My Travel Expo, 1 October – 1 Night Only, Its Here!
Thinking of travelling in the next 2 years?
Want to know what options are out there to suit you?
Do you know which of over half a dozen tour suppliers or cruises suits your needs?
Are you sure if you want something all inclusive or bare minimals?
Do you want excitement or rest and relaxation?
Are you after cruising or touring?
Are you looking to travel for a special event?
Are you considering travelling during a period when it may not be best to head out?
Every time you travel there are a hundred questions to consider,
sometimes it takes an expert to help answer them!
For one night only we have lined up over 20 Travel Experts to answer your questions!
My Travel Expo is here!
For One Night Only!
From 5pm til 8pm
Over 20 Travel Experts to take Advantage of!
Exclusive specials, deals and offers
Antarctica On Sale – 50% Savings Limited Time Only
Sometimes there are specials that come along that are worth us yelling about and this is one of them! Usually an Antarctica Cruise will start for most people at between AU$8000 and AU$10,000 per person in share twin. So when we have any offer come through that will allow us to drop that price then we are happy – and this deal, saving 50% is crazily good. So if you want to Visit Antarctica then Call us this week and book aboard a fantastic voyage and save yourself a small fortune! Please be aware, sailing dates and spaces are limited.
My South America Expedition!
It is finally here! My South America Expedition!
We have been talking for a while about the South America Tour that we want to do , and we have been tossing up what we should or should not include, and in the end we have settled on the best compromise we could come to. We discarded the areas that some people may or may not want to see and settled down to a solid 20 day itinerary that takes in the very Best of South America, covering the Capital City of Peru (Lima) then time in the Sacred Valley of Cusco and Machu Picchu, a visit to Lake Titicaca, time at the astounding Iguasu Falls (pictured above) a visit to Rio de Janiero, and time in Buenos Aires were we take a small ranch stay and visit a local Estancia to get a feel for life on the Pampas!
Book now to take full advantage of all our earlybird and early payment deals including a companion fly free special that when you look at two travellers means you will only end up paying AU$10,746 per person at the moment (if you book within the next 2 weeks we will even include our Film Night Discounts!). You can review the itinerary and basic details here!
Now while we have said we “Cut” the areas that many do not want to see this does not mean they are unable to be added to the trip.
There are an amazing array of pre and post tour options we can look to include on this South American Voyage. if you are looking at something to do Pre-Tour there are Galapagos and Amazon Cruises, Jungle Lodge Stays, the Devils Snout Railway in Ecuador which winds round the small hill villages and volcanoes, there is Chiclayo and Trulijio the home of the Lord of Saipan – the King Tut of South America, or you can head into Southern Peru and visit Arequipa and the Nazca lines, just as a few examples.
Post tour there are just as many amazing extension options from a Cape Horn Cuise to a visit to Patagonia and Terra del Fuego, maybe visit the Colonial Mining town of Salta and the marshlands, or stay in a luxury desert encampment in the Atacama, take an opportunity to move up the Tigre River and spend a few days in the Uruguayan Capital of Montevideo, visit Santiago and the surrounding areas of Vina Del Mar and Valparasio, or take a break and experience the wonder of Easter Island.
So if you have ever wanted to journey to South America now is your change, book aboard our 2nd March 2017 departure and experience the best of South America in some Exceptional Company!
For further details please contact My Travel Expert on (02) 4421 5577 or nowra@mytravelexpert.com.au
Africa, Asia, America, Europe – Discover the World with Evergreen and Scenic
If you have a desire to cruise the Mekong, encounter a lion on the Serengeti, see the glaciers move in Alaska, or listen to the Mulluhs call for the faithful as the sun sets over Istanbul then perhaps you should consider coming along to our film night. There are few companies that explore the world in quite the same was as Scenic and Evergreen Tours, and like their past travellers will tell you their service is exceptional. Whether cruising the Danube from Budapest to Prague or taking in the Rocky Mountains, they have a quality of service that stands out amongst their competitors. From walking the flower lined streets of Ho Chi Minh City over TET or watching Hippos from your Chobe River Cruise, these suppliers ensure that every trip, every stop is a memorable experience that will leave you desiring to travel again, and again, and again. So come along and join us on the 9th of September and see what we are talking about!
