For an independent travel review  www.rankers.co.nz/experiences/5981-Aroha_Tours  

2012
"There is no better way to see New Zealand than with Aroha.  The staff are outstanding and do everything imaginable to ensure a unique and memorable experience."  Gary M. Lawrence,  Writer and CEO of Lawrence & Partners LLC, Texas, USA 

Veronika, We had best time of our life travelling with you in NZ. All lodges were superb and located at scenic places. My wife is a vegetarian but you ensured she was well taken care of. Personal guide was very knowledgeable and courteous. Well done. Prakash Bhalerao, Pune,  India

Hi Veronika, we came back before few days after a long holiday and a great time, memories and photographs. It was a good idea to contact you as I learnt much more about NZ,  then I would do on my own. Jurgen was an excellent guide and friend all throughout and everything was smooth and as planned. Anyways we look forward to be there again maybe it won’t take 10 years now, but for the moment its work until next vacation ) Good luck to you and your team. Snehal Patel, MD, SPC Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd., Baroda, India 

Veronika, Many thanks for organizing our trip to New Zealand. Your guidance and assistance were invaluable. The accommodation and activity recommendations were fantastic. The highlight for us all was the time we spent with Stephen and Trudi at Tarata - a truly magical place and their hospitality was memorable. Many thanks once again and happy New Year! Warmest regards.  Andrew (Gill, Alex & Tilly) Jones, MD of Barclays Capital, Singapore

2011
"Our two weeks with Veronika was magical. She is the perfect guide: intelligent, funny, resourceful, respectful of space and privacy, and honest. She showed us special places and introduced us to unique experiences that we would never have had without her guidance. She is never mainstream, always unique and creative. She did a fantastic job combining the needs and wants of adults and children(2 girls – 5 and 9). On our next trip to New Zealand, Veronika will be our first call." Sandy Shapero, San Mateo, CA, US

“It is with pleasure that I write this Testimonial for Veronika of Aroha Tours. Veronika who owns and operates Aroha Tours has designed a unique tour model for the discerning tourist of New Zealand. One of my daughters was the first of our family  to use Veronika,s services to plan a tour for her family and English Parent in laws. A great success for three generations of people .On her recommendation my wife and I engaged Veronika to organise a Tour for us following completion of the recent Rugby World Cup. As a business traveller one experiences a variety of challenges and one becomes quite selective on standards. I must observe that Veronika,s attention to detail, her knowledge of New Zealand and her awareness of the character of her clients, all blend to what I would expect to hear from a satisfied customer base. We have no hesitation in using Veronika again and no hesitation in Recommending her services for others planning a spend time in New Zealand.” Don & Pat Argus, (Honour of Australia) Victoria, Austral

We are safely back in the U.S.! We had so much fun!!! You were such a fantastic tour guide and so knowledgeable!. Robyn & James Cope, Florida, USA  

We had such a fabulous trip and are still talking about it to everyone. We have to thank you for that, Veronika. Australia was nice and pretty but there is absolutely no comparison with New Zealand. Frederick and Susan Sievert, Stamford. USA

They had a wonderful time, thank you so much for your help! If I can ever get to NZ I will travel with you guys! Dena Stahlheber, Stamford, USA

We are sorry for the long time, but we have been both very busy one we came back. We miss our world around trip, but basically we miss the unforgettable days we spend with you in New Zealand.  Rossella Mastrotto, Gruppo Mastrotto, Italy

Hi Veronika, we have reached back safely...feels like we are back to earth from heaven. My family joins me in thanking you for the excellent  arrangements throughout the tour. Special application to Jurgen who was more than just a guide and made it so easy for us all through. It was certainly a memorable holiday...I am sure we will be back soon...I have already recommended your name to many friends aspiring to visit New Zealand. Mahesh, Raji and Laya Parameswaren, Singapure

I was fortunate to find Aroha Tours by chance on the web and what a great find. Veronika Couldn’t have been more helpful. Not only did she reply to my every email so quickly despite the time difference but she took the stress out of me planning my trip and organised a perfect tailor made experience  i will never forget.

