“What’s included in the price”?
This is the one question New Zealand travel Agents love being asked!聽 Please guys, when you get quoted a price for a tour or accommodation, don’t immediately dismiss it as being too expensive. You might be surprised by the number of goodies included in that price and the value for money.
So what about those inclusions..?
Just for an example, let’s talk about farmstay options for young families.聽 Very often you’ll get breakfast, dinner and a farm tour included in the price of the accommodation (which all makes sense as farmstay are often away from restaurants, bars and other facilities.)聽 So before the kids are denied a pretty neat New Zealand experience and you opt for ‘Hotel Average’ down the road offering a ‘special’ with NO extras, think about it.聽 Once you tally up all those extras, you’ll probably be paying more! Even worst, you won’t even remember where you stayed. But I guarantee you and your children will always remember baby lambs, those clever sheepdogs, and the acres of rolling hills you’ll virtually have to yourself. That’s what travelling is all about, isn’t it?
Tours – From average to fabulous:
There’s about an $80.00 difference between merely flying over the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers and actually landing on them.聽 But isn’t landing on the glacier 50% of the experience? I’ve seen the infectious excitement of聽 people moments before their helicopter ride, only to see a more subdued mood on their return. Why? Because they tried to save money by lessening the experience. My advise: don’t think about the money you might have saved with a short ride where you merely hover over the snow, think about a lifelong experience you have gained by doing it properly with a landing stopover and feeling the snow crunch under your feet!
Accommodation – Getting value with Boutique Hotels:
Think about the owner/host personalised service, the acres of olive groves they may have on the property. In New Zealand, your hosts may quite possibly be artists or fly-fishing experts with a trusty 4-wheel drive at your disposal, or fabulous gourmet chefs – and all included in the price folks!聽 So rather than waking up to the sound of hotel attendants cleaning the room next door, you’ll hear the sound of bellbirds and Tuis.聽 Then you’ll sit at an elegant breakfast table set for two, outside your room on a private verandah/balcony…..with views to die for. What better way to start a busy day exploring New Zealand!
Group travel – We encourage our guests to take smaller group tours.
Ok, smaller group tours cost a little more but wouldn’t you prefer to see the special and sometimes hidden spots, rather than merely skimming the surface?. So when you weigh up price difference between tours, ask yourself this:
(a) Is hotel pickup included? (b) Is lunch provided? (c) What is the ratio between guide and passengers? (d) how much time is being wasted with 50 people moving in and out of the bus 3-4 times a day? .
Remember, you may never visit this country again (although we hope you do). You won’t remember what you paid, but you will remember the experience. Are you convinced?
