Talking about New Zealand tourism, what will you think of first, is it “The paradise on earth”, the settings of the movie series “The Lord of the Rings” or the green grasslands stretching to the horizon?! New Zealand, a strange country, where there are more cows and sheep than humans, a surprisingly modern education system or a land where people can go barefoot everywhere. A beautiful country, both in nature and in people. So, what to do and how to plan a budget perfect trip to New Zealand – one of the most beautiful countries in the world for the first-time?

Spectacular landscape | new zealand travel blog
The most famous landmark in Wellington.
Auckland | YIUCHEUNG/Shutterstock

So, is New Zealand worth visiting, how to visit New Zealand, what to do in New Zealand and how to plan a budget trip to New Zealand for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our New Zealand travel blog (New Zealand blog) with the fullest New Zealand travel guide (guide to New Zealand, New Zealand tourist guide, New Zealand city guide, New Zealand guide) from how to get to New Zealand, best places to visit, best time to come, what to eat as well as top things to do in New Zealand to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Indigenous people | Shutterstock
New Zealand regions map.

New Zealand travel blog: Overview of New Zealand

It’s no wonder that New Zealand is the most livable country in Oceania. Because what makes a beautiful New Zealand with full of vibrant colors is the serene, peaceful scenery coming from the majestic mountains, stunning white sand beaches, herds of sheep grazing on fields with lush green grass. Once having come to the land of Kiwi, you will feel that this place is not boring, but very peaceful, serene, tranquil. A beautiful city of Auckland, worth living, Hobbit wonderland or the magical beauty of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.

Culturally, the heritage culture of New Zealand is extremely diverse, one more reason for us to love this land more. In fact, the culture in New Zealand is created by the mix of Polynesia and Europe cultures, so when traveling to New Zealand, you can clearly see a land with many vibrant colors, full of vitality. Colorful and unique festivals and rich cuisine also create the charm of this island nation of the southwest Pacific.

Maori People at National Kapa Haka Festival, Christchurch

And in shortest words, New Zealand is famous around the world for things like rugby, kiwifruit, bungee jumping, sheep, and stunning landscapes.

Lake Wanaka

One of the things that any visitor when traveling to New Zealand feels impressed is the civilization and enthusiasm of the people here. A country that emphasizes openness, sincerity, a simple and modern lifestyle. Do not be surprised to see that people are comfortable walking barefoot, because they simply want to be closer to nature than things from the screen.

AucklandSkyWalkSkyJump
The beautiful city of Auckland | new zealand travel blog
Residents exercise at Hagley Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Read more: Auckland itinerary 7 days — How to spend 7 days in Auckland perfectly for the first-timers?

New Zealand travel blog: How many days should I spend in New Zealand?

Depending on the purpose of your trip. If you want to go on a trip to see all the grandeur, spectacular, breathtaking, astonishing and all beauty of this country, you need at least a month or more. NZ has many stunning routes and parks you can treking and camping overnight. We have a small baby (nearly 2 years old), so we have many limitations. If you are Single, I want to say there are really too many places to explore, to stay there for a long time. I spent 5 days visiting the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and 12 days exploring the South Island (Te Waipounamu).

Hiking | new zealand travel blog

If you only have 15 days, you can still visit some places near the city, go and return during the day or stay overnight.

New Zealand blog: When to visit?

| Nicram Sabod/Shutterstock

The weather in New Zealand is totally opposite to the countries in the Northern Hemisphere, a year in New Zealand is divided into four distinct seasons:

  • Summer: Starting from December to March next year
  • Fall: Starting from March to May
  • Winter: Starting from June to August
  • Spring: September to November
Spring in New Zealand

Due to being influenced by mountains and sea, in general, New Zealand weather is very sunny, relatively large rainfall, average temperature from 16-25 degrees Celsius, ideal for traveling. From June to November is the cold season, the average temperature is 12-21 degrees Celsius, the more it moving to the south, the more it can drop, possibly down to -10 degrees Celsius. So you remember to bring warm clothes to avoid sudden temperature changes that could cause headaches.

Ninety Mile Beach, North Iland, New Zealand
whale watching auckland itinerary 7 days, 7 days in auckland
Whale watching

After all, the best time to visit New Zealand is from November to April next year. This is the warmest and most pleasant time of the year. Warm air will spread everywhere, you can easily feel the impressive beauty of sheep fields or fresh hills. Moreover, this is also the time when the land of Kiwi organizes a lot of interesting activities. Road trips, picnics will bring you interesting and new things.

