The World's 25 Best New Trips: 'Hoiho Wildlife'

The World's 25 Best New Trips: 'Hoiho Wildlife'

National Geographic Adventure magazine - November 2006



What's new: Ask any group of experienced guides about their dream trips, and chances are they'll rattle off dozens of options. This year Queenstown-based Active Adventures New Zealand invented a creative way to take advantage of all this unrealized trip-planning potential: The outfitter inaugurated an annual competition among its guides to design the best trip around New Zealand. The winner, of course, would get to lead his or her entry.

On the ground: After trekking in the shadows of 12,316-foot (3,754-meter) Mount Cook, you'll set out on a three-day hut-to-hut hike along Warmington's favorite trail, the five-year-old Hump Ridge Track. Tucked into the southwest corner of the South Island, the 35-mile (56-kilometer) route has two new backcountry mountain lodges and offers stellar views of both Lake Hauroko, at 1,516 feet (462 meters) the country's deepest lake, and the moody mountain ranges of Fiordland National Park. The trip culminates with an overnight cruise through isolated Doubtful Sound, where you'll explore waterfall-draped shorelines populated by seals and gape as the sun dips into the Tasman Sea.

What people say about our trips

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Yellowstone Adventure - September 2023

Yellowstone awe

"Our Yellowstone Adventure exceeded our expectations and ranks at the top of travel experiences. Our… read more

"Our Yellowstone Adventure exceeded our expectations and ranks at the top of travel experiences. Our guides, Jamie and Zach, treated us like royalty and were very responsive to our needs. The meals they prepared and served were excellent. Having a room with a view of Old Faithful was so unexpected and very cool. The hikes were very manageable, even for seniors like us. Our guides provided lots of encouragement for activities that might have been out of our comfort zones. read less

5 Stars (136 reviews)

Kathleen,

Yellowstone Adventure - September 2023

Yellowstone Adventure

"This was a beyond amazing adventure. I was looking forward to hiking in Yellowstone,… read more

"This was a beyond amazing adventure. I was looking forward to hiking in Yellowstone, but had reservations about zip lining, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. I did them all despite them being outside my comfort zone!!
Staying at the historic Old Faithful Inn and having a room that looked out on Old Faithful was a fantastic beginning to the trip. The meals Zach and Jamie fixed while on the trip were delicious and their knowledge of the area added to the enjoyment. Our last night in Chico was sad because our adventure was over, but also a celebration of the time we’d had together and the memories we made read less

5 Stars (136 reviews)

Louise,

San Juan Islands Adventure - September 2023

Suzanne M Kujat

"The trip was wonderful & the guides excellent & so much fun to be around.… read more

"The trip was wonderful & the guides excellent & so much fun to be around. They were organized (& had Plan B's when needed), helpful, friendly, fun, knowledgeable & very interested in each person on the tour. read less

4 Stars (91 reviews)

Suzanne,

San Juan Islands Adventure - September 2023

Island hopping

"I had a great time in a place I knew nothing about. Jayson and Steve… read more

"I had a great time in a place I knew nothing about. Jayson and Steve did a great job educating us on the history of the SJI and taking us out to do an abundance of activities and keeping us well fed. My husband and I came on this trip because it worked out with another activity scheduled nearby so we had no prior knowledge of the area. We came to find out our group was mostly repeat guests who had taken the Mighty 5 trip during a different week then us; but had the same former guides. We had some fast bonding and we had a great time with this group of people and I hope our guides also enjoyed their week. read less

5 Stars (91 reviews)

katelyn,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2023

Hiking at it's best

"I have to say we were not prepared for the wonders of the Canadian Rockies.… read more

"I have to say we were not prepared for the wonders of the Canadian Rockies. Simply put, we were blown away by the landscape and our guides who were totally devoted to making our trip one we will always remember. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and open, making us feel like part of their family as they showed us their back yard. And what a back yard it is. Living in a city, the isolation in this vast wide open world of the Rockies was a welcome relief from the rush and crush of urban living. And the skies at night, unfettered by city lights, were out of this world. This trip ranks right up there with our trip to Everest Base Camp a few years ago. If you go, be prepared not only to be wowed, but also be fit. This is not a walk in the park. It will test you, but at the end of each day, you will feel like Hillary on top of the world. read less

5 Stars (14 reviews)

Ronald,

Camino de Santiago Adventure - September 2023

Jill

"I’ve experienced an Active Adventures trip before which was amazing but this was next level!… read more

