Once Upon a Trip

We appreciated the process with Monika and kimkim in planning our 3 week self-driving trip of New Zealand. We'd researched the route we wanted to take and what we wanted to see, plus what we wanted to budget. Monika made suggestions and we made further refinements. She arranged our accommodations, car rental, ferry, plane from Queenstown to Auckland, and some of the experiences we desired. She also advised us on what we'd need in order to enter the country (NZeta), driving rules, and other important items. Once all finalized and paid, we received extensive instructions and vouchers for the items Monika had reserved for us, along with recommendations of other things to see and do in each location. Once in country, she kept in contact and was available for questions, or if not (on her days of) who we could contact. As for the trip, the accommodations (we requested cost in the middle range) were all very good overall and those in cities or larger towns were centrally located for ease in walking to attractions and restaurants. We enjoyed the experiences she'd helped to arrange (Hobbiton, Te Pa Tu Maori dinner, Wai O Tapu, Milford Sound) plus others we we'd planned on our own and some that we were told about by locals or other tourists along the way. Those would be the Art Deco tour with volunteer Judy in Napier, Tongariro and Taranaki National Parks, Zealandia and the Cable Car in Wellington, birds and seals at Kaikoura, the lighthouse and Giants House in Akaroa (east of Christchurch), Arthur's Pass National Park, the amazing night sky in Lake Tekapo, the Clay Cliffs near Omarama, and the drive to Glenorchy and Paradise out of Queenstown. Danny, our coach driver to and from Milford Sound (actually a fjord!), was excellent and shared interesting information on the way out. It was nice to relax and not drive that day after all of the driving we'd already done. On accommodations of special note we really enjoyed the Ruapehu Country Lodge in Ohakune. Our host Bernie was quite the character and happy to share information on restaurants and tracks (hikes) we'd planned to do, things to see, and roads & road conditions. We enjoyed his wife's homemade jams and other yummy things at breakfast. One thing of note is that not all of the accommodations were as accessible as they could have been (stairs/no elevators); we didn't specify with Monika that we required that but if you do, let your planner know. We're in our early 70s and in fairly good shape so didn't have too much of a problem and some of the hotels offered to help with our luggage. We "survived" a hot 6 km hike in Tongariro NP (lots of stairs!) so managing stairs in hotels wasn't a challenge. We came home more fit than when we left. ;-) Overall, we had a wonderful experience and the planning Monika did for us made for a smooth trip, especially as it was our first time in New Zealand.

Activity Reviews

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Great fun for we fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans. Our guide, Sam (not kidding) was full of fun and facts.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Sam.

Transport

Coach and Cruise to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

Queenstown (NZ)

Very long bus ride, but scenic. The weather at the sound (fjord!) was a bit dreary but the boat ride was fun, though a bit crowded. Wonderful waterfalls, the mountains were hiding in low clouds but still very pretty. We enjoyed the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver Danny was excellent and had interesting information to share. He also knew a lot about birds and answered my questions about those we heard & saw.

Transport

Hi Monika!
Thankyou for organizing such a wonderful trip for us!!! We loved
1. All the cities you guided us towards
2. All the hotels; all lovely
3.all the activities!!! Special shoutout to doubtful sound cruise; train ride and hike to Arthur’s pass ; food tour in ? Napier; Māori cultural event and more!!!
4. It truly was( as my 14 year old grand niece said after she went to a Taylor swift concert) “ a life altering event”
Thankyou for your guidance and your hard work!!
Kelly ( aka Elisabeth) and Bruce Sutter

Had a fantastic time. Loved where Sir Edmund Hillary practiced for his famous assent to Mt. Everest. Loved New Zealand’s meat pies in Queenstown.

Just returned from the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand—and I have to give a huge shoutout to our tour specialist, Monika. From start to finish, she absolutely nailed it. Every stop on the itinerary felt like a highlight: from the glowworm caves to the TranzAlpine train ride, from progressive food tastings in Christchurch to stargazing in Tekapo and a visit to Hobbiton. I would have to say, however, that our absolute favorite do-not-miss activity was our overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound!!! From eating freshly caught lobster and fishing/kayaking on board, to the delicious meals and peaceful waters of the Sound, it's truly not to miss.

