This entry was kept in draft for quite some time as I don't have enough info and mood to continue. If you're familiar with my mode of sharing especially info on travel (look for the old entries), you can find it's different this time coz I just share some necessary info and leave the rest for you to be creative.
Okay let's get back to our topic!
If you want to fly budget to Perth from Kuala Lumpur, you can board on Air Asia, Jetstar or Tiger Airways. Always check for promotion or book months ahead for the cheapest ticket.
There are various mode of transportation to suit your budget but the best way to explore this country is by driving coz you can reach almost every part of it without missing all point of interests and beautiful landscapes.
Anyway, I'd suggest you to avoid driving at night especially if you're going out of city into rural areas because wild animals are active at night (you might hit them), the road is quite dark and there's no petrol station that open late.
Airport Transfer
First thing you need to concern when safely landed in Perth is airport transfer. You can choose whether to drive yourself out of the airport by renting a car or take shuttle bus to Perth city. If you plan to rent a car/van, you can choose whether to pick-up directly from airport or city. If you wish to pick-up from city, you must take shuttle bus from airport to city and ticket for 1 person is AUD18 (1-way) and AUD30 (return). No advance booking required as you can just approach the counter nearby escalator located on ground floor inside airport terminal. They provide service around Perth city center and Fremantle, for more info on this please go the
this website. However if you want to return back to airport, please book ahead for pick-up arrangement.
Perth International Airport
The Terminal
TIPS!
a. I like to take shower after long flights especially like this 5 hours flight. If you want to do so, this facility is available at washroom/toilet on 1st floor behind News Link (just next to escalator) and it's free!
b. Internet booths are available throughout the airport for free.
c. There's a "quiet room" for prayer or quiet contemplation for all religions located on ground floor of airport terminal. You can find it on your left side after exiting the Arrival Gate, close to the information/pamphlet and car rental booths.
Quiet Room aka Prayer Room
Car Rental
Just opposite the Arrival Gate, you can find various car rental services such as Hertz, Avis, Europcar and much more. Sometimes it's not easy to get a car if you just approach the counter directly, so the best is to book from website because only website can confirm the availability of it. I would recommend you to book ahead before coming to Perth so you won't waste time looking around and wait for any available car.
I once rent with Bayswater and Hertz and I'm fully satisfied with it. Bayswater Car Rental don't have pick-up service from airport, but you can take cab to their office at Bayswater (not so far from airport) or just take shuttle to Perth city and pick-up from there.
Toyota Hatchback from Bayswater
it's smooth driving and fuel save
Hyundai Getz from Hertz
fuel save, but i still prefer the first one
For Malaysian, you need to proof that you have a valid driving license and make sure it's not expired. That means you don't have to apply for international driving license. Another good news to add is the highway in Perth is
free!
Here's a list of car rental, you can google for more choices!
Bayswater Car Rental
Hertz
Avis
Budget
Europcar
Redspot
Drive Now
Cheap Car Hire
Petrol Price and Distance Calculator
To check what is the current petrol price in Western Australia, you can click
here. The price is different depending on brand and location. It change almost every day and it's not something to be surprised here. You can spot the different price in city, suburb and rural area. Usually petrol price in rural area is much expensive than in the city and the reason here is simple - distance!
To calculate distance between places just click
here.
Insurance to Reduce Damage Liability
There's 1 important thing you need to understand before renting a car/van/whatever. It's about car insurance or
liability/damage coverage.
This insurance will help to protect your interest if the car involve in an accident or anything related with car damage such as scratch, windscreen crack, signal broken, etc. Remember once I blogged about car that hit kangaroo? This thing is common in Australia and you could be the next "lucky" ones.
Before you decide to take any car insurance/damage cover liability plan, please read carefully what it covers because normally there are 2 type of coverage options such as Full Coverage and Limited Coverage, and the price is differ according to the plan.
I strongly suggest you to take any of the insurance because even though you're a good driver, you could end up in deep shit because of someone else carelessness.
Let me share some photos taken during my previous trips so you can see the difference when driving in/out of city and the surrounding.
Perth city
Albany - small town
Margeret River - small town
suburb area
you can find more signboard like this when travel out of the city
unsealed gravel road
Central Wheatbelt
the yellowish thing on left & right side is actually wheat, not dried grass
big trees in rural area
when you see trees like this, you should know it's the wild kangaroo territory. beware!
some wild kangaroo and wild animal can be spotted crossing here
this freeway is FREE!
Other thing you can spot while driving is road train or lori panjang. It's so looong like a double lorry attached to one another and that's why it's being called road train.
it's oversize and i wonder what's underneath the cover
road train with dried grass on it
Free Ride in Perth CBD and Fremantle