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What did you think? our travel blog

Would you like some feedback from our clients about their experiences? Here you will find useful tips and information from our travellers trips.

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• Singapore & Phuket by Jacqui Hardman
• Phuket & Holiday Inn Phuket by Rouzz Lichaa
• The Royal, Cancun Mexico by Rojen Sahin
• Chevron Renaissance, Gold Coast by Julie Masso
• Naviti Resort, Fiji by Lindsay Sheen
• Fiji Beach Resort by Hilton, Fiji by S & A Toomey
• Scenic Tours - Europe River Cruising  by Geoff Forder

Chevron Renaisance, Gold Coast - by Julie Masso, Oct 10

I travelled to Gold Coast in October with my family including 2 children – 4 & 2 years old and booked it all through Travel Time.
We flew with Virgin Blue whom I found to be excellent. Very spacious seating and I was very surprised my 2 year old was happy to watch the little screen in front for most of the way. We didn’t buy any food on board, found it really easy to pack our own snacks.
We rented a car through Thrifty to make it easier, and it was ready for us at the airport.
We stayed at the Chevron Renaissance and we were EXTREMELY happy with this. The apartments were beautiful and decked out nicely with everything we needed. Nice big plasma TV in both the living room and the main room! A 2 Bedroom Apartment was great so kids had their own space and they could crash out early without being disturbed. Downstairs from the Chevron is Coles and lots of shops, so we conveniently went downstairs often to stock up on groceries and to have Donut King in the morning – very convenient! The location of the Chevron was perfect for us, right in the heart of Cavill Avenue so we could walk everywhere. The only downside with being so central is that it can get noisy at night time with the crowds downstairs, but this is the only thing I could fault with it. The weather was pretty bad so we took advantage of the indoor pool and spa a lot, and when we could get outside the big lagoon pool was awesome. Perfect for kids our ages as the lagoon style meant they could “walk into” the pool as such as we didn’t need to worry about getting in with them when we wanted to be lazy.
The theme parks were fabulous. Sharn suggested the VIP pass so we could have unlimited access to the theme parks so we took advantage of this. One thing I would warn is that food is so over priced that if you can take your own, its much better especially for the kids (though there are signs when you walk in advising this is not allowed).
In all had an absolutely great time, kids had a ball and it was put together very very well by Travel Time too!

Naviti Resort, Fiji - by Lindsay Sheen, Apr 10

My Husband and I and our 2 year old daughter travelled with another family to Fiji in April 2010 and stayed at the Naviti Resort on the Coral Coast. We had such a great 9 days here on their ‘All Inclusive’ package which included all meals and drinks throughout the day including alcoholic beverages.

The rooms were of good size and were very clean, being serviced daily meant never making the beds! Cots were FREE if needed and strollers could be hired for a very minimal charge if required. The views were great from our spacious balcony. Nice to relax here with a good book.

There are plenty of activities constantly on offer throughout the resort, with the staff trying to encourage everyone to get involved. The girls loved having their hair braided, while the dad’s loved the full day Deep Sea Fishing..Leaving the mum’s to a well deserved massage and facial. The kids had a great time in the massive pool and enjoyed dancing to the music that was constantly playing around the pool area.
The Kids Club was great, the kids never wanted to leave! So much to do, So little time. As were the staff..The kids couldn’t get enough of being around the locals and calling ‘Bula’ nothing was too much trouble.

There was also plenty of entertainment for the adults, with great music and entertainment in the evenings – The babysitters came in very handy at night, for only $5AUD per hour!!

Food was plentiful and with a different theme each night meant a nice variety throughout our stay, also with several different restaurants to choose from meant a different atmosphere each couple of nights.

The only negative thing was there were no motorized water sports and the beach area was not great for swimming, So swimming was pretty much restricted to the pool, I did miss not having a nice sandy beach to lie on and the option to swim in the sea.

The Weather this time of year was perfect, Would definitely travel to Fiji again in April and would definitely recommend the Naviti Resort.

Fiji Resort by Hilton, Fiji – by S & A Toomey, Mar 10

Bula! We travelled to Fiji in March 2010. Our childrens ages are 8, 6 and 3. We stayed at the Fiji Resort by Hilton, mainly because it was one of the few 5 star apartment style resorts in Fiji. We were quite happy with this resort. The apartments were extremely spacious, and definitely delivered a 5 star stay. They were serviced daily so we did not miss out on that being in an apartment.
The food was delicious and not overpriced considering being a Hilton. We stayed at the pool often and would order food. The quality was high and a usual lunch by the pool was approx. $40 or so.
The kids club was a blessing and free! The kids loved it there and Janet, the main carer, was wonderful with the kids. The kids club looked quite new with a nice outdoor area and indoor area. We were nervous about leaving the kids alone at first, however Janet made us feel at ease and really took time with them to look after them. Once we were used to them staying at the club, we took advantage of having time on our own for swimming which was a nice break.
Only thing we wished they had a proper kids pool. There are several pools all different sizes, at the Hilton, however there is no small wading pool for our youngest.
We did eat dinner at the Hilton, however found it convenient to jump on the Bula Bus for a dollar or so and travel to the other resorts in Denarau for something different. We enjoyed a great buffet at the Westin hotel and also went out to Port Denarau for souvenier shopping. That was the benefit of being at Denarau everything was so close by. The beaches are terrible, so we do not recommend Denarau for the beaches. Awful black sand that we heard about. That didn’t bother us too much as we are more pool people.
In all a fabulous trip, the Fijians are warm hospitable people and they made us and the kids feel extremely welcome. We are looking forward to another trip to Fiji VERY soon!

