Posts Tagged hotels
Travel to Rotorua New Zealand
A trip to the land of the long white cloud would not be complete without visiting the enchanting place called Rotorua. Adventurous people will enjoy the geothermal forces, biking trails, walking tracks and Maori art and culture available all in one place. There are 16 lakes, tall redwood trees and miles of endless activities for families and individuals alike.
For those that come with families, they can bottle feed lambs, watch sheep sheering demonstrations or witness the kiwi bird in its natural habitat. Kids can get all muddy in the geothermal pools, or have a water rafting or jet boating adventure.
For individuals who love to be challenged, Rotorua offers one of the world’s premier mountain biking destinations. There are signs posted for bikers according to skill levels. Trails through lush ferns amidst the rain forests, lakes and geothermal ponds thrill even the most expert bikers. There are even more challenging trails for those brave enough like racing down Mt. Tarawera, a dormant volcano.
Rotorua also caters to those that would like to treat themselves to an exclusive retreat. Natural hot pools surrounded by the beauty of native bush are very relaxing followed by a royal massage. There are over ten luxury hotels to choose from to cater to your every whim. It has been found that hydrogen sulphide, a gas that is prevalent in Rotorua due to the thermal activity, has been discovered to enhance erectile function. Move over Viagra.
Convention halls and facilities for business meetings are also available, which overlook the geothermal landscape. Work and play all at the same place with plenty of activities for everyone. Holiday parks or camping grounds and townhouses are available for those who like to self cater.
Golfing, fishing, backpacking and skydiving are all available at Rotorua. Golfers can play near natural hazards they have not tried before, such as steaming craters and mud pools. There is a nine-hole geothermal course and also an 18-hole course near picturesque Whakarewarewa. Fishermen and women will have their pick of fifteen lakes that have three species of trout ready for the catching, from regular to trophy size. Backpackers will find plenty to keep their interest in this unique part of the world. It is considered as a top destination for backpackers with over 100 km of world-class tracks to explore. Sky divers can customize their experience.
For those interested in culture and history, there are various attractions with entertainment, art legends of the ancients. Indigenous food is available for tasting as well as hands-on experiences with weaving, carving and traditional games.
Rotorua is located on the North Island of New Zealand about three miles drive from Auckland. There is a local airport serviced by domestic flights. Also, there are several family friendly hotels and eateries. Nearly 500 years ago, the Arawa people made Rotorua their home. Now there are around 70,000 people living there. They are happy to share with you their love for the land.
The living and breathing landscape of Rotorua is mesmerizing. For an incredible and memorable experience, spend a couple of weeks at Rotorua, New Zealand.
Tags: attractions, auckland, backpacker, backpackers, flights, holiday, hotel, hotels, luxury hotel, luxury hotels, new zealand, north island, travel, travel toRelated posts
New Zealand Campervan Travel – Is it Recommended ?
What Campervan Travel means?
It may sound obvious, but there is still some people that are looking in the campervan some kind of luxury 4-stars hotel with a nice bell-boy that brings up your bags. Well, sorry to disappoint, but even if I think everybody is able to do campervan travel, you must understand that it is possibly one of the wildest ways to travel. According to this, I think it definitely fits when you are visiting wild places. In a campervan you will not have time or hour to arrive to somewhere, you’ll have absolute freedom of decision, you’ll be able to sleep wherever you want except in specifically forbidden places and you’ll be able to also take a shower or cook inside.
Campervan Travel reduces the cost of the trip then?
If you do it in the right way, it definitely does. Hiring a campervan in New Zealand can be at a cost of 30 Euros (44$) per day during April to October, which is the low season down there. In this case, I must say that the typical European, Asian or American summer holidays will fit perfectly with the low season there. Still, take into account that flights will be more expensive as it is high season in your departure country.
