In July of last year, my boyfriend and I set out on a slow travel adventure around the world. We had one rule – no flying. Overland, we had many options – walking, cycling, riding buses, taking a train – but what about crossing the oceans? Many people are simply not aware that numerous cargo ships offer passenger cabins.

Whakarewarewa Village is a living Maori village located in the thermal region of Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. Its doors have been open to tourists since more than a century ago when an 1886 volcanic eruption destroyed the historic pink and white terraces at Lake Tarawera, New Zealand’s first tourist attraction. Whakarewarewa Village today is inhabited by 25 families who go about their daily lives but allow visitors to move amongst them and learn about their customs and culture.