The Secret Hotels of Paris

In Italy, it's known as "agriturismo" (agricultural tourism), in Britain as "farmstay holidays," in France as a specialized part of the "gites" movement. The chance to stay as a guest on a working farm is one of the fastest-growing options in European vacations, and widely regarded as having many advantages: lower prices than at urban hotels or guesthouses, direct exposure to local culture, greater tranquility and relaxation than in urban settings, superb cuisine. What's it like? Our first farmstay in Italy was in Umbria in the town of Cannara, situated close to both Assisi and Bevagna. At La Fattoria del Gelso (the Mulberry Farm), (Via Bevagna 1, 06033 Cannara, tel/fax 011-39-07/42-72164), our hosts spoke almost no English, but we managed to communicate with gestures and bits of French, German, and English. Our room and bath were spacious, clean, and modern; the decor had a kind of Moorish feel. By bicycle, we traveled six kilometers (31/2 miles) to Bevagna in one direction and six to Assisi in another. We relaxed by the pool after long days of sightseeing. We ate vegetables and fruits grown on the farm in what seemed like endless delightful courses each night. And would you believe: La Fattoria del Gelso offers lessons in gardening. The cost in 2002: ($30) per person per night for bed and breakfast, ($48) per person for room, breakfast, and dinner. We moved on, in the course of our next trip, to Il Fae (31020 San Pietro di Feletto, Conegliano, 011-39-04/38-787117, ilfae.com) northeast of Venice, near the town of San Pietro di Feletto in the foothills of the Dolomites. Il Fae is owned by a urologist named Salvatore and his wife Sabina. This lovely property has been in Sabina's family for generations, and she works tirelessly to turn it into a profitable tourist destination. We were impressed by the couple's entrepreneurial activities. Not only do they produce a lovely cabernet from their own vineyards, but they treat guests to their prosecco--a champagne-like aperitif that is the perfect accompaniment to watching the sun set around the swimming pool. In addition, Sabina makes wooden picture frames and handmade slippers, which are available at their Web site. They have hired a chef for a cooking school. Their goal - to allow Salvatore to give up his medical practice--seems reasonable, based on the quality of the accommodations and the service. By great good fortune, Salvatore and Sabina offered to cook for us one night, and treated us to a buffet of typical dishes of the Veneto, including white polenta with fried salami, roasted peppers and potatoes, rice salad with mozzarella, and more. For dessert, panna cotta was accompanied by amore polenta (a cornmeal and almond cake) and a special dessert wine. The cost of a stay? 991 ($80) for two people, breakfast included. From Il Fae, we headed to the Emilia-Romagna region where we stayed about halfway between Bologna and Ravenna at Il Palazzo (Via Baccagnano 11, 48013 Brisighella, tel/fax 011-39-05/46-80338) outside the charming town of Brisighella. Although not palatial, Ettore and Adriana Matarese's rooms were quite comfortable, their location outstanding, and the price a real bargain. Il Palazzo is just beyond a popular thermal hot spring about a mile and a half from Brisighella (a town with so much renovation and construction going on that we feared its narrow streets would soon become overcrowded with tourists). From Il Palazzo's hillside perch, one looks across the valley to Brisighella. In the evening, a castle, a church, and a tower clock light the horizon. Acres of vineyards and orchards are visible from Il Palazzo's small outdoor dining pavilion, full of flowering plants and covered by a canopy of wisteria. A constant refreshing breeze cools the hot evenings. Exploring Brisighella's second-story arcades with their ancient shops being restored as apartments was a highlight of our stay, but nothing outshone the famous Byzantine mosaics in nearby Ravenna. Add a visit to the pottery center of Faenza and some time in bustling Bologna, and you could easily spend several days here. And the price? For ($54) per couple, we had room, bath, and breakfast. Add ($11) per person for dinner. No extra charge for the breeze. Farmstays, cropping up all over the world, are most common in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and to a lesser extent in South America. In Sweden and Switzerland, 20 percent of all farms offer tourist accommodations. Latin American farmstays (estancias) can be booked over the Web for Argentina (argentinatravel.com; click on English, then on estancias). In the United States, the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture (mass.gov/DFA), for example, lists over 200 farms with tourist activities, at least 20 of which have overnight accommodations for guests. It's a win-win situation for the farmers and their guests. For a farm-owner, agritourism can mean survival. Not only do tourists pay to stay, but farmers are able to supplement their income by marketing their products directly to their guests. In Italy, agriturismo solves an especially acute problem: people had been leaving their failing family farms or villas to look for work in the cities simply because they could no longer make a living in the country. Fearing the loss of heritage and tradition, the Italian government began a program to subsidize renovations for guest accommodations up to 100 percent, rather than have citizens leave their rural homes. Half of the fun of the agriturismo adventure is discovering the places that are right for you. There are the usual sources like the friends who referred us to a travel agency in Perugia that recommended Il Fae in the Veneto region and La Fattoria del Gelso in Umbria. We found Il Palazzo in a guidebook to Italian B&Bs. But the Internet offers choices galore. For example, at agriturismo.com/englisch.htm, click on "search farm holidays," then select the regions and towns of interest, and pictures of individual options appear. Click on the pictures and you have an instant brochure. Also try argoweb.it/umbria/umbria.uk.html to view ads for holiday farms. Any drawbacks to these farmstays? They're slight. You'll need a car (or at least a bicycle) to get around; you may not have phone, fax, or e-mail access (and we had to supply our own bath soap twice); you may encounter a language barrier (half the fun); and accommodations can range from elegant down to rustic-buyer beware. Whatever you choose, you'll find the unexpected cost-free extras that make agriturismo and its brethren in other countries a bonus for the budget-conscious traveler. Buon viaggio!

