Trans Siberian Railway

04/08/2023

https://travelcentre.com.au/2023/08/04/navigate-some-of-the-worlds-cultural-customs-and-etiquette/

World customs and etiquette guide

26/07/2023

An interesting article about Mongolia, a country trying to maintain a delicate balance.

Wary of growing Chinese power, Mongolian ties to Moscow still run deep, even as its influence crumbles into the landscape.

17/05/2023

Whilst Trans Siberian is still not available there are train journeys available in Central Asia - part of the Silk Road Rail Journey.EW can arrange private packages using the standard train, or you can enjoy the comfort and splendour of a private train.

https://passporttravel.com.au/train-journeys/

21/03/2023

Whilst we have to forget Russia we don't have to forget Central Asia and its Silk Road journeys.
Air Astana (Kazakhstan) has released a very polished safety video. They must have employed a creative director from Air New Zealand, or Virgin Airlines as this video is very much in those styles. Some wonderful use of local cultural themes and scenery.

Air Astana-ның жаңа ұшу алдындағы нұсқауыНаурыз мерекесімен құттықтай отыра, назарыңызға ұшу қауіпсіздігі туралы жаңа видеомызды ұсынамыз. Air Astana-ның Қаз...

20/03/2023

Some things are improving in the world of travel. Transsiberian is not one of them:(

Airline onboard liquid rules

04/01/2023

Whilst travel to Russia is not sensible there are other destinations. Air tickets are usually required to get to many.

Cheap Airfare in the current environment.An extinct option? There are strategies to minimize costs.

Thanks to the post-pandemic travel boom, you might have noticed that airfare prices have skyrocketed over the last few months. While (most) travel restrictions are something we can leave behind in 2022, expensive air tickets are unfortunately here to stay – at least for a while. Luckily, knowing the right time to purchase them can help you save.It’s all about the timing.

Some might say it’s best to book way in advance when demand for a certain flight might not have built up yet. Others might tell you to book closer to the date (as late as possible, even), so that airlines might drop their prices to increase their load factor.

But what does the data say?
According to online (known accurate sites) airline bookings surveys, Sundays are the best days to score cheaper tickets. Fridays are the worst – costing you 5% more on domestic flights and 15% more on international routes, compared to Sundays. While there’s not a sure-fire day to get cheaper tickets, it’s always good to keep this in mind when booking flights. Results from research also found that Wednesday is the cheapest day of the week for flight departures. Departing at the start of the week could cost you 15% more on domestic flights and around 10% more on international flights. This is because travelers tend to prefer departing on Sundays and Mondays, so the demand for flights on these days is higher. Flight status data from 2022 shows that flights after 3 p.m. are 50% more likely to be cancelled – so try to schedule your flights earlier in the day.

Distance matters
The best time to book your flights depends on whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally. Domestic or short-haul flights tend to have more predictable pricing, while international or long-haul flights could fluctuate and end up costing more if you don’t book at the right time.

Domestic or short-haul Booking too far ahead could end up costing you 10% more, if it’s a domestic or short-haul flight. For such routes, it’s best to book one to four months out from departure. Domestic fares often rise around three to six months from the flight, so booking too early might cost you more. Popular tourist spots often see price-matching between airlines, especially among low-cost carriers like Ryanair, easyJet, and AirAsia, that need more passengers to cover their costs. With these, you might want to keep an eye out for sudden price drops. If budget airlines aren’t your thing, full-service carriers like British Airways have short-haul sales a few times in the year – typically in February/March and after the northern hemisphere summer. International or long-haul Normally, you can save up to 10% if you book international flights as least six months ahead.

Traveling across borders require much more planning than taking a local holiday, so it’s good to plan ahead when it comes to international or long-haul flights. Deals often appear one to two seasons before departure, so you might want to book your summer trip during winter and spring.

BUT, this is not a guaranteed thing. Currently, with such turmoil in the aviation world you can’t rely 100% on this trend. As things improve we may see aspects of this trend return.Lastly, avoid peak season travel and be aware of blackout dates, such as Christmas Eve, when many discounted fares don’t apply.Whilst there are online booking sites – beware.

The recent covid implications showed how problematic some online sites were. The best option is to either deal directly on an airlines website, or with a travel agent. Dealing directly on an airlines site does have one major disadvantage, which a travel agent does not have – they only promote their airline. Travel agents, via the international airline booking system can look at a large range of options and also look at combinations airfares (more than one airline), which in the end may be a much better option for your overall flight plans. You are also dealing with a contactable human so that if a problem happens you have someone working on your behalf.

