Month: July 2019

N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb

Over the last few weeks, I shared with you some details of our walk-a-thon around the City of Melbourne. I talked about the places we’ve been to in the city, mostly parks & gardens, heritage sites, hipster laneways & communal spaces. Melbourne is such a walk-able city – most of the places to visit can be reached by foot. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that my friends & I also went on day trips outside the city to see what the Victorian state has to offer.

One of the day trips, or should I stay half day trips, we took is a morning at the Brighton Bathing Boxes site. The iconic Brighton Bathing Boxes are located in Dendy Street Beach in Brighton, Victoria. These boxes played an important role in the seaside bathing culture in Melbourne in the 1900’s. Out of the thousands of bathing boxes present in the costs, only 82 of them remain. All these 82 bathing boxes are found at the Dendy Street Beach. Up to now, these boxes are licensed by the local government council as bathing boxes; although some of them are no longer functional.

The Brighton Bathing Boxes have become a popular tourist attraction outside Melbourne. Visitors flock to this site to see & have a photo with the colorful & uniquely-designed boxes. These boxes sport the intricate Victorian architecture with its original wooden materials. A photo with the bathing boxes is perfect for your next Instagram post or your Facebook profile photo. This place may be out of the way, but it’s definitely worth the visit.

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Access

Going to the Brighton Bathing Boxes is very easy. From Flinders Street Station, take the Sandringham Line to Sandringham. Get off at Middle Brighton Station & walk for about 15 minutes to Dendy Street Beach. The boxes are located on this beach. Take note that the nearest station to the bathing boxes is Middle Brighton Station & not Brighton Station.

The Sandringham Line was under repair / redevelopment during our visit. Public Transport Victoria provided free bus rides to Sandringham from the Parliament Station. These buses stop at every station on the Sandringham Line. We rode these free buses to Brighton & back to the city. It also helped us save some cash. Make sure to check the Public Transport Victoria website for service interruptions / maintenance.

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Brighton Bathing Boxes

The 82 Brighton Bathing Boxes are positioned as one line on Dendy Street Beach. Visitors have 82 boxes to choose from for their best photo. We went there around 10-11 in the morning on a public holiday & oh boy, there were a lot of people. There were only a number of people swimming in the beach due to the relatively cold but sunny weather.

Brighton Beach

My friends & I decided to check out Brighton Beach since we were already in the area. Brighton Beach is about 15-20 minutes walk (about 1.2 kilometers) away from the bathing boxes site on Dendy Street Beach. Brighton Beach was quiet compared to the bathing boxes site. There were close to no one swimming because of the cold winds. We took the ride back to the city from Brighton Station.

This sums up our brief morning visit to Brighton & the Bathing Boxes site. Is this place worth going? Definitely. Will I visit the place again when I fly back to Melbourne? I don’t know. Seeing the boxes for the first time is great & that’s it. There’s nothing else to see in the area.

Have you been to the Brighton Bathing Boxes? What is your favorite bathing box? Were there a lot of people during your visit? Share your experiences & trips in the comment section below & let’s engage in a discussion. Do you have any questions about Melbourne & Brighton in general? You can also post them in the comments below or send it to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for taking your time to read my post. Watch out for my upcoming stories about our Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours. It should be posted on this website soon!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare

Last month, I ran a poll on my Facebook page & asked you, my readers, if you are interested in reading flight / trip reports in this platform. 101 out of the 107 respondents said they want to see this type of content here. A few weeks later, here I am, sharing with you the very first flight report on this website.

Coincidentally, this is also my website’s 100th post – YES!! I believe the best way to celebrate this milestone is to introduce this new section called Flight Report. This blog section will always include information about the fare & the flight. It will also tackle experiences about the check in & boarding procedures, seat quality, in-flight service & a lot more.

