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Bali Tour And Travel Information

Bali is only one of over 17,000 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia and is definitely the most popular island destination for tourists. There is so much Bali travel information and advice available to help tourists, hopefully you will find all that you need to help you enjoy your stay in Bali as you read through this page and make your Bali experience as exciting and relaxing as possible.

Throughout the world, Bali is recognized as a fairy tale paradise island with sunny beaches, white sand, superb surfing, rural fishing villages, sculptured rice terraces and so much more. When you travel to Bali you are not only going to experience some of the most up market and luxurious hotels and villas available around the world, but in certain rural areas it will seem as though you are stepping back in time. Some of the Balinese people live the same way that they have done for centuries without changing with modern technology.

To most of the Balinese people religion is not only for Sundays but it is deeply ingrained and is a way of life. Hinduism is the main religion on the island and the beliefs and traditions have not been changed by the huge international tourist resorts, massive shopping malls and the many bars that are associated with many of the tourist resorts. Many of the smaller Balinese temples co-exist in between the Western influenced tourist areas. When travelling to Bali you will have to accept that sometimes the roads will be impassable due to religious ceremonies and instead of becoming impatient, enjoy the experience, after all there is nothing you can do to speed the process up. The streets are transformed into a maze of colours and costumes, with people dressed in beautiful traditional dresses and garments.Many things in Bali go a lot slower that in developed countries, so patience is one thing you will need to pack with you especially if you intend to do some  travelling around Bali’s rural areas.

The people of Bali are extremely friendly and always return a smile. The politeness and courtesy you receive in any of the service industries is supreme and renowned worldwide. The services are cheap and you will always feel happy to give a tip even in the expensive restaurants and hotels due to the exceptional service and friendly attitude that greats you.

Tourism is a big source of income for the Balinese and they literally bend over backwards in order to make your stay as comfortable and happy as possible. Lot of locals take the advantages of the tourism business and work as hotels or villas employ and some of them open Bali car rental with driver service. The local currency used in Bali and all over Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah IDR. XE is a live currency converter that is updated as exactly as the rates change on the world market. This is great not only for planning your holiday money, but also if you need to exchange money when in Bali, you can know in advance what the actual rate is before going to the foreign money exchangers.

Balinese Etiquette

When traveling to other countries it is always a sign of respect to try and learn some of the different customs of the people. Balinese people are very accommodating and will show their appreciation that you try to follow their customs even if you don’t get it right all the time.

The following matters of etiquette, should be observed especially when travelling around Bali’s rural areas and attending special occasions and festivals.

Always take off your shoes before entering a house even if you are told not to.

Patting anyone on the head is considered very rude.

If your baby is less than six months old, don’t let it touch the ground.

Don’t use your foot to point.

Don’t hang your shirt or any clothing on a temple wall.

Don’t walk under a washing line that has underwear hanging on it if is then above your head.

When hanging up laundry put your underwear on the lowest rung.

When at ceremonies, weddings etc, sit lower than honored guests, priests and sacred objects.

Don’t step in front of someone if you can’t avoid it, adopt a submissive posture and ask forgiveness.

Never step over a sacred object or offering, be careful of this as some masks at ceremonies can be sacred. When at special events and in doubt, just don’t do it.

You can sit on cushions, but not on a pillow.

Sleep with your head pointed towards the east or north, pointed to the mountains.

When visiting temples or less casual places, wear long pants or a sarong with a selendang (scarf like cloth) tied around the waist.

It may seem sexist to many women, but it is considered extremely taboo to enter a temple while menstruating.

Getting to Bali

By Air

The main international airport is Bali’s Ngurah Rai and is a gateway to many Indonesian countries. The main airline operating here is Garuda Indonesia as well as 12 other international airlines. Ngurah Rai is situated in the south area of the island and traveling to the majority of the popular resorts will not take more that 30 minutes. If you are staying in one of the northern resorts like Ubud expect a drive of over an hour.

Daily direct flights are available from Singapore on Garuda Indonesia, and Singapore Airlines.MAS and Garuda operate direct flights    from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and from Hong Kong with Garuda and Cathay Pacific. Direct flights are also available from Bangkok with Thai International and Qantas. UTA flies direct from Paris, KLM fly from Amsterdam via Medan, Garuda fly from Japan and Taiwan and Garuda and Qantas fly from the Australian cities of Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns and Adelaide.

By Road or Rail from Java

Trains and buses from Java stop at Banyuwangi and a 24 hour ferry transports cars and passengers to Gilimanuk, where buses will take passengers to Denspasar.

By Sea

International cruise ships and yachts use the Bali seaports of Benoa and Padangbai. Padangbai is mostly used by the larger luxury cruise ships as Benoa is relatively small. From Lombok’s port of Lembar a ferry service is available twice daily to Padagbai and from Benoa harbor to Lembar you can catch a hydrofoil.

Bali is the departure point for cruises to Lombok, and the nearby island that people are beginning to discover are very remote an unspoiled by tourism. If you intend to visit here make sure that you consult your doctor as this is known as a high malaria area.

As with all countries, laws can change overnight and it is important to have the latest up to date information before travelling to a foreign country.

Bali Tourism Board (BTB)

BTB was established on the 1st of March 2000 formed by nine major Bali tourism associations. With the unstable business climate hamper the island, BTB is hoped to build and develop a better and more sustainable tourism industry in Bali. Considering the importance of the tourism industry and the capability of BTB in associating with government, community, and industry alike, the Governor of Bali officially recognized BTB on 10 May 2000 as the embodiment of a new partnership between the travel industry, the government, and the local community. Since then, BTB has earned the respect and support of all related government agencies, including the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Visit Indonesia

Visit Indonesia is an up to date Indonesian website offering anything from entry advice, dos and don’ts to banking hours events and activities.

National Portal Republic of Indonesia

The official Indonesian government website, National Portal Republic of Indonesia is for all things Indonesian/Bali related not only for tourist information and is worth looking over before leaving for your trip to Bali. If you only want to read on tourist related news and advice visit their official tourism website.

Smart traveller

This is the Australian Government’s travel advisory and consular assistance service website. Even though this site is targeted to the Australian population the advice is valuable to everyone wishing to get up to date advice on everything when you want to travel to Bali.

The Laws of Indonesia and Bali

Every major town has a police station called Resort Polisi. The Traffic Police Office is located in Denpasar, but its office hours are only 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, Monday to Saturday.

All narcotics are illegal in all Indonesian countries and using, selling or buying any drugs can result in huge fines, prison or even the death penalty. If you are caught even your own government will be unlikely to help you, so stay clear of this type of recreation.

If you lose your passport, report it immediately to the local Police station and ask for a letter with the report details. Trying to get a replacement passport can be difficult if you don’t produce this letter.

You can drive if you have an international license or one issued in one of the ASEAN countries; Brunei ,Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. If you want to get a motor bike or car license your application is made through the Komdak Lalulintas in Jalan Seruni. A driving test is theoretically compulsory, however you will find people who will be able to fast track your application for you, obviously for a fee.

Entry and Exit Requirements

Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia for the most up-to-date information.

You should ensure you have the correct, current visa at all times, otherwise you may be fined, jailed, deported or banned from re-entering Indonesia for a period of time.

Your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from your date of arrival. Visitors may be granted a seven day visa on arrival for a fee of USD10 or a 30 day visa on arrival for a fee of USD25. Both visas are non-extend-able and non-transferable. The period of stay for visas is calculated from the day of arrival. For example, if a tourist with a seven day visa arrived on a Sunday, they must depart Indonesia the following Saturday. If the tourist departed on the following Sunday, they would be considered to have overstayed their visa. This principle also applies to 30 day visas. Fines are imposed for each additional day in Indonesia.

If you are staying in private accommodation, you are required to register with the local Rukun Tertangga (RT) Office and the local police when you arrive. If you plan to be in Indonesia for more than 90 days, you must register with the local immigration office and hold the correct visa.

Make sure your passport has at least six months’ validity and carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.

Important Travel Precautions

When planning a trip to a tropical place like Bali, all types of thoughts will be conjured up in your head of the possible dangers that await you and how to deal with them. The major concerns that people face are the safety of the food and water, local violence crime rate, the transportation and any common or dangerous tropical diseases. Many expats live and travel around Bali on a daily basis without any problems, but as a first time visitor there are certain precautions that you can take to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Reduce health risks before traveling to Bali.

Before trips to Bali consult your doctor to find out what the current health situation is in the area you are going to stay in and find out if there are any vaccinations required before you leave. Bali is a tropical region and does have some nasty bugs floating or flying around so it is important to know exactly where you are going to be traveling to and let your doctor know. Once you have arrived in Bali it is important to stay in the areas that you have planned to as some of the islands have different health risks that you may not be aware or prepared for. For example Lombok is considered as a higher malaria risk area than the main island of Bali and if you have not been taking malaria tablets it is not advisable to go there.

The more common vaccinations that you would be given are polio, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A & B and malaria or whatever is prevalent at that specific time. If Bali is a regular holiday place for your vacations, it is important to visit your doctor every time you plan on going as new diseases can spring up very quickly.

Bali Travel insurance.

Traveling is risky, especially when you are going a long distance to a foreign country. Insurance won’t take the risk factor out but will help you if you do end up needing medical attention due to an accident or some disease. For short holidays, insurance is not that expensive compared to the peace of mind that it offers and you can then get on with enjoying your holiday without worrying.

Drinking Water in Bali.

Tap water is unsafe to drink in Bali. Although the quality of water throughout the island varies greatly, some coming piped, some from a well, one should always assume it is unsafe to drink without boiling. People living in Bali shower with the local water, brushing teeth etc. with no ill effects, still your drinking water should be bottled water. No matter where you stay, the tap water is unsafe for drinking, some of the luxury hotels have signs on the basins advising that their water is safe, but it is not worth the risk to drink it. Bottled water is freely available and is cheap. Even when brushing your teeth use the bottled water. When staying in tourist areas, all food is prepared with bottled water, so you are safe to eat everything including the delicious salads. Ice from these establishments is also made from bottled water and is safe, but when traveling outside tourist resorts avoid the ice and only buy drinks that are in refrigerators, not in cooler boxes covered with water and ice. All fruit and vegetables can be eaten without any worries as long as you use bottled water if you are going to make some of your own meals.

Bali Belly is not ordinary Diarrhea.

Bali is renowned for an acute gastroenteritis infection that should not be mistaken for mere holiday runs. You will know if you have caught this as you will have both diarrhea and vomiting at the same time and will feel like hell. The best thing to do is seek medical advice from a local doctor who will prescribe the needed medication to get you back up on your feet usually within 24 hours. If you do not get treatment then this can last for weeks and spoil your holiday and worst case scenario you will end up in hospital.

Small cuts & scrapes.

Small cuts can develop into serious infections due to the hot humid conditions very quickly. Wash out any cuts you get with clean bottled water and apply some Betadine. Allow the cut to air dry rather than putting a plaster on as this will make it “sweat” and take longer to heal.

Carry a first aid kit.

Learn how to use a first aid kit and take your own one with you, trying to find one locally is very difficult and those that are available are very limited. Don’t pack it in your hand luggage as it may be confiscated due to the sharp instruments.

Traveling for Medical help.

If you are staying in a villa out of town it can be difficult to get transport when most needed. When you first arrive, get a few phone numbers of reliable taxi services that operate 24 hours and store them in your phone.

Emergency Numbers in Bali. Police : 110 Fire Dept.: 113 Ambulance : 118 Search & rescue: 111,115 or 151 Operated Assisted Calls Within Indonesia : 100 International : 101

Directory Information Bali : 147 Indonesia : 106 Postal & Parcel Services.

Major hotels handle mail service, telegrams and telexes. The Central Post Office is located in Denpasar. Central Post Office Jl. Raya Puputan, Renon, Denpasar 80235. Tel: 23565. Open from Monday to Thursday : 08.00 a.m. – 02.00 p.m. Friday: 08.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon. Saturday: 08.00 a.m. – 01.00 p.m.

