Alex Rathbun Indonesia- Pre Trip Planning

FLIGHT :

 I found a flight that leaves India at 11:10 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 and we will arive in Bali on 11:45 am Wednesday, November 14th. The total price for 7 people is $3291.16. We have a connecting flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I have attached all of the flight information on the bottom.

ACCOMMODATIONS: 

For the first two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) of our stay in Bali we are going in the heart of Bali's best hangout area. We are staying at the Kayun Hostel in Kuta. The hostel is a 10 minute walk to all the local bars and 15 minutes to the beach. The address is Kuta, Jalan Patih Jelantik 176, Kayun Hostel. We will be taking a taxi from the airport to the hostel. For two, four bedroom rooms this will cost us $320.16 for two nights. For food, we will be going out to eat both days. There are many restaurants near by so we will walk to local places for lunch and dinner.
http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/73266-Kayun-Hostel/

Next, we will be traveling from Kuta to Ubud. Ubud is a traditional, beautiful place located in the mountains, north of Denpasar. I have read online it is one of the best places to see unspoiled old culture.  In Ubud, we will be staying at the Jati Home Stay and Gallery. I have booked two family size rooms and the total cost is $185.56 for two nights. 

Finally, we will travel from Ubud to Amlapura. Amlapura is on Balis North coast and is in the mountains. It is home of the former palace of the king of Karangasem. We will be staying at the Kubu Carik for two nights. For two nights and four bedrooms it is $574.56. There are a lot of restaurants near by so we will be eating at those. 
http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/68352-Kubu-Carik-Bali/


ACTIVITIES/ATTRACTIONS:
Natural Site
Built monument or attraction
Cultural/historical event or site
Recreation/sports activity 

In Kuta, I was thinking for one day we can relax and hang out at Kuta Beach and party at night in Legian Street. They are both very close to our hostel.

I also want to see the Monument of Human Tragedy while in Kuta. This is where 202 people were massacred by two massive explosions.

In Ubud, we could go to Goa Gajah also known as the elephant cave. It is one of Bali's most historically significant sites and it served as a sanctuary in the 9th century.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297701-d451059-Reviews-Elephant_Cave_Goa_Gajah-Ubud_Bali.html

 

In Amlapura, I want to visit the Puri Agung Karangasem which is a series of compounds that house the royal palace. It is 10,000 rupiah to enter the inner court which is called Maskerdam. 
http://www.travelfish.org/sight_profile/indonesia/bali/bali/amlapura/1047

I also want to visit Pura Luhur Lempuyang which is one of Bali's nine directional temples. We would be hiking to it and will get a guide when we get there. We would get there early in the morning because people say the heat is unbearable during the day.

http://www.travelfish.org/sight_profile/indonesia/bali/bali/amlapura/1050

-Alex

Tue 13 Nov 2012
 

Depart	Arrive	Flight	Price (INR)
11:10 PM DELDelhi ‑ Indira Gandhi International 6:50 AM(14 Nov) KULKuala Lumpur International Airport MH191(Boeing 777‑200) Non-stop INR 12825.00 8:45 AM KULKuala Lumpur International Airport 11:45 AM DPS Denpasar‑Bali MH715(Boeing 777‑200) Non-stop

Kelly Hince - Flight from Indonesia to Mexico

November 20th: Bali, Indonesia to Copper Canyon, Mexico (flying into General Roberto Fierro Villalobos International Airport: CUU) 
Trip total time: 23 hours, 11 minutes 
Cost: $2,004 per person
Total cost: 14, 028

I found this flight on studentuniverse.com 

-- Kelly Hince 

Here are the flight numbers and depart time info: 

Depart: Balikpapan, Indonesia, Sepingan (BPN) , Tue, Nov 20

Garuda IndonesiaFlight 527

BPN 6:25 PMTuesday

CGK 7:25 PMTuesday

2hr

Connection in Jakarta, Indonesia, Soekarno-Hatta Intl (CGK) for 2hr 5min

All Nippon AirwaysFlight 938

CGK 9:30 PMTuesday

NRT 6:50 AMWednesday

7hr 20min

Connection in Tokyo, Japan, Narita Intl (NRT) for 10hr 10min

United AirlinesFlight 6

NRT 5:00 PMWednesday

IAH 1:40 PMWednesday

11hr 40min

Connection in Houston, TX, George Bush Intercon (IAH) for 5hr 15min

United AirlinesFlight 4569operated by EXPRESSJET AIRLINES DBA UNITED EXPRESS

IAH 6:55 PMWednesday

CUU 8:06 PMWednesday

2hr 11min

Arrive: Chihuahua, Mexico, Gen Fierro Villalobos (CUU), Wed, Nov 21

Michelle Gill- South Africa Pre-trip Planning

Flights:
October 23rd:  Buenos Aries, Argentina to Johannesburg, South Africa 
South African Airways 227 
Economy, Airbus A340 
Depart: 6:10pm 
Arrive: 8:20am 
Duration: 9h 10m 
Total trip time: 9h 10m 
Cost: $1,978 per person 
Total cost: $13,846 

