Covering a multitude of tips for future journeys, Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield peruses another week in Travel

Anna MacFarlane is the winner of the $1000 GoPro kit which we’ve given away through our free midweek digital edition, eTravel. Sign up at westtravelclub.com.au/join to be ready for more competitions (and to get our midweek stories).

Singapore Airlines has an airfare sale until April 2, 2025. It is for travel between May 8, 2025, and March 22, 2026 (with blackout periods).

As examples, return to London is from $1711 in economy and $8997 in business. Copenhagen is from $1780 in economy and $8219 in business. Delhi is from $943 in economy and $5503 in business. And Singapore is from $863 and $3979. We’ve made this shortened web address to take you straight to the page: tinyurl.com/y97vv5yh

Readers have been asking which gel-based “ice packs” they can carry in either their carry-on or checked luggage. They are used as a compress, to reduce pain and discomfort.

It’s a slightly tricky area because of gel restrictions on flights. You can generally carry gel-based ice packs in checked luggage, but if they are in carry-on luggage, they have to be solid (still frozen) and not in a liquid state.

Another suggestion is an ice bag, like the one pictured. It is strong and has a wide-mouthed screw top — big enough to go under the spout of an ice machine in a hotel or on a ship. The Korbond ice bag (in KOR Care packaging) cost $5.50 at my local IGA.

Reader (and former colleague) Martin Stewart has pointed out a booking loophole that has surfaced with a planned trip to South Africa. It is a 17-day tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Kruger National Park, Drakensberg (including Lesotho), wineries and Table Mountain. Martin says that when he booked and paid in full seven months ago for a trip with wife Pat, they naturally assumed the flights would be from Perth to Johannesburg and return — a flight of roughly 10 hours.

“So imagine our surprise when e-tickets arrived routing us through Dubai — a journey each way of 24 hours,” says Martin. “Longer than flying to London.” Martin says he expressed his amazement and disappointment to the booking company, which replied: “As per our standard booking process, since we did not receive a specific request for a direct flight, we proceeded with booking the standard flights available.”

Martin says: “Since when did a flight via Dubai become a standard flight to Johannesburg? Needless to say, any chance of changing this booking comes with numerous costs.

“From now on, I will make doubly sure about flight routes before booking a holiday, particularly if the travel agent does not have an office in Perth. I would advise others to do the same.”

PS Martin adds: “Off to NZ next month. I hope we don’t go via Tokyo!”

I always feel nervous when we launch our events and tours. Will anyone be interested? Will anyone come? So, it’s with as much relief as pleasure that I can let you know that both our charter flight direct to Uluru and Round the World Dinner are sold out.

I’m looking forward to both.

There will be Jackets of the World at our Round the World Dinner — as four of them theme the food, stories and music that we will present. These are jackets that I sew textiles, fabrics and tapestries on to, and there will be a dozen or so in the Banquet Hall at the University Club of Western Australia on March 28.

Last Thursday, I took a few to the Embroiderers Guild, which had kindly shown interest and asked me to share the stories of the fabrics applied to them.

Textile artist Cassi-Jo Davis, who lives and works in Bridgetown, has a solo exhibition in Fremantle until March 30. Her work combines floral motifs, iconography and the feminine. Looking into these works, I see glimpses of many places in the world. Cultural shadows fall across them. The works include textile art, wearable art, bespoke clothing and homewares. The artist is focused on using remnant textile waste and working it into both fine art and wearable art pieces. See her work on Instagram at @cassijoart.totembohemia. Better still, go and see it in “real life”.

American Express’ 2025 Global Travel Trends Report shows that 78 per cent of the Australians covered by its survey plan to take up to three holidays this year — and nearly half are booking trips either domestically or internationally specifically to attend an entertainment event. Forty per cent say they are dedicated fans and 44 per cent will go with friends and family.

“As many Aussies prioritise experiences over material things, live events are becoming the ultimate excuse to explore new destinations, celebrate passions and make lasting memories,” says Corinne Ng, American Express vice-president and general manager of travel and lifestyle services.

This year’s heavy rains, and mudslides, have forced Peruvian park authorities to delay the opening of the Inca Trail from March 1 to March 15 — and then to March 31.

That’s disappointed the 500 hikers a day who have managed to get a permit, which are limited to this number to protect the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. That number includes tourists, guides and porters. The path was designed and built more than 600 years ago by Inca engineers.

A new law stipulates that Inca Trail porters can carry a maximum of 20kg weight with 5kg for their personal belongings (males), and a maximum of 15kg for female porters. There are checkpoints to ensure limits are obeyed. There are many ethical tour companies but, generally, porters receive poor salaries, often have inadequate equipment and often suffer long-term knee injuries. There’s more reading here: theportervoicecollective.org

Reader Mary Koening says: “After the insulting behaviour of Donald Trump re Lesotho, I was pleased to see your article about Lesotho. I enjoyed your quotes about travel and would like to add one of my favourites which is always on my fridge door: ‘On every journey you must die once. The person who arrives should not be the person who left.’ Tibetan proverb. Thank you for your enjoyable magazine.”