check no 1). So far so good. This is pretty normal some places anyway.

Put luggage through scanner, and walk through metal detector. I'm also given a patdown despite not triggering it (check no 2)

Check in is smooth - and I have boarding passes for KTM-BKK-SIN printed out there. I'd overnight in SIN before heading back to KUL. I'm also given two TG luggage tags which I'm told to attach to my rucksack and handbag.

From there - you head upstairs to departures. There's a bloke who now checks your BP and Passport before he lets you upstairs (check no 3)

Past immigration - and I'm off to the lounge.

TG operates their own lounge here




Right next door is the lounge that everyone else uses.


including RA themselves


Didn't go inside the other lounge but it looks decent.

TG's is pretty nice, with a good selection of food and drink. It's a total contrast to the rest of the airport, which looks quite haphazard in layout. There aren't any toilets inside - so you've got to go out of the lounge, and those KTM toilets are, shall we say, an experience unto itself (i'll leave that to your imagination)

[SQflyergirl]

Here's where the security borders on the ridiculous:

After leaving the lounge I join the security line. Standard metal detector. Again, I'm given a patdown despite not triggering it (check 4) - i notice everyone getting patted down also, regardless of whether they too triggered the detector.

Right after that - everyone, regardless of whether anything was seen in the x-rays, gets a thorough hand search of their hand luggage. no exceptions. (check 5)

They'll open every zip, button, pouch, container, pocket - everything and go through it with a fine tooth comb. This takes ages! When they're done, they stamp your boarding pass, and also the tags on my bags.

Right after getting your stamps - there's yet another check - the guy there looks up your BP, passport and those luggage tags (check 6). If you don't have the tags, or didn't get it stamped you get turned back.
Luckily i listened and put it on at check in. A few others didn't, threw theirs away - and had to trudge back to the lounge (and go back past security to the lounge to get some - thereby exposing themselves to checks 4 and 5 again for no reason.

A short walk, and you're at the holding gate. It's terribly crowded, unsurprisingly - since we're a 777.

I can see her! HS-TJD Mukdahan, just outside the gate!


But before I can sample the delights of Royal Silk.... just as you walk onto the tarmac, you get ANOTHER patdown from security. (check 7). I can't believe just how many times I've been checked.

Anyway... on another note - the planes no more than 50 paces away. Why is there a bus between us and the plane?

[SQflyergirl]

Why is there a bus between us and the plane?

Duh, that's easy. Cause you're meant to get on the bus before getting on the plane, silly!

Now why didn't I think of that?

and yes, we got bussed a grand total of the length of the bus to get to this plane. Welcome to Kathmandu!

Oh well. She is a fine looking airplane.




Jeeva! Have the Rolls ready for an outing!


Captain's having some fresh air! 9V-SLH, on her way back to Singapore, is in the next bay. Incidentally - this flights a killer for the crew since it's a turnaround! God knows how many hours the MI girls are on duty


Boarding's done through two stairs, and there's a bloke checking your bps. A few people get pretty close to to the Trents as they're turned away from the front airstairs


I go up the front See the distance we got bussed?


Next up: The flight home

[phaleesy]

Think the extensive security for departure at KTM is due to this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Airlines_Flight_814

Thanks for the informative TR. I still have loads of questions for you! Would list them all out when I find some time in the next week.

[milehighj]

Great TR, as usual. Think I'll stick with MI or TG for my future travels to KTM....

[Ratman]

I am wondering how's the weather there? Looks quite cooling and refreshing

[sqdazz]

Sadly a plane has crashed flying from KTM to Lukla today...

Plane crashes in Nepal with 15 on board
From correspondents in Kathmandu From: AFP August 24, 2010 1:53PM



A NEPALESE passenger plane with 15 people on board crashed shortly after taking off from Kathmandu early today, a spokesman for the home ministry said.

"The Agni Air plane crashed while flying to Lukla," Jayamukunda Khanal said, referring to a popular trekking spot in the Everest region of eastern Nepal.

"There were 15 people on board."



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news...#ixzz0xUaMLh5a

[SQflyergirl]

Sadly a plane has crashed flying from KTM to Lukla today...

More news

http://www.nepalitimes.com/blogs/the...-flight-crash/

You'll note it says it has been raining, and as you can see from my pics - the weather does look kinda dodgy