Melbourne Hotel Deals by Otel.com

One of the largest cities of Australia, Melbourne is the most preferred tourist destination and the capital city of Victoria state. The city is located in the south of Port Phillip Bay and in the east of the Dandenong Ranges. There are some periods when the weather is too hot to go outside. Therefore, people generally visit the city between June and August, when the weather is cool and sunny.

Being known as the cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne hosts many festivals including the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and International Art Festival. The Melbourne Museum in Carlton is a popular place the tourists visit to find out more about the city. The city also boasts with its many attractions such as the Old Melbourne Gaol, Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, and the streets of Rathdowne and Lygon which are known for Italian restaurants, cafes and gelatarias. There are also tourist areas in Melbourne including the City Centre where one could find the Parliament House of Victoria, State Library, Eureka Tower, Docklands and Federation Square. City hotels in Melbourne are generally booked beforehand and it is hard to find accommodation in peak season.

Metin Altun, CEO of otel.com has made a speech about their deals on hotels in Melbourne; “Australia is a great continent and, for those who are interested in its cultural capital city, we have prepared a special discount package. This month, people can find cheap Melbourne hotels on our website. We are offering great rates on those top hotels for our visitor.”

He also mentions two hotels in the city. The first is Easystay Bayside Motel, located in the center of St. Kilda’s cosmopolitan district. One can find bars, clubs and restaurants around the hotel. It is thought to be an affordable, budget hotel, with rooms offering private bathrooms and air conditioning. The other hotel is Best Western Sandown Heritage Motel. This hotel features spacious rooms with free Wi-Fi. There are also a swimming pool, BBQ area, guest laundry service on site.

Taiwanese Travel writer Ya Ruo Lin predicted her own death in Facebook

"Before I go cycling SOLO through the desert in Australia, I would like to share this photo which was taken in 2009 by FHM magazine. In case I die in the desert, you guys can use this photo for my funeral." These were the English words written by a Taiwanese flight attendant-turned-travel writer, Ya Ruo Lin, in her Facebook account just days before she has died after being hit by a bus in Australia.

31 years old Lin Ya-ruo was hit by a tourist bus owned by EMU Run Tours. She was cycling at 09:00 pm on a highway in Australia's Alice Springs. She has written "Camping in the desert during the night, if I were eaten up by animals, bitten death by spiders or hit by a car, at least people get to see this 2009 photo by the FHM magazine" under the same photo.

Ya Ruo Lin has worked as a flight attendant on Taiwan's China Airlines before leaving the job to be a full-time travel writter.

Ya Ruo Lin has uploaded this photo to her Facebook account before she died in a bus accident
in Australia. She wrote: "I would like to share this photo which was taken in 2009 by FHM magazine.
In case I die in the desert, you guys can use this photo for my funeral."

Source : 林亞若魂斷異鄉 志工不捨

AirAsia ex-Australia Promotion

Malaysian budget airline AirAsia has launched a new cheap flight promotion. AirAsia Ex-Australia promotion is available for booking until 16 June 2013 for travel period between 1 January and 30 April 2014. Flights to Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia’s hub are very cheap starting from just A$159 from Melbourne, Gold Coast and Perth, and from A$179 from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur.

AirAsia offers a huge range of Fly-Thru destinations from Melbourne. Below are some promotional ticket prices from Australia to South East Asia and Far East Asia (all one-way prices):

A$189 from Melbourne to Singapore,
A$199 from Melbourne to Tokyo and Seoul,
A$209 from Melbourne to Langkawi,
A$219 from Melbourne to Kota Kinabalu and Phuket,
A$229 from Melbourne to Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh and
A$249 from Melbourne to Bali and Hong Kong.

A$189 from Gold Coast to Singapore,
A$199 from Gold Coast to Seoul,
A$209 from Gold Coast to Langkawi,
A$219 from Gold Coast to Kota Kinabalu and Phuket,
A$229 from Gold Coast to Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh,
A$249 from Gold Coast to Bali and Hong Kong,

A$189 from Perth to Singapore,
A$199 from Perth to Tokyo, Seoul and Osaka,
A$209 from Perth to Langkawi,
A$219 from Perth to Kota Kinabalu and Phuket,
A$229 from Perth to Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh,
A$249 from Perth to Hong Kong,

A$209 from Sydney to Singapore,
A$219 from Sydney to Osaka and Penang,
A$229 from Sydney to Phuket and Langkawi,
A$239 from Sydney to Kota Kinabalu and Kathmandu,
A$249 from Sydney to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh and Bali.

