Kimkim Trip Reviews for New Zealand

A very special experience- first class and a unique way to see the fjord. Our Captain has an intimate history and experience in the sound and his presentation was truly superb

This was the perfect way to see the Sound

Charming Lodge, exquisite breakfast and lovely innkeepers

Wonderful comfortable Inn

Best breakfast in town! What a delightful place to stay, just a couple blocks from downtown . Easily walkable to all. Clean, well appointed, friendly place.

We really enjoyed our stay at Naumi Hotel Wellington. It is right off of Cuba street where we could walk to everything - including Te Papa, the National Museum (very good). There is a nice pickup spot for ride sharing on the other side. Breakfast was very good. If you did not like what was on the buffet you could order fried eggs or an omlet. We stayed there three nights and had dinner at three different restaurants less than a block from the hotel. I will say that the decor was very stripey (you will understand once you get there).

This hotel's location was excellent. We were able to walk into Queenstown's downtown, gardens and docks very easily. It costs extra to park here and parking is limited so make sure you talk to them before you get into town. There is no elevator for your luggage but one of the staff happily took them up to the higher floor for us. The room was clean.

Great hotel with a great location. We walked to everywhere. The breakfast was great for a hotel that serves a lot of tour groups. The room was very clean. We also were able to do our laundry right in the hotel (once we got change from the front desk). Everyone was ver friendly.

One of our more unique stays on our trip. This one-room cabin is very isolated but once we got here it was wonderful. We stayed here two nights. Our tour guide got us a package where breakfast and dinner were provided. The unit had a stove, an outdoor grill and a refrigerator. We had steaks waiting to grill and the first night we had a pasta salad and the second night a broccoli salad. For breakfast there were eggs to cook up and yogurt or milk with some granola. Outside, was a sheep farm for as far as you could see. Needless to say, the stars were very bright. They also had a very nice hot tub large enought for two to fit comfortably (and look at the stars). Our host was very friendly and gave us ideas as to what to do.

What a place! The rooms were great, the hosts were wonderful and what a breakfast! They had a nice happy hour for us as well. The only drawback was that we had a 2nd floor room and there were no elevators. Also, the parking is a little tight but everything worked out just perfect. The hosts really know the area very well and were very friendly. The location is not downtown but that was actually very nice. It was only a 10 or 15 minute drive to the Little Blue Penguin Colony and Bushy Beach.

The skylight in the room was interesting. We could walk to the lakeshore from the hotel but we typically drove as there was plenty of parking. The parking at the hotel was ok but kind of tight. While they gave you an option to eat breakfast in your room, we instead at at their breakfast area (which was small but very well orgainzed). The view outside of our window was gorgeous.

A very nice hotel. However, if you happen to be located on the 2nd floor be aware that there are no elevators. Breakfast is right next store which was fine. The town is small but it has a nice walkway behind the hotel. There was plenty of room to park your car but you will not need it in town as there are lots of shops and several restaurants within easy walking distance.

An excellent hotel with an excellent location. It is just a few steps from the main Christchurch Trolley (which we took advantage of). It was also very close to lots of places to eat for dinner. The breakfast was also very good.

The Art Deco Masonic Hotel was fantastic, especially getting a suite with a dining room and two bathrooms. The location was perfect, and exploring the Art Deco history of Napier added to the experience. It was very impressive and enjoyable.

The Millennium Hotel Rotorua was okay, but not as charming as other accommodations on our trip. Staff seemed overworked, especially in the dining area. The location was great, which was a redeeming factor. Just wasn't as personal or cozy as other spots.

The Art Deco Vintage Car Tour in Napier was a delightful surprise. We toured in a 1930s car and learned a lot about the city's Art Deco history, including its recovery from a massive earthquake. It was surprisingly engaging and exceeded our expectations.

The Queenstown Wine Sampler tour itself was fun once it got started, but finding the meeting location was a nightmare. Instructions were unclear, and GPS misled us. It needs to specify cross streets and better signage for Altitude's Wine Tasting Tour. The tour itself made up for the initial stress.

