Travelling to Australia

Australia is one of the popular travel destination for holiday among Malaysians. Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast are especially top on the list of places to visit. If you are planning to head to the land down under, here are some tips that hopefully could help you travel better.

 

 

Visa:

First thing first, get your Passport ready. Check your validity or expiry date. Make sure the date of your return flight is not within the last 6 months of the expiry date. You can apply Australian Visa known as Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) via online, and it is simple and fast. ETA provides authorisation to travel to and enter Australia and is electronically linked to your passport. You do not need to bring any document or print anything else. Just apply the ETA online and pay application fee of AUD20, you'll receive your confirmation email almost instantly. 

 

Flight:

Book your flight for the date of your holiday with the season of your liking. The summer season lasts from November to January while winter falls between June to August. From Kuala Lumpur, you can fly direct to Australia with either AirAsiaX or Malaysia Airlines. Should you plan to travel between cities, fly with domestic airlines such as Jetstar and Tiger Airways.
 

Transportation:

Buy a Greyhound hop on/hop off bus pass if you prefer on the ground travelling to get from city to city. Travelling within the city is easy as most places are accessible by public transport and if not by walking. Travelling within Melbourne CBD is free in the free-zone via tram services, and beyond that you'll need a travel card known as Myki. As for Sydney, you'll need to have Opal card. If you prefer driving by yourself, you can just rent a car at reasonable price but make sure you have a valid drivers licence.

 

 

Accommodation:

For backpackers or travelling by yourself,  there is wide range of hostels that are relatively cheap around the city and even outskirts. For those travelling with friends in larger group, you can check out some homestay or apartment all over Australia via Airbnb. Just download the app on your smart phone or check it out online. You'll probably be surprised to find some lovely home with very affordable price, but don't forget to read on the reviews first. Should your budget is something not to be concerned, plenty of pleasant and luxurious hotels await your stay.

 

Data Plan:

How can one survive without data nowadays? It is useful to have data plan while travelling overseas which helps you search for info, Google map for location, check public transport routes and timetable, and even calling for Uber. But above all, you can instant update your status and pictures on Facebook and Instagram as well =). For that, you can simply purchase a Data Plan at any service provider outlets or even convenience stores with a reasonable price rate depending on your usage and duration of stay.

 

Food:

There are lots of great restaurants in Australia, but they aren’t cheap. You do not have to go out to eat for every meal. Instead, you can prepare or cook your own food. Find their local grocery chain like Coles or Woolworths, and do some grocery shopping. Many items are selling at very cheap price, including fruits and vegetables. Get yourself ingredients for easy prepare dishes such as sandwich, pasta or salad. 

 

 

There you go! Hopefully these brief guides with some informative links will help on your planning for next holiday trip to Australia. Don't forget to visit the Zoo to get up close and take some pictures with the Koalas and Kangaroos.

 

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next dream holiday~