See New Zealand’s islands
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Stewart Island is New Zealand’s third-largest island, about 20 miles south of South Island. Its population is fewer than 500 people, and about 85 percent of its roughly 600 square miles is occupied by Rakiura National Park. Most New Zealand tours concentrate on the North Island and South Island, but Natural Habitat Adventures ventures onto Stewart with its 12-day/11-night New Zealand Nature Explorer tour. Two nights are spent on Stewart, whose rain forests and coastal areas harbor a wealth of birds, including albatrosses, shearwaters and several species of penguins. There’s also a night foray in search of the brown kiwi. Other parts of the itinerary are devoted to exploring the South Island, including famed Milford Sound and the Southern Alps. On the Crown Range Road there’s lunch at the Cardrona Hotel, which dates to 1863. A boat cruise on Lake Wanaka is highlighted by a visit to Mou Waho Island, home to the flightless buff weka, which has been extinct on the mainland since 1920. Along the west coast there are views of the ice fields of the Southern Alps. The tour is offered from October through March 2019 and is priced from $10,895 per person, double occupancy. International air is extra. Info: 800-543-8917,
If you don’t mind hot temperatures and want to cross India off your bucket list without breaking the bank, World Spree has a deal for you. The Exotic India package is priced from just $999 per person, double occupancy, for departures in May 2019. That price is a major bargain considering that it includes round-trip air from Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York (slightly higher on some dates) and seven nights’ lodging. I’ve done a World Spree India tour, and it uses nice hotels and very knowledgeable tour guides. This is a typical Golden Triangle tour of India, spending time exploring New and Old Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal, plus Jaipur, with a visit to the Amber Fort. On the downside, May is when India is heading into summer, which means temps in the 90s. If you prefer the more moderate winter season, it’ll cost you about $500 more, which is still a good price. World Spree also offers a variety of other wellpriced packages in India and other countries. Info: 866652-5656,