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
Niccyj95 • 6 years ago
Trip of a lifetime
Afte recomendations from peers back in the u.k we put our trust in Kiwi Ex to provide us with an all round adventure of both islands without much research from ourselves! We were not wrong, the trip has ticked all of our boxes from providing opportunities to make make many friends, undertake a whole variety of activities, provide us with secure accommodation and overall make the trip live up to the name this country deserves!
Margaret • 6 years ago
It gets you places
The Kiwi bus is perfect if you like getting around easily to certain places, like to stay there and then get on. The bus drivers (some more than others) are helpful and will give you information about the different places that you pass by along the way or where you will stop. Also, the option to stay longer in places is a real plus, as it gives you the opportunity to discover a place more in depth. Stops along the way are supermarket stops (sometimes, mostly on the North Island), pictures stops, short walks and toilet stops. I should say here that I traveled with a friend and that we were mostly in New Zealand for the views, hikes and culture. If you feel more adventurous with sky diving, bungee jumping, etc., Kiwi experience will really suit you as they mostly focus on those activities. One of the bus drivers called me and my friend 'boring' as we didn't do those activities.However, if you feel fine using the Kiwi bus for getting around, that's perfectly fine. Personally, I felt the Kiwi was okay, but it can improve on some aspects. For example, sometimes you arrive at a place at 2.30 PM, while all activities in that place start around 1.30/ 2 PM. Meaning you can do absolutely nothing anymore in that place. This happened to us in Queenstown. A real shame, if you don't have the luxery to stay a day longer in the place. This is something that can really easily be solved, as the drive itself was only 2 hours or so, but they make it around 5 hours by stopping by a bungee jump place for an hour and then stop a few times more for half an hour for toilet breaks. By just cutting one stop or shorten it, it would allow us to make so much more of our day there. Also, some activity organisations save space for Kiwi clients, but not all of them. So if you go during summer holidays (as was our vacation) and you hear about the activity in de bus on the way there, chances are that the activities are already fully booked. Unless you feel like staying 2 extra days. This is really a shame, as we counted on some of them but had to cancel due to our schedule. My advise is, if you really want to do an activity, to book it yourself in advance without the Kiwi experience discount. Often it is only about 5 or 10 dollar, so you don't miss that much discount. Also, the way from Abel Tasman to Franz Josef is split into 3 days / two nights. I feel like it should just be one night. You really lose valuable time here. The second night is designed as a funny night out, with a theme party night for only Kiwi-travelers. As we often stayed an extra night somewhere and had about 8 busdrivers and different people in the bus every time, we found it a bit out of place. It was mostly fun for the people who have traveled with each other from the beginning and were doing the tour in the minimal amount of days. Exchanging this night for an extra night in Wanaka, would be my recommendation. So in the end, look at what you need and would like to do. We made a list in advance what we wanted to see and what we wanted to visit. Kiwi covered about 90% of those places and the other 10% we could do by staying an extra day or hitchhike. I feel that we did the right thing in choosing Kiwi, as it fitted best with our schedule. However, I do feel that you get most out of New Zealand if you can combine Kiwi with lots extra days and perhaps even an car, as your tour will otherwise feel a bit incomplete.
Alex • 6 years ago
Good experience, but not really a hop on hop off
Overall i enjoyed the kiwi experience. Aussie Rob is an asset to the company, he was extremely helpful. Made a really good group of friends from this trip. The activities on offer were very good. I don't think it should be advertised as a hop on hop off tour, as the itinerary was not that flexible. It is more of a bus tour. I also think more work needs to be done with the hostels, they seemed to change the prices a lot and could often find cheaper rates at the same hostel on hostel world. I think some hostels have become too complacent with getting kiwi experience custom.
Jeneesiya • 6 years ago
Amazing Experience
My friend told me to buy a bus pass. Really happy i did! I had only 4 weeks in NZ. This was a fun and easy way to travel. I started alone, made a lot of new friends along the way!
Hannah • 6 years ago
Absolutely amazing!
Kiwi Experience is an incredible way to see New Zealand! You get to see the country alongside amazing people! Talk to your driver guide, they have amazing recommendations, and they are super helpful!! Loved every single minute on the bus!!
Claire Breheny • 6 years ago
Best Trip I've ever done
The Kiwi Experience gave me a full insight into New Zealand in 3 and a half weeks. Everything was planned out for us, and all I had to worry about was what time I needed to be on the bus in the morning! All trips/excursions and accommodation booking was done on the bus, and it was so simple and easy. Of course, if you wanted to stay somewhere else/do different activities there was also the flexibility to do that. Our driver Dave (Cuddles) was amazing - funny and informative, and we were really sad to say bye to him! He definitely was a huge part in making our trip so enjoyable. Overall, I couldn't recommend the Kiwi Experience highly enough. Also, I was a little bit dubious about doing the Kiwi Experience as I am in my mid 30s, thinking that I'd be too old! How wrong I was! Whilst there was lots of younger people on the bus, there was real mix of ages (we were definitely not the oldest!), and everyone was very inclusive no matter what your age and background - everyone was there to have fun, see the sights and make friends. It seemed great for solo travelers too due to the set up.
alex • 6 years ago
nice
thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks
Meg • 6 years ago
Amazing experience!
So happy that I decided to travel New Zealand with the Kiwi experience. Got to see and do so much more than I thought. Not only that I got to meet some amazing people.
Hannah • 6 years ago
Great adventure but a lot of driving
Initially nervous about the whole experience on my own but I loved every second of it, it was a lot of long driving bit some of the sights were simply stunning that the drivers were able to show us
Katie • 6 years ago
Amazing New Zealand!
The accommodation Kiwi offers is varied and we stayed in places we probably wouldn't have if we had travelled NZ independently. We travelled on a number of different buses and it was easy to make friends on all of them. The discounts on activities are a bonus and the fact your driver books everything for you makes life so much easier so you can just enjoy your holiday, thanks Kiwi for making our NZ experience easy going and good fun!