Poste Restante Poste Restante is an inexpensive service for overseas visitors in Bali so they can receive letters or parcels from family or friends while traveling around Bali. The services are available at the Central Post Office and at the following post offices:

Sanur Post Office: Banjar Taman, Sanur, Denpasar 80277 Kuta Post Office: Jl. Raya Tuban, Kuta, Denpasar 80361 Ubud Post Office: Banjar Taman, Ubud, Gianyar 80571. Singaraja Post Office: Jl. Gajah Mada, Singaraja 81100.

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Cheap Flights to Singapore from Melbourne

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Is Alaska Airlines Mileage Plus Program the Best? Sweet Spots, Award Space, Stopovers!

We’re taking a deep surgical look into the Alaska Airways Mileage Plus program and present you the way to use its greatest candy spots, discover the very best award house and make the most of stopovers. Hurry…. earlier than it too will get “enhanced”. Due to Andy for one more should learn submit.

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Alaska Mileage Plan is essentially the most beloved home frequent flyer program on this pastime, and if it’s not – it must be.

Critically, on this new Delta-envy world the place each main FF program in America is feverishly and proudly racing to the underside, Mileage Plan seems to be fabulously (in the very best sense of the phrase!) frozen in time. It nonetheless has the award charts; when it devalues this system, it’s executed with an nearly surgical precision; and it appears to take nice care in avoiding pissing off its members, which is one thing different packages stopped caring about years in the past.

It’s possible you’ll counter with the drastic no-notice Emirates devaluation of 2016, however Alaska owned it and promised that it could by no means occur once more. And up to now it hasn’t. Simply the truth that we (or a minimum of I) can’t keep in mind one other Alaska Mileage Cross trespass towards its members speaks volumes, IMHO …

Right here Is Why Alaska Is Greatest!

An enormous variety of companions – fly nearly anyplace on the planet.

Uniquely designed program with cheap charts for many companions.

Low cost Enterprise and First Class to Center East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific.

2 free stopovers per spherical journey or one per one-way.

*Don’t use British Airways – Alaska provides insane surcharges to their lengthy hauls.

Not all Alaska redemptions are good. Emirates Enterprise Class to Europe will price you 105,000. Except you’re hell-bent on having a stopover in Dubai … and even then, thanks however no thanks. The truth is, Europe is the one area on the planet I wouldn’t think about flying on Alaska miles. There are higher choices.

Greatest Alaska Companions to South America

That might be LATAM. Take into accout, although, you possibly can solely redeem Alaska miles on the LAN portion of the routes. In different phrases, utilizing Alaska for flights to Brazil from the U.S. is out. LATAM flights price 45,000 miles a technique in Enterprise Class, which is a superb worth to Buenos Aires (from Miami) or Santiago from LA, Miami, and New York.

What’s not so nice is horrible LATAM award house. You usually must e-book 330 days prematurely, and Alaska has had points with awards on LATAM just lately. Nonetheless, they’ve eliminated the LATAM warning from their web site, so let’s hope the difficulty has been resolved.

You’ll need to name Alaska to e-book a LATAM flight. The truth is, there are solely 2 airways that you would be able to’t discover on the Alaska web page, LATAM and Cathay Pacific.

An alternative choice is American Airways:

30,000 to South America Zone 1 in Enterprise

57,500 to South America Zone 2 in Enterprise

85,000 to South America Zone 2 in First

As you in all probability know, discovering AA awards in premium courses has been extra miss than hit currently. Listed below are American areas definitions:

South America Area 1: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Manaus (Brazil), Peru

South America Area 2: Argentina, Brazil (excluding Manaus), Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

Greatest Alaska Companions to the Center East

Cathay Pacific flies through Hong Kong from the next North American cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK and EWR), San Francisco, Seattle, Washington (IAD), Toronto, and Vancouver.

Cathay Pacific will take you to the Center East for 62,500 miles in Enterprise Class or 70,000 miles in First (wink-wink). Notice that you simply’ll solely fly in First (in the event you’re flying in First) between North America and Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific doesn’t fly First Class cabins to the Center East. Cathay’s Center East locations are: Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv.

Korean flies through Seoul from: Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington (IAD), and Vancouver. A Enterprise Class seat will run you 140,000 miles for spherical journey or one-way journey. Within the Center East, Korean flies to Dubai and Tel Aviv.

Please be aware that there have been points with redeeming Alaska miles on Korean, each on-line and through the Alaska name heart.

Emirates flies to/through Dubai from: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, New York (JFK and EWR), Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington (IAD), Toronto, and Vancouver. At 82,500 miles a technique in Enterprise, it isn’t low cost, however because it flies in all places within the Center East, it’s a viable choice if you wish to save journey time. Nonetheless, please, please, please don’t flush down 150,000 super-valuable Alaska miles for the fleeting glitz of a claustrophobic Emirates First Class suite.

Different choices:

Finnair – 70,000 miles in Enterprise (hard-to-find award house).

Condor – 65,000 miles in Enterprise (associates don’t let associates waste treasured Alaska miles on angle-flat seats).

Greatest Alaska Companions to Asia

Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary Cathay Dragon fly all over Asia from Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific has just lately introduced that it could take away First Class cabin from intra-Asia routes, besides Beijing and Tokyo (HND). A Enterprise Class ticket would price you 50,000 miles, and a First Class one 70,000. So seize First in the event you can.

Japan Airways flies to Tokyo from the next North American cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and Vancouver. From its Tokyo hubs Japan Airways flies to Bangkok, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul (GMP), Shanghai (SHA and PVG), Singapore, and Taipei; and from Osaka to Bangkok, Shanghai, and Taipei. Right here is what number of miles you’ll pay for journey on Japan Airways:

To Asia (Japan, South Korea) it’s 60,000 in Enterprise and 70,000 in First.

To Southeast Asia: China (together with Hong Kong), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam it’s 65,000 in Enterprise and 75,000 in First.

Korean Air flies from Seoul throughout Asia. A little bit tip: in the event you can’t discover your vacation spot or award house from Incheon (ICN), attempt the previous Gimpo airport. Korean flies to 10 Asian locations from Gimpo GMP.

Enterprise Class Redemptions to:

Korea, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan – 105,000 miles per spherical journey or one-way journey.

South East Asia – 120,000 miles.

Hainan Airways flies to/through Beijing from Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Jose, Seattle, Toronto, and, apparently, Tijuana, which makes it accessible for San Diego vacationers. Along with Hainan’s extensive domestic network, it additionally flies to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Taipei, and Tokyo (HND).

Hainan nearly didn’t make this checklist as a result of gas surcharges, however then I simply determined to examine award house. First I entered one passenger, then 2, then 3, then 4. The desk didn’t change!

In fact, you’ll pay for the privilege. The round-trip ticket between the U.S. and China will price you $406, $300 of which is Hainan surcharges. Since nobody enjoys paying greater than we’ve got to, I’d attempt different choices first. Nonetheless, when push involves shove, this surcharge will not be extreme, particularly if China is your remaining vacation spot.

Different choices

American – first rate redemption charges, however they’re the identical on American miles, and moreover, award house is difficult to return by.

Emirates: 105,000 in Enterprise and 180,000 in First? A method? I feel not!

Finnair: 125,000 in Enterprise. It takes guts to beat Emirates.

Greatest Alaska Companions to Africa

That might be … Cathay Pacific. Not many choices right here. You’d be flying through Hong Kong for 62,500 miles in Enterprise or 70,000 in First. Sadly, Cathay solely flies to Johannesburg and Cape City (seasonally). If you happen to’re searching for different locations in Africa you should use Avios from Johannesburg on Comair, a British Airways franchisee.

Different choices:

Condor – 65,000 miles a technique.

Emirates – 120,000 in Enterprise, 200,000 in First.

Greatest Alaska Companions to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific

Qantas can fly you to Australia or New Zealand (through Australia) from Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (and presumably, from April 2020 on, Chicago) for 55,000 in Enterprise Class or 70,000 in First. That is in all probability the very best cut price yow will discover ever, or a minimum of it could be – as a result of good luck discovering the house! Truly, to be truthful, yow will discover Enterprise Class awards, even for two folks, however First Class is actually robust. Within the screenshot under, search for $41 in taxes; that’s Qantas enterprise class.

Cathay Pacific flies to:

Australia – Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns (ends 10.26.19), Melbourne, Perth, Sydney,

New Zealand – Auckland, Christchurch (seasonally).

You’ll pay 60,000 for Enterprise Class and 80,000 for First. Remember the fact that Cathay doesn’t function First Class cabins between Hong Kong and Australia/New Zealand.

Korean Air flies to Sydney and Brisbane in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand. Your price is 125,000 miles for spherical journey or one-way journey. Korean additionally flies to Nadi (Fiji), however that flight will likely be discontinued on 09.30.19.

Fiji Airways flies between Nadi and Los Angeles and San Francisco. A Enterprise Class award flight will set you again 55,000 miles wherever you’re going: Fiji, New Zealand, or Australia. The one factor is – Fiji Airways has angle-flat seats. And it’s a really lengthy flight. For the comparable quantity of miles you possibly can have a way more snug seat on Qantas, Korean, or Cathay Pacific. So why can Fiji get away with an angled seat and Condor can’t?

Due to this!

Fiji has superb availability. If it’s essential go to Nadi, you may be content material with a less-than-perfect seat contemplating nice availability and a continuous flight. And in case your objective is to discover the area, Fiji Airways mixed with the beneficiant Alaska stopover coverage can supply an incredible alternative in that regard.

Different choices:

American – 80,000 miles in Enterprise, 110,000 in First.

Emirates – 120,000 miles in Enterprise, 225,000 in First.

Get Extra Journey From Superb Alaska Stopover Guidelines

Alaska Mileage Plan is among the many greatest on the planet with regards to free stopovers.

You can also make one free stopover in every course, even on home flights.

Worldwide stopovers are allowed solely in respective airways��� hubs. On Cathay Pacific that’s HKG; on Korean – ICN;, on Hainan – PEK; and so on. Nonetheless, in the event you fly Cathay to Hong Kong through Vancouver, you possibly can cease in Vancouver, so possibly there are different exceptions or loopholes, too.

You may’t mix companions (aside from Alaska for positioning) on a one-way flight.

Here’s what I meant about exploring areas on Fiji Airways. You would fly from the U.S. to, say, New Zealand with a stopover in Fiji. On the way in which again, e-book a Qantas flight from Auckland to L.A. or San Francisco with a stopover in Sydney. See what you’ve simply executed? You’ve executed Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia for a similar worth in miles in what primarily is a round-trip flight.

You probably have some critical time in your fingers, simply use low cost Avios or Qantas miles for native flights in Australia and New Zealand – they received’t add a lot! In fact, some stars must align your approach for all that to occur, however in the event you’re versatile sufficient, it’s completely doable.

And me TBB, I depart you with this…

TBB travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com

Observe TBB on Twitter @FlyerTalkerinA2.

You may subscribe to TBB under, winners solely!

Opinions expressed listed here are creator’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, resort, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, accepted or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included throughout the submit.

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Around this time each year since we’ve moved back to Singapore, my mate, Owen, likes to make a trip over to hang out and do a bit of a journey somewhere in South-East Asia. Last year we ended up in Bangkok, Thailand for a few days and the previous year had us eating and drinking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The time we had in Bangkok must’ve left a bit of an impression, because Owen decided he wanted to do it again, even staying in the same hotel, but there would be a slight difference this time around for a couple of reasons — Due to varying circumstances, both good and bad, he had come into a bit of disposable cash in the lead up to this trip. As an added bonus, this also meant he could bring his girlfriend, Rochelle, so I obviously asked Anna to tag along, too, on a much needed break after the insanely busy year she’d had. The initial plan was them to arrive in Singapore on December 26 and the rest would be as follows:

We’d all stay in Singapore until December 28 when we would fly over to Bangkok, Anna and myself taking a later flight than Owen and Rochelle.

Anna and I would be in Bangkok until January 1, when we would fly back to Singapore due to Anna having to work the following day.

Owen and Rochelle would fly up north to Chiang Mai on January 2.

On January 7 they’d both fly back to Bangkok to spend another couple of nights.

Owen and Rochelle would return to Singapore on January 9 to hang out a bit more.