Monika clearly knows the country inside and out—she chose the perfect mix of iconic sights and off-the-beaten-path gems, and her hotel picks were consistently top-notch (comfortable, well-located, and boutique style). While all of the hotels were great, we especially loved The Hermitage (Mt. Cook) and On the Point (Rotorua), where we had a 4 bedroom villa for our group that was absolutely perfect.

She struck the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation, cultural insight and natural wonder. We also thought the order in which we toured (started on South Island, finished on North Island) was perfect. While the driving was intimidating at first, our two drivers got used to it fairly quickly. BTW, one activity we did on our own in Rotorua was a visit to Wai Ariki Spa, which I HIGHLY recommend.

If you're thinking of visiting New Zealand, I can't recommend Monika enough. She crafted a thoughtful, personalized, and truly unforgettable experience for our group of eight friends.

Monika was extremely helpful in ensuring we had a wide-ranging, fantastic experience on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Whether it was horseback riding, hiking, and overnight cruises through the Fiordland; movie studio tours, and winery excursions, and whale watching; and everything in between, we were always paired with tour providers and accommodations that were clearly high quality and dedicated to providing meaningful and memorable experiences. In the infrequent times where there were any logistical hiccups, Monika was immediately responsive to get us back on track. All told, our three weeks were absolutely memorable and magical.

We enjoyed a fabulous three weeks in New Zealand thanks to Monika's guidance and efforts to develop an itinerary that met all of our requests.

It began in Queensland and a memorable flight and cruise to Milford Sound., definitely a "not-to-be-missed"! It continued through small towns - Clyde, Lake Tekapo, Kaikoura, Taupo, Raglan, Coromandel - and cities - Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland - and included a variety of activities - cycling, a cultural food tour, surfing, hiking, sailing. Unfortunately, due to weather, our kayaking and stargazing were cancelled.

For us, the highlights were the Milford Sound flight and cruise, bike ride in Clyde, Hulbert House B&B in Queensland, Hapuku Lodge accomodations and dinners, surfing with Green Wave Raglan Surf School, and the Koru Lodge in Raglan.

Thank you Monika.

John & Wendy

Hotel Reviews

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

Kaikoura

Luxurious, comfortable, lots of amenities and activities.

Authenticity & Character

The tree houses are very authentic

Location

Nice hiking, biking and beach opportunities nearby

Staff

Couldn't be more helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Great Ponsonby ArtHotel

Auckland

Located in a wonderful neighborhood with good access (walking or bus) to the center city, great staff, and wonderful breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ranginui B&B

Lake Tekapo

The B&B host is warm and welcoming, and a great advisor for activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A nice quiet neighborhood not too far to walk to town

Staff

The host is very friendly and welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belle Vue Boutique Lodge

Taupo

Comfortable, great views of the lake, beautiful home.

Authenticity & Character

The owners have done a wonderful job restoring the lodge, and they take great pride in it.

Location

While outside the center city, the lodge is located in a attractive neighborhood with nearby amenities.

Staff

Friendly and very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hulbert House

Queenstown

Wonderful staff, very comfortable accommodations, great location. And delicious breakfasts!

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy 5-minute walk to the center of town, though not as easy a walk back (uphill).

Staff

Very friendly and accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The George

Christchurch

Great location and a very comfortable and clean hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy walk to town center and across the street from a wonderful park

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bolton Hotel

Wellington

In the center of the City within easy walks of key spots. Very comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

We were not surprised with the authenticity and character when we learned that The George is a related property to Hulbert House.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lord Clyde

Very helpful and friendly staff, and a great location.

Authenticity & Character

An original building from the town's gold rush days

Location

Right in the center of Clyde within easy walk of restaurants, sites and activities.

Staff

Very helpful in guiding how to best enjoy Clyde.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Raglan

Raglan

The highlight was the Green Wave Raglan Surf School which caters to all ages and ability levels. They had us surfing (for a bit) and made it very fun and enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bing Lyons, our instructor, continued to encourage and instruct. He was so positive I thought I was an expert surfer.

Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound by scenic flight

Queenstown (NZ)

Flying over snow-capped mountains and glaciers with mountain peaks as far as you can see, landing on the sound, dolphin-escorted boat cruise, sailing up to waterfalls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andy is a tremendous pilot

Transport

The flight gave us a great view of mountains, glaciers, the sound, and it was smooth. And the cruise was wonderful as well

Cultural Food Tour - Kai Bites

Christchurch

Very informative of the Maori history and culture with a delicious lunch of local foods.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I worked with Michele to plan our trip to New Zealand. She did a great job including all the things we enjoyed. We love the outdoors and she set up some beautiful hiking and a fantastic day biking through the wineries. I would definitely use Kim Kim travels again to plan any future trips

Hotel Reviews

Acacia Cliffs Lodge

taupo

Acacia lodge was fantastic. It only had 6 rooms and we enjoyed our private deck with great view of Lake Taupo. The cooked breakfast and nightly appetizers were a nice bonus. Our room and the entire lodge was comfortable and beautiful. Loved the host. They gave us everything we needed but they also respected our privacy

Authenticity & Character

Very unique. Beautifully remodeled with awesome grounds

Location

Away from all the crowds but a very short drive to everything

Staff

Host were very friendly. Helpful with suggestions for activities and restaurants. Cooked a great breakfast!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was spotless and extremely comfortable

Novotel Auckland Airport

Auckland

We could literally walk to the airport. It was steps away. So convenient

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Gannet Safaris

New Zealand

This was an unexpected surprise. The scenery was stunning. Only way to see this area is on a tour.

Quality of Experience

O

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Picked us up at our hotel. Very convenient

Michelle created an excellent itinerary for our 12 days in New Zealand. With just a few questions during our initial phone conversation, she was able to determine our preferences about hotel types and locations to visit. She selected very nice hotels with most walking distance to main part of town. Tours selected were small group which made the experience very enjoyable. We are very grateful that she suggested a self drive tour because we were able to explore more than if we were on a guided tour. Thanks Michelle for creating a great vacation for us!

Hotel Reviews

The George

Christchurch

Comfortable and walking distance to botanical gardens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful with suggestions on what to visit with just a short time available

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramada Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

Comfortable and walking distance to main part of town

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Distinction Te Anau Hotel And Villas

Te Anau

Great suite with wonderful view

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St Clair

Dunedin

Wonderful. View of ocean and walking distance to restaurants

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kelly Rd

Cambridge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not much around but good mid-point to next location with laundry facilities on site

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hana Lodge

Rotorua

Wonderful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M Social

Auckland

Close to our cruise departure

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historic Steamship Cruise to Walter Peak Farm + BBQ Dinner

Queenstown (NZ)

Fun experience. Great food. Highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Te Anau

Seeing glowworms was fun but we especially enjoyed the underground scenery and waterfalls.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Premium Cruise in the Milford Sound

New Zealand

Very happy with this small group cruise. Milford Sound is amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small group made travel to sound very enjoyable

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Fun experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Introducing us to native food choices was an interesting experience. We tasted the food served but didn’t eat much. Would have been more enjoyable if other foods were served along with the cultural choices.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was very entertaining

Transport

Explore Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula

Dunedin

Beautiful area

Larnach Castle Tour - unguided

Dunedin

Beautiful scenery

Yellow-eyed penguins

Dunedin

Fun experience

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Good management of large groups of people touring this site. Smaller groups led around with assigned times

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just returned home from two very exciting and truly intoxicating weeks in New Zealand. The utter perfection of my itinerary, planned by my local specialist Michelle from Once Upon a Trip, allowed me to relax and flow from one amazing experience to the next.
Michelle devised an itinerary based on my desire to see as much natural beauty as possible and managed to stay within a reasonable budget. She created a two week schedule that did not overwhelm and facilitated my ability to travel solo from the southern city of Queensland on the South Island to the northern city of Auckland on the North Island. I flew over glaciers to magnificent fjords, took boat trips on fabulous lakes, cycled through spectacular rainforests, visited botanical gardens, museums and cultural performances.
Every activity she chose for me was top notch, every accommodation fit my needs, driving directions, check-in information, timing, and general recommendations were perfect and completely reliable. I could not have asked for a more incredible trip. Thank you Michelle, Monika and KimKim!