Rotorua a New York Times 2018 Must-Visit Place

“Come for the mud baths, stay for the beauty,” the New York Times says of Rotorua in its annual ‘52 Places to Go in 2018’ list.

Rotorua is included in the annual list alongside New Orleans, Arles, Kigali and La Paz.

“Sulfurous geysers and mineral-rich hot springs scent Rotorua, New Zealand’s North Island hub of Maori culture,” the newspaper writes.

“Celebrating the city’s geothermal blessings, the first annual Mudtopia Festival, featuring mud games and massages, launched in December 2017. Nature is again animated in Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest where the Redwoods Treewalk, an elevated trail of 21 suspension bridges amid a redwood grove, introduced the Redwoods Nightlights. Thirty dramatic lighting installations from the designer David Trubridge romance the majestic trees after dark.”

According to Wikipedia, Rotorua has an estimated permanent population of 58,800, making it New Zealand’s 10th largest urban area. The tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district.

Original article by The New York Times, January 2018.