Alternatively, if you cannot arrange to travel in the summer, you can go between November and December, which is also the time for Christmas. Or from September to November is also the time when New Zealand enters spring, the air is very cool and full of vibrant colors. All kinds of flowers will bloom at the same time, creating a bright and fresh scene.

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Queenstown in autumn
Winter

New Zealand travel guide: How to get?

| Nicram Sabod/Shutterstock

Currently, there are many airlines operating direct flights from Vietnam to New Zealand. This is also good news for travel lovers, because before that, if you want to go to New Zealand, you must transit (because there is no direct flight). The country has major international airports such as Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington. You can buy tickets from airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Jetstar, Qantas.

Qantas Airline

A direct flight from Vietnam to New Zealand takes about 11-12 hours, previously it takes up to 20 hours. Air ticket price from Ho Chi Minh City to Auckland is about USD 245, and if traveling from Hanoi is USD 345 , excluding fees. Those are the two main routes, in addition you can choose from other routes as follows:

  • Hanoi – Wellington: Operated by airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Singapore Airlines, etc. Flight time is from 18-20 hours, fares from USD 700 USD – USD 2.991.
  • Danang – Wellington: Operated by airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Korean Air, Jetstar Pacific Airlines. Flight time is 17-18 hours, fares from USD 700 USD – USD 1.093.
  • Ho Chi Minh City – Wellington: Operated by 3 airlines that are Cathay Pacific Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Dragonair. Fares from USD 779 – USD 3.798.

New Zealand travel blog: Transportation in New Zealand

Bus – The cheapest way to getting around

In New Zealand, the most popular means of transportation is the bus, the bus network here is quite developed, whether in the city or inter-province. The advantage of the bus is that it is cheap, easy to go to famous New Zealand attractions. Furthermore, the buses are also designed very modern and clean. You absolutely can sit in the bus while watching the beautiful scenery outside.

The bus network is quite easy to use, every station displays electronic signs, it will show the bus stops, how long does it take to get to the station (DUE), the bus number (Route) or destination. You just need to know these symbols and you can confidently catch the bus to travel within the city or from one city to another.

Auckland CityLINK bus

Train – Suitable for far away travel

For long distances, you should choose the means of train. However, it is only available in major cities. Therefore, you should research about train stops in advance. With some areas far from the center, the train often will not pass through.

TranzAlpine

Self-driving – The best choice for self-sufficient travel in New Zealand

For a more memorable New Zealand backpacking trip, you can ​​renting a self-driving car. In New Zealand, the network of public transport such as buses and trains is usually only available in the city. Meanwhile, many places to visit such as snowy mountains, glaciers or Hobbiton village are very far from the center.

@klook

Moreover, self-driving is also an ideal choice for you to fully see the beautiful scenery of New Zealand. Imagine driving through beautiful roads and vast grasslands. Here, you can choose from reputable car rental companies such as ACE, Jucy, Go Rentals or Apex. To rent an 8-seat car for a day, the price is about NZD 150 ( ~ USD 110). This price included GPS and car insurance for the trip.

Some useful tips for renting a car in New Zealand

  • You must have an international driver’s license to rent a car.
  • The driving direction is on the left side, while in Vietnam it is on the right hand. You need to be note of this.
  • Road trip is very popular, so there are many beautiful camping areas and stops here.

On the way there will be parking areas where visitors can stop to watch the scenery, so remember to pay attention to observe the signs, absolutely do not stop in the middle of the road because this is extremely dangerous.

New Zealand travel blog: Where to stay?

Unlike some other countries, traveling to New Zealand, you will have more opportunities to experience new types of accommodation such as hostels, hotels, homestay, farmstay, camping. If you want a memorable and budget trip, want to explore and have ninteresting experiences, you should stay at a guesthouse or a homestay. You also can stay both in a hotel and a homestay to fully experience.

The hostel rental price is usually from USD 20 – 30/night, if you renting a single room it costs USD 50/night and a double room is USD 80/night. The roomrate is more expensive for hotels, it costs about USD 100/night. If you decide to stay in a homestay or a farmstay is cheaper, about USD 10/night.

Lovely Cottages on an Alpaca Farmstay near Christchurch

In addition, to save more money you can rent an apartment, almost all hotels have this type of rental, very popular. If you go with a group of friends, this is the most economical option. Each apartment will have about 2 rooms, with a kitchen for cooking. If you traveling alone, you should rent a hostel for the cheapest price.

