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Just came back from a very enjoyable tour in Taiwan.
We have our usual week in the Whitsundays at Hamilton Island, in June.
Have booked a tour in India in November.
Think that will do us for this year. The flights are becoming horrendous.
Sounds like Taiwan was a good time for you all; we just came back a few weeks ago ourselves. Very interested to see your review of your time there.
Just back from Japan and Taiwan. We had a blast. Traveled throughout Taiwan, but stayed in and around Tokyo while in Japan. For the first part of the Japan trip, we stayed at an airport hotel. When we returned to Japan from Taiwan prior to flying back to Honolulu, we booked a couple of nights at a hotel downtown Tokyo in order to take advantage of the culinary options in the area.
We're probably not done with 2024 travel yet and are looking into the possibility of flying to Thailand later in the year.
Thailand later this year is out as we didn't find tickets at the price point we want. But we did just book roundtrip tickets to Sydney in late July for 5 nights. Tickets were less than $300 per person--which is cheaper than flights from Honolulu to California or anywhere else outside of the Hawaiian Islands really--so too hard to pass up.
Thailand later this year is out as we didn't find tickets at the price point we want. But we did just book roundtrip tickets to Sydney in late July for 5 nights. Tickets were less than $300 per person--which is cheaper than flights from Honolulu to California or anywhere else outside of the Hawaiian Islands really--so too hard to pass up.
Who is that with? We pay so much more for flights and the experiences are becoming so much more unpleasant.
Who is that with? We pay so much more for flights and the experiences are becoming so much more unpleasant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
and from Where? (Singapore, Jakarta, KL?)
Sounds like Scoot.
Jetstar, nonstop on one of their Dreamliners. We flew Zip Air (a budget subsidiary of JAL) to Tokyo Narita en route to Taiwan last month (also on a Dreamliner) and had a wonderful flight experience. We flew Jetstar from Tokyo to Taipei and didn't have any complaints either.
Note, the same flight we booked for $243 per person (increased to just under $300 per person when we included several add-ons to the ticket) is now going for $552 per person just 18 hours later (just checked). Qantas has a similar HNL to SYD for $991 for that same period, and Hawaiian has a nonstop flight for $1,507.
Sounds like Taiwan was a good time for you all; we just came back a few weeks ago ourselves. Very interested to see your review of your time there.
Taiwan was very pleasant and our tour took us on a circle of the island, so we enjoyed the variety of the scenery. Especially Taroko Gorge. Hotels were good, food was good. I am happy to have Asian food for lunch and dinner but prefer western breakfast. There was generally plenty to choose from.
It was very safe, a nice change from being in Spain last year and worrying about pick pockets (very nearly got me in Seville) Taiwan is a bit cheaper than Australia but not cheap like Bali or some other Asian destinations. Interesting how little English is spoken, seems they have to study it but get little opportunity to practice.
However the Singapore Airlines flights (we had a night in Singapore going over) saw us sitting on a loaded plane on the ground before take off for around two hours, for three of the four flights. Delayed by bad weather in Sydney, had to change planes after sitting on the ground in Singapore when headed to Taipei. Then on return, again delayed on the ground in Singapore and when they did the repair that stopped the Entertainment system working for the eight hours home. We had paid for PE on the long segments (not available on the short ones) and going up had a rowdy crowd of young Aussies heading to a conference, behaving as if they were in a pub and even three ignoring fasten seat belt signs during turbulence. Coming back, we had a family with a sick baby and a disabled ( Downs/autistic) child right behind us and it was hard to take the noise without the sound system working. The aircrew were unable/unwilling to help much with either situation.
To another example of what air travel has degenerated to, a family member flew Tokyo to Sydney last week in Business. When landing another passenger went ballistic and actually threw a pillow at a crying baby and screamed obscenities at the family and then at the flight crew. The police were threatened and why the woman was not charged is beyond me.
Taiwan was very pleasant and our tour took us on a circle of the island, so we enjoyed the variety of the scenery. Especially Taroko Gorge. Hotels were good, food was good. I am happy to have Asian food for lunch and dinner but prefer western breakfast. There was generally plenty to choose from.
It was very safe, a nice change from being in Spain last year and worrying about pick pockets (very nearly got me in Seville) Taiwan is a bit cheaper than Australia but not cheap like Bali or some other Asian destinations. Interesting how little English is spoken, seems they have to study it but get little opportunity to practice.
However the Singapore Airlines flights (we had a night in Singapore going over) saw us sitting on a loaded plane on the ground before take off for around two hours, for three of the four flights. Delayed by bad weather in Sydney, had to change planes after sitting on the ground in Singapore when headed to Taipei. Then on return, again delayed on the ground in Singapore and when they did the repair that stopped the Entertainment system working for the eight hours home. We had paid for PE on the long segments (not available on the short ones) and going up had a rowdy crowd of young Aussies heading to a conference, behaving as if they were in a pub and even three ignoring fasten seat belt signs during turbulence. Coming back, we had a family with a sick baby and a disabled ( Downs/autistic) child right behind us and it was hard to take the noise without the sound system working. The aircrew were unable/unwilling to help much with either situation.
To another example of what air travel has degenerated to, a family member flew Tokyo to Sydney last week in Business. When landing another passenger went ballistic and actually threw a pillow at a crying baby and screamed obscenities at the family and then at the flight crew. The police were threatened and why the woman was not charged is beyond me.
Just returned from 6 weeks in New Zealand and Australia. Absolutely loved everything about the trip. Made it to the Great Barrier Reef but not the Whitsundays.
The vast majority of our flights are pretty good. Had a 14 hour flight from Doha to Seattle with two kids behind us and the parents behind them. Parents slept through the majority of the flight and the kids were obnoxious. Running up and down the aisles, screaming, laughing with their video games, and literally jumping on the back of our seats. FA's were apologetic but left it up to the parents to parent and they didn't. A rough flight.
Planning for 2025 already. Two weeks in Portugal in January and flights to Sri Lanka in early March. Considering adding Singapore and Taiwan to that trip before heading home.
Mind sharing the tour/tour company you used for Taiwan? Looks like March might be a very pleasant time of year to be there.
We book almost a year in advance and usually with miles/points. Award bookings can usually be cancelled so I've got nearly a year to monitor our flight and rebook if a cheaper option becomes available.
Thailand later this year is out as we didn't find tickets at the price point we want. But we did just book roundtrip tickets to Sydney in late July for 5 nights. Tickets were less than $300 per person--which is cheaper than flights from Honolulu to California or anywhere else outside of the Hawaiian Islands really--so too hard to pass up.
Incredible low price to pay. But you'll possibly need the saving with the prices in Sydney , you'll encounter on touchdown.
We in Australia these days are fleeced with air fares, along with much else thinking about it.
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