Scenic Tours 19 Day “ Alpine Highlights, Passion Play and Jewels of Europe Cruise”  by Geoff Forder

Commencing 23 September, 2010, I, together with three travelling companions, undertook the above Scenic Tour. Although I had never travelled on a Scenic tour before, a number of my friends had highly recommended Scenic and hence our decision to use Scenic.
The tour commenced in Munich with the first 5 days being by coach and the remaining 14 days on the Scenic Tour “ Space-Ship” from Budapest to Amsterdam.
We were fortunate that we had planned to arrive in Munich a few days prior to the start of the tour as this enabled us to see more of Munich and to enjoy the Oktoberfest . Those who only arrived just in time to join the tour would have struggled to see much of Munich or to visit the Oktoberfest which is an essential highlight for anyone visiting Munich at that time of the year.
The coach tour to Budapest via the Oberammergau Passion Play, Seefeld, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Mondsee took us through some beautiful countryside in the foothills of the Alps of Southern Germany and Austria. The Autumn colours created some spectacular scenery for the keen photographers.
The tour guide spoke exceptionally good English and he had a wonderful knowledge of the history of the area we travelled through. As a result we were regularly being informed on the interesting aspects of each area. Whilst being very informative he was never obtrusive. In addition he also conducted some of the guided tours of the places where we stopped where his knowledge was equally good. When local guides were used ,these were also generally very good.
The coach itself was very comfortable. All the hotels were well located, comfortable and the meals, where included, were both good and sufficient.
On day 5 we boarded the “Space-Ship”, Scenic Emerald. Needless to say, we were a little nervous as we didn’t know what to expect in terms of accommodation. For economic reasons we had booked cabins on the lower deck, hence without a balcony. Our concern was, therefore, that the cabins might be claustrophobic and that engine noise might be a problem. Much to our delight our concerns were ill founded. At first glance the cabins appeared very small but once we had unpacked and settled in, we discovered that the cabins were very cleverly designed. The beds were comfortable and there was adequate storage space in the cabin. A further attraction is that once we had unpacked, no more packing and unpacking until the end of the cruise. The ensuite was particularly well designed in that, although relatively small, at no stage did one feel cramped (unlike some of the facilities one generally comes across in Europe). As for engine noise, it was never an issue.
A tour of the ship revealed a very comfortable lounge room with bar and tea/coffee making facilities and a large well appointed dining room, both with windows the full length of the rooms providing ideal viewing for all passengers. In addition there were two external viewing decks with plenty of seating and shade cloths in the event of hot weather. A reception area, manned 24 hours a day, provided information on request, internet computer access, and news highlights from most parts of the world.
The cruise was, however, “made” by the Cruise Director. It was she who made everything work like clockwork without appearing at all rushed or flustered and without making the guests feel under any pressure. She was always there to help, answer questions, resolve problems and co-ordinate guest activities. All this she did with a smile and a pleasant disposition. Every evening a pre-dinner briefing /port talk by the Cruise Director provided guests with details of the next day’s events and activities including Scenic Enrich and Scenic Freechoice items. By the time guests had had dinner and returned to their cabins a printed programme for the next day had been delivered to their cabins.
All guided land tours concentrated on the main items of interest. The local guides were generally very good, interesting and easily understood. After each such tour there was usually plenty of free time to do your own exploring, sightseeing and/ or shopping depending on your desires.
The food on the cruise was both plentiful and of excellent quality. All meals provided a large choice and catered for most dietary needs or preferences. The inclusion of wines and beers from the regions through which we travelled added to a wonderful culinary experience. The service in the dining room was equal to that of any good restaurant, and exceptionally friendly.
Entertainment was provided every evening after dinner. This usually consisted of a wide variety of live music from the on board musician. The fact that the dance floor was always crowded speaks volumes for the musician and his choice of music. In addition, occasionally local entertainers were brought on board from towns where the ship docked to provide a bit of local colour.
The cruise itself travels through some beautiful, interesting and varied countryside. Once again the Cruise Director was invaluable in providing information on the highlights to guests via the public address system. The stops and various land tours appear to have identified as many of the most interesting places as can be catered for in the time available. Each day had its share of high activity and relaxation time. At no stage was I ever bored nor did I get to a stage of thinking I’d had enough of the cruise. To anyone considering a similar tour, I can highly recommend Scenic Tours. My friends and I had a fantastic holiday !!!!!