Cabot Lodge
Farmstay

In New Zealand, many people are interested in camping in tourist destinations, you can save money overnight by sleeping on camping car or van.

Dethleffs Campervans

To know how much hotel rental in New Zealand is, you can check the price on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

New Zealand travel blog: What to do and where to go in North Island

Auckland

Auckland is known as the 3rd most livable city in the world, is a dynamic city with many interesting things to experience. Auckland is also the city with the largest population in New Zealand, with about 1.1 million people and is the largest city in the country. Dubbed the city of sails, Auckland has the beauty of intersecting modern buildings and wild, dense mountains.

auckland new zea land

Auckland City center 1auckland itinerary 7 days, 7 days in auckland
SkyTower, Auckland City in the distance at night

Famous tourist places to visit in Auckland such as: Sky Tower, Albert Park, Bethells Beach (Te Henga), SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium, Hobbiton Movie Set.

Wellington – New Zealand’s most bustling tourist destination

Willington is also the capital of New Zealand, this is not only a great place to live and study but also to travel. A windy city year round, leaning under the clear blue sea or green hills and valleys surround the whole city. Willington is also the most bustling, busiest and most vibrant center in the country, home to the world’s best education system.

Not only that, Willington is also considered as capital of cuisine, because this city always organizes prestigious culinary awards every year. An ideal place for you to enjoy all the delicacies from all over the world. Willington is also famous for its coffee too, you may not know, but this is a city owns more coffee shops than any other city in the world.

Famous tourist destinations in Willington such as Wellington Botanic Garden, Wellington Cable Car, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Oriental Bay.

Lake Rotorua

This is the second largest lake in New Zealand’s North Island, located right on the Bay of Plenty formed from a crater dating back hundreds of thousands of years ago. After the volcano erupted, from the location of the collapsed magma left a layer of sediment, which was the location of the current Lake Rotorua. It attracts visitors by the characteristic scent of hydrogen sulphide gas. Besides, this place is also the convergence of a lot of hot springs, bubbling mud pools as well as geysers.

Visiting Rotorua, remember not to miss the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, which is considered as a “the wonderland of thermal power plant”, with smoky lakes and full of sulfur smell due to the remnants of the old volcano.

Rotorua museum new zealand
Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland

Lake Taupo

On the way from Rotorua towards the capital of Wellington, you should stop to visit Lake Taupo and Huka falls. When we got here, everyone was overwhelmed by the majesty when they first witnessed the huge water mass (200,000 liters of water) falling from Lake Taupo to form a 20-meter-high Huka Falls flowing into the beautiful turquoise lake below. The flowing blue water from the clear blue water of Lake Taupo blending together to create a beautiful emerald water flow.

Bay of Islands – The beautiful island bay of New Zealnad

A destination not to be missed in New Zealand’s North Island, is the Bay of Islands. This beautiful area includes 144 islands, bays and even beautiful unspoiled beaches. The Bay of Islands’s fascinating natural scenery and diverse ecosystems make it becomes one of New Zealand’s most famous tourist destinations.

The most interesting way to discover the full beauty of Bay of Island is kayaking or relaxing on luxury yachts. Once you experienced this Bay of Island paradise, do not miss the beautiful towns surrounded by the sea such as Kerikeri, Opua or Kawakawa.

The most magical Waitomo Glowworm Caves in the world

New Zealand has never disappointed us by its enchanting landscapes. Have you ever seen a starry sky right below the ground or not, coming to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in the land of sheep, you will surely be impressed with a sky of fireflies shining like a galaxy below the ground.

A magical world appears with a strange beauty, the light from the tiny fireflies but extremely magical. Expect a special feeling, reaching the satisfaction of being able to see the illusion-like blue lights. It can leave you lost forever in a wonderfully gifted fantasy scene that is hard to escape it.

New Zealand blog: What to do and where to go in South Island

Lake Tekapo – The most poetic beauty in the world

The beauty of New Zealand is once again confirmed when you admire the beautiful scenery of Lake Tekapo. A colorful picture, drawn from majestic mountains, quaint churches and colorful Lupine flowers. Especially, this flower can vary with many colors from blue, purple, pink, white, or orange and even combination of two different color.

