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Mixing Business With Pleasure
With the increasing need to reduce travel budgets, it is imperative that new business "start ups" try to combine business with pleasure. Often in the first few years or trading, business travelers need to meet their suppliers and potential customers face to face. However, there is still a need to arrange that all-important family holiday. Therefore, when choosing a Corporate Travel agency, always choose one with a strong 'retail' element. A travel agency with both 'retail' and 'corporate' departments will, in most cases, have the most comprehensive and thus the lowest fares on offer.
Trip Report: Malaysia : Business in Kuala Lumpur/ Holiday in LangkawiIn addition to the London/ Manchester direct Kuala Lumpur services, Malaysia Airlines have recently introduced non-stop direct flights to the islands of Langkawi and Penang. What better way to incorporate a little pleasure when travelling to Kuala Lumpur on Business? Flight: Malaysia Airlines MH007 to Kuala Lumpur (non-stop to Langkawi)The queue for check-in at terminal 3 (economy class) was very long, however, as many counters were open we didn't seem to wait for longer than 15 minutes. Staff were extremely pleasant and boarding swift.
It was quite surprising to learn that Malaysia Airlines offer one of the largest economy class seat pitches onboard their Boeing 747-400. At 38 inches, the 12 hour flight was not uncomfortable and I seemed to sleep for a good part of the flight. When not asleep, the video games (over 20) helped the time 'fly' by. Food aboard was good, however, what impressed us were the snacks, sandwiches and even ice creams Malaysia seemed to be constantly serving. Arrival into Langkawi was 10 minutes earlier than scheduled and clearing customs was an absolute breeze. For this 'business' trip we actually used an Inclusive Tour (IT) fare. Compared to a straight-forward Kuala Lumpur return air fare, this short holiday on Langkawi Island actually paid for itself. The ticket becomes non-changeable and there is a minimum stay requirement, however, we had no plans to change our long-overdue holiday.
Hotel: Pelangi Beach Resort - Langkawi
On Langkawi we stayed at the Pelangi Beach Resort. From the time we were greeted at the airport to the time we were shown our room, staff went overboard to make us feel completely at home. The hotel is large and very 'floral'. The gardens were full of flowers and palms and we really felt as though we had arrived in paradise. Our deluxe room had a stunning sea view and the beds felt heavenly after the long flight.Pelangi Beach Resort caters to all tastes with three restaurants. Our favorite being the BBQ beach restaurant. However, the Spice Market and Thai Restaurant are not to be missed.
Although happy just to lounge our days away on the beach, we were kept busy with the many excursions on offer. A definite is the Rainforest trekking and snorkelling around the marine reef. After five wonderful days on Langkawi it was very hard to put on that business suit and catch the flight to Kuala Lumpur. However, as this was business mixed with pleasure we duly boarded MH 1443 for the one hour flight to the capital. We stayed one night at the Mandarin Oriental (GBP 57/night - room only) conducted several business meetings and flew home feeling very relaxed and pleased with myself that new business contacts had been made.
Who said mixing business with pleasure was a recipe for disaster? Savings were made, business was concluded and the family is more than happy. Definitely a recipe for happiness. An indicative price for the above trip is from GBP 599 plus taxes. Fares are seasonal and fluctuate depending on availability. Greater savings can be achieved by mixing Business With Pleasure in Business Class. However in order to obtain these highly reduced business class fares, 10 nights are needed in Malaysia.
Malaysia 22/03/2004