Jurgen and Veronika what a team! Helpful, attentive, good fun and kind. We would always use them again if we are fortunate to go back to NZ. Without Aroha Tours we would have never experienced half the sights, accommodation, knowledge and restaurants. A first class service. I would highly recommend Aroha Tours to everyone wanting a first class tour guide, they were worth every penny and more. Faye Hudges, London, England  AIT Group, 

Veronika, We have had the most amazing time with you in New Zealand. Thank you for once in a lifetime views and experience. You are such a joy to be around and your love of New Zealand shines through in all you say and do. We will definitely be back. Please keep in touch. Fred & Sue Sievert, CT, USA

Hi Veronica, We have reached back safely...feels like we are back to earth from Heaven. My family joins me in thanking you for the excellent arrangements throughout the tour. Special appreciation for Jurgen, who was more than just a guide and made it so easy for us all through. It was certainly a memorable holiday..but for the small disappointment in not being able to set our feet on the glacier, everything other moment was fascinating... I am sure we will come back soon... I have already recommended your name to many friends aspiring to visit New Zealand..Three cheers to you and team Aroha..Thanks Mahesh, Raji, Laya/Singapore.

We had a wonderful time. Thanks for everything! Lei Lu & Lisa Wang, Long Beach, CA, USA

Dear Veronika, I wanted to write and thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing tour you gave my mother in law, Adrienne. She had an amazing time, and valued your company as much as the magical places you took her. She told us many tales and showed us some amazing photos. Fran Lowery, Auckland 

Veronika, Where do I even start...What a fantastic shoot we had here in New Zealand thanks to you! You were such a wonderful guide and I cannot even express how lucky we feel to have met you! Thanks for believing in us to portray your country to the best it can be & for of course promoting Aroha Tours! We are so extremely excited to put this show together & I hope it exceeds your expectations and really promotes all of your hard work and dedication to your company! Your time and friendship this week has been so great & we feel honoured to have met so many of your wonderful friends. I can see that you will always be successful. Thanks for being a great TV Star. Your friends Ashley  Colburn and Josh Middleton, San Diego, USA. WEALTH TV – TAKE OFF (Travelshow)

Hi Veronika, Just to let you know we are having the time off our lives, with lots of fun and laughter. Jurgen has been the greatest.  Hope we get to see you at some point.  Thanks Frances & Donald Aberle, Nassau, Bahamas

Good Morning Veronika: On behalf of the four of us, I would like to thank you very much for having organized an amazing trip to New Zealand and for picking up Achim as our driver/guide. Our tour was simply fantastic and every day was totally different from the previous one both in terms of accommodation and activities/sightseeing. Achim was a real pleasure to have around and he added a lot to our trip. You really created for us a trip of a lifetime! We will definitely recommend your company to anyone we know who is considering a trip to New Zealand. We also hope that you were not personally affected by the terrible disaster of this week in Christchurch. Thanks again and all the best,Giancarlo Bisone, NJ. USA

Dear Veronika. Thank you so much for a wonderful time through the South Island. NZ is a beautiful country and you were  able to proudly “show it off” through your own eyes. We were Fortunate to hook up with you and it made our trip more personably getting to know you. We wish you well in your future. Our best always. Lazarus & Marion Calpan, Montreal, Canada

Dear Veronika, Finally we are safely back in the UK having completed our round the world trip - wonderful memories to last a lifetime. I cannot praise nor thank you enough for crafting and executing the perfect trip for Barry and I.  You had listened and thought about what we had asked for at the beginning, providing for us a highlights tour which met our needs and was fantastic. Absolutely loved Steve Popperwell - you could not have chosen a more charming, accommodating and informative guide. He was great company while seamlessly tweaking our itinerary to accommodate Barry's special needs. Fly plane to Milford Sound - awesome - magnificent - highlight of the whole world trip - we were so lucky with near perfect weather - will always remember. Steve so calmed our nerves over Shotover jet we laughed and smiled all the way through our drenching !!! Arrowtown and Wineries also great. Well I am sure you are very very busy with your film crew right - I hope you get the most wonderful publicity from it.  You deserve it.  You are a lovely person, incredibly organised with a great eye to detail.  We have no hesitation in recommending your company to any of our friends who might be coming to NZ. Sonia and Barry Abbott, Winchcombe, England 

2010 and older

Donna and I had a great time in New Zealand. Ira & Donna Leavitt, IL, USA

Veronica, Thank you very much for ensuring that we had a wonderful time in this awesome and beautiful country. We wish you continuing happiness and success here. Carol & Bruce Cunin, CT, USA

I wanted to thank you for the Tour you organised for us and also for the guide you chose to escort us. Steve Popperwell was absolutely fantastic. We learned so much from him and even during weather related challenges we faced Steve was the best. Never stressed, always in a good mood. It was a pleasure to see New Zealand thru Aroha Tours and Steve made it better even by teaching us so much about the Country and the different places we visited. Any chance I have I will recommend your services.  Glenda (& Nuno) Vitoria, Switzerland

...on the whole, we had a marvellous and enjoyable time.  You planned a lovely trip for us and I have recommended you to friends and colleagues. Ginney Ling. Singapore

We had a wonderful time on the trip and the South Island was absolutely spectacular, as you said it would be.  Thank you for all that you did to make our trip memorable. Deepa Reddy, Ohio, USA

Hi Veronika. Thank you so much for your hard work and co-operation in making our trip such a wonderful experience one we will never forget. We will recommend you to all our friends. We had the most fantastic time in the South Island and Jurgen is the most amazing guy. We hope to see you again. Take care and we wish you all the best for the future. Faye Hudges and Henry Smith, London, England

Hello Veronika, Everything worked perfectly. I will strongly recommend your company to any of my friends travelling to NZ. We enjoyed and learned a lot about a country that before for us was only a name in the map. We love NZ. Please send our best regards to Jurgen. He was a perfect guide and has a lot of knowledge. Again, your choice of hotels was superb. My wife and myself want to sincerely thank you for what we experienced.  Sincerely, Anita and Eduardo Malenky, Buenos Aires, Argentina

I wanted to thank you for making our holiday truly special. You are a wonderful person, and I hope we can stay in touch. Eli Brollo and family, Shanghai, China

Dearest Veronika,Thank you for being such a great host and making our NZ trip a magical one. We couldn’t have ask for  a better tour guide. Your passnd dedication have shone through and left a lasting impression in our heart. Mrs. Natalie Chang, Mrs. Veronica Lam, Mrs. Hock Eng Patricia Duong, Mrs. Fiona Fung, Mrs. Rena Yap, Mrs Agnes Poon, Sydney, Australia

Hi! Veronica, I really had a good time in New Zealand owing to your kind help. Thank you very much for your kind care and hope another trip soon with my friend whom missed this trip. Best Regards Kang Bok Lee, Seoul, South Korea 

Thank you very much for everything. NZ is truly a beautiful place. I especially appreciate the effort you put into trying to figure-out what we would enjoy more and to tailoring the trip towards that objective. You were also flexible in the plans we had made towards this object. Thank you for having taken such splendid care of us and for accommodating all our Needs. Nawshir Mirza, Mumbai, India

Thank you, thank you, for planning and taking us on the most wonderful tour imaginable!  I am still singing the praises of our experience! Judith Gartner, Florida, USA 

Thanks Veronika for the great trip we had - absolutely hitch free and worry free. Your working on the itinerary was perfect with a great deal of emphasis on the finer details. Not once did I feel worried. All the others too felt the same way and appreciated your efforts. The hotels/lodges that we stayed in were also perfect. Thanks once again. And yes not to forget Jurgen - he was indeed very good and very co-operative and also full of necessary information. Best wishes, Hope to be in touch. Sudhir Reddy, Hyderabad, India  

So sad to leave NZ tomorrow.  We had the Best time ever.... thanks to Veronika. Barbara Desfor and Burt Birnbaum, Florida, USA

 We're back home and into our busy routines but  I wanted to take a minute to let you know how much we enjoyed our time in New Zealand with Jurgen (our only disappointment was that we didn't get to meet you in Taupo - I know you were on the road with another tour.)   New Zealand is a stunning country and I know we were exceptionally lucky with the weather. As I think you are already aware, I found Aroha Tours while searching the internet, and from our initial email correspondence I was confident that you would meet our expectations. You clearly listened to what we were looking for and customized a tour accordingly.  Overall we were very happy with the tour. Thanks so much for all your help in organizing our tour, Veronika.  We won't hesitate to recommend you to others. Sincerely, Sari Goldenberg, Toronto, Canada

First of all I would like to start off by saying that overall our trip was absolutely amazing. We experienced so much and have learned so much about New Zealand. The scenery, the amazing places we stayed and more importantly the people we met were AWESOME. We cannot express how impressed we were by Martin. His expertise, passion for what he does, knowledge and love for this country were expressed each and every day. We felt safe and in good hands at all times. Brandi Hicks, Hawaii

Hi Veronica, We had the best time touring your wonderful country with Jurgen. He was a delight even though he is a flat white addict! Our thought is that we want to come back as soon as we can.  Please pass on our best to Jurgen(all is good!) and thanks for the great trip! Dan A. and April Vossler, President, Central Coast Remedial Resources, Inc. USA