It's a little past seven in the morning, and I'm awakened by the familiar screech of an exotic bird in the back house and by beeps from the first motorbikes on the street outside my second-floor apartment window. Before I shuffle down the hall to make tea, I open the shutter windows to let in the breeze and the crackling, steaming aromas of the neighborhood street stalls as their owners prepare for the morning breakfast rush hour. I spy Bich across the street, sweeping the sidewalk in front of her noodle shop, and she waves to me as she has every morning since my arrival. Mr. Phuc, the owner of the apartment, who always beckons me over with the same query -- "Do you speak French?" -- is already sitting on the sidewalk watching the city go by. I've been in Hanoi only four days, but I feel as if I've been a resident for years. If you want to live like Graham Greene, this is the way to do it. It all began when I heard about the unique tour products called Untours that immerse you in local cultures in apartments instead of transporting you from hotel to hotel and from site to site on a tour bus. Sound exciting? Here are a few vignettes from my diary on how I lived like a local for two weeks in the quiet, tranquil city of Hanoi and "Wild, Wild East" Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) -- while saving beaucoup bucks in the bargain. Day 1: I'm greeted at Hanoi's airport by Markus, my Untours co-host, and we weave through a swirling current of bicycle and motorbike traffic and pull up in front of a two-story French colonial building that opens onto a bustling hive of street activity. Inside is my other host, a smiling dynamo named Ky, who presents me with a welcome bouquet of flowers. A quick tour of my home for the first week reveals a spacious, two-bedroom apartment with high ceilings, wrought-iron windows with wooden shutters, dark bamboo furniture, and ceiling fans (or optional air-conditioning for those who are romantically challenged and never saw the movie The Lover). Pluses are refrigerators stocked with bottled water and colas, maid service, mosquito nets, bicycles, a safe to lock your valuables, a bowl of bizarre-looking fruits (they look like props from Star Wars, but they're delicious), and a mobile phone with preprogrammed numbers of my hosts and local services. Minuses are weak shower-water pressure with intermittent hot water, a washing machine but no dryer (the latter is as rare here as HBO), and a hot-plate instead of an oven (although, to be fair, the tour company never felt travelers would do much cooking because cheap and delicious food is available literally outside the door). After unpacking, I check out the neighborhood. Within a block are two pho stalls (which serve hearty beef noodle soup for about 50 cents), three com stalls (which serve rice; a meat, fish, or fowl dish; a vegetable; and tea for about the same price), two cafes, an ice cream and soda shop, a karaoke restaurant, two liquor stores, two laundry/dry cleaners, a film processing lab, and a market where I stock up on staples and snacks. The choice ahead Day 3: My mobile phone rings. It's Markus. "John, a bunch of us are meeting for dinner tonight. Wanna tag along?" I end up spending a captivating evening with expats from Cuba, Canada, and the U.K. on the rooftop of a seafood restaurant overlooking the Red River, and later migrate to the popular R&R Tavern. I'm beginning to like "living" here. Who needs a hotel concierge when your apartment comes with hosts, friends, neighbors, and adventures? Day 4: I chill out at the apartment today, and in the evening take in the surprisingly delightful show at the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre (tickets are just $2, or $4 if you want a cassette of the accompanying traditional folk music, which you do). Days 5 & 6: Road trip! It's time to get out of Hanoi for a couple of days and see the countryside. I opt for a $22 two-day trip to Mai Chau, where I hike knee-deep through soggy rice paddies with the workers in the fields during the day and eat and sleep in a traditional stilt house with ethnic Thai people at night. Day 7: On my last day in Hanoi I cruise the Old Quarter for bargains. I pick out a handsome carved pipe for $6, a water puppet for $5, and a handwoven wall fabric from a northern hill tribe for $10. Then Ky invites me to his home for a farewell dinner, and we crown the evening at Hanoi's hottest "in" place, Highway 4, which lets you sample up to 33 traditional rice and fruit liquors in its opium den-like room. Second week, second city Unlike the street-life environment of Hanoi, these units are more secluded. And yet I'm actually closer to everything here. Within just a block of the gate are three of Saigon's premier tourist attractions: the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the stunning French-style General Post Office, the largest in Vietnam. There's a knock at the door, and I meet Paul and Elizabeth, my next-door neighbors who have taken an Untours trip before to Europe. They give thumbs up to the apartments and host support here (in Europe travelers sometimes stay in guest cottages with live-in hosts). Their most pleasant surprises so far, and mine too, are how proudly and fiercely capitalistic this Communist nation is and that the crime rate is unexpectedly low. The couple have been here nearly a week and will soon fly to Hanoi, so we exchange must-see sites in each city. Day 9: I skip my cereal and baguette this morning and hop a 70-cent motorbike to one of the tourist cafes in the expat section of town. At Kim Cafe I splurge on banana pancakes, a Spanish omelette, and hot chocolate for an outrageous $2.50, then go shopping along Dong Khoi Street, the city's shopping mecca. I don't find many bargains, though. I nix two overpriced $25 silk shirts from Khaisilk (horrors, a store that won't haggle!), reject a pricey Buddha painting a