The scenery on our tours is stunning, we know that, our guests know that, it's half the reason people book. But if you were to read through our TripAdvisor reviews (80+ of them now) the scenery wasn't the only thing people kept coming back to. There were a few other things that turned up again and again, so we thought we'd pull them together properly instead of just leaving them buried!
The guiding gets mentioned every time
Every single review we've had over the years brings up the guiding, and not just as a polite line at the end. People notice the small stuff, being paced properly, getting time to catch their breath before the next climb, not being rushed along.
"One of the best tours I have done. Highly recommended." Belinda S, solo traveller, March 2026
It's a decent thing to hear consistently across years of trips and different groups.
Two different kinds of food
We split our foodie experiences (the 'nosh') into two - the Meet the Maker visits (gin distillery, macadamia farm, buffalo farm cheese and other artisan producers) and the evening meals cooked up by our chefs.
"We ate chocolate covered nuts at a macadamia farm and tasted gin at an award-winning distillery."
"The food was unbelievably good, far better than even world class restaurants."
"The Seafood Chowder at the Weta Cafe is a must."
Dietary needs come up too, and it's clearly something guests notice we take seriously rather than treat as an afterthought.
"The chef catered to all dietary needs with a delicious, local, fresh menu."
The lodges get talked about almost as much as the food
We don't push the accommodation side much in our own marketing, it's easy to let the walking and the food take the spotlight, but guests bring it up on their own fairly often.
"Each accommodation was special, with stunning views, private gardens, and even the occasional hot tub."
"Lodgings were in amazing locations, overlooking bays or the ocean, truly luxurious feeling."
Coming back each afternoon to somewhere truly stunning seems to make all the difference to our walkers.
People say it's easier than they expected
A few guests have compared us to the big three, Abel Tasman, the Routeburn, Milford. One review put it simply:
"The hiking is less difficult than Abel Tasman, Routeburn, or Milford Tracks."
We build in a mix of easier and harder days on purpose, and it seems to land the way we hoped it would.
A fair few come back for more
This one probably says more than any of the rest. A handful of reviewers mention it's not their first trip with us.
"This is the second Nature and Nosh trip we have done, and once again had a wonderful experience."
"Exceeded our expectations again!"
"I can't wait to book our next tour."
There's also a fair bit said about the organising itself, the small stuff that's easy to overlook when a trip goes smoothly but that guests clearly notice.
"Highly organised & caring company."
"The whole trip was tailored to our needs."
We do take pride in making the whole experience, from booking to final steps, seamless!
That's about the size of it
Great guiding, food that people remember, lodges that pull their weight and trails that don't wreck you. If you want to read the reviews yourself, they're all up on our TripAdvisor page. Or drop us a line at hello@natureandnosh.co.nz and we'll help you figure out which tour suits.