I took a 10 hour flight to New Zealand from Malaysia. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza in the city for 12 days and at the Hotel Indigo for 5 days. The hotel change occurred when I returned back to Auckland after visiting another city.
The Crowne Plaza was a bit dated but the bed, which is the most important, was very comfy and the shower was nice and hot. The Hotel Indigo is one of those hotels that are meant for a short stay, just a few days. The esthetics of the room was really nice, but just too small. If I’m at a hotel for longer than 2 days, I need to be able to stretch out. For instance having a sofa in the room gives me something else to sit on besides the bed.
Since both hotels were near the city center, I was able to walk to the shopping areas, the pier, and a few tourist attractions. I could see the Sky Tower from my hotel, so I decided to take a walk to find it. It was much closer that I thought. The tower is 28 meters tall with the observation deck on the 51st floor, and on the 53rd floor is where you can sky jump off the building. Not something I would consider doing but I have a friend that took the leap. Even though my legs were getting wobbly, I went on up to the sky deck on the 60th. Sometimes you just have to push past your fears.
After the tower visit, I was able to hop on the sightseeing bus and tour the city. The route passed by a couple of museums, including the war museum, a huge park, the wharf, and of course shopping areas. I rode the full loop around but later during my stay, I visited a couple of the areas separately.
I went Downtown to the ferry terminal for a 90-minute cruise around the harbor. Passing under the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the Bean Rock Lighthouse, and a naval base. This was a relaxing ride with some beautiful sites.
During my time in Auckland, I found myself comparing it to Australia (their neighbor I visited in 2019). It’s a much smaller city but has the charm you would want if you lived there. Definitely worth a visit.