few doors down, then finally get lucky at Nguyen Hue Street's Thieves Market by walking off with seven bootleg CDs for 70 cents apiece. Day 10: I'm introduced to Mrs. Khanh, the charming co-owner of the apartment complex, who invites me and Mr. Giao, the artist whose paintings and murals grace the apartments, and his wife Thuy, a legendary writer/reporter in her own right, to dinner at the Rex Hotel where they tell me their startling life stories, which they politely request afterward that I not reveal for political reasons. If you meet them, which you should, listen to their tales; they would make a whole miniseries, trust me. Days 11 & 12: It's out of the city again for a languid, two-day bus and boat trip deep into the Mekong Delta, an exotic world of floating markets, river traffic, and drop-dead gorgeous scenery -- one of the world's great marvels for a mere $20. Day 13: On my next-to-last day I meet Ed, a 62-year-old American expat, fish exporter, ex-con, and a character right out of The Sopranos, who offers to show me the real Saigon -- at night. "But only if you can hang with me; not too many people can." We start at the classy Saigon Saigon Bar atop the Caravelle Hotel, get down and funky at Apocalypse Now, swing over to the Speed disco, and wind up at my favorite, Vasco's, a classy two-story garden bar with a band and an upscale mix of expats, tourists, and locals. As the last watering hole closes down, Ed slaps me on the back, says I'm all right, and makes me promise to look him up the next time I'm in town. I amble down the street as a light mist tears my eyes and wake up a cyclo driver under a lamppost. On the slow ride back to the apartment, my mood is bittersweet. Just as I was starting to feel at home here, it's time to leave. I'm going to miss this magical land of smiles. Nowhere in the world have I been embraced so sincerely as an American as I have in Vietnam, which is unfathomable considering our tumultuous past. I make a resolution. Many veterans are returning for closure. I want to come back to open my heart. There are friends I made who are too dear not to see again and magnanimity bestowed that was too bountiful not to give back in kind. A two-week Untours trip to Hanoi and Saigon for two, including lodging, round-trip airfare on Singapore Airlines from Los Angeles or San Francisco, and in-country airfare on Vietnam Airlines, is $1,746 to $1,916 (depending on the season; add $40 for Chicago, Newark, or New York departures) per person. More information on Untours: P.O. Box 405, Media, PA 19063 (888/868-6871, untours.com).

Thundering herds of wildebeest, prides of lions, great masses of elephants and giraffes, chattering monkeys, and lumbering water buffalo -- all of them viewed from the safety of an open-topped van. That's the portrait of Africa to which most of the travel industry limits itself; the overwhelming majority of Africa tours tend to be wildlife safaris. For viewing an altogether different aspect of that immense continent -- the vitally important cultures, politics, and society of Africa -- the travel programs are few and rarely available for less than $4,000 or $5,000 per person. Until now, that is. Just in the past several years, a handful of dedicated Africa tour operators have begun to offer travel programs to the cities (and therefore the actual life) of Africa, priced as low as $2,500, and occasionally, for a breathtaking $1,700, including round-trip airfare from the United States. Though these expenditures are far above the usual recommended levels of Budget Travel, they are at least explained by the high airfare cost for reaching most African capitals, and they are justified by the importance of the subject matter. "Ten years ago there was no one rocking the boat, no one saying these prices were way too high," says Ken Hieber, owner of 2Afrika (877/200-5610 or 201/533-1075, 2afrika.com) based in Jersey City, New Jersey. "Americans were not very educated about this part of the world, and they truly were being led by the nose. There was a terrible exploitation of the U.S. travel market when it came to cultural tours of Africa. But with the Internet came the ability to do comparison-shopping, and more and more tour operators realized that they could no longer justify ridiculously high rates." In the path of Nelson Mandela, and sophisticated Cape Town For the past seven years, South African-born Hieber has been selling low-cost cultural tours to South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, independent of his low-cost safaris to Tanzania and Kenya. His business is booming. "I was bent on creating great trips at affordable prices for the average working person, not the chichi rich tourist, and my tours have increased by 45 percent in recent years," says Hieber. "I tell people that I don't sell status; I sell Africa. The truth is that when people travel to Africa without all the pretense of a luxury tour, the local people react to them much better. They can relate to them, they respect them more, and they welcome them with great warmth." While new specials are regularly posted on 2Afrika's Web site, some of the company's recent deals have included a truly inspiring tour called "Madiba" (Nelson Mandela's clan name), which traces the footsteps of the famous anti-apartheid leader with a tour of his Robben Island prison cell off the coast of Cape Town, as well as Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, the Cape of Good Hope, and several wine regions of the country. The tour includes airfare on South African Airways from New York or Atlanta, all hotels for eight nights in South Africa, all transportation, and some meals. Price: $2,125 (an optional three-day trip to Victoria Falls at the start of the tour is $435). Another 2Afrika special is a hard-to-believe bargain of an eight-day package to Cape Town, including airfare from New York or Atlanta and accommodations for five nights at one of the better hotels in the city, for all of $995, surely a travel-pricing record. 