Tag: India

Categories
Travel Guide

Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirms India travel ban to end

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the India travel ban imposed on 3 May will likely come to an end on May 15.

According to the ban, from May 3, Australians who travelled to India in the last 14 days will be prohibited from entering Australia due to concerns over India’s escalating Covid-19 pandemic, which nearly saw 400,000 cases in a single day on Sunday.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said any individual who overlooked the new restrictions would confront five years’ imprisonment, a fine of $66,600, or both.

Australian Government received a backlash for implementing the travel ban

The Australian government has come under the scrutiny and faced a major backlash for their act not just from the Indian community but also the members of the government. Media houses addressed, it is the first time that Australians have been criminalized for attempting to get back to their nation. No comparable measures were set up at the height of the Covid-19 epidemics in the UK and the US.

Speaking to sunrise, Morrison said the purpose of the temporary travel suspension was to give Australia time to prepare to safely repatriate and quarantine returned travellers.

“We needed to take a pause to make sure we put Australia in a safer position to bring people safely home,” he explained. Morrison also added that, the ban was a temporary two week pause and not a four months lockdown. All they wanted to ensure was the country does not face a third wave of COVID-19.

Prime Minister defends the Travel ban

Responding to the criticism faced over the travel ban, he defended the government’s policy and all accusations against it.  “There is a raging pandemic, and we need to just continue to make decisions that are in the best health interests of Australia”

There are an estimated 9000 Australians stranded in India with a hope of returning to Australia.  “At least open the doors for us … By closing borders, you have just killed our hope,” says Pankaj Sharma who is stranded in India for the past 8 months.

Looing at the brighter side, from May 15, all flights from India to Australia will resume back in operation.

Gaura Travel flights will be running as scheduled. The current dates available are 28 May, 4 June and 11 June.

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane

Categories
Flight Deals

Flights from India to Australia are open and operating normally

National Cabinet of Australia recently announced a temporary reduction to the number of incoming flights from India to Australia, amid a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in India.

This news comes as India overtook Brazil with the highest number of COVID-19 cases recorded in a day. India has seen more than 314,000 cases in the past 24 hours.

There are more than 34,000 Australians overseas, wanting to come back including from India. So, what changes will be made now? How is it affecting the flights from India to Australia?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is changing?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that chartered and direct flights from India would be cut by 30 per cent and departures to India would be limited in the following months. The inbound flights would be operating normally, however only the capacity will be reduced. 

India has been highlighted in the “high-risk’ countries, thus it becomes extremely crucial for Australia to take this step in order to combat the alarming situation.

Department of home affairs also added, “Australian government had a humanitarian need to help the returning travellers, but the ongoing repatriation effort needed to be weighed up with the safety of Australian citizens”.

The plunge in the capacity of flights would apply to both the government-organised repatriation flights and commercial flights into Sydney.

What are the new rules?

Australia will change testing requirements for people returning from high- risk countries overseas. Passengers travelling from India to Australia will need to have a PCR coronavirus test 72 hours before leaving.

Travellers need to hold a negative virus test before boarding a flight and will be tested twice in hotel quarantine for 14 days. This comes as an addition to other testing rules, including by the airlines.

Our flights from India to Australia will operate normally, and there will be an opportunity for people in India to travel back to Australia in a controlled and safe manner.

What will happen to Australians currently in India?

If you’re wondering you will be eligible to travel to Australia or no then the answer is, Yes. People stuck in India, will still be allowed to enter Australia. Flights to Australia will also be operating normally, but with a 30 per cent decrease in the frequency. This is no way affects our charter flights running from India to Australia. Our flights will be operational as per the confirmed dates and all protocols will be followed as usual.

Our flights from India to Australia

We have our direct charter flights operating from India to Australia on 14th May. The flights will be running from all major cities in India to Perth and Adelaide. The flight has a duration of 17 hours including the transit in Malaysia. All flights will be running as scheduled with no changes in the itinerary.

How to book my ticket to Australia?

The flight operations to India from all the major cities of Australia in May will continue as per the schedule.  However, at the moment the only people eligible to Travel are:

  • Australia passport Holders
  • Indian Passport holders with Permanent Residency
  • People who hold an exemption from Australian Border Forces to travel to Australia.

If you are eligible to travel to Australia you can check dates available and book your ticket here: Charter Flights from India to Australia.

Can I travel from Australia to India?

Yes, you can travel from Australia to India. There are exemptions being given to travellers who want to travel to India. However, similar to the reduction in capacity of incoming passengers, the granting of exemptions will be tightened.

