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Air New Zealand 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 Air New Zealand, 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, and one additional non-stop flight regularly scheduled to depart at 9:45pm and arrive at 12:55pm, Wednesdays, Sundays. Usually a Boeing 747-400 or Boeing 777-200 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Auckland, New Zealand to Los Angeles, CA is 12 hours.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Universal Studios Hollywood & CityWalk
Believing that filmmaking itself is a bona fide attraction, Universal Studios began offering tours to the public in 1964. The concept worked: Today Universal is more than just one of the largest movie studios in the world -- it's one of the largest amusement parks as well. By integrating shows and rides with behind-the-scenes presentations on movie-making, Universal created a new genre of theme park, stimulating a number of clone and competitor parks.The main attraction continues to be the Studio Tour, a 1-hour guided tram ride around the company's 420 acres. En route you pass stars' dressing rooms and production offices before visiting famous back-lot sets that include an eerily familiar Old West town, a clean New York City street, the famous town square from the Back to the Future films, and newer sets such as Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, Jurassic Park III, and The Grinch. Along the way, the tram encounters several staged "disasters," which I won't divulge here lest I ruin the surprise (they're all very tame). Though the wait to board might appear long, don't be discouraged -- each tram carries several hundred people and departures are frequent, so the line moves quickly.Other attractions are more typical of high-tech theme-park fare, but all have a film-oriented slant. The newest ride, Revenge of the Mummy, is a super-high-tech indoor roller coaster that's enhanced with animatronics, motion picture technology, and lots of really creepy Warrior Mummies that drop down and scare the crap out of you. Back to the Future is a virtual-reality ride within a bucking simulation chamber (similar to Star Tours at Disneyland). You're a guest in Doc Brown's lab and get caught up in a high-speed chase in a time-traveling DeLorean through a million years (try to count how many times Biff says "butthead"). Jurassic Park -- The Ride is short in duration but long on dinosaur animatronics; riders in jungle boats float through a world of five-story-tall T-rexes and airborne raptors that culminates in a pitch-dark vertical drop with a splash ending. Terminator 2: 3D is a high-tech cyberwar show that combines live action along with triple-screen 3-D technology, explosions, spraying mists, and laser fire (Arnold prevails, of course). Shrek 4D is one of the park's best attractions, a multisensory animated show that combines 3-D effects, a humorous storyline, and "surprise" special effects -- the flying dragon chase is wild.There are also several live shows performing daily. Waterworld is an entertaining, fast-paced outdoor theater presentation (and far better than the film that inspired it) featuring stunts and special effects performed on and around a small man-made lagoon (most performances are sold out, so arrive at the theater at least 15 minutes before the show time listed in the handout park map). In Backdraft, guests move from theater to theater amid realistic ruptured fuel lines, melting metal, and scorching warehouse scenes. Spider-Man Rocks! is a high-energy rock 'n' roll musical with lots of song, dance, acrobatics, loud noises, and pyrotechnics. Animal Planet Live! stars trained monkeys, pigs, hawks, and other animals doing various entertaining tricks (well, most of the time). Tip: Straight ahead of the park's main entrance on Main Street is the TV Audience Ticket Booth, where you can obtain free tickets to join the audience for any TV shows that are taping during your visit (subject to availability).Universal Studios is an exciting place for kids and teens, but just as in any theme park, lines can be brutally long; the wait for a 5-minute ride can sometimes last more than an hour. In summer, the stifling Valley heat can dog you all day. To avoid the crowds, try not to visit on weekends, school vacations, and Japanese holidays. If you're willing to pay extra money to save the hassle of standing in line, the park offers a "Front of Line" pass with -- obviously -- front-of-the-line privileges, as well as VIP passes (essentially private tours). You can also save time standing in line by purchasing and printing your tickets online. Log onto the website for more information.Located just outside the gate of Universal Studios Hollywood is Universal CityWalk (tel. 818/622-4455; www.citywalkhollywood.com), Universal Studio's version of Downtown Disney, complete with throngs of bored-looking teens. If you have any money left from the amusement park, you can spend it at this three-block-long pedestrian promenade crammed thick with flashy name-brand stores (Billabong, Fossil, Skechers, Vans), dorky nightclubs (Blues at B. B. King's, Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar, Rumba Room Latin dance club), chain restaurants (Hard Rock Cafe, Daily Grill, Jerry's Famous Deli), a six-story 3-D IMAX theater, an 18-screen cinema, a 6,200-seat amphitheater, NASCAR virtual racing, and even a bowling alley (Take that, Disney!). Entrance to CityWalk is free; it's open until 9pm on weekdays and until midnight Friday and Saturday. Tip: The sushi at the Wasabi at Citywalk restaurant (tel. 818/622-7224) was surprisingly good and very reasonably priced.