The Royal, Cancun Mexico by Rojen Sahin (Nov 10)

My Husband and I travelled to Cancun Mexico for our honeymoon and stayed at “The Royal” for 7 nights. This resort is an adults only resort and our package included the ‘all inclusive’ which provided a selection of restaurants to dine in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, bars for all you can drink alcohol and non-alcohol, a 24 hour room service and a free mini bar in our room. 

The resort is designed where all rooms have ocean views. Our room was amazing with a king bed, spa, a good size bathroom and views of the clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. The resort provides two big pools and a private section of the beach. Activities are also included such as bike riding, beach volleyball, pool volleyball and more. Every night there is a different live show, so you are always entertained. All staff are friendly, they were happy to assist us with anything we required to make our stay more pleasant. We enjoyed the special treatment and attention we received. It truly is a special place and perfect mood for romance. The atmosphere was relaxing, with gracious service and warm hospitality, together with luxurious accommodation and caring attention to every detail made this resort truly ‘Royal’.

I would like to thank Travel Time for their wonderful service and great planning.

 
Phuket & Holiday Inn Phuket by Rouzz Lichaa (Jul 11)

We had an absolutely awesome time. What a fantastic place to holiday. Firstly and most importantly, anyone who visits Phuket MUST stay at the Holiday Inn so we did well there. It caters exceptionally for both families and then they have a separate wing for your more exclusive visitors. There are two pools in the kids club area. A pool in the main area near the restaurant which we had breakfast in every morning and an amazinlgy posh and luxurious pool in the exclusive wing where we could swim if we wanted to and this has the bar inside the pool and seats that you could sit on in the water. The kids and us just loved the main pool. The service was top notch and every transfer or service required was on time and even early on a couple of occasions. 

 A must to do in Thailand is Phi Phi Island, this was the highlight. An hour speed boat ride out to the Island and we got to swim in amazingly crystal clear blue water, snorkel, swim in a lagoon. This day was out of this world. We also did a tour to Phang Nga (James Bond Island). This was a must see as well but not as amazing as Phi Phi but still great. One must get a Tuk Tuk around the Phuket to vist the zoo, have an elephant ride and just take in the real Thailand. I have to admit when we first arrived we all had a bit of a culture shock but once we got out there and mixed in with the locals and saw how friendly and cool the place was, we were right into it. In the end we didn't really want to leave. 

We were extremely luck with the weather in that even though it was Monsoon season and very tropical and humid, we did not get any rain and had beautiful sunny days. So you never know with this time of year re weather, just depends on luck. But I did get advice that later on in July and August is when the rain increases but it's only for about 10-30 mins a day in the arvo just because it's so humid. Oct-Sept-Nov are actually the wettest times of the year. It's great to go June early July as it's busy but I can't imagine it in peak season (Dec-Apr) it would just be took packed and overwhelming. Lot's of families with their kids there. Lot's of Aussies and I have to admit most of them were seasonal visitors to Thailand. 

 It seems once you go to Thailand, you just can't stay away. Everything was ridiculously cheap especially the food. Our dollar stretches very far there. All in all I'm very depressed about being back and would go back to Thailand in a heartbeat. The people are delightfully friendly and carefree which is what we should all be like on a day to day basis. Highly recommend Thailand. 

God bless Rouzz and the very happy Thailand crew    
P.S. Thanks for all the organising to make this happen.

Singapore & Phuket by Jacqui Hardman (Apr 12)

We're back from our holiday and everything was perfect and had a great time!

The Centara Grand in Phuket was just beautiful, so clean and the staff were lovely. I really recommend it for families travelling to Phuket. The transfer people you use in Phuket, Tour East, were just the best and were so helpful. They visited us at the resort the day after we arrived to firstly confirm our return transfer, but to also assist with any tours we wanted to do. They also gave us a free 1/2 day guided tour of Phuket which was really worthwhile. We also booked our other tours on the spot with them and each tour we did was so professional and fun. We did the full day Phang Nga Bay speed boat tour which included James Bond Island and the floating gypsie village, and then also a 4 hour elephant trekking tour at Siam Safari which was beautiful and a once in a lifetime experience. I couldn't fault Tour East, they were great.

The hotel in Singapore (Holiday Inn Orchard Road) was also perfect. The location and quality were great and we really hope to return soon to Singapore and stay there again.

Singapore Airlines are really comfortable to fly with and their service is great. The Silk Air flights to and from Phuket were not as good though.
The flight to Phuket was delayed, we were actually on the tarmac ready for take off when we had to return to the gate as they had loaded incorrect baggage on to the plane which had us sitting on the plane for an hour whilst they sorted the problem. We finally got there though. Then our return flight to Singapore from Phuket was delayed 2 - 3 hours due to a mechanical error with the emergency door. All ended ok and we got to Singapore about 3 hours later. Our transfer in Singapore was also great and reliable.

Overall, everything ran so smoothly thanks to you. Thanks for all your help organising our holiday, you were the best help and will definitely be using you again.

Will be in touch again soon for our next adventure.

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