Stopover en route to NZ

Q: My wife and I would like to go to New Zealand in February and return in March. En-route we would like to take advantage of a free stopover ( 2/3 days ) - as I understand this is a pretty long flight - a break would be welcome. What can you recommend so that we can maximise on the trip - get more bang for our buck ? - Mohan Singh

A: Your stopover will largely depend on the airline you choose to fly with, as some of the best deals are often available together with the air ticket. Your major options for a stopover would be Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Dubai. You can book stopover packages with Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines, but hotels and tours in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok are so reasonably priced that you can often get an equally good deal directly from a travel agent or through a discount hotel booking website on the Internet. Examples of good offers are US$48 per person sharing at the Thai-style boutique hotel in Bangkok, The Davis, and $45 per persons sharing at the five-star Equatorial Hotel in Kuala Lumpur (based on prices from www.asiarooms.com website). Emirates Airline offers stopover holidays, although the hotels are more expensive than those of their Asian rivals, with prices starting at around US$85 per person per night for a budget hotel to US$195 at a luxury hotel like the Park Hyatt. Probably the best overall offers are the Singapore Stopover packages from Singapore Airlines. Hotel prices start at US$62 per person sharing at a budget hotel to US$149 per person sharing at a five-star hotel like the Mandarin Oriental or the Ritz Carlton. A nice four-star hotel like the Grand Copthorne Waterfront costs US$95 per person sharing. Included in the package is 50% discount on food menu at hotel outlet, airport-hotel-airport coach transfers and free rides on Hop-On Bus and Sentosa Island shuttle. You will also receive a free Captain Explorer Amphibious Boat Tour, a discount booklet for shopping and dining and free admission to a number of attractions (Sentosa Island, National Orchid Garden, Singapore River Boat Cruise, Jurong BirdPark, The Singapore Zoo and the Malay Heritage Centre).