Veryyy good information Nvr have thought about this way to cross sumatera🎉
@rongauld58757 күн бұрын
What fantastic information. Thank you so much we are off there next week and much more relaxed about the trip. Keep up the good work.
@PlanetDoug4 күн бұрын
You're welcome. I hope it helps. By the way, I just took this ferry again a few days ago from Port Dickson to Tanjung Balai. I'm in Tanjung Balai right now. If you have any questions, let me know here.
@rongauld58754 күн бұрын
@ thanks Doug. We got our online visa on arrival after wrestling for an hour with a clunky website. All done thanks to your video! We will be there around the 7th/8th November. Do you know the best way to Samosir? There doesn't appear to be a public transport link.
@andrewleekl8 ай бұрын
Super informative and this definitely will save me and a lot of people some hassle especially your recommendation on molina.
@PlanetDoug8 ай бұрын
Great to hear! I hope the information comes in handy someday. Of course, stuff like this can change. And I may not know everything. But hopefully the content in this video can give you a starting point if you want to take one of these ferries yourself.
@andrewleekl7 ай бұрын
@@PlanetDoug Doug, do you know how many times one can extend the visa. I'm hoping to stay more than 60 days if possible?
@PlanetDoug7 ай бұрын
Visas are complicated and the situation changes all the time, so I can't say anything with 100% certainty. However, my understanding and my experience is that the 30-day VOA can be extended for an additional 30 days only ONE time. And that's it. I've never heard of anyone being able to do it more than once. It seems to be a hard and fast rule. However, there is also the option of getting an official tourist visa from an Indonesian consulate or embassy. I've done that in the past a few times. This is not a VOA but an actual tourist visa that the consulate/embassy stamps in your passport. It can be valid for 60 days. And it can be extended twice inside Indonesia for a total of 180 days. However, the extension process inside Indonesia is a bit more complicated and requires that you get a local sponsor. This sponsor has to provide a special letter and copies of their ID and may be required to go to immigration with you. That is probably the only way that you can stay for longer than 60 days (30 + 30). However, I did this a few years ago. And the last time I tried, the embassy turned me away. They said that the 30-day VOA was enough for a tourist and they refused to even let me apply for the regular 60-day tourist visa. It can probably be done, but it might take some effort. In the end, considering that the 30-day VOA is available online and that you can extend it online, I think it would be better to do that. After 60 days, you'll have to fly out and back in again to get another 30 + 30, but there are inexpensive flights to Malaysia. And I think that would end up being easier and less hassle and even cheaper than trying to get the 60-day tourist visa in advance. But I don't have any up-to-date info about that option. It might not even exist anymore.
@max_koning6 ай бұрын
Perfect video, thank you very much!
@SHAKHSIYAA7 ай бұрын
Very good info for travellers from around the world who intend traveling in these regions.
@keangwooichoo61388 ай бұрын
You walked to your hotel with your luggages? Amazing
@PlanetDoug8 ай бұрын
It wasn't really that far. It's only about 3 kilometers And that's the one advantage of having a backpack instead of a suitcase these days: At least you have the option of walking if you want to. I figure I might as well take advantage of it. You couldn't do that walk with a suitcase, but it's possible with a backpack. And something I've noticed in my life is that there is an odd psychology about distance. When you drive somewhere in a car, it feels like a long distance. And you can't imagine walking that far. Yet, it is a bit of an illusion. If you DO walk, you discover it isn't as far as you thought. There is something about driving places that makes it seem farther than it is. And, of course, when you walk, you see a lot more. It's a different way of experiencing the world, and sometimes it's better.
@narayankannan96793 ай бұрын
Thanks for this video. By any chance, do you have any info on taking a motorcycle through the ferry ?
@PlanetDoug3 ай бұрын
I don't have any personal experience with taking a motorcycle on one of these Indomal Fast Ferries. Many years ago, there was another ferry company operating out of Port Klang. They went out of business, but at that time they did accept motorcycles. They simply rolled them up the narrow plank and parked them inside. They weren't vehicle ferries, of course, so they weren't designed to do this. But when I went there with my bicycle, I saw other people with motorcycles. They would roll my bicycle onto the boat and then do the exact same thing with the touring motorcycle. I don't know if Indomal would be willing to do this. My sense is that these modern boats aren't suitable for this. However, I sent them a message on WhatsApp to ask them and I'll let you know what they said.
@PlanetDoug3 ай бұрын
I got a reply from Indomal Fast Ferry. They said that they cannot transport motorcycles. And that makes sense. These are not vehicle ferries. They are enclosed and just don't have the facilities or the room for a motorcycle.
@norlizahmohdnor888 ай бұрын
Hi Doug. Love your videos. The Show and tell intro with maps is great. It may be obvious to most, but not to me. How do you screen record screen and narrate at the same time? A short how to video on that? Really like the arrows and hand pointers 😂
@PlanetDoug8 ай бұрын
I guess recording the screen and recording the narration is one of the few technical things I actually know how to do. Most of the time, I struggle with all this stuff. 🙂 You're right that it's actually quite simple. I just do them with separate devices. I'm recording the screen of my MacBook using the built-in Mac screen recorder app. BUT I'm recording the audio with my Rode Wireless Go II microphone, which is around my neck. It record internally into its own memory. And then I combine the audio track from my Rode Wireless Go with the video track in the editing program and sync them. It's a relatively painless process once you do it a couple of times and work out the technique. There are probably many screen recording apps available, but I just use the system that is built into the Mac. You press Command-Shift-5, and that opens up a small menu. And the item on the far right side is the option "Record". And that starts the video recording of the MacBook screen. I operate the Rode Wireless Go completely separately because it has its own buttons and controls. It would probably be more efficient to record the audio directly into the Mac with a wired microphone, but I always that to be a bit tricky to do. Recording audio with a completely separate microphone just feels more reliable.