Opening at 5:30 pm for a 6 pm start on the 9th September, My Travel Expert along with our industry partners Evergreen Tours and Scenic will take you on a virtual whirlwind tour as we discover just why they are such popular tour suppliers, what they truly do that sets them apart and why we believe you should consider travelling with them! Even more exciting we will be unveiling for the first time our 2017 South American Group Departure, so if you have dreamed of seeing Machu Picchu or the falls of Iguasu, then this is an event that you wont want to miss.
With only a handful of spaces left we suggest you register for the night by clicking on the below green button, or giving us at call on (02) 4421 5577
We are , Sold Out, and sadly have no more seating room for this event! Should you still be interested in the events contents or in putting your name on waitlist please let us know on (02) 4421 5577
Red, Green and Black!
We have still had a few people having difficulty locating us, having gone to the old office, or other nearby stores. We are on Kinghorne Street on the outside of the Nowra Mall. So, to clarify, we are perhaps 200 meters down the road from our old location .. simply continue on past best and less to the traffic lights, look across the road where Telstra Business Centre stands on the corner and there we are right next Door in our flashy new Black and Green Colours! Just remember if you have pass HCF you have gone too far!
We are still contactable on (02) 4421 5577, though since the move our phones have been having issues – for which we are sorry! or by email on nowra@mytravelexpert.com.au . As usual you should be able to find someone here from 9 am to 5 pm Mondays through to Fridays, and from 9 am to Midday on Saturdays. So if you need to see us, or just want to place our location in mind, please feel free to stop by.
For those that visit our website to get updates rather than just reading their subscribed e-mails or RSS feeds it will come as no surprise that we have had a bit of a facelift, with the website now more reflective of the My Travel Expert and Shoalhaven Solo Sisters branding – in otherwords, its very black and green. Based on feedback for the tours we have been planning and upcoming events we have seriously culled our group departures and will be running no more than 4 departures per year. These will run with a minimum of 2 passengers and will be fully escorted by one of our staff with 16 travellers. For now our 2016 and 2017 tour schedule is as follows ..
- May 2016: My Mississippi (see below notice)
- June 2016: My African Experience. A fantastic journey to take in the highlights of Kenya and Tanzania, run in concert with the African Safari Co.
- August 2016: My Canada & Alaska Encounter. An incredible journey through the Rocky Mountains and Inside passage run in concert with Travelmarvel
- August – September 2016: My Rhine and Rhone Encounter. Two back to back river cruises taking in the best of the Western European River Highlights, run in concert with Travelmarvel
- February 2017: My Mekong Encounter. A delightful Tour through Vietnam ending in Ho Chi Minh City over Vietnamese New Year where you then Cruise to Siem Reap along the Mekong, run in concert with Evergreen Tours.
- 2017, My South American Expedition. is coming, for a first look at this we recommend you contact us and reserve your spot at our 9 September film night, but be quick spaces are limited!
If you receive our regular updates and follow our blog, facebook, twitter or websites you will know that we have been organising a Mississippi Tour with Evergreen to cover the Sounds of the South, a cultural tour taking in the American Music Capitals from Nashville to Memphis to New Orleans, with some time spent aboard a traditional paddlesteamer. It is to our regret that the company owning the cruise boats – the American Queen Steamboat Company – has reallocated their ships in 2016 for a number of private charters, which means we are forced to cancel this programme!
Having said that, there is a similar programme being run with Scenic called the “Southern Belles & Mississippi Cruise”and if anyone would still like to do a voyage that mirrors our original programme then please feel free to contact us and we can give you details on the Scenic programmes.
Once again, My Travel Expert and the Shoalhaven Solo Sisters thank you all for your continued support!
Cruise Week Specials 7th – 14th September 2015
The 7th to the 14th September 2015 is the annual CLIA Cruise Week, here in Australia and My Travel Expert is a proud CLIA Member. As such we have specials and deals with over 20 cruise lines covering river cruises and ocean cruises, Large Resort Ships to Small Sail Ships – something for everybody. If you are looking to cruise the time to book is almost upon us! You can review a whole booklet of specials coming next week simply by CLICKING HERE (be wanted it may take a while to load).