AirAsia Asia Australia Flight Destination Map

“Whether it’s a shopping holiday in Tokyo, a trekking adventure in Kathmandu or a beachside break in Bali, this sale has plenty of big destinations at tiny prices,” said AirAsia X commercial manager Australia, Stuart Myerscough. “And with some connecting fares less than A$200 one way, it’s a great opportunity to lock in your next holiday and discover the world.”

Emirates makes flights between Dubai and Adelaide non-stop daily services

Emirates is adding three extra flights a week to its popular  Dubai - Adelaide route which will effectively make it a a non-stop, daily service from Dubai to Adelaide. Flights to Adelaide has started just in November 2012 as the 5th Australian gateway for Emirates and this increase came just 3 months after the launch.

The increased volume of flights to Adelaide comes just three months after Emirates commenced its four time a week service to its fifth Australian gateway in November 2012. The additional flights will add 1062 seats operate in and out of Adelaide  per week, carrying an expected 200,000 passengers on the route each year.

“The response since our inception into South Australia has been overwhelming, with current load factors averaging between 85% and 90% throughout December and January,” said, Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Far East & Australasia in the company press release.

“South Australians have been receptive of the new Emirates product and service across all classes. Positive feedback tells us that travellers are impressed with the timely one-stop connectivity to 33 European and over 128 worldwide destinations,” added Mr Obaidalla.

“Interest is particularly high as we enter a new era for Emirates with the Qantas partnership proposal, pending government and regulatory approvals” said Mr Obaidalla.

Trade connections between South Australia and the Middle East are also set to benefit from the airline’s increased flights, with Emirates SkyCargo carrying a range of commercial freight on each flight to and from Adelaide to further boost the state’s manufacturing, agriculture and mining intensive economy.

“Not only will we continue to transport up to 14 tonnes of cargo on each Emirates flight out of Adelaide, our entry into Adelaide and subsequent increase to daily flights represents a 30 per cent capacity increase for the Adelaide passenger market and will boost jobs and investment in South Australia’s AUS$5.3 billion tourism sector ,” concluded Mr Obaidalla.

Emirates operates its 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER  on the popular
13 hour flight between Adelaide and Dubai.

South Australian Premier, Jay Weatherill, said the daily flights were a significant boost for business and tourism. “Adelaide is now a one-stop destination for businesspeople and visitors from many more cities around the world,” Mr Weatherill said.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Emirates and Tourism Australia in promoting what our wonderful state has to offer.” Emirates operates its 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER on the popular 13 hour flight between Adelaide and Dubai, offering eight First Class Private Suites, 42 Business Class lie-flat seats and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Passengers flying with Emirates throughout its global route network benefit from a range of services, including ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system with up to 1,400 channels of entertainment across all cabin classes and gourmet chef-prepared dining options.

From Dubai, EK440 now departs daily at 0200hrs and arrives in Adelaide at 2050hrs. Outbound from Adelaide, EK441 departs at 2235hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0515hrs with timely connections to a variety of global destinations.

Jetstar starts non-stop flights from Melbourne to Hawaii

Australian low-cost airline Jetstar makes some of the Asia Pacific’s most popular holiday islands easily reachable by adding of up to 19,000 extra seats a month on Jetstar services to Bali, Phuket and the reinstated non–stop service between Melbourne and Honolulu. This will give Australians more choice of where and when to travel to some of the region’s best island getaways. The additional long-haul flights have started on Saturday 15 December and deliver daily services from Melbourne and Sydney to Bali, four weekly services between Sydney and Phuket and up to three services a week between Melbourne and Honolulu.