There are many campervan companies there, one of them called United Campervans, that have special offers with free days for hiring for a certain period of time. In fact, hiring a campervan from them for 21 days will let you pay nothing from the 14th to the 21st day. In that way, hiring 14 days has the same price than hiring 21, so it is obvious that a good option is to use it 21 days to take the maximum benefit of the offer. Furthermore, after the day 21, for every 2 payed days you get 1 free. That makes that you could take a 27 days trip paying only for 18 for example.
What about travel insurance? Does it go normally included in Campervan Travel?
Travel insurance is possibly what we hate most, but in the end it helps protecting us from unexpected situations. And in a country of such wild nature as New Zealand, probably unexpected things can happen. The rates I mentioned below include a travel insurance that cover for an excess of 5.000 $NZ. That means about 2500 Euros. If anything happens to the vehicle, you could need to pay this quantity, but anything more than this quantity is covered by the insurance company. In any case, there are other complete insurances for an extra price of 15 Euros per day of hiring in a way that whatever it happens you can be covered.
Are there facilities for the campervans? Can I park wherever I want or do I need to use camping sites?
New Zealand campervan travel makes it easy for you. Both options are open, and it will depend on you if you want to use facilities or your prefer to camp next to the beach. The price for the camping places is very cheap, and they are well-equipped. From my personal point of view I recommend to always camp somewhere else, as in the country this is allowed, but of course for a long trip you will need a place where to get water and clean the clothes, so it is good to visit one every week or so.
So, would you recommend to do campervan travel there?
Absolutely. I think that going to hotels in New Zealand would be a waste of time. You are not there to admire the cities, you are there for the natural hot spots, and those ones can’t be seen from your window. The freedom that campervan travel gives to you will allow you to enjoy from all this sightseeing even more, to the point of sleeping next to the hottest spot you can find around.
Still, I’m one of those who prefer a 4 stars hotel, what should I do?
Probably the same as I do sometimes, get a travel certificate for free that would allow you to stay for 7 nights up to 4 persons in a deluxe rooms in a 4 or 5 stars hotel. The guys that distribute these certificates have some hotels and apartments in New Zealand at Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. The discount you get by one of this travel certificates is up to a 95%.
Tags: auckland, campervan, campervans, flights, holiday, holidays, hotel, hotels, new zealand, new zealand campervan, travel, wellingtonRelated posts
Travel to Auckland New Zealand – 3 Auckland Hotspots You Can’t Miss
If you are planning to travel to Auckland, New Zealand you have made a great decision. You see, I recently returned from a one month stay in Auckland. I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is certainly worth the visit. The city and its people are laid back, safe and friendly.
Before you go though, you should know about three great spots to visit there. I’ve written a little about each one below.
Auckland Hotspot #1: The CBD
Auckland’s CBD or Central Business District is the city center. The main road running through this district is Queen St. You could spend your whole time in Auckland just exploring the CBD. During the day there are tons of stores and cafes to check out. The street culture is lively with actors, singers and artists.
At night, there are plenty of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes. If you enjoy wine, you’ll find that almost every restaurant will have a selection of New Zealand vintages to pair with your meal.
Auckland Hotspot #2: The Viaduct
The viaduct is Auckland’s waterfront area just past the CBD. There are dozens of incredible bars and restaurants here. You can enjoy a panoramic view of the harbor and the thousands of yachts and sailboats from this vantage point. At night, this area is extremely crowded with hungry patrons. Princes Wharf juts into the harbor from the Viaduct and also has a number of great establishments where you can drink and dine al fresco.
Auckland Hotspot #3: K Road
If you’re into partying at night, Karangahape Road – better known as just K’Road – is the place to be. This road runs perpendicular to the southern end of Queen St, a short walk uphill from the CBD. This road is notorious for its wild nightclubs and bars. Things here don’t start picking up until well after 10pm, but the craziness continues well into the early hours of the morning.
There are many other districts and attractions to visit in Auckland – more than enough to keep anyone whose going to travel there busy for a long time. The above spots are a great place to start though, since they are near most of the major hotels in Auckland and all within walking distance of each other.
Tags: attractions, auckland, auckland new zealand, hotel, hotels, new zealand, travel, travel to, travel to aucklandRelated posts