2Afrika also offers a few add-on excursions, including two on the famed Blue Train, an air-conditioned journey through the countryside that is part luxury hotel and part gourmet restaurant. Trips are available from Cape Town to Pretoria or Pretoria to Victoria Falls with prices starting at $760 per person (based on double occupancy) for a deluxe compartment. Ashanti drummers, the Ivory Coast, and the legacy of slavery Based in New Milford, Connecticut, Africa Desk (800/284-8796 or 860/354-9341, africadesk.com) is another highly reliable source for low-cost Africa tours. Founded in 1981 by Christine Tyson, a divorced mother of two with $86 in her pocket, Africa Desk is also noted for its specially designed "Postcards" trips, soft-adventure travel packages for women that attract American females from all walks of life. Postcards trips focus on "women-sensitive issues" that relate to the women of Africa (and other parts of the world), and often include visits with schoolchildren, teachers, and music and dance groups. Most of the company's packages include fully escorted tours, but it can also arrange specially designed trips for independent travelers. Africa Desk has devised a number of cultural tour packages to various countries. Its "Ghana Cultural Tour" is a nine-day adventure through that West African nation, which starts in Accra with tours of the National Museum, Makola Market, Kwame Memorial, and the W.E.B. DuBois Center for Pan-African Studies. It then goes on to the heart of the Ashanti Region, once the seat of an empire that stretched from the Ivory Coast to Togo, and includes visits with Ashanti drummers and market ladies who sell intricate kente cloth fabrics. The last leg involves a tour of the bustling town of Cape Coast, with visits to the African Historical Museum and a tour of the fifteenth-century slave dungeons inside Elmina Castle. Including airfare from New York, hotel accommodation for seven nights, ground transportation, and meals, prices for the tour start at $2,589 per person. The "Ivory Coast Cultural Tour," also offered by Africa Desk, is another rewarding package. Starting off in Abidjan, the nine-day trip includes escorted tours to the Cocody Market, National Museum, and religious sites. It then goes on to Grand Bassam, the former capital and a popular beach resort area, and Tiagba, a river village that juts out of the water on wooden pilings. Including airfare from New York, hotel accommodations for seven nights, ground transportation, and meals, prices start at $2,219 per person, double occupancy. For a taste of French-African flavor, the seven-day "Senegal Cultural Tour" begins in Dakar at the deluxe French-owned Sofitel Hotel and includes tours of the city, arts and crafts markets, and government buildings. It then moves on to one of the most compelling places in all of Africa-Goree Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now a mellow beach town dotted with colonial architecture, Goree Island was one of the most infamous slave trading centers in West Africa during the eighteenth century, and most of its historic structures relating to the slave trade have been turned into museums. Including airfare from New York, hotel for five nights, and meals, the price of the tour is $2,239 per person. A tour of "Roots" in the Gambia or Benin In 1989, Spector Travel of Boston (800/879-2374 or 617/338-0111, spectortravel.com) began experimenting with even lower-cost Africa excursions, and it now offers several interesting tours. Its seven-day "Roots and Culture Tour" to Senegal and the Gambia starts with a tour of Dakar and Goree Island and continues on to Banjul with visits to a Gambian orphan village, health center, and primary school where tour members present gifts of books and school supplies to the children. Including airfare from New York, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, admission fees, and daily breakfast, the price is $1,289 per person. Spector's Saturday-to-Saturday "Roots and Culture Tour" to Benin offers another fascinating slice of West Africa. Starting with a city tour of Cotonou, it continues with a full-day excursion to Ouidah, the voodoo center of the country and a port city from which thousands of slaves were shipped to Haiti, Brazil, and the United States. In addition, there are visits to the Sacred Forest, the Portuguese Museum, python temple, and slave memorials. Including airfare from New York, first-class hotels for five nights, ground transportation, admission fees, and breakfast daily, the cost is $1,399 per person. For the adventurous: Roughing it For travelers with no qualms about roughing it a little, two outstanding adventure tour operators are wonderfully inexpensive to use. In Emeryville, California, Adventure Center (800/228-8747 or 510/654-1879, adventurecenter.com) offers over 100 "participatory camping" tours to Africa, and recently its tours have been booked solid. "We've seen grassroots cultural tours to Africa really taking off," says Trevor Saxty, Adventure Center's sales manager. "We focus on giving people an authentic African experience without insulating them too much from the reality of the continent. I always tell prospective clients the truth -- if you don't mind getting a little dusty and helping out to pitch a tent, you will have a fantastic time. But I also tell them that Africa is not as unmanageable or difficult as most people think it is." Part of a larger company called Far & Wide, Adventure Center tours attract people of all ages and backgrounds, from bored executives and graduate students to honeymooners and retirees. The top cost of its trips (not including airfare to Africa) is $75 per day, with some as low as $40 a day. All have experienced trip leaders, require members to bring a sleeping bag, include some