"I’ve experienced an Active Adventures trip before which was amazing but this was next level! So well organised, amazing guide, fantastic accomodation and food everywhere, and a great group of like minded travellers that we shared it with. And Spain and the Camino - words just don’t describe how good it is . This really is a trip not to be missed! read less

5 Stars (14 reviews)

jill,

Banff & Jasper Adventure - September 2023

Banff/Jaspar Adult Hiking Trip

"To say I was emotionally overwhelmed is an understatement. I have been to a lot… read more

"To say I was emotionally overwhelmed is an understatement. I have been to a lot of beautiful places but this place brought tears. Even with three -maybe four - days of rain, this still was an amazing trip. The glory of the Rockies, the colors of the waters, the simple calmness of the place was a welcome respite from my concrete city life. read less

5 Stars (117 reviews)

Allison,

Machu Picchu & Amazon Adventure - September 2023

Amazing Macchu Picchu & Amazon Experience

"This trip was absolutely amazing. The Inca Trail was mind blowing. Zach was a wonderful… read more

"This trip was absolutely amazing. The Inca Trail was mind blowing. Zach was a wonderful guide on the Trail, full of warmth, knowledge and very funny.
Jessica was an excellent trip leader who made the trip so special for all of us. And the food especially on the trail was beyond extraordinary, as was the hard work of the local porters etc read less

5 Stars (109 reviews)

Friederike,

Banff & Jasper Adventure - September 2023

Banff and Jasper

"It was an excellent trip. Our two guides, Sydney and Santana were fantastic. We had… read more

"It was an excellent trip. Our two guides, Sydney and Santana were fantastic. We had some rain on two of the days and they were flexible in finding alternatives to our plans so that we could still hike but not be out in the elements too much. The accommodations were fine. The lunches that were prepared were great. The hikes were stunning. read less

5 Stars (117 reviews)

Zell,

Machu Picchu & Amazon Adventure - September 2023

Machu Picchu

"The best trip ever! Our trip leader (Jessica) made each excursion fun as well as… read more

"The best trip ever! Our trip leader (Jessica) made each excursion fun as well as educational. Our trail guide (Zaci) gave us many tips to help us in hiking the trail successfully. The food was spectacular. The sights were beautiful. I can't begin to put into words how amazing the entire experience was. read less

5 Stars (109 reviews)

Kristy,

Swiss Alps Adventure - September 2023

Great trip

"Lots of beautiful scenery, adventure, and fun! read more

"Lots of beautiful scenery, adventure, and fun! read less

4 Stars (5 reviews)

Alex,

Yellowstone, Big Sky & Paradise Valley Adventure - September 2023

Yellowstone Big Sky & Paradise Valley trip

"Our adventure was FABULOUS. We had an absolutely wonderful time. I’ve never finished… read more

"Our adventure was FABULOUS. We had an absolutely wonderful time. I’ve never finished a vacation when I wouldn’t have changed a thing, until this one. Our group ranged from my 20 yo daughter to a 75 yo grandfather. We all clicked from the start and the entire trip was full of laughter and camaraderie. Our guides, Bryson and Zack, took great care of us and gave us the red carpet treatment the entire trip. I felt very spoiled. They showed us things we never would have experienced on our own and cooked us delicious lunches. Every day was different and we kept saying they couldn’t top it the next day, but somehow they kept exceeding expectations. Zack and Bryson made a memorable trip completely unforgettable. read less

5 Stars (118 reviews)

Nancy,

Tour du Mont Blanc - September 2023

Anne

"I really enjoyed the trip. The weather was excellent and although the treks could be… read more

"I really enjoyed the trip. The weather was excellent and although the treks could be challenging, the scenery was awe inspiring and well worth the effort! read less

5 Stars (121 reviews)

Anne,

Serengeti Safari 2023 - August 2023

Active Adventures - Serengeti Safari

"Serengeti Safari was terrific, the guides were terrific, the accommodations were terrific read more

"Serengeti Safari was terrific, the guides were terrific, the accommodations were terrific read less

5 Stars (2 reviews)

Steven,

Tour du Mont Blanc - August 2023

Mt Blanc!

"Impressive tour around Mt Blanc with a great mix of challenging hiking, and a sprinkling… read more

"Impressive tour around Mt Blanc with a great mix of challenging hiking, and a sprinkling of biking and kayaking for diversity. read less

4 Stars (121 reviews)

Alastair,

11

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