3 weeks ago, I shared with you a flight report on how our EVA Air flight from Taipei to Manila went last June. I mentioned in the post that my family went on a 4-day trip to Taipei to celebrate Father’s Day. I know I haven’t posted any detail about our whereabouts in Taipei but allow me to show you the details (& photos) of our 1st day in Taiwan. After arriving at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, we rushed to our accommodation & left our bags. We immediately boarded the car to Taichung. Let me show to you which picturesque places we went to in this short day trip to the city.
TAichung city
Houli Flower Farm – one of Taichung’s top tourist attractions.. Such a beautiful place to visit!! 🙂
Taichung City is an industrial city located in central Taiwan. It is located 2 hours by land from Taipei, also 2 hours by train via the TRA (Taipei Railways Administration) train & about an hour by train via Taiwan High Speed Rail. The city has gained a lot of attention from international tourists because of its unique & picturesque spots. It is in fact a famous day trip taken by people outside Taipei.
day trip around taichung
The fastest (but also the most expensive) way to go to Taichung from Taiwan is via the high speed rail. The most affordable (& slow) way to reach the city is via the TRA rail. We were travelling with a 2-year old kid & we thought taking these trains will be very inconvenient. Going around Taichung on our own is also a different story.
What a picturesque scenery in Green Fantasy Forest – a relatively unknown Taichung spot! 🙂 🙂
We opted on renting a car (with driver) that will take us to Taichung (from Taipei), bring us around selected places & drive us back to Taipei. I searched the internet & found Albert Corrales of ACWorx Tours Taiwan. I arranged the transportation & itinerary with him & bargained for an affordable day tour rate. While Taichung has a long list of places to visit, Albert recommended that we only choose 3 so that we can make use of all our time in these places. We chose to visit the Green Fantasy Forest, Houli Flower Farm (of course) & the Rainbow Village.
The whole Taichung day trip took us about 10 hours. We arrived back in Taipei before dinner time. The package included all parking & driver fees. It didn’t include entrance fees (which we paid on the specific places) & lunch. In case you’re interested in the services of ACWorx Tours Taiwan, feel free to send them a message on Facebook or message Sir Albert on Viber at +886903021282.
Allow me to share with you some of the photos I took during this day trip.
GREEN FANTASY FOREST
Entrance fee: 300 NTD per person
HOULI FLOWER FARM
Entrance fee including 2-hour BBQ lunch buffet: 350 NTD per person
Our visit to the Houli Flower Farm started with a buffet barbecue lunch – ahhhh so gooooood! 🙂
RAINBOW VILLAGE
Entrance: Free of charge
We may only been to 3 places in Taichung but we definitely enjoyed our time in these selected spots. We made the most of every place without thinking of making it to the next spot. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Albert of ACWorx Tours Taiwan for arranging our transportation & driver for this trip & for the safe day trip.
Have you been to Taichung? What do you think of the Green Fantasy Forest, Houli Flower Farm & the Rainbow Village? Which is your favorite spot? I find the flower farm to be just alright. The Rainbow Village was too crowded. Will I go back? I don’t know – maybe to the other spots in the city! You have anything to say or share? Make sure to utilize the comments section below. You can also send your thoughts directly to me via email 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.
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.
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.
Looking for a place to stay in Melbourne? Check out Flinders Backpackers. This hostel is affordable & has a great vibe. Know more details about the hostel by clicking this link.
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!
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!
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. ✌️
I mentioned in my previous post that my friends & I stayed in a hostel in the center of Melbourne. This hostel is Flinders Backpackers Melbourne, today’s hostel of the day feature. We stayed in this property for 8 days & 7 nights; basically the whole duration of our Melbourne trip. Flinders Backpackers has been awarded by Hostelworld as the most popular hostel in Melbourne for 3 years in a row. No wonder a lot of tourists & those on working holiday stay in this hostel.
Allow me to share with you some details about the hostel, it’s fantastic location, room pricing & the amenities included in the hostel. At the end of the this post, I will also tell you how my stay went in the hostel & if I will recommend this to my readers or not.
Location & Access
One of the reasons why this hostel is very popular is because of its location. The hostel is located at 35 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, right at the center of the central business district. The nearest tram stop (tram rides within the CBD zone are free!!) is a 1 minute walk from the hostel doors. Flinders Railway Station is about 2 minutes walk from the hostel.
The hostel’s location is unbeatable. The nearest Coles, Liqourland & Woolworths supermarkets are on the other side of the street. There are also food shops (pizza parlors, kebab & sandwich takeaway shops) & fast food restaurants (McDonald’s & Hungry Jacks) nearby. The nearest convenience store (7-Eleven) is at the corner of Elizabeth St & Flinders St. Everything one needs can be found within the area.