The Sunrise Tour at Mohua Park was a bit disappointing due to timing. The guide was great, but the timing resulted in not being able to see the penguins as they were molting. It was still beautiful, but not seeing the wildlife as expected was a letdown.

The Glowworm Kayak Tour was a fun adventure. We loved kayaking at night, and the weather was perfect. The tour provided coats, pants, and shoes, but it wasn't clear beforehand, so we brought unnecessary stuff. Better communication on equipment would improve the experience.

The Wellington Lord of the Rings Tour was incredible. Our guide did a great job, showing us not only Lord of the Rings locations but also giving us a fascinating tour of the city. He showed us unique spots, like a weaving mill, which was very interesting. We loved the personalized experience.

The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour was absolutely amazing. It was the perfect day, and the gardens were phenomenal. Loved seeing the Shire and all the Hobbiton charm. It was a standout for sure!

A fairly standard hotel room, clean with a comfortable bed. All you really need if you don't plan on hanging out in the hotel (why would you do that in NZ?). The staff were delightful.

They gave us a large, corner room that was very comfortable. It's easy to see why people might love this place for its funky decor. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The one downside was that the bathroom was very small, surprising given the size of our room. Otherwise, it was an interesting change of pace.

Great location and very comfortable. It was kind of like staying in our own little cabin. The office even offered a free glowworm walk for anyone interested in the evening--just to be nice. We really enjoyed it.

We loved this spot. It was right down on the lakeshore, providing a lovely walk into town. We had a full apartment just for the two of us. Everything was like new.

The place is enormous. It felt like we should host a party there. Fun and quirky, but very comfortable.

We had a great time. We basically had the sound to ourselves during this trip. There were only 28 other guests onboard the boat, so it never felt crowded. It was rather cozy, actually. And there was SO MUCH FOOD. What a nice surprise. This was one of the best things we did on our trip to NZ.

We don't have the words to describe how beautiful River Birches Lodge is. The design is impeccable. Jason and Rebeca are great hosts, warm and friendly, and made us feel right at home. The room was very well appointed, and the cedar hot tub was an unexpected bonus. They included a lovely breakfast each day and provided great advice about our trip. We stayed in a wide variety of places during our 16 days in NZ (many of them very nice), and by far River Birches was the nicest of the lot. Six stars out of five.

Six stars out of five. We cannot find words to express how delighted we were with our stay at Murchison Lodge. Phillip is the consummate host and made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. It was a highlight of our stay in New Zealand. It's the sort of place that just makes you want to settle in and not move. We should add that the homemade breakfast was the best of our 16 days in NZ. Our only disappointment was that we had to leave.

We loved it. It was a small group (28 guests), and we were basically the only boat in the entire sound. The room was small (of course) but comfortable. And the staff were delightful. So much food you can't believe it.

Great for all LOTR fans. But probably the most explicitly commercial, touristy thing we did in NZ.

This was the best thing we did in 16 days in NZ. We have been to commercial luaus in Hawaii before and expected something similar. As if. This was a much smaller crowd and a much more intimate experience. We learned a ton, and the talented performers really gave their all. We both found it very moving. And the food was plentiful, with a great variety on the prix fixe menu. Just delightful.

It looks cooler on paper. The geothermal site is smaller and much less interesting than Orakei Korako, which was well worth the detour in our opinion. The mud bath was just OK, in part because you have to sit out in the cold air while the mud dries on you. It was interesting, but we would probably not do this one again.

The hike was beautiful. It was a little harder than we expected (very hilly), but not too difficult. Our one (small) regret is that we allowed too much time to complete it, so we waited around a long time for our boat. If we did it again, we would have scheduled the earlier boat. As it was, we had an extra hour on a beautiful, sunny beach, so no one should feel sorry for us.

Lots of fun. We scheduled the Level 1 (short) experience due to time constraints, but we would gladly have extended to do the next level if we could have made it work with our schedule. It was totally safe and manageable--not physically challenging or dodgy. We would gladly do this again.

