Contiki Review: This is how my New Zealand Panorama trip went!

For years, I have focused solely on completing my undergraduate and graduate degrees. When I finally graduated this past May, I was determined to pursue another one of my lifelong passions – travel. I’ve been fortunate enough to do some traveling with friends in the past, but I always knew that I wanted to take on the challenge of traveling solo. I’ve tackled various degrees, played collegiate soccer, struggled with the loss of my dad many years ago, and yet, venturing out a long trip by myself seemed ever the more daunting. How will I make friends? And if I do, will I feel as fulfilled by myself without close friends/family that I’ve known for years along with me?

Falling in love with Contiki

In June of 2024, I finally booked a Contiki with my close roommate, Jordan, to South Africa. While that trip is an entirely separate story, I instantly fell in love with the concept of Contiki. I never knew if group traveling would be something that “clicked” with me. Previously, all of my traveling had been done on my own terms with friends and family. I loved the idea of creating my own itinerary, regardless of whether it was strenuous and time consuming. 

Despite this, my first Contiki introduced me to people from all walks of life and I found myself not only loving the destination, but the people with me. In late September, I scoured Contiki dreaming of destinations but feeling unable to commit. I sought adventure. Thrills. Something to make me feel alive and grateful for it. I was in a rut waiting on job offers and feeling as though I only existed in a limbo state. 

That’s when I came across a last minute deal to New Zealand Panorama. Not only did this trip offer a nice discount, but it checked all of my boxes. The itinerary was quite literally full of adventure – skydiving, white water rafting, bungee jumping, and more. Not only that, but New Zealand looked absolutely stunning. Instantly I realized, this was my time. With only a little less than 2 weeks to the start of the trip, I booked flights and made a few calls to get on the guest list. I felt absolutely ecstatic.

Leading up and arrival

Despite my initial enthusiasm, I had intrusive thoughts over the course of the next week or so leading up to the trip. I doubted my ability to navigate the 19 hour flight from NJ to NZ myself. I worried that I wouldn’t feel fulfilled without my close friends by my side. Regardless, I continued to remind myself that the destination would be gorgeous, friends or not, and that I could knock bungee jumping off of my bucket list. 

Needless to say, the journey to NZ was made successfully (minus a few hiccups along the way) and already I felt incredibly proud of myself. I was able to manage a few delays here and there and problem solve on my own. I arrived a day before the start of the trip and after dropping my stuff off at the hostel, I wondered “now what?” Never had I had such freedom to do exactly what I wanted when I wanted. I spent the day wandering around Auckland, exploring museums, checking out the local parks, and loving my time. At our first group meeting a few hours later, I met many other solo female travelers and I was so grateful that I had booked this trip.

Adventure & views

Talk about an absolutely breathtaking trip. I don’t have enough words to describe what this trip ultimately ended up meaning to me. 

First off, I experienced thrills like never before. I white water rafted down waterfalls, drove ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) through the muddy forests, skydived from 16,500 ft., bungee jumped from the highest point in the southern hemisphere (Nevis!), swam with wild dolphins in the ocean, went on the highest canyon swing in the world (Nevis again!!), hiked a real glacier, and ziplined through the pouring rain. 

Never have I ever felt so alive. I would go on this trip a thousand times over. 

Of course, many of these activities pushed me out of my comfort zone. However, I met amazing people along the way. Off the bat, I became very close with a solo female traveler from Canada named Alix! We became besties for the entire trip and ended up rooming together. Along the way, we met many others who genuinely became part of our family during this trip. I’ve never clicked with a group of people so immediately. 

They encouraged and pushed me along the way to accomplish everything I’ve ever dreamt of and I couldn’t be more appreciative. I learned what a toque is (beanie in Canadian essentially), laughed until my ribs hurt, made too many handshakes, and interacted with people I would’ve never otherwise met. Beyond the thrills of the trip, I realized that my Contiki family made this experience everything and more. I didn’t feel like a solo traveler for a single second the entire time. 

My piece of advice

Take the trip. You will never be this young again and truly you deserve to see the world, meet all the people, and be proud of yourself for every step along the way. This was one of the best experiences in my entire life and I don’t regret any part of it. I will definitely be going on more Contiki trips and I will definitely be doing another one solo. I truly learned things about myself and put myself out there more than I ever imagined. New Zealand is an absolutely stunning place and I’m so grateful to have learned so much about the culture along the way. 

A few of my favourite memories

Watching a Māori Cultural Performance in Rotorua

One of the first nights of the trip, we had the pleasure of watching a cultural performance with a traditional meal as well. I really loved this experience because it was something brand new that I’ve never experienced before. We watched a haka which is a ceremonial dance in Māori culture including chants, stamping, and intricate facial expressions. It was truly empowering and a member of our group even volunteered to participate on stage. 

Bungee jumping in Queenstown

Another first for me and a check off the bucket list and I decided – why not do it big? This trip offers plenty of different opportunities to bungy jump along the way, but the Nevis bungy is the highest in NZ standing at 134m (~439.6 ft if you’re from the US like me). Hanging along a suspension cord, I was one of only 3 people on the trip who completed this bungy and I wouldn’t change it for a single second. Our Trip Manager helped us with tips on overcoming our fears and I’ve never felt as proud of myself in my life as I did when I leapt from that base. I would do it a thousand times over.

Swimming with dolphins in Kaikōura

There’s nothing more in the world that I love than animals. Luckily, we had other experiences with furry friends along the trip as well, but this one definitely stood out. We all got suited up in wetsuits and then had a beautiful ride out in the ocean. Hopping into the water, we were immediately surrounded by at least 5-8 dolphins. The sight was incredible and we all practiced our highest pitched squeals in the water to help attract more. I’ve never felt more a part of such a wild and freeing experience.

Taking a helicopter ride & hiking Franz Josef Glacier

Breathtaking doesn’t begin to come close to this experience truly was. Starting with a stunning helicopter up, a group of us got entirely decked out with special gear and crampons (essentially attachable spikes to help grip the ice). We spent 2 hours hiking over the gorgeous glacier, learning about how it was created, and taking amazing pictures. 

White water rafting in Kaituna

My first EVER time white water rafting and I could not have asked for a more surreal experience. Grouped with many of my close friends, we learned collectively how to steer and ‘duck down’ for waterfalls with a guide. We got to raft down Tutea falls which is the highest commercially available waterfall in the world at 23 feet tall. Despite my initial hesitancy, I absolutely adored the experience and we were even allowed to body surf down a smaller waterfall outside of the raft! 100% recommend.