My family & I flew to Taipei, Taiwan (I know – wait for the newest Taipei posts in the coming weeks) about a month ago for a 4-day father’s day weekend trip. I’ve been to Taipei twice, one in 2015 with my high school friends & the other in 2017 with my colleagues / office friends. My mom insisted that we go to Taiwan (again for me) to have another family trip since our last was Singapore in 2015. Third time’s a charm & the trip happened. We flew with Evergreen Airways, commonly known as EVA Air, for both Manila to Taipei & Taipei to Manila legs.

EVA Air

EVA Air is a privately-owned & international full-service airline based in Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. It commenced operations in 1991 & since then has been flying to multiple destinations in Asia Pacific, North America & Europe. It is also Taiwan’s second largest airline, next to the flag carrier, China Airlines. The airline is Taiwan’s 5-star carrier certified by Skytrax, an international airline & airport review company.

Our ride back to Manila – a 3.5-year old Airbus A330-300 aircraft delivered to EVA Air in 2015 🙂

Let me share with you my thoughts about our EVA Air BR 277 flight last month. EVA Air runs 3 daily flights between Manila & Taipei. The flight I am about to tell you was our Taipei to Manila afternoon flight. Apologies, I wasn’t able to get as much detail as I can during our Manila to Taipei flight because of its early morning departure. I was asleep most of the time on board that Airbus A321-200 flight to Taipei.

Airfare

My family & I booked our tickets about 4 months before our intended trip. Each economy return ticket cost USD 127.32 or about PHP 6,600+ in our currency. You might think this is expensive; but it’s not. My previous tickets to Taipei cost me PHP 2,700+ return, but only provided an airline seat & carry-on baggage. It didn’t include check in baggage, food or whatsoever; the schedules were inconvenient. Our ticket to & from Taipei included in-flight meals & entertainment, 30-kilograms check in baggage per way & free seat selection. If you try to add these services to my previous tickets, it’ll be pretty much the same cost.

Details of our Manila – Taipei – Manila ticket. Each passenger only paid USD 127.32 round-trip.

The fare we paid for was such a great deal for a return flight to Taipei on a 5-star airline. It was worth every single peso.

Flight

BR 277 from Taipei to Manila took 1 hour & 55 minutes in the air. The plane left Taoyuan Airport a little late but managed to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on schedule. The flight used a 3.5-year old Airbus A330-300 delivered to EVA Air in 2015. The plane has 2 passenger classes – business class & economy class. Business class seats were at 2-2-2 configuration while the economy class followed a 2-4-2 seat configuration.

Check-In & Boarding

EVA Air’s Economy Class Check-in Counters at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2.

Check-in & boarding was alright. We were travelling with a kid so we were always a priority during check-in & boarding. The ground staff assisted us to a special check-in counter while we boarded the plane first among the economy class passengers. I can’t say the experience was amazing or bad because I didn’t get to experience the usual process.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

EVA Air offers a great range of in-flight services. First, seat selection is free of charge upon booking / online check-in. Take note that our fare is the lowest possible fare the airline can offer & with that, the seat selection feature is still free. The seat pitch of EVA Air’s Airbus 330-300 is 33 inches; pretty decent for me. The leg room was generous enough for it to be apt for a long haul flight. The seat was comfortable; it also featured an adjustable headrest. The seat pocket contained the necessary safety card, in-flight magazine & Duty Free brochure.

Such a generous leg room on EVA Air’s Airbus A300-300 aircraft.. Or maybe I’m not that tall? LOL

Second, in-flight meal was okay. It didn’t have the best taste, but it was decent enough to fill our stomach. And oh, they offered a full rice / pasta meal with salad & fruits on a 2-hour flight. Passengers can also choose the type of meal (low calorie, halal, vegetarian, etc.) they prefer up to 24 hours before the flight.