“We pioneered long-haul, low fares travel and these additional services come just in time for the holiday season and school holidays,” Jetstar Australia & New Zealand CEO David Hall said. "And I am delighted to announce the return of non-stop flights between Melbourne and Honolulu following the continued popularity of our non-stop service from Sydney to Hawaii."

Hawaii Tourism’s Country Manager Helen Williams said: "Australians are heading to Hawaii for holidays in record numbers, and while the strong Aussie dollar has a lot to do with it, so do the great value, low airfares which Jetstar has lead the market with. Hawaii’s allure has always been its diverse island experiences, unmatched natural beauty, great year-round climate and rich Hawaiian culture.  It’s also a very attractive shopping destination for Australians to take advantage of the strong Australian dollar."

Jetstar will serve the additional services from Melbourne and Sydney to Bali, Phuket and Hawaii with wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft fitted with business and economy class.

Australians now have more choice of where and when to travel to
some of the region’s best island getaways by additional Jetstar flights

In mid 2013, Jetstar will be the first airline in Australasia and one of the first low fares carriers in the world to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Jetstar has ordered 25 Boeing 787 (15 by parent company Quantas) and the aircraft will gradually replace Jetstar's fleet of 11 Airbus A330s as well as providing additional aircraft for growth.

Flights are on sale for as low as $399** for economy and $949 for business from Melbourne to Honolulu on Saturday December 15 from midday (12 noon) until 11.59pm Sunday December 16. Sale fares are valid for travel between 24 July 2013 and 11 September 2013. To book visit jetstar.com.

Qatar Airways brings Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Perth Route

Qatar Airways, named the World's Best Airline in 2012 at the World Airline Awards, will be the first to bring Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights to Australia. Just months after starting flights to Perth, Qatar Airways will operate scheduled Boeing 787 flights to and from Australia early next year. Qatar Airways has recently increased frequency of services to the West Australian city of Perth to daily, effective by December 1st 2012, in time for the peak holiday season.

Qatar Airways' first long-haul Boeing 787 Australian commercial service will begin operations on 1 February 2013, connecting passengers from Perth to Doha and onwards to many destinations including London Heathrow which this week will have a 787 on the route.

Qatar Airways' Dreamliners are fitted out with 254 seats across business (22 seats) and economy  (232 seats) classes, in a 1-2-1 configuration in business and a 3-3-3 configuration in economy. Qatar Airways has a total of 60 Dreamliners ordered as part of a $US50 billion dollar order for 250 new aircraft, including Boeing 777s and Airbus A380 superjumbos.[1]

"Our Perth route was launched in July with three flights a week, but we stepped up capacity at the beginning of this month to daily and soon we will deploy our new 787 on the route which demonstrates the confidence we have in this relatively new market for us," said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker. "From Perth, passengers are able to easily connect via Doha to more 80 destinations worldwide, including over 30 in Europe such as London Heathrow which from will this week will see Qatar Airways flying a 787 on one of its five daily flights."

Qatar Airways currently does not fly into Sydney and does not intend to until the airport becomes a 24-hour operation, CEO Akbar Al Baker recently told Traveller columnist Clive Dorman.

Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner Flying Display - HD

"We are keen to fly to Sydney. I don't see any reason why it's not a 24-hour airport," he said. "Residents must keep in mind that with today's new technology, planes have [the latest] 'stage four' noise emissions, so as soon as they take off and get to 500 feet, you can hardly hear them.[1]

Qatar Airways took its first of 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners last month and is Qatar is rapidly rolling out its new Boeing 787s, with the inaugural flight to London's Heathrow airport this Friday 14 December.

[1] - 'World's best airline' to bring first Dreamliner flights to Australia

Tiger Airways Announces First Intrastate Route Fares Between Sydney and Coffs Harbour On Sale! (Press Release)

Coinciding with Tiger’s fifth birthday celebrations, the airline today announces its fifth new destination for 2012 with fares between Sydney and Coffs Harbour on sale from Monday 26 November 2012 from 59.95* each way.


According to Tiger Airways press release, Four weekly return flights between Sydney and Coffs Harbour will commence from Friday 15 February 2013, providing over 1400 visitor seats weekly through Sydney and Coffs Harbour airports, departing Sydney and returning from Coffs Harbour airport in the early afternoon. From late March, an additional fifth weekly service will increase the number of weekly seats to 1800 weekly through both airports.