07/11/2022

Sadness still pervades anything to do with Russia. Mongolia is still a country of friendly people and hope. Unfortunately it is still very expensive to fly there as evidenced by the costs two of our clients just paid to get there!

We hope to see a general change to airfares after March 20233 - as long as nothing else happens in the world!

Here are some stunning images of Mongolian trains in Autumn.

30/08/2022

Russia resistance continues, not only outside Russia, but within.
This wonderful image Is from a Russian stamp collector. We understand these have become quite popular around the world.

24/08/2022

A Spy: A Russian Folk Song and a Number 1 pop music hit!

Some readers may have heard of 1960s’ folk music trio, “The Springfields”, from whom the fabulous Dusty Springfield emerged. The other Springfield, her brother Tom did his UK military service, training as a spy. Heard a Russian folk song and went on to write a number 1 hit for the Australian super group of the 1960’s – ‘The Seekers’. Judith Durham, the Seekers singer with her unique voice died recently. It has only emerged that Tom Springfield (The 5th Seeker) passed away 10 days before her!

Watch the video which shows the similarity of the melody.

From Crikey.com media

Australia Updates The carnival truly is over: vale Tom Springfield, a man who made his fame last.The late Tom Springfield wrote some of the Seekers’ greatest hits, and then spent over half a century reaping the rewards. Clever chap. With the announcement of the death of Tom Springfield the “fifth Seeker”, so soon after Judith Durham died, the carnival really is over.Springfield, dead at 88 just 10 days before Durham, was the writer of the group’s greatest hits, including “The Carnival Is Over”, “Georgy Girl” and “I’ll Never Find Another You”. Writer? Co-writer, really — especially of “The Carnival Is Over”, the tune of which was co-written by the Russian people. It’s a folk song called “Stenka Razin and it’s the heart warming tale of a Cossack hero who spends a night with a beautiful Persian princess — and is then so angered at being taunted by fellow Cossacks for having fallen in love that he throws her off the side of a boat into the Volga, where she drowns. Respectful relationships, 1600s-style.

Springfield heard the song while learning Russian during national service in the UK in the 1950s, having volunteered to train as a spy. But his true heroism consists in what he did after he’d written those half-dozen hits (and a couple of minor ones for his sister Dusty Springfield) — quitting the business in 1970, at the age of 36, and living off the radio-play royalties for the rest of his life. He was retired for 52 years, which might be a record. He is the patron saint of all those who try to strike it lucky from a little writing talent.This must be our last goodbye, Tom, so rest in — oh, you already have. Fifty-two years!

https://youtu.be/spl4x2dp3x4

Most all fans of The Seekers know that when Tom Springfield wrote "The Carnival Is Over" he set his lyrics to an old Russian folk song, "Senka Razin". I've ...

15/08/2022

The recent Nadaam Festival also had regional exhibitions housed in large Gers that were decorated using differing cultural styles from the various regions. Yes, there is a bit more glamour than what would be in a nomads rural Ger, but this is a national cultural display and this is where they can expand their design abilities.

13/07/2022

Its been Nadaam Festival time in Mongolia again. Time for familes to dress in their finest traditional formal clothes. And then there are the kids!

06/07/2022

Welcome to Russia?

Within Russia many still live in a delusional state, especially when they communicate via normal email methods. They have to keep the ‘Party Line’, or be arrested. We received this optimistic email. What is also amazing is that Australians can now get a visa, having been barred from a visa pre covid due to support for general sanctions at the time.

Perhaps they think tourist will flood back to the country and assist with refreshing the war chest?We politely informed them that we could not find anyone that would visit at the moment and reminded them of our previous discussions in that we are not dealing with arrangements to Russia until there is a regime change.

Test of email received. Almost could form part of a Monty Python script..................................
Hello

I would like to inform you that Russia has cancelled all entry restrictions imposed in connection with Covid.

I understand that the volume of tourism that was previously is unlikely now.

Nevertheless I inform you that we now have the opportunity to issue business and tourist invitations to enter Russia to citizens of Australia and other countries again.We are also ready to provide full tourist services on traditional and new routes.

We really hope that over time we will be able to resume our cooperation.

Kind regards,