KUALA LUMPUR: A dream vacation to Labuan Bajo in Flores Island, Indonesia, turned sour for a group of Malaysians who were stranded there for five days.
They were supposed to have returned on Saturday, but were unable to do so after flights were cancelled due to the Mount Lewatobi Laki-Laki volcanic eruption.
Muhammad Aizat Zainol, 35, said the group of 10 adults and three children comprising his family members and some friends, arrived in Labuan Bajo on Nov 5.
"We were supposed to return on Nov 9, but were told that flights out had to be cancelled because of the eruption.
"The airline offered us seats on the second flight (on Tuesday), but that too was cancelled. We were told that the next flight (today) was full," he said when contacted.
After being stranded on the island for several days, Aizat said the group had already spent about RM1,500 each for accommodation and food.
In the end, they decided to contact the Foreign Ministry for assistance and were recommended several exit routes out of the island.
"We decided to get on a boat to Surabaya at noon local time (yesterday, 1pm in Malaysia), paying 450,000 rupiah (RM130) for each adult and 320,000 rupiah (RM90) for each child.
"The journey will take 33 hours and is expected to arrive in Surabaya around 7pm or 8pm (tonight)," said the communications officer.
Aizat admitted feeling disappointed and exhausted after being stranded in a foreign country.
"It's not just that we had to bust our budget for this vacation (after being stranded on Flores Island)... it is that we are tired both mentally and physically.
"Every second of the day, I think about returning (to Kuala Lumpur). Even though we are now on the way to Surabaya, there's no guarantee that we can continue straight on to Kuala Lumpur.
"This is because there are still many stranded (in Indonesia) who want to return to Kuala Lumpur via Surabaya. So, we propose that we give priority (to those) who have urgent matters to take care of (in Malaysia) so that they can return first, if there is limited space on the flight," he said.