4.7 Stars (1725 reviews)
Our 8 days with Active Adventure was more than we could have imagined. Our guides were Holly and Noah. Holly was a fantastic driver, storyteller and organizer. Noah was our chef. He created delicious breakfasts, snacks, picnic’s and suppers. Not only can he cook, he can hike mountains with ease and educate us on the flora. Our tour guides were companionate and adaptable for each one of us on the team. My husband was unable to participate do to illness. They made him feel apart of the group and also respected his need to lay low. Highly recommend Active Adventures.
Classic South Island Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1725 reviews)
Excellent, the trip of a lifetime!
Classic South Island Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1725 reviews)
We had a few things canceled due to weather and the team was able to pivot quickly and with great options.
Classic South Island Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (387 reviews)
Excellent, the trip of a lifetime!
New Zealand Walking Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (387 reviews)
I highly recommend the 14 day Active Adventures tour of the South Island of New Zealand. We had two amazing tour guides, Elize and Max. They went above and beyond to make this tour exceptional! Their energy and enthusiasm were astounding. This country is extraordinarily beautiful and our guides added to the magic by taking every opportunity to highlight its unique features. The activity level was just as described, and perfect for me and my traveling companion. We had a great variety of activities including hiking, kayaking, swimming, shopping, taking boat rides and visiting wineries.
I really enjoyed the small group configuration of this tour. We had many delicious "family meals" provided by Max, an outstanding cook, interspersed with lovely meals in restaurants and cafes. Again, Elize and Max made these gathering special with their kindness and attention to detail. I truly felt pampered on this tour. The small group size allowed us to all get to know each other. We had a delightful group of people on this trip, which really added to the fun. Every day was a different adventure with wonderful surprises along the way.
I am very grateful to Elize and Max for making this such a special experience. Active Adventures is clearly dedicated to finding high quality staff to make their tours so wonderful. The pacing was great and the locations we visited were really spectacular. I especially loved visiting the Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki and the many hikes we had in tropical and coastal settings.
This tour exceeded my expectations in every way! Thank you, Elize and Max!
Rita Navatka
New Zealand Walking Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (387 reviews)
Overall a great experience I will always remember. It was faster paced than I would have done on my own, but the end result was that I saw more and experienced things and places that I would have otherwise missed. The trip was greatly enhanced by our two wonderful guides.
New Zealand Walking Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (387 reviews)
After examining trips from competing companies I selected this trip and was very pleased with my choice. The itinerary provided lots of information with hike profiles (distance and climb) being very important. At home I generally hike 6 mile trails as I find that 3 hours on the trail provides an optimum combination of exercise and scenery. The hikes provided on this itinerary provided great scenery without being overly strenuous.
I can't say enough about the quality of our two guides. We have taken a number of small group tours with very good guides. But these two raised the bar in terms of guide quality. Elize's main task was driving and she did a great job. She was also great to have as a guide during our hikes. Max's main tasks were as chef and guide. I was really impressed with the teamwork that they displayed during all aspects of the trip.
I was a bit concerned about having meals prepared by the staff but Max did a great job. His dinners were always creative, beautifully plated with great attention to detail. He also did a good job with breakfasts and packed lunches. One key advantage of home cooked meals is that they are BYO, the meal can be augmented with wine from a local supermarket or wine store. On those days where we had restaurant meals, the restaurants selected were very good with nice selections. It appeared that vegetarians were well taken care of.
During the trip I developed some congestion that impacted my stamina. While hiking, I tended to lag the group a bit. Both guides provided just the right amount of concern and encouragement to keep me going.
The itinerary was excellent. It provided a variety of experiences including hiking in different environments, kayaking, wine tasting and general great scenery. We were able to hike portions of 4 of the 10 Great Walks. The boat ride in Milford Sound was amazing, helped along by rainfall earlier in the week that fed a large number of waterfalls. Having a free day in Queenstown allowed us to select activities that were of interest to us.
New Zealand Walking Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1376 reviews)
We had the most spectacular time on this tour. The Galapagos and all it has to offer was amazing. It was made even better by our guide, Pablo. He was a wealth of information with a flair for the dramatic, which made the tour both educational as well as entertaining. Paulo, I’ll call him our support guide, made sure everything ran smoothly. All in all would highly recommend this tour.
Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure, January 1970