Bloomoon New Zealand

Our local specialist checked in often to make sure we were where we were supposed to be and that everything was running smoothly.

Hotel Reviews

Te Waonui Forest Retreat

Franz Josef Westland

Beautiful hotel tucked in the trees. Everything was amazing. The restaurant was excellent. But they had two large bus tours come in and take over. It was super loud and the independent travelers were complaining. We sat outside to get away from it a bit. Would reco holding out some seats in a quieter place for independent travelers. Only other hitch was that the bartender had no idea how to make a manhattan.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could see the mountains from our window.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heartland Hotel Queenstown

Queenstown

Quirky fun hotel. A-frame rooms with exposed beams. If you get a room with a view it's amazing. Not sure what the experience would be like without one. Was at the top of a steep hill so anyone going into downtown like we did a couple times a day would need to walk up that. We were fine with it but we did see a lot of winded people slowly walking up to the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Quirky a-frame style rooms.

Location

Top of steep hill. Makes great views but a harder walk up.

Staff

There was a guy at the concierge desk that we asked for a restaurant reco and his response was "I don't know, I never eat out here." I suspect he was just a valet sitting where the concierge should sit though.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seemed clean and well appointed

Beachfront Hotel

Hokitika

Looked like all the rooms had a view and is right on the ocean. They get big bus tours that take over the restaurant (that has a great view) Should hold out some tables for independent travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Watched the sunset from our room.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Rutherford Hotel Nelson

Nelson

Beautiful old time classic hotel right around the corner from Trafalger Street. We ate at a great restaurant with a fun vibe, Hawker House about 5 minutes walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Onsen Hot Pools - The Ultimate Relaxation Experience

Queenstown (NZ)

This was the perfect thing to do after hiking the Milford Track. My wife and I are both not huge massage people but after this experience we might be converts. I think the hiking tour companies would be smart to sell this as a package with their hiking tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Track Guided Walk - Day 1

New Zealand

An easy day with a bus ride from Queenstown to Lake Te Anau. Then an hour boat ride to the start of the trail. Less than a mile hike to the lodge. After dinner they offered an easy nature hike behind the lodge which was a great basis for everything we'd be seeing in the next couple of days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Track Guided Walk - Day 2

New Zealand

This was easily the most beautiful hike we've ever been on. We had the benefit of great weather. It felt warm but like we were hiking in air conditioning. And the moss covered forest was unlike anything we'd seen in our lives. Sounded like this was the dryer side of the hike but still must get a lot of rain. Something like 200-300 inches/yr and 200 days annually of rain. The grade is slowly uphill with a little difficult rock scrambled caused by a slip near the end. Marking the trail across the slip was a little tricky but they had a guide posted to show us the way. Hidden Lake off-shoot was OK but the Prairie Lake swim was great. Take the plunge and swim quickly under the waterfall. Then swim back quickly before your limbs go numb from the cold!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Track Guided Walk - Day 4

New Zealand

This was the longest day of hiking. Started out with more of the same rocky downhill then leveled off more to a wider path downhill. Was pouring rain to start so tough going and had to cross some knee deep water crossing the path. Got back wet and soggy but not as tough a day as the one before.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3 Day Kayak & Walk - Day 1 - Nelson/Motueka to Awaroa via Totaranui

New Zealand

There was a lot of angst and confusion to start about what to bring and wear on this first day. We weren't aware that we were doing the trip backwards so we'd planned to hike, which was usually the way day 1 started but we started kayaking. Had to quickly unpack and repack on the floor of the tour company and the change. Feel like that could have been better communicated before so we could have planned better. Not a great start to the trip. We started a bit later so the winds had whipped the waves up (as they do most afternoons). We wound up bikin g the last sector because the guide said the next leg was going to have waves 3 times as big.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Track Guided Walk - Day 3

New Zealand

This was a tough day of hiking. We had prepared for the uphill over the pass. It was tough but the path was generally well taken care of. The downhill side of the pass was way tougher than we expected. Endless large rock steps were tough on the muscles and joints. My wife fell a few times and this is where most of the injuries occur. The first 1/3 is above the tree line so can be windy. Once into the forest it gets steep and rocky. There are stairs around the waterfall to start but the the trail descends into miles of rocky steps. If you wear knee braces then put them on for this one. Springs and wet trails just add a slipping factor to the fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Track Guided Walk - Day 5