One special above all the others we do want to bring to your attention is with Avalon Waterways. They have a fantastic offer where is you book on any of their 2016 European River Cruises in category D or E and they will waive their single supplement. Thus effectively saving a single traveller 50% of what it would cost you to do these cruises solo – so a fantastic offer. So if you want to Cruise the European Waterways, next week is definitely the time to book!
For More details contact My Travel Expert & Shoalhaven Solo Sister on (02) 4421 5577, nowra@mytravelexpert.com.au or visit us in store today !
My Film Night – 9th September 2015
Travel in Luxury, it is not out of your reach! If you want an all inclusive trip, with secure departures, filled with friendly and like minded travellers out to see unique and exotic destinations, they we have the perfect options for you with a pair of companies who have a broad range of touring options and usually have a great selection of exclusive inclusions and fantastic booking discounts for those ready to plan ahead …
My Travel Expert will be hosting an informational evening at our offices on the 9th September with a guest speaker down to talk with us about the amazing product range of Scenic and Evergreen Tours. From the majestic Rocky Mountaineer in Canada to the Incan Ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, from Crusing the Danube in Europe to Crusing the Chobe in Africa, these companies cover the globe and have a fantastic array of unique product, exclusive inclusions on their well paced and suitably priced tours.
We believe in their product so much that we are running our Mississippi, Mekong and South American Group departures with them, so that we know, that no matter our number, our travellers will be getting the best service, the destinations that will leave them in awe, and the product that will leave them not just satisfied with their trip buy looking for more!
So why not join us and discover the world with Scenic and Evergreen Tours, 9th September 2015 at 28a Kinghorne Street, from 5:30 for a 6pm start! Just click on the green button link below!
15 Things For The Solo Traveller To Remember
While this has been written up for the Solo Traveller, a lot of these are hints, tips and things to remember for travellers in general !
15. Contact Details. These are important, for you, if you need help, for families if they need to find you. Ensure that you have all contacts you need for whilst travelling – hotels, consulate, airlines, and make sure that someone back home has these as well.
14. Packing. Pack right, make sure your clothes and needs are met but don’t over pack – remember if you can’t carry it, don’t take it. While some flights and taxis allow for a lot of baggage, most tour buses will only allow 20kg of baggage and you should remember that at the worst, baggage handlers at the airport can’t tote more than 35kg.
13. Medicines & Health – Remember to Prepare. Make sure that you have everything organised to make sure your health keeps up whilst on tour. If you have regular medications you need to take ensure that you can take them into the country where you are travelling and that you have several copies of a prescription list from your doctor (so if you lose the meds you can get them replaced), and remember to pack the basics – pain killers, anti-diarrhetics, the usual.
12. Remember the Basics. Make sure that you are prepared for your trip and pack yourself a handy travel bag with the essentials well before you go! Combs, toothbrush, power adaptors, baggage locks, pen – the little things that you will need on a daily basis which if you leave till the last moment you may forget to pack.
11. Document Copies. Always remember to have a couple of copies of your travel documents, with at least 1 electronic version stored away on an easily accessible e-mail. Why? This way in case you lose them, or things go missing you have a copy at hand, one way or another, to guide you along the rest of your trip
10. Arrive before dark! A lot of people like to try and minimise and maximise their time by arriving very early in the morning or late at night – in the end though this is not the best use of your time, especially when travelling across time zones. Early afternoon arrivals will allow you to usually be able to check in straight away, have time to check out the local area and still get a good night sleep and set you up with the local time zone, and you avoid trying to muddle your way to a new location in the dark and presumably tired.
9. Safety Awareness. Like when you are at home, be aware of your surroundings, don’t leave bags unattended, don’t make it easy for pickpockets to come up and slice off a bum bag, don’t look like you have no idea where you are or what is going on. There are always people out there that will take advantage of you, just remember the basic precautions and limit the amount of ways that trouble can stalk you!