Miford Sound Bay – The majestic tourist place of Nea Zealand

Maybe you already know about 7 new natural wonders of the world, but in New Zealand there is such a beautiful place that one has to compare it as “8th wonder of the world”, that is Milford Sound Bay. This place has a breathtaking fusion of the majestic nature, of the waterfalls rushing in white foam or even the strangely creaking cliffs. To fully experience the “unparalleled” beauty of Miford Sound Bay, you can rent a kayak or participate in scuba diving to explore the mysterious world under the glacier.

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Abel Tasman National Park

Located in the North of the South Island, Abel Tasman National Park is known as the smallest national park in New Zealand, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists each year to visit and relax. In addition to the blue beaches and primeval forests hiding many interesting things, Abel Tasman Park is also home to rare little blue penguins in the world.

The picturesque coastal town of Kaikoura

A beautiful small town surrounded by snow-capped peaks, Kaikoura is a popular tourist destination that you cannot miss. This is also home to rare animals that you are guaranteed to rarely see such as whales, dolphins or seals. The yachts will take you out to the sea to explore their exciting life.

DACJTT The Seaward Kaikoura Range and the town of Kaikoura on a clear spring morning. The town is an important tourist destination. | new zealand travel blog

Mirror Lake of Matheson – An inexplicable beauty

Somewhere in the world there is still a mysterious natural world, where we have never seen it, the Matheson Mirror Lake in New Zealand is a place like that. Dubbed one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Lake Matheson is like a mirror reflecting exactly the mountain scenery, majestic forests on its surface. Therefore, perhaps you will be unable to distinguish between the terrestrial scene and the underwater scene.

The poetic Avon River – The soul of New Zealand

The poetic of the Avon River play a very important role in drawing the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand. Those who have been here have felt attracted by the gentle beauty of the Avon River. This river flows through the Chrishchurch city center which possesses many other beautiful scenes. The pure beauty of this river has become an endless source of inspiration for many poets and writers.

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Beautiful Queenstown city

Another must-visit destination is Queenstown – a city surrounded by blue bays with residential areas, hotels, high-end resorts that are modestly built but enough for visitors to enjoy its atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Queenstown is both quiet and vibrant. You can enjoy wine watching while admiring the beautiful scenery, or immerse yourself in the bustle atmosphere at the harbour, or take part in adventure games (did you know Queenstown is a famous city for bungee jumping, sky diving…?).

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The special thing I like the most when I come to Queenstown is take the Walter Peak Farm tour by the beautiful vintage steamboat TSS Earnslaw, feeding the sheep and seeing how the people here take care and declare Fur falls of a few of the 40 million sheep population in this country with just over 4 million inhabitants.

Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier

One of the most interesting experiences on a New Zealand trip is being trekking on a glacier. Both the Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier are approximately 20km apart but both flow down from the southern mountain range, creating a glacier system that attracts tourists. Before taking the glacial experience tour, opt for the chance to sit in a helicopter to see the full beauty of the Fox Glacier from above.

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The charming city of Christchurch is full of ancient and peaceful beauty

New Zealand attracts tourists by its beautiful scenery, the ancient city of Christchurch with a long history, is the third largest city in New Zealand after Auckland and Wellington capital. This is also the place for you to experience the charm of the place known as “giant garden” when it owns up to 1,000 parks, with an area of ​​up to 3,000 hectares. In autumn, the city’s trees also begin to enter the season of leaf change, the whole area is dyed with brilliant yellow color, full of romance.

The famous tourist places to visit in Christchurch are: Orana Wildlife Park, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Cathedral Square.

Mount Cook – The snow-covered mountain all year round

From Queenstown, you can continue goingn to Mount Cook (240km from Queenstown). Mount Cook, also known as Mount Aoraki is known to be the highest mountain in New Zealand, with a confirmed height of 3,764m. This is also a beautiful mountain located in the southern Alps of the South Island. Along with other mountains, Mount Cook is snow-capped all year round has become an attractive destination of New Zealand. The majestic mountain scenery, covered with snow, stands out against the turquoise lake background, making this place more magical.

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Hot Water Beach

New Zealand always makes you be overwhelmed and admire by the wonders of nature. Not only owns glaciers, snowy mountains or dreamy sheep hills, this country is also an attractive destination for tourists by beaches with hot mineral water. It flows out of volcanoes, and steam is strangely warm. Every high tide, hot water from the groundwater will overflow ashore. Then, you just need to dig a small hole and lying for relax.

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Its highest temperature can be up to 60 degrees Celsius, but most of them have a moderate warmth which is ideal for relaxing. This hot mineral source will help you soothe fatigue, stress, make your body become lightheaded, very relax. In addition, it contains many valuable healthy esssences.