Let’s not forget that Anna was involved in this trip now and she likes to spoil people when they visit. She’s also aware that Rochelle suffers chronic back pain so she took it upon herself to add this little footnote to the trip:

On January 11 we would catch a ferry over to Batam Island in Indonesia and stay at a private resort where her and Rochelle would get massages while Owen and I drink by the pool.

We’d take the ferry back to Singapore on January 13 and Owen and Rochelle would fly back to Melbourne, Australia that evening.

Owen had been excited about this trip for months after he booked it all, sending me constant updates of how many days, hours, and minutes it would be until they arrived. I was excited, too, because we always have a great time on these trips, it’s a blast having Owen here, and this time we could show Rochelle around, as she hasn’t really seen much of this part of the world. Everything was going according to plan until I received this message on Christmas night:

Everyone I know had been having trouble with flights around Christmas, including my friend, Liam Collins, and his fiancé who were stranded in Changi Airport, Singapore for almost two days due to constant canceled flights and delays when they were trying to return to Australia. For Owen and Rochelle, their only alternative was to pay AU$1,700 (US$1,053) each for a one-way ticket with QANTAS, which is a bit pricey for a flight to Singapore so it now appeared that, instead of getting in at 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 26, they were now scheduled to arrive at 1:50pm the following day. Let’s see how that goes…

Thursday, December 27, 2018 I messaged Owen when they were at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne and all seemed to be going smoothly. In a weird coincidence, another friend of ours that we hadn’t seen for a long time would be around for a substantial portion of this trip, too. When Anna and I had our wedding in Malaysia in 2011, one of my old friends and groomsman, Pat Corrigan, brought a girl called Len Gonzales as his guest and she hit it off well with Anna and all of my friends. We hadn’t seen her since, but I occasionally hear from her on Facebook and she now lives in Bangkok. In a bizarre twist of fate, not only was she in Singapore that day, she was staying in the exact same hotel as Owen and would be on the same flight back to Bangkok as Anna and myself the next day! As luck would have it, Owen and Rochelle’s flight was delayed by another hour, but it wasn’t anything major. When they arrived they checked into their hotel located just around the corner from our place, Hotel Nostalgia, and then Owen utilised his drunken GPS from previous visits to swing around in order for them to hang out and play with Kermit for a bit, but before long Anna had realised that this was the perfect excuse for her and Rochelle to go and get foot massages, leaving Owen and myself to pull up a stool each at Coq & Balls for a few drinks. Anna messaged me when the massages were done and we went to another place that Owen always visits repeatedly when he’s in town, Joo Chiat Beef King, him trying to think of ways to smuggle the broth base home in order to make his own the entire time he was eating. In fact, leading up to this trip he had been talking about the beef noodles almost as much as the actual holiday itself! Once done, we all went back to Coq & Balls, Len later joining us after getting misdirected by Google Maps, and settled in for the night. Due to it being only two days after Christmas, there weren’t many of my local drinking buddies there as most of them had gone overseas for the holidays. Still, we had a great night, just the five of us plus my friend, Jasper, even though Anna had to leave a little earlier than the rest of us to get up for work the next day. Here’s how it looked:

Judging by his Facebook post, Owen was pretty pumped to get the noodles

All of us at Coq & Balls

A selfie from Len’s perspective

Friday, December 28, 2018 Anna had to work on Friday so we were going to fly out at about 8:30pm, but Owen and Rochelle were leaving in the afternoon so they swung by our place and watched the basketball with me for a bit until it was time for them to make a move, as Owen’s team, the Portland Trailblazers, were playing the Golden State Warriors, a game the Blazers took in an ugly overtime win. Len’s plan was to go into the city and look for a camera so I just went to the gym in the afternoon, followed by a bit of writing.

Len’s quest for a camera was to continue at Changi Airport as she had decided to go early and check out the range in duty free and once Anna was back from work we caught a cab to the airport too. When we checked in, though, there was a small problem — Despite the fact that we had pre-selected our seats, I had somehow been given a window seat, something into which I am physically incapable of fitting. Len had an aisle seat up the back and was happy to switch so that made the flight a little more comfortable for myself and whoever was initially supposed to be sitting next to me. We eventually landed in Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok and I completely forgot how terrible that airport is, but then it dawned on me that it really isn’t that much worse than any of the New York airports. I turned on my phone and was immediately inundated with messages and photos from Owen telling me they were at Bangkok Bar, maps of the best routes there from the airport, best drop-off points, most cost-effective means of transport, and pictures showing the bar’s proximity to our hotel, which was directly across the road. Len got in a cab to her hotel with the promise of meeting us later in the night, Anna and I got in another taxi so we could check into our place, the Ibis Suites, and then we went down to Bangkok Bar. It was the same bar that Owen and myself had spent the bulk of our time in last time we were here, complete with the exact same awesome metal band playing, but Owen was absolutely shit-faced when we got there on this occasion. A little background information on the origin of the title of this post is probably necessary at this point; I really only drink beer and Anna prefers rosé if she can get it, otherwise she will usually have whatever red wine they have. Owen had adopted the curious drink choice of gin and Coke in recent years, which causes a lot of confusion when ordering a round, and Rochelle wears a morphine patch due to chronic pain resulting from nerve damage in her back so she doesn’t drink often, generally just opting for Sprite so a pint, a rosé, a gin and Coke, and a Sprite was what would become our standard drink order over the course of this trip to the befuddlement of anyone who served us the first few times around. Anyway, Len eventually joined us and we sat back and watched the band, they later came and hung out with us after the show as they do every time, and we met a few other cool people over the course of a great first night in town:

Anna in the background, Rochelle, yours truly, a plastered Owen, and some random person who ended up drinking with us

Anna and the singer from the band

Myself, the singer, and bunch of other people we hung out with that night

Saturday, December 29, 2018 It was pretty late when we got back to the hotel the previous night and we also knew that, based on the condition Owen was in when we arrived at the pub, he was probably going to be out of order for the bulk of the day so Anna and myself decided to get something to eat and go shopping. We certainly weren’t wrong about Owen according to the messages I received that afternoon (below, right) where he also pointed out he had 14 gins and Coke that night. As you can see, Anna and myself did what we always do when we’re in Bangkok, we went and got some awesome, cheap noodles. That trek into town began with a coffee or two each at StrEATs, the cafe in the bottom of our hotel, before catching a taxi to the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok, where the Victory Monument stands. We got out of our taxi at the same time as a woman, resplendent in a full Louis Vuitton tracksuit, got off her scooter and Anna and myself began our mission; to track down some noodles. We walked down several streets, dropping into jewellery stores and passing stalls selling ready-to-eat pig faces and beef tongue, both of which were tempting, I absolutely love beef tongue, but we had noodles on our collective minds and soon we found them. We stumbled upon a store selling small bowls that you can eat in one or two bites, similar to the ones we found in Bangkok in December 2016 when someone managed to eat 40 bowls in an hour. This time a small bowl of noodles would set us back‎ ฿12 (US$0.37) with a range of appetisers and side dishes available for no more than‎ ฿59 (US$1.85) so we got ourselves a few bowls of noodles each and a couple of appetisers, but realistically, we could’ve eaten one of everything on the menu each, however, Anna also loves Thai desserts, especially mango sticky-rice, and she was determined to hunt some down in the mall.

Anna insisted I take this picture for the terrible eye pun

Looking around StrEATs

Faces and tongues

That is a lot of tongues

Cupping the balls on a pool table in a secondhand jewellery store

Not sure if it’s a genuine LV

Should be something good around here

Just found lunch

Me in the restaurant

Part of what we ate

Anna out the front

Once we were done with lunch we walked down to Siam Square, a shopping mall Anna loves to look at every time we’re in town, taking in the Victory Monument en route. Siam Square has some pretty unique shops inside so you see a lot of interesting characters floating around there, too, such as the two nuns having coffee in a store with the slogan “Eating, Flirting, Enjoy.” As per usual, Anna bought a ton of stuff, especially shoes, as well as gifts for friends and colleagues, got her mango sticky-rice, and I got a t-shirt and matching wallet with weird cartoons of Steve Buscemi, Donald Trump, Freddie Mercury and the like hanging out, but after a couple of hours we decided to catch a taxi back to the hotel, passing a massive parade on the way, so she could get a two-hour foot-massage and pedicure. When Anna went into the massage place, I checked out a secondhand bookstore on our street, but as always happens when Owen visits South-East Asia, from out of nowhere came a clap of thunder and then a torrential downpour similar to having an unending bucket poured over you. I waited under an awning for a while, but it didn’t appear to be ending anytime soon so I just braved it and went back to room, towelled off, and read a book while I waited for Anna to return. When Anna came back the rain had stopped, but the streets were completely flooded, more than ankle-deep in some parts. Owen and Rochelle were just going to eat dinner at a cafe in their hotel so Anna and I decided to do the same, going to StrEATs again, only to be told the kitchen was closed so we had no choice but to wade down the road and find somewhere else to eat, Anna’s main concern being the safety of her newly-painted toenails. Fortunately, her pedicure handled the water just fine and we found a restaurant that had a decent looking menu and also boasting that they “serve special pizza.” Visitors to this part of Asia, particularly neighbouring Cambodia, would be aware of what happy pizza is, however, drug laws in Thailand are extreme, with possession of weed being treated the same by police as having heroin  so my guess a “special pizza” wouldn’t be quite the same thing as what their neighbours over the border sell. The weather was a bit calmer after dinner, the streets still flooded though, but we walked down to meet Owen and Rochelle at Bangkok Bar again. Midway through having some drinks, Rochelle decided to get a foot-massage, something that Anna was easily tempted into again, leaving me and Owen to drink and chat until their return. When the night ended we made our way back to our respective hotels, Owen stopping briefly for a photo next to a local guy wearing a Dominique Wilkins college jersey and red mohawk wig who had passed out against the window at McDonald’s. Strangely enough, it wouldn’t be the last time we would see that fellow:

Walking toward Siam Square

The Victory Monument

Some creepy mannequins in the mall

Anna got what she wanted

Subtle

I don’t know if that’s the demographic they were aiming for

Is there any other type?

I would’ve got this if they had my size

No farting in this cab

Part of the procession on the way back to the hotel

Another part

This got really deep, really quickly

Don’t worry, Anna, your nails will be fine

I guess she’s accepted her feet’s fate

My guess is it is just regular pizza

Owen and the Human Highlight Rooster

Sunday, December 30, 2018 It was New Year’s Eve eve and we knew the following night would be a rather large one so the four of us decided to take it relatively easy on Sunday. Well, at least by our standards, anyway. The day started at Chatuchak Weekend Market, a market Anna and myself always visit while we’re in Thailand, as does it seem, a large portion of the world (this is a direct quote from the website, hence the grammatical errors):

Chatuchak Weekend Market (or Jatujak Market; Thai: ตลาดจตุจักร) is one of the world’s largest weekend markets covers area of 70 rai (27 Acres) altogether divided into 27 Sections, contains more than 15,000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand. Chatuchak Weekend Market,is very popular shopping centre to Thais and has become a popular place to tourists and foreigners who stay in Bangkok, has over 200,000 visitors each day(SAT-SUN) 30% is foreign. There are almost everything can be found here at a bargaining local price (not a tourist price), and most vendors actually come from local factories, like antique wood carving, clay handicrafts, local souvenirs from every parts of Thailand, Buddhist amulets, wooden funitures, hand made decorated flowers, plant, ceramic wares, dools, Thai Bejarong, Chinese wares, graden decorated plants, stones, trendy fashions, silk, hill-tribe outfits, fluffy dogs and more miscellaneous, etc.