8. Street Food . May taste fantastic but can often be cooked and prepared in unsanitary conditions, so think before you eat, take a good look at how food is prepared if possible, and if not pass it by .. or if you don’t pass it by then make sure you have your anti-diarrhetics ready to counter any possible upset
7. Dress Appropriately. You may be comfortable in your short-shorts and sleeveless shirts, but it may not always be appropriate. Cultural Norms, Religious Customs and Social Attitude vary wildly around the globe, and when you are travelling it is best to prepare yourself for these situations so you don’t attract unwarranted attention and don’t inadvertently offend the locals.
6. Alcohol. While drinking Alcohol will ensure that you won’t be poisoned by the local water you should always remember to drink in moderation – the last thing you need is to consume to excess and find yourself in trouble with the local authorities, or worse in a sticky situation that due to your inebriation you don’t realise you are walking into.
5. Stay Accessible. As a solo traveller its imperative that you remain contactable – both so you can call for help or can be called for help. Setting up International Roam on your mobile, buying local pre-paid cards or international Sims will ensure that you are able to stay in touch with friends family, and even local suppliers and hotels who you will need to talk to.
4. Pre-organise. It sounds great to be able to hit the ground and then find your own way around. Which it is, if you want to find yourself more stressed, seeing less and probably spending more. Book in your Accommodation before you go and you will most probably save money, be at better locations, and free up more of your own time to see the local sites. This extends beyond hotels, pre-organising everything from rail to tours to taxis can all help you save time, and get the best out of your trip.
3. Limit Cash! Nothing says “Mug Me!” like carrying around big wads of Cash, keep cash limited to the basics – as you would at home, and leave the rest to credit and debit cards. If your own bank charges excessive fees organising a Cash Passport will allow you to make the best of exchange rates and lack of fees when travelling internationally. By using a card to withdrawal as needed you will escape notice of having too much cash as is good for you.
2. Insurance. The Australian Government has said “If you can’t afford Travel Insurance, you can’t afford to travel”, and they are right. Going away without insurance is putting so much at risk, from being stuck in a location due to natural disaster, or finding yourself with a growing medical bill. Choosing the right policy is important and making sure that should things go wrong, then you need to make sure that you are prepared – and travel insurance is a small price to pay to ensure that should things go bad, you are covered.
1. Use A Travel Agent. Everyone says “but they cost more” and in some cases they do, but those costs are usually minimal and the fees and usually reasonable, and having someone there to be able to call in a panic, who has the experience to help you build your trip and who can make sure that things go right from get to go is well worth it. A few years ago AFTA came out with a slogan that says it all “Without A Travel Agent, You’re On Your Own”. Your Travel Agent is there to look after you, help you out when things go sour, and be there when you want to relieve your trip highlights!
My Travel Expo – First Notice
To all our single travellers, you are lucky enough to be the first to officially here – My Travel Expo is back and we would like to invite you all to come down and take a look at what is on offer!
With over 20 suppliers attending including those with a number of fantastic solo options – such as Wendy Wu and Cosmos, who will match you up on tours with other singles – covering destinations round the world, with all travel styles from Adventure to Luxury, this is a 3 hour experience you will not want to miss!
You can drop on by on the night and try to get in or pre-register your arrival here and guarantee entry! Take advantage of having access to the suppliers to talk about earlybird specials as well as exclusive Expo deals, specials and options!
Note: My Travel Expo is being hosted at Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemans Sports Club at 131 Greenwell Point Road in Worrigee.
My Classifieds – Find Your Travel Companion!
Do you dream of South America? My Travel Expert and the Shoalhaven Solo Sisters are still planning to get away a group to this fantastic continent in Early 2017. If you are looking to possibly join now is the time to let us know what you were hoping to see and do, whilst we are still in our planning stage!
We also have a traveller seeking a companion on an Inside Passage and Rocky Mountaineer voyage in September 2016. If this voyage is something you have always considered let us know, and we can see if we can match you up with our Traveller! All other current Expressions of Interest for Travel can be found on our Classifieds Page!
Are you interested in travelleing? Do none of our specials spark your interest? Do you still want someone to share the costs with? Then let us know what you are interested in seeing and doing, when you are interested in doing it and we can then present it to our league or ladies and gentlemen who are SSS Members – we won’t guarantee a compatible companion but there is always the chance you may find the perfect travelling companion.
My Travel Expert and Shoalhaven Solo Sisters 