When the new services commence on 15 February 2013, it will be the first time in the airline’s five year history that Tiger will touch down in Coffs Harbour. The new Sydney – Coffs Harbour route will also become the airline’s only intrastate route (all other domestic routes Tiger flies are interstate).

Tiger Airways Australia Commercial Director, Carly Brear says that today’s new route announcement from
Tiger is more good news for consumers as Tiger Airways continues to expand its services around Australia.
“Coffs Harbour is a great tourism destination for leisure seekers with a fantastic year round climate and classic Australian surf beaches and resorts, making it popular with couples and families in particular.


“Tiger will be the only low fare operator on the Sydney – Coffs Harbour route and we’re confident our
services will prove popular, stimulating demand and providing significant tourism and economic benefits to
both markets.”

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris, today welcomed the announcement by Tiger Airways that Coffs Harbour would be its first NSW regional flights destination.

Tiger Airways route map

“This is excellent news for regional NSW.  This significant increase in air services to regional NSW is a great
opportunity for tourism and local businesses and will grow the visitor economy in our state,” he said. Local member, Andrew Fraser MP, said, “I’m delighted that Tiger Airways has selected Coffs Harbour as its
first regional NSW destination. Coffs Harbour is the key tourism destination for the mid-north coast. I can
assure all visitors of a warm welcome to the Coffs Coast and that they will enjoy our terrific weather, tranquil
rainforests, sandy beaches and great festivals and events.”

Coffs Harbour Mayor, Councillor Denise Knight welcomed the new services to Coffs Harbour. "This is tremendous news and will well and truly put Coffs Harbour on the map as one of the major holiday and flight destinations in the state - and beyond. It's going to be great for tourism and great for our community and I am thrilled that this potentially massive boost to our local economy has come so early in my term as Mayor."


Sydney Airport chief executive officer, Kerrie Mather congratulated Tiger for continuing to expand its route
network – it’s first route to regional NSW.  "This new Coffs Harbour route is fantastic news for holiday makers, a boost for tourism in regional NSW and continues the growth of regional services from Sydney Airport.”

Tiger Airways fifth new destination confirmed for 2012 follows on from previous announcements of a return
to Cairns, Hobart, Adelaide and Mackay earlier this year.

The airline urges people wanting to seek the best value airfares to sign up to the e-newsletter on the website
homepage to be kept informed about the latest news and sales information directly from Tiger Airways
Australia.
 
Tiger Airways flights between Sydney and Coffs Harbour are on sale tomorrow (Monday 26 November 2012) from around 9pm AEST for travel period 15 February 2013 – July 2013.

Pounce online today to snap up the best fares! Book early and fly cheaper. For information and booking
details, visit www.tigerairways.com.


Key facts:
• Flights between Sydney and Coffs Harbour commence Friday 15 February 2013 departing Sydney
Airport and returning from Coffs Harbour regional airport in the early afternoon.

• From February, four weekly services between Sydney and Coffs Harbour on Monday, Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday – a fifth weekly Saturday service commences from 31 March 2103.  

• Tiger Airways operates the newest fleet of aircraft in Australia with average age of each aircraft
around four years old.  

• Since Tiger Airways commenced operations in Australia on 23 November 2007, the airline has carried
close to 10 million passengers around Australia.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

Lady Elliot Island is the southern-most island of the Great Barrier Reef. It houses a small air strip used by 13 seater turboprop aircraft carrying passengers from Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) and Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.  Lady Elliot Island is one of only three island resorts on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and the only resort with direct flight access to the island airstrip.

Although scuba diving is an option and Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort offers scuba diving classes for beginners, snorkelling will allow you to experience almost as much as scuba diving here. Another activity is reef walking here, when the tide is low, you can simply walk all the way through the lagoon from the beach to the reef edge. This will allow you to see a multitude of marine life. And of course you can swim at any time in the turquoise waters of Great Barrier Reef.