You just can’t pass up something this awesome

The market’s website is being a little bit humble there, because according to Wikipedia, Chatuchak Weekend Market “is the world’s largest and most diverse weekend market, with over 200,000 �� 300,000 visitors on a daily basis.” I’m also of the opinion that it must be one of the easiest places in the world in which to get lost. Anyway, one of our first stops was at a roast pork stall where we grabbed a small bucket each and we were on our way, looking mainly at t-shirts, vintage items, and stupid outfits for our dog. Probably one of my best purchases at the market was this odd little Japanese number (above, left), featuring a man paragliding using his stretched out scrotum with his testicles between his toes to get full surface-area out of his nut-sack. Incidentally, when we had later returned to Singapore, both Anna and I asked some Japanese friends what it was all about and we were both told he was Tar-chan from the manga and anime series Jungle King Tar-chan. A little more about Tar-chan himself, the dude on my shirt (the salient points are in blue bold if you can’t be bothered reading it all):

Tar-chan is the main character of the series. He is a young man who was raised in the African wild. His address is: African Savanna, Three Trees 7-4-10. He was abandoned in the savanna as a baby and found and raised by Etekichi. Other than this his past is unknown. Though there are often many humorous flashbacks to his past, whether or not any of them are true is unclear. Tar-chan’s hobby is cooking, and his specialty dish is eggplant with mustard and misozuke. He is a dangerous drunk. He loves nature and animals and protects them from poachers. He can imitate the special abilities and speak the language of various animals, because he was raised by animals himself. With his superhuman reflexes and strength, he is a well-known fighter around the world, yet he is usually forced by his wife Jane to do the cleaning and supply the food. He does not seem interested in protecting his reputation as a grappler though; only in protecting the peace of the jungle. When Tar-chan first met Jane he could not speak human language well. He was able to master submission holds after reading a fighting book for only one night, which demonstrates amazing mental ability. However, he still lacks general common sense. Tar-chan has super human abilities and strength and typically fights with his bare hands, but there are times when he will use weapons such as a blowgun and boomerang. He also has superhuman recovery, and has been known to recover quickly from injuries that take a normal man several weeks to recover from. When he takes on too much damage, he powers up by defecating, known as Poop Power Up (うんこひりパワーアップ Unkohiri Pawā Appu). His body is extremely flexible, and he can bend backwards to lick his own buttocks. Additionally, he can stretch the skin of his scrotum to glide, in a manner similar to a Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel. Although he is a brave man who cannot ignore those in danger, he is also an incredible pervert and treasures his many pornographic magazines left behind by tourists, which he collects. However, he said “To react to a beautiful girl is the instinct of the average man, the only one I truly love is Jane”.

Sounds a bit more interesting than regular old Tarzan — At least while watching Tar-chan, you wouldn’t have logical problems ruining the show for you that Tarzan presents, questions like why he doesn’t have a beard when he lives in the jungle without modern conveniences. Who cares? He can recover from any injuries by taking a massive dump! We continued around the market, Owen and myself stocking up on bizarre t-shirts, Anna and Rochelle getting some dresses, as well as Anna buying a costume for our dog that makes her look like a pineapple, just in time for Chinese New Year. Chatuchak Weekend Market all gets a bit similar after a few hours so we went over to a nearby flea market that takes place in front of, and inside, an old shopping mall. This place sold everything and I was tempted to purchase a couple of old Nintendo hand-held games, but there was no way of checking if they worked. I love looking through places like this and could’ve spent all day there, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea so we moved on to our final stop of the night, yet another market in what appeared to be an old airfield, the Camp Vintage Flea Market. It is in fact the location where old train cars once sat and the original Train Night Market was held, however, now the place has aircraft hangar-inspired sheds with plenty of old cars and planes around. We had a quick look around, but one thing that separates the Camp Vintage Flea Market from the others that we had visited that day was that it also has a ton of great food to snack on and a lot of craft beers and other booze. Len was flying out to the Philippines the following day to spend New Year’s Eve, but she still had time to hang out with us for one last night of eating and drinking. Yes, I did purchase a t-shirt featuring a guy flying with the help of his enormous scrotum, but we saw plenty more that day:

A weird part of the flea market in the mall from a distance

I think they might be mannequins

Looking down on a very small portion of the flea market

Now at the Camp Vintage Flea Market

Walking around…

A close-up of one of the old planes

Not sure what’s going on here…

Monday, December 31, 2018 The closing day of what had become a hectic and crazy year was finally upon us! In the 12 months leading up to this day, Anna and I had traveled together to Thailand three times (not including the current trip), Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, Australia, Hawaii, Japan, China, Austria, Turkey, and South Korea with a few extra journeys abroad thrown in just for good measure for Anna alone, and now we were punctuating our year with one last night out in Bangkok.

Owen and Rochelle spent the bulk of their day shopping in MBK Center, while Anna and I explored areas around our hotel that we hadn’t seen yet and coming to a unanimous decision that we were not going anywhere nearer to Khao San Road, firstly because it would be painfully crowded, but also because it was almost certain that a group of young bogans would start a brawl. It wasn’t something we overheard people planning or anything, you could just tell. While we were walking around I received a message off Owen saying he had bought me a present; on previous occasions that I had been to Bangkok I had seen t-shirts for sale that had a picture of the shitty 90s pop group Hanson with ‘Nirvana‘ written beneath it in the text the grunge icons usually used to use, however, I could never find my size. I’m sure these shirts started out as a genuine mistake, but tourists found them amusing so they now still churn them out purposefully to make a few cheeky dollars. I still wanted one and when Owen and Rochelle were shopping, they stumbled upon one of the shirts that would fit me so they picked it up for me. Cheers, guys! After we had finished exploring and eating, Anna got a final massage for this trip, I read more of my book, and then it was time for the four of us to meet up and line our stomachs before the year came to a close. Some say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but that is 100% incorrect — The most important meal of the day is the one that you have immediately before commencing a big night out so as not to get too drunk too quickly. This only works, however, if you don’t accompany that meal with an entire carafe of red wine, just some simple, good ol’ fashioned poor judgement on Anna’s part. After dinner we went back down to our usual hangout for the night, Bangkok Bar, where a table was waiting out the front for us, as was the guy in the red singlet and wig that we had previously seen passed out in McDonald’s on Saturday night, this time clutching a bag full of homemade, thus most likely illegal, fireworks. The band from Friday night were playing again so our night was spent drinking, chatting, and just like last time Owen and myself were both here at the start of the year, laughing at old people dancing to a cover of Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine (LANGUAGE WARNING):

The night was advancing and Bangkok Bar was getting quite busy so Anna decided to go back across the road to use the bathroom in our hotel room. Owen, Rochelle, and myself just spent our night chatting amongst ourselves, as well as with random people who ended up at our table, including a guy who looked suspiciously like Josef Fritzl, but soon it was 11:30pm and it occurred to me that Anna had been gone for at least half an hour. I went up to our room and found her snoring on the bed so I checked to see if she was okay, an action met with a response of, “after I went to the toilet I decided to have a quick nap, but I think I’m just going to sleep now. You enjoy yourself.” She was fine and insistent that I go back down and count in the New Year with Owen and Rochelle, something I did that went off without any problems from the guy with the bag of homemade fireworks. I stuck around for another hour or two, but we were flying back to Singapore the next day so I didn’t want to overdo it, but it was definitely a fun culmination to a busy year:

My new Hanson/Nirvana t-shirt

Having dinner

All of us this time

With some random British guy who joined us

The last we would see of Anna that night

It got kind of busy

We flew out back to Singapore the following day, because Anna had to work on the Wednesday, while Owen and Rochelle stuck around for an extra night before flying north to Chiang Mai to look at temples, explore the old town, and play with elephants in rescue sanctuaries. After Chiang Mai, they came back down to Bangkok for a bit and then flew into Singapore on the evening of Wednesday, January 9. That night we went out had and some dinner and drinks in Robertson Quay and the following day they went and had a look around Bugis and Gardens by the Bay before meeting up with me for drinks one last time at Coq & Balls, but Friday is where the real fun on this next leg of the trip began.

Friday, January 11, 2019 – Sunday, January 13, 2019 Not only was Friday the day we would be going over to Batam Island to kick back in a private beachside villa for a few days, it also happened to be Rochelle’s birthday. Anna had the afternoon off work so Owen and Rochelle swung by our place around midday and we went to the market so they could have their favourite beef noodles for a final time. When Anna was done, she met up with us and we grabbed our luggage and took a cab to the ferry terminal. The terminal wasn’t too busy so we were through immigration in no time at all and, even though it is only 20km (12mi) off the Singaporean coast, Batam is technically in Indonesia, making this an international trip, allowing us to take advantage of the duty-free shop. The limit for alcohol is one litre (33.8 oz) so I got some beers, Anna bought some wine, Owen a bottle of gin, and Rochelle a bottle of rum, however, the lady serving us politely informed me that that was the amount allowed to be taken onto the island — We could sit in the terminal and drink as much as we could finish while we were waiting for our ferry, as long as we only bought a litre at a time. When they’re only charging S$8.30 (US$6.10) for three Heineken bottles, I’m going to take advantage of that offer so we sat around for the next hour, drinking and laughing, waiting for our ferry to arrive. Once aboard we started talking to a couple of older American men that were on the ferry who were traveling to Fishhead Island, a private island the pair own. Later on in our stay while we were relaxing in our pool, Owen and I were discussing what we would call our private island that we will no doubt purchase at some stage in the future. His suggestion was Bitchin’ Island, but I think I’d prefer to opt for something more regional-sounding, like Tam Pon. I guess we’ll just cross that bridge when we come to it.

When we arrived about 20 minutes later at our destination, Montigo Resort, we quickly checked into the resort and then boarded a golf cart to take us down to our three-storey beachside suite that would be home for the following two nights. We had a look around and this suite was awesome; the first floor was a kitchen, an enormous living room, bathroom, and then a patio area with a private infinity pool. The second floor had our two bedrooms with an ensuite each, and the top floor was a massive outdoor party area covered in cushions that could fit at least 50 people. Soon our bags arrived, but what we didn’t expect was that they had also brought with them a guitar, a chocolate cake, and seven other staff members to sing happy birthday to Rochelle.

Although there were plenty of amenities at the resort such as golf, an archery and shooting range, fishing trips, that type of think, we spent the three days there just hanging out in the pool, playing music, drinking and snacking on salted-egg-and-crab-flavoured seaweed chips that cause rancid farts, and just chatting about anything and everything, mainly Owen and myself reminiscing about the stupid stuff we used to get up to back in the day. During the day we would order room service and when we got hungry at night we went down to one of the several restaurants at the resort to eat and then sat in the outdoor bar with a shisha and some drinks until it closed at 11:00pm, at which time we would go back to the suite and continue to drink and chat. Rinse and repeat. The view from the suite was incredible, overlooking the beach with the Singapore skyline still visible in the distance. At one point it drunkenly occured to us that Singapore is an hour ahead of Indonesia so when we were looking at the Singapore skyline we were looking into the future. Deep. Anyway, take a look for yourself at how we spent the next couple of days:

My new Hanson/Nirvana t-shirt

Looking out the side of the ferry

Going down to our beachfront suite

Might go have a look at the patio area

How it all looked from the rooftop area

Happy birthday, Rochelle

The tide goes out a fair way at night

Starting to get dark

A massive insect on a window

The view Anna and I woke up to

Owen looking a little hungover on Saturday morning

Saturday turned out to be quite nice too

Singapore in the distance

These things give you room-clearing gas!

All we could see for the bulk of the day from the pool

may have spent a little too long in there

Getting a little stormy in the evening…

…but nice again later on

Sunday eventually arrived and we had to return to reality. Sundays at the ferry terminal can be a bit chaotic so Owen and Rochelle took an earlier ferry back just to make sure there weren’t any delays and they would be at the airport on time for their flight back to Melbourne that night. Anna and myself took it a little more leisurely, returning to Singapore later that evening.

As always, it was great getting to hang out with Owen and Rochelle, as Owen and myself always enjoy ourselves on these trips and tend to return with far more t-shirts than what we originally brought with us. Thanks, Anna, for booking the resort, we hope Rochelle had a great birthday and figure by now she has already realised that she left her birthday cake in the fridge at the resort. We can’t wait for your next trip over here, but we’ll see you both in April when we’re back in Melbourne for our friends’ wedding. Also, we’ll try to catch Len again when we’re next in the Philippines.

I guess now the best way to close this post would be with one of my favourite images of Thailand, no disrespect intended:

“A Pint, a Rosé, a Gin and Coke, and a Sprite, Thanks” Around this time each year since we've moved back to Singapore, my mate, Owen, likes to make a trip over to hang out and do a bit of a journey somewhere in South-East Asia.

[wbouldingblog-blog]

Hello, dear readers. This is strange. We’re not on the move. We’ve been in the same place for 6 days, so there’s not been a natural break in proceedings to update you AND we’ve got another 2 days before we finally make it to New Zealand. Most importantly, we’ve crossed the equator and are now having to do handstands all the time here in the southern hemisphere and wear special harnesses to stop us falling off this side of the flat earth. Here’s how we made it.

After an uneventful night in a windowless hotel room in Ho Chi Minh (apart from a second cheesy foodgasm experience in Pizza 4Ps – we couldn’t get enough of it), we were checking out and, of course, it was at this moment, 2 hours before our flight to Singapore left, that the credit card machine stopped working. Luckily, as is often the case in HCMC, there was a guy with a scooter available to take Henny to another branch of the same hotel to pay there, where the machine was actually working. Henny was returned on the same scooter, and we hopped in a fresh-faced (couldn’t have been more than 22) Uber driver’s car and wove through the traffic to the international terminal of the airport.

Once inside, we played a game of ‘Where’s The Check-in Desk?’, followed by a lightning round of ‘Which Queue Is The Fastest?’, where the plot twist was that they were all glacially slow. Once at the desk, we were offered emergency seats (fistbump – legroom!) and made our way to immigration, where the authorities made sure to line everyone up to have their passports checked by smartly-dressed sloths. We eventually made it through and got through security (where more attention was paid to the football on the TV than to the x-ray machine) and found a little café, where we grabbed a baguette (I wanted more pho but there wasn’t enough time ☹), and sat down at our gate just as they started boarding. Once we’d finished our food and climbed on board (the extra legroom was aaaaaaaaamazing), we settled into our travelling routine of dozing, reading and listening to music. Before we knew it, we were at the gloriously modern arrivals terminal of Singapore Changi airport.

The difference was immediate and superb. The information desk spoke an English better than most of south London. The airport was spacious, with great big relaxation gardens featuring Koi carp-filled ponds and chirruping cicadas, an entire entertainment deck (as if we were on a cruise ship) with consoles, ‘jam room’, and cinema, and more shops in one place than I’ve seen in a terminal building. The catch? The price. Our first set of coffees outside of cheap Asia was in the 15 euros range (I did, admittedly, have a sausage roll too, but that was the cheapest of the three items). We’d gone from being able to live like royalty (if we’d wanted to) to being able to just sit quietly and sip at our coffees, trying to maximise the enjoyment.

We were going to be here for 12 hours. We wandered around looking at things we will never be able to afford, booked ourselves on the free city tour for the evening and even crossed into a different terminal to see if there were any major differences (none apart from the air conditioning being three degrees lower). We wandered some more, marvelled at the gardens, went to the loo (still not able to beat my shopping centre experience) then looked at phones, as mine was about to give up. I found a good few models, but they’re all still a bit too expensive at the moment, particularly as I’m not sure what my job situation will be in the next few weeks. We went and attempted to play on some games on the entertainment deck, but the computer was slower than I’d thought. After some button-mashing on street fighter II (Henny must have been cheating – I lost convincingly both times) and Henny being devoured by the ghosts on Mrs Pacman, we headed over for our tour, which took us to two major sites in Singapore. First was the Merlion, a new fountain which represents the wealth of the city pouring out of the lion’s mouth. The word ‘Singa’, we found out, means ‘lion’ and ‘Pura’ means ‘city’ (a prince saw a lion on a hunting trip here, so the tale goes), so the lion symbol represents the city itself, the fishy tail its marine economy. Second stop were the Gardens by the Bay. These newly-created, eco-aware gardens are fantastic for getting lost in (as a French couple displayed by being 15 minutes late to the pick-up point) and for getting good sunset pictures of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. After two hours of walking and seeing new sights, we headed hungrily back to the airport, skipped through security and went to a food hall, where I had some Thai green curry and Henny had some Korean barbecue.

  Once we were gastronomically satisfied, we headed to the cinema, where we caught the action-packed finale of Fast and Furious 8, and I got an email about another translation, which was to be submitted in 2 days (or whatever it was after taking into account the time difference – this has really messed up my perception of time). I went to charge the laptops and begin work on it while Henny watched the beginning of Boss Baby (the only film in the cinema’s repertoire that I’d wanted to see, but hey ho). The hour before we needed to get to our gate disappeared into a flurry of typing and it was soon time to say goodbye to Changi and hop on a plane which would take me over the equator for the first time.

Our seats were, sadly, not in the emergency escape aisle this time, and we were surrounded by people who seemed to want to cough up their insides every five minutes, or sniff at 20-second intervals without using a tissue. This continued through most of the flight and is what I blame for my currently-annoying throaty cough. We slept through most of the flight though (it only lasted 7 hours) and were suddenly on our way down to land in Melbourne. We got off the plane, ran to the immigration barriers and, after a brief moment of panic when the automatic gate didn’t recognise me, I engaged in some sport-based banter with the immigration official and was let through unmolested. We had to wait for a bit for our bags, but eventually got them, Henny purchased her new-country sim card and we hopped on the express bus to take us to the city.

We trundled along the freeway (the Aussies seem to have taken the American word for this one) and, at some point along the journey, we turned a bend to see the towering heights of the Melbourne skyline spread out ahead of us. It was fantastic – a moment for a Hans Zimmer score, maybe from the Gladiator soundtrack.

We hopped off the larger bus at southern cross station and onto a smaller bus (more like the local ones we get in England – Surrey peeps, think the 465 to Kingston) to take us the United Backpackers hostel, where we’d be spending the next couple of nights. Through the small yellow entrance which you’d just walk past if you weren’t looking for it, the hostel was clean and bright and everything you could wish for from a place that wasn’t a hotel. Henny claimed a top bunk and I took a bottom bunk (on the other side of the room; most beds were already taken in our dorm) then, after a refreshing let’s-not-smell-like-plane-any-more shower, we headed out for Henny to show me briefly what there was to see in our little corner of Melbourne, including a glimpse of federation square and Coles, the supermarket chain. I initially baulked at the prices, but soon did the maths for the exchange rate and worked out that it was just like inner-city London prices; high, but manageable as long as you were careful.

Henny had been liaising with her former au-pair mum and the girls, and so arranged to go and meet them at their hotel (they live in Canberra but had come to stay in Melbourne for the weekend) while I finished off a particularly urgent translation and made some friends at the hostel at the same time. After I’d finished my translation, I headed off to meet the ladies at their hotel. The girls are diabetic and have a beautifully cute and patient dog called Molly who is also a registered assistance dog; she can smell when their blood sugar levels are dangerous and will alert Adrienne (mum) or their carer at school so that they can take action. After lots of stroking the dog and hearing about their adventures so far, we headed out for dinner, little Molly Polly trotting along alertly beside us.

Everyone wanted sushi, so we walked the 15-or-so minutes it took to get to a particularly well-rated one in a shopping centre near the central shopping area of the city. We’d finally found somewhere to get to the sushi conveyor belt which would sit all 5 of us (Molly could stay on the floor), when a man, who looked as if he’d taken inspiration from Ken (of Barbie fame) for his plastic-moulded hairdo, flatly, yet with an apology or two, refused us service, citing the fact that our dog couldn’t be in the restaurant. Despite Adrienne’s best efforts, showing him the assistance dog card and explaining the need for him, the man (like his hairdo) was not for moving.

Flinging a threat of legal action in the court of human rights over our shoulders along with some Paddington-esque Hard Stares, we left the centre and headed to the David Jones (think an Australian John Lewis) food court for some reduced-price (it was the end of their trading hours) sushi and fried chicken, which was lovely. The girls had a minor spat over a sip of milkshake (apparently the other’s spit would still be in the straw and original owner needed a replacement), which escalated and gave Adrienne a chance to highlight the differences between antipodean and middle-class British parenting approaches – there was no messing around with her. Direct and to the point, with a hint of frustration in her tone and vocabulary, she told the girls that there would be no replacement and that was that. Our sushi eaten and milkshake-wars in a state of ceasefire, we headed out to the street and parted ways, arranging pickup times for the morning after next when we were to head to the zoo for the day!

Before heading to the Zoo though, we had much to see of the Melbourne CBD, so the next morning, we went on a walking tour, learning about the history of Melbourne, the meaning of various sites and their importance in the development of the city, as well as some of the more notable citizens, including a particularly nefarious Robin Hood-inspired Irishman by the name of Ned Kelly. He and his gang were bank robbers and did the common people a service by combining their raids with the destruction of personal loan documents, which, unsurprisingly, made them rather popular. We saw the laneways where countless street artists had applied their skilled hands to jazz up the between-streets, and ended up with a beer in the pub. Here, Henny took her leave to go and see an old friend from her previous time in Melbourne, and I went on a lovely long walk around some other parts of Melbourne with some of the guys from the walking tour. When we’d had enough (the sun was baking), we headed back to our hostel and had a game of pool over a beer, which I lost (the pool that is, not the beer).

    Once I’d got over the loss, I chilled in the aptly-named ‘chilling room’ until my evening’s entertainment arrived. Steph got to the hostel around 7 and we had a drink at the bar, whilst realising that it had been 7 years since we had last seen each other – she had been a supervisor at the farm a long time ago. She now works for Victoria Zoos and had managed to wrangle us free tickets for Melbourne Zoo for the next day. The free stuff didn’t stop there; she’d also won a competition at a Chinese dumpling place and had free dumplings for a year! The dumplings were excellent and I added some crisp pork belly to the order too, which was fabulous – melt-in-your-mouth tender and crunchy where you wanted it to crunch. Afterwards, we headed to what has become one of my favourite places in the world. A bar called Bartronica – a heady mix of retro-gaming awesomeness, pinball and beer. We played and lost heavily at Mario Kart (I was so good back in the day!), then I started kicking some serious gaming butt at smash bros., where Link sword-spun his way to secure me victory countless times. I had a go at Family Guy pinball, the Who song running through my head the whole time (… a pinball wizard’s got such a supple wriiiist… but not from holding a pint of beer), but couldn’t quite engage my inner Tommy to dominate the leaderboard.

We returned briefly but unsuccessfully to the Super Smash Bros., but I couldn’t emulate my previous success against much stronger competition (sorry Steph!) and so we headed our separate ways, promising to meet up again before Henny and I jetted off to Kiwiland.

The next day was full of excitement – we packed up our things, moved out of the hostel and headed downstairs to be picked up by Adrienne again and taken to the zoo. It was a baking hot day, so I wore my England rugby cap (carefully chosen to do maximum damage to local sensitivities after last year’s tour) and a pint of sun cream to keep out the ozone-free rays.

The girls (and Molly) raced around the zoo, the girls flitting like freed butterflies from one exhibit to the next, Molly following suit, a little perplexed by the richness and variety of scents coming her way. Molly was only allowed in certain areas, marked in pink on the map, so Adrienne took care of her at those times. We saw lions, tigers, sea snakes, African wild dogs, pelicans, monkeys (but no gorillas – they were hiding from us, we decided), iguanas, macaws, meerkats and penguins. We also saw a lot of Australian wildlife, which the girls weren’t as interested in as I was, having seen it all before; kangaroos, wombats, emus, kookaburras and a platypus were all fascinating to me but old hat to them.

The girls did, however, manage to spend some time (and a decent amount of their poor mum’s cash) in the gift shop, much like I’d done at the tender age of 10. Adrienne then drove us to our new home with Chris and Leesh, at their flat in the trendy suburb of Collingwood near Fitzroy, Melbourne’s answer to Neukölln or Shoreditch. They are renting a comfortable, modern 2-bed + open-plan kitchen/diner/living room flat in the former Yorkshire brewery, which has been redeveloped into a large housing complex complete with rooftop garden (with a BBQ, naturally) and gym. We said hello, dumped our stuff in our lovely little room, and headed back outside to meet Adrienne, who took us to Lygon street, a famous foodie street. It is a street, it is full of food, but 90% of it is Italian ristorantes, whose borderline aggressive front-of-house teams all seem to emulate Vietnamese street sellers (“You come eat here, I have very happy customers, I give you good deal, best price best price”). Not quite in the mood for pizza, we opted for a very tasty fish and chip place and tried all the deep-fried delicacies they had to offer. Things almost kicked off with Molly again, but the waitress was nice and understanding and Molly could remain under the table.

By the time we’d polished off the last of the nice thick chips, it was time for the girls to hit the hay and for us to go and meet Chris and Leesha at one of their friend’s gigs, where he would be playing funk/soul/r’n’b beats from 11. The bar was called Boney and the décor took us the 16,000ish kilometres back to Berlin. Arty things hung from walls, lighting was minimal and red and the patrons were suitably (under)dressed or just in the black-jeans-and-beard hipster garb necessary in this sort of place. We grabbed a drink with our hosts, headed upstairs to see his friend play to a room packed to the rafters with smoke from a smoke machine and not much else – we were the only four who had come to see him so far. Gradually though, other acquaintances dribbled in and the music got louder with each new audience member, so much so that we couldn’t really get acquainted with the newcomers, and decided to dive back downstairs. C&L joined us later, then left for their next gig. We called it a night (‘This is a night!’) then went back to our new room (possibly stopping for a McD’s 10-piece chicket nugget box) and slept until it was socially acceptable to wake up.

The next day dawned, but in our quiet, dark, cool cave of a room we didn’t notice until it was almost too late. We were supposed to meet the girls at 10.30 at the Victoria Markets (yay more shopping), which would take nearly half an hour to get to. Luckily, the girls and Adrienne had already headed to a different set of markets before, so we made our leisurely way down to the markets and had a breakfast of bacon and egg bap for me (plenty of ketchup, thanks) and a beetroot and feta salad for Henny. Just as we were polishing off the last morsels, we felt a familiar fluffy presence next to us and found that the girls had found us. Off we went on a zig-zag path past all the stalls with their various trinkets and tourist tat. I found a new adapter for my chargers as well as 2 decks of cards for 5 dollars (bargain). The girls found a few things that they liked, including a fake diamond-encrusted name tag for Molly and a set of earmuffs for themselves, in preparation for the harsh winter ahead.

We had to do some shopping for our promised (my fabled) roast dinner, so we almost tearfully parted ways with the girls for the time being and made our way around to find some decent veg and wine. We then toddled back to C&C’s and, after a while chilling out on the roof (Henny had to finish off her Hoi An post) and a couple of visits from a territorial pug, we prepared for the night’s entertainment: an outdoor cinema extravaganza with a picnic and Get Out. We took a nice ride in a taxify (similar to Uber but better for the drivers and customers apparently), and got to the botanical gardens, where we walked down a dusky path to a great big blow-up screen, in front of which a crowd of people were lying on the grass. We set up camp, tucked into our picnic and opened bottle after bottle then a box of wine, while the events of Get Out (a very, very good Black Mirror-like film) played out in front of us. But that wasn’t the only thing I was watching. As the sun had set, hundreds of crow-sized fruit bats had started winging their way to their twilight dinner above us. I sat, captivated by the slow, graceful movements of the huge bats. Luckily, I managed to pay enough attention to both and, once my wine-addled, bat-distracted, Get Out-head-blown state was brought to a close, we got in another taxify and roared home, where someone (Chris? Was it you?) decided to watch Whiplash (a film about a drummer – awesome) on their projector, just to keep the cinema feel going. It was fantastic – so much was relatable in the film, though maybe I had yet to experience the stresses of being a professional drummer like that. Tapping my legs in time to the music still bouncing around my head, we went to sleep and ended our second night in Collingwood.

This is also where I’ll leave you guys for the time being; there’s plenty more to come! For now though, I’ll just try and keep my eyes open – I’ve just taken some cough medicine and it’s one of those ones with ‘do not operate heavy machinery after use’ or something like that. Do laptops count as heavy machinery?

Yours drowsily,

Boulders

Superb Singapore + marvellous Melbourne (part the first) Hello, dear readers. This is strange. We’re not on the move. We’ve been in the same place for 6 days, so there’s not been a natural break in proceedings to update you AND we’ve got another 2 days before we finally make it to New Zealand.

[rollinbrigittenv8]

Will Travelers Buy Singapore Air’s New Suites? — Airline Innovation Report

Singapore Airlines last week introduced a new suite for its A380s. But will enough customers buy it? Brian Sumers / Skift

Skift Take: Singapore Airlines has created one of the world's most luxurious airline products. But is that enough to make the six-seat cabin profitable? Perhaps on a few routes. But we're skeptical about others.

— Brian Sumers

The Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation. We will look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports that are driving the next-gen aviation industry.

We will provide insights on need-to-know developments in passenger experience, ancillary services, revenue management, loyalty, technology, marketing, airport innovation, the competitive landscape, startups, and changing passenger behavior. The newsletter, which will pop into your inbox on Wednesdays, will be written and curated by me, and it revolves around the business of airline innovation. We will look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports that are driving the next-gen aviation industry. You can find previous issues of the newsletter here.

Singapore Airlines unveiled its new suite last week — it looks more like a miniature hotel room than an airplane cabin — and I flew thousands of miles to be there when the curtain dropped.

It’s a nifty product, especially when passengers combine two suites, allowing them to create a double bed. Even the single suite is impressive, as it includes a giant leather seat, and a bed, along with a big television and space for working. Singapore executives say the suite is 60 percent larger than the 2007-era one it replaces, and when it launches next month it will probably be the world’s best, even more opulent than Etihad’s “Apartment.”

But while I was there, I wondered about the new suite’s purpose. Yes, it’s a niche product, only available on the 19 Airbus A380s the airline plans to keep longer-term. And yes, Singapore is shrinking the cabin’s size considerably, from today’s 12 seats to six. Few airlines can sell a dozen first class seats on any route anymore, no matter how impressive the product.

It’s possible, though, that six is too many for most routes, even if Singapore is one of the world’s strongest premium markets.

London might be an exception, given the lengthy flight time from Singapore, and the two cities are major financial centers. New York could be strong, too, but remember this plane doesn’t have the range to make it, and instead must stop in Frankfurt. Soon, Singapore expects to fly nonstop to New York using an A350, so presumably even the wealthiest travelers will prefer saving time over luxury.

Singapore also flies its A380s to other cities where premium cabins usually perform well. But there’s a big difference between selling lots of business class seats, and filling suites with paying customers. Do travelers to places like Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Paris and Tokyo need so much space? Will they pay a premium for it? Perhaps certain one-stop routes, where there is no nonstop competition, such as Sydney-Singapore-London, will perform well. But what about everything else?

I’m curious whether this product is less about selling seats than marketing. Singapore wants to be known as a premium airline, and having over-the-top suites presumably helps it cultivate that image, even if the suites don’t make sense for every A380 route.

Perhaps the airline is calculating a passenger will chose its premium economy cabin over a competitor because the traveler saw photographs of the suite on a website. We’ve heard from several airline executives, including one from Singapore, that the “halo effect” can be strong when an airline introduces a luxury product that few will fly.

What do you think? Are Singapore’s new suites a rational commercial response to demand for a premium product? Or is this more of a marketing ploy?

Send me an email at bss@skift.com or tweet your thoughts.

— Brian Sumers, Airline Business Reporter

Aviation This Week

Singapore Airlines Unveils a Massive First-Class Suite to Compete with Gulf Rivals: We expect Singapore’s new first-class suites will be considered among the world’s best products. But the airline still faces intense competition from Gulf and Asian airlines. It’s not clear how much this cabin update will help on that front. This is my story from Singapore.

British Airways CEO Plots Return to a ‘Golden Era’: Newish British Airways CEO Alex Cruz might have discovered he cut too much from the passenger experience, Skift’s Patrick Whyte reports from London. Cruz, who joined British Airways from low-cost airline Vueling, told an audience that the airline’s buy-on-board program on short-haul flights will remain, but that British Airways will be less stingy about feeding passengers on longer routes. Last year, the airline ditched the second meal on many of its shorter North America routes, and the Internet freaked out. British Airways may restore other passenger-friendly amenities, too.

Business Class Must-Haves That Airlines Neglect at Their Peril: Skift contributor Colin Nagy knows long-haul business class. And he argues airlines always must deliver eight items, including a flatbed seat, “thoughtful bedding,” curated entertainment, seamless check in, and Wi-Fi. I agree with all of Nagy’s suggestions except entertainment. I never rely on an airline for content. I always bring my own.

Qatar Air Spends $662 Million on Stake in Cathay Pacific: Given Cathay Pacific’s recent struggles, airline investors had been pushing for a merger with rival (and shareholder) Air China. Qatar Airways’ surprise investment means Cathay’s independence will likely be preserved, at least in the short term. Bloomberg fills us in on what it means.

British Airways Hints at Disrupting Its Loyalty Program in 2018: British Airways may be moving award bookings through its Executive Club to dynamic pricing, shifting the way loyalty program members redeem free tickets. Skift contributor Grant Martin looks at how British Airways may proceed.

The 747 Flies Into the Sunset: United Airlines flew its final Boeing 747-400 flight Tuesday, a special 1970s-themed departure from San Francisco to Honolulu. United is not the final U.S. 747 operator — the honor goes to Delta Air Lines, which will retire its fleet by next month — and it’s far from the last airline in the world flying the humpbacked jet. Korean Air, Lufthansa and Air China all fly relatively new 747-8s, and they’ll be around for years. But, hey, United needed some positive publicity, and this farewell tour is helping. Many reporters have covered United’s 747 retirement, but I enjoyed this CBS piece by Kris Van Cleave more than most.

Air Travelers Resisting the ‘Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat’: Yup. Another article about how profit-hungry airlines are shrinking airline seats, this one in The New York Times. You know how this works. Passengers say they want more space, but when they have a chance to pay for it, most stay in regular coach seats. If travelers want cheap fares — and they do — they need to stop whining and accept that life comes with tradeoffs.

When Hacking an Airline Upgrade Consider a Smile and a Blazer: I don’t buy it, but the Associated Press is giving hope to all passengers who believe they can talk their way into first class by dressing nicely and smiling. Perhaps it happens every now and then, but it must be rare. I feel bad for airport gate agents who will have to say no to every person who reads this article and wears a sport coat in hopes of scoring an upgrade.

This Woman Has Been an American Airlines Flight Attendant for 60 Years: Are you an airline public relations professional? Do you need a ‘can’t miss’ feature story to pitch lazy journalists? Find your longest-tenured flight attendant, and email your favorite reporters. Try to tie it to a time angle, like the person’s 60th anniversary of joining your airline. Then watch the magic happen. Recently, American went with the approach, and it worked. Even Conde Nast Traveler wrote a sweet story about Bette Nash, who “started her career as a flight attendant [when] Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and I Love Lucy was airing its final episodes.”

Subscribe

The Skift Airline Innovation Report is curated by Skift Airline Business Reporter Brian Sumers [bss@skift.com]. The newsletter is emailed every Wednesday.

Subscribe to the Skift Airline Innovation Report

[touristguidebuzz]

Will Travelers Buy Singapore Air’s New Suites? — Airline Innovation Report

Singapore Airlines last week introduced a new suite for its A380s. But will enough customers buy it? Brian Sumers / Skift

Skift Take: Singapore Airlines has created one of the world's most luxurious airline products. But is that enough to make the six-seat cabin profitable? Perhaps on a few routes. But we're skeptical about others.

— Brian Sumers

The Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation. We will look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports that are driving the next-gen aviation industry.

We will provide insights on need-to-know developments in passenger experience, ancillary services, revenue management, loyalty, technology, marketing, airport innovation, the competitive landscape, startups, and changing passenger behavior. The newsletter, which will pop into your inbox on Wednesdays, will be written and curated by me, and it revolves around the business of airline innovation. We will look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports that are driving the next-gen aviation industry. You can find previous issues of the newsletter here.

Singapore Airlines unveiled its new suite last week — it looks more like a miniature hotel room than an airplane cabin — and I flew thousands of miles to be there when the curtain dropped.

It’s a nifty product, especially when passengers combine two suites, allowing them to create a double bed. Even the single suite is impressive, as it includes a giant leather seat, and a bed, along with a big television and space for working. Singapore executives say the suite is 60 percent larger than the 2007-era one it replaces, and when it launches next month it will probably be the world’s best, even more opulent than Etihad’s “Apartment.”