@samraj31798 ай бұрын
Very detailed information on the ferry services, ticketing and requisite documentation pertaining to the trip. I am surprised ferries only operate from Port Dickson and Malacca for the journey to Eastern Sumatra. Several years ago, ferries were operating between Penang and Belawan, Port Klang and Tg. Balai. The ferries were shaped like jumbo jets without wings. There was even a ferry service from Hutan Melintang, Perak to Belawan. It seems all that has ceased. The IndoMal ferries appear modern.
@PlanetDoug8 ай бұрын
@samraj3179 I've been hearing about those ferries - the ones that used to run from places like Penang to Belawan. It's sad that they don't exist anymore. I imagine they were quite a bit more romantic and atmospheric than the modern ferries of today, such as these Indomal ferries.
@_Here_and_Now_17 ай бұрын
-Would you share link to the online digital entry form to Malaysia and Indonesia ( if required) -upon entry do they ask for the return/ onward ticket in either country. Your Audio post, traveling between two countries , was great. Thank you
@PlanetDoug7 ай бұрын
These are links to the various websites that I mentioned in the video: Indomal Fast Ferry www.indomalfastferry.com/ VOA for Indonesia molina.imigrasi.go.id/ Customs Declaration for Indonesia ecd.beacukai.go.id/ Info About Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC): www.imi.gov.my/index.php/en/pengumuman/malaysia-digital-arrival-card-mdac-for-foreign-visitors-2/ Registration Page for Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC): imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main?registerMain Technically, of course, you are always required to have onward travel already booked for any country you enter. Both Indonesia and Malaysia immigration officially require that you have an outward flight booked. However, I've never been asked to show anything. On the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card, they do ask for the date of your departure from Malaysia and the form of travel. This is where you would enter information about your onward flight. However, you don't actually have to submit any kind of official flight documents online either. And In Malaysia in particular, they always ask me for details about how long I intend to stay and when I plan to leave and sometimes about where I'm going next. But they've never asked to see any proof/confirmation/documents of any flight.
@IanPemberton-e3kАй бұрын
passenger only ? no vehicles ? thank you for all your help
@albanliyoshi3 ай бұрын
Thx ! VOA is available by this way ? (Port Dickson to Dumai) ?
@PlanetDoug3 ай бұрын
Yes, a visa on arrival is available at the port in Dumai. There is a small office there before you get to the immigration counters. And they can sell you the 30-day visa on arrival. When I got mine, it cost 500,000 Indonesian rupiah or $35 US. And you have to pay for it in cash. They do not accept any kind of payment card or credit card or debit card and there is no ATM available. In fact, when you board the ferry in Port Dickson, the ferry company will ask you whether you have enough money in cash to pay for the visa on arrival. If you don't have that money, they won't let you on the ferry. However, things have changed dramatically in Indonesia, and I think it is far, far better to get your visa on arrival in advance through their immigration website. It's easy to do, and it costs the same amount. And the big advantage is that if you get your visa online, you can also extend it inside Indonesia for an additional 30 days online. You can just do it right from your phone in your hotel room and it's done. But if you get your visa on arrival at the airport or at the boat dock, then the only way to get an extension is to visit an immigration office and apply for one and that is far more complicated and takes a long time. It can even take 10 days to process and get it finished. Therefore, I strongly recommend NOT getting a visa on arrival at the port. Get it online before you leave Malaysia. I also see lots of news stories about Indonesia now offering visa-free travel to more and more countries. So I would check to see whether you even need to get a visa anymore.
@maaloulnefaa6 ай бұрын
Hello Doug How can i move from Sumatra to Malaysia with a bike?
@PlanetDoug6 ай бұрын
It is possible to transport a bicycle on an airplane. Airlines have a policy for transporting large items like bicycles, surfboards, golf clubs, and other sports equipment. Most airlines require you to dismantle the bicycle and put it into an appropriately-sized box. And you generally pay extra for it. And you bring it to a special oversized baggage section at the airport when you check in. Of course, none of this is easy to do. Many bicycle shops offer a service for a fee where they will put your bicycle into a special box for transport. But then even bringing this large box to an airport is challenging. Or you can bring your bicycle onto one of these Indomal ferry boats. It's a very simple process and very inexpensive. You simply ride or bring your bicycle to the dock and hand it over to the luggage clerks when you check in for the boat. There is a small fee for this. And they put the bicycle onto the boat and you pick it up at the other side. There is no need to take it apart or pack it in any special way. It's much easier than flying. You can do this going from Sumatra to Malaysia or from Malaysia back to Sumatra. It's the same process on both sides. Hope that helps. 🙂
@maaloulnefaa6 ай бұрын
@@PlanetDoug Great 👍 thanks for your help
@arieltellis4588 ай бұрын
Is there no ferry service from Port Klang?
@PlanetDoug8 ай бұрын
I'm not aware of any international ferry services from Port Klang anymore. There used to be a ferry from there to Tanjung Balai in Sumatra. But I believe it went out of business during the pandemic. I went down to Port Klang myself to check, and I didn't see any ferries operating. And the people there told me they were no longer running. My guess is that they will return eventually. Port Klang is very convenient to reach from Kuala Lumpur. But I have no idea when that might happen.
@freeagent82258 ай бұрын
True, travelling by ship is my favourite😅.
@JoelRepiso3 ай бұрын
Is this still operating? Penang to Medan ferry?
@PlanetDoug3 ай бұрын
Unfortunately, no. As far as I'm aware, the Penang to Medan ferry shut down years ago. You still see information and stories about it online, but that is old information. Of course, I can't be 100% sure about that. But everything I've seen and heard tells me that the ferries from Penang to Medan aren't running anymore.