Kimkim Trip Reviews for New Zealand

Franck planned a three week trip for us in New Zealand, and we left feeling like we did it all. The planning process was easy and done through the messaging platform. We felt confident showing up that all the details were taken care of from airport pick-ups to daily activities. While traveling we ran into a couple of issues like a cancelled flight, and Franck was quick to help us course correct. I would book again using Franck and Kimkim!

Louise commitment to have a memorable trip in this amazing country was excellent. She done a great job booking all transportation which was my main concern. Very prompt in answering all my questions and requests. Well-deserved five stars!
Few feedback and recommendations:
- I had doubts about motels accommodations but seams that the motel 59 on Cron street at Franz Joseph was much better than Heartland hotel in Queenstown regarding facilities.
- At Franz Joseph, due to weather conditions, my heli trip was cancelled but I manage to find a driver to take me to Okarito. Was a great trip, see the beach and do the Trig walk, great views. I recommend having this option for the case another tourist facing same situation.
- The tour with Gray Line from Franz Joseph to Queenstown was split between two drivers. That was fine as was no need to transfer baggage, but the second driver was driving very fast and unsafe, even I mentioned to him that is driving very fast for a big bus he continues to do so. I was very uncomfortable and thinking even to make an official complain.
- At Milford Sound, thanks to the guide from RealNZ - Alisja, I could have a flight back to Queenstown. My wish was to have a helicopter tour on this trip, but the flight with the small plane and great pilot going around on top of the mountains can't describe how wonderful have been. :) RealNZ is a top class Tours Company! Five stars from me :)
- The tours with Cheeky Kiwi and Cheeky Kea were great, good drivers, funny and share information about areas we were passing.
- As a conclusion, the tours companies should give drivers enough time for the trips, their clients are tourists and want to stop more often in places of interest to make photos and enjoy the views.

My top two experiences are flying over the mountains and Mitai Maori cultural history experience.

As an overview I can say I had an amazing time. I'll share my experience with family and friends and hopefully I can come again.

Thank you Louise and thank you Kim Kim!

Adina Tutu.

Hotel Reviews

Bella Vista Christchurch

Christchurch

58 On Cron

Great hotel, big room, very clean, kitchen with all you need.

Location

Only 5 minutes walk from center but quite and great view of the mountains.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima Lake Rotorua

Rotorua

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima

Christchurch

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nesuto Stadium Auckland

Auckland

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

TSS Earnslaw Farm Tour & Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Sound Coach/Cruise/Coach inc lunch ex ZQN

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Real Rotorua - Thermal Path Tour

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Rotorua to Auckland, Hobbiton

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Depart New Zealand

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Transport

Glacier Valley Shuttle

Franz Josef Glacier

Quality of Experience

Mitai Maori Village

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Queenstown on Your Own

Queenstown (NZ)

I am saddened to say that while the planning experience was good, the support during our trip was lacking and we will not be using kimkim's services going forward. We were booked an a FlexiToursNZ trip from Rotoura to Auckland on Dec 28th. Not only were we not notified in advance about having to change vehicles twice, but when we brought this us to Jon he was not helpful in helping us understand why this happened (I'm actually still waiting on his feedback from his contact at the tour company). After a long day (made even longer by the issues experienced from Rotoura to Auckland) we arrived at a hotel that was old, moldy, and far below expectations. Again in mentioned this to Jon, his answer was that he will take it up with the product team. Needless to say, we did not spend the night there and transferred to another hotel. I am not looking for a refund, but I would like answers as to what happend on our tour and how the product team could send a family (with small children) to hotel with moldy ceilings and peeling paint that is down the block from two strip clubs!

Fantastic trip. Thanks to Franc and Once Upon a Trip, everything was taken care of— all we had to do was enjoy the trip. All the accommodations were wonderful, activity operators safe and professional, and we had everything we needed in advance of the trip.

Flights, Hotels, Tours, Itinerary Ideas were all on target. We had, unfortunately, only 12 days to be on the two islands and KimKim helped us really focus on the types of activities we like to plan for ourselves. Having a tour group shuttle us from Queenstown to a beautiful hike 3 or so hours away and then have another tour group pick us up to complete the leg to Christchurch worked perfectly.
Accommodations in Auckland and the Northern Peninsula were beautiful as well. We could easily include walks, hikes, runs, fine dining, casual dining, great breakfasts, a scenic train ride, and scuba into the days without stress.
I like to plan my own trips, but found New Zealand had too many wonderful choices and using a trip planning service that new the lay of the land was extremely helpful to let us enjoy 2-3 nights in locations and not spend the majority of our time in transport.

Monika did an amazing job of planning our New Zealand vacation and choose the perfect itinary for us to follow during our trip. It felt like we had a good friend who was available to help us during our stay so we never felt concerned abut the trip logistics or other events. There were several times where we needed to make changes to the original plans (weather cancelations, etc) and Monika took care of everything for us so we were able to see everything that we had envisioned.
We particularly liked the many activities she planned in Rotorua and the Hobbiton tour. The Sudima hotels we stayed at in Auckland and Roturua were exceptional.
The Waitakere Resort & Spa was a bit of a disappointment. It seemed like it was in need of significant updating and repairs. The people were very nice and helpful but overall it just seemed very dated.

Hotel Reviews

Auckland City Hotel

Auckland

Our stay at Sudima Auckland City was pleasant. It boasted clean accommodations, friendly staff, and good layout. The hotel's location was perfect and accessible, making our traveling and exploring of the city uncomplicated. However, the breakfast wasn't up-to American taste, but that could just be due to different customs. Overall, the service and facilities were commendable!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waitakere Resort

Waiatarua, Auckland

This resort wasn't quite up to our expectations. While it was clean and had promise of nice hikes, and waterfalls, many roads were closed and the hikes were hard to find. The wifi was weak and the hotel felt a bit outdated overall. Despite the resort's potential, it didn't quite live up to its prime. Regardless, it was a clean place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sudima Lake Rotorua

Rotorua

Much like the Sudima Auckland City, the Sudima Lake Rotorua was an excellent place to stay! The location was superb and the staff was extremely friendly. Our rooms were clean and comfortable. The breakfast was similar to the sister location, the bacon came off as a bit raw which was disappointing. Despite this minor hitch in the breakfast, our stay in Sudima Lake Rotorua was pretty good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Waitomo Glowworm Caves + Ruakuri cave combo

New Zealand

This activity was truly incredible. Exploring these unique caves was a blend of learning about stalactites and stalagmites and experiencing the wonderful light show created by glowworms. Our tour finished with an unforgettable boat trip in the cave river lit only by the glowworms above. Definitely a surreal and must-try experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt Tarawera Crater Walk Experience

Rotorua

Walking around the edge of an extinct volcano! Words can't describe the majestic views and raw natural beauty of the crater. The walk was a highlight of our trip and proved to be a thrilling experience!

Redwoods treewalk by night

Rotorua

The night walk through the Redwoods was an incredible, one-of-a-kind experience. The Redwoods were beautifully lit up, creating an enchanting atmosphere. The platforms and bridges made it a unique treetop adventure. This shouldn't be missed!

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

This was an absolute treat for movie buffs like me. Getting the chance to explore the beautifully recreated Hobbit village from the movies was fascinating. The place was full of the furniture details like in the movies. This addition is new and is something exclusive which made our visit special!

My husband and I used kimkim to plan the honeymoon of our dreams at the place of dreams, New Zealand! The entire process was absolutely seamless. Franck and his team at Once Upon a Trip were amazing! I communicated with Franck for 8 months before our trip started and he answered all of my questions in an extremely timely manner and gave incredible advice. He booked us for all the best hotels and excursions and we had the most amazing time in New Zealand. We are hoping to return to New Zealand soon, and we will definitely be using kimkim and Once Upon a Trip again! Thank you so much Franck!

Hotel Reviews

Dunluce Bed and Breakfast

Te Anau

This bed and breakfast was in the perfect location! There is a village closeby with stores, restaurants, and gift shops! It is also about 2 hours away from Milford Sound, and the drive there was the most beautiful and picturesque drive my husband and I have ever been on. The host Hannah is incredible! She made sure that everything we needed was taken care of and then some! She was extremely knowledgeable about the area and had great advice for our journey to Fjordland. Thank you Hannah for being so great to us during our time there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Te Anau is an amazing place and I would love to live there one day!

Staff

Hannah is an incredible host, she made breakfast for us and it was delicious every morning!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eliza's Manor

Christchurch City

I loved this manor! The location was in a perfect setting in Christchurch. The hotel was decorated immaculately and the room was extremely comfortable. The food is also delicious and the staff there were extremely friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

The decor was extremely unique!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

This was a bucket list dream come true for me and it was an experience I will never forget! Not only was the set so incredible, but the general scenery was breathtaking! It was also awesome to try the ginger beer at the Green Dragon Inn. The Shires rest cafe also had delicious and fresh food (I had the fish and chips along with the salad).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pō combo (Guided Experience + Indigenous Evening Experience)

Rotorua

This whole experience was amazing! It was so wonderful to get an education about the Maori people and culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was delicious and there was a lot of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glowworm Paddle Board Tour

Rotorua

This was one of the best things we did on our trip! The guides were very informative and friendly. The drive to the lake and the lake itself were beautiful. Seeing the glow worms in the caves were out of this world!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ahi Restaurant - 4 snacks and 4 courses

Auckland

The food here was INCREDIBLE! I love the storytelling behind each dish and it was the best tasting food I've had. The drinks were also delicious, and the staff were friendly and inviting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip to New Zealand was just amazing! We had an incredible time driving all around the North and South Islands of NZ. Everywhere we looked, there was another breathtaking vista all around, with mountains, lakes, fjords, sheep and livestock, and so much greenery.
All the kimkim-booked excursions and accommodations made the trip so much easier to manage day-to-day, with all the details already looked-after and sorted. A particular highlight was the fly-cruise-fly excursion to Milford Sound from Queenstown—I'll remember those views and that experience for the rest of my life!

Hotel Reviews

Ruapehu Country Lodge

Ruapehu

This charming B&B near Tongariro National Park (45-60 mins' drive) was a fabulous place to stay for 1 night on our trip. B&B owners Bernie and Marie were as warm as can be, and the property is clean, beautiful, and quiet. There are 4 rooms total, so even at "full capacity," it never felt like there were other guests looming over us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kokomea Pure Pod

Peka Peka

Views and surroundings were stunning. The food provided was really good too, though it does require cooking on your own. The instructions for how to find the parking lot were a bit challenging to decipher, as road construction has since finished, and the directions were outdated. We did eventually find where to park, and then the 10-minute hike commenced... For the adventurous!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Galaxy Boutique Hotel Tekapo

Lake Tekapo

Wow!! This hotel was exceptional. The views of Lake Tekapo were stunning, and the hotel itself was beautifully designed. (Our room had a skylight that's designed for star-gazing at night!) Included breakfast could be taken in-room, which we opted for. Delicious and a great way to start the day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound

Queenstown (NZ)

This was the highlight of our whole trip. The fly-cruise-fly package was perfect for seeing Milford Sound and the surrounding fjords/mountains/lakes, and it was well worth the money and time. An absolute must-do if visiting the Queenstown area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There was a booking error for our pickup, but the excursion operator rectified it when we called.

Kayak Taupo - Maori Rock Carvings

New Zealand

To start, this was a challenging kayak experience. Pros: Lake Taupo is a beautiful place to kayak. The water, on our morning, wasn't *too* rough, but it was definitely windy, which made for a challenging rowing experience, and it's not a short one. We spend more than an hour each way paddling. Cons: Firstly, our operator Liz was verbally and visibly annoyed with us that we didn't arrive 15 minutes early, which was never communicated on our itinerary nor the activity voucher. Additionally, she constantly belittled and corrected a new hire on her own team who was clearly in training when accompanying our group. Moreover, she continued to yell at other tourists from Taiwan, whom she thought were tiring out too quickly or not following her shouted instructions to keep up with the group. She actually had them turn back with another guide 1/3 into our trip, which made us think that if we didn't strain ourselves to "keep up," she'd turn us back too. Overall, she was a real detraction from the experience, and I think kimkim & Once Upon A Trip should be aware of all the above when continuing to send tourists to this operator.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

National Hatchery

Rotorua

Such a great way to see Kiwi up close and also support conservation in NZ!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Glowworm Paddle Board Tour

Rotorua

This was so much fun! The guides were really warm and understanding of everyone's physical abilities, the kayaking was not too challenging, and the glow worms were really cool to see up-close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pō combo (Guided Experience + Indigenous Evening Experience)

Rotorua

This was a very special way to experience some Maori culture while in New Zealand. It was informative and entertaining, and the venue includes numerous geysers to view, too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pre-Sunset Guided Walk

New Zealand

Stuart & his team leading this walk through Tongariro National Park were great. We had nice convos with others in our group, and the guided walk was somewhere between a walk and a hike. The views for those 2 hours, as the sun set, were just spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tekapo Springs - StarGazing

Lake Tekapo

In one of the world's star-gazing capitals, it makes sense to take advantage! We were blessed with a clear night, and the telescope-viewing was a great way to see multiple constellations and planets before getting into the hot pools to do some more star-gazing while soaking away the day :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hell's Gate

Rotorua

The free guided tour at 10:30am was great, and I'd highly recommend everyone gets there in time to join it. The property is quite large, and having a guide to walk through it and explain everything was really helpful, from a scientific and cultural perspective. The mud baths were also really fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Between myself and our specialist Ruth we had to pare down ideas to make a trip that would be feasible with respect to travel and having more than one night in each hotel. Having done that, Ruth was respectful of the flexibility we needed to visit with relatives in various places and of the fact that we were four seniors. The hotels and apartments Ruth chose for stays were wonderful. The car arrangement worked very well. We did feel overwhelmed by one of the long guided tours and opted out of it but enjoyed the others she had recommended. New Zealand is a wonderful country to explore one's personal interests. Our interests were in horticulture and I would certainly recommend New Plymouth for anyone interested in plants. The openness of the horticulture people we met at various sites was delightful. Bathing in the thermal pools in Taupo on our one rainy day was wonderful. We saw a variety of incredibly scenic places such as Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks, Mt. Taranaki in all its glory, the road over Arthur's Pass and the drive to Akaroa. Altogether it was a very successful trip for all four of us.

Lydia was an extraordinary help in planning and implementing my trip every step of the way! I highly recommend her, New Zealand Fine Tours, and kimkim! It was a trip I wanted to do my whole life and didn't get around to it now. Every part of the tour was gorgeous, beginning with the journey into Hobbiton and the LOR sets were incredible. The Maori tours and shows were incredible. Mt Cook was especially beautiful, transcendent in a word. Took my breath away. Then on to Queenstown for stunning boat rides on the Lake and a dinner across the lake on one of the nights. Finally, the trip out to the West Coast of the South Island was yet another gem. All along the way my trip was planned step by step, the transportation was prompt with enjoyable and well informed tour guides, and the accommodations were clean and comfortable. The trip included some meals which were very good and memorable. Thank you Lydia and all the folks at NZFTs and kimkim.

Louise was great to work with in planning my trip. With the exception of one lodging place, I give KimKim an A for the overall trip.
I visited so many incredible places- Glow Worm Cave, Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound, Otega Regional Wine Tour, Hiking Trails, Wharf in Queenstown!!
This was my second trip to NZ and it was worth seeing again. The citizens of NZ are the friendliest and sweetest people I’ve ever met in all my travels. The country is one postcard after another - even the retail areas are nice. Public bathrooms are cleaner than most peoples homes!!! You can just tell these people love the tourism as it provides the majority of their lifestyle. All other countries with this much tourism should use NZ as a model.
People in the states - stop going on the same ole vacation year after year - go to NZ. It’s a lifetime vacation and one that you will remember forever.

Hotel Reviews

Blue Peaks Lodge

Queenstown

Old, tired and very dated. No amenities whatsoever. It was clean and is very convenient. The staff was super sweet and friendly. But I would not stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Everything. Cleaner parking lot, updated rooms, add a lounge, add a courtyard, don’t put trash bins in the front door.

Location

Staff

Both of the young ladies were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and simple. Lots of people like this. I just thought I was in low income housing.

Distinction Te Anau Hotel And Villas

Te Anau

Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Typical NZ hotel.

Location

Heart of city center.

Staff

Very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could use new mattresses.

Activity Reviews

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Loved everything this sound offered. Spectacular in every way.

Quality of Experience

The incredible views.

Transport

Better shock absorbers for a smoother ride. More knee room in between seats. Window shades to block sunlight when necessary.

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Te Anau

The rarity of seeing such a beautiful cave.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buses are just too rough riding. The bouncing makes you car sick.

Te Anau to Milford Sound, Milford Cruise with Picnic Lunch

Te Anau

Never seen anything so beautiful.

Quality of Experience

I’m

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Better riding bus is needed. Just so much bouncing and roughness. It’s very car sick.

Appellation Boutique Wine Tour

Queenstown (NZ)

Loved the first and last stop. Beautiful wineries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Worst driver ever. Rude. Non stop talking. Drove extremely too fast. Just a lousy driver.

Transport

Not luxury at all. It’s van. Nothing luxurious about it.

My mum and daughter had a fantastic trip organised by Connie. There was an error made with one of the activities booked but Connie and her local team fixed it and made it even better than we expected. Thank you for the memorable holiday!

Ruth from KimKim/Spring Board and Nathan from Southern World we’re just amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better pair of travel agents. Ruth listened to what I wanted and help me set up an amazing trip schedule and Nathan set up my accommodations, rental car and trip events. I had an amazing time in my number one bucket list location, New Zealand and I cannot thank Ruth and Nathan enough.

Trip planning was handled 10/10. Laurel was pleasant and easy to work with. She got what we wanted and was able to push back on one or two things that we were not sure about and ended up loving.

During the first 3 days of the tour, 4 things went wrong- no communication on cancellation of whale watch, they didn’t have our reservation for the tower in Auckland, rental car was not scheduled properly, and we missed our tram dinner due to a scheduling mistake. We still loved nearly every second of NZ. And the next 12 days were basically perfect. But KimKim should evaluate why the planning and communication wasn’t better early on the trip.

We had long-planned a trip to New Zealand with a "stopover" at Uluru in Australia. Needless to say, a complicated and long itinerary! Usually I make my own plans, but had never been to these places so used KimKim on recommendation of a friend. Connie was terrific....we went over what we wanted to see and she had several suggestions throughout. This was less than a 3 week trip and we're not exactly young, so knew it would be grueling and Connie helped smooth it out. She also was great in contacting me to go over details, and in modifying the itinerary to fit specific needs.

We made all air arrangements, but one of the things that was really helpful was KimKim/Connie's arranging for most airport transfers...that was very handy.

Loved everyplace we went. If I had to single anything out I'd say Milford Sound on South Island, New Zealand. Amazing wild place. We did the overnight boat tour and while moored in a safe harbor a tremendous storm hit. This made it impossible for tour in the morning, to Tas Sea. We had to stay moored for several hours...but worth it...the rain, thunder, lightning was tremendous and the wallfalls, due to heavy rain, were amazing.

The other places we visited were also great, and Connie did a terrific job in selecting these and having a few "free" days...I'd say we got a great perspective on New Zealand.

All places visited were great. A few minor issues were: 1.for one long day long trip to Kings Canyon "near" Ulluru, we did not realize we'd be picked up before 5:00am and that we'd be driving ca. 700 km in one day! That was a bit much, but worth it...but a long time on a bus.... 2. New Zealand North Island crater walk....a bit more difficult than I thought it would be and 3. hotel on North Island at Grand Mercure--very interesting and nice place, but access (esp. at night) a bit difficult..parking was in a lot quite a steep distance from the "villas," and lighting/signage was not great. 4. times were missing on a few tours, but readily resolved upon contacting Connie.

I only cite these for thoroughness, not as criticisms!

Thus, this was a terrific trip. Highly recommend KimKim and Connie.

