New Zealand
The first country in the world to let women vote, and still one of the easiest places to travel alone. Two islands, no snakes, and roads that take longer than the map suggests.
Where to stay
The Hotel Britomart
Auckland · Britomart precinct · near the ferry terminal
Sustainable by design, and a two-minute from the ferries.
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One hundred and four rooms in the Britomart precinct, close to the ferry terminal, Queen Street and the Sky Tower. The building keeps its original brick and wood beams and wraps something sleeker around them; it holds a Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Award and made Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List. Kingi downstairs cooks local seafood, there's a 24-hour gym, and bikes are free to borrow. Being able to walk onto a Waiheke ferry from your front door is the practical advantage.
104 rooms in the Britomart precinct
Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Award
Kingi restaurant, local seafood
Free bicycles and a 24-hour gym
Walk to the ferries for Waiheke and Devonport
QT Wellington
Wellington · waterfront · short walk to Te Papa
An art deco hotel with a motorcycle in the lobby.
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Eighty-one rooms on the Wellington waterfront, a short walk from Te Papa and the cultural quarter. It leans hard into art — murals outside, a motorcycle in the lobby — over art deco bones. There's an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, a gym, and Hippopotamus upstairs serving steaks with panoramic bay views. It also carries a Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Award. Wellington is small, walkable and full of coffee, which makes it one of the better solo cities in the country.
81 rooms on the waterfront
Art deco building with a contemporary art collection
Indoor pool, hot tub and sauna
Hippopotamus restaurant with bay views
Short walk to Te Papa
Eichardt's Private Hotel
Queenstown · on the lakefront · town centre
On the lake, in the middle of town.
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A Design Hotels member out at Nesjavellir, between the Golden Circle sights and Þingvellir national park, surrounded by lava field and geothermal steam. There's the Lava Spa, an outdoor pool, a sauna, a gym, and the Silfra restaurant cooking local produce. Horse riding runs from the property. It's remote by design — you'll need a car, and that is rather the point.
Design Hotels member on a lava field at Nesjavellir
Lava Spa, outdoor pool and sauna
Silfra restaurant serving local cooking
Horse riding from the property
Near Þingvellir and the Golden Circle — a car is essential
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New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote, in 1893.
It has two official languages — te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. English is the most spoken but has never been formally declared one.
There are no snakes.
Te Wāhipounamu, in the south-west of the South Island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Driving takes longer than the map suggests. The roads wind, and 300km can eat most of a day.
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Best time — December to March for summer and long evenings; June to September for skiing around Queenstown and Wanaka. November and April are quieter and cheaper, with weather you take your chances on.
Getting around — Domestic flights between Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown are quick and often cheap. For everything else you'll want a car — and add a third to whatever time the map gives you.
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New Zealand is one of the most straightforward countries in the world to travel alone — shared language, an excellent network of hostels and small lodges, and solo travellers everywhere. The risks are outdoors rather than urban: mountain weather turns fast, and the Great Walks book out months ahead. Tell someone your plan before heading into the backcountry, and check the Department of Conservation alerts before you set off.
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