but not all meals, and involve groups of 8 to 24 people. Carefully note again that airfare to and from the destination is not included in the tour prices. The 4 1/2-week "Tribal Lands of West Africa Tour," which begins in Accra, includes the slave castles of Ghana, the ancient capital of the Ashanti, fetish markets in Togo, the ancient slave-market city of Ouidah in Benin, Hausa villages of Nigeria, and beautiful beach towns in Cameroon. Cost: $1,815. And the 18-day/12-night "Journey to Timbuctoo," with transportation via bus, boat, and dugout canoe, includes stops in Dakar, Djenne, and Dogon villages before a trip down the Niger River to legendary, mysterious Timbuktu itself, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Cost: $1,510. Africa by bicycle Based in Seattle, the International Bicycle Fund (206/767-0848, ibike.org) is still another down-to-earth alternative. A nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable tourism and cross-cultural encounters, the IBF has a "Bicycle Africa Program" run by former Peace Corps volunteer David Mozer, who has over 25 years' experience traveling throughout Africa. Described as soft-adventure tours that average about 40 miles a day, the program runs about 12 trips a year to 16 nations. "Most of our clients are well traveled, well read, and rather independent people," says Mozer. "Many have traveled on their own to other exotic places, but when it comes to Africa they think they would be more comfortable in a group." "On all of our trips, our goals are to give an overview of the diversity and complexity of African culture, to be environmentally friendly, and to have a positive impact on the local economy. We buy local foods, hire local guides, and use small lodgings." Mozer's clients range in age from 17 to 70, but most are in their 40s and 50s. Most are novice bikers, and the average group size is seven to ten people. The small hotels and private homes where they stay may not be elegant, but they are safe, clean, and African to the core. Breakfasts and dinners are included; airfare is extra. Among a far broader selection, IBF's tours include the 14-day/11-night "Ethiopia: Abyssinian Adventure," which consists of a tour of Addis Ababa, rides through lush forests and valleys, and several people-to-people cultural programs with the Amhara, Oromo, and Guage peoples of the Abyssinian highlands. Cost: $1,090. The 13-day/10-night "Uganda: Pearl of Africa" tour includes rides through Entebbe, Kampala, the Rift Valley, Kibale National Forest, rural villages, cultural centers, and visits to museums. Cost: $990. In over 20 years of leading bike tours to the most remote parts of Africa, Mozer claims he has never had a bad experience, nor has he had one bike stolen. "The reaction we get from locals is amazing," he says. "When we ride into small towns, people come running out to meet us. They offer us drinks and bananas and they invite us into their homes. I remember an old man once in a small village who said to me, 'You're not like the other tourists who drive by in those big buses. Seeing you ride into my little village makes my heart big.'" Custom-designed group tours to Africa Finally, a seasoned South African-born travel specialist who offers affordable custom-planned group trips to his home continent: Norman Pieters, the owner of Karell's African Dream Vacations (800/327-0373 or 305/446-7766, karell.com). Based in Coral Gables, Florida, Pieters' company has been selling tours to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana for 18 years. "When it comes to travel to Africa, what I've seen in recent years is that people's travel budgets do not always reflect their financial standing. Many people who can afford to spend a lot prefer not to, and are concerned about getting good value for their money," says Pieters. For a fee of $250, he will custom design a tour and hunt for bargains. But first, he puts his clients to work. "For most people, Africa is a great unknown, and they often view it as a country rather than the enormous continent that it is," says Pieters. "So I give them homework to do. They must read up on the different places and decide what their priorities are. Do they want a cultural or simply a big-game nature experience? Once I know those answers, I can scrimp to put together a terrific but affordable trip." Pieters recently designed a 14-day escorted tour for American teenagers that took in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Sun City, Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe, and Victoria Falls. His price was $3,000 per person and included airfare from the U.S., all transportation in Africa, first-rate hotels, and all meals.

New Zealand is green. I can't say it enough. The greenness of New Zealand eases the mind and soothes the eyeballs. Honestly-is there anywhere greener? New Zealand is so pristine, so mythic, that the makers of The Lord of the Rings transformed it into Middle Earth simply by adding a hobbit here, an orc there. The nation is so magisterial that folks call it "Godzone"- as in "God's own country." How could a spot this lovely be such a well-kept secret? Forget what you haven't heard about New Zealand. Among English-speaking countries, it's the safest, prettiest, and purest. And now that one Kiwi dollar is worth about 45¢ in U.S. money, if you stick to modest amenities, expenses can skim US$30 a day. Spotless B&Bs, run by preternaturally perky people, charge US$15 to US$20, and since meals cost around US$6, anyone can afford to dine like royalty. So even with airfare (US$900 is a good price from Los Angeles), two weeks here can run US$1,300 to US$1,500-less than explorations of many European capitals. The principal sights of New Zealand, a temperate country found two hours by air east of Australia, stretch along 1,000 miles on two narrow islands. Most Americans, confined to two-week vacations, must limit