Getting there and around

Sun, 11/09/2008 11:05 AM  |  Travel

Next time you have to go to the United States for a meeting or conference, why not plan a side trip? You have already flown all the way from Indonesia to the other side of the world, so you may as well stay a few extra days and make the most of it.

You can't go wrong choosing Orlando, especially if you are already on the East Coast. It boasts the most theme parks of anywhere in the world, including Disney World. It is also the launching pad for visits to The Kennedy Space Center, NASA's site in Cape Canaveral. If you have enough time, why not see both?

Orlando is easily accessible from just about every major city in the United States. Check out budget airlines on the Internet for special fares. Jet Blue, for example, offers package tours to Orlando, which include flights, hotel, car rental and tickets to the theme parks.

The more adventurous could buy a flight and check out the hotels once you get there. An American friend who convinced us to do the Orlando trip said that, because of the recession, (then only affecting the United States and not Asia), fewer Americans were visiting so hotels offer rock bottom rates just to get business.

We did not try the fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants approach, considering that this was our first visit and we did not want to risk our luck. But having just returned from Orlando, I can testify to the real bargains that can be found by simply driving along International Drive, where most of the hotels are located.

Getting about is fairly easy in Orlando. Car rentals are competitively priced (check out the Net) and certainly represent a huge saving compared to relying on cabs.

Renting your own car allows freedom of travel. Theme parks provide ample car parks, but they are located quite far from the entrances; you still have to walk a long distance. In contrast, buses take you right to the doorstep.

If you don't fancy driving because you come from a country where people drive on the left side of the road (or the wrong side as Americans and Continental Europeans love to say), you can easily get about on buses. Not surprisingly our fellow travelers on these buses were Brits, Aussies, and to our surprise, some Indonesian oil workers, who were there for a seminar (yeah, right).

Disney also provides a monorail service that connects all its theme parks, free of charge.

The I Ride Trolley runs up and down International Drive for US$1.75 a ride. It is designed for tourists and runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m, making it handy when going to restaurants at night.

Another travel alternative is Orlando's Lynx public bus. This network caters to the needs of local residents, but it has a shuttle service between International Drive and the Magic Kingdom complex.

There is a vast difference between the Trolley and Lynx, and that is in the hospitality. Trolley drivers are helpful, humorous, at times even too chatty, but always friendly.

Bus drivers are cold, unhelpful, and sometimes downright rude. We ended up in downtown Orlando because the driver was simply not in the mood to talk and we realized too late that we were on the wrong bus.

But in Orlando, they are the exceptions, inside the theme parks you are greeted with friendly and professional staff who make sure you have a great time.

--Endy M. Bayuni

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