Fran Bozdech

If you are looking for someone to help you have a fabulous experience in New Zealand, you need to contact Donna Thomas at NZ Travel! More than a year ago, with another couple, we began to think about taking a trip to New Zealand. We had gotten rave reviews from several friends and relatives about the wonderful places to visit and things to do there. In fact we compiled quite a list of must-see places and experiences.

Then we came to the point where we were ready to put the plan into action…. Where to begin? In the past, we have often planned our own trips, but we wanted to make sure that we didn't miss any opportunities when there were so many options available. We had just over two weeks to spend in New Zealand (and I’d recommend more time if you can squeeze it in.) Just about that point, my husband spotted the Condé Nast list of outstanding Travel Agents, listed by specialty areas. After reading the reviews, we decided to contact Donna Thomas. That was a great decision – and made our trip a spectacular one. We gave Donna a list of the places we had on our list and asked for suggestions for things we might have omitted. We told her the kind of accommodations we preferred and that we wanted to drive from North to South… and she took it from there. Every place we stayed on our trip was great - many of the places were warm and friendly B & B’s with delicious breakfasts, that we would have been unlikely to find on our own, even with lots of looking. We had the best tours and guides – and got suggestions for special places to eat – or even to stop for a picture. From the Coromandel Peninsula, to Rotorua and a Maori dinner and ceremony, to Able Tasman National Park, Milford and Doubtful Sounds, Queenstown, Dunedin, a wildlife tour which included the Yellow-eyed penguins and the Royal Albatross Breeding Center, and Christchurch – and so much more, every experience was worthwhile and memorable. Not to be missed was the small plane ride from Queenstown to Milford Sound – offering some of the most spectacular views we’ve ever seen!

Donna planned a very special trip for us, and her scheduler, Vicki, is outstanding in her speed and attentiveness to client questions and needs.

Not only was our trip designed by someone who knows New Zealand inside and out, but the maps, itinerary, notebook and travel advice that we received were invaluable. We knew we were in competent and caring hands, and it made our trip even better than we could have imagined. If you are planning a trip to New Zealand, contact Donna Thomas at New Zealand Travel and you will be very happy that you did!

Our "once-in-a-lifetime" trip will hopefully turn into return visits to New Zealand - we still have much more to see and enjoy - and we will turn to Donna to make it happen! (Our trip was Feb.-March, 2014) Our highest recommendation.