We choose this tour as a substitute for another Maori experience we could not attend. Fortune smiled - it was the highlight of our trip to New Zealand. Authentic, warm, spiritual, and educational, we were drawn in to the enveloping lifestyle and balance of this beautiful culture. It was a privilege to meet this wonderful family who shared openly and inclusively. The best part is that it was impossible to leave without taking the aura along. It is with us still - hopefully, forever.

A great day was had by all at the arch of the ancestors Maori experience. If you like an intimate family oriented look into the beginnings of the Maori culture, this tour is for you. With the friendly Ike as our main guide we experienced many facets of Maori culture from music to the popular traditional dancing by one of the most energetic and precise young performers I have witnessed so far. His beautiful family , especially his gorgeous 6 mth old daughter added the family atmosphere we enjoyed. The whole area is gradually being restored to its original native state through the efforts of the land owners with the help of the Maori community. My wife and I thoroughly recommend this experience to everyone traveling through this wonderful historic area.

We visited the Waimarama Maori as part of a Tauck Tour of the North and South islands. This was one of the most moving and enjoyable experiences. The humor expressed by Ike and his family was so much fun, even when they were explaining some very sad times.

The Arch of the Ancestors was the highlight of our New Zealand cruise experience. The Maori people were so welcoming and made us feel like we were with family, not the tourists that we were. My husband was chosen to be our group's 'champion' and we experienced Maori custom for greeting visitors first hand. Yes, there were the songs, dances and famous Haka demonstrations, but what was really meaningful to us was the chance to ask questions and get to know the hearts of these lovely people. I especially loved the custom of saying goodbye by pressing noses and sharing the 'breath of life' with our Maori hosts. We both had tears in our eyes when we left and will never forget our time with these warm, generous and deeply spiritual people.

We loved the day we spent with Robert and Donna and Ike and appreciated their friendliness, humor, and authenticity. We were looking to learn something and we did. We were interested in Maori culture and had many questions and profoundly affecting was the wall of portraits of ancestors in the home that was so graciously opened to us. We will never forget the time we spent with them and have never had an experience quite like this.

I booked this excursion from the cruise ship. This was one top notch family ran place. The tour guide Michelle who was the wife of the elder was really amazing. She was fun and entertaining. The place was set up really well. It was very entertaining and the family were really knowledgeable about their life and what they were showing us. The gift shop was the best that I have seen on the island. The items we bought were local made and really great. I loved this place and would go back in a heartbeat.

Meet the real people at this authentic and intimate cultural experience... beautiful setting and a wealth of background to Maori culture.

An excellent introduction to Maori history and how the people are trying to honor the past through their current lives. The family presenting the attraction is obviously proud of their heritage and happy to share it with all travelers. I was impressed with the children, who ranged in age from 12 - abt 18. They truly understand, appreciate and love their heritage.

While traveling in Napier, New Zealand, my husband and I were picked up and taken on an all-day tour of Maori sacred grounds, Maori cultural center, and a newly built celestial sundial depicting early Maori navigational knowledge. We were privileged to have been guided on this tour by Robert, a Maori elder, Helen, Robert’s cousin, and Ike, Robert’s nephew. Robert explained all about his culture, showed us his family farm, and took us to his tribe’s sacred grounds where Helen and Ike welcomed us with a Maori welcoming ceremony. We were so privileged to enjoy their friendship, Robert’s home, a fabulous meal, and several beautiful Maori songs. Our hearts were warmed by these three people, we now call friends.

Yesterday we met Robert, a Maori elder, and his cousin-in-law Helen and were absolutely entranced throughout the time we spent with them on a private tour of the sacred Maori locales outside of Napier. Robert guided the trip and provided most of the very personal as well as historic background of the Maori in this area. Helen, who did the driving, was absolutely lovely and shared her experiences as well as a member of the Maimarama community. Together they did a welcoming ceremony and sang along with Robert’s nephew Ike at a community gathering spot. After visiting several sites we returned to Robert’s home for more talk, song and very heart-felt exchange before being driven back to our lodging. We left them feeling privileged to have been given an entree into an ancient culture that has proudly survived and touched at having been welcomed as friends. Robert, Helen and Ike do a beautiful job at melding the personal and historical with the stated goal of connecting others with the Maori experience in a very moving way. We thank them whole-heartedly.

A fantastic opportunity for kiwis to embrace an aspect of their country that they may have always wondered about through the Ngati Kahungunu iwi and their deep connection with the area. We experienced a traditional welcome onto a sacred pa site and were given an extensive history of the tribe's origins and history, along with Maori traditions and culture. We were made to feel very welcome and left feeling more connected to that part of our culture that makes NZ unique. Highly recommended.

We were picked up by Ike and Helen at our B&B , not knowing exactly what to expect. We soon discovered that this was not your usual Maori tourist experience. Ike and Helen first took us to the shores of Waimarama Beach, which is part of their native land. Next they took us to Hakikino, the site of a historical fortress on their land. They even invited into their ancestral home to meet their uncle Robert. Ike, Helen, and Robert gave us a first hand insider's look into previous and present Maori culture. We would highly recommend this unique experience.

I signed up for this not knowing what it was really all about. The Maori guide on the bus set the stage for a wonderful introduction to a Maori reservation, their music, customs, traditions, and language. So much in New Zealand is about the Maori people, so this visit to one of their reservations was most interesting. I totally enjoyed it!

The bus ride showed us beautiful countryside, and the Moari guide on the bus was very informative. The family was very friendly and explained their culture to us. You could really feel their pride. We really enjoyed this historical tour of the early inhabitants of NZ.

The Maori are an emotional people, and the day was filled with emotion. At the end, all participants were invited to share their thoughts, and it was clear that those touring were also moved by the experience. It was not a "well-rehearsed singing and dancing performance". It was a day spent with friends and family. A celebration of a culture, and the joy of living. We learned about plants, music, eels, history, families, cultures, society, from both the young and the old.