10 October 2014
Hi, Veronika,
Well, we're home and, of course quite jet-lagged. It was a great trip and we want to thank you for arranging it. The hotel and lodges you selected were wonderful! The "bowen" room at the Auckland Hilton was a beautiful way to start. I think it's the best location at the Hilton, because it has windows on both sides of the room as it comes to a point. This means if a cruise ship is moored on one side, you still have privacy and open ness on the other. Luckily, no cruise ship was moored next to the Hilton during our stay. Each of the lodges was special in its own way. Treetops' property is beautiful, with terrific rain forest hikes, plus many many things to do on the property. We didn't take advantage of them all. Westhaven was also great. Monica and her family try very hard to meet guests' needs. After we made our dietary needs known, they were very kind and accommodating. Their property is amazing. It's not for everyone, of course, as it is very isolated and takes about 4 hours or more (including stop for lunch) to drive there. And it's for very active folks, as all there is to do there is hike and fish (the fishing is basically surf-casting). But we wound up loving it. Azur blew us away with their service and the view. It's an amazing lodge, with everyone very well trained in accommodating guests' needs. We can't recommend it highly enough. Finally, all the guides (especially you) were first-class. We think Steve is wonderful. He's knowledgeable, friendly, personable, and highly professional. You're lucky to have him working with you! Thanks again for organizing a first-class trip!
