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
Jonna • 7 years ago
Brilliant
This trip with kiwi experience was excellent for me and my boyfriend. Great memories.
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 ☺️
Aylin24 • 7 years ago
Great experience if you travel alone
I booked the bus one month before my trip and everything went perfectly. Even if I changed the bus because I stayed where longer, I could easily make changes. The Kiwibus is more suitable for young people and parties
Speaky • 7 years ago
A different approach to travelling
I've travelled in other countries using organised bus tours so that I have more energy to do activities rather than being tired from driving. The difference with Kiwi Experience is that pretty much everyone has a different schedule. I had limited time from work so had to try do a bus with the "minimum days" which meant I had the same driver every day (except to Milford Sound which was an add-on trip). My driver Lisa was amazing, from her little quizes, catchy phrases ("Cruising for a non-bruising" + "Wakey wakey eggs + bakey" + "Jingle bells" spring to mind immediately) and insightful commentary on the places we visited as well as tips for good food and activities based on my individual needs. I am 31 so felt perhaps I was too old for this tour and a rival firm was recommended to me by friends, however they were more expensive and the dates didn't work for what I wanted to see. I am glad I chose Kiwi Ex because the age difference wasn't too noticable and there were others older than me too. I hung out with an 18 year old most of the trip and a 53 year old, age doesn't matter when travelling, personalities do. I am pretty open to having fun and so joined in most of the nights entertainment for at least a few beers, but didn't go at it as I perhaps would have done when I was 18-25 but still had a laugh, including dressing up for the famous dress up night in Lake Mahinapua. Using Kiwi Ex meant we got cheaper prices at several places, overall I would guess it saved me about $100-150 vs. if I had booked it myself. I also enjoyed I could just sign up and the driver booked the accomodation which made things slightly easier. The only negatives I can think of compared to other trips were: 1) If you join the bus 'late' often groups have already formed which can be difficult to bond with, this is purely down to the people you get on the bus and how 'out there' you put yourself. On other trips you are lumped together for the entire duration so this doesn't really exist there. The plus side to this negative is that if you do have time, you can just skip that bus and join the next one, though I understand in peak season it can be difficult to guarantee you make the next bus! 2) There's a lot of food stops etc. this is great if you are on a tight budget as you can save some money but if you are on a limited timescale, it's actually eating into your time seeing places. e.g. the drives themselves are a maximum of 3 hours a time between stops, if those stops were just toilet breaks then you'd end up with probably 1-2 hours extra per place. 3) Lots of people all getting off the bus at the same place meant lots of varied checkin processes. I feel Kiwi Ex could work with the hostels they pair with to streamline this process. The world is going digital, feels like Kiwi Ex and the hostels hasn't twigged to that yet and writing your name and passport number on bits of paper becomes a daily time consuming ritual before you can actually dump your bags in a room.
Fei Ting • 7 years ago
Northern express
I'm pretty pleased with the tour package. The train ride was amazing and no other bus tours covers the scenic train ride from Auckland to Wellington. The drivers were mostly pretty friendly. Special shoutout to the driver who took us from Taupo to Rotorua (on route to Auckland), I forgot his name but I took the bus on 6 October. He was really knowledgeable and shared good details about the things we were driving past. I had a good time with Kiwi experience and look forward to coming back to visit more of NZ with you guys!
KSB • 7 years ago
Amazing solo travel experience
I finished my trip about 2 weeks ago now and can’t stop thinking about it and already planning my trip back to New Zealand. The people I met on Kiwi Experience were exactly like me and just wanted to experience NZ in the exact ways that I did. The bus drivers were all very helpful and the accommodation choices by Kiwi Ex were also amazing. I’d highly recommend Kiwi Ex for young solo travellers, who want to meet new people whilst experiencing the amazing, beautiful country of New Zealand.
Roberta • 7 years ago
Great, knowledgeable driver
I purchased the Might Moa pass, with extended stop overs, 6 weeks in advance, on line. I had numerous changes, Roisin and Awatea were the absolute best at accommodating my requests. My driver, Jared, was very knowledgeable, professional, safe and entertaining. Can't say enough about how helpful he was. Have recommended Kiwi to everyone I meet, and all my friends back home in the States.
EmmaC2 • 7 years ago
Amazing experience
I'm so happy I bought kiwi experience. It was one of the best things I've ever done. I made friends for life and memories to last a lifetime. Thank you kiwi experience and my driver Emily :)
MartyR • 7 years ago
Top Trip
the Kiwi experience bus takes the hassle out of organizing hostels, places to visit and also gives great opurtuinity to make new friends
Sidmarsh • 7 years ago
Fun experience!
I purchased the Kiwi Experience with the thought it was just normal transport taking me from A-B, however it is so much more. It's like one big bus family, staying in the same hostels and doing the same fun activities. Best way to travel around NZ!