We thought this would be more just a quick, brief touchdown on the glacier. In fact, we spent a couple of hours on the ice. All the gear (including boots, crampons, and rain gear) was provided. Our guide Kate was delightful. Unlike anything was have ever done before. We got a bunch of cool photos.

Really cool. Learned a lot and really enjoyed it besides. They kept the group small so it was just right.

This exceeded our expectations by a mile. The boat trip was lovely (perfect weather). And the food blew us away. We anticipated pretty standard fare, but it turned out to be maybe the largest buffet you'll find just about anywhere. And the food was all great. The herding and shearing demonstration was a fun bonus. It was a perfect way to spend our first evening in NZ following 16 hours of travel to get there.

Aging, large hotel, with little character

Rooms were superb, with great views across the lake. Rooms well-appointed with super-comfortable beds. Excellent ala carte buffett.

Hotel situated across busy highway from lake. Rooms and other areas show some aging

Very nice updated rooms, helpful staff, great location.

Room was mere steps away from the lake. Staff was very helpful, even opened the kitchen early for our breakfast

Super-helpful staff, great rooms, great location, breakfast buffet excellent

It was a long day: driving to the ferry terminal, ferrying across the lake, then busing across the mountain pass before boarding the ferry on Doubtful Sound. The Sound was beautiful, and we saw dolphins and porpoises, but after all the other beautiful lakes and scenery we had seen before it was a bit anticlimactic given the difficulty of access. We had originally booked the overnight cruise, but it was cancelled due to mechanical issues. Kathryn jumped through hoops to help us rebook an overnight in Te Anai followed by the day cruise. I suspect the overnight cruise would have been a better experience.

Great for Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fans, too long and crowded for the rest. Feels like Univeral Studios. I guess you need to go to check it off the list, because everyone asks if you've been.

Another of our top trips. We were bused to a different location because the water level was low, but our travel companion Harry as well as the other guides were very amusing and the journey went quickly. The rapids were quite exciting to traverse, and the other swimming/jumping added to the fun.

One of our top experiences. We did have some issues, with a booking mixup between different tour companies, but it was all sorted in the end

Tram ride through the center of Christchurch, with a delicious dinner being served on the tram out of a tiny kitchen. We did find that the booking was for a party of 2, not 4, so we had to squeeze in and miss two of the appetizers.

The kayak trip to an island for dinner, then across the bay to the glow-work caves and back to the starting point in pitch darkness was one of our top experiences. The cascading heated mineral water baths were wonderful.

A walking tour visiting varying ponds and steaming geysers. Fascinating geological/historical venue.

Authentic Maori experience

One of the top activities on the trip, island is idyllic, and the road passes several beaches where we swam, and some wineries. E-bikes were fun to ride.

I enjoyed bit it was a bit long and crowded

What a fun place.

Fabulous trip across the lake with a chance to lounge in the hot pools while the guide cooks you dinner. Then back across the lake to the glow worm cave and a slow paddle back to enjoy the starry night sky. What could be better.

Wonderful experience.

A beautiful place and amazing preservation work being done. Our guides were fabulous.

Fabulous view!

Great location and very nice room. Spent three nights here and it was a good spot for our daily treks. Plenty to do around Queenstown and a short ride to Arrowtown.

Large room and the owners were great. Nice breakfast and plenty of space to hang out. Very near the lake and the town.

The boat was terrific! The state room was small, but we had our own bathroom. This was simply an amazing experience. We took pictures but this was the type of scenery where pictures don't do it justice. You have to experience Milford Sound.

Great place with terrific restaurant, although it was not open every day. The pool and spa area was great.

This was a rental house and in a great location other than there was no lake view but it was in a wooded area about 150 feet from the lake. Had washer and dryer which we used to freshen up before the rest of our tip.

Newer place and the room was great.

Doesn't get better than this! Very private. Great star gazing.

We had a ocean front room which made all the difference.

Good place and location. Nice restaurant and bar area.

