4.7 Stars (4482 reviews)
My partner and I had been anticipating a New Zealand trip since the Fall of 2019 with a departure date of February 2021 with a different travel company. Obviously, that trip never materialized. We went through several life changes in the meantime - switching jobs, relocating to a new area, etc. We finally had a chance to rebook our New Zealand experience for late 2023. After some thorough research, we landed with Active Adventures. This trip was totally worth the wait. Active Adventures went above and beyond our expectations. Everything about the trip from the logistics to the activities were very well organized. Our guides, Kim and Emma, went out of their way to make sure we were well taken care of and provided a layer of local education that would not have been available to us if we had planned the trip on our own. New Zealand's beauty speaks for itself, but the educational aspect of the trip added another layer to what was already going to be an adventure to remember. If anyone is looking for a guided expedition for New Zealand's South Island, this is the one to book.
Ultimate South Island Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (4482 reviews)
I was completely bowled over by this amazing experience. There is so much to find exceptional about Active Adventure's experiential learning; I also have some very important recommendations to share with fellow and future active adventurers.
Firstly, there is so much to see on the Ultimate New Zealand South Island Adventure. The hallmark of a great trip like this are quality guides. Kim, our lead guide and a seasoned pro, was a confident and fun gal with so much to share, wonderful stories and anecdotes about the history and spirit of this primeval place. She planned the whole trip, from accommodations and necessities to culture and unusual places, and from sharing her delight at special birds and trees, an absolute delight! A newer guide with incredible cooking skills and plenty of guide-like know-how was Emma, who helped with room selections & providing sumptuous, high quality meals that kept us energized and sated. Emma was perfectly suited to this work, and both Emma and Kim were patient. On the 3-day Challenging portion of the Nelson Lakes hiking adventure, we were joined by two others, Brogan and Mel, both of which assisted me especially and the others as well in fully experiencing the wonders of the mountain peaks and the difficult trekking required to get there. The accommodations were much better than what was shared in the brochure, the stops, the continuous learning about birds and forests and trees and mushrooms, geology and people and colorful tales were all very special. Active Adventures demonstrated real value by living up to the promise of tremendous experience!
Now, some negatives about the trip my fellow travelers need to know. At 60, I am in good shape, fit, and hike and bike 3 times a week each; In the past year, I lost 45 lbs on a ketogenic diet (no processed carbs). Over the last 6 months, I worked up to hiking once per week 6 hours and 3500 feet of elevation gain in dry Phoenix, AZ. The itinerary shows what you do on each day, how much distance you cover, and how much elevation you gain or lose. I used this as much as the packing list to prepare for the trip. And let me tell you, this active hiking trip kicked my ***! Here's what to expect: huge hikes with lots of elevation gain that begin in jungle-like, humid conditions that can zap your energy quickly, especially when the trails are rutted and steep. Also expect that the itinerary is off in its calculations for how much elevation you gain and lose... by a lot! For example, the last day of the Challenging option for Nelson Lakes says that you gain 220 feet (70 meters) and lose 2700 feet (840 meters). Untrue! After a night at Angelus Hut 5400 feet, depart that next day climbing over 1300 feet additionally, then descend a total of almost 4000 feet. You must count the additional up to arrive at total elevation, and the result is bad blisters on my feet! Also, no recovery time is given. Don't go on this trip unless you are prepared for huge hikes with no recovery time the next day. Furthermore, they expect you to cross large rivers getting your boots completely soaked for several days! What???!!
A few additional recommendations: upon arrival, purchase Goodbye Sandfly, a repellent and soother for the island's version of mosquitos... they are 10X worse! Also, make sure when booking your trip to get in writing that departure date is "guaranteed departure"; canceling my trip on me after 4 months almost cost me $3800 in flight costs! Another helpful tip: rent their equipment --high quality, good fitting, and cheap. Next: all clothes hike related, incl pants! Washers and dryers frequently available. Final recommendation to fellow travelers: the suggested tips of $20/guide/day is insufficient. These guides deserve twice that, and you'll need NZ $ to pay them. You'll probably want to come with $500NZ for personal expenses (there aren't many you can't get without credit cards), but you'll need lots more to tip your guides well at the end.
Ultimate South Island Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1139 reviews)
An outstanding experience enriched by the two exceptional guides we had in Chile, Zac and Patrick. From cultural conversations of the country to sports, politics, languages, good, history, etc, Zac and Patrick made every moment worthwhile. long days ended with a good meal, conversation and the knowledge edge we were always in good hands.
The terrain, a beauty of the mountains, trails and overall landscape are just part of the experience, however, the guides make the difference and they ensured everyone got to experience more than just hiking.
This is the reason I’ll continue to take action adventures with your company; because of the guides and their ability to connect with each person, treat everyone with respect, share knowledge, humor, customs and insight into the experience. A truly unforgettable adventure.
