River Valley is a gem. I stayed here for three days en route from Wellington to Auckland. I spent my time rafting, riding horses, swimming in the river and eating delicious home-cooked food. In between activities, I relaxed by the river with a good book in the afternoon sunshine. I left with a heavy heart and would gladly have stayed for longer. Here are the reasons why I love River Valley: - Consistently friendly, well-run and welcoming - Wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets; always clean and tidy - First-class activities, with instructors that really know the landscape - Excellent food, mostly grown on-site in the kitchen garden - Hot tub, 2x saunas + river swimming - Clearly run with vision and care. Everyone is welcome; other guests included families, couples, solo travellers and cycle/horse tourists on longer trips. If you're thinking about stopping off here...do it! This is a gorgeous spot and it deserves to known throughout New Zealand.…
Highly recommend River Valley to all individuals and families looking for an absolutely wonderful experience and opportunity to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this country at it’s very best.. Spent three days with the lovely people of River Valley who were just fantastic sharing with us the joy and majesty of this incredibly special part of Aotearoa. My wife and I with the kids arrived at River Valley meeting up with my in-laws ready to stay one night in the lodging’s and then embark on a two day scenic river guided trip. River valley is a tribute to the lovely family that through the generations have saved this piece of paradise to share with guests and save for future generations. The calm of the lodge and accommodation is only accompanied by the sound of the river and gentle winds that blow through. The kids enjoyed playing outdoor chess, exploring the lodge and most of all jumping into the river. The food, vegetables home grown, was both wonderful and for a family of 6, plentiful all accompanied by very ‘special’ homemade sauces. We then spent the next two days on what can only be described as an absolute jaw dropping river rafting trip. The scenery on its scale needs to be experienced as it takes your breath away. From first-hand experience I know the wonder and beauty of the New Zealand bush and forests but travelling on the river looking up at the majestic walls of the canyons was almost spiritual. Our two expert guides were amazing! They kept us informed the whole way, safe and especially for the kids well entertained not to mention well fed ;) If you’ve never been to River Valley, do and if you have go back again taking friends and or family as they will thank you for it! We are already planning out next River Valley adventure and will be taking other friends with us. River Valley is an absolute treasure!…
Great place to unwind, with a mix of chill (swimming hole) and adventure (rafting, fishing, horse treks) on tap. The staff bent over backwards to help us, the food was delicious and the family were totally blissed out. We'll be back.
We wanted to break our journey between Taupo and Wellington and found River Valley Lodge online. After booking we heard from friends that they go every year as a family. We didn’t book a rafting trip or horse trek but will return to do these activities another time. Instead we relaxed in the beautiful setting, took our six year old to the river to swim, played pétanque and outdoor chess and ate the most wonderful meals. We pre-booked breakfast, lunch and dinner and each meal surpassed the one before. Miranda is an awesome cook and we found everyone who works at/owns River Valley to be friendly, fun and full of care. We had such a great stay and we are already making plans to return.
My wife and I just spent 3 days and nights at River Valley. We were very fortunate to secure "The Bus" as our accommodation, the bus is located in a very private spot overlooking the river with a 10 meter walk down a staircase to the river. The accom comes with your own private toilet and shower/bath block that overlooks the river, the river side is open so you are literally in the wild as you bathe or shower. A good romantic private getaway. We took the scenic rafting trip in a kayak and this was incredible, the scenery and experience was unforgettable, Lunch on the river with a very friendly guide and one other couple. The meals are fantastic and the lodge is a beautiful place. Fantastic Sauna as well Highly recommended and cant wait till we can go again
We had a real blast rafting the Rangitikei river with River Valley Adventures. It was an adrenalin filled rush as we navigated past huge rocks and white water at its best. The guides were fantastic and we were in the safest of hands. We capped this off by experiencing a sumptuous 3 course meal and a very comfortable stay at the Lodge. Would recommend this to anyway with a taste for adventure from 8 to 80
Attended a weekend event at River Valley Lodge, arrived after dark Friday night to the lovely relaxing sounds of the river nearby and an amazingly delicious meal with lots of beautiful salads and curries to choose from. The next night's dinner was also delicious as was lunch. Slept wonderfully in such a peaceful location with the ruru calling and the river murmuring outside. Wonderful hosts - thank you River Valley Lodge.
We had a family birthday - weekend away and were delighted at the food, accommodation, friendly and helpful staff and the gorgeous setting. Birds, waterfall and river - and a couple of huge cherry trees in blossom.
My partner and I attended a wedding at the lodge. We had a great day and night, with an excellent dinner and breakfast the next day. The following day we went rafting - such a great day of fun. The equipment kept us warm even on a cold winter raft trip. Beautiful location. Great people.
My visit to River Valley was a surprise from my lovely husband of 43 years. He had been to River Valley with work mates 10 years previously and had often said how good it was. Good, is an understatement because the whole experience is extremely good. The commitment to making you feel really welcome comes from the whole family from the minute you drive in. The Riverside room was so comfortable, especially the heated floor in the bathroom. The food was extremely good and the fresh produce a real treat. Everything home made down to the spicey sauces. Yum. Sitting around the big fire pit with a wine was very easy to get used to. Then came the grade 5 rafting. What an exciting few hours, and it was a privilage to go down that beautiful river. Next time I would like to do the Grade 3 downstream, apparently its extremely good. If you just want to be lazy, the petanque and outdoor chess right beside the river is very relaxing. River Valley Lodge is a tribute to the whole family who own and run this very special piece of NZ.…
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