According to the Prime Minister, the border force will ensure travel exemptions are granted to people who are in very urgent circumstances. Exemptions will still be given to people travelling to India, however the state of urgency will be prioritised.

We are here with you!

Rain or shine, day or night we are here to provide you with a seamless travel experience no matter what. We took the matters into our own hands when no commercial flights were operating to India, and now we will do whatever it takes to connect you back with the land down under. All rules and protocols will be followed as usual and strict measures will be taken to ensure a safe travel.

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane
Categories
Events

The Festival of Harvest – Baisakhi

India is renowned globally for its cultural diversity and indeed, it’s the uniqueness of the country, where such countless religions and societies abide in concordance. Even the smallest or the biggest festivals are celebrated with open arms by all religions. Similarly, amidst the rich harvest and across the greenfield, comes the festival of Baisakhi. Also known as Vaisakhi, it is a festival of harvest celebrated in the regions of north India. This is a celebration that additionally denotes the Punjabi New Year and is praised to express appreciation for the great harvest season. Prayers are said for future success and mere gratitude is expressed by all. Lovely fairs are held in the towns in Punjab and the air is one of fellowship and cheer. Celebrated in the Vaisakh (April) month, it also denotes the start of the new spring year. It is a great time to travel to India, and be a part of the exuberant festivities.

Significance of Baisakhi

This festival holds a ton of significance in Punjab as it is overwhelmingly an agricultural state. All things considered, it is commended with a ton of energy and people get up right on time and take a dip in the holy rivers. Baisakhi likewise has a lot of importance for Sikhs, who praise the day as the birthday of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699. The best and energizing thing about Baisakhi is that it is commended directly in the open fields with lots of bhangra and gidda dance performed by people. Everybody spruces up for the event in the most vivid conventional outfits and the hints of the dhol could be heard all over.

Gurudwaras are beautifully decorated on this occasion and host kirtans. Everyone gathers to share happiness and visit the Golden temple to seek blessings.  After offering prayers, Sikhs usually wear vibrant traditional Indian clothes and take part in parades through the streets. There is singing, dancing and chanting of hymns. This procession is called the Nagar Kirtan.

Baisakhi in Australia

In 2019, Melbourne was decked up and thousands of people assembled to honour the lovely festival of Baisakhi. For the first time ever, Nagar Kirtan event was celebrated at a tremendous scale on the streets, and there was nothing but joyous in the air. The event was organised by the Victorian Sikh Gurdwaras Council (VSGC) and more than 20,000 sikhs came together to celebrate the heritage and culture of Sikhs traditions.

This year, Sandgate in Brisbane hosted a grand Mela, with dancing, food, activities and music on display. Delicious north Indian dishes were devoured by all and sports such as gatka (Indian martial arts) and volleyball were played. The event was concluded with a stunning fireworks show which lit up the night sky. This is also a great time to travel to India and celebrate the festival in the regions of Punjab.

Check out the video in the link here –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y9ghvkkPbM

Here is an event happening in Australia that might interest you :

Vaisakhi Mela 2021

Victorian Punjabi Swag is hosting a Mela and is calling all ladies to dress up in the best of their colours and put on their dancing shoes. It’s going to be a soiree full of exciting performances, games and food.

When : 25 April 2021

Where : 514 High St, Epping VIC 3076

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane
Categories
Travel Guide

When Home Calls

When COVID 19 happened, at first we did not know the extent of the impact it would have on us.

At that time my parents were with us and were scheduled to leave for India in a couple of weeks. We told ourselves that the pandemic might well be a blessing in disguise – it probably meant that we as a family would get to spend more time with each other. My 6-year old son was over the moon that he would get to go on more walks with his grandad and get to eat more sweets made by his grandma.

I wish we could have foreseen what lay head of us. The Victorian government went on to announce a strict lockdown. Within weeks, the very house that my parents loved, began to feel like prison. Wearing a mask became a thing of dread and going out for walks soon dwindled into oblivion.

Naturally, all of this resulted in one overwhelming desire – to go back to their home in India.

My parents longed to be reunited with the country that gave them everything, including me. I would see my mother control her tears at the sight of anything that reminded her of India. My father would watch every little piece of news about India with renewed vigour and interest.

The longing they had for their homeland, sat like a thorn that refused to go away. If anything it developed into a source of tremendous stress.

But with commercial flights grinding to a halt, there was no way back home. Not right then anyway. During a casual phone call, a friend of ours told us that Gaura Travel started operating charter flights from Australia to Delhi.

