cheap flights cruises

G'day mate! you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for dropping by.

There has been a bit of press coverage recently about how visitor numbers are down for visits to Beijing. For the month of May visitor numbers to Beijing, China were down by 15 per cent. This was the first drop in three years.

The reason for the drop is said to be as a result of the fallout from the Tibet situation and also the earthquake in Sichuan in May. On top of that the new visa rules are said to be keeping people away.

I recently applied for visas for myself and my wife and daughter to travel to China in August and we had no problems. It took four business days to get the visas. We had to show our flight details. Accommodation details and provide a wedding certificate to show that we really are married. Nothing to difficult.

The reduction in visitors is also expected to flow over into the China Olympic period. This comes as bad news for hotel developers expecting an Olympic bonanza. The embarked on a huge building program to cash in on the Olympic rush and also the flow on tourists that visit in the out years.

Many hotels were hoping to charge up to 10 times their normal rates during the Olympic period. Due to the downturn these prices are less likely, at least for tourists who are yet to make bookings.

This might be bad news for the hotel owners however it is actually good news for the everyday tourist. Prices will be at more reasonable levels.

Earlier today I searched the HotelsCombined hotel booking website to see how room rates are looking for the China Olympics. Hotels Combined makes it easy to compare prices as they already have data from over 30 popular booking sites in their database.

Using the Hotels Combined site I compared the room rates for the 8th-16 July with 12-16 August. That is Tuesday to Friday nights at the Beijing hotels.

I found that for the July period there are rooms available from an unbelievably low USD9 a night staying at the 9 Dragons House. I have not seen that hotel in person so I cannot vouch for its quality.

One hotel that I have stayed at in the past is the Landmark Hotel Beijing. It is located in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. The recently refurbished Hard Rock Cafe is in the same building. The price for July is USD100 per night and the availability status is “instant confirmation”. In August the site says there are rooms for USD141 per night which considering this is the Olympic period, is quite reasonable. The availability is “on request (24 hours)”. This may mean you actually do not get a room.

As another comparison for a Beijing hotel that I am familiar with I looked at Swissotel Hotel Beijing. It is a nice hotel located on the second ring road. In the July period the room rate was USD124 per night. This compares with the August period where the price is showing as USD160 per night. Once again this is reasonable.

If you are thinking of going to Beijing for the Olympics it is still not too late to at least experience the Olympic buzz associated with staying in a city as it hosts the Olympics. I am not sure how you will go with getting tickets into the events but you will still be able to find reasonably priced accommodation.

If you are thinking about it take action now. There are 40 day to go at the time of this post.

Did you find this article useful? Use the bookmarking icons below to share.

read comments (1)

Now imagine you have just arrived at the Beijing airport. You have started to walk off the airplane, what can you expect?

You first need to collect your baggage and complete the immigration process. I remember the first time I did this it was quite intimidating. These guys were not the most friendly I have come across, they are however business like and process your entry into China quickly.

Once you have made it through the airport if you are not on a group tour you need to find a taxi to take you to your hotel. I remember the first time I had to do this. I had the hotel name written in Chinese on a piece of paper. I then walked out to the taxi queue and lined up.

Not knowing what to expect as my turn arrived I hopped in the car and showed the taxi driver my address. Off we went. I have to point out my chinese is limited to “thank you”, “hello” and “I don’t know what you are saying”. I am now working on this by learning from cd’s.

As we drove along the airport freeway towards the city I was thinking what have I got myself into. There were so many people just starting to appear on all the streets.

As we got closer to the Landmark Hotel I was staying at there were so many people. Having come from a relatively small town this was an amazing site for me. It was chaos.

I got to the hotel ok and paid the taxi driver. The fare was around 100 rmb. I then checked in. The room was comfortable but not that large. The hotel is on the third ring road and was around 25km from the airport.

The Hard Rock cafe is in the hotel so I did not have far to go for a western meal. Next door to the Landmark hotel is the Great Wall Sheraton hotel on one side and a large department store on the other.

The part of Beijing I was staying in is near one of the embassy districts. You will find the Australian Embassy, Canadian Embassy and German Embassy about 15 minutes walk away.

About the same distance is the San Li Tun bar district. This at the time was a good place to go and enjoy a drink or two. It is some time since I went there but I will check it out again in August 2008.

