Friendly Planet Travel Expands Offerings with One-of-a-Kind Tour to Australia and New Zealand

Thrilling adventures, delicious cuisine, and breathtaking scenery only begin to describe what travel aficionados will experience on leading tour provider Friendly Planet Travel's latest offering. Its new 18-day Best of New Zealand & Australia tour, starting at $5,699 including airfare, combines two of the world's most popular destinations into one cultural adventure-New Zealand, known for its breathtaking beauty with abounding glaciers, mountains, fjords, and mirror lakes, and Australia, rich in history, iconic landmarks, and friendly locals.

"This tour is deliberately longer than most of our offerings," says Peggy Goldman, President of Friendly Planet Travel. "We know that travelers want to experience New Zealand and Australia comprehensively. But we also want to ensure that they have time to truly savor the destinations they visit. This tour offers the best of both worlds by introducing travelers to a mix of magnificent culture, famous landmarks, and vibrant natural wonders of New Zealand and Australia while not exhausting or overwhelming them, as other tours often do. And through our partnerships with suppliers and airlines, we are able to offer the best value for travelers' money without compromising quality by bundling the components of this tour at a significant savings over other, similar touring programs."

The Best of New Zealand & Australia tour immerses travelers in an incredible natural wonderland that is unlike anywhere in the world. Beginning in Auckland, New Zealand, the tour includes a stop at Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand and one of the biggest adventure hubs in the world; a scenic cruise of Milford Sound; a drive along the coastal highway to Christchurch; a visit to Melbourne, the center of Australian fashion and culture, and home to preserved Victorian architecture and magnificent parks and gardens; a stop at Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef; and finally a visit to Sydney, where travelers will enjoy the city's cosmopolitan shopping and dining.

On this small-group tour, travelers will also have the unique opportunity to travel to Rotorua and experience the fascinating Maori culture-something many travelers don't ever have the chance to see. They will be guided to Te Puia and will learn about the Maori people, crafts, cuisine, and the legends of the Moeraki Boulders.

With more than three decades of experience developing tour packages to the most sought-after destinations in the world, Friendly Planet understands what travelers seek when making a trip to faraway locations such as New Zealand and Australia. Highlights of the tour include the Waitomo Caves, formed more than 30 million years ago and filled with glowworms native only to New Zealand; a full day of snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef; a lunch cruise on Sydney Harbor followed by a tour of the Sydney Opera House; and much, much more. Friendly Planet's Best of New Zealand & Australia combines the greatest sites and activities available in the region.

The 18-day Best of New Zealand & Australia tour includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles via scheduled carriers, including fuel surcharges, taxes, and fees; all intra-New Zealand and Australia flights and ground transportation; 20 meals; comprehensive touring, including entrance fees; and professional English-speaking tour guides. The tour includes deluxe hotels in central locations to give travelers easy access to top restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. These hotels are carefully selected based on location, cleanliness, safety, service, and value-ensuring that travelers have the best experience possible.

Like all Friendly Planet escorted tours, each departure is also guaranteed to include no more than 24 passengers.

The tour is available in 2014 on the departure date of May 7 for $5,699, as well as on March 19, April 16, June 4, and July 30 for $5,799-all if booked by Nov. 26.

For the full tour itinerary of the Best of New Zealand & Australia tour, or to learn about any of the other fascinating adventures that Friendly Planet Travel offers, visit FriendlyPlanetTravel.com.

ABOUT FRIENDLY PLANET TRAVEL

Friendly Planet Travel makes high-quality exotic travel affordable for everyone. Since 1981, Friendly Planet Travel has been arranging all-inclusive escorted discount vacation packages and cruises to the most exciting destinations in the world at the lowest possible prices.

Each year, Friendly Planet Travel offers more than 30 different group travel packages to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South America-at discounts of hundreds of dollars off similar vacations. With no hidden charges, add-ons, or surprises, Friendly Planet Travel vacations include convenient flights and airfare; carefully selected, first-class and superior hotels; knowledgeable, English-speaking guides; many meals; planned itineraries; as well as friendships and memories that last a lifetime.

Friendly Planet Travel offers its extensive, economical travel services to private groups, including universities, religious institutions, alumni associations, and families. Groups who wish to travel together can count on Friendly Planet Travel's three decades of experience to operate their group travel program expertly and always at the very best possible prices. Visit the company at www.FriendlyPlanetTravel.com. You can also follow Friendly Planet Travel on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE: BUSINESS WIRE