Manila to Colombo

Manila is often cited as the worst airport in the world. We took an hour to check in with the airline, then an hour to clear Immigration

A frustrating day. Breakfast was at 6:30 and we thought we were going to disembark between 8.15 and 8.30, but they wanted to make up our bed by 7:20 which was contrary to what they had said. We had been told that we could have the room until we left. So this was not a good start and I complain to Tony one of the purser's team but it seemed to be lost on her. Yes we could stay in the room but had to have it tidy enough for the chambermaids to come in!

We were then called off by 8 am and got to the airport before 9 a.m. Here we found that the cases should’ve been loaded into the bus according to which terminal people were flying from, but nothing as sensible as this! We were told that our desk opened at 10 and queued up there for 50 minutes from 10 am only to be told that that desk was for the 13.00. flight and that they had no storage for suitcases. They told us that we would have to come back at 2 pm, but we could come back to the priority business class desk. We protested at this and eventually were told that the suitcases could be kept in the supervisor’s office until 2 pm. This did not seem a terrific advantage but okay was a slight one and we went off and sat in one of the few seats near the doors for another three hours and it was mighty cold and we had no coats or anything to keep warm. So at 2 pm, we went back to the business desk and found the supervisor with our suitcases and he was surprised to see us: the main object of his offer to keep the suitcases was apparently that we could go through security and onto the other side of the airport but we had not understood this. Still we thanked him kindly.

Then on to a 50 minute queue for passport control and then, surprisingly, quickly through security. We then went into a café and had a cold drink and a bun to reward ourselves for the misery of the morning. And lo and behold another queue to order in the café. And quite fortuitously found Gail and her husband, the adoptive parents of Elfie, just in front of us in the queue. They were on their way back to Australia. And later on we met another lady from the ship who was travelling on the same plane to Kuala Lumpur as us and then going on to Sydney.

The 17.20 flight to Kuala Lumpur was delayed but only by about half an hour and we got in to KL on schedule around 9:30 pm. We were in the back row of the plane,which had no reclining seats, but we managed to change to the row in front of us and didn’t have anybody on the third seat so that was good and the meal was edible with some wine as well. At KL we took the train to the satellite where we found our Sama Sama Hotel and there we had a perfectly adequate room and enjoyed an Ovaltine and half a roll before turning in for the night.

A much better day today. We had an Ovaltine and a biscuit in our hotel room and set out at 7:30 am for boarding at 7:50 am. The gate was close to our hotel. The flight to Colombo took just 3 1/2 hours and we had a good chat with the gentleman who was sitting in 8A who was a DJ, a French citizen living in the US on a visa, and working shows on a nightly basis all around the world - what a lifestyle. He had done a show in Kuala Lumpur the previous night, was doing one in Colombo to night and then onto Bali for the following night. And he travelled with a team of about five people with his instruments.

So we landed in Colombo at 10 am, they’re being a 2 1/2 hour time difference between the two countries.


Our cases go ashore	Then we disembark	We get to Manila Airport 8 hours before our flight	Often cited as the worst airport in the world

We fill the time in with a few buns.	..and watch the sun set over Manila	We overnight at KL Airport in an airside hotel

		.and take off the next morning for..	..Colombo on Air Sri Lanka