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| Frommer's New Zealand (Frommer's Complete) | 
 enlarge | Author: Adrienne Rewi
Publisher: Frommers
Category: Book
List Price: $22.99
Buy New: $12.34
You Save: $10.65 (46%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (20 reviews)
Sales Rank: 19288
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 5
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 532
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0470178353
Dewey Decimal Number: 919.3044
EAN: 9780470178355
ASIN: 0470178353
Publication Date: March 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 I Don't Need Hotel Recommndations at $1,000+ Per Night June 30, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I picked up the 2006 edition and since I always plan parts of my trips abroad by selecting nice accomodations in an area of interest, I turned to the pages at the beginning on "Best Boutique Hotels and Small Lodges," "Best B&Bs" and "Best Luxury Accomodations) on pp. 12-15. "Luxury" apparently is Bill Gates or Warren Buffet luxury to Frommer, with rates around US $1,500 per night and some up to $7,000. I had to check to find whether these might be weekly rates, but they are PER NIGHT. Many of the B&Bs were US $300-$500/night, and none under around $150. Most of the boutique hotles were US $500-$700/night.
We are fairly affluent travelers, but these prices were so discouraging we wondered whether we even ought to be considering a trip to New Zealand. We don't pay such prices in the USA. Fortunately, prices elsewhere are not nearly so high, I just wish Frommer's could define "best" in a way that is more like "best value"
 Handy and useful guide October 28, 2005
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
Frommer's guides don't get a lot of respect from a certain sector, it would seem. They do not invite you to be an edgy traveler, nor do they indulge the conceit shared by some US guide books that your trip must wholly original (never mind that many others will tread the same off-the-beaten path) in order to be fun and worthwhile.
This edition enables you to travel comfortably, adventurously, and happily - without spending a fortune. You will learn a lot and have a great time doing so.
It was a dependable resource for my husband and me as we drove (rental car), sailed (ferry) and flew (Dunedin to Wellington) for two weeks through the wonderful country of New Zealand. We wanted inexpensive ($65 a night, tops) motels that were clean, quiet, cheerful, and well-located, with an occasional splurge. We wanted to have fun but we did not want to surf, bungee-jump, hang-glide, or parasail, preferring cultural and historical sites, endless green meadows, the fine small towns, natural wonders (boiling mud, snow-capped mountains, steaming ponds and streams, glowworm caves and more) in addition to the exquisite and distinctive cities of this great country, and visits to friends.
New Zealand motels are great. They are mostly family-owned and their owners are on-site and try hard. Ours (all mentioned in this book) were consistently clean, comfortable, have mini-kitchens (microwave, electric kettle, small, quiet refrigerator, dishes and utensils and a work space plus coffee and tea) and you get your own little bottle of milk for your coffee or tea the next morning. Coffee is "plunger coffee," NZ for "French press." You make it with an electric kettle and ground coffee, included in the price.
The Pandora's box "mini-bar" has not completely infiltrated New Zealand. This was nice, too.
Several motels had unlimited hot water (in geothermal districts) and huge, fabulous, spotlessly clean two-person bathtubs as part of an inexpensive room.
We got terrific restaurant and other tips from the owners of these motels.
If you are in a hurry, Frommer's supplies you with especially useful "If you have only one day," "two days," etc. ideas. From these compact lists you can get a good idea of what is out there, and pick and choose as you wish. It's inevitable that you'll make your own discoveries along the way.
We tried more than a few of the restaurants, neighborhoods, motels, B and Bs, and historical and natural sights that this book recommended. No misses.
A curious tourist will find a lot that is helpful in this book. It was a handy and helpful resource, down-to-earth but not pedestrian, and I'd recommend it to any friend traveling to NZ.
 Great vacation spot - Ho Hum Frommer February 7, 2004
49 out of 55 found this review helpful
If you really like to vacation, the best way to do it is B&B's. When my wife and I vacationed in NZ, we stayed in B&B's for 80% of our trip. Skip the big cities. Auckland is ok. But the pearls in this vacation are found when you travel by car. To the small cities. Across this geographic treasure. Here's better advice than Frommer can give: stay with the locals and learn the culture. Kiwis love Americans. While staying on a ranch B&B, our hosts grilled fresh fish, created an incredible smorgasbord of fresh meats and served local brew. They invited their neighbors (about eight in a 10 mile radius) and asked my wife and I to "talk about the States." Price of the dinner for the two of us: $25 US. At another small home, our hosts provided us with a five course meal, dessert and wine for about $20 each. While we ate our scrumptuous meal, we listened to our seasoned hosts as they recalled childhood stories of growing up "just over that hill." There was a large picture window overlooking their personal rose garden. About a mile away, a series of rolling green hills. Sheep grazing. The view was as pristine and peaceful as any I've seen in all my travels. When we were done with dinner, our hosts took us into their rose garden and proudly gave us a tour of their aromatic flowers. Our hosts were 75 and 77 years old. Frommer doesn't give much credit about the B&B's in NZ. You'll need at least two weeks to enjoy the country. We stayed two weeks (one week on the north island and one week on the south island), then finished up with a flight to Australia to dive the Great Barrier Reef. The south island is best. Aside from our bungee jumping (269 feet) near Queenstown, we took an exciting raft trip in Dunedin, saw the Yellow Eyed Penguins in Otago Peninsula, and were entertained by the flying Albatross at the Kaikoura Peninsula. Spectacular! The New Zealand Bed & Breakfast Book by James Thomas offers more opportunities to enjoy this beautiful country. In the best possible accomodation - the New Zealand B&B.
Are these reviews really for 2nd edition? February 11, 2003
I'm curious that many of the negative reviews were written before this was published?!?! (were they based on a 1st edition?)
Frommer's New Zealand May 10, 2002
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
As a first time vistor to New Zealand, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It provided an informative overview of the country, and the various recommendations for accommodations and travel services were, for me, very reliable. I used it constantly both before and during the trip.
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