Pacific Asia Museum
The most striking aspect of this museum is the building itself. Designed in the 1920s in Chinese Imperial Palace style, it's rivaled in flamboyance only by Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Rotating exhibits of 14,000 rare Asian and Pacific Islands art and artifacts span the centuries, from 100 B.C. to the current day. This manageably-sized museum is worth a visit, particularly if you're an adherent of Buddhism.
US Bank Tower (aka Library Tower)
Designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, L.A.'s most distinctive skyscraper (it's the round one) is the tallest building between Chicago and Singapore. Built in 1989 at a cost of $450 million, the 76-story monolith is both square and rectangular, rising from its Fifth Street base in a series of overlapping spirals and cubes. The Bunker Hill Steps wrapping around the west side of the building were inspired by Rome's Spanish Steps. Gee whiz fact: The glass crown at the top -- illuminated at night -- is the highest helipad in the world.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Los Angeles area, including:
Casa del Mar
Housed in a former 1920s Renaissance Revival beach club, this Art Deco stunner is a real dream of a resort hotel, equal in every respect to big sister Shutters just down the beach. Which one you prefer depends on your personal sense of style. While Shutters is outfitted like a chic contemporary beach house, this impeccable, U-shape villalike structure radiates period glamour. The building's shape awards ocean views to most of the guest rooms; unfortunately, windows don't open more than an inch or two (which gives Shutters, whose rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies, a slight advantage). You're unlikely to be too disappointed thanks to the gorgeous, summery, European-inspired decor in golds and sea grass hues, plus abundant luxuries that include sumptuously dressed beds and big Italian marble bathrooms with extralarge whirlpool tubs and separate showers. Rooms are laid out for relaxation, not business, so travelers with work on their minds should stay elsewhere.Downstairs you'll find a big, elegant living room with ocean views, a stylish lounge, and the Oceanfront restaurant, which has earned justifiable kudos (and more than a few celebrity fans) for its beautiful setting, great service, and seafood-heavy California cuisine. Outdoors, the Mediterranean-evocative Palm Terrace boasts a gorgeous Roman-style pool and Jacuzzi with spectacular ocean views.Facilities: Oceanfront restaurant; lobby lounge for cocktails and light fare; alfresco cafe for daytime dining; heated outdoor Roman-style pool; plunge pool; Jacuzzi overlooking Santa Monica Beach; state-of-the-art health club with spa services; 24-hr. concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry-cleaning service.
Elan Hotel Modern
Frou-frou name aside, this is one of L.A.'s best boutique-style hotels -- and one of the city's best values. Rebuilt from the bones of a 1969 retirement home, the ultramodern structure uses design elements from the original 1969 facade to set the stage for 21st-century style. Inside, a mod, loungey lobby leads to mid-20th-century-inspired guest rooms done in serene celadon and natural hues. The design merges form and function beautifully, resulting in amenity-laden and surprisingly luxurious accommodations, considering the price. The standard rooms aren't huge, but extrahigh ceilings and thoughtfully designed custom blond-wood furnishings create the luxury of space, while plush textured fabrics (mohair, chenille), beautifully made beds -- with cushioned headboards, goose-down comforters, 250-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens, and turndown service -- VCRs, and bathrooms with cotton robes and the thickest, plushest bath sheets in town elevate comforts well beyond the moderate price point. On the downside, there's no view and no pool, and this stretch of Beverly Boulevard isn't exactly the hippest strip in town. But double-paned glass ensures that even Beverly-facing rooms are quiet, and the location is central to everything (shoppers will love the walking-distance proximity to the Beverly Center).
Georgian Hotel
This eight-story Art Deco beauty offers luxury comforts, loads of historic charm, and a terrific oceanview location, just across the street from Santa Monica's beach and pier, with prime Ocean Avenue dining just steps away. Established in 1933, the former Lady Windermere was popular among Hollywood's golden-age elite; it even had its own speakeasy, rumored to have been established by Bugsy Siegel (guests now enjoy breakfast in the historic room). Today the elegant classic-revival architecture is beautifully accented with a well-chosen palette of bold pastels (a la Miami Beach's hotels of the same era). A wonderful veranda with cushy wicker chaises and unobstructed ocean views opens onto a light and airy lobby with comfortable seating nooks. A slow but silent antique elevator leads to guest rooms that are an ideal blend of nostalgic style and modern-day amenities. Fittings include furnishings upholstered in gorgeous nubby textiles, mattresses dressed in goose-down comforters, ceiling fans, and terry robes; suites have sleeper sofas and CD players as well. The hotel has an unobstructed coastal vista, so most rooms have at least a partial or full ocean view; the best views are above the third floor. The rooms facing the ocean can be a bit small and noisy, so ask for a Malibu view for the best of both worlds. Back-facing rooms have city views that are more attractive than you'd expect, so nobody loses; these rooms are best for light sleepers.
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