October 30th: Johannesburg, South Africa to Antananarivo, Madagascar
South African Airways 8251
Economy, Avro RJ85
Depart: 10:00am 
Arrive: 2:10pm
Duration: 3h 10m
Total trip time: 3h 10m
Cost: $555 per person 
Total cost: $3,885

I used studentuniverse.com to find this information which is a search engine website that automatically compares prices to other  websites.Studentuniverse then linked me with expedia.com which was the cheapest out of all the options, so I went ahead and booked the flights. It was quick and easy, but at the same time it was informative. Definitely helpful! 

Coming to the decision to fly to Madagascar from Johannesburg was a long and hard process. I looked into the option of renting a car and driving to Durban which sounded great and fun way to explore South Africa from a different perspective than in the sky.  However, when I looked into options from getting from Durban to Antananarivo I was unsuccessful. I emailed a boat company and they never emailed me back, so I scratched that as an idea. Than I looked into renting a helicopter, and well lets just say websites for this only linked me to mini cruises around the Durban bay. Finally, I concluded that we would do a boat or helicopter trip somewhere a long the way which is why I just went ahead and booked the flights to Madagascar.

Accommodations:
When: October 23-30
Where: Johannesburg, South Africa
How: Grandma's house 
Cost: Free
 I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and I have a lot of extended family that still lives there. I called my Grandma up the other day and asked her if it would be alright if my friends and I stayed with her while we explored the Johannesburg. Of course she agreed to the arrangement, so she will be expecting us during these dates and is excited about meeting the whole gang! This is a free place to stay which will allow us to spend our money on other exciting things. Also, this is a good way to explore the city through the eyes of a local. I look forward to sharing my Grandma's house with my group!

Attractions:  

Johannesburg, South Africa: 

Natural Site: Top of Africa or Botanical gardens and emmarentia dam

Built monument or attraction: Tour of Johannesburg or Gold Reef City

Cultural/historic site or event: The Cradle of Humankind or Apartheid museum

Recreation/sport activities: Gautrain or rugby game 

Links: http://www.localjohannesburgtours.com/?campaign=LJBT_Local_Johannesburg_Tours_PPC&_$ja=cgn:LJBT+|+Johannesburg+|+GENERIC+%28United+States%29%3a+Things+To+Do|cgid:4597930976|tsid:41805|cn:LJBT+|+Johannesburg+|+GENERIC+%28United+States%29|cid:96298976|nw:search|crid:13187487776|kw:johannesburg%20things%20to%20do|pm:&gclid=CKKL8qy-1rICFQsFnQodIwgAIQ

http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/index.php/tickets-a-stadium/ticket-information

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g312578-Activities-c15-Johannesburg_Johannesburg_Gauteng.html

Antananarivo, Madagascar:

Natural Site: Croc Farm or Lemur’s park

Built monument or attraction: Madarail or Queen’s palace burned out

Cultural/historic site or event: Open air market or pirate museum

Recreation/sport activities: Traces or Le six 

Links: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293809-Activities-Antananarivo.html

-Michelle Gill

Flight Details from Madagascar to India

https://www.orbitz.com/book/bookingpath?execution=e1s1

Above is the link with the flight information I found leaving Antananarivo, Madagascar on November 6th for New Delhi, India. There are two stops, the first is Johannesburg, South Africa and the second is Mumbai, India. The total flight trip will take 38 hours and 30 mins. Not sure if that is possible?

Jaimie

Kevin Burnet- Ecuador Pre-Trip Planning

Flight from Raleigh, NC to Quito Ecuador
We will depart from Raleigh, NC on Tuesday, October 2nd at 6:05am. We will fly on Flight #1234 to Miami, FL and arrive at roughly 8:10am. We then depart from Miami, FL at 3:50pm on Flight #931 and arrive in Quito, Ecuador at 6:50pm. The total flight time is 13hrs and 45min. 

We will be flying American Airlines. The cost per person of this flight is $577, which brings us to a total of $4039 for all of us to fly.

These results were provided by Kayak.com.



Accommodations while in Ecuador
While visiting Quito, Ecuador, we will stay at Hostal Marsella for seven days. Hostal Marsella is in the colonial part of Quito and has an excellent central location with convenient access to public transportation that will take you anywhere in Quito.

We will rent two, three-bed rooms. Since we have seven people, one person will have to sleep on the ground on an air mattress; we will rotate this person nightly, so that each person has to take a turn doing so. 

