Categories
Events

Festivals of the Season  

Diwali is less than 100 days away, at Gaura Travel we celebrate India’s diverse religions and ethnic groups, where a vast number of local festivals are celebrated throughout the year. Each festival brings a unity of culture and celebration with festivities for families, relatives and friends to enjoy.

The next biggest festival of the season, Diwali, is celebrated nationwide in India on October 24th, 2022 and symbolises the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

Diwali – The festival of Lights

Diwali is a festival that symbolises the triumph of good over evil and is celebrated by many different religious groups in India, each with a unique interpretation. Hindus celebrate Diwali to celebrate the return of Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the evil king Ravana and the rebirth of goddess Lakshmi, whereas Jains celebrate and honour Lord Mahavira’s enlightenment. For the Sikh population, the festival is held to celebrate Guru Hargobind’s release from prison.

5-day celebration of this Holiday

This year, Diwali will fall on 24th October, with the 5-day celebration commencing on 22nd October with Dhanteras – the act of cleaning and purchasing gold, silver and other new items to decorate the house. For the second day, Choti Diwali, houses are decorated with diyas and candles, with families gathering to create rangolis. On the auspicious day of Diwali, extended families come together with their traditional attires and perform a ritual called ‘Lakshmi Puja’, afterwards celebrating with delicious food and lighting diyas together.

On the fourth day, Padwa, festivities are dedicated to celebrating the loving bond between husband and wife by exchanging gifts. On Bhai Duj, the fifth day, families get together to celebrate the special bond between brothers and sisters, with sisters tying a special bracelet called ‘rakhi’ around each brother’s wrists. In return, the brothers give gifts and sweets to their sisters and promise to protect them for life.

Diwali in Australia

Diwali or Deepavali is the most important occasion for the Indian community in Australia. To Hindus, this is a symbol of hope, harmony, joy and renewed togetherness of life. The Hindu Council of Australia is organising an array of cultural events to be held at Martin Place, Parramatta Park and other venues around Sydney by cooperating with the local Indian communities. These events will not only represent religious significance, but also have something to offer for attendees of all ages, from exciting Bollywood recitals, traditional foods and music, henna artworks and more. Entrance to many of the fair’s cultural events is free, and open to all Australians to experience the rich multicultural traditions, cuisines, music and much more.

With joy and laughter in the air, there’s no better time to travel to India and celebrate this auspicious festival with your loved ones. Find out more about our special flight offers to India during the festival season here:

https://gauratravel.com.au/flights/

Learn more about Australia’s Deepavali events happening near you;

https://www.sydneypoint.com.au/events/deepavali-festival/

Event Date: 24 October 2022 (TBA)

Venue: Multiple Venues, all around Sydney (Including Cherrybrook, Rouse Hill Town Centre, Liverpool, Hornsby, Sydney NSW)

Entrance: Free  

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

As there are no quarantine or travel restrictions required in place, plan your journey to reunite with your family & friends with Gaura Travel in this year 2022. Find all available flights options with us.

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Sources: https://www.asiahighlights.com/india/festivals-and-celebrations#Next%20Big%20Festival%20in%20India , https://www.asiahighlights.com/india/diwali , https://www.asiahighlights.com/india/diwali-legends-and-stories , https://www.sydneypoint.com.au/events/deepavali-festival/

Categories
Travel Guide

What you need to know when travelling with your kids?  

Visiting your family back in India or travelling to another country as tourists can be an amazing experience, especially if you’re bringing your kids along. Visiting grandparents, relatives and friends overseas is always a treat to kids and leaves them counting the dates in excitement. As parents who are travelling with under 18s, it’s vital to plan your journey ahead to ensure that your children are best prepared and travel safe within the requirements.

If you are travelling with children;

  • Research what kind of childcare facilities you intend to use for your kids during your trip
  • Before you leave the country with your children, make sure to get official consent from an authorised person or institution with all entry requirements documents to provide in other countries.
  • Check in advance with your airline regarding the children baggage restrictions, health and safety standards to confirm their regulations before your journey.
  • Learn the laws and local attitudes around discipline and taking care of your children during the travel without affecting the public.
  • Plan and get your children’s health check-ups and medication at least 8 weeks before your journey.
  • If your child is travelling without parents, with a guardian or just with a single parent, you have to follow the representative airlines’ rules and protocols for child’s travel.

Departing from Australia

In most cases, your child can depart from Australia with just their passport and appropriate visa. Most airlines have its own in-flight protocols and rules for lone youngsters, with the parents or guardians needing to fill out a permission form in advance for the child’s travel. In addition, all those travelling to India including minors must submit the ’Air-Suvidha self-declaration form’ and provide a fully vaccinated certificate or negative Covid-19 (RT-PCR) test report before departure.

According to the current review for India, you may be subjected to sudden Covid-19 restrictions, including local lock downs and curfews within a short notice. Therefore, always be vigilant and check the latest travel updates given by local media. With Gaura Travel, now you can find convenient one-way flights with a single stopover in Singapore with Singapore Airlines or direct flights to India with Qantas Airlines.

