On ABC Victoria Statewide, Prue asked me about the Federal Government’s plans to introduce a compensation scheme for travellers.
Unlike schemes in Europe, it’s not likely to be financial. It will start out offering food, accommodation and support to refund or reschedule flights.
It will be a bit like making it onto the air bridge but not quite the aircraft.
We often talk about the need to be good tourists when we travel. We should expect the same of our airlines as well. We expect good service in the air and we should get good service on the ground when there’s a problem
On ABC Victoria Statewide on the Drive program with Prue Bentley, I discussed the decisions that need to be made if you’re travelling into a war zone or if you’re already there.
Enjoy listening to audio file below.
Always remember to find multiple sources of truth when making complex travel decisions. Get advice and be informed from government sites, news sites as well as building a travel picture from social media, your booked accommodation and tours.
No matter how much you enjoy travelling, there are bound to be things you don’t enjoy. From people standing in the aisle of the plane when it stops to putting croissants on conveyor toasters, our discussion won’t solve the problems of the world but it might make you feel better just knowing these things annoy others.
Enjoy the audio below and please, it’s a short flight, there’s no need to recline the seat.
Enjoy the discussion in the audio below. I use some of my favourite places where I’ve stayed to work out why we stay where we stay. It might be because you want a warm B&B feeling, like Alda who runs L’arco Antico in Polignano Mare. It might be because you want a luxury resort experience like the amazing Apurva Kempinski in Bali or a full on funky vibe in a daring district like Chow Kit Hotel in KL.
If you enjoyed the discussion here’s a few pics of my favourite places for welcoming warmth, luxury and fun.
Old Harbour Hotel in Fort Kochi, India, used to be the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (the VOCC).For the sand in your toes and sleeping on the beach try Sipadan Mabul Resort off the east coast of Borneo.Palace of the Lost City in Sun City, South Africa is surrounded by theme parks, safari parks, golf courses and is jaw droppingly luxurious.Dryandra Woodlands Village is best in winter so you can rug up by the fire and enjoy frying up brekky on the bbq.
On ABC Victoria Statewide the timing was perfect for Prue to want to know more about Kuala Lumpur. I’d returned from Kuala Lumpur only a few hours before our discussion.
We wandered through Kampung Baru and found a streetside stall selling Nasi Lemak. I explored the streets around my hotel, Hotel Stripes, and found a refreshing bowl of Cendol. At Chow Kit Hotel I enjoyed sambal prawns and satays with sophisticated cocktails in lamp lit dining rooms oozing speakezy vibes.
Prue and I talked about the melting pot culture of Malaysia and what this means beyond food. You can discover beautiful temples and mosques dating back to the late 1800’s. There is architecture from the 1940’s being reincarnated from laundries and residences into galleries, cafes and bars.
We discovered the green lungs of KL, those green spaces like Kabun Kabun Bangsar – a community garden with vege patches and squabbling turkeys and geese. There’s remnant jungle surrounded by urban jungle and parks with walking trails through shady trees that cast dappled light as you meander through opportunities to get away from the hustle and bustle of this amazing city.
It’s an exciting time to get to KL. Air Asia is flying new direct routes from Darwin and Adelaide and there’s always great deals on the established routes from the other state capitals. I also found that Air Asia has its own ride share service and partners with luxury and boutique hotel brands. I flew Air Asia, caught Air Asia ride share and for two nights enjoyed the remarkable Chow Kit Hotel. It’s a great way to travel, being able to bundle everything under one umbrella of service.
Hotel Stripes roof pool and bar with views to KL Tower (including remnant jungle). A beautiful hotel in a heritage neighbourhood.Chow Kit Hotel feels like a Gatsby era gambling den. It makes you smile as soon as walk into the hotel.Kebun Kebun Bangsar is a beautiful respite from the urban jungleCaptain Nasharudin and all of the Air Asia staff I met were so excited about the new direct routes to KL. KL is not a stopover city, it’s a destination.
It was a battle that was broadcast across the ABC airwaves of the Northern Territory with Andrew Murdoch and he graciously gave me the win. He wasn’t convinced that the new Air Asia flights from Darwin to Kuala Lumpur would fill many seats but after my descriptions of a city full of vibrant culture – from architecture to food – and monorails, shopping malls, secret bars, street food and so much more, I won the debate!
Enjoy just a few pics below of KL days and nights:
It’s not the Petronas Towers, Bukit Bintang or Petalang Street, it’s just a little cafe in 2D and it defines the quirkiness you’ll find in a city that enjoys having fun around every corner.
Nasi Lemak is a meal you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My favourite Nasi Lemaks in KL are in the old streets of Kampung Baru.
There’s nothing wrong with too much food in KL. Jalan Alor is just behind the bright lights of Bukit Bintang’s high end shopping malls. You’ll find fresh fruit, grilled satays and all sorts of curries and barbecue meats and vegetables that all go very well with a freshly made coconut juice or chilled Tiger beer.
On 6PR Weekend Wrap Up, I found myself sharing the airwaves with John Burgess, an icon of Australian television and radio. A tv game show host legend and a radio dj when dj’s were gods of the airwaves. It was very cool to laugh our way through stories about sports tourism.
From callers with tales about naked West Indian cricketers to iconic events and venues around the world and close to home, with a lot of laughter we covered more ground than the MCG.
Enjoy listening to the first half of the show in the file below. Just like a Grand Prix driver, we go off track from time to time but we got to the finish line in style!
From rites of passage and pilgrimage experiences like Gallipoli, Kokoda and the Western Front. From lesser known but no less important sites at Parit Sulong, Sandakan and Roebuck Bay; we visit these sites for understanding, respect and perspective.
With the news that Qantas are commencing flights to fly out of Darwin to Singapore and Canberra, ABC Darwin called me to see which way I’d go.
We talked about Singapore and how there are so many opportunities to discover more than shopping centres. At Haw Par Villa theme park, visit Hell’s Museum and learn all about the Haw Par brothers who invented Tiger Balm and used to drive through the streets of Singapore in tiger themed cars with a horn that made the sound of a roaring tiger! Find your way to Lau Pa Sat where from the street you buy a million satays and a cold Tiger beer!
Canberra is the home of our federal parliament and very accessible Parliament House. It’s also home to our sacred Australian War Memorial and to many of our beloved art treasures in the National Gallery.
No fancy restaurant in Singapore required. Lau Pa Sat is where it’s at!From the roof of Parliament House you can see everywhere you need to go in Canberra
Chris Parry Writes For Us 