Looking back on this visit to Beijing I remember that seeing so many people was the most amazing thing. I did all the tourist things like going to the great wall, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. I also enjoyed the shopping.

Can you see yourself visiting this exciting city of Beijing? China will of course play host to the Olympics in August 2008.

read comments (1)

According to the Australian Government Smart Traveller website as of 24 June 2008 you should not travel to the following countries:

• Afghanistan
• Burundi
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Comoros
• Iraq
• Somalia
• Sudan

Smartraveller.com.au is a website made for Australian travellers by the Australian Government. The information is not strictly only for Australians. People from other countries can benefit from reading the information they will find at Smart Traveller.

Las Vegas is a great holiday destination. In days gone by it was mainly aimed at gamblers. The Casino managers wised up and now Vegas is a hot destination for just about anyone. It is great for singles, families or couples.

Something that is a feature of a Las Vegas vacation is the quality of shows available in the city. Many of the big names will do a show in Vegas.

Here is a guide to Las Vegas shows. One of the hottest shows in Las Vegas right now is the Cirque du Soleil at Bellagio. It is one not to miss.

read comments (0)

If you wanting to do some research before booking your flights then you may be interested in the services provided by Expert Flyer. I came across it after reading some info on the FlyerTalk forum. The information is of more value for people in frequent flyer programs although don’t let this stop you checking it out.

Below is the text from the companies most recent press release.

Popular Website for Business Travelers and Frequent Flyers Allows Premium Subscribers to Access Critical Flight Information Directly from Their Cell Phones

New York, NY – October 26, 2007 – ExpertFlyer.com, the premiere air travel information tool offering complete and efficient ways to access the ever changing details of worldwide air travel information, is introducing ExpertFlyer: Mobile Edition, the fastest and most convenient way for its subscribers to access up-to-the minute flight information about virtually any airline from anywhere in the world.? The new service, available at no additional cost to ExpertFlyer Premium subscribers ($9.99 monthly or $99/annual subscription fee), provides direct access to personalized flight information previously available only through the use of a desktop or laptop computer.? The ability to check saved Flight Queries, Flight Alerts for upgrades and Awards tickets and Seat Maps gives business travelers and frequent flyers using ExpertFlyer.com with a distinct advantage over other travelers searching for the same information.
ExpertFlyer also announced it is adding a new feature to both its new Mobile Edition and “desktop” version for all subscribers (with a starting $4.99/month Basic subscription).? Now, when members search for flight information, they will be able to select their “airport connection” preference that allows them to find flight options with more connections than usual.? This new option is designed for users to see all the possibilities for such things as mileage runs and award and upgrade availability using alternative, non-traditional, routings.

“Our new Mobile Edition empowers our Premium members by allowing them to quickly access the most important travel information they need directly from their ExpertFlyer account to make any last-minute changes or adjustments based on their schedule or special requests,” says Chris Lopinto, co-founder of ExpertFlyer.? “Now, members can check the status of any number of flight information queries on their way to the airport or anywhere else in the world.? This is another way we are providing our members the information they need, when they need it,” Lopinto added.

The Saved Queries feature allows ExpertFlyer members to review — and save — a variety of dates and specific flights to reference later.? This is especially important for business travelers whose schedules are not clearly defined and need to quickly inquire about additional flights to suit their business travel needs.?

Flight Alerts allows members to program up to 20 alerts at any given time and request notification of any matches be sent to three separate email addresses including PDA’s cell phones, and pagers.? Flight Alerts saves hours of frustration and time searching for upgrades or award tickets and gives its members the upper hand at securing any available inventory once they become available.

Seat Maps shows available and occupied seat locations for a particular flight on a particular day for more than 100 different airlines.? The ability to access this information remotely allows ExpertFlyer members to change their assigned seat based on last-minute cancellations or openings provided by the airline.
Editor’s Note:? For interviews or to receive a guest membership for review, please contact Lou Desiderio at 917-627-0912 or at lou@pr-synergy.com

ExpertFlyer.com was conceived and created by an eclectic team consisting of a veteran elite tier frequent flyer, an airline captain and corporate travel manager, and information technology professionals to deliver a 24/7 real time powerful air travel information service.?

