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M’sians Forced To Take 33-Hour Ferry Ride To Surabaya Due To Volcano Eruption

Their flight either got cancelled or delayed.
What was supposed to be an idyllic getaway for a group of Malaysian travellers in Indonesia turned into a stressful affair after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted several times.

The group consisted of a total of 10 adults and three children, who arrived in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on Nov 5 and were supposed to leave on Nov 9, reported OhBulan!.

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Unable to leave Indonesia due to volcano eruption

Speaking to the news website, one of the travellers named Hafizi Idrus said the flight back to Malaysia was first postponed from 2pm to 4pm on Nov 9, then got delayed again to 5pm before it was cancelled entirely.

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This made us really puzzled and when we checked, we discovered that Mount Lewotobi, located in East Nusa Tenggara province, had erupted.

M'sians trying to leave indonesia
Photo via OhBulan!

“As a result, air travel was suspended as the thick volcanic ash made it too dangerous,” he said.

Although the group managed to reschedule their flight to Nov 12, it got cancelled once again when Mount Lewotobi had another eruption.

They then tried to book a flight on Nov 14, but it was fully booked and the earliest next flight was on Nov 16. This made the group extremely concerned about being stranded indefinitely as the volcano was still active and could potentially ‘imprison’ them for a month.

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M'sians stranded in indonesia due to volcano eruption
Photo via OhBulan!

Aside from the possibility of not returning to Malaysia anytime soon looming over them, Hafizi revealed that he personally had to fork out up to RM1,000 for expenses and food.

As for those who came along with their spouse and kids, their costs exceeded RM10,000 for accommodation and other necessities.

Took 33-hour ferry ride to Surabaya

With almost no options left, the group decided to take the advice of local guide by embarking on a ferry ride to Surabaya.

“The entire journey would take about 31 to 33 hours. From there, we hoped to find a flight back to Malaysia. If we didn’t do so, there’s a chance of us not being able to go home soon,” said Hafizi.

M'sians take ferry to surabaya
Photo via Berita Harian

He added that the ferry ride from Labuan Bajo to Surabaya cost RM131 per person.

Hafizi also reminded Malaysians looking to travel to natural disaster-prone countries to get insurance that provides coverage for such events.

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“If you don’t, you will have to pay for everything on your own if you get stranded,” he said.

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