New Zealand blog: Experiences you can not be missed

Skiing

New Zealand is famous for its dozens of large and small ski resorts, spread across the North and South islands. And especially, when Vietnam is entering the hot summer, this is the time when you can indulge in skiing activities or mountain climbing in winter of New Zealand. Whakapapa is known as the largest ski resort in New Zealand, with an area of ​​up to 550 hectares. Not only a ski resort, this place is also a combination of restaurants, amusement parks, ideal for weekends.

Whakapapa Skiing Resort

Bungee jumping – A popular sport in New Zealand

You may not know, New Zealand is the paradise of bungee jumping. Many people even joked that, coming to New Zealand just for bungee jumping. This is a famous adventure in the land of kiwi, attracting visitors by adventure bungee jumps. Extreme suspense, anxiety, and fear are what you’ll experience. Imagine, you will be tied to your ankles, and so on from the 47m high tower, drop your body freely into the lake.

Kayaking

What makes New Zealand’s beautiful landscape partly come from its system of 1.500 rivers. This is very suitable for the development of water sports. In which, kayaking is an interesting experience that you should try. Although in Vietnam, this activity is not new, but kayaking in the land of kiwi still has a new feeling, it is worth a try.

Milford Sound Bay, Lake Taupo or the Abel Tasman National Park are ideal areas for a kayaking experience. These places have charming scenery, the sea and the lake and surrounded by mountains, creating a poetic, quiet scene.

Imerse your selft in Christmas atmosphere in Auckland

Like many other European countries, locals in New Zealand attach great importance to the tradition of celebrating Christmas every winter. Christmas in New Zealand takes place in November or December, and the best place to welcome Christmas in the land of kiwi is probably Auckland, which is known as one of the most livable cities on the planet.

Photographed in Hobbiton village

hobbiton fairy village the lord of the rings new zealand (12)

If you are a fan of the movie “The Lord of the Rings” or Hobbiton, you can not ignore the Hobbiton studio with its strange and authentic virtual live photos. During your self-sufficient trip or Hobbiton tours, do not forget to fully charge the battery to record beautiful virtual live photos here. Tiny little houses, luxury food stalls or beautiful scenery promises to take you to a strange world of movies.

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hobbiton fairy village the lord of the rings new zealand (12)

1 hobbiton new zealand (3)

1 hobbiton new zealand (3)

New Zealand travel blog: What to eat?

Lamb – The most favorite meat in New Zealand

If Chinese cuisine has the famous for its Peking duck, when traveling to New Zealand, you will enjoy the high-end grilled lamb. New Zealand is also known as a leading country in the production and processing of lamb. Sheep here are naturally grazed on green fields, so the lamb has a naturally sweet taste. No need to be too fussy, after preliminary processing, just marinated with spices such as salt, oil, pepper and rosemary and grilled for 15 minutes is ready to eat.

Lamb Hind Shanks | new zealand travel blog

Hokey Pokey Ice Cream

The famous New Zealand dessert is actually just a combination of vanilla ice cream and honeycomb toffee pieces. But its taste is very different, the aroma of vanilla along with the greasy, crunchy taste of the buttercream crumbs is sure to make you unforgettable. This cream is served with waffles, cones, cream cakes or added to banana boat ice cream is so delicious.

Let go to Tip Top or Giapo ice cream shop to enjoy this signature ice cream.

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Kiwi fruit – A specialty of New Zealand

Speaking of kiwifruit, it is present in California, Italy, China and many other places, but do you know which country has a lot of kiwifruit and has the best green kiwifruit in the world?! That is the beautiful New Zealand country, which produces the most delicious and standard kiwifruit on the planet. You also should to know, that even though it is a land of kiwifruit cultivation, it is not because of that it is called “kiwi land” but it comes from Kiwi bird.

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Pavlova – The cake traditional cake of New Zealand cuisine

New Zealand attracts visitors from the most rustic dishes, Pavlova cake is one of them. The appeal of Pavlova cake is made from the delicate combination of egg white and whipped cream, forming a mixture when baked, which has a very irresistible aroma. Each piece of cake has a crispy crust on the outside, inside is a fragrant, soft white of marshmallow.

