Kimkim Trip Reviews for New Zealand

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

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.

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 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

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

Welcome to Rotorua

Rotorua

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

The 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

Adina 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.

All of the drivers who picked us up were amazing and friendly. Ken, the coromandel boating captain was a pleasure and was definitely one of the best highlights of the trip. Eric from the Dunedin wildlife tours was also excellent, knowledgeable and friendly.

The NZ fine touring team were also fantastic. We had a few quirks pop up and I found the team to be very responsive and helpful. The itinerary was great.

This was my second experience booking through Kimkim and I definitely look forward to the third time!

Activity Reviews

Cathedral Cove Classic Sea Kayak Tour

New Zealand

Ken is a treat! He proved to be knowledgeable, friendly and personable. I appreciated his jokes and insights of the area. I hope to go back one day and I hope I can catch another cruise with him.

Quality of Experience

We got very lucky with the weather and took full advantage of it. Saw a fur seal, lots of fish, a jelly fish and had crystal clear waters.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ken is the best. He called to warn us about potentially poor weather but we got lucky. He was a lot of fun and while we certainly enjoyed the views, he made the trip a highlight for sure.

Transport

The boat was great and the wharf location made it easy to find and get to.

Visit the Te Papa Museum

Wellington

This was a must do and worth the hour and change to do it. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history and the items in the museum. It’s worth spending a whole day there but you will certainly get the highlights with additional insights.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was on time and answered a lot of questions. She provided a lot of context and history which made us appreciate the displays all the more.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monarch Otago Peninsula Wildlife Tour & Penguin Place

Dunedin

Eric was great! He knew a lot about the wildlife and history of the area. He also has great driving skills and was more than capable at pointing out hard to spot wildlife as we went along.

Quality of Experience

We saw lots of birds and a sea lion! Getting to see the albatross and penguins on the separate stops was well worth it. The boat tour was fun despite intermittent rain and the occasional choppy sea.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable! I really enjoyed the whole day.

Transport

All Blacks Rugby Experience

Auckland

It you’re a rugby fan it’s fantastic. If you’re not a rugby fan, it’s worth doing to get an understanding of how important the game is to New Zealanders. The history and cultural context outlined in the tour was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything went off pretty much without a hitch. Flights booked through KK worked out well timewise and all the tours were well worth the time and money. They also hit all the major things I wanted to do st each location (Queenstown NZ, Sydney AUS, and Ayers Rock AUS). Liz was super helpful and made this super stress free to plan. Thanks KK!

Vickie, was just great! She listening to our requirements and suggested activities that best suited each traveler. We had an amazing time and special thanks goes to Vickie for booking us in to our activities at just the right times so we kept missing the rush of people, which was a big concern for my family trip. Thanks so much!

Liz Neal booked our family a wonderful trip to Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora. From airport transfers to a ferry ride, ground transportation, a dolphin experience, and two Motu boat tours, everything was on time and exactly as planned. Our flight was nearly disrupted by an airline strike a few days before our trip, and Liz kept in touch with us the entire time, checking in and making sure our backup plans were in place. She took care to message me during the trip as well and make some wonderful suggestions! This was our second time booking a trip with Liz, and once again, it was smooth sailing and an excellent vacation. Bora Bora is like no place we've ever seen before -- a truly unforgettable trip!

Activity Reviews

WELCOME TO TAHITI!

French Polynesia

Intercontinental Hotel was great. We enjoyed snorkeling in their lagoon area and loved their restaurant service, which included a traditional Polynesian dance show one breakfast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were greeted at the airport and given all our travel info, with quick transport to our hotel.

Welcome to Moorea !

Moorea

If we could do it over again, we would stay at the Hilton Moorea over the Manava Resort. Manava was nice, but our room air conditioning was not great and had a musty smell. However, the dinners and amenities (paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkeling) were nice. Our outrigger boat tour landed on a day that was rainy and windy, so it wasn't super pleasant, but it was just bad luck with the weather. However, the dolphin excursion at Moorea Dolphin Center was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Would rather have stayed at another hotel besides Manava

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The dolphin expert at Moorea Dolphin Center was really knowledgable and great.