Patagonia Hiking Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1725 reviews)
The Classic South Island Itinerary was amazing. Our trip leaders, Hanna and Noah were fantastic with coordination, interesting information & overall fun factor. Hanna was an excellent driver and Noah was a terrific chef - all meals were absolutely delicious and plentiful! Trip leaders can really influence the trip and these two were so much fun to be with for 8 days. Both were experienced hikers and outdoor enthusiasts and catered to our preferences.
Classic South Island Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1139 reviews)
Please leave this as anonymous or do not post. I have left some very candid feedback.
The itinerary was well thought out and the logistics of the trip were very smooth. The thing that made our trip so special and unique was our trip leader and main guide, Zac.
Zac made everything seem easy, and his personality made every meal and experience enjoyable. He went above and beyond to make our trip memorable. The very first night, he found a birthday cake in Puerto Natales for one of the other trip participants. He found a nice restaurant for us on Christmas night to make the holiday feel special and not just like some random night on a trip (and also tracked down another birthday cake for a different guest, no small feat in El Calafate on a holiday). Words can't express how good this man is at his job.
Also the local guides were awesome. Patrick on the W was a wealth of knowledge and we learned so much from him. Paula in El Chalten was also a tremendous guide. I would seek both out individually if I ever went back to those places.
I would ask Active Adventures to take a good look at several aspects of the trip, especially considering the price per person of the entire experience. The breakfasts were fine, the dinners were very good, and the lunches were dreadful. The accommodation also left something to be desired.
Hotels:
- It feels like these hotels were picked years ago and have not been reevaluated since.
- In Puerto Natales we were caught off-guard by the change in accommodation location. Instead of being at a 3-star hotel in the town with walkable options, we stayed at a Best Western that was a 10 minute drive outside of town. The hotel was clean and had nice views, but we were very isolated as a result. Nobody got to spend any free time exploring Puerto Natales, and due to difficulty with getting shuttles to take us into town we had to have an absolutely dreadful meal at the hotel.
- The Patagonia Queen in El Calafate was nice and in a convenient location. The rooms were quite basic, but I did like this place.
- Posada y Cabañas El Barranco in El Chalten was well below my expectations for a trip this expensive. The rooms were beyond basic, with limited toiletries supplied and tiny showers. This place also featured the smallest/shortest bed (my wife is 5'6" and her feet hung off the end, I am 6' and my shins were at the bottom of the bed) I have ever seen in a hotel. Also, keys had to be left at the front desk when you went out for the day, which is a security risk as all you needed to do to get a key was just say the room number you wanted to enter.
Food:
- The dinners planned by Zac were all great, with the exception of the very first night at the Best Western. I feel genuinely sad for Zac's next group, who had to spend their New Years Eve dinner eating there.
- The pack lunch the first day from Kau Cafe was awesome. It set my hopes so high for trail lunches.
- The rest of the pack lunches were anywhere from boring to downright terrible.
- Posada y Cabañas El Barranco provided pack lunches that were so terrible that most of the group did not eat them half the time. Soggy vegetables sauteed and put on a piece of bread was the staple every day, which was then paired with a dry empanada, and a tupperware of diced carrots. Aside from the terrible taste and texture, these meals were much too low in calories for the hiking efforts. On the day we hiked 13+ miles and 2500+ feet to Fitz Roy, our lunch provided about 500 calories outside of the one protein bar they came with.
Patagonia Hiking Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (1139 reviews)
This was my first hiking vacation and won't be the last! I chose the active option which included the W-Trek hiking and would recommend it to anyone. I got to experience Patagonia in such a unique way and learned so much through our Guides. Over 14 days we got to see incredible sites across both Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia. Photos don't do it justice-so go see it for yourself. Just know, there's very little downtime or free time across the 2 weeks!
Patagonia Hiking Adventure, January 1970
4.7 Stars (112 reviews)
My daughter & I had a fabulous trip (Ultimate Machu Picchu & Galapagos Adventure). It was a trip of a lifetime. Machu Pichuu was incredible. Our guide Wilson for the Peru portion we exceptional. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. At the end of the Peru portion of our trip, I told Wilson that "he is no longer our guide and that he is now our friend." The driver as well as all of the other people involved we very friendly and helpful as well. The guides on the Galagagos portion of our trip were very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating as well. Snorkeling at Kickers Rock in the Galapagos was amazing! It was almost like being on a dive...we saw beautiful angle fish, star fish, huge barnacles, sea turtles, white & black tipped reef sharks as well as hammerheads and sting rays. It was very interesting to spend a couple days on 3 different islands as each has its own highlights. The highlight of the Galapagos for my daughter was the giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island as well as the snorkeling at Kickers Rock. All of the hotels we stayed in were very nice. The food was excellent as well. All in all, we can't say a bad thing about Active Adventures or our trip. We would be willing to go again (on this trip or another) knowing how awesome this trip was. Thank you Active Adventures and all or wonderful guides.
Ultimate Machu Picchu & Galapagos Islands Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (387 reviews)
Our walking/hiking trip was absolutely AMAZING. What a professional company. Everything was even more that we had hoped for. I can recommend them highly enough. Worth every penny.
New Zealand Walking Adventure, January 1970