New Zealand

Easy day on a boat tour and bus back to Queenstown

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was one of our best trips and we have traveled quite a lot. Uma Natarajan was amazing. She already had an itinerary that interested me and my cousins and we just made it exactly what we wanted,
14 days in beautiful New Zealand. It was very busy but we wouldn't leave anything out. I'm sure there is even more to see in that wonderful place.
From the Harbour Sailing dinner cruise in Auckland, then Auckland City Tour with just the 6 of us (cousins) with Raymond great tour guide, Eco Zip line -super beautiful including the walk back to base through the rainforest, Then the unique Waitomo Glowworm Caves and on to Hobbiton with driver Rachael. I'm a huge Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fan and this was special. Next day' Hell's Gate Mud Bath experience was very interesting followed by breathtaking walk through the Redwood Trees. very secure and magical. We followed that with Tu Te Ra Maori Summer celebration. That was wonderful to understand the Maori beginnings and culture. This was followed by a very tasty dinner of their specialties. Next day we flew to South New Zealand into Christchurch and had a unique Tramway gourmet dinner while passing the sights of Christchurch. Next day a Christchurch city tour followed by Punting on the Avon with John from Ireland our boat punter - such a great job he did. The end of the day we picked King of Snakes to have my husband's birthday meal. We had the meal where they put together a selection of their choosing and each item was so delightful - Like a Michelin restaurant. From Christchurch we went to Tekapo Springs and enjoyed a morning soaking in different temperature pools with mountains in the background - so beautiful and relaxing. That night we stayed up late and went to the Dark Sky Project, where they took us to very dark deserted place to tell us about the night sky. We saw the Southern Cross, Jupiter and its rings and its 4 moons, We saw other galaxies - Loved it!. Then on a Cheeky Kiwi van with others to Queenstown the next day. Thrilling walks for views of Mt. Cook and so many "Oh My Gosh" sights. We went on the Appellation Wine Tour - 4 wineries with a tasty meal after winery #1. It was so good that we joined the Kinross wine club. The gondola ride that we did after that was another ' oh my gosh" beautiful experience. Yes, we did more that day - we went on the Walter Peak Steamer to an amazing dinner - actually too much wonderful food to choose from - it was a buffet but we enjoyed the sheep shearing demonstration after that. Next day's highlights was the Milford Sound cruise. Goodness - gorgeous waterfalls, smooth waters, peaceful. Back at the fabulous Rees hotel we enjoyed some light snacks in the bar area before we got a perfect night's sleep. Next headed to Franz Josef on another Cheeky Kiwi bus. It was a long day and possibly too many stops but each one was beautiful so who'd want to miss them? Uma knew we would get in late so she arranged dinner to be included at Legacy Te Waonui. That was one of the best meals of the trip & that's saying something. Next day a Scenic Cruise of lake Mapourika with Joe. A small ship with just our group and 4 others young ladies. Joe was so personable felt like family. We all loved it so much and views of Franz Josef glacier and all the natural beauty that is New Zealand. So after the peaceful cruise we had a nice meal in town and then had a 4 wheeler adventure with Franz Josef Wilderness. That was exhilarating to be sure: rainforests, glacier beds, rivers, mud - wow! At 71 yrs old I had never done this before. The last day of the trip was a highlight. We took the Tranz Alpine Train trip from Greymouth back to Christchurch. Exceptional trip. Views and vista galore and we saw the hugest most vibrant rainbow I'd ever seen. Next day smooth sailing with our transfers to airport and then home to Texas. Couldn't even envision a better trip !

We had a fantastic experience with KimKim, and Nats, our dedicated agent, truly went above and beyond. He was extremely responsive, quickly adjusted our reservations when we were running late and arranged a replacement car when needed.
Most importantly, he designed an amazing itinerary that perfectly matched our interests and made our trip unforgettable. His attention to detail, flexibility, and genuine commitment to customer service made all the difference.
We highly recommend KimKim.