EVA Air provided a full rice meal with salad & dessert on a 2-hour flight from Taipei to Manila. 🙂

Third, each seat has a small touch screen monitor & an old-style remote. The in-flight entertainment had an acceptable range of movies & programs to watch. It also had a number of albums you can listen to. I wish they had more choices though. Every passenger is provided with a pair of earphones sealed in a plastic container. Each seat is also equipped with a USB port. The in-flight entertainment in my seat didn’t work for the most part of the flight. The flight attendant tried to reset it but it still didn’t function. It’s not a major issue since the flight didn’t last long.

Fourth, the cabin crew provided pillows & blankets to passengers who requested for it. Again, it is a short flight so add-ons like these are not expected, but props to EVA for having them on board (even if the supply is limited & it is only available upon request). EVA Air’s in-flight amenities on our BR 277 flight were excellent. I’m not going to complain. We got way more than what we paid for.

Lavatory

The flight only lasted for less than 2 hours. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to go to the lavatory. Perhaps, I’ll check it out in my next EVA Air flight.

Cabin Crew

EVA Air’s cabin crew were alright. I only had a few encounters with them & with those times, not everyone was wearing a smile. There were one or two who were super nice & accommodating. I generally felt they’re like robots going around distributing food & getting food trays afterwards. I can’t blame them if they had to speed up their service but I think I’m just used to the hospitality of Southeast Asian airlines. It’s not the best & also not the worst, I’ve experienced worse in another airline.

Verdict

Overall, my experience with EVA Air on BR 277 from Taipei to Manila was great – extremely affordable fare for a full-service 5-star certified airline, with on-time flight departure & arrival, quick & special check-in & boarding process (thanks to my baby cousin), amazing in-flight amenities & so-so cabin crew service. I’m not going to judge the cabin crew on that flight & generalize that all EVA cabin crew are the same; perhaps that batch wasn’t having a great day.

Will I fly EVA Air again? YES, of course! They always offer extremely cheap fares to Australia, North America & Europe. I’d love to try their long haul product in the future, especially on their newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner. If you want to know more about our flight & the aircraft used, here are the complete details of it:

A glimpse of EVA Air’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I’d love to fly this new aircraft in the future!! 🙂

Airline: EVA Air
Flight Date: 18 June 2019
Flight Number: BR 277
Route: Taipei Taoyuan – Manila
Duration: 1:55 hours
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300
Aircraft Registration: B-16336
Aircraft Serial Number: 1690
Age: 3.5 Years
Year Delivered: 2015
Engine: 2 x GE CF6-80E1A4

Have you flown with EVA Air in the past? Was it on a short haul or long haul route? How was your experience? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about my experience or EVA in general? You can send it to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

One last look at the aircraft that flew us back to Manila last June ’19 – an EVA Air Airbus A330-300

Thank you very much for joining me in this very first flight report. I hope you are excited for the upcoming ones!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas

Last month, I revived the N9 In Straya Series & started talking about our 8 days & 7 nights adventure in Melbourne last April. First, I shared with you the list of parks, gardens & heritage places we visited during the trip. I also gave you some details about Flinders Backpackers, our cheap but super cool hostel in downtown Melbourne. I still have a lot about Melbourne to share & allow me to share some with you today. Let me talk about the laneways, communal spaces & modern areas we visited during the trip.

Note: As mentioned in the previous blog, tram rides within Melbourne CBD are free of charge. Also, the city is very accessible by foot.

Melbourne is known for its hipster laneways, coffee shops & everything artsy. I may not be a coffee-drinker but this city is full of small artsy shops offering special coffee, avocado toasts & pastries. My friends didn’t go to many coffee shops (we went to milk tea shops instead lol) but surely went to some of these laneways & alleys. Let me share with you some of these places below.

DEGREAVES STREET

Degreaves Street is a short pedestrian street that connects Flinders St & Flinders Lane. It is a famous place to eat a hearty brunch, get your morning coffee, avail your afternoon snack or buy your evening dessert. This vibrant street has become a famous go-to places for both locals & tourists. You’ll often see shops / stalls having random queues for something cheap, hippie or artsy.

