My wife and I have had a trip to New Zealand on our Bucket List for the past 30+ years. Finally, in celebration of our 30th Anniversary we decided to make that dream a reality. We considered a variety of options when pulling this trip together. Ideas ranged from planning it all ourselves, doing a 'self-drive tour' organized by a tour group but where we would handle the driving at our own pace, and going the organized tour-group route. In the end, we opted for the organized group. With only two weeks available for this trip, we didn't want to risk ruining the experience if we encountered car issues or other things beyone our control.

When we decided on the group option, the next challenge was to select a group that offered an itinerary which appealed to our active lifestyle and could do a good job of screening customers so that the activities would be appropriate for the ages and physical abilities of the various group members. I had several conversations - both via phone and email - with Active Adventures staff. They responded quickly to my questions and were very candid with the information they provided. The other groups I contacted were not timely with their feedback and I didn't get a comfort level that worked for me.

We selected Active Adventures and had the time of our lives! Our group was awesome... 7 people with ages ranging from 40-62 - from the US and UK. We ALL became fast friends and shared many amazing experiences. Our two guides (Amanda a.k.a. 'Button' and Jasmine) did an incredible job of organizing our group, entertaining us with NZ cultural tidbits, and showing us regions of the country that you won't find in the tour books. The food was great, the conversations were memorable, and the overall vibe of the trip was simply the best you could imagine. We are already looking forward to our next Active Adventures trip... maybe Galapagos or someplace else where we can go knowing that the trip will be another adventure to remember!

| July 4800