We had an amazing trip and Denise was very thorough and engaged throughout our trip. We had some cancellations due to weather and Denise was very involved in figuring out a plan B. I can not say enough about the KimKim model of putting a trip together. They can customize a trip or put together a planned itinerary. We have used KimKim for a number of big trips now and can say this is, by far, the best way to efficiently organize a trip. I highly recommend them and Denise is the Bomb putting a New Zealand trip to fruition. Thank you so much for your professionalism and expertise in making our dream trips a reality!
Rhonda McCoy

Hotel Reviews

The Cinema Suites

Te Anau

Authenticity & Character

Location

O

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Rees Hotel

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Awesome

Grand Suites Lake Tekapo

Lake tekapo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fiordland Pure Wilderness Jet

Te Anau

Alex was the best driver and hostess EVER!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

PRIVATE BOUTIQUE WINE TOUR

Queenstown (NZ)

Ben was an amazing driver/guide. He was knowledgeable and charming, loved this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves

Te Anau

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uma did an incredible job building our dream trip to New Zealand. She worked with us to build in Lord of the Rings and nature excursions that were important to us (Highlights included Weta Workshop tour, half day lord of the rings tour in Glenorchy, Mt Tarawera Crater Walk in Rotorua, Kai Bites tour in Christchurch, and Zealandia by Night tour in Wellington). We greatly appreciated her partnership on telling us when we were trying to fit in too much during planning, leaving us with an itinerary that was the perfect balance of action-packed activities and free time to explore or relax at our leisure for every location. Before departure, she provided a thorough day-by-day itinerary and many resources to prepare us for New Zealand. On the trip itself, she was crucial to our trip remaining on track as we were there at a very rainy time. She took point on rearranging our itinerary when some of our events were cancelled for inclement weather. The restaurant recommendation list was also phenomenal - some of our best meals were at the restaurants they recommended.

Activity Reviews

Crater Walk on Mount Tarawera

Rotorua

The experience of this rewarding hike was phenomenal. The guides were kind and so fun, helping take photos and explain everything you could see from the top of the crater. The skree down into the crater was the highlight, with the best part being able to go quickly at the bottom.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zealandia by Night

Wellington

This was the best part of the trip as someone looking forward to the diverse bird wildlife of New Zealand. The guides were so informed and clearly passionate about their work, so the audio tour component was very informative. We were able to see little spotted kiwis in the wild, a Ruru, and multiple tuatara. And it felt more intimate as a small group walking through Zealandia after dark with provided red flashlights to be able to search the brush for wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amiki Cultural Food Tours - Kai Bites

Christchurch

Ash was an amazing tour guide for the Kai Bites tour. She took us around to her favorite spots, taking care to point out important history, art, and buildings around Christchurch, including spots that we would not have thought to check out or would have noticed on our own. Ash made sure to point out shops that features local artisans so we could bookmark them for our own time, and when we mentioned our dinner reservation plans, she helped pick out a menu of must haves (which were, to no surprise, amazing recommendations). She clearly has a love for her work and sharing great food with others, and it was such a delight to spend the time with her, which made this a top excursion on our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour (Half Day)

Queenstown (NZ)

We got to see so many filming locations as part of this tour. The guides made sure to calibrate their tour based on who was in attendance, so the super LOTR fan and the casual enjoyer (i.e., my husband and myself) could both appreciate and enjoy their time. They brought a flip book to show the scenes and how they were staged for the film, and Pure Glenorchy was also able to get us onto a privately owned location for the Hobbit and to get a better view of Isengaard. And of course the photo opportunity at the end was an awesome touch. It even included a break for afternoon tea in the park in Glenorchy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

New Zealand was everything we hoped it would be. Denise with KimKim was an amazing member of our team . She was in communications on a regular basis. We did have a couple weather situations. No one can control those, she was out ahead of each one offering guidance and options….thank you.
We would recommend KimKim to anyone and betting we will be back!

Too much to mention. Denise did a fantastic job of arranging everything.

My son and I just returned from an 8 day trip in New Zealand. We had a wonderful time and Nats did an amazing job with preparing our itinerary. He arranged all of our activities, transportation, and accommodations. When the weather intervened and a couple of activities were cancelled, Nats was quick to communicate with us and suggest alternative options. New Zealand is a wonderful country to visit if you enjoy an active trip in beautiful surroundings. I highly recommend working with Nats if you plan to visit there.

Uma was absolutely amazing and the entire reason we had the trip of our lives to New Zealand! Her local knowledge, expertise and attention to detail was superb. She gave the best recommendations considering our likes with respect to activities, venues and locations. She followed up on every detail when we were traveling. She is truly extraordinary, and our only disappointment is that she doesn't plan travel in other countries! If you are traveling to New Zealand, please use Uma. She is a must have for a spectacular experience in New Zealand!