their visits to a few areas. That's easier said than done, considering the stunning range available-from the forbidding mountains and glaciers of the South Island to the geothermal oddities and harbor towns of the more populous North Island. I've spent a goodly amount of time in this godly country, and this is what I would choose. Auckland The first views of this jade paradise appear out of the blue South Pacific. From North America, everyone lands on the North Island, in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city. About 30 percent of the country's 3.8 million citizens dwell here, but it's still a lovely, livable place. Cupping the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland is speared by the sleek SkyTower (1,075 feet tall) and thousands of masts, hence the nickname "City of Sails." New Zealand's washable plastic cash is fun to use but tough to spend-everything's so cheap. Among the attractions are the Auckland Museum (a nominal US$2), the America's Cup at the Maritime Museum (US$5), ferries to pleasant island suburbs (from US$3 round-trip at the harbor), and 45 minutes west in Piha and Karekare, blissfully wild rain forest and beaches (where The Piano was filmed). For 45¢, the Link bus loops through Auckland's best areas: the CBD (for Queen Street shopping and the fetching quay), Parnell (for galleries and bistros), Karangahape Road (or "K-Road," for budget eats), and Ponsonby (for yuppie restaurants)-but none of them are the reason you came. No one visits New Zealand for city life. People make the journey for one of earth's last great, untouched paradises-mossy rivers, primordial fern groves, air dense with clean oxygen. The sooner you leave Auckland, the more you'll see. Sleeping Auckland has the country's highest costs, but that's not saying much. The best-value lodging is ideally reached on wheels (a five-minute drive/ten-minute bus ride from downtown along Highway 1) on the Great South Road, which hosts a spate of family-run motels costing around US$35 per room, including Ritz Greenlane (149 Great South Rd., 09/523-5530), Oak Tree Lodge (104 Great South Rd., 09/524-2211), and Tudor Court Motor Lodge (108 Great South Rd., 09/523-1069). If you don't have a car, the central Aspen House B&B (62 Emily Pl., 09/379-6633, aspenhouse.co.nz) has basic rooms with shared baths on a lovely city park; US$21 single room, US$30 double room. Your most Spartan option is the new Auckland International YHA (1-35 Turner St., 09/302-8200, yhaakint@yha.org.nz): one of the quieter hostels, off the main shopping street; US$9 dorm, US$24 double with shared bath, US$31 double with private bath. But my top choice is Great Ponsonby B&B (30 Ponsonby Ter., 09/376-5989, ponsonbybnb.co.nz), a colorful, homelike favorite including gourmet breakfast; US$65 double rooms with kitchenettes. Eating Given the blissful exchange rate, little will stress your budget. Good choices are on Ponsonby Road, Parnell Road, High Street, and K-Road. You may wish to eat with Auckland's flourishing Asian community along Queen Street at K-Road, where a row of ten busy restaurants charge US$2-US$3.50 for authentic and flavorful Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine. Elsewhere in town, Di Mare (5/251 Parnell Rd., 09/300- 3260) is a seafood wonder tucked in a brick courtyard; its seafood chowder (US$4) is a meal in itself; fish of the day is US$6. The Bay of Islands In the Bay of Islands, a maritime getaway a four-hour drive north of Auckland, you'll find one of the world's last great paradises-a lingering Shangri-La-as well as the spot where Kiwi nationhood was born. About 1,000 years ago, Polynesian warriors called the Maori paddled across the Pacific to New Zealand, poetically dubbed the virgin land "Aotearoa" (or "land of the long white cloud"), and then proceeded to kill everything in sight, chiefly the giant flightless moa. The British didn't arrive until 1769; Captain Cook pegged a few Maori with a musket before fleeing to publicize his "discovery." Later, the Brits ravaged the ecosystem by adding farming-till then, the only native mammals were bats-and with 1840's Treaty of Waitangi, signed in the Bay of Islands, they coaxed the bickering Maori chiefs into the coalition that became modern New Zealand. These days, the Bay's 144 islands are home to scads of dolphins and ideal waterfront towns like Kerikeri, Opua, and Russell (within miles of each other off Highways 10 or 11), where a wanna-be yachtie can disappear into a sleepy cove with a glass of wine. The heart of the Bay of Islands is the Waitangi National Reserve, in Paihia, where the seminal treaty was signed. The site survives as a fragrant seaside spot containing some of the country's most historic structures (09/402-7437; free). One of them is a Maori marae (meeting house), built without nails and carved in the Polynesian style. There, visitors can receive an intimidating Maori powhiri (a fearsome traditional welcome) and storytelling show. It's one of the least-touristy samples of Maori traditions (Culture North, 09/401-9301; US$21) in a country where 14 percent of the population claims Maori lineage. A quick US$3 ferry from Paihia (on foot) or Opua (by car) brings you to the Russell Peninsula and its 6,000-acre conservation area for the elusive kiwi, the queer, nocturnal, flightless bird that gives New Zealanders their nickname. Russell, the tiny port, is a peephole to the country's pioneer past, and the self-subsistence and isolation of early New Zealand rhymes with that of America's colonial towns like Plymouth. Pompallier, austere in its wharfside garden, was built in 1842 as a Catholic mission and was recently restored as a working Bible bookbindery (The Strand, 09/403-7861; US$2). Upstairs, the property's history is illuminated by (no kidding) displays of dried rats and the artifacts found in their nests. Sleeping My top choice is the Arcadia Lodge B&B (10 