Melbourne Tullamarine & Avalon Airports are about an hour way from the hostel by public transportation. From these airports, one needs to take the SkyBus shuttle ($19-$22) to Southern Cross Station. From this station, take the local subway to Flinders Street Station. Get off the station & walk northbound up Elizabeth St until you reach the hostel entrance. Alternatively, from Southern Cross Station, transfer to the free city trams. Take trams number 86 & 96 up Bourke Street, change to any southbound tram to Elizabeth St. Get off at the Elizabeth St / Flinders St stop & walk towards the hostel entrance. The hostel reception is located on the 3rd floor.
I give the hostel’s location a 12 out of 10. It’s location is perfect for everyone travelling around Melbourne.
Private Rooms & Dormitory Rooms
Flinders Backpackers Melbourne is a large hostel that caters all types of travelers. They have different room & bed configurations that can satisfy the guests wants. They have private rooms with ensuites. You can get these rooms cheaper if you go with the one with shared bathrooms. They also have dormitory style private rooms with shared bathrooms. Instead of the usual double or twin beds, the rooms have bunk beds in it. The rooms with private en-suites have their own bar fridge. The other private rooms have the usual basic amenities – individual plugs, reading lights & a comfortable bed with pillow & sheets. Towels are available for rent at reception. All these rooms only have fans, no air conditioning – something to take note.
The hostel has 2 types of dormitory rooms – the basic & the premium dormitory rooms. The basic dormitory rooms are the usual dormitory rooms with individual lockers, reading lights, individual plugs & single beds. These rooms either have 3 beds, 4 beds, 6 beds, 14 beds, 16 beds or 18 beds in a room. Note that these rooms also do not have air conditioning. The 2nd & newest type of dormitory rooms are the premium ones. These dormitory rooms have the same amenities except that they have brand new shower areas plus the rooms have air conditioning. Towels are also included in these dormitory rooms. The rooms come in 6, 8, 10 & 12-bed configurations.
The rates of these private rooms & dormitory beds vary from one to the other. The basic ones will surely cost lesser than the premium dormitory beds. Rates also differ based on the season & how busy the hostel is. For those who plan to stay longer (like a week or 2), the hostel has weekly rates for the different rooms. Check out this page for the updated rates. For the general rates, feel free to head over to the hostel website & click Book Now.
Hostel Amenities
Like any other hostel, Flinders Backpackers Melbourne also has a long list of amenities to enjoy. Check out these amenities & perks below.
Free WiFi All guests have access to free WiFi connection. The password can be obtained from reception. It’s not the best connection you can have (also due to traffic), but it can get you through whatever you need to do. I got myself a data SIM card so I didn’t really use the hostel’s WiFi.
Free Superb Breakfast The hostel provides a superb breakfast to all guests. Pancake mixes are available every morning. You can cook your pancake depending on how big or how much you can finish. They also have bread with jam & all sorts of filling. There are also different types of cereals (with milk – non-fat, low fat & full-cream) to choose from. As far as I can remember, breakfast starts at 6:30 or 7 until 9:30 am.
Free Coffee, Tea, Rice Grains & Pasta Noodles Aside from the superb breakfast, Flinders Backpackers have coffee, tea, rice & pasta noodles for free every day at all times.
Spacious Kitchen & Dining Area Flindes Backpackers is a large hostel catering to hundreds of guests every single day. Their kitchen & dining area is spacious enough to accommodate guests. The kitchen has complete cooking facilities. There is a big cold storage for unfinished food or raw ingredients. Guests just need to put their name, room number & check out date in their containers. The kitchen is open as early as 6:00 am until 12 midnight. The dining area on the other hand is open 24/7. PS. The hostel follows the CLAYGO (Clean As You Go) policy.
Large Communal Toilet & Shower Areas The hostel has large communal toilet & shower areas per floor. Of course, the male & female shower & toilet areas are separate. They even have hand dryers near the faucets. These facilities / areas are cleaned daily.
Lounge & Games Areas The hostel also has a spacious lounge & games area. This place is perfect to meet new friends & also to mingle with other people. There are board games available to play with (including a giant Jenga) & a pool table for those who fancy.
Cinema Room The cinema room is located beside the reception area. The hostel hosts movie nights (with free popcorn) weekly. They also hold viewing parties of popular series & movies. They had a Game Of Thrones viewing event during our stay.
Communal Personal Computers The hostel has communal personal computers which guests can use to book onward flights or accommodations, research about Melbourne or Australia or use it for whatever purpose. These computers can be used for free.