This is a must to do. The scenery is breathtaking and pictures don't do it justice. The ship is very cool and the captain was able to pull the ship within a few feet of soaring cliffs and waterfalls. We could feel the mist from the falls. The kayak trip from the boat was really fun and you get the chance to swim off the back of the ship....mighty cold water, but worth it. Food was good and star gazing was terrific!

To be honest, we didn't think this was going to be anything we wanted to do; however, it was spectacular! The boat captain, Hannah, was very knowledgeable and Mou Waho Island was way better than expected. The short hike to the top is steep in some areas, but well worth the views. Try to find the unmarked trail near the lookout area to get to the other side of the island for breathtaking views and quiet.

We expected to see more than two wineries and didn't know this tour included a boat ride featuring see food. The two wineries we visited were terrific and the boat ride was really nice, so it turned out to be a great first day of our trip. Met some nice people and ate fresh mussels and salmon. We ended up visiting two other wineries the next day before headed south. It's important to note that we love NZ wines so the start of our trip in this area was perfect.

A beautiful hotel with a great view. The breakfast buffet was wonderful, but I was surprised at how small the dining room was, so that people had to wait. One morning we were directed to a dining room on another floor, which was fine. I was disappointed that the walking trail to the central city was closed and we had to walk the highway sidewalk. We used the shuttle service to and from central city a number of times and luckily, we learned to make reservations. It was very timely and worked well. We had been told it would go to different locations in the city if needed, but that was not correct. But we made it work without any issues.

Upon arriving at this Hotel, it felt more like a Motel 6! It had no character, seemed old and outdated; there was not a patio or any place we could sit to enjoy company with our travel mates. There seemed to be a bar, but it appeared closed and very small. Our room was particularly dreary with a dark brown carpet that invited the belief that it was dirty. I did not feel comfortable stepping with my bare feet on the carpet. The whole building seemed old and outdated. The only plus for the hotel was the breakfast buffet which was very good. The front desk staff were not helpful, and even somewhat rude. I asked about the availability of coffee and maybe some fruit for our very early travels, and they told me to make coffee in my room (which was terrible) and to go to the grocery store before it closed! Maybe it was the tone in which they said it, but it bordered on being rude. Not helpful.

Unfortunately, because of a mistake with our hotel booking, we only had one night here. We noticed immediately that the property was for Sale. Which is rather concerning. The grounds were not well kept. Our room was pretty small and felt crowded. I liked having the patio where we could sit. The dining area was very nice, and we noted that all of the guests were scheduled around each other to allow for private dining at the one table. It was also awkward to get coffee, since it had to be prepared by the staff - not easily available. The breakfast itself was wonderful - we all liked it. The staff was very courteous - we enjoyed many aspects of the property. I don't see the second night where we had to relocate to the Edgewater Hotel! We liked this hotel very much!

This hotel was fantastic, with all of its amenities and the views! It was crowded at times, and we were not able to take advantage of the coffee shop and its patio. It took a little time for us to get familiar with the restaurants and need to make reservations. The breakfast buffet was great, and we did have dinner at the hotel one night - which was likely the most extensive buffet I have seen for options. Our room had a fantastic view of Mt. Cook - we loved it. It would have been nice to have a balcony to be able to sit outside and enjoy the view with a glass of wine.

The Lodge has a lot of character and different room styles. The dining room and outdoor patio are lovely, with a nice fireplace in the dining room. We had thought the Lodge would be closer to the lake than it was, but it was just a short walk. It was very peaceful.

This hotel has a great location, and the room was very clean and modern. We enjoyed the breakfast and our brief stay.

The view from our private Hot Tub was excellent! The staff were courteous. The facility had a great spa feel to it and felt luxurious.

This activity turned out well, and we are grateful for the help of the travel agent the night before to be sure the wine tour did not prevent us from getting to our Hot Tub experience. The Wine tour driver was so courteous and was aware of our time crunch to get from the wine tour to the Hot Tub. He volunteered to drop us off directly at the Hot Tubs and make our schedule work. We are grateful for everyone working to make everything work together. The wine tour itself was interesting and a great way to see the communities near Queenstown and learn about the local wine industry. Our tour guide was excellent and told us a lot of facts about the community and the wine industry. The wineries were interesting and it was a nice way to spend the day.

A beautiful golf course! The course was in great shape and the views were excellent. The staff was courteous, and the club house and dining patio were inviting. We enjoyed the day!

We were not expecting an hour bus drive from Queenstown, but it was a comfortable bus. We liked jet boat experience; it was something we had not done before. The boat driver was obviously an expert! We also enjoyed the funyaks - it was an exciting challenge to steer the boats clear of rocks and other boats. The directions of our funyak guide were at times confusing, but we made it without getting wet! It was an active experience, and I loved the views of the river and the mountains, along with the stories about the filming of the Lord of Rings.

The gondola ride was great! It was not crowded, and we enjoyed the views from the dining room/bar with a couple of drinks.

A nice drive.

The Guided Walk was longer than I anticipated, but it was a lovely walk! The group was larger than I expected also! There were 13 guests and the hiking guide. The waterfall at the end of the hike was great, and the hiking guide was also very good. The walk did seem a little rushed, but I know we were on a schedule to be able to make the Cruise. The Cruise was the favorite part of the activity. It was beautiful to see all of the waterfalls and the steep sides of the sound. The Cruise went further out into the open ocean than I expected. We saw dolphins as we came back into the sound - a real treat!

We don't know what this is.

This trip was a dud! There were no icebergs floating and the glacier was not very recognizable because of all of the dirt. There was no calving of the glacier. Our guide did the best he could and was very knowledgeable. But after the boring 20 minute walk with 40 other people, and then some time in a boat with little to see - it seemed like a waste of time.

We loved the helicopter experience. It was a first for all of us. We had an excellent pilot, and he was great at telling us interesting facts. Our scheduled flight was pushed back a half hour, and we were told to check in an hour before the trip. We waited around for 1 1/2 hours - which was not a great start to the experience.

Very cute and comfortable place.

It was a hotel. Nothing special and that’s okay.

The people running this B&B were so kind and welcoming! I’m incredibly grateful for their patience dealing with our disoriented, jet lagged selves.

I really don’t know how to describe the level of this place. Their sustainability efforts are remarkable, the staff are a joy to be around and the food was delectable. Absolute favorite of all the places we stayed.

The glowworm caves were magical. Using red lights instead of the bright white for cave features in the way in could have helped our eyes adjust to the dark better and would have improved the experience. I loved the lack of cell phones and the request for silence. It made the experience a lot more memorable. I would have appreciated more time to read all of the info signs that are up everywhere and enjoy the put part of the cave. I felt very rushed and a bit like cattle being herded.

Cruising the Milford Sound wasn’t really our cup of tea. It’s a beautiful fjord, but the boats were overcrowded and moved too quickly to really allow us to soak it in. It felt more like a cell phone photography tour than anything special. Everywhere we tried to just exist and enjoy the ride for a while, someone else's phone ended up in our faces as they tried to get their perfect photo. It did have a small magical moment where the boat got close enough to the falls to get everyone very very wet. It was chilly so everyone (except my husband and I) ran for shelter. We loved the feel of the water and the seclusion it allowed. It was well worth being cold. Just for that moment, I’d recommend doing it once especially if you have limited mobility. The little walk was lovely though and I really enjoyed learning so much about the local plant life. Our guide for that was a joy to be around and really seemed to have a wealth of knowledge to share. She tried her best to make it a memorable experience for us. Also, the lunches were delicious and well balanced!

Our stargazing tour in Mt Cook was surprisingly spectacular. We actually dropped it from our trip and re-added it after more consideration. It turned out to be one of our favorite activities. The guides were knowledgeable and fun to interact with. It was truly a surreal experience I’d recommend to anyone and everyone.

The Banks Track was a delight! It felt like walking through several different worlds. We did the quicker paced option which was a perfect taste of the area. I’d love to return for a full meal…or 2…or 3.

Breakfast was great, staff were helpful and sweet. Clean rooms, and right in the city center. Perfect!