Florance Ave., Russell, 09/403-7756), an eccentric 1899 dowager built from the wood of old ships, with a prime view; US$50-US$100 per couple, depending on the season. Waterview Lodge B&B (14 Franklin St., Opua, 09/402-7595, waterviewlodge.com) has airy rooms, attentive owners, and private balconies; US$25-US$34 per single, US$51-US$64 per couple, depending on the season. The cheapest is Saltwater Lodge (14 Kings Rd., Paihia, 09/402- 7075, saltwaterlodge.co.nz), probably the nicest hostel in NZ; US$8 dorm, US$19 double room. Eating In Paihia, Marsden Road is lined with fresh seafood restaurants charging US$8-US$12 for gourmet-quality meals. The water is so clean, the shellfish is grit-free; try Only Seafood at No. 40 (09/402-6066). The road into Kerikeri is another useful avenue for dining options. Middle North Island On the whole, it comes across a bit like Dorothy's Oz-ideal and virtually immaculate. The first time I saw the impossibly perfect countryside a few hours south of Auckland (which doubled for homey Hobbiton in The Lord of the Rings), I was an impoverished backpacker, enchanted by how tidy and timely everything was in this country of neighborly hamlets and a squeaky-clean working class. New Zealand is admirably progressive: For a start, nuclear power is banned (even on visiting American ships), a hot issue is the safety of genetically engineered food, and the country is currently served by its second consecutive female prime minister. No longer a backpacker, I recently roamed this compact land the best way: by car. Few stoplights, nary a straightaway-it is driving at its best. Where else can you hear, as you ramble hilly two-lane ribbons of asphalt, the sort of heartwarming Main Street radio that didn't exist even in Frank Capra's day? "There's a lost brown dog down near the post office," announced one deejay near Otorohanga. "I think I know who owns it, but can you count your dogs anyway?" The heaving farmland of the middle North Island, sweet as it is, belies the tumult beneath the cows' hooves. Under the arching green hillocks of Waitomo, southwest of Hamilton, underground rivers thrill novice spelunkers. Outfitted with a wet suit and a headlamp, I dove into a three-hour extravaganza that had me leaping down waterfalls, bobbing above eels in an inner tube, and drifting under the neon pinpricks of Godzone's most famous insect, the glowworm (07/878-6219, blackwaterrafting.co.nz; US$32). The timid (or coiffed) can see the worms in street clothes on a crowded 45-minute version of the tour (07/878-8227, waitomocaves.co.nz; US$11). Nearby, the three- hour Ruakuri Walk, through mossy, verdant woods and yawning caves, is but one of the country's countless free walks-it instantly became one of my favorites in the world (Waitomo Information Centre and Museum, Caves Rd., 07/878-7640). Two hours east of Waitomo, in the active volcanic area of Rotorua, subterranean doings are more sinister. When I last rolled into town, a jolly gas-station attendant informed me that some foul emission from the bowels of the planet had once again set the city park alight. I asked him if, given his vocation, he was concerned. It says a lot about the affability of the Kiwis, and their love of the land, that the idea seemed to startle him. Unlike Yellowstone, eggy-smelling Rotorua isn't officially protected (although there are only three or four places like it in the world) but is carved into private attractions. The most colorful is, at US$7, also the cheapest: Wai-o-tapu's (17 miles south on Highway 5, 07/366-6333, geyserland.co.nz) easy path loops past burbling pools of puke-green arsenic, belching, boiling mud, and primrose sulphur aplenty. At 10:15 a.m. daily, the Lady Knox Geyser promptly erupts, induced by a dose of biodegradable detergent. Equally endearing are the silly (and so Kiwi) "farm shows," where milking and fleecing amuse children and coachloads of Japanese tourists. Farming's a big deal in Godzone: Sheep outnumber humans by nearly 12 to 1. Rainbow Springs' five daily shows are US$8.50, including admission to its zoo-where you can finally spot a real kiwi (Fairy Springs Rd., 07/347-9301). True bird-watchers should visit predator-free Mokoia Island, a mile into Lake Rotorua (07/348-7766; US$12, including US$7 island-entry fee, on the ScatCat ferry at the lakefront). Sleeping Rotorua has been a family vacationland since Victorian times, so there are scads of budget motels, most made of concrete to combat Mother Nature's eternal flatulence, and almost all with ground-fed hot springs on tap in each room. Outside of Christmastime, doubles are US$25-US$30 at most motels on Fenton Street, which leads south from the lake. One is as good as another, but Heritage Motor Inn (349 Fenton St., 07/347-7686) has notable-value one-bedroom suites, sleeping up to six, with private patio and pool for around US$55. Hot Rock Backpackers (1286 Arawa St., 07/348-8636, acb.co.nz/hot-rock; US$7.75 dorm, US$11 per person double) is the funky social option, right in town, and has several mineral pools. Eating Fat Dog (1161 Arawa St., 07/347-7586) is a scruffy joint made for woofing huge helpings of Moroccan beef salad or blue cheese fettuccine, US$3-US$5 with greens. Triple 1 Five (1115 Tutanekai, 07/347-1115) offers meatless options like ratatouille pasta, spinach crepes with mushroom, and veggie-and-cream-cheese phyllo logs, all US$6 feeding two. The South Island What powerful beauty grows here! Razor-backed mountains, placid alpine lakes-what's a visitor to do? Challenge it, of course. After all, the Southern Alps, which line the western half of the South Island (where only a quarter of New Zealanders live), is where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for Everest. Queenstown, snugly hammocked between mountains and Lake Wakatipu, is the seat of extreme sports in a country world famous for guts and glory. Cheap thrills come in every