Departing from India

As of 6 July, 12.01am (AEST), international travellers are no longer required to fill in a Digital Passenger Declaration or Maritime Travel Declaration to enter Australia. Proof of vaccination status is also no longer necessary. However, the rules and regulations in each destination of your stop-overs along the way may vary so checking the local travel requirements in advance is essential for a smooth journey.

This year, passport fees for Indians have increased and a 5-year passport for children under 16 costs $155, with the overseas surcharge for child applicants now being $67. To find more relevant information click here.

Over 15 years as your trustworthy, intimate travel partner, at Gaura Travel our key intention is to provide you and your children a hassle-free journey with unsurpassed travel experience. Keep in touch and get more info for your next family holidays.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

As there are no quarantine or travel restrictions required in place, plan your journey to reunite with your family & friends with Gaura Travel in this year 2022. Find all available flights options with us.

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Sources: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/before-you-go/who-you-are/children , https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india , https://india.highcommission.gov.au/ , https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/while-youre-away/biosecurity-border

Categories
Travel Guide

Covid-19 vaccine status no longer required for arrivals in Australia 

Here’s some good news for you and your family! International travellers keen to travel to Australia will no longer be required to declare their Covid-19 vaccination status.  According to Health Minister Mark Butler, this recent change to the Biosecurity Act will take in place from 12.01am on Wednesday, July 6, based on advice from Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.

On the change, Mr. Butler has made the following statement.
‘The Australian government makes decisions on COVID-related issues after considering the latest medical advice, and unvaccinated Australians, as well as certain groups of visa holders, have been able to travel to Australia for some time. We will continue to act on the medical advice as needed.’

However, Covid-19 prerequisites such as wearing facemasks on inbound international flights, and state-based mandates on masks will remain in place for all travellers. However, due to recent negative feedback, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil confirmed that travellers will revert to using paper-based incoming passenger cards over the newly introduced digital passenger declaration app, in an effort to make the arrival process more user-friendly for passengers.

Australia had shut its boarders due to the Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020 until November 2021, only allowing citizens and permanent residents to return home. In February the following year, the border restrictions were further eased to allow international students as well as certain visa holders (including those with a tourist visa) to enter the country.
Despite this, inbound travellers were required to possess a double vaccination certificate to pass through Australian border control under the Biosecurity Act until now.

In addition, Mr. Butler stated that there has been no advice given to Australia’s health ministers to re-instate mask mandates to deal with rising Covid-19 cases, instead it is encouraged for all Australians to get their booster shots if not already acquired.

International travellers left waiting for years to be able to enter Australia will be overjoyed with this recent development, allowing them to travel to their hearts content for years to come.

Thus, it’s high time to travel back to Australia and book your flights now or contact us on 1300 359 463. We’re here for you 24/7, every step of the way!

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

As there are no quarantine or travel restrictions required in place, plan your journey to reunite with your family & friends with Gaura Travel in this year 2022. Find all available flights options with us.

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Categories
Travel Guide

Australia Celebrates International Travel

Your Toolkit To A Perfect Travel

Australia is on track with its increase in international arrivals during the second week of borders fully opening. Two years have been too long to wait, and travellers are excited to fly down under. Australia has been the most sorted after destination, offering beautiful scenic visuals and tourist-friendly hot spots to please everyone.

Country Manager for India and Tourism Australia stated, “Our research has consistently shown that there is a huge pent-up demand for travel to Australia amongst Indian travellers.” Confirming the growth of passengers.

It is important to know the latest updates regarding international travel guidelines before passengers arrive in Australia. Gaura has curated a perfect tool kit to ensure all our passengers are well equipped and informed before they board their plane. Stay up to date on the most recent updates for international travel.

We encourage our passengers to be well educated before they travel, to ensure all safety precautions are taken, follow the below checklist and be prepared.

Before departing India, travellers need to provide a:

  • Valid and current visa
  • COVID-19 vaccination certificate with 2 doses (Covishield & Covaxin are recognized by Australia’s Therapeutic Good Administration TGA)
  • Negative rapid antigen test (RAT) under medical supervision which needs to be done 24 hours prior to boarding a plane. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests need to be taken 72 hours before departure.
  • Digital copy of Passenger Declaration is mandatory to be submitted 72 hours before departure.

Upon arrival in Australia:

  • All travellers need to perform a self-monitored Rapid Antigen Test within 24 hours of arrival in Australia. RAT results need to be reported to the respective state authority if the test has resulted positive.
  • Tourists travelling to South Australia will need to undertake a PCR within 24 hours of arriving at SA. Tourists who arrive in Western Australia will need to undertake a RAT within 12 of arrival.
  • Travellers need to comply with the requirements and obligations of the state or territory they arrive in, and any other state or territory they plan to travel to.

Source

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

As there are no quarantine or travel restrictions required in place, plan your journey to reunite with your family & friends with Gaura Travel in this year 2022. Find all available flights options with us.

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/