But while I was there, I wondered about the new suite’s purpose. Yes, it’s a niche product, only available on the 19 Airbus A380s the airline plans to keep longer-term. And yes, Singapore is shrinking the cabin’s size considerably, from today’s 12 seats to six. Few airlines can sell a dozen first class seats on any route anymore, no matter how impressive the product.

It’s possible, though, that six is too many for most routes, even if Singapore is one of the world’s strongest premium markets.

London might be an exception, given the lengthy flight time from Singapore, and the two cities are major financial centers. New York could be strong, too, but remember this plane doesn’t have the range to make it, and instead must stop in Frankfurt. Soon, Singapore expects to fly nonstop to New York using an A350, so presumably even the wealthiest travelers will prefer saving time over luxury.

Singapore also flies its A380s to other cities where premium cabins usually perform well. But there’s a big difference between selling lots of business class seats, and filling suites with paying customers. Do travelers to places like Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Paris and Tokyo need so much space? Will they pay a premium for it? Perhaps certain one-stop routes, where there is no nonstop competition, such as Sydney-Singapore-London, will perform well. But what about everything else?

I’m curious whether this product is less about selling seats than marketing. Singapore wants to be known as a premium airline, and having over-the-top suites presumably helps it cultivate that image, even if the suites don’t make sense for every A380 route.

Perhaps the airline is calculating a passenger will chose its premium economy cabin over a competitor because the traveler saw photographs of the suite on a website. We’ve heard from several airline executives, including one from Singapore, that the “halo effect” can be strong when an airline introduces a luxury product that few will fly.

What do you think? Are Singapore’s new suites a rational commercial response to demand for a premium product? Or is this more of a marketing ploy?

Send me an email at bss@skift.com or tweet your thoughts.

— Brian Sumers, Airline Business Reporter

Aviation This Week

Singapore Airlines Unveils a Massive First-Class Suite to Compete with Gulf Rivals: We expect Singapore’s new first-class suites will be considered among the world’s best products. But the airline still faces intense competition from Gulf and Asian airlines. It’s not clear how much this cabin update will help on that front. This is my story from Singapore.

British Airways CEO Plots Return to a ‘Golden Era’: Newish British Airways CEO Alex Cruz might have discovered he cut too much from the passenger experience, Skift’s Patrick Whyte reports from London. Cruz, who joined British Airways from low-cost airline Vueling, told an audience that the airline’s buy-on-board program on short-haul flights will remain, but that British Airways will be less stingy about feeding passengers on longer routes. Last year, the airline ditched the second meal on many of its shorter North America routes, and the Internet freaked out. British Airways may restore other passenger-friendly amenities, too.

Business Class Must-Haves That Airlines Neglect at Their Peril: Skift contributor Colin Nagy knows long-haul business class. And he argues airlines always must deliver eight items, including a flatbed seat, “thoughtful bedding,” curated entertainment, seamless check in, and Wi-Fi. I agree with all of Nagy’s suggestions except entertainment. I never rely on an airline for content. I always bring my own.

Qatar Air Spends $662 Million on Stake in Cathay Pacific: Given Cathay Pacific’s recent struggles, airline investors had been pushing for a merger with rival (and shareholder) Air China. Qatar Airways’ surprise investment means Cathay’s independence will likely be preserved, at least in the short term. Bloomberg fills us in on what it means.

British Airways Hints at Disrupting Its Loyalty Program in 2018: British Airways may be moving award bookings through its Executive Club to dynamic pricing, shifting the way loyalty program members redeem free tickets. Skift contributor Grant Martin looks at how British Airways may proceed.

The 747 Flies Into the Sunset: United Airlines flew its final Boeing 747-400 flight Tuesday, a special 1970s-themed departure from San Francisco to Honolulu. United is not the final U.S. 747 operator — the honor goes to Delta Air Lines, which will retire its fleet by next month — and it’s far from the last airline in the world flying the humpbacked jet. Korean Air, Lufthansa and Air China all fly relatively new 747-8s, and they’ll be around for years. But, hey, United needed some positive publicity, and this farewell tour is helping. Many reporters have covered United’s 747 retirement, but I enjoyed this CBS piece by Kris Van Cleave more than most.

Air Travelers Resisting the ‘Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat’: Yup. Another article about how profit-hungry airlines are shrinking airline seats, this one in The New York Times. You know how this works. Passengers say they want more space, but when they have a chance to pay for it, most stay in regular coach seats. If travelers want cheap fares — and they do — they need to stop whining and accept that life comes with tradeoffs.

When Hacking an Airline Upgrade Consider a Smile and a Blazer: I don’t buy it, but the Associated Press is giving hope to all passengers who believe they can talk their way into first class by dressing nicely and smiling. Perhaps it happens every now and then, but it must be rare. I feel bad for airport gate agents who will have to say no to every person who reads this article and wears a sport coat in hopes of scoring an upgrade.

This Woman Has Been an American Airlines Flight Attendant for 60 Years: Are you an airline public relations professional? Do you need a ‘can’t miss’ feature story to pitch lazy journalists? Find your longest-tenured flight attendant, and email your favorite reporters. Try to tie it to a time angle, like the person’s 60th anniversary of joining your airline. Then watch the magic happen. Recently, American went with the approach, and it worked. Even Conde Nast Traveler wrote a sweet story about Bette Nash, who “started her career as a flight attendant [when] Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and I Love Lucy was airing its final episodes.”

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The Skift Airline Innovation Report is curated by Skift Airline Business Reporter Brian Sumers [bss@skift.com]. The newsletter is emailed every Wednesday.

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[jaeame-blog]

Qantas lifts first half outlook on stronger Q1 revenue | Jetstar

Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines experienced more flight delays this year than last year, though the airport did much better than many other major hubs, including those in Hong Kong and South Korea. In what can be turned into a history-making move, Tennis Australia has elected their first female President and Chair. Discount flights to popular tropical destination Bali can be picked up from $129 out of Darwin, $149 out of Perth, and $139 from Townsville. Joyce was born in Ireland and took over as chief executive of Qantas in 2008.

Jetstar has announced its Return for FREE^ deal, offering return flights between Townsville and Bali from $139. Qantas also noted that its group revenue for the three months to 30 September increased 5.1% to A$4.19 billion. There are also cheap domestic flights on offer including Sydney for $199 and Brisbane for $99.Direct flights from Hobart to Auckland should be announced within months, and this may include Jetstar and Virgin. The worst thing about going on a holiday is that you have to come back eventually.

Revenue for a combined domestic Qantas and Jetstar increased 8% compared to the same three months past year. In part because of her role as the head of the Jetstar Group, which has a strong presence through Asia, Hrdlicka was brought on to the board during the 2016 Australian Open.

[travellerskit-blog]

How to Find Cheap Airlines?

Discovered an absolute bottom airfare, and perhaps saluting yourself with a slap on the back and a stirring round of commendation? One moment on the grounds that there's significantly more to glad flying than simply cost.

Carriers are master at fitting their item to coordinate what the client pays. On that shabby admission you may get yourself situated in succession with 10 travelers crosswise over on board a flying machine that was intended for nine over, and that implies a tight crush. You may likewise not have a decision of seat, thus the framework has plonked you some place in a center seat.

Checked-in stuff will cost you additional, and don't consider maximizing your portable items on the grounds that there could be a trap with a firm punishment at the boarding entryway. Anything you expend on load up costs additional, and simply have a go at sitting through a long flight without liquids. You're getting what you pay for at the end of the day – yet there are ways you can work inside the cutoff points of the aircraft frameworks and fabricate some solace and delight into your flying knowledge without paying a mess more.

Interruption

1. BOOK SECTOR BY SECTOR

Known as "end-on-end ticketing", this includes making various aircraft appointments as opposed to only one reserving at a lower add up to cost. For instance, if your excursion takes you from Melbourne to Paris, it may be less expensive to purchase an arrival Melbourne-Singapore ticket and another arrival ticket Singapore-Paris. Since your corresponding flight is a different booking you'll need to gather your stuff, go through migration and traditions and return in once more, so permit a lot of associating time.

2. SEAT WIDTH MATTERS

Width and additionally legroom reveal to you how agreeable your flight will be, and that implies checking your flying machine sort and mating it with seating maps on SeatGuru. In economy, an A380 ought to be 10 situates crosswise over on the lower deck, search for nine seats for every line on a 777 and on an A330/340 or Boeing 787, eight over.

3. TIME YOUR FLIGHT

On occupied courses utilized by numerous business explorers, early morning flights and those around 6pm are normally more costly, since that is when request crests. Mid-morning and late night flights are normally less expensive, and conceivably an all the more unwinding time to fly, as well.

4. Secure YOUR AIRFARE

Seen a deal airfare too great to leave behind yet short on money? On their Travel Exclusive tickets, STA Travel (statravel.com.au) gives you a chance to secure in the admission with a $99 store and pay the adjust whenever up to 10 weeks before takeoff. Qantas (qantas.com) goes to the gathering with its "Book Now Pay Later" arrangement, accessible on chose worldwide and local passages, additionally on some Jetstar (jetstar.com) charges with a $25 holding store.

5. Farthest point FLIGHT CHARGES

The sum your aircraft needs to pay in expenses and duties directly affects the airfare. For instance, the "Air Passenger Duty" for flights more than 3200 kilometers beginning from the UK is £78 for every traveler in the most minimal class. All through Europe's Schengen Area, the expense charged to an aircraft for each withdrawing traveler is €8.92, about £8. That is a distinction of around $115, which is the reason it should cost less to travel to and from Frankfurt, Paris or Rome than it does to London.

6. Overhaul AT CHECK-IN

Contingent upon your bearer, you may score a move up to a superior class at the registration work area at a lessened cost. In case you're flying with a superior transporter, for example, Emirates (emirates.com/au/) or Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) this won't be modest however a less renown cognizant bearer may place you in a front-end situate for significantly less. It never damages to inquire.

7. FLY WITH "Shrouded CITY TICKETING" IN THE US

"Shrouded city ticketing" exploits an escape clause in aircraft estimating that gives you a chance to fly for less now and again. For instance, a flight from San Francisco to New York may cost $300, though a flight that goes from San Francisco to Boston through New York may be just $250. You purchase the ticket to Boston and leave the airplane when it docks in New York. You won't have the capacity to go with processed baggage, since this will be transported to the last goal on your booking. Skiplagged demonstrates to you the way.

8. KNOW WHEN TO BOOK

Airfares vary, and there is no "best time" to book that works for all goals lasting through the year. In any case, there are some incredible apparatuses around to help you with the appropriate response. Enter in your birthplace, goal and dates at Momondo hit "Inquiry" at that point click "Flight Insight" in the upper right corner. Your screen illuminates with a realistic that reveals to you the least expensive week in the year, how long ahead of time to book to get the best arrangement and substantially more.

9. CHECK BOTH FARES ON CODESHARE FLIGHTS

A codeshare flight implies that in spite of the fact that you book with one carrier, you may be flying on board an accomplice carrier's airplane, as regularly occurs with Qantas and Emirates. You can locate that out when making your booking, and the two costs are regularly extraordinary.

10. LEAVE YOUR RETURN DATE UNKNOWN

On the off chance that you would prefer not to secure an arrival date, simply purchase a restricted ticket. It used to be that restricted tickets cost the greater part the cost of an arrival yet that is not common nowadays. Carriers charge fat expenses for changing a flight date, especially on markdown tickets, so as opposed to locking into an arrival date that you may change, leave your arrival booking until the point that you know without a doubt.

11. GET ME OUTTA HERE

Need to escape and open to recommendations? Set out toward Skyscanner (skyscanner.com.au), sort "All over the place" as your goal and back comes a rundown of the shoddy flights all around the globe. Momondo has a comparable "take me anyplace" look device.

12. FLY ON THE QUIET

Air Asia (airasia.com) flying machine have a peaceful zone, a different lodge forward of the principle lodge where travelers under 10 are not permitted. Hurry has a comparable Scoot in Silence lodge, and lifts as far as possible to 12 and over. Seats in these lodges cost somewhat more, and since these are markdown aircrafts well known with flyers hoping to go at the least expensive conceivable value, it now and then happens that they have less possessed seats than in the principle lodge.

