So we "kind of" took the 2 for 1 Scoot promotion and book for ourselves a 2nd honeymoon.... to Perth again.
Not really though. We overlooked the fact that my parents are leaving for their small pilgrimage to the holy land of Mecca, right in the middle of the dates we booked. So instead of saving for the flight, we had to fork out slightly more to top up for the flight change.
But as known to social media, my husband got into a bad bike accident across the border exactly 1 month before we fly off, and i had to put everything on hold in case we had to cancel the whole trip. Honestly i wished the trip would still carry on, he's recovering well until...
HE CAUGHT THE CHICKEN POX VIRUS! Yes, chicken pox guys! At 26! and 12 Days before we fly of!
So here i am again, on the waiting game again, hoping he'll recover just in time. And yeay he did!
So the frantic rush begin;
1. change flight
2. look for an apartment
3. book a car
4. plan an itinerary.
I did all but number 4. because i suck at planning. and even before we set off to Perth, we still didn't have any concrete itinerary. But for sure we would be those typical lame ass tourist because husb's injury haven't recovered 100%.
So what i thought i'll save, i actually had to spend more because everything is last minute.
My flight was supposed to be SGD300/person, taking advantage of the 2-for-1 Scoot promotion over the national day period. And if i were to change the flight dates way before hand, it would only cost me SGD380/person. Not so bad right? But because of all these unforeseeen circumstances and the bad luck that I'm having back to back, I made the flight change last minute and now the flight itself costs me SGD500/person. Holy mother of goat I swear it would have cost much lesser on a full flight on low peak periods!
My apartment was also last minute. Can say everything also last minute lah! Manage to find one, and i have no idea why i immediately booked the apartment without checking the location, but it's not so bad ... PROVIDED YOU HAVE A CAR. alamak this trip really .. i don't know where i put my brain.
So as usual, booked through booking.com because expedia's being a bitch (apparently it firmly decides that i have a fake name on my credit card. BROOOOO?!!!) . It's several dollars more expensive at booking.com though. But it's okay lah i can earn my booking status on that platform heees.
I booked Assured Waterside Apartments, it's at Melville Parade, just off Mill Point Road. Quite a convenient spot. It's just like you know ... You exit tampines avenue 5 just to get to my place. ahh that kind of convenient lah... if you drive that is.
Next, the booking of cars. I can't remember how many times i switched screens and how many tabs i open just to make sure that i don't lose out on a good offer and so that i don't end up paying more for a car and especially the insurance part. It's so damn important i tell you. It's okay to fork out more for your insurance rather than having to pay the full excess incase of any accidental damage to the car! I kena once already, lucky i got it waived off. So no more second time ok! Now akak clever already hehe
OK guys. This part VERY IMPORTANT OK. I don't want my friends to be conned or have to pay more for nothing.
I'm sure you're aware that you are offered to book your vacation cars through 3rd party websites, be it scoot, booking.com, qantas, SIA, blablabla. DO NOT.. i repeat... DO NOT BOOK THROUGH THE 3RD PARTY WEBSITE TOGETHER WITH IT'S INSURANCE COVERAGE. Sure you can book the car on the website, they can be trusted, don't worry about it.... BUT DON'T TAKE THE INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER THE 3RD PARTY WEBSITE!!!
The insurance coverage under the 3rd party website will be a bond/agreement between you and the 3rd party website, not between you and the renter of the car.
Example:
3rd Party website name: rentyouacar
car rental providers: rentlah, comerent, rentfromme, irentyoucheap
Rentyouacar provides the prices from all the car rental providers. Probably throw in a "free CDW (collision damage waiver), roadside assistance" blablabla on most car rental providers. So let's say you decide to rent a car from "comerent", and because rentyouacar says got CDW got this got that, you'd think... ok lah i'm covered already. free mah. good what the deal.
Nope.
