Thanks, KimKim & Kathrin!
New Zealand
|
Apr 19 - May 6, 2026
Wow, trip of a lifetime! Many thanks to KimKim (and to Kathrin specifically) for helping us have the visit we'd long dreamed of in New Zealand. Both the South and North Islands were wonderful, though very different. We did white water rafting, kayaking, boating near glaciers and icebergs, heli-hiking, had a Maori experience that was absolutely fantastic, visited several national parks, saw coastlines from the water and fijords from a boat we spent the night on. Can't possibly list everything we got to experience, and it could never have worked out so well without the help we got from Kathrin. Just can't say enough how much I recommend KimKim for travel planning. We had so many wonderful things arranged for us that any stress we might have had going it on our own just evaporated. I had so many questions, and Kathrin was endlessly patient and helpful!
Hotel Review
Beautiful accommodations, outstanding service, a wonderful included breakfast, and a great location are some of the reasons we loved this hotel. There was roadwork at the time that made it tricky to get to, but when we were close someone from the hotel saw us and came out to show us where to park then helped with our luggage. We were sorry to only have one night there, and highly recommend it as a home base when you are visiting Queenstown.
Activity Reviews
While this was one of the things I wanted to make sure I experienced on our trip to New Zealand (I was an anthropology major and loved studying about the Maori) I was a little suspicious that this might feel too "touristy". By the end of a delightful evening all fears were allayed. Actually meeting the extended family who operate Te Pa Tu, the variety of ways they showed you what life in one of their villages would have been like (with interactive events), listening to their fabulous singing and chants (oh my gosh what voices they have!), and sitting down to a feast with them scattered among the guests so you could learn more one on one - I mean, what more could you ask for?
Loved the island but wouldn't do the Hop On Hop Off bus next time. We were there in the fall and maybe it's different during high season but the schedule had us waiting a lot, and we wasted a lot of time we could have spent exploring the island and the wineries.