Right now, airfares are cheap, most places are crowd-free, and the weather is turning cooler (in Australia at least) so it’s the perfect time to book a tropical escape.
Sure there’s that pesky little virus thing, but there’s still places in the world, free from Coronavirus, (or COVID-19) so you can enjoy a holiday, and escape from all the chaos.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be publishing a series of articles focussed on safe, clean and relaxing travel destinations. They may not be easy to get to, they may not be the cheapest destination, but you can still travel, knowing that your tourism dollars are helping local economies that really need it, whilst ensuring your own health and safety.
Of course, always check your government official channels like Smart Traveller for the latest advice on Coronavirus, or the relevant consulate and don’t forget to purchase travel insurance.
For a safe and clean travel destination, your best option is an island, somewhere remote, ideally with few other travellers. There’s plenty of options in the Pacific and my favourite island is Niue.
Niue is so difficult to get to, that it took me, a qualified travel agent (including IATA Airfares and ticketing teacher), who’s been to Niue, over 30 minutes to figure out the schedule and flight combinations to fly there from Australia!
– Jade Jackson
There’s only two flights a week from Auckland to Niue (and V.V) and the flight times mean you need an overnight stay in Auckland at either end, (you cross the international date line each way) however, look beyond that and what you’ll find is one of the greatest snorkelling and diving destinations in the world.
There’s dozens of places in Niue you can park your rental car, walk down an easy path to the water, and snorkel on a pristine reef with few other tourists, surrounded by bright tropical fish. There’s even a sea cave, with aqua-blue water, closed off from the ocean filled with fish.
Jump on a boat with a local dive company and snorkel with dolphins, humpback whales (Mar-October), turtles and billions of fish (and maybe a couple of sea snakes. They are curious but docile and no threat).
Experience glorious sunsets, every evening, hot fresh donuts from the bakery, fresh sashimi (caught by the chef that morning) and by the time you leave, you’ll be on a first name basis with all the locals.
It’s recently been declared a dark-sky zone meaning it’s a great place to watch the stars and for astrophotography. It’s also smoke-free. It’s illegal to bring in tobacco products, and to smoke.
If you’re there on a Sunday, everything shuts down (including tv) because it’s a day to rest and spend time with your family. However, there is one bar open, and to get around the ‘no service’ on Sunday’s rule, it’s a serve yourself bar. As it’s the only place open on a Sunday, apart from Church, you’ll find everyone there.
There’s a supermarket so you can cook in your guesthouse, along with local restaurants in Niue, but whilst you’re in Auckland you can stock up on some groceries as you’re allowed to take packaged food from New Zealand.
Here’s how to get there:
Flights to Niue
Air New Zealand operates two flights a week to Niue:
| Depart | Arrive | Days |
| AKL 09:10 | IUE 13:35-1 | Tue/Sat |
| IUE 15:10 | AKL 18:00+1 | Mon/Fri |
✈️ → NZ784 departs Auckland at 09:10 and arrives in Niue at 13:35 (minus 1 day) every Tuesday and Saturday.
✈️ ← NZ785 departs Niue at 15:10 and arrives in Auckland at 18:00 (plus 1 day) every Monday and Friday.
Need a hotel at Auckland Airport? The Novotel is 1 min walking distance away or Ibis Budget is a 15 minute walk away and cheaper.
Here’s some flight options you can book right now, to add to your international flights to Auckland, New Zealand (don’t forget you gain a day going to Niue, and you lose a day returning to Auckland):
Auckland → Niue | NZD $622 return
14 Apr – 20 Apr 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
Auckland → Niue| NZD $570 return
25 Apr – 04 May 2020
✈️Book These Flights Now →
Auckland → Niue | $561 return
12 May – 18 May 2020
✈️Book These Flights Now →
Auckland → Niue | NZD $561 return
09 Jun – 15 Jun 2020
✈️Book These Flights Now →
Auckland → Niue | NZD $624 return
08 Sep – 14 Sep 2020
✈️Book These Flights Now →
From Australia
Sydney → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Sydney | AUD $1130 return
10 May – 20 May 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
From Australia
Sydney → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Sydney | AUD $1103 return
24 May – 04 Jun 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
From Australia
Sydney → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Sydney | AUD $1153 return
07 Jun – 17 Jun 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
From Australia
Melbourne → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Melbourne| AUD $1175 return
07 Jun – 17 Jun 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
From Australia
Brisbane → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Brisbane| AUD $1200 return
07 Jun – 17 Jun 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
From USA
Los Angeles → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Los Angeles| USD $1638 return
07 Jun – 17 Jun 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
From Germany
Frankfurt → Auckland → Niue → Auckland → Frankfurt| EUR $1631 return
07 Jun – 17 Jun 2020
✈️ Book These Flights Now →
Niue is an independant country, though it uses New Zealand Dollars as the offical currency. There’s no ATM’s (It’s true!) so you’ll need to take cash out in Auckland, though the supermarket and some restaurants accept EFTPOS and some will allow you to take cash out, but it’s best not to rely on this.
You can pre-pay your accommodation by booking online through Agoda, Booking.com or Hotels.com.
For more information, check out Niue – Official tourism website or listen to my podcast episode about Niue.
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Thanks for reading!
Happy travels
cheers,
Jade Jackson – Listen to my podcast Jade Talks Travel
Travel Writer | Podcaster | Photographer
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