On the day of your arrival, you come and collect your car from comerent booth with the confirmation slip from rentyouacar. It says already have the coverage right? But you wait. The staff will ask you if you wish to purchase insurance for this or that. Sorry i can't remember exactly what but i can only remember full protection lol. Then i can guarantee you will have question marks on your face, really.
But but but ... you already have the basic coverage right? From rentyouacar right? Noooo. Comerent will tell you that whatever rental/insurance agreement will be between you and rentyouacar, and that rentyouacar and comerent are not affiliated in any ways. Meaning, should anything happen to you or the car, you will have to liaise with rentyouacar, not with comerent. So it's like you have to go in circles. Sounds much like a hassle?
So there. Instead of saving, you have to top up more for insurance coverage, to cushion your travel savvy ass in case anything happens to you, or the car. Most important is the car, shouldn't have any dented rims or scratches.
Trust me, the price wouldn't be much of a difference if you booked direct from the car renter's website and purchase the insurance directly from them.
So anyway, I'm done explaining. I got my car from Europcar, same vendor as the one i got last year in Perth. One of the cheapest after much consideration. Created myself an account, logged in my details and voila! Anyway because i'm such a scaredy cat and i drive like a klutz, i got myself the full protection to cover my not-so-sorry ass. But on the brighter side, because i got the full protection coverage, i got the GPS rent for free! Tips tips tips! But only do this at the counter, as in, you book the car online, just the car, add on the CDW (the price will be roughly the same as at 3rd party website, honestly), and wait till you arrive at your holiday destination to upgrade your insurance coverage and to include GPS rental.
You... NEED... the GPS! it helps you it saves you, honestly. Googlemaps can be relied on though, but it's not so accurate. The roads can get confusing at times and the GPS will really tell you which lane you should be on and which lanes and the road name you should exit. Right down to the tiny details.
Alright! So all in all basically i already spent SGD2400 just for flights, apartment and car itself.
DON'T SCOLD ME! I know expensive. Because i last minute i knowwwwwww! By the way the car cost me SGD700+ with the full protection.
Don't follow my steps. I always last minute. So I cannot complain if things get expensive. Not really a savvy traveller.
Okok. Done ranting. Itineraries next!
Not really though. We overlooked the fact that my parents are leaving for their small pilgrimage to the holy land of Mecca, right in the middle of the dates we booked. So instead of saving for the flight, we had to fork out slightly more to top up for the flight change.
But as known to social media, my husband got into a bad bike accident across the border exactly 1 month before we fly off, and i had to put everything on hold in case we had to cancel the whole trip. Honestly i wished the trip would still carry on, he's recovering well until...
HE CAUGHT THE CHICKEN POX VIRUS! Yes, chicken pox guys! At 26! and 12 Days before we fly of!
So here i am again, on the waiting game again, hoping he'll recover just in time. And yeay he did!
So the frantic rush begin;
1. change flight
2. look for an apartment
3. book a car
4. plan an itinerary.
I did all but number 4. because i suck at planning. and even before we set off to Perth, we still didn't have any concrete itinerary. But for sure we would be those typical lame ass tourist because husb's injury haven't recovered 100%.
So what i thought i'll save, i actually had to spend more because everything is last minute.
My flight was supposed to be SGD300/person, taking advantage of the 2-for-1 Scoot promotion over the national day period. And if i were to change the flight dates way before hand, it would only cost me SGD380/person. Not so bad right? But because of all these unforeseeen circumstances and the bad luck that I'm having back to back, I made the flight change last minute and now the flight itself costs me SGD500/person. Holy mother of goat I swear it would have cost much lesser on a full flight on low peak periods!
My apartment was also last minute. Can say everything also last minute lah! Manage to find one, and i have no idea why i immediately booked the apartment without checking the location, but it's not so bad ... PROVIDED YOU HAVE A CAR. alamak this trip really .. i don't know where i put my brain.
So as usual, booked through booking.com because expedia's being a bitch (apparently it firmly decides that i have a fake name on my credit card. BROOOOO?!!!) . It's several dollars more expensive at booking.com though. But it's okay lah i can earn my booking status on that platform heees.
