We love getting feedback from our passengers after they complete their Kiwi Experience. Feedback helps us tweak Kiwi Experience for other passengers or simply lets us know when we've done a great job.
Some of our passengers stay in touch for years to come. We love that!
Reviews
Rating Snapshot
Overall
Matt • 7 years ago
A Kiwi Tourist is unimpressed by van condition
As a Kiwi living in NZ we had decided we wanted to experience what many tourists do in NZ. Our family decided to rent a camper van off Britz and drive it from Christchurch to Auckland for an 8 day holiday. On arrival at the Christchurch pick-up office I was shown the "Venturer" camper van which our family was going on holiday in to Auckland. On inspecting the Volkswagen van (nearly 5 years old) I could not help but notice innumerable dents and dings on the exterior. I also noted that the interior whilst clean was well used or infact very tired. The van gave the impression as being ready for the knackers yard. What was the final issue, was visible rust around the exterior power point which raised safety issues for me and my family. I told the staff member that I was not prepared to accept that van due to its poor condition. The staff member while polite seemed to be somewhat taken back that someone would dare to decline to take one of their vehicles. Needless to say after being told to wait, the manager came out and tried to persuade me that the rust was not a safety issue. etc. I stood my ground and said that while I am paying good money to a reputable company ie Britz and while not expecting a perfect vehicle I did not expect rent-a-dent with rust. The manager stated there were no other vehicles available. None-the-less I told her No, I was not accepting the vehicle. I went and sat down in the waiting area and eventually another suitable rust free vehicle was "found" by the manager. I then started my holiday late after needlessly wasting 2 hours at the pick-up office. The rest of the holiday was great with no issues with the replacement vehicle. I would recommend a camper van trip around NZ as a great way to see the country. The moral of the story is that although Tourist Holdings Ltd (the owner of Britz and Maui camper van companies) has mainly good vehicles there are some that are at the end of their lifespan and are tired and possibly unsafe. Check your camper van before you accept it and if you think it's too damaged or rusty. Refuse to accept it and demand another! Tourists pay good money to use their vans and THL need to always provide good vehicles to use. NZ is a great country to visit but Tourist Holdings Ltd need to up their game to provide consistent value and vehicle safety to their clients.
jhibbs • 7 years ago
Great way to travel New Zealand!
I purchased this ticket a week prior to arriving in New Zealand and when I arrived I made friends with many other travelers on the bus. My driver was so fun and very helpful. He stopped at all of the cool spots for sight seeing. He would even take us on really awesome hikes. There are many things I like about the Kiwi bus including having a room reserved at the hostel you stay at (although the prices for the accommodation is not included in the bus pass) and you can choose to stay at another place if you'd like. Its very flexible as well, making it an easy way to customize your travels. One downside is that you can't travel the same spot again until you've finished the whole loop on your pass, which could cause problems for some. Once you finish the loop you have one year of travel with the pass, BUT you are not guaranteed a spot on the bus if it happens to be full with people who are doing the loop for the first time (they have priority), so take this into consideration if you plan to do the loop again later on. Just contact them ahead of time to ensure they have a spot for you. Overall, it was such an amazing experience! I'm already planning my trip to go back!
Chris • 7 years ago
The best way to see an AMAZING country
A mostly incredible experience. A real break from the everyday.
Marie1312 • 7 years ago
Awesome time in NZ
Kiwi Experience is a great opportunity to travel the country and meet lots of new people. The bus drivers are always very cheerful and entertaining. You can book all accommodations and activities during the drives with discounts so theres no need to worry about anything in advance. Résumé: Relaxing travel, not always the best hostels but nonetheless a good time in total!
Nasher • 7 years ago
Great experience
I have just got back from a 6 week trip with Kiwi Experience! I went during September & October, I would recommend going at this time because I enjoyed the luxury of more flexible bus booking and less people, (much busier afterwards so I'd recommend booking all/majority of buses ahead) however due to weather at this time (always unpredictable!) some activities couldn't go ahead. Every season has its advantages so research before going to ensure you can do your chosen ones, and if not give youself time to stay a few days for the possibility of them going ahead a day or so later! The bus drivers were great, really informative and organised. All the activities were fantastic, if on a budget, don't think you have to do every single one, I would research before and pick the main ones to do on your budget, the free walks in every place are so worth doing! It really is up to you to make your trip, don't sit on the bus or go with the majority. Overall I had a great experience. I would recommend 4+ weeks. Shoutout to drivers Bods and Gina who were the most entertaining, informative and fun drivers!
AnnaS • 7 years ago
Travling is always fun but this was something extr
If you are like me, like to travel but you might not always have time or energi to plan. I had a few weeks left before it waws time for me to leave Australia and go back home after a year away. I had also an open ticket to nz. SO i checked with happy travels if they had any ideas what i could do for a few days. They put me on the bus for a few days to see the north island. It was so worth it. good prices, nice people and amazing adventures.
Nay • 7 years ago
The best way to experience NZ!
I was recommended this by multiple friends I had met travelling and so glad I booked it. I met a fab group of people and had the most amazing experience. This is not just a bus to get you from A to B; you stop off along the way for short walks and epic views. Most drivers are really friendly and informative and are able to answer pretty much anything! Shout out to Arias, best driver we had! If you want to see everything NZ has to offer but not sure how to get around this is the bus for you. Everything got ticked off my bucket list - the most unreal experience!
Bjelkeby • 7 years ago
Entertaining and fun!
Me and my girlfriend wanted an easy way to se most of New Zeeland and chose the kiwi experience, and we are so glad we did! It was more entertaining even educational then we thought!
ryan19 • 7 years ago
Fun, easy way to see New Zealand
I did the Tiki pass over about a 4 week period in September/October and it was a great trip.
Jessica • 7 years ago
Great way to travel! Just a few minor hiccups.
Camper van was pretty good. Just had a few hiccups along the way. Toilet wasn't empty when we picked it up unfortunately which we had to empty ourselves. Then the fridge and water heater both broke a couple days in- which meant we lost all our perishable foods and a few hours of our holiday spent waiting at the RV super Centre getting it fixed. In the end we did get some compensation for all the food and time lost. And every one we dealt with was super nice and empathetic of our situation and got straight on to fixing our issues so we could be on our way. All in all we loved our trip. The camper had everything we needed for convenience and was easy to operate. Thanks ☺️