variety, from rafting in summer to skiing in winter. Commercial bungee jumps were originated here (nearly a million safe jumps ago) by A.J. Hackett, whose 440-foot plunge is one of the world's highest (US$74). Because I'm a fool, I took the nine-second free fall (easier 150-foot jumps cost US$58; 03/442-4007, ajhackett. com). On the same day, I also braved death-defying river jet boats, white-water rafts, a 'copter ride, and a mountain luge. Packages combine them (03/442-7318, combos.co.nz; from US$64 adult/US$42 child). Rushes don't come cheaper (or as safely) anywhere else in the world. Even tandem sky dives and paraglides cost half as much (about US$70-US$80) as back home, and the scenery is twice as lush. Companies vie for buzz junkies at the corner of Shotover and Camp streets; transportation is provided. Many Kiwis think Queenstown's adrenaline fixation isn't typical of the "real" New Zealand. They may have a point, and if you try to do it all, you'll break both body and budget. Happily, with so much wilderness, you needn't spend a cent. Kiwis love to share their land, so there will be few restrictions on your movements. Countless hikes, multiday "tramps," clear rivers for fly-fishing, and uncluttered swaths of public land mean anyone can improvise a cleansing, back-to-nature vacation with no more than a picnic lunch. Sleeping Queenstown Lodge (Sainsbury Rd., 03/442-7107, qlodge.co.nz) is a timber lakeview pleaser a three-minute drive from the action; US$12 bunk, US$36 hotel-style room for two to four. In town, Pinewood Lodge (48 Hamilton Rd., 03/442- 8273, pinewood.co.nz), as mismatched as someone's lake house, offers dorm beds for US$8, six-room shared bungalows at US$19 double (bed, kitchen) to US$30 double (with views, TV/VCR lounge). Resort Lodge (6 Henry St., 03/442-4970), a boutique hostel, has soundproof rooms with shared bath; US$10 dorm, US$25 private room. Eating Vudu Cafe (23 Beach St., 03/442-5357) serves tart chicken and cashew bowls (US$4.50) or veggies with spicy peanut sauce (US$5). Surreal (7 Rees St., 03/441- 8492), at US$7/entree, is US$5 cheaper than similar menus-try the sweet corn fritters, Persian beef with apricot sauce, and coconut pie. Thai Siam's (43 Beach St., 03/442-4815) 43 entrees cost just US$6 each, so it's packed. For those on the go, Planet 1 (Marine Parade and Church St., no phone) is a busy booth serving "Make Ya Go Like Hell" (spicy beef curry) and "This Squid's for You" (calamari and rice) for US$1.70-US$3.60. The spectacular five-hour drive south from Queenstown, which threads past ravishing mountain lakes, took me to the southernmost point of my life, in rural Mossburn. Like all profound personal milestones, the spot was just an ordinary fork in the road. My destination, the sublime Milford Sound, is one of the few places where you want bad weather on your vacation. Nearly 30 feet of rain a year feed thousands of cascades, and when they shoot down the near-vertical walls of the chasm, your knees will wobble. More southerly than all of Australia, more dramatic than the canyons of Manhattan-the only way to experience the unfathomable beauty of these waters (which host whales, dolphins, and sea lions) is by boat. Three-hour cruises on the Milford Wanderer, a family-friendly vessel, cost US$25, but local hotel options are slim, so splurge US$81 for a 17-hour overnight excursion, including bunk, meals, and kayaking among wild penguins, and wake up in the mists (03/442-7500, fiordlandtravel. co.nz). Companies sell one-day bus/boat tours from Queenstown from US$55, but on those, crowds foul the perfect peace. It pains me (for space reasons) to exclude Wellington, the world's most southerly capital, with its top-flight museums and San Franciscan vibe; arty Nelson and the turquoise inlets of Abel Tasman National Park; Christchurch, with its English panache and dulcet wine lands; and Franz Josef, where you can climb glaciers in your shorts. With such low costs, though, I'll be back. The steepest expense is my limited vacation time. There's no doubt about it. New Zealand is green. It's money-savin' green. Going to New Zealand Arriving Qantas (800/227-4500) and Air New Zealand (800/262-2468) fly to Auckland from Los Angeles. Companies such as Discover Wholesale Travel (888/768-8472) regularly offer US$900 round trips during New Zealand's mild winter (May to September). The best packages offer airfare and a car so you can roam; try Newmans (800/421-3326) for ten-day deals priced around US$1,200. Getting Around InterCity Coachlines (09/913-6100, intercitycoach.co.nz) sells seven days of travel from US$190. Sample prices on Tranz Scenic trains (04/498-3303, tranzscenic.co.nz): US$44 Auckland-Wellington and US$20 Auckland-Rotorua. Youth-oriented Kiwi Experience (09/366-9830, kiwiexperience.com) runs shuttles ranging from US$30 (one-day Bay of Islands trip) to US$500 (the entire country over a month).Car rentals cost about US$15/day from Apex (03/379-2647, apexrentals. co.nz), small camper vans around US$28 from Britz (09/275-9090, britz.com); the major companies (Avis, Budget, etc.) tend to be expensive. Cross the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands on the four-hour Interislander ferry (04/498-3303, tranzrailtravel.co.nz; US$24 on foot, US$84/car). Lodging In New Zealand's summer (November to February), book ahead. The AA New Zealand Accommodation Guide lists 1,088 pages of B&Bs, farmstays, and motels (free at aaguides.co.nz). Golden Chain motels (03/358-0821, goldenchain.co.nz) are nationwide and charge around US$30/room. Learning General New Zealand info: 310/395-7480, purenz.com; Bay of Islands: northland.org.nz; Auckland: aucklandnz.com; Rotorua: rotoruanz.com; Queenstown: queenstown- nz.co.nz; Maori life: Keri Hulme's The Bone People and Alan Duff's Once Were Warriors. When calling New Zealand numbers from North America, precede with 011-64 and drop the first zero.