24-Hour Reception Hostel’s reception is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can always check with reception if there’s something you need to ask. Check in time is at 2:00 pm while check out is at 11:00 am. Remember that they take $20 deposit at check in. They give the money back when you check out from the hostel.
Daily Housekeeping The hostel people go around all the rooms every day from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for cleaning & daily housekeeping. They provide the every guest a container where things can be placed. These containers are not touched by the staff during these cleaning times. Valuables should be placed in the provided lockers.
Free Luggage Storage Luggage storage is free for all guests both for the check in & check out days. Guests can leave their stuff in the area beside the reception.
Laundry Facilities The hostel also has laundry & ironing facilities in one of the floors – I forgot sorry. Feel free to ask reception how you can use these facilities.
Helpful Staff The hostel staff are very helpful & accommodating. They approach all guests with their warm smiles & lively greetings. You can ask them anything about the hostel facilities, activities & basically anything about Melbourne at any time of the day.
Secured Hostel Access The hostel can be accessed by individual key cards provided during check in. These key cards have limited access – guys can’t access female toilet areas, key card only works on your room & not in any other room. Also, the key cards are needed to use the lifts up to the rooms. The hostel also has security cameras everywhere – including the cold storage. It’s definitely a secured place to stay.
Daily Hostel Activities The hostel hosts daily activities for all its guests. They have movie nights, game nights & even free meals every Thursday night. I was able to take a photo of the daily activities last April 2019. Check out the activities below. These are the perfect opportunities to get to know your co-guests & meet people from all sides of the world.
Bar Discounts The hostel has partnered with the bar on the 1st floor for guest-only discounts like free entry on poker nights, discounted alcohol drinks & free karaoke activities. Check with reception on what are the updated perks on the bar.
Free Walking Tours Last but not the least, Flinders Backpackers have free walking tours daily. These walking tours basically talk about the history of & some interesting facts about Melbourne. The guide picks up the guests every 10:25 in the morning at the reception.
Quite a long list, eh? Now you know why Flinders Backpackers Melbourne is a popular hostel. This hostel indeed provides this long list of perks. This list makes one’s stay worth it.
My Stay
As mentioned earlier, my friends & I stayed in the hostel for 8 days & 7 nights. We stayed in a 3-bed basic dormitory room – perfect for us 3. My good friend Lord, stayed in another dormitory room because he only stayed for 4 nights. The daily rates during our stay were not the lowest because we were there during the Easter holidays. Weekend rates cost $38 per person per night while weekday stays cost $35 per night. We got 1 night free because we stayed there for a week. We paid $216 each (tax included). It’s one of the cheapest rates in the city at that time. We had the room to ourselves. Hey, we’re staying in an awesome hostel!
The 3-bed basic dormitory was clean but just alright. The room was a bit small but it contained all our basic needs. It has a single bed by the window & a bunk bed. All beds have a personal reading light, a power plug & a USB plug. The room also had lockers & personal storage spaces under the beds. The room didn’t have air conditioning, only a fan for us 3. The communal toilet & shower areas were a few steps from our room. Our room had a nice view of the city. WiFi was not the best, but still OK. The hostel has 2 lifts, but it takes a while to go up or down due to guest traffic.
We enjoyed the free breakfast during our stay. We made our pancakes every morning, even had cereals & bread with it. We were always full every morning. One thing I wasn’t able to enjoy during our stay was the hostel activities. We were out most of the time, so I didn’t have the chance to really mingle with the other guests. They had awesome hostel & bar deals (& even free Mexican dinner) during our stay. Perhaps I’ll check these activities out next time.
The staff mentioned they recently upgraded their WiFi,but looks like it’s still bad. I hope they fix this soon. Also, some areas like the 8th floor male toilet & shower area are already quite old. A lift system change can also be good for the guests. I hope they slowly refurbish their facilities for better guest experience.
Overall, my friends & I had a pleasant stay at Flinders Backpackers Melbourne. Are we going to stay here again? I don’t know with my friends, but me? A BIG YES. As mentioned above, I want to join their activities next time. Oh, they’re usually booked out so better plan your stay & book early. Also, book directly with them – it’s usually cheaper than other booking websites.
Just in case you have any more questions about the hostel or you want to contact them for your upcoming stay, feel free to reach them in the details below:
Have you stayed with Flinders Backpackers in Melbourne? How was your stay? I hope you had a great experience as much as we did. I am still in constant search for hostels to feature in this website. Do you know any cool hostel to feature? Feel free to share them in the comments below. You can also send your suggestions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