HOSIER LANE

Hosier Lane is Melbourne’s famous graffiti street. This short lane is full of random & sophisticated street arts. International & local artists put on graffiti in the walls about anything & everything about the world. There are some iconic arts, some controversial while most of them are just random ones. These street arts or murals are not as organized as that of Penang‘s but they give a different experience whilst walking along the paved way.

FEDERATION SQUARE

Federation Square is a one-of-a-kind cultural precinct located opposite Flinders Station. This communal space is a venue for cultural events, arts & world-class activities. It also has bars & restaurants, making it a perfect place to just hang out & chill.

CHINATOWN

Just like any other city around the world, Melbourne has its own local Chinatown. It is in this place where you will have your rice fix (I know – very Asian). It’s also the place to have cheap food & souvenirs. We had our 1st lunch in the famous Shanghai Street Chinese Restaurant – cheap & good Chinese food.

COLLINS PLACE

Melbourne has a lot of modern & intricately-designed retail & commercial buildings. One of these buildings is Collins Place. This commercial complex was designed & built way back in the 1970’s & up to now, still embodies the true Melbourne character. The structures are unique & are well-maintained. It’s also a good place to meet with friends for random eats & drinks.

MELBOURNE CENTRAL

Melbourne Central is a massive commercial, retail & transport hub in the city. It has hundreds of specialty stores, bars & restaurants which makes it the best place to go out with friends. You can find both local & international clothing, footwear & accessories brands here. It’s also the best place to shop in Melbourne. This complex is located in the heart of the city in the corner of La Trobe & Swanston Streets.

YARRA RIVER

Yarra River is a body of water that originates from the Yarra Ranges & runs through the Melbourne Business District. This river played a very important role in the daily lives of the early city inhabitants. It made the lives of those living in the upper areas easier to transport everything to & from the city. Now, the city-part of the river serves a tourist destination, giving the visitors a perfect view of the Melbourne skyline. A walk by the banks of the Yarra River is a perfect way to start or end your day in the city.

SOUTHBANK

Southbank is a booming urban neighborhood located in the south of the Yarra River. It now an area of tall commercial & residential buildings. Southbank currently has Melbourne’s tallest observation deck in Eureka Tower. A 100-storey building in Southbank is currently under construction & will be Australia’s tallest building by roof height in a few years. The area of Southbank by the Yarra River is also a great place to have a morning or night stroll. It’s also the perfect place to have a pint of beer with friends overlooking the city skyline.

VICTORIA HARBOUR

Victoria Harbour is the Docklands precinct where Collins & Bourke Streets meet. This picturesque harbour has a stunning & relaxing view of Docklands, Marvel Stadium, Newquay & some parts of West Melbourne. Please do not compare this with Sydney Harbour because this place is way behind the famous New South Wales harbour.

SOUTHERN CROSS RAILWAY STATION

Southern Cross Railway Station in Docklands is Victoria’s major transport hub that links Melbourne to regional Victorian cities & even other Australian states like New South Wales & South Australia. This station is the main hub of Skybus – the only bus transport service that operates between the city & Melbourne Tullamarine & Avalon Airports. The station also serves as the departure & arrival points of interstate buses. The station is also connected to the city loop making it easier to transfer to Melbourne’s other railway hub – Flinders Street Railway Station.

This pretty much sums up all the interesting places we’ve been to within the City of Melbourne. However, the adventure didn’t stop there. My friends & I booked 3 well-recommended day trips to the countryside which you will know more about in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

View from the 66th Floor of Light House Melbourne – a beautiful skyscaper in Melbourne CBD

Have you walked around the Melbourne central business district in the past? How was your experience? What was your favorite spot in the city? Share some details in the comments section below. If you have anything to ask or share to me, feel free to send an e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for your time & see you in the next Melbourne post. ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.