You score up to 10% of your purchase value emailed to you as a one time code to use on your next adventure!
 

10 nights dorm share accommodation is all included. You'll stay in quality comfy hostels and unique locations from scenic lodges close to waterfront to alpine chalets next to a national park!

Yes! Please contact our helpful support team on support@backpackerdeals.com or see our live chat!
 

Stray attracts adventurous travellers from all corners of the globe with the majority from the UK, Europe and America. When we say “adventurous”, we don’t mean we expect you to do a bungy jump or even a 10 mile hike… but an open mind and a thirst for exploration is important! 75% of our travellers are travelling solo and some travel as part of a couple or group of friends.

Most travellers on our tours are aged between 20 and 50 although we have no maximum age because we believe age doesn't matter - it's all about attitude!

Most travellers on our tours are aged between 20 and 50 although we have no maximum age because we believe age doesn't matter - it's all about attitude!

Absolutely! A lot of our travellers arrive alone, around 75% of our travellers are travelling solo, others are with friends or partners. It doesn’t matter because by the end of day one you have already made a great group of friends on the bus! (“Meeting liked-minded travellers” frequently is rated in the top 5 reasons to travel with us.)

No we don’t have Wi-Fi on our buses for a couple of reasons:

1. It doesn’t work everywhere we travel so we could offer it but you still couldn’t access it everywhere and at a decent speed (that’s the same for other bus companies who promote they offer it).
2. It discourages actual human connection. Share stories and make friends, be in the 'now'! This way your experience becomes even more memorable.

We recommend checking in with your mobile provider before you leave home to ensure that your device is internationally unlocked. That way you can pick up a local sim card when you arrive. 

Prepaid SimCards with data plans provide faster and better coverage and data packages are flexible and affordable.

Not every day is a travel day. Our itineraries include non-travel days in a few locations along the way so you have time to do activities and explore each of these areas further (or of course just relax by the pool/beach/lake!)

You should bring a backpack or small/medium suitcase (up to 15kg) filled with…

• Your clothes with at least one warm jumper and a pair of trousers.
• Swimsuit / Towel
• Bug repellent
• Reef Safe Sunblock / Hat
• Day pack
• Water bottle
• Waterproof jacket (shell)
• Walking shoes/trainers
• Sarong/shawl

In winter (May - September) we also suggest packing a warm hat, jacket and light thermals or clothes you can layer, particularly for the South Island of New Zealand where it gets very cold. In Asia between Nov - Mar it can also get pretty cold in Northern Thailand and Laos and you will need a warm jumper and trousers.

You won’t be needing…

• Sleeping bag
• Pillow
• Blankets or sheets

Either is fine, it’s up to you! We ask that you bring only one main piece of luggage (backpack/suitcase) and a day pack.

We suggest travelling with around 23kgs of luggage. You'll only ever have to transport your luggage short distances but you need to be able to manage this yourself.  If you are going to be travelling with a lot more than 23kg, then please let us know.

Travel Insurance is required when travelling with Stray. Your policy should cover you in case you get sick (COVID-19 or otherwise), lose an item(s) or miss your tour. We recommend reviewing your policy to make sure it has the applicable cover required including covid related claims.

Stray carefully selects quality places as our accommodations included, no matter which is a hotel, resort, lodge, farming station or backpacker. This means our accommodations are popular and easy to be booked out by the time you travelling.

If you're a solo traveller and considering to have your own private rooms during the whole trip, or worrying about being paired up with a unknown stranger that might impact your travel experience, we would highly recommend you secure the private rooms at the time of booking.

Please note: Stray cannot guarantee room upgrade within 31 days of each departure. All requests will be subject to availability. If you wish to upgrade rooms after the trip starts, please ask accommodations at check in. You can be upgraded based on the availability and pay for the difference directly with the accommodations.

Yes, most places offer wifi. Some places offer it for free, others charge a small fee. 

In Christchurch Central, we would recommend the below:

• Bealey Quarter (263 Bealey Avenue) - Stray groups stay here
• Salerno Motel Apartments (148 Bealey Avenue)
• The Salisbury Business Class (345 Madras St)
• Rydges Latimer Christchurch Hotel (30 Latimer Square)

In our optional starts, Wellington or Picton, we recommend the below accommodations in downtown areas:

• Naumi Wellington Hotel (213 Cuba St) - Stray groups stay here
• Ramada by Wyndham Wellington Hotel (123 Taranaki St)
• The Villa, Picton (34 Auckland St)

There is so much to do! Feel free to ask your Guides for their personal recommendations.

New Zealand & Australia: You can book and pay for any activities as you go, through your Guide on tour.

Accommodation, some meals and the ferry are all included so you just need to worry about your additional activities and other meals.

Food: this comes down to you, so anywhere between $20 and 100 per day! We stop at supermarkets but there’s (almost) always an option to visit a restaurant or local café. If you’re lucky our drivers have even been known to cook a very impressive BBQ/spaghetti bolognese/roast/chocolate cake.

Activities: these vary wildly, from $25 to visit a museum to $399 to jump out of a plane!

You will find that New Zealanders barely ever carry cash, as 99% of shops, restaurants and even taxis will accept debit cards. However they won't always accept credit cards and it’s handy to always carry $50-100 to cover you for circumstances.

Europeans, please bear in mind that you'll need a MasterCard or Visa debit or credit card to be able to pay in shops. A Maestro Card isn't accepted in shops in New Zealand as it uses a different payment system in the back-end. However, you can use your Maestro Card to get cash from ATMs, just make sure you have set it to worldwide usage..

Most visitors to New Zealand need a visa or an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).

All visitors to New Zealand must carry a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave the country.