So what did we do? Well, I immediately took my phone and was about to call them when my wife reminded me that it was almost midnight! I recalled what my friend had said – that they were open 24/7. I flipped my laptop open and hit their website. And sure enough, I was chatting to them within seconds.

The lady chatting with us was professional, warm and reassuring. This was exactly what we needed to counter the anxiety my parents were going through and the stressful situation we found ourselves in.

Her accurate and timely responses meant we could take an informed decision – within the hour, we had booked our tickets. Given the extraordinary circumstances, we certainly did not expect to see things moving so fast. The next morning my father hugged me, thanking me. Yes, there were tears too.

Surprisingly, Gaura Travel offered to take that on for us as well and before I knew it they called me, letting me know that the exemption had been approved! This was 5-star levels of service.

The day arrived. That trip to the airport wasn’t easy. Just as we were about to check-in, we met someone from Gaura Travel there. I mean, seriously, since when did a travel agency take the effort to come to the airport and ensure that their passengers were being looked after?

They were able to get my mother, who suffers from acute arthritis a wheelchair. And the smile on her face, when my son was wheeling her around the airport…yes, priceless indeed.

They had an incredibly smooth flight back home and settled into their home quickly. Us on the other hand? Well, we got back from the airport to an empty house, filled with sweet memories of my parents.

And a heartfelt thank you to an organization that has made it their business to help families find a way back home. My parents were reunited with the life and the land they love so much.

And for this, I cannot be more grateful to Gaura Travel. I recently read that they reunited 10,000 families through their charter flights – well, I consider myself very luck that ours was one of those too.

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane
Categories
Why Gaura

Celebrating 50 Charter Flights from Australia to India

On 19 March 2020, Australia shut its borders to the world as a measure to fight COVID-19. No one saw 2020 coming. Panic clenched people as they suddenly found themselves stranded in Australia.

The First Flight (22nd of July 2020)

When no commercial flights were operating, Gaura Travel worked day and night with the authorities bearing only one aim in their hearts –  “to reunite people with their loved ones”. With this firmness of purpose, the Melbourne based travel agency, operated its first charter flight to India, from Sydney Airport on 22 July 2020. The team of Gaura Travel provided incessant support to all the travellers at the airport and made sure everyone had a seamless journey.

10,000 Families Reunited (5th of February 2021)

On 5th February 2021 after 8 months of sheer hard work and courage, Gaura Travel accomplished the milestone of reuniting 10,000 families. Statistically, 18,000 passengers flew out of Melbourne: 15,000 by chartered flights and 3,000 under Vande Bharat Mission with Air India flying 17 sorties. From the 15,000, Gaura Travel accounted for 10,000.

The Wait is Over (27th of February 2021)

There was joy in the air, but the directors of Gaura Travel, Ashwini Sonthalia and Abhishek Sonthalia, knew that more had to be done. They resonated with the longing of those stuck in India, and now are back with a bang! On 27 February 2021, Gaura Travel announced the great news of special charter flights from India to Australia!

And now… 50 Charter Flights (19th Mar 2021)

Flight after flight, the mission of repatriating people back to India became stronger and on the 19th March, Gaura Travel crossed another benchmark of operating 50 unstoppable charter flights! Keeping their customers first, Gaura Travel is doing everything they can to be your best way home, no matter if it is from India or Australia. In collaboration with Singapore Airlines, the 50th charter flight has taken off from Melbourne Airport carrying 200 people to New Delhi.

Gaura Travel is continuing its mission to reunite people back to their homes. The next flight to India will be on 27th of March from Sydney. The tickets are available to book now from India to Australia on www.gauratravel.com.au

Book your tickets from Australia to India on www.gauratravel.com.au
Gaura Travel – YOUR BEST WAY HOME

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane
Categories
Flight Deals

Special Charter Flights From India to Australia

Australia’s remote location, backed up by some of the strictest border controls in the world, has helped it avoid the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. But that success has come at a steep economic and personal cost. Nearly a year after detecting its first coronavirus case, Australia’s border closures will remain in position at least the first half of 2021. 

Connecting you back to the Land Down Under

In March 2020, when Australia shut its borders to the world, we were flooded with messages from people stuck in Australia, urging us to help them repatriate back to India. We resonated with their tremendous pain and left no stone unturned in finding a way to safely send them back home. Numerous hurdles came our way, but nothing stopped us from our mission to re-unify people back with their loved ones. Months later, on 5th of February, with extreme assiduous, we reached a milestone of Re-uniting 10,000 families, the largest repatriation flight operation to India. Having this enormous success, we knew a lot more had to be done.