Cherry & chocolate pavlova
Cherry & chocolate pavlova

Hangi – The traditional Maori dish in New Zeanland

Also a traditional New Zealand dish, grilled Hangi has a history of over 200 years ago. It is made up of a very special and ancient recipe. Specifically, people will heat stones and put it under a hole of earth, ingredients include meat, sweet potatoes, potatoes.. are carefully wrapped. Next, covering with earth to bake for a few hours, the stones will radiate heat slowly cook the ingredients. With this method, the dish will retain its full flavor.

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Green-lipped mussel – The specialty of New Zealand

New Zealand’s vast, beautiful waters are also a great habitat for the green-lipped mussel Perna Viridis, a delicious, nutrient-rich seafood. Here, mussels are raised and harvested in accordance with the process, which is very guaranteed in terms of food safety and hygiene. The most popular mussel dish is probably steamed Green-lipped mussel or green mussel with cheese sauce, the secret to creating a characteristic aroma but still retaining the natural sweetness of mussels.

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ANZAC Biscuits

As a delicious type of biscuits, ANZAC Biscuits has been created since World War I. At that time, the food source was not enough so all the available ingredients like oats, flour, syrup, and coconut were used to make this biscuit. Until now, ANZAC Biscuit is still a type of biscuit brings a special meaning, loved by New Zealand people.

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New Zealand travel blog: What to buy?

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Anzac Bisciut

The cake with a significant meaning like Anzac Bisciut is worth bringing it as a gift for your loved one. It would be great if you told your loved ones about the origin of this cake.

White wine

In New Zealand there are 10 major wine producing regions, the most famous of which is the white wine line created from the famous grape Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. Due to the favorable topography and soil conditions, the quality of grapes here is always appreciated.

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Manuka Honey

Honey is easy to find in any corner of the world, but to say where the best honey in the world is, it’s New Zealand. The reason is called Manuka honey because honey is secreted from bees specialized in pollinating a native plant called Manuka.

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Kiwifruit

With a country that grows a lot of kiwis like New Zealand, there is no reason why you would not bring a little as a gift is extremely wasteful. Kiwi in this country is the type of kiwi with green flesh, hairy brown skin and small black seeds inside. When eaten, the taste is very sweet and sour. Remember to buy this New Zealand specialty as a gift.

Chocolate Whitt’s

This is one of New Zealand’s long-established chocolate brands that are especially loved by local people. Chocolate flavor is made up of quality cocoa beans, carefully selected.

Jade necklace

If you are looking for a souvenir, you can refer to buying jade necklaces. This is a very beautiful greenstone, also known as pounamu, which is encrusted into a very delicate pendant. On the stone surface will be engraved with the Maori symbol, representing the feelings of the giver and the receiver. According to New Zealanders’ conception, you should only use it for giving, not buy for yourself.

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New Zealand blog: How much does New Zealand travel cost?

This is also something that a lot of people are interested in, unlike Thailand, New Zealand is not a place where you can spend sparingly. In fact, the standard of living here is quite high, leading to quite expensive travel costs. According to New Zealand travel blog, the cost for a 2-week trip is about $2.150 / person (including visa and air tickets). However, if you can carefully make a plan, you can still have a budget trip.

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Here are the cost of self-sufficient New Zealand travel within 1 week:

  • The Vietnam – New Zealand air tickets: The cheapest is $515 / one way (Hong Kong Airlines). It is cheaper for other airlines such as China Airlines, Malaysia Airline or Cathay Airlines.
  • Visa fees: Average about $215 (including visa application fees and some other fees such as travel fees, notarization fees or postal charges).
  • Hotel costs: If you choose to stay in guesthouses or cheap hotels, prices ranging from 50 – 100 USD / night / person, if you stay for 7 days, it will be about USD 500, if you stay in hostels, the price is cheaper, about $350.
  • Food costs: An useful tip is you should only eat at budget restaurants, specializing in traditional dishes for only USD 12/meal. If you want to saving more you can buy food at supermarkets, convenience stores for self-cooking at your own accommodation, most apartments in the hotels have a kitchen area and cooking tools for you to use. If you self-cooking, it only costs about $65 / week.
  • Meanwhile, the average cost per person for a 3-week trip is about $3.855 / person (including visa fees and air tickets).

Those are the minimum costs, not including tickets to visit, participate in entertainment activities such as bungee jumping, kayaking, glacier trekking, etc. In addition, you also need to consider the shopping cost, if out of control, it will probably penetrate into the travel expenses that you have planned earlier.

New Zealand travel guide: Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Auckland you can refer to

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Vineyards on Waiheke Island

Are you looking for more top things to do in Auckland: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here.