Goa Thailand or Phillipines? - Page 2

harwood red · 02-01-2006, 22:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Ooooooh Lettie you are making me drool. I would love to be going to Oz this year. Our prohibition order expires on the 6th of July so we will be able to travel on ETA's again......but somehow I don't think we will be able to go.

I can dream though!

Prohibition order marg??? what is that and why did you get one and explaine ETA's, yes I know this is making me sound a bit of a thicko, no comments pls

K.S.H · 03-01-2006, 10:56

ETA's are electronic visa's, you can get them on-line, no need to send your passport away any more to get them done

garinda · 03-01-2006, 11:31

Marg P ended up as a criminal. She wrote about it somewhere on here, maybe her blog.

They should welcome a fellow convict with open arms, lol.

Margaret Pilkington · 03-01-2006, 15:34

Yes, H.R. we ended up as illegal aliens in 2003. I tried to tell them we were tourists.....not terrorists.....but they didn't listen.
It was all a very unfortunate mistake made by the tour company that organised our visas......they gave us a 12month multiple entry visa (we were staying for 6 months)......BUT, they neglected to tell us that we could only stay in Oz for 3 months at any one time......we should have been told.....and if we had been told we would have gone to NZ for a week or so. It was a real imbuggerance......I took it up with the Senior Immigration wallah in Melbourne.....they said to take it up with Australia house over here.....nobody wanted to know.....least of all the travel firm who had by this time pocketed my money and were not interested in customer satisfaction......The Company in question was Bridge the World.....who are now part of the Airtours Group (but they weren't at the time we travelled with them). so for the past couple of times we have gone to Oz I have had to fill in an 11 page document for each of us.....pay £60 each AND get a covering letter from our relatives about the reason for the visit.
I will NEVER let a travel company sort out visas for me ever again! You live and learn.

harwood red · 03-01-2006, 21:57

Crickey Marg, what a nightmare!!!! It just shows how much we are at the mercy of tour companies sometimes. It has been quite a few years since I have gone on a package. I have got in to the habit of booking flights and accomodation direct but I know sometimes this isn't always the best way. Transfers from the airport can be a problem sometimes

Margaret Pilkington · 04-01-2006, 15:04

Oh.....it wasn't a package as such.....it was a holiday that I tailor made.....if I had been on the internet at the time I would have done it all myself.....including the visas. It was my retirement present to myself and it had been in the planning (and the saving) for almost five years.
I chose the flights and the resorts......and Bridge the World did the bookings.
We spent something in the region of £7000 with them......but when I complained about the problem with the visas they just told me that the guy who had dealt with me had left their company. It was a hard way to learn.

Hubby was stressed out like you wouldn't believe......he had to go for a lie down in the airport lounge to let his blood pressure come down.

pendy · 06-01-2006, 15:37

If you want something different and not too expensive, try Cuba. Fantastic place and lovely people, once they know you're not American! There's lots to see and some fantastic beaches. Best to go on a package first time. Voyages Jules Verne are very well organised, but they don't "nanny" you. They even give you a free cold beer on the coach from the airport!