The island is located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in the highest possible classification of Marine National Park Zone by GBRMPA , and only 150 overnight guests are permitted at one time but the number of visitors are usually much less.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort has four different styles of accommodation: Eco Cabins, Shearwater Rooms, Reef Rooms and Island Suites. The Island Suites are one and two bedroom air conditioned beachfront units. These have a separate bedroom and lounge area. They include tea and coffee making facilities, a mini fridge, and a private bathroom.

Lady Elliot Island

The island is a prime dive location and offers a lot for scuba divers such as countless number of species. Manta rays, jellyfish, turtles and monster clams are common creatures you will come across during diving, and sometimes you can see sharks, barracuda and nautilus. Between May and October, you have chance to see whales.

Singapore Airlines and Qantas flies directly to Brisbane Australia and from Brisbane you can take QantasLink to Bundaberg. From this sleepy town, you can take flights operated by Seair directly to the island (262 AUD per adult).

You can see more photos of this location which offers an up close experience with Australia’s extraordinary Great Barrier Reef here at Up Close and Personal with the Great Barrier Reef.

Qatar Airways will fly to Perth, Australia

Qatar Airways, one of the successful Middle East based carrier, has launched scheduled flights to Perth, Australia. The flights will be 3 times a week and will be served by  long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft. Perth is Qatar Airways’ second destination in Australia. The operator also has direct scheduled flights between Melbourne and Doha with Boeing 777 and uses Doha as a hub to connect the route to cities in Europe, Africa, Middle East, North America and South America.

Passangers of Perth - Doha route will be able to connect to key leisure and business destinations such as New York, London, Barcelona, Beirut, Dubai, Paris and Istanbul.[1] Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways revealed that the global airline plans to make Perth a daily service by the end of 2012:

"Today marks a very special occasion as we celebrate our arrival into a city that shows enormous potential and growth, both as a competitive tourism destination and as the hub of Australia’s mining and exploration industry," he said. 

“There has never been a better time to expand in Australia – a time when the Australian dollar is strong and business and leisure travellers worldwide search for easier and quicker ways to connect and do business. 

“Qatar Airways remains committed to opening up access to destinations that are largely underserved by international airlines and have great market potential. Perth is an example of this and 2012 will continue to be one of our biggest years of expansion. 

“We sincerely look forward to growing the Perth route and we are already looking to improve frequency to a daily service by the end of the year,” added Al Baker.

Source : Qatar Air eyes daily Perth flights by year-end

Qatar Airways deals from Singapore

Qatar Airways has been my choice of flight between Istanbul and Singapore thanks to their comparably good price and service. And as far as I can see, I am not alone. Recently, one of my colleagues flew Spain from Singapore by Qatar Airlines thanks to the good promotional price the company offered. The only drawback is the waiting time in Doha for the second leg to Europe or Singapore, which may take many hours if you miss the previous plane due to a late arrival.
[1] - Qatar Airways on joint promotional campaign with tourism Western Australia

Darwin : Swim with Crocodiles in the Cage of Death

Tropical capital city of the Northern Territory, Darwin (Australia), is a popular tourist destination for Singaporeans which offer many attractions. One of the most unconventional things to do in Darwin is probably the Crocosaurus Cove's Cage of Death. The park allows visitors a unique, up close and personal view of Australia’s iconic Saltwater Crocodiles. You can swim with the crocs here, hold a baby crocodile, fish for crocodiles and even feed a big crocodile.

The most interesting one is probably the swim with Crocodiles in the Cage of Death attraction where you can jump into a glass cage while an ultra large salt water crocodile is swimming around you (see the video below). Do not worry about the glass breakdown since the cage is made of more powerful acrylic glass and withstand many bites. This acrylic cage is lowered from an overhead monorail into any of the four separate croc enclosures for your up close and personal dive encounter with the park's massive saltwater crocodiles. This park is Darwin's 'must do' attraction for locals and visitors. [1]







Of course if you want to experience the crocodiles in their natural environment, you can take a cruise on Adelaide River where crocodiles will jump out of the river!

[1] - Swim With Crocodiles in the Cage Of Death & Cove Entry - Darwin, NT