The company provides its subscribers and corporate travel managers alike with a complete, concise and efficient way to access the ever changing details of worldwide air travel information.? With the proliferation of online booking services, the scarcity of truly knowledgeable travel agents and the increased desire for frequent flyer awards and elite upgrades, ExpertFlyer provides its members with valuable and otherwise unattainable information to maximize their travel experience at minimal expense.? ExpertFlyer.com, a service of Expert Travel Services, LLC, was designed to meet the needs of the frequent flyer, the airline mileage program “elite tier” passengers, professional travel managers, and the occasional air traveler looking for the best values.

If you have used ExpertFlyer.com I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

read comments (0)

I am lucky enough to be going to Beijing for the Olympics. I grabbed some frequent flyer tickets the minute they became available on the Qantas website. That was a long time ago now.

As I write this post there are exactly 2 months to go until the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. If you are wanting to go and have the money of course it will be easy to arrange flights, tickets and accommodation. If you are on a bit of a reduced budget and need a cheaper airfare you could look at the following options.

Look at flying to into Tokyo/Seoul and then fly into Dalian/Harbin or some other city in north east China and fly into Beijing from there. Or how about going into the south? Look for flights into Guangzhou, Shenzhen and then from there to Beijing. There are also flights from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore into Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing. Start shopping around for the airfares now. Time is running short as you also have to remember you will need to apply for a visa.

In addition to trying some different entry points into China followed by an internal flight you could fly to the above mentioned cities and then take the train. I have traveled in China on the train network and found it is comfortable journey and prices are reasonable.

If you are going to the Beijing Olympics in August leave a comment on this blog. Who knows we might meet up over there.

read comments (1)

When you go to your local travel agent you would normally expect them to find you the cheapest airfare. I know from personal experience that this does not always happen.

In my situation I was going to Melbourne to watch the Australian Open. I had done some research on the internet before going to a travel agent. I had left things late so I did not want to chance booking online. After my internet research I went to the local travel agent.

At the agent I asked for them to find me a flight to Melbourne. They came up with a quote which was quite a bit higher than what I had seen on the internet just 30 minutes before my visit. Was it possible that all the cheap flights had gone? I mentioned the airfare that I had seen on the internet and it was only then that the agent did another search and found a cheaper ticket for my flight to Melbourne.

That was not the only time this has happened. I have had this happen on a few occasions now. I always go in with an airfare that I have seen but do not disclose this until after the agent does a search. Every time I have had to ask for them to look again.

This makes me ask are the travel agents looking out for their customer or for themselves. The commission is probably better on the higher airfare.

How would you like to be in the know when it comes to booking your next flights? Do you always want to find the cheap flights? You can learn the airfare secrets from someone who knows everything about the airline industry. The book is “My Airfare Secrets“. I have to admit I have not got a copy myself but I have seen some reviews that say it is reasonable. If you buy a copy you can report back here.

I am being upfront about the above link. It is an affiliate link. I will get some cash if you buy from the link. From my research it seems that the book is useful for people who are new to the cheap airfare game and need to understand the basics.

read comments (0)

It is not long now until my family and I will be heading over to Beijing for the Olympics. As I am a keen sports fan this is the ultimate holiday destination for me this year. As I love the Olympics I also enjoy going to the cities that have hosted past summer games.

So far I have visited Sydney, London, Paris, Tokyo, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Melbourne as past hosts. I think the coolest stadium was the one in Los Angeles. I also enjoy collecting Olympic memorabilia. I will be keen to see what pins and badges people have in Beijing.

This now leaves Mexico City, Athens, Barcelona, Seoul, Helsinki, Berlin, Munich, Montreal, St Louis, Stockholm, Antwerp, Moscow and Rome. I think that is the lot.

Out of all of the cities still on the to do list I think Barcelona is the number one that I want to visit next. I still remember the stunning scenery that was shown during the Olympic coverage back in 1992. The diving event was amazing. Seeing the divers perform with the city below looked spectacular. Also the architecture looked very interesting.

Looking ahead to a visit to Spain I have started some research. I came across a site that has Spain holiday lettings. It has a good range of accommodation choices. I like the look of some of the luxury apartments in Barcelona. One that caught my eye was a 6 bedroom Apartment in Barcelona.

It is probably out of my price range but I was thinking if I convinced a couple of my friends to share then what a great thing to do. You can have the benefits of a great apartment and enjoy the company of family and friends.

