Traveller Letters: Sorry Qantas, the credit card points aren’t worth it

Regarding the feature on the best adults-only Bali resorts (Traveller, January 9), I think our preferred adults-only resort, Royal Purnama, should have been included. Located on the beachfront in the south-east Bali district of Sukawati, framed by black sands to the east and rice paddy fields to the north, west and south, Purnama is far from the hustle and bustle of tourists, shops and traffic. Evident around Purnama is the local Balinese and Buddhist culture, emphasising the tranquillity, beauty and verdant tropical gardens of the resort. From cooking classes, to yoga, to horse-riding or just relaxing around the main pool, nothing is too much trouble for the staff at Purnama. It’s why we have returned there several times.
Angela Forgan, Docklands, Vic

Early bird

Reading Ben Groundwater’s review of his train journey from Madrid to Seville (Traveller, January 11) reminded me of my journey on Renfe’s service from Madrid to Barcelona last October. Happily, my journey was less chaotic than his and cheaper, despite being in a higher tier. In Ben’s situation he had no choice, but generally the earlier you book after bookings open (for a particular day) the more economical the fare. I was travelling with my sister and we decided to buy the premium tickets, which were booked about five weeks before our journey, and paid €81 ($135) each. An added surprise was our premium tickets gained us access to Renfe’s lounge at Madrid Atocha railway station where we could wait in comfort, charge devices and have complimentary refreshments.
Kate McCaig, Surrey Hills, Vic

Well trained

Don’t let Ben Groundwater’s review put you off touring by train in Spain. We travelled around much of southern Spain using Renfe (including Ben’s journey) and found it both flawless and inexpensive (having booked all the legs from Melbourne a couple of months in advance). We return to Madrid in a few months to do the same thing up north. Much better than flying or driving.
John Reid, Glen Iris, Vic

Poorly trained

My granddaughter and I have recently returned from five and a half weeks in Europe, but found the efficiency of train travel far removed from the “brilliant train network” as described by Lee Tulloch (Traveller, January 2). I have travelled many times by train in Europe and totally agree it can be a great alternative to flying. However, this trip made me utterly dismayed, frustrated and exhausted by the cancellations, delays causing missed connections, and finally a train strike between Munich and Venice. This was primarily in Germany and even the Germans have had enough of what was once an extremely reliable train service. Apart from the trains, the trip was fabulous, especially seeing Europe through the eyes of a 21-year-old.
Jennifer Williams, Pymble, NSW

Straight to the top

Michael Gebecki is correct (Traveller, January 6) – do contact the chief executive if dissatisfied with the customer service replies. But on one occasion, it didn’t work for me. A strike by SAS pilots in July, 2022, meant we had to drive a rental car 1700 kilometres to Tromso, Norway, for a cruise. After 12 months of fruitless calls to SAS, I wrote and emailed the CEO and heard nothing. When I contacted the Norwegian Tourism Forum (passenger complaints about Norway) I got my $5000 refund in seven days and an apology from SAS. I had a similar experience with Amex – the Australian Financial Complaints Authority had my travel refund approved in four hours, when Amex had said no for 12 months. Australia needs the same EU261 regulations when flights are cancelled or delayed so airlines focus more on service, not profits. Our airline customer advocate is a farce.
Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield, NSW

Putting the ‘oh’ in compo

I found contacting the chief executive worked when trying to retrieve my bag after seven weeks of it being missing from Fiji Airways, en route home from Canada. However, I was less successful when I contacted the CEO directly to request compensation of about $300 for replacement of several essential items that I needed to purchase during those seven weeks. If I’m unable to limit myself to carry-on in future, I’ll be sure to invest in an electronic tracking device as recommended in a recent Traveller article.
Gwen Higgins, Rozelle, NSW

Massive overstatement

I’m currently sitting on a TGV train travelling at 300km/h from Paris to Bordeaux, reading the letters in Traveller’s January 6 edition. One letter, which correctly describes the fabulous nature of European trains, says the land mass of Australia is 96 times that of France and Germany combined. The figure is, in fact, closer to seven times.
Tony James, Battery Point, Tas
EDITOR’S NOTE: The online version of the letter in question has since been corrected.

Tip of the week: Victor Victoria

One of the few pleasant surprises coming out of COVID-19 for a city girl like me was discovering regional Victoria. Over the New Year period, we stayed in the retro 1960s Kyneton Springs Motel and enjoyed a pre-dinner drink on the balcony of the art deco Botanik cocktail bar in heritage Piper Street, before having dinner at Miss M’s Lounge across the road. On our second night, we headed to Woodend’s chef-hatted Kuzu Izakaya, which was unpretentious and delicious. During the day we worked off our indulgences hiking through Mount Macedon. A fabulous start to the new year.
Georgie Foster, Thornbury, Vic

Connie job

Leonie Wain (Traveller Letters, January 6), is mistaken. The “pointy end” of a Qantas Super Constellation was definitely not the place to be. It vibrated and was deafening due to the piston engines. Down the back was first class and there was even a wide “fat man’s seat” where the fuselage narrowed, not allowing two seats. As elegant as the “Connie” was, modern-day jets halved travel time and are far more reliable.
Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield, NSW

Soap du jour

A couple of tips we’ve found handy on our travels. First, avoid carrying bottles of shampoo and conditioner and instead take solid bar shampoo and bar conditioner. Shaped like bars of soap, they do the job and avoid a mess. Second, for instant “dry cleaning” while on the road, rub food stains with a wet wipe and a few drops of alcohol-based hand sanitiser, leave for a few minutes and dry off with a tissue.
Martin Field, Noosa Heads, Qld

Slowly does it

I was inspired by your writers’ hopes and crystal ball predictions for travel in 2024 (Traveller, January 6). Given the global temperature records broken in 2023, the common theme of responsible and sustainable travel was particularly heartening. Opportunities to embrace eco-friendly travel abound. We can trade planes for trains like Michael Gebicki, savour the charm of slow travel like Craig Tansley, find meaning through cultural connections and giving back like Sheriden Rhodes, or dive into outdoor adventures like Andrew Bain. There are many ways to holiday that don’t cost the earth. In 2024, let’s explore them.
Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

Been there, dung that

I loved reading your story (Traveller, January 14) featuring masterclasses with a difference. Some time ago, we experienced a homestay in the remote Colca Canyon in Peru. We shelled broad beans while wearing traditional dress, collected dried cow dung, as is the practice in parts of Peru to burn for cooking, and ground kernels of corn to make flour with the largest mortar and pestle we’ve ever seen. The man of the house supervised us while wearing a transistor radio hanging around his neck. When shown treasured family photos, I realised I’d been wearing the lady’s wedding dress all day. Memories.
Roxanne Le Blanc, Croydon, Vic

Compare and contrast

In recently trying to organise some travel insurance for a week in Hong Kong for two of us with some minor pre-existing conditions I headed straight to my usual go to agent – 1Cover insurance. Unfortunately despite a competitive price, I noted that they specifically exclude trip cancellation costs due to COVID-19 infection. This sent me investigating elsewhere, and I discovered that despite the fact there are only a handful of actual insurers (Zurich, Alliance IAG etc) there are masses of shopfront companies attached to them. I discovered what I guess savvy travellers have known for years – that the quotes for similar levels of cover varied dramatically – between $340 and $1200. As they say on the telly, compare the market before you buy.
Ross MacPherson, Seaforth, NSW