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Lufthansa Flights from Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to Los Angeles (LAX)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Lufthansa, which operates 2 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to Los Angeles (LAX), departing between 7:15pm and 11:00pm. Usually a Boeing 747-400 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Auckland, New Zealand to Los Angeles, CA is 11 hours and 55 minutes.*
* Some flights must be used with additional international service on this airline.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Six Flags California (Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor)
What started as a countrified little amusement park with a couple of relatively tame roller coasters in 1971 has been transformed by Six Flags into a thrill-a-minute daredevil's paradise called The Xtreme Park. Located about 20 to 30 minutes north of Universal Studios, Six Flags Magic Mountain is one of the only ones out of the 38 Six Flags parks that is open year-round. The 16 world-class roller coasters (more than any other place in the world) make it enormously popular with teenagers and young adults, and the children's playland -- Bugs Bunny World -- creates excitement for the pint-size set (kids under 48 in. tall.) Bring an iron constitution; rides with names like Goliath, Déjà Vu, Ninja, Viper, Colossus, and Psyclone will have your cheeks flapping with the G-force, and queasy expressions are common at the exit. Some rides are themed to action-film characters (like Superman The Escape and The Riddler's Revenge); others are loosely tied to their themed surroundings, like a Far East pagoda or gold rush mining town. The newest thrill rides are Scream!, where riders are strapped into a "flying chair" and raced upside down seven times at 65 mph, and X, the world's first and only roller coaster where riders rotate 360 degrees forward and backward. Arcade games and summer-only entertainment (stunt shows, animal shows, and parades) round out the park's attractions.Hurricane Harbor is Six Flags's tropical paradise, which is located right next door to Magic Mountain and is open May through September. You really can't see both in 1 day -- combo tickets allow you to return sometime before the end of the season. Bring your own swimsuit; the park has changing rooms with showers and lockers. Like Magic Mountain, areas have themes like a tropical lagoon or an African river (complete with ancient temple ruins). The primary activities are swimming, going down water slides, rafting, playing volleyball, and lounging; many areas are designed especially for the little "buccaneer."
The Arboretum of Los Angeles County
Tucked into the hillsides of the San Gabriel Mountains, this sprawling horticultural and botanical center was formerly the estate of silver magnate "Lucky" Baldwin -- the man responsible for bringing horse racing to Southern California -- who lived until 1909 on these lushly planted 127 acres overlooking the Santa Anita racetrack. You might recognize Baldwin's red-and-white Queen Anne cottage from the opening sequence of Fantasy Island ("de plane, de plane"); the gardens are also a favorite location for movie filming and local weddings. In addition to spectacular flora (every continent is represented here), the Arboretum boasts a bevy of resident peafowl who seem unafraid of humans -- one of the best treats here is being up close when the peacocks, attempting to impress passing hens, unfold their brilliant rainbow plumage. Avid gardeners will want to visit the nursery-like gift shop on the way out.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
This is one of the world's great movie palaces and one of Hollywood's finest landmarks. The theater was opened in 1927 by impresario Sid Grauman, a brilliant promoter who's credited with originating the idea of the paparazzi-packed movie "premiere." Outrageously conceived, with both authentic and simulated Chinese embellishments, Grauman's theater was designed to impress. Original Chinese heavenly doves top the facade, and two of the theater's columns once propped up a Ming dynasty temple.Visitors by the millions flock to the theater for its famous entry court, where stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and about 160 others set their signatures and hand-/footprints in concrete (a tradition started when actress Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped in wet cement during the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's King of Kings). It's not always hands and feet: Betty Grable's shapely leg; the hoofprints of Gene Autry's horse, Champion; Jimmy Durante's and Bob Hope's trademark noses; Whoopi Goldberg's dreadlocks, George Burns's cigar, and even R2D2's wheels.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Los Angeles area, including:
Le Merigot
If you're accustomed to hotels that are roomier and more contemporary than the historic Georgian, yet not as pricey and prestigious as the Shutters or Casa del Mar properties, the porridge that's just right is Le Merigot, a low-key luxury hotel and spa that doesn't try to be anything other than a comfortable place to spend your seaside vacation. Ideally situated on the sandy side of Ocean Avenue in the heart of Santa Monica's beach scene, the 175-room property is essentially a business hotel that doubles as a resort, complete with a well-regarded French-California restaurant, Cézanne, and the 5,500-square-foot SPA Merigot, which offers a full range of services along with an outdoor pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Most of the contemporary-style guest rooms offer ocean views, and all are plushly furnished with thick carpeting, marble-tiled baths, oversize lounge chairs, and "Cloud Nine" beds topped with Frette linens, down comforters, and feather pillows. What I really like about this hotel, however, are the clever package deals, such as the "California Dreamin'," which includes your choice of a convertible Porsche Boxster or a BMW Z4 Roadster rental car, and the "California Surfin' Safari," a deluxe package that includes a full breakfast for two, a 2-hour surf lesson, a rejuvenating full-session Swedish massage, and celebratory Blue Crush graduation martinis (how very L.A.).
Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles Airport
This 15-story hotel is so close to the Los Angeles Airport that it literally overlooks the runway. Rooms have a California look, with comfortable furnishings and triple-pane windows that block out even the loudest takeoffs.Facilities: 2 restaurants; sushi bar; 2 cocktail lounges; heated outdoor pool; exercise room; whirlpool; concierge; car-rental desk; free airport shuttle; business center; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; executive-level rooms.
Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
The Biltmore is one of those hotels that's worth a visit even if you're not staying here. Built in 1923 and encompassing an entire square block, this Italian-Spanish Renaissance landmark is the grande dame of L.A.'s hotels. Chances are you've seen it in many movies, including The Fabulous Baker Boys, Chinatown, Ghostbusters, Bugsy, Beverly Hills Cop, and Barbra Streisand's A Star Is Born. The hotel lobby -- JFK's campaign headquarters during the 1960 Democratic National Convention -- appeared upside-down in The Poseidon Adventure. Always in fine shape and host to world leaders and luminaries, the former Regal Biltmore is now under the guiding hand of the Millennium Hotels and Resorts group, and the sense of refinement and graciousness endures. The "wow" factor ends at guest rooms, however, which are a little on the small side (common for older hotels) and aren't quite as eye-popping as the public spaces, but they've recently been redecorated in a style that meshes well with the hotel's vibe. Bathrooms are on the small side as well, but peach-toned marble adds a luxurious edge.A range of dining and cocktail outlets includes Sai Sai for Japanese cuisine. Pretty, casual Smeraldi's Bistro serves homemade pastas and lighter California fare. Off the lobby is the stunning Gallery Bar, named by Los Angeles magazine as one of the sexiest cocktail lounges in L.A. Afternoon tea and cocktails are served in the Rendezvous Court, which used to be the hotel's original lobby and resembles the interior of a Spanish cathedral, complete with a Moorish ceiling of carved beams and an altarlike Baroque doorway. Spend the few bucks to appreciate the Art Deco health club, with its gorgeous Roman-style pool.Facilities: 3 restaurants; 2 lounges; health club w/original 1923 inlaid pool, Jacuzzi, steam, sauna; concierge; Enterprise car-rental desk; courtesy car; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; executive-level rooms.
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