Hotel Reviews

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Very nice low key hotel....in a very remote place. Great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Sydney Airport, an IHG Hotel

Mascot

basic overnighter for airport....it was fine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scenic Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

Probably the nicest and most convenient hotel on the entire trip

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise

Milford Sound

see review comments....great fun

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza Christchurch

Christchurch Central

very upscale and modern; weird bathroom layout!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Regent of Rotorua

Rotorua

Great 50s vibe..but black carpet!!!! Well done though--refurbished motel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort

Pauanui

very interesting concept with "villas"...showing it's age a bit though! all parking in a large lot and steep incline to get to villas unless you ask for golf cart. Not well lit at night, but that's likely intentional!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Great Ponsonby ArtHotel

Auckland

very funky place...smaller than we thought...it's more of a b&b..great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon/ Evening Uluru Sacred Sites & Sunset with Barbecue Dinner

Uluru

great quick tour; barbecue dinner was great. too little time at cultural centre though

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kings Canyon & Outback Panoramas (Return to Uluru)

Uluru

very long (700km or so) "day trip" but worth it....king's canyon was great....we opted for the easier hike on the bottom!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet Barbecue Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

great time, terrific buffet (las vegas standards!)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise from Queenstown (2 days, 1 night)

Queenstown (NZ)

highlight of trip see earlier comments...unable to complete due to severe storm, which required us to be moored at overnight spot for several hours...but worth it...the storm was incredible!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

great views

Quality of Experience

Full Day Arthurs Pass with Train

Christchurch

wonderful train trip...relatively short; very nice that the guide drove us back, using a somewhat different route. He (hugh I think) was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Rotorua

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Ra Guided Experience (90 minutes) + cultural Performance

Rotorua

great intro to gysers and maori culture; well done

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Mt Tarawera Crater Walk Experience

Rotorua

very impressive tour to volcano edge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very good and concerned on your well being

Transport

Mitai Cultural Experience & Dinner

Rotorua

no where near as "tacky" as i thought it would be...great experience! Well organized.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Coromandel Town

Coromandel

this was a self drive portion...great, but windy, roads...and some closed due to earlier flooding

Quality of Experience

Franck captured everything we wanted to see in NZ in our short 10 day visit, plus so much more. Each lodge/hotel/inn was a spectacular experience in themselves. Although packed, the itinerary was paced and varied. We never could have formulated such an A+++ trip such as this w/o Franck’s help. We are so glad we discovered KimKim and hope to use them for other trips.

Vickie was wonderful in her suggestions for our NZ South Island tour. Our itinerary was very organized in an app format and the recommended excursions were unique to NZ. We loved all our new memories we created and would highly recommend both Kimkim and Vickie.

Hotel Reviews

The George

Christchurch

Excellent service and comfortable rooms. Excellent location with delicious food for both dinner and breakfast. Would definitely stay here again and would highly recommend this place to friends.

Authenticity & Character

Very clean and comfortable

Location

In front of a park & the George has bikes for hire to explains the town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hermitage Hotel

Mount Cook Village

Fantastic views and location. Close to trails and the dinner and breakfast buffets are wonderful. Would definitely recommend this place and will stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rainforest Retreat

Franz Josef Glacier

Very cute and unique place. Located near town and restaurants. Would highly recommend this place & will stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Tree house rooms are very unique. Excellent experience

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Auckland Airport

Auckland

Perfect stay for airport convenience. Would highly recommend this place and would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Copthorne Hotel & Resort Queenstown Lakefront

Queenstown

This place was just ok. The breakfast was mediocre and the place was old and rundown. Had beautiful lake views & was close to town, but I would not stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historic Tram Dinner

Christchurch

Fun experience. Great way to see the town. Food was delicious and great quality. Wish it had commentary about the city history during the tram tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Appellation Boutique Wine Tour

Queenstown (NZ)

This tour was Nothing Special. Coming from California and enjoying great wine tours there and have experienced wine tours in Italy- this was just ok. The wines were ok, and the wineries were nothing special- the lunch was simple. I would not do this tour again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I felt the driver was driving too fast. Felt uncomfortable at times.