The cost for one, three-bed room for seven nights is $168, so the total cost will be $336.

These results were provided by Hostels.com





Flight from Quito, Ecuador to Bogota, Columbia
We will depart from Quito, Ecuador on Tuesday, October 9th at 11:10am. We will fly to Bogota Columbia on Aero Galapagos Flight #602 and arrive around 12:50pm.

We will being flying Aero Galapagos. The cost is $307 per person, so for the whole group it is $2149 for the flight.

These results were provided by Kayak.com.



Attractions

While in Quito, Ecuador, we plan to visit a number of different places to get an idea of what the local culture is like. We will first go visit the Company of Jesus Church, which is a masterpiece of baroque and Quiteno-colonial art with lavish golden altars and gilded columns, making it one of the most ornate structures in Ecuador.

Next, we will visit the world famous, Alegria Farm. The Alegria Farm was Built in 1911, historic Hacienda and 135-hectare Alegria Farm are in the verdant heart of the Avenida de los Volcanoes. These beautiful pasturelands are home to more than 200 cows and calves, 48 horses and foals, dozens of llamas and alpacas, and more. It’s the perfect place to learn about hacienda life, which includes milking cows, riding horses, animal care, and taking carriage and hay rides.

We also plan to visit Old Town while in Quito. Old Town is a historic district was the first city named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is noted for its narrow streets, Spanish colonial architecture and historic attractions.

Another potential activity is backpacking the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve. This reserve measures more than 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) containing more than 375 species of birds, 45 species of mammals, 250 species of butterflies, and 1000 species of moths - amongst other species... In addition to hosting more than 2,000 species of plants, Maquipucuna harbors 4% of the world's bird diversity. Visitors can experience a unique community-run in-vitro propagation lab and orchid tour, as well as the only shade-grown, bird-friendly, beyond organic coffee-tour, all in association with neighboring communities in the Alambi river watershed, and Choco-Andean conservation & sustainable development corridor.

While in Quito, we would also like to visit the Iglesia de San Francisco. The Iglesia de San Francisco is the oldest colonial building in Quito is home to a collection of paintings, art, and furniture from the Museo Franciscano (Franciscano museum). Built by the Franciscan priest in 1536, Iglesia de San Francisco is the first church built in America.

These are just a few ideas of activities we can do while visiting Quito, Ecuador. Stay tuned to the blog to find out information about our actual trip! We leave on October 2nd for Quito!

Kevin Burnet

Flight from Mexico

Tue. Nov. 27 Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico to Raleigh, NC

Chihuahua (CUU) to Mexico City (MEX)

Aeromexico 213

Economy / Coach Class ( T), Boeing 737

Depart 8:41am  Arrive 11:46am

Duration: 2h 5m

Layover: Mexico City (MEX) 1h 29m

Mexico City (MEX) to Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl.)

Delta 366

Economy / Coach Class ( Q), Boeing 737-800

Depart 1:15pm  Arrive 5:27pm

Duration: 3h 12m

Layover: Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl.) 2h 13m

Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl.) to Raleigh (RDU)

Delta 904

Economy / Coach Class ( Q), Boeing 757

Depart 7:40pm  Arrive 9:13pm

Duration: 1h 33m

Total trip time: 10h 32m

This flight I found is 514 a person so the total will be $3598.

Accommaditions 

I found this really cool hotel called Posada Mirador. This hotel is $326 a night the total for our seven night stay will be $2282.  


http://www.expedia.com/Copper-Canyon-Hotels-Posada-Mirador-Hotel.h904531.Hotel-Information?chkin=11%2F20%2F2012&chkout=11%2F27%2F2012&rm1=a4&rm2=a2&hashTag=roomsAndRates&#roomsAndRates
I booked it and this is where we are going to stay. 

All rooms feature a balcony and have a laptop safe, sofa and cable TV. Each also has a private bathroom with a shower.

The hotel has a restaurant and a bar. Room service is available and packed lunches can be requested.

Luggage storage and a laundry service are offered. There is a tour desk and an airport shuttle service is available for an extra charge. 

Dates for Trip

I thought I would put the dates up for the trip that way everyone is clear: 
Oct. 2- Raleigh, North Carolina to Quito, Ecuador 
Oct. 9- Quito, Ecuador to Bogota, Colombia
Oct. 16- Bogota, Colombia to Buenos Aires, Argentina 
Oct. 23- Buenos Aires, Argentina to Johannesburg, South Africa
Oct. 30- Johannesburg, South Africa to Antananarivo, Madagascar 
Nov. 6- Antananarivo, Madagascar to New Delhi, India 
Nov. 13- New Delhi, India to Bali, Indonesia 
Nov. 20- Bali, Indonesia to Copper Canyon, Mexico 
Nov. 27- Copper Canyon, Mexico to Raleigh, North Carolina