For reasons that will become clearer in future posts, I have to be in Bangkok by the last week of this month.
I checked my Qantas frequent flyer points* with the view to making a direct flight from Brisbane. But I discovered that for about the same number of points I could go first to somewhere I’d never been before — and I’m always up for that.
Continue reading Up, up and away … this time I’m off to Taipei
Cruising is said to be the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. It’s no surprise why.
In case you have reservations about making a reservation on a ship, here are some good reasons why sailing is the answer.
Continue reading Five reasons why your next holiday should be a cruise
In this age of constant connectivity, we’ve all had to adapt in all aspects of our lives.
Because our bosses, our families and our friends expect us to be instant,y contactable, that means the dream of sailing away to a deserted island and truly switching off may never again be achievable.
Continue reading Do you really want to get away from it all?
Your choice of hotel will have a major effect on your holiday. It could make the difference between a memorable escape and a miserable time you’d rather forget.
Here are five things you should consider before you book.
Continue reading Five things to think about when choosing a hotel
The terrible events in London have once again brought terrorism to the forefront.
Those who commit these acts choose their targets carefully: they want to disrupt the daily lives of residents and to persuade would-be visitors to stay away. Their aims are to inflict immediate damage and to create long-term economic harm.
Along with other passengers on my recent cruise on the Pacific Aria to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, I missed out on two out of three scheduled port calls due to bad weather.
I could complain, I could ask for compensation — which wouldn’t be forthcoming, since this eventuality is covered in the fine print — but, while I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to see Noumea and Mare, I believe it was the right call.
As a solo traveller who likes cruising, I’m always desperate to find a fair deal in a market that’s clearly geared towards groups of two or more.
I understand why there has traditionally been a bias towards catering for couples and families, but times are changing and more people — young, old and in the middle — are travelling on their own. With this in mind, I sometimes get riled when a see “deal” that is patently biased against solo travellers.
Although it often seems prohibitively expensive, air travel has actually become far more affordable in recent years. A flight from Sydney to London, for example, costs roughly the same as it did 30 years ago, despite inflation.
And flying to Europe is about to get even cheaper for Australians, with Singapore-based airline Scoot offering flights from the east coast to Athens for less than $1000.
But cheaper isn’t always better …
We’ve all been asked if we “want fries with that” or otherwise been enticed to buy something more than we originally planned.
It’s no different in the travel business, but sometimes what’s part of the package and what’s extra isn’t quite as easy to understand as an upsized Big Mac meal deal.
The first time I flew business class, it was from Brisbane to Perth. Somebody else — a publicist promoting a play she wanted me to see so I could interview the star* — was paying, so I’m not sure what it cost.
I was, however, shocked to see the difference between the economy and business class fares currently being offered by Qantas for the same flight.
I’ve been busy on Quora.com again, thanks to a question about which deck is the best to be on a cruise ship.
I’ve adapted the answer I gave there, because the deck level isn’t the only or even the best criterion when choosing a good cabin.
My motto for all travel is to do what you can comfortably afford to do. As I’ve written, if you want to fly business- or first-class, and you have the money to do it, don’t let anybody persuade you otherwise.
The difference between business and economy class on a plane — especially on long-haul flights — is painfully obvious. That is, the ever-more-cramped economy-class seats will induce pain; the lie-flat options up front will not. Continue reading Suite dreams at sea
Over at Quora recently, I weighed in on the question: Why are cruises so expensive?
Here’s what I said:
I recently read an online guide to budget travel that really got my goat*, as my granny used to say.
It also got me thinking about all the bad travel advice I’ve read online, and how some of it ought to be challenged. Which is what I’m about to do.
Tipping is a way of life in some parts of the world, and something to be avoided in other places. Travellers soon learn whether they need to tip or not.
But it’s on the high seas where things get confusing. Cruise holidays bring together passengers from all parts of the world, and there is often no consensus about how much, or even whether, they should tip.
I wouldn’t normally write about a press release announcing that a cruise line, or other travel company, had won some kind of award or distinction.
However, this is different. Holland America Line has announced that its ms Eurodam has registered a particular achievement for the 11th consecutive time. And that should interest everyone who has ever cruised, or has ever contemplated a cruise holiday.
In the current climate of austerity, many people are thinking twice about paying for business-class airfares.
As I’ve argued before, if you can afford to fly business and you want to, nothing should stop you from treating yourself. However, if it’s going to break the bank, you don’t have to totally slum it in the ever-tighter economy or “basic economy” seats.
I once wanted to work on a cruise ship; part of me still does. What’s not to like about working on board a ship; to get paid to see the world, with accommodation, food and drinks thrown in?
Well, there are quite a few things to think about if you are considering taking the leap into the world of hospitality and entertainment on the high seas.
The demise of the bricks-and-mortar travel agency has been predicted ever since airline and hotel bookings first became available online.
But these shopfronts have been quite resilient, and there are still many to be found in shopping malls and high streets.
However, the numbers are slowly declining, with reports that the venerable Thomas Cook is to close 39 stores in the United Kingdom. That will still, however, leave 719 open for business under that brand alone. Continue reading Death of the travel agent?
Zurich, Switzerland, is the most expensive place on Earth for tourists, according to research by airport transfer company Hoppa.
And the cheapest of 84 cities rated is Sofia in Bulgaria. The survey threw up quite a few surprises.
