Travel Tips

I have spent literally hours - and I mean about 15 hours on the weekend, looking at flights and accommodation to try and shave off dollars on our pending holiday. While I love travel agents, and thoroughly recommend using them where possible, I simply cannot afford to sometimes. With a family of 5, every dollar that isn't spent on travel costs, can be spent on food or activities.

These long wasted hours are worth it, if you shave off $3000 in flight costs and $1000 here or there in hotel costs. As this has been consuming my every waking moment, it's all I can think of to blog about so forgive this little detour.

However, here is what I've learnt the hard way, to save you time:

1. Sometimes on budget carriers, it is cheaper to fly in with one and fly out with another. This is the opposite of normal airlines.

2. Make sure you book luggage.

3. In hotel speak, adjoining rooms do not mean connecting rooms. You are asking for connecting rooms. You will not necessarily get it. However, make sure your hotel ACTUALLY has some for you to request. There are a lot of hotels that don't. In some countries, a bungalow nearby is deemed the same thing, or the room next door is the family offer.

4. If you are a family with 3 or more kids, it will take some time to find a suitable hotel. You will probably be charged for a bed. If you are allowed to add a bed, in many cases, you aren't.

5. Taxes. I could write a book on this one. I have had friends book a week online, only to get a bill for over $1000 in taxes on check out. It is written in the fine print, quite clearly on the websites, but where it gets tricky, is that some countries build it in to the quoted room rate, and some don't. Most countries separate it, so it may be 10% Govt tax, 7.7% bed tax and some other 5% tax, adding a further 22.7% to your room bill. Malaysia quotes prices tax inclusive, Singapore & Thailand you need to add it in yourself. I kept looking at hotels, thinking I could afford them, only to discover with the tax, I couldn't.

6. If you can't afford the beautiful beach resort, or they don't have family accommodation, get better accommodation on the mainland and spend some bucks on a day trip, or split the trip with just 2 nights on the island and the rest elsewhere.

7. Always travel with insurance. Always.

8. Sign up to every hotel reward programme (if free), even if you think you will never stay there again. You may get free upgrades, free internet or even a free night, or sometimes special prices booking through their site.


I know these things seem logical, or a hassle, but for us, it has shaved off a considerable amount off our trip. Using the travel agent to the Maldives saved us over $2200, because the wholesaler somehow avoided taxes and bundled up dinners. Always check and don't assume which way is cheaper.

We are almost all sorted, still more expensive than I'd like, but less than initially quoted. Only one last lot of accommodation to sort out for the 16 day trip.

I've had a headache for the last 2 days from staring at the internet for too long. I apologise for neglecting comments, link ups and all other connections. Normal transmission will resume next week!