Most people stay off snow in NZ, as compared to Japan, but the Airfare component is where ya save dollars at half or below the cost of flyin to Japan!!!!!
But as for a comparison in snow,culture, snow, awesomeness, snow........ you get my drift, GO TO JAPAN!!!!!! IT IS WORTH ANY EXTRA $$$$ THAT YA PAY!!!!!
And have a read trough the Japan 2011/12 thread as there is a few prices that members have quoted, to give ya a rough idea!!!!!
NZ is heaps cheaper. I got return flights for $260. You can do a week in NZ easily for $1000 if you're not an idiot, whereas an airfare will take up most of that $1000 going to japan.
Thanks guys. I'm actually asking on behalf of my sis (who is a dirty skier). She's planning on a trip with some mates next year to check it out as a possible destination for a family trip the following year. She was planning on NZ but I suggested checking out Japan.
And for a family, I reckon there's nothin better than kids bein outside their comfort zone an and a place like Japan delivers that both unbelievably great, but also in a safe and friendly environment!!!!!
To give you a rough idea my Jetstar flights to Japan in Jan 12 (school holidays) were between $1200-$1300 with 25kg baggage + entertainment. Naturally there was a sale that brought them down a few hundred bucks just after I'd bought mine so you can do better.
Accomodation in Hakuba in a backpackers with 8 nights + 6 day lift tickets + transfers was between $850-$900.
I'm staying in Tokyo on the way back for 3 nights for roughly $60-$70/night.
If you can travel outside of the school holiday period there was quite a few bundle sales around the $1600 mark for flights + 7 nights
And for a family, I reckon there's nothin better than kids bein outside their comfort zone an and a place like Japan delivers that both unbelievably great, but also in a safe and friendly environment!!!!!
yeah my sis is the adventurous type, and she'd be more than happy to take her kids out of their comfort zone. Just a question of the $$.
To give you a rough idea my Jetstar flights to Japan in Jan 12 (school holidays) were between $1200-$1300 with 25kg baggage + entertainment. Naturally there was a sale that brought them down a few hundred bucks just after I'd bought mine so you can do better.
Accomodation in Hakuba in a backpackers with 8 nights + 6 day lift tickets + transfers was between $850-$900.
I'm staying in Tokyo on the way back for 3 nights for roughly $60-$70/night.
If you can travel outside of the school holiday period there was quite a few bundle sales around the $1600 mark for flights + 7 nights
that's good info, thanks, drc. Looks like we're looking at about a $600 premium to go Japan over NZ, but a bit hard to directly compare apples with apples.
yeah and I was being generous. we went for 14 days this year and I spent about $1500 including absolutely everything. I am the queen of bargain hunting though and my husband is the king of making your dollar stretch further. People can do so much more with their lives if they don't waste money on silly stuff!
so overall yeah - if she is worried about $$ then NZ is the go!
People can do so much more with their lives if they don't waste money on silly stuff!
Stayin in Hirafu when there's 20cm of Japow fallin every night, eatin the food and meetin the awesome locals, then wakin up to uncrowded fresh at ya door step isn't what I would call a "waste of money on silly stuff", cords!!!!!!
And ya only gotta watch a couple of vids to make ya wanna go to Japan as well!!!!!
As a matter of fact, the only two reasons that I am headin to Whistler is so not only I can experience some of Canada's snow, but so I can go there when I know that some of the BW Crew are there to make it so much better, and if finney, skip, Michelle and to a lesser extent Jeremy weren't there, then I would be headin back to Japan no ifs no buts!!!!!
Some vids to make ya wanna go!!!!!
And one of my favourite clips of all time, and somethin that is another bonus of stayin in Japan!!!!!! Night Boardin!!!!!!
just joking... nope it didn't... I can't remember exact, might have been just under 2k