When I travel, I look forward to a few undisturbed hours watching movies or reading books. After using my iPhone to snap a photo of the cabin and spending a bit of time filming the cabin, seat, accessories and food – especially if I’m lucky enough to be in Business Class – I try to do as little work as possible on an airplane.
I have often wondered what food bloggers get up to when they fly at the pointy end of the plane. So, when I discovered I was travelling to Bali on the same flight as Eat Drink +be Kerry I decided it would be a great idea to film the experience.
If you’re looking for ideas on where to stay or what to do, here’s a great Bali itinerary and these Indonesia landmarks are worthy of your bucket list.
Garuda Indonesia Business Class
Boy, did I learn a lot about food! Kerry is one of Brisbane’s top food blogger and ranked seventh (out of 100) on the Top Australian Food Social Media Influencer list.
Dedicated to finding the perfect cupcake, the best brekkie and the ultimate lunch, she has eaten her way around Australia and writes regular food columns and features for Australia’s top food publications.
We started our adventure with a flute of pink champagne and two dainty looking canapés.
On our plates were a mango and prawn salsa in bite-sized canapé pastry cups and a tasty trio of cheese, olive and sundried tomato skewered, garnished with a fresh basil leaf.
The food continued to pour out of the galley, delivered by a smiling flight attendant who appeared to be unfazed by our obsessive photographing and filming.
We took pictures of everything, from the wine bottles and salt shakers to the canapés and snacks.
We must have looked hungry.
The pause between the canapés and appetiser was filled with a basket of snacks.
Dried prawn spring rolls, Bogor-style peanuts, peanut, banana and soybean crisps along with an assortment of sweet treats, like Choco-pie, were opened and photographed.
We nibbled, chewed and crunched as if we were never going to eat again.
Tandoori chicken and marinated prawns
By the time our tandoori chicken a marinated prawn appetiser landed on our tray tables, the flight attendant had a big smile on her face for the two strange women who seemed to be tucking into airline food with relish.
For mains, there were three choices.
I chose the Indonesian beef semur, which was served with steamed rice, sautéed green beans and chilli. And washed it down with a glass of Quarisa Wines Johnny Q 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.
I hadn’t heard of Quarisa but have since discovered John Quarisa is an established winemaker and a well-respected international wine judge.
Kerry had the steamed snapper fillet with saffron and lemon veloute, roasted potato and creamy spinach.
There was also a vegetarian ricotta and spinach agnolotti on the menu.
And warm bread rolls.
And a gourmet cheese plate with King Island and Gippsland cheese.
And baked lemon meringue tart for dessert.
And a handmade praline with our tea and coffee.
Things you might like to know about Garuda
Garuda offers immigration onboard service on all flights from Sydney, which is a convenient service that allows passengers to avoid long queues at immigration.
In 2013, Garuda Indonesia was awarded ‘The World’s Best Economy Class’ by SkyTrax and ‘Best in Region: Asia and Australasia’ by APEX and ‘Rising Star Carrier of the Year’ by Payload Asia.
Garuda’s Explore fleet of ATR72-600 aircraft now flies to untouched areas in eastern Indonesia previously unreachable by commercial flight.
Tropical destinations now accessible include Labuan Bajo (the gateway to Pulau Komodo) in Flores and Pulau Ende, where Mount Kelimutu, a volcano with three crater lakes filled with water of different colours, is a little-known gem.
Going surfing?
Business Class passengers have a baggage allowance of 40kg and complimentary sports equipment allowance of 23kg.
You can lug along equipment such as surfboards, golfs clubs or diving gear at no extra charge.
Plan Your Trip
Rent A Car – Find the best car rental rates at Discover Cars. They compare car hire companies to provide you with the best deal right now.
Find A Hotel – If you’re curious about this article and are looking for somewhere to stay, take a look at these amazing hotels.