Veronika, Thank you for all of the arrangements you made for us for our recent holiday in your beautiful country of New Zealand.  We had a great time and will cherish the memories of what we experienced. The helicopter flights to White Island and over Fiordland, as well as the Siberia Valley experience were the highlights of the trip.  While the physical beauty of both islands was quite extraordinary, what impressed us even more was the quality of the people of the Kiwis we met during the trip. The accommodations were very, very nice.  We have traveled quite a bit in our lives and visited many countries around the globe.  Prior to this visit we regarded the Mauna Lani hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii as being in a class by itself with regard to the level of customer service provided to guests.  I would have to say that the Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, the Whare Kea Lodge, the Dock Bay Lodge, and the Spire Hotel were all at least the equal of the Mauna Lani, if not even better! We have probably never experienced (nor likely ever will again) the concentration of gourmet meals in one fortnight as we did on the trip -- excellent food with every meal you set up for us.  I suspect the very good seatings we received were due to your influence also!  The drivers who provided transfer services to us were all very professional and interesting, informative, and people-friendly folks.  Special mention is deserved for Jack Tragear.  I must say, he is a very vibrant fellow for his age -- very informative and a sheer pleasure to be around!  We were extremely comfortable with him and never had one awkward moment, which is not an easy thing to accomplish spending all the hours we spent with him in six days of being driven about. Once again thank you very much for all of your efforts in making our visit such a delight.  If I put together a golf trip to New Zealand with some friends sometime in the future, I would certainly like to work with you again. Sincerely, Rob and Shirley Moser, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Dear Veronika, many thanks for arranging such an amazing holiday. Anthony + Maria Haggar, Haggar Holding, Sudan

Dear Veronika-We're back home trying to get over our jet-lag. The trip was great and your arrangements generally were very good. Martin was particularly knowledgeable and very helpful, and we thank you for a job well done... Regards from Joyce and me....Myer Deitcher, Nucor Trading Canada

Veronika, it was a pleasure to meet you and to have you as our very competent, reliable and friendly guide! I definitely will back. Javier De Onate, Zurich, Switzerland   

Overall we had a wonderful trip and a wonderful experience. It is a shame Diego (9 month) will not remember much of it!!! I know Maureen and I will never forget it!!! For this many thanks to you and your professionalism!!!!! Carlos & Maureen Cuellar, Jakarta, Malaysia

We had an awsome time! Thank you very much.Christina Barho, Australia and Thomas Barho from Germnay

Thank you so much for giving us such a personal tour. You really made
it special and I feel like I made a new friend! Jody Castano and Dean Neikirk, Austin, Texas, USA

Hema and I would like to thank you for a wonderful trip. Martin was simply outstanding – made the trip even better. Hema and I will cherish this trip all our lives. Regards Anand Antur and Hema Tharoon, Chennai, India

Thank you so much for the wonderful tour of the land you call home. Your personal tour of the beautiful country was top notch and we couldn't have asked for anything more. Its not possible to really experience New Zealand for the first time without Aroha Tours.

You've openend our eyes and heart to new wonderful thinks, thank you for that. Ronald LaVecchio and Katy Tsu, Waipahu, Hawaii

Hi Ronnie, We reached safely though after an hectic journey. First of all THANKS for a lovely tour that you arranged. We enjoyed every place that we visited and are thankful for your assistance at all levels. I admire your patience. What a great and fascinating country N.Z is. Such lovely landscape surpasses any other country that we have visited including Switzerland and Scotland. Wow. The tour was memorable as promised by you and your expertise knowledge and details of all the places we visited was fascinating and illuminating. Ravinder Sethi, Delhi, India

Just want to thank you for giving a us a great time (one of the best time for any holiday) and also making my parents dreams come true, of course with awesome feeling to the fantastic view of New Zealand that you took us to have opportunity to touch it and a marvellous selection of accommodations. Kora Sukonritikorn, Bangkok, Thailand

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Even that doesn’t say enough. We have had the holiday of a life time. One we will never forget and we have the pictures to prove it.

Linda & Dennis Toth, Kendry, USA

Veronika. We sincerely appreciate your expertise  and kindness in showing your beautiful country. We are so happy that we chose you to be our guide. We wish you well in the future. Julie & Chuck Dumas, Michigan, USA

Veronika, Carolyn and I enjoyed ourselves very much. We not only enjoyed your beautiful country, but thoroughly enjoyed our time with you. Thank you for all the arrangements. Overall, this was the best vacation Carolyn and I have ever had. Thanks to Jack and yourself. David and Carolyn McLemore, Boart Longyear Limited, Utah, USA

Dear Veronika, thousands of thanks for so wonderful time in New Zealand, country of amasing beauty! We are traveling a lot and have seen many beautiful places, but the beauty of this country of contrasts, human warmth and your sincere concern for us were very pleasant surprise for us. Thank you for the wild places shown, that are available not to everyone tourist! Thank you for your care of our complicated diet:) Thank you for your kind stay together! All our friends know now that New Zealand has to be explored only with Aroha Tours and Veronika - otherwise, the country will lose half of its charm:)! Lina & Gintaras Grybeniene, Lithuania

