Frommer's New Zealand (Complete Guide)

Just returned from an amazing vacation in New Zealand and this guide made all the difference. It’s much better than the other books on the market. In fact, I got Frommer's and two other guides, but found this one to be so much more up-to-date and detailed that I ditched the other two entirely. Really appreciated the smart advice on which of the geothermal sights to see in Rotorua, because you have so many to pick from, and this guide was straightforward about their pros and cons. Also: loved the kayaking tour of Milford Sound it recommended, and the spectacular, self-guided day hikes it led me to on the South Island. New Zealand has some of the best hiking on the planet—you see so many different landscapes over the course of a day!—and this guide is good at giving you the pros and cons of both the day hikes and the multi-day treks (unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to do those, but I was able to find several 2-hour hikes on both the North and the South Island, thanks to this book). I also must say I appreciated that the book wove in a lot of history from the Maori side of the story, so I was able to understand the significance of many of the sights I was seeing. And I LOVED the restaurants I found through this book (I found the food in NZ to either be really fresh and good, or disappointingly processed—but the bad meals I had were when I just grabbed something rather than following the guidebook). I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to do nearly as much as I did if I hadn’t had this guide with me.

So glad I got this book! I bought this guide as a back-up to web research about 2 months before we left for New Zealand. Turns out, online research was confusing, clunky and (often) actually just disguised marketing. I hate feeling sold to when I really just need insight. This guide was easy to follow, well-researched, and clearly written by a local expert, one who has great insight into the New Zealand of today, and its history. What I learned in the book really enhanced what I experienced on the ground. Because the advice was no BS, it told me which museums, nature trails, wineries, and boat rides would be most worth my time, and which could be skipped. I really appreciated that. The maps were helpful, but I especially appreciated the restaurants and pubs recommended and picked out by the author—she didn’t steer me wrong once! A must have book if you’re heading Down Under.

I was feeling overwhelmed because there's so much to see & do in NZ. But this guide has a superb chapter with suggested itineraries of several sorts that make planning pretty easy. It gives distances covered, how much time each sight will likely take and more. I also love the fact that there are so many beautiful photos throughout: I'm a visual person so that helps me make choices (and they're not blurry at all--i think the other reviewer may need glasses. Finally I trust the author because she doesn't pull her punches about the sight that are only so so. Great pullout map, and lots of maps in the chapters too

The information in the book can be gleaned from the internet but the map is very helpful The book just didn’t contain info I hadn’t already read from websites I guess this the future

This was great to check out the area and become familiar with New Zealand before we arrived. Very informative and great vacation ideas.

Exhaustive presentation of everything you should visit in New Zealand from the cities to the mountain peaks in the southern Alps and the breathtaking scenery in Fiordland. High quality gloss photos and illustrations, easy to read format that makes it easy for anyone to select the items to see that reflect their own visit preferences. You can't beat Frommer's guides!

Very useful with area by area descriptions . Restaurants and hotels along with tours in the area.

Book is great, I've been sent two of them both with ripped covers.

Was well liked by my niece

Excellent book with practical information about things to do, places to eat, places to stay, written in engaging style. Highly recommend.