I wrote another post that talks about the benefits of vacation home rentals. It is a great way to save money on your accommodation costs.

read comments (1)

Dubai is a destination you should try to visit at least once. It is now home to the world’s tallest structure, the Burj Dubai. This building is still under construction however it overtook the CN Tower in Toronto on September 12, 2007 to be the tallest standing man made structure.

The Xclusive Hotel Apartments Dubai are located within the Golden Sands area in Bur Dubai, which is a short stroll away from the city centre. The hotel apartments occupy a prime position in the heart of this fascinating city.

The Xclusive Hotel Apartments are strategically situated in the centre of the rapidly expanding city of Dubai, with direct access to the highway network, and the main city landmarks like Dubai World Trade Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Bank Street, Burjuman Shopping Centre and Jumeirah Beach.

The Xclusive Hotel Apartments combine a contemporary blend of convenience and luxury while offering an outstanding range of facilities and personalised service.

The spacious apartments at this hotel offer an outstanding range of facilities and services including a fully equipped kitchen to make home meals during your stay. Tastefully designed apartments offer a choice of executive and deluxe floors with world class modern facilities.

The Xclusive Hotel Apartments environment is friendly and health conscious; guests can cherish their comforts and enjoy a non-smoking atmosphere. The Xclusive Hotel Apartments staff are a friendly and courteous team and are specially trained to go that extra step to ensure you have a memorable stay.

Executive Single Bedroom -
Deluxe Single Bedroom -
Executive Double Bedroom -
Deluxe Double Bedroom -

Check-in: 14:00

Check-out: 12:00

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation Policy: If cancelled up to 2 days before date of arrival, no fee will be charged.
If cancelled later or in case of no-show, the first night will be charged.

Children and Extra Bed Policy: All children are welcome.
Up to two children under 12 years stay free of charge when using existing bedding.
One older child or adult is charged AED 120.00 per night and person in an extra bed.
One child under 3 years stays free of charge in a baby cot.
Maximum capacity of extra beds/babycots in a room is 1.

Deposit Policy: No deposit will be charged.

VAT and city/tourist taxes: VAT is not applicable.
10 % service charge per stay is not included.
10 % city/tourist tax per stay is not included.

Internet: Wireless internet is available in the entire hotel and costs AED 25.00 per hour.
Wireless internet is available in the entire hotel and costs AED 120.00 per 24 hours.

Meal Plan: This hotel has no meal services.

Parking: Free Private parking is possible on site (reservation is needed).

Pets: Pets are not allowed.

The hotel reserves the right to pre-authorise credit cards prior to arrival.

Facilities: 24-Hour Front Desk, Newspapers, Non-Smoking Rooms, Family Rooms, Free Parking, Elevator, Express Check-In/Check-Out, Safety Deposit Box

Activities: Fitness Centre, Outdoor Swimming Pool

Services: Babysitting/Child Services, Laundry, Dry Cleaning, Ironing Service, Internet Services, Currency Exchange, Shoe Shine, Car Rental, Fax/Photocopying, Wi-Fi/Wireless LAN

If you are visiting Dubai check the UAE government page for visa information.

click here to book at The Xclusive Hotel Apartments

Hotel address: Street 17B Behind Spinneys next to Burjuman Mall

read comments (0)

This post is re-published due to it being hit by some automated comment bot that has become really annoying.

The old lady of the seas, QE2 has come through the Sydney Harbour heads for the last time. At 6.30am she cruised up the beautiful harbour before being docked at Garden Island. The QE2 joined her sister ship, the Queen Victoria in Sydney.

At 6.30pm on Sunday 24 February the queens of the sea passed each other near Fort Denison as the Queen Victoria ended her maiden visit to Sydney and headed out to sea while the QE2 moved to the overseas passenger terminal at Circular Quay. The occasion generated much interest from Sydney residents and a large crowd was on hand to witness the event.

The QE2 first sailed into Sydney Harbour 30 years ago to the day. She will be decommissioned in November 2008 before becoming a floating hotel in Dubai.

The last time the QE2 sails the high seas will be when she sails from Southampton to Dubai, leaving on 11 November 2008. She will then undertake a refurbishment program and be berthed permanently at the Palm Jumeirah from 2009 as a luxury floating hotel, retail, museum and entertainment destination.

Visit Wikipedia to read more about the QE2 and Queen Victoria.

read comments (0)