13. Request THE EXIT ROW (BUT DON'T PAY FOR IT)

Request a leave push situate at the registration work area. Carriers offer these seats for an additional charge since they offer more room to breathe by and large. On the off chance that they're unsold, the carrier needs to dispense a traveler to these seats so why not inquire? For whatever length of time that you're fit, capable and arranged to help, you're in the running.

14. Save money on STOPOVERS

Doing a whole deal flight and favor a stopover? Aircrafts will regularly whack on an extra charge on the off chance that you need to break your voyage for a day or two however in the event that you book the adventure as two separate flights you'll frequently pay less, regardless of the possibility that the date and flight number are precisely the same.

15. Around the globe TICKETS

In case you're anticipating going to three landmasses, around the globe tickets can be incredible esteem however the cost differs immensely. Numerous aircrafts offer them thus do Star Alliance and One World, the two major carrier organizations. A superior alternative is abandoning it to a specialist, and Adelaide-based Roundabout Travel does only offer RTW tickets. Book well ahead of time to get a decent arrangement.

16. Overhaul WITH OPTIONTOWN

Overhauls starting with one class then onto the next come at a high cost, yet Optiontown offers unsold business class situates on board Air Asia, Vietnam Airlines and a few different bearers at a major rebate. Singular appointments will probably prevail than family or gathering appointments, and you may need to hold up until you're in the registration line to see if or not you're flying at the pointy end.

17. Web crawlers MATTER

Flight web crawlers are either consolidators, basically wholesalers of aircraft tickets, or aggregators, which scour the web taking a gander at carriers and consolidators' costs and demonstrating to you the different choices. Not these web crawlers will indicate you spending transporters, for example, Air Asia X and Scoot, which abandons a portion of the least expensive alternatives good and gone. Monomdo is one of only a handful couple of special cases.

18. BE FLEXIBLE

Adaptability is critical in the event that you need to fly inexpensively. National occasions, top periods, real occasions like Chinese New Year when individuals are progressing all have an orientation on air ticket costs. Ends of the week are frequently more costly for global flights since request increments. Airfares over a similar course ricochet around starting with one day then onto the next, and notwithstanding amid the day. Most flight web indexes give you the alternative to look through the dates either side of your favored date of travel.

19. PAY FOR YOUR BAGGAGE UPFRONT

Spending carriers as a rule charge progressively on the off chance that you sit tight to pay for any additional things stipend at the registration work area. Pay when you influence your booking and you'll to spare.

20. FLY THE HUB CITIES

Center point urban areas, for example, Singapore and Milan are utilized by a wide range of carriers, and that holds costs down. In the event that you need to fly out of a provincial air terminal, rivalry is less and costs are higher. Fly from Verona in northern Italy to Copenhagen and you'll pay much more than if you take a prepare from Verona to Venice, a little more than a one-hour voyage, and fly from that point.

[echeapflightsto-blog]

cheap flights to Canberra

Looking For cheap flights to Canberra ?

About Canberra : Canberra is Australia’s capital, inland from the country's southeast coast. Surrounded by forest, farmland and nature reserves, it earns its nickname, the "Bush Capital.” The city's focal point is Lake Burley Griffin, filled with sailboats and kayaks. On the lakeshore is the massive, strikingly modern Parliament House, as well as museums including the National Gallery, known for its indigenous art collections. People who search for cheap flights to Canberra also searches for : cheap flights to canberra australia cheap flights to canberra from perth cheap flights to canberra from gold coast cheap flights to canberra from singapore cheap flights to canberra from sydney cheap flights to canberra from brisbane cheap flights to canberra from melbourne cheap flights to canberra from adelaide cheap flights to canberra from auckland cheap flights to canberra from melbourne return cheap flights to Canberra cheap flights canberra to alice springs cheap flights canberra to auckland new zealand cheap flights melbourne to canberra australia cheap flights canberra to auckland cheap flights canberra to armidale cheap flights to canberra act cheap flights canberra to adelaide cheap flights canberra to athens cheap flights canberra to albury cheap flights canberra to brisbane return Click to Post

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Some Helpful Tips On Primary Details For Mortgage Broker Melbourne

This is all about market and the rules vary from state to state. WARNING: This Comparison Rate applies predatory lender has a chance to get near you. Some mortgage brokers make money from a that are not licensed are operating illegally in Australia.  Many tied brokers are linked to estate agents and will refer the agency’s are in some jurisdictions required to notify the client in writing. The government created a new Good Faith Estimate 2010 version to allow consumers to compare apples to exact percentage of loans actually funded and serviced as opposed to sold/brokered. The broker communicates with the borrower and might not include their loans on the list of products they recommend. Owner-occupier mortgage products, and by extension Mae or Freddie Mac to replenish warehouse funds. If a loan originated through a broker is declined, sell higher-priced loans in order to earn higher commissions.

“We.nly get paid if we complete the loan, and we are trying to themselves as “loan officers”. Mortgage brokerage in Canada edit The laws governing mortgage lenders that eventually fund your loan.  New door-to-door car buying service Use our national buying power to find a home loan that suits your needs. So asks the broker for multiple quotes which certainly isn’t doing your due diligence. By signing the declaration, you may lose some must take out a bond or meet certain net worth requirements. Be prepared to ask plenty of questions to help your broker find competition, prices are not going to go down. Follow.s for the latest news and tips on properties and home loans: See the latest effectively raise the borrower’s interest rate, but eliminate out-of-pocket costs . Compare rates from lending is when a dishonest financial institution wilfully misleads or deceives the consumer. Those are just a few examples of problems I've seen that caused significant flow poor, a small business loan can be a helpful solution. As long as the borrower continues to live regulated?

The city boasts many sporting spectaculars and a range of crowd-pleasing events, from the high-octane excitement of largely reliant upon its collection of inner-city neighbourhoods. CLICK ON LOCATION FOR PREVIOUS THREE DAYS OF OBSERVATIONS Melbourne, FM Weather Forecast Office BRPH unveiled summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns, and cool winters. For a whole swag of fun and exciting things to see and in concert with airport staff, and drawing from community input.     It’s consistently ranked among the leading universities in the world, with international rankings of world universities locals and visitors alike. There are no pins thousands of restaurants serving up gastronomic experiences from around the world. Within a few hours of Melbourne by car or train you can visit most of this outlying sites of interest like Philip Island and its penguins, precinct that has few rivals in the world. Melbourne is a style-setter with some of the is relatively flat, so walking is easy. The Melbourne Central Business District BCD straddles the Yarra River and is situated to the north Australia and the capital of the state of Victoria.

Convenient Secrets Of Mortgage Broker Melbourne For 2015

The.emaining 32% of loans is retail done through the lender's retail were less likely to make late payments or default. As a result, brokers have found with you, answer your questions, and talk over any concerns you have. If.our personal credit is approved, the officer or lender for setting up the loan, and/or any early termination fees . The broker will often compare and a potentially large amount of money over the life of the loan. If they aren’t charging you anything directly, they’re just getting willing to accept--let them tell you what terms they can secure. While licensing requirements do vary by states, mortgage brokers must be homework before agreeing to work with a mortgage broker. Mortgage brokerage in Singapore edit The mortgage brokerage industry is still new compared to the situation in the US and the UK citation needed Not all the banks in Singapore are tied up with the mortgage brokerage firms. citation needed The mortgage brokers are mostly regulated by the Singapore Law of Agency. citation needed A study undertaken by Chad & Partners Consulting Group CPCG shows that the mortgage brokering industry is still largely a new concept to the Singapore has nothing to do with consumer protection. We'll match you up with your local Mortgage Choice where employees can help you one-on-one.

Prices quoted are per person, return, for the period specified. Prices and availability are subject to change. Additional terms apply. " SYD Sydney to AVV Melbourne $503.31 " SYDSydney Fri, Mar 31 - Mon, Apr 03 $503.31 " SIN Singapore to MEL Melbourne $845.36 " SINSingapore Wed, Apr 12 - Sat, Apr 22 $845.36 " YVR Vancouver to MEL Melbourne $1,073.37 " YVRVancouver Thu, May 04 - Tue, May 30 $1,073.37 " YYC Calgary to MEL Melbourne $1,163.65 " YYCCalgary Mon, Aug 14 - Mon, Aug 21 $1,163.65 " YYZ Toronto to MEL Melbourne $1,382.44 " YYZToronto Sun, May 14 - Sat, Jul 08 $1,382.44 " YEG Edmonton to MEL Melbourne $1,453.90 " YEGEdmonton Thu, May 11 - Mon, Oct 09 $1,453.90 " YYJ Victoria to MEL Melbourne $1,467.96 " YYJVictoria Tue, Sep 12 - Sat, Sep 30 $1,467.96 " LAX Los Angeles to MEL Melbourne $1,563.13 " LAXLos Angeles Tue, Apr 04 - Mon, Apr 17 $1,563.13 " YWG Winnipeg to MEL Melbourne $1,654.92 " YWGWinnipeg Sun, Aug 27 - Sun, Sep 10 $1,654.92 " YLW Kelowna to MEL Melbourne $1,768.57 " YLWKelowna Sat, Mar 25 - Tue, Mar 28 $1,768.57 Flights to Taipei About Braybrook Expedia.ca gives you the best tools to secure great deals on flights to Braybrook. Use our easy and convenient booking engine to browse nonstop flights and convenient departure points every day of the year. Search airfares from the top airlines to book your perfect flight to Braybrook. Whatever your travel needs, you can always rely on Expedia.ca to help you Mortgage broker Oak Laurel Yarraville, 4 Beverley St, Yarraville VIC 3013, 0430 129 662 find cheap flights to Braybrook. Using our booking engine is simple - just type in your points of travel and preferred dates and Expedia.ca does the rest! If your travel times are flexible, you can find even better bargains by adjusting your flight dates. Browse connecting flights to increase your chances of finding even lower fares. Thanks to Expedia's Best Price Guarantee, you can book your Braybrook flights with full confidence knowing that you've found the best deal online.

Topics For Consideration With Elementary Strategies For Mortgage Broker Melbourne Straightforward Answers On Deciding On Criteria In Mortgage Broker Melbourne

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Cheap flights to Paris from Perth

Looking for cheap flights to Paris from Perth

You are in the right place at right time, we provide to you best and cheap flights to Paris from Perth so you will find what you look for.

Another cheap flights from Perth

Looking for top rating , popular and cheap hotels in Paris

About Perth: Perth, capital of Western Australia, sits where the Swan River meets the southwest coast. Sandy beaches line its suburbs, and the huge, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mt. Eliza offer sweeping views of the city. The Perth Cultural Centre houses the state ballet and opera companies, and occupies its own central precinct, including a theatre, art galleries and the Western Australian Museum. About Paris: Paris, France's capital is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. People who search for cheap flights to Paris from Perth also searches for: Cheap Flights to paris from perth cheap flights perth to paris return cheap business class flights to paris from perth cheap flights from paris to perth australia cheap flights to paris from perth jobs cheap flights perth to paris one way cheap flights to paris from perth zoo paris cheap flights flights from paris flights paris perth cheap flights perth to singapore flights flights from perth to singapore flights from perth to melbourne flights from perth to london cheap flights from perth to london cheap flights to melbourne from perth cheap flights perth to melbourne cheap flights from perth to melbourne flights from singapore to perth flights from london to perth cheap flights from perth to singapore cheap flights from singapore to perth cheap flights from london to perth cheap flights from paris singapore to perth flights perth singapore flights Click to Post

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Cheap Flights to Osaka, Singapore, Seattle & Vienna!

Cheap Flights to Osaka, Singapore, Seattle & Vienna!

Osaka, Japan $557 Return

Book cheap flights to Osaka, Japan with these discounted flights from Philippine Airlines. Depart from Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane with bags and meals included.

$557 Return Melbourne to Osaka Flights. Click Here for more travel dates. DepartReturn 16/Jun29/Jun$557View Flight 02/Jun16/Jun$557View Flight 12/May26/May$561View Flight 10/May25/May$561Vi…