Transport

Ferry ride to Moorea was pleasant, and we had very easy and seamless air transport from Moorea to Bora Bora.

Dolphin Watching & Encounter - Educational Manea Program

Moorea

The dolphin expert at the Center was really knowledgable and made it a fun experience. It was incredible to observe the dolphins in the water firsthand.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Outrigger Miti Lagoon Tour - Full Day

Moorea

We weren't quite prepared to have this boat tour on a day of pouring rain and wind. We were cold and uncomfortable for the day, but our guide was pretty entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Perhaps a cancellation/backup plan for inclement weather.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shark & Ray Lagoon Safari and Motu TAPU - Full Day

Bora Bora

Our tour guide, Vatea, was amazing. He was so friendly, knowledgable, and had a great singing voice alongside his ukelele! The food was quite good and the lunch on the Motu had a nice setup with picnic tables in the water and fish swimming right by your feet as you ate. Snorkeling at the designated coral garden was incredible. And an unexpected bonus, Vatea stopped by the channel to the ocean and we saw many dolphins swimming nearby.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing trip, everything ran smoothly and made easy. Our travel agent Vickie did a fantastic job at providing us with an excellent experience of New Zealand making it personal and memorable. Thank you Vickie.

Connie did a great job helping us see the best of NZ and both islands in just 8 days! We loved the trip and the tours. All of the guides were fabulous and Do with Alpine, Chris with Eco Tours and Liz with Aucky Walky were the best! Also loved QT Auckland — nice rooms, great location, hip bar and good restaurant.

We had a great 2 weeks in New Zealand. Went with my wife and youngest son (he’s 21). As an American - New Zealand is a long way away! We wanted an adventure to South Island…. And Sabina asked our goals…. And then fit in activities to meet those goals. Highlights were a helicopter ride onto a glacier at Mt Cook where we then put on crampons and hiked around the glacier. Our guide found an ice cave and we were able to go into it. Amazing experience as we were 20-ish feet beneath surface in bluest of blue ice…. Knowing the cave will be gone in a year…and a new one will form. Another highlight was a kayaking tour in Milford Sound…. Scenery was utterly amazing, we got to see lots of wildlife (including sea lions), and learned a ton. Best part about trip was each morning was a pre-planned adventure and everything was organized. I had a few questions during trip…. Pinged the app…. And the KimKim folks responded very quickly and sorted our issue.
Now that I’m back, I am organizing a trip for my two sons to visit Australia in November. And again utilizing the skills of Sabina.

Activity Review

Tasman Glacier Helihike with The Helicopter Line

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

Highlight of our 2 weeks in South Island.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Felt very safe on the helicopter….

Working with the agent I was directed to, Liz, was wonderful. She was responsive, knowledgable and flexible. A few small adjustments I would have made in regards to size of some of the activities we booked as they were a bit bigger than we expected or requested but we still had a good time. As for Kimkim's pricing structure, the lack of transparency is a bit disconcerting. Since KimKim "can't" share, I tracked what everything cost, rack rate, and came to about a 20% mark-up in comparison so I think I would have preferred knowing the cost as a line item.

Hotel Reviews

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

Very big and busy. Felt corporate and full of groups. Nice rooms and a good breakfast but not much character or charm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Reef House Adults Retreat

Palm Cove

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Byron

Suffolk Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

River Drift Experience

New Zealand

You're really on the very edge of the Daintree and you don't see much with the snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Cruise Sydney Harbour Window Seat (from Darling Harbour)

Sydney

It was very long and a bit cheesy.

Quality of Experience

We saw the same sites taking ferries to other areas.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

It's well organized with a very friendly staff but it's HIGH so be prepared.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evolution Outer Reef Cruise (Snorkel)

New Zealand

I liked that this was a privately owned company although there were a lot of people on board.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport