Solitaire Lodge – Rotorua, New Zealand

Overlooking Lake Tarawera, this all-suite, all-inclusive upscale hotel is 12 km from Whakarewarewa Forest and 23 km from the pools and therapies of Polynesian Spa: Soli­taire Lodge Rotorua is one of the finest exam­ples of Lux­ury Accom­mo­da­tion New Zealand has to offer.

Styled with com­fort in mind, all ten lux­ury accom­mo­da­tion suites fea­ture panoramic views of the glassy lake and mag­nif­i­cent vol­cano through grand pic­ture win­dows. The sub­tle design brings the out­doors in, invit­ing you to unwind and soak up the peace and quiet of this tran­quil set­ting.

Renowned for its fine din­ing, Soli­taire lodge serves con­tem­po­rary New Zealand cui­sine pre­pared with fresh local pro­duce and com­ple­mented by superb New Zealand wines from selected vine­yards. Engage in lively con­ver­sa­tion with fel­low guests in the lodge’s din­ing room, or choose an inti­mate din­ner for two in your suite.

Vin­tage beams, pre­vi­ously used as bridge sup­ports in the Man­garoa Val­ley, frame the entrance to Soli­taire Lodge. Can­vas shade sails play above, like fan­tails, to help high­light the path­way and lead guests to the Lodge Recep­tion, Main Lounge and Restau­rant where expan­sive views of Lake Tarawera and moun­tain back­drop are a key fea­ture. Renowned for its fine din­ing, Soli­taire Lodge serves con­tem­po­rary New Zealand cui­sine pre­pared with fresh local pro­duce and com­ple­mented by superb wines from selected vine­yards. Engage in lively con­ver­sa­tion with fel­low guests in the Lodge’s din­ing room, or choose an inti­mate din­ner for two in your Suite.

Lodge ameni­ties include com­pli­men­tary use of the Lodge’s motorised dinghies and kayaks, lake walks along the shore­line of the Lodge grounds, trout fish­ing from the Lodge jetty and lake swim­ming from Solitaire’s pri­vate beach.

Alter­na­tively, enjoy expan­sive lake views from your Suite bal­cony or wan­der through the herb gar­dens over­look­ing the lagoon: the lodge is the per­fect place to sim­ply relax, indulge and reju­ve­nate, left in the able hands of your warm, friendly New Zealand hosts.

In case you’d enjoy new adventures and experiences there’s plenty of choices. Among them:

Bungee Jumping

Zorb & Luge

ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND

Rotorua, the place of fas­ci­nat­ing Māori cul­ture, hot springs and boil­ing mud pools. No visit to New Zealand would be com­plete with­out stop­ping here.

The name Rotorua comes from Maori, the full name being Te Rotorua-​nui-​a-​Kahumatamomoe; roto means lake and rua two – Rotorua thus mean­ing ‘Sec­ond lake’. Kahu­mata­mo­moe was the uncle of the Maori chief Ihenga, the ances­tral explorer of the Te Arawa. It was the sec­ond major lake the chief dis­cov­ered, and he ded­i­cated it to his uncle. It is the largest of a mul­ti­tude found to the north­east of the city, all con­nected with the Rotorua Caldera and our neigh­bour Mount Tarawera. The name can also mean the equally appro­pri­ate ‘crater lake’.

Ther­mal activ­ity is at the heart of much of Rotorua’s tourist appeal. Gey­sers and bub­bling mud pools, hot ther­mal springs and the Buried Vil­lage —so named after it was buried by the 1886 Mount Tarawera erup­tion, are all within easy reach of the Lodge. If adven­ture is your thing, Rotorua has many attrac­tions to get the adren­a­lin flow­ing; every­thing from sky­div­ing and lug­ing to zorb­ing and one of New Zealand’s best moun­tain cir­cuits. It’s also a big trout fish­ing area with fish­ing on the lakes and trib­u­tary rivers.

The spirit of Man­aak­i­tange is alive and well in the geot­her­mal won­der­land of Rotorua. Places like Te Puia, Mitai Vil­lage and Tamaki Vil­lage offer cul­tural expe­ri­ences which com­bine dra­matic per­for­mances with deli­cious Maori food. At Whakare­warewa you can see how early Maori used the geot­her­mal waters of the area to cook, bathe and do wash­ing. Enjoy the inter­ac­tive Rotorua Museum, or visit Ohine­mutu Vil­lage and see beau­ti­ful carved meet­ing houses and a Tudor style church dec­o­rated with Maori art.

The Real ‘Big Easy’

Forget New Orleans… NZ can rightly claim the ‘Big Easy’ crown for the sheer ease of travel here. This isn’t a place where you encounter many on-the-road frustrations: buses and trains run on time; roads are in good nick; ATMs proliferate; pickpockets, scam merchants and bedbug-ridden hostels are few and far between; and the food is unlikely to send you running for the nearest public toilets (usually clean and stocked with the requisite paper). And there are no snakes, and only one poisonous spider – the rare katipo, sightings of which are considered lucky. This decent nation is a place where you can relax and enjoy (rather than endure) your holiday.