Transport

Milford Sound Coach/Cruise/Coach inc lunch ex ZQN

Queenstown (NZ)

Excellent tour. Our driver Paulie was FANTASTIC. He was very knowledgeable and informative about the area. We felt safe in the bus and he was a cautious driver.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TSS Earnslaw Farm Tour & Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

This was mostly a dinner and buffet tour. The farm portion was short and rushed. Minimal animal interactions. I would not recommend this tour if you’re looking for some animal farm experience

Quality of Experience

Food was wonderful

Food

Excellent buffet

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great staff

Transport

Unique ferry ride

Franz Josef Glacier Heli-hike

Franz Josef Glacier

Fantastic experience. Highlight of the South Island. Must do and see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Kylan was fantastic

Transport

CHCH Touring - Private Transfer Train Station to Accommodation

Christchurch

Nice views. Great commentary. Fun train ride

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Wanaka

Wānaka

Quick stop in town. Not much time spent. Cute little town. Self exploration of Wanaka

Quality of Experience

I was a solo traveler and wanted adventure, nature and ease of travel. Carly listened to my goals and created a tailored trip. She suggested ideas and we had a collaborative schedule honed by many mails and calls. It was a fantastic trip. I would recommend this service and Carly’s expertise.

Activity Review

Auckland to Rotorua via Hobbiton Movie Set

New Zealand

Wasn’t expecting to love this but it was a treat! Guides were so enthusiastic and scenery truly stunning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides excelled at hospitality.

Transport

Our driver shared his favorite spots and generously let us pepper him with questions that he answered kindly and diplomatically 🙂

Hi Liz,
The trip to New Zealand and Australia was probably one of the best we've ever had. The highlights were the Women World Cup soccer games we attended in both countries. In addition, Helen, Alexa and I enjoyed the town and activities you planned for us in Queenstown (Milford Sound and wine tasting). The city that we were unexpectedly pleased with was Nelson. At this city we were able to enjoy a cruise along the coast of the Abel Tasman NP and hike a portion of the great walk at this park. Our driver in Nelson was also very good in giving us a good education of the area and we enjoyed our conversation with her during the trip.

In terms of hotel accommodations I believe City Life in Wellington was the best It was both spacious and very comfortable. However, in retrospect we could have decreased the number of days we spent in this city and spent those days elsewhere. The hotel we liked the least was the Nasuto Stadium hotel in Auckland. While the location gave us easy access to the downtown area, the additional bed placed in the middle of the living room contributed to our luke warm review, although on our return visit to the hotel before leaving for Sydney, we were given a room that had two separate bedrooms.
We enjoyed our trip to Rotorua. The Maori cultural venues (teaching school and village experience) were very interesting. Helen and Alexa went to a new spa in Rotorua that you might want to check out. Its called Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa. Its right on the lake and they enjoyed their experience at the spa,,, it was new and not crowded. I found the Hobbiton experience a little underwhelming, and probably would not recommend it to the casual visitor. However, we really enjoyed or visit to Sydney. We were able to attend a symphony in the Opera House and the tour. We found the restaurants in Sydney to be plentiful and varied. Our trip to the Blue Mountains was okay but I probably would not recommend it if time is a consideration. There are so many other activities to attend to in Sydney..
All in all, we believe your recommendations help us enjoy our trip to these two countries. Thank you so much.
Jim

Hotel Reviews

Nesuto Stadium Auckland

Auckland

See written review

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Millennium Hotel Rotorua

Rotorua

Given the budget restrictions placed on the trip, the hotel was adequate for our needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Copthorne Hotel & Resort Queenstown Lakefront

Queenstown

Given the budget restrictions placed on the trip, the hotel was adequate for our needs. We thought we had a lake view room and had to asked for a different room from the one initially assigned

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage CityLife Wellington

Wellington

This was the best hotel on our trip. Very specious and comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central location in the middle of the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tides Hotel Nelson

Nelson

Given the budget restrictions placed on the trip, the hotel was adequate for our needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

90 Minute Weta Workshop Unleashed

Auckland

We learned this Weta Workshop was not the same as the one in Wellngton. We heard from others the the one in Wellington was better than the one in Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Franck planned a great trip that left the whole family happy, which is saying a lot! We felt like we saw as much of New Zealand as we could in the time we had and had some adventures we never would’ve thought to do on our own.