Dear Veronika, I returned back from Singapore on 11th and have settled down with work.   I am very much grateful to you for making our trip to New Zealand a memorable one. We will always cherish this trip during our lifetime.   Our special thanks to Gibby who made us feel very comfortable during the whole trip and went out of his way to make sure that we enjoyed every moment of our trip.   I can say that you as a Tour Organiser and Gibby as a Tour Guide make a terrific combo.   New Zealand is a God's gift to mankind. Your country is rich in natural resources. I am very much impressed by the way the citizens are taking pains in maintaining the ecology and environment and this is a very good lesson for us to learn to improve the same in our country. Warm regards. Harish & Pallavi Ghandi, Mumbai, India

Veronika, Thanks for the great time! Beautiful country and you are a wonderful host.
Nita & Myles Hutton, Joan and Ed Kura, Janet & Bruce MacDougal,Texas, USA

A huge thank you for everything you did for us - the trip went so well and flowed along. It was well paced and we did enjoyed the variety of accommodation and trips/experiences very much.  Amanda & Arthur de Haast, England

Hi Veronika, We had a very memorable holiday in New Zealand and we all need to give a special thanks to Mellisa. She was simply superb...very patient and accommodating. We all feel that she made a  great trip even greater. Narendra Kudva, Bangalore, India

No words can express how greatful we both are for you taking very good care of us in NZ!!!  We so very much miss your country. Corwin and I cannot stop talking about our experience in NZ to everyone we here on Kauai! We both want to return to NZ soon!!! You were saying how you wanted to know how we would rate our experience from most memorable to memorable? Well the entire trip was OUTSTANDING!!!! We actually enjoyed all the places, B & B's and people we met. They were all very, very wonderful and unforgetable! Joanne & Corwin Acoba, Kauai, Hawaii

Hallo veronika, vielen dank für deine bemuehungen. Bin gut angekommen und bereite schon meine produktion ueber meine traumreise vor. danke auch fuer die informationen ueber neuseeland. wuensche dir erstmal alles gute und viel spass auf deinen touren und sende dir ganz liebe gruesse aus good old germany. Reinhard Listl, Kelheim, Germany

The tour you arranged for us 'exceeded expectations! We have been boring all our friends and family with the details of our flying fox and rafting experiences, and the Chalet Eiger with its unique lightening and fab hospitality. Mel & Gary, England

Thank you very much for all your arrangements of the tour, we very much enjoyed our holidays in New Zealand. We also would like to thank Melissa, she is a very good guide. We will let our friends know how great our holiday was. Roland Fung, Hong Kong

Once again, many thanks for a truly memorable holiday in NZ. We had a great time. We recently viewed some of the 1000 odd photographs that we had taken, and they immediately brought back the wonderful memories.  Arun-Anjali Argawala, United Arab Emirates

Thanks again for everything. My parents had a wonderful time. Sincerely, Nomi Igra, Berkeley CA, USA

Dear Veronika! Thank you very much for your care. You are really the best in the industry. And it is not a complement just a fact. You can trust my opinion – almost 7 years I am organizing our tours around the world and have been in contact with so many agenesis, companies and individual tour managers that I have some understanding of the situation. Melissa was fantastic! With best wishes personally to you and Aroha Tours.'  Cordially Igor Chernov, Finland

“The Rotorua/Taupo Rift'. What the world looked like when it was born. Powerful stuff, Veronika, Rich Shapero, US - Auther of Wild Animus, USA

Our dear Veronika, when we think of our trip to New Zealand at the wheels we have only fond memories of you and about the places we visited with you. The houses we stayed and the ambience of the atmosphere will remain in our memories for long. We are really envious of your country, it is God's own country! With blessing. Dr.M.I & Saramma Joy, India

We are back in India after a great holiday. Thank you for your help. Both Roy and Melissa were faboulous and a pleasure to be with. I do hope that I can come back to NZ...if not with family maybe with some friends. I have still some unfinished busness...as trying to do some of the crazy stuff the Kiwis have invented. Regards, Ajith Pai, India/Singapure

Wir hatten eine wunderbare Zeit in Neuseeland. Veronika is sehr kompetent, geht sehr gut auf die Gaeste ein, ist eine sehr gute Fahrrerin und hat uns Neuseeland nicht nur von der touristischen Seite vermittelt. Kurt Massuthe & Sylke Hagedorn, Hamburg, Germany