New Zealand Self Drive Tour Reviews

Dear Jo:

Greetings from Washington DC !

My wife and I were extremely happy and comfortable with all the arrangements and bookings you had made for us. After months of back and forth, you and I managed to plan out a perfect trip with a mix of outings and relaxation as we had desired. And we really got a great experience of the beauty of NZ and the friendliness of the Kiwis. You have gained our confidence and respect.

Each accomodation you recommended was different and yet so perfect. We enjoyed Mt. Cook and you were so very right that its a misconception that the road would be hilly and winding. Far from it -- very enjoyable drive and the weather throughout our trip was perfect, except the last day in Auckland when we had some rain.
Saw the FirstLight office across from the Waldorf. Wanted to leave you a note but the main door was locked. I took the liberty of calling your mobile number on a Sunday, and left a long message. Trust it was not improper for me to do so. It was indeed a great pleasure talking to your over the phone midway through our trip.

Whether we will ever make another trip to NZ is an unknown but in you we have found a friendly relationship that we can cherish over the coming 
years; and if you ever are coming to USA, do feel free to let us know.

With kind regards,

Rohit Mehta - USA

Im so glad that we made the right choice! I researched for several different travel agent but ended up with First Light Travel agent. Rhodri Howell was super awesome from the beginning! He was very detail, informative, attentive and patient! He put the whole package together to make our first trip to NZ so much easier and memorable! We truly appreciate your attention to the detail, and also for your assistance to our last minute addition to our plan. We definately will use your company again for our next visit to the beaitiful NZ! And of course we will share about your company to our dear family and friends!

Thanks for everything and keep up the great works!

Angeline Gelford - USA

Sophie was a wonderful experience. Sophie was highly professional and exceptionally responsive. I greatly appreciated her attention to the endless details. It's so helpful having a 'travel guide' when planning a trip like this, especially since I was planning for 4 people. Everything went smoothly and Sophie was tremendously accommodating to our needs and details. I would highly recommend First Light Travel to anyone booking a trip to New Zealand. I read on their web site, or somewhere, "If you're thinking about using this company to help book your travel, just do it! Stop wondering and just do it! They are exceptional." At that moment I called and spoke with Sophie. 

Etana Kunovsky - USA

This was our first time traveling to another country. I explained the general activities we wanted to do during our stay and Shelley crafted a wonderful itinerary. She was great to work with, helped us multiple times through last minute changes, and helped us with a dream vacation. I absolutely loved the wine tours selected for us. Our tour in Central Otago was so lovely. We visited beautiful wineries like Chard, Dominion, Peregrine, ate lunch at an amazing winery with a beautiful view. Martin was fantastic as a host. Ananda tours on Waiheke Island was our favorite. The island is beautiful, our guide was so accommodating, and we visited some simply stunning wineries.

Mitai Maori Cultural Experience was AMAZING! It was a wonderful way to learn about Maori culture, experience good food, and have a great time with many different nations. Extremely professional staff, I enjoyed it so much. The rental car process was very easy and not too hard to figure out for those of us who drive on the other side of the road.
Definitely recommend GPS for anyone who doesn't know the area in the future.

Thanks Shelly

Nathan Kanzler and Vickiana Franco USA

Due to First Light Travel we had an amazing experience in New Zealand! They know all the 'ins and outs' and made a package that was perfect for us. A lot of nice outdoor-activities such as kayaking, rafting, horse-riding and exciting hikes. Our contact with Judith - prior to and during our trip - was perfect.

We'll be back!

Groet Roland en Marieke - Holland

We greatly enjoyed our trip and appreciate all you did to make it special. We will be sure to pass your name on to our friends that have NZ on their bucket list.

Dianne and Bob - USA

Thanks to Shelley and First Light Travel for an amazing holiday in New Zealand! From the start, my experience with First Light could not have been easier. I simply mentioned how long I planned to stay and the types of activities I was looking for and voila! Shelly put together an itinerary that even had a native Kiwi I met on my holiday impressed.

I had an amazing, grassroots experience of this beautiful country filled with adventurous activities and unbelievable views! I highly recommend First Light Travel for anyone considering planning a holiday in New Zealand.

Jeff Faath, USA

We had a FABULOUS trip around New Zealand. Every activity we did was engaging, interesting and fun. Kasey did a phenomenal job of finding great companies to facilitate our excursions and organizing a trip that allowed us to see the most of New Zealand in our short timeframe. Thank you so much again for all of your great insight and help! -

Mandi & Oliver Kiefer - USA

Thank you Jo Taylor and First Light Travel for planning me the Holiday of my life! I gave Jo a brief description of what I was looking for and she gave me an itinerary that was better than anything I had imagined. My trip was just laid out for me, stress free. It was made so easy and beyond enjoyable. Jo Taylor exceeded my expectations. She made my dreams come true and added a few I didn't even know I had! I am so grateful and so happy that I traveled with First Light!

This was our first trip to New Zealand, it was the most incredible experience I've ever had! Working with Shelley was so easy and it was the first time using a travel planner. I will absolutely be back in touch for when we return for our South Island trip. It was amazing!