I booked Assured Waterside Apartments, it's at Melville Parade, just off Mill Point Road. Quite a convenient spot. It's just like you know ... You exit tampines avenue 5 just to get to my place. ahh that kind of convenient lah... if you drive that is.
Next, the booking of cars. I can't remember how many times i switched screens and how many tabs i open just to make sure that i don't lose out on a good offer and so that i don't end up paying more for a car and especially the insurance part. It's so damn important i tell you. It's okay to fork out more for your insurance rather than having to pay the full excess incase of any accidental damage to the car! I kena once already, lucky i got it waived off. So no more second time ok! Now akak clever already hehe
OK guys. This part VERY IMPORTANT OK. I don't want my friends to be conned or have to pay more for nothing.
I'm sure you're aware that you are offered to book your vacation cars through 3rd party websites, be it scoot, booking.com, qantas, SIA, blablabla. DO NOT.. i repeat... DO NOT BOOK THROUGH THE 3RD PARTY WEBSITE TOGETHER WITH IT'S INSURANCE COVERAGE. Sure you can book the car on the website, they can be trusted, don't worry about it.... BUT DON'T TAKE THE INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER THE 3RD PARTY WEBSITE!!!
The insurance coverage under the 3rd party website will be a bond/agreement between you and the 3rd party website, not between you and the renter of the car.
Example:
3rd Party website name: rentyouacar
car rental providers: rentlah, comerent, rentfromme, irentyoucheap
Rentyouacar provides the prices from all the car rental providers. Probably throw in a "free CDW (collision damage waiver), roadside assistance" blablabla on most car rental providers. So let's say you decide to rent a car from "comerent", and because rentyouacar says got CDW got this got that, you'd think... ok lah i'm covered already. free mah. good what the deal.
Nope.
On the day of your arrival, you come and collect your car from comerent booth with the confirmation slip from rentyouacar. It says already have the coverage right? But you wait. The staff will ask you if you wish to purchase insurance for this or that. Sorry i can't remember exactly what but i can only remember full protection lol. Then i can guarantee you will have question marks on your face, really.
But but but ... you already have the basic coverage right? From rentyouacar right? Noooo. Comerent will tell you that whatever rental/insurance agreement will be between you and rentyouacar, and that rentyouacar and comerent are not affiliated in any ways. Meaning, should anything happen to you or the car, you will have to liaise with rentyouacar, not with comerent. So it's like you have to go in circles. Sounds much like a hassle?
So there. Instead of saving, you have to top up more for insurance coverage, to cushion your travel savvy ass in case anything happens to you, or the car. Most important is the car, shouldn't have any dented rims or scratches.
Trust me, the price wouldn't be much of a difference if you booked direct from the car renter's website and purchase the insurance directly from them.
So anyway, I'm done explaining. I got my car from Europcar, same vendor as the one i got last year in Perth. One of the cheapest after much consideration. Created myself an account, logged in my details and voila! Anyway because i'm such a scaredy cat and i drive like a klutz, i got myself the full protection to cover my not-so-sorry ass. But on the brighter side, because i got the full protection coverage, i got the GPS rent for free! Tips tips tips! But only do this at the counter, as in, you book the car online, just the car, add on the CDW (the price will be roughly the same as at 3rd party website, honestly), and wait till you arrive at your holiday destination to upgrade your insurance coverage and to include GPS rental.
You... NEED... the GPS! it helps you it saves you, honestly. Googlemaps can be relied on though, but it's not so accurate. The roads can get confusing at times and the GPS will really tell you which lane you should be on and which lanes and the road name you should exit. Right down to the tiny details.
Alright! So all in all basically i already spent SGD2400 just for flights, apartment and car itself.
DON'T SCOLD ME! I know expensive. Because i last minute i knowwwwwww! By the way the car cost me SGD700+ with the full protection.
Don't follow my steps. I always last minute. So I cannot complain if things get expensive. Not really a savvy traveller.
Okok. Done ranting. Itineraries next!