The wait is over! Flights from India to Australia

We are working day and night to help thousands of people stuck in India, get back to Australia. Times are tough for travellers, but with the world preparing to reopen in 2021, we’re here with you, operating 24×7 to help you with your travel needs. 

With extreme delight and joy, we are happy to announce that Gaura Travel is running Special Charter flights from India to Australia! 

https://twitter.com/AusHCIndia/status/1369558502797025283
How to Book my Ticket to Australia

The flight operations to India from all the major cities of Australia are continuing with the schedule for March and April out now! However, at the moment the only people eligible to Travel are:

  • Australia passport holders
  • Indian Passport holders with Permanent Residency
  • People who hold an exemption from Australian Border Forces to travel to Australia.

If you are eligible to travel to Australia you can check dates available and book your ticket here: Charter Flights from India to Australia

Rain or shine, day or night we are here to provide you with a seamless and smooth travel experience. The charter schedule has been released on the official website of Gaura Travel, and tickets can be easily booked with all supporting information provided in the FAQ. 

We took the matters into our own hands when no commercial flights were operating to India, and now we will do whatever it takes to connect you back with the land down under. 

 You tell us where home Is, and we will take you there. 

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane

Book your tickets from Australia to India on www.gauratravel.com.au
Gaura Travel – YOUR BEST WAY HOME

Categories
Why Gaura

Gaura Travel reuniting 10,000 families during COVID-19

The start of the journey…

Gaura Travel a Melbourne-based travel company founded 14 years ago, decided in June last year to face the challenges that COVID-19 brought during 2020. When no commercial flights were operating to India and the whole world was in lockdown, Abhishek and Ashwini Sonthalia (CEOs & founders of Gaura Travel) repatriated Indian citizens from Australia with the help of their team. Since then, the agency has operated more than 40 charter flights reuniting 10,000 families.

Like any other travel company in Australia, Gaura Travel had to close its offices during the first lockdown at the end of march in 2020, however the contact center continued operating 24/7 to solve the doubts of the customers when the confinements started. The future looked tough; the sales decreased to zero and many refunds had been issued due to the unfeasibility of running flights. The uncertainty of this moment in time made the owners and their employees’ resilience more prominent than ever. They had to find new alternatives to keep the travel agency running. Ashwini and Abhishek started to knock on the doors of airlines and government institutions (in Australia and India) seeking for a way to help those in need of travel. After a couple of months, they got support from the Indian Consulate in Melbourne, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air to operate the firsts repatriation charter flights to India.

The idea was to create a couple of flights to find the best way home for Indians who wanted to return to their country. It was a big surprise for the company when those first two flights got booked out immediately. That was the moment when Gaura Travel opened more monthly flights from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide to the main cities in India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and many more without knowing how long it would be possible to keep doing it for.

A milestone for Gaura Travel

Last Friday, February 5th 2021, Akash Rajput an International Student of Deakin University became the 10,000th passenger of the repatriation charter flights to India from Australia organized by Gaura Travel. This accomplishment made the agency the largest operator of this new charter flight industry. “We didn’t know when we started everything that it would get this far, so it’s all thanks to the support of our customers and our team… we are going to continue on this mission of reuniting as many families as we can…” said Ashwini at Melbourne Airport when he congratulated Akash for being the passenger 10,000 who also got an upgrade of his ticket to Business Class.

“Mr. Raj Kumar, the Consul General of India in Melbourne one day told me, you will get plenty of opportunities in your life to make money but take this as an opportunity to make blessings” expressed Abhishek later the same day during the celebration event of “Reuniting 10,000 families”. The event was organized by the agency which included the attendance of people from the Indian community, the travel industry, the presence of Raj Kumar (Consul General of India in Victoria) and the Gaura Travel team members.

10,000 families have been reunited in India during the last 7 months thanks to the effort of Gaura Travel and the support of the Indian Consulate in Melbourne, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air. The travel agency will organize charter flights for at least the next couple of months (February and March), trying to continue reuniting more than 10,000 families in India during the first quarter of 2021.

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/

Melbourne to Delhi|Qantas– Singapore Airlines (Return)
Flights from Melbourne to Delhi
Delhi India
Flights from Sydney to Delhi
Delhi
Flights from Delhi to Brisbane

Book your tickets from Australia to India on www.gauratravel.com.au
Gaura Travel – YOUR BEST WAY HOME