River Rats Raft & Kayak, Rotorua

Experience here was better than expected. Started out well before we'd even arrived as we called up a couple of times at unsociable hours to leave a message with questions for someone to get back to us, and to my surprise someone answered the phone (at 10pm!). We did the daytime kayak across the lake to the hot pools. Our guide Justin was friendly and knowledgeable and all the gear we needed was provided on site. He told us all about the history of the local area as part of the tour too, which was nice. I had anticipated that going in winter would be cold (it was 6 degrees out), but actually found it quite warm after I start paddling hard and ended up with just a single layer on for the return trip. The hot pools were nice and he also showed us inside a cave with glow worms on the way back. Overall, very enjoyable and I'd do it again.

Superb experience from start to finish! Though time on the river was only about 45 minutes, the guides kept us engaged and entertained throughout, sharing snippets of Māori culture and history about the land, flora and fauna. We did the Grade 5 Kaituna River route with them and it was so much fun. You get to go down a 7m waterfall, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world! They made us feel sufficiently prepped and reassured, while keeping everyone psyched. They also have a few tricks up their sleeves to keep it interesting leading up to that 7m drop and even after. River Rats also has a roving photographer who captures some great action shots — it cost us an additional NZD49 to get them, which is a bit on the pricey side but still reasonable given the effort, skill and coordination required. Memories for a lifetime! Would highly recommend anyone coming to Rotorua to raft with River Rats.

Originally booked rafting for one day and kayaking for the next day, but unbeknownst to us the river was going to be flooded the next day. They contacted us to rearrange our booking and we were able to do both activities that same day - even when we were the only ones rafting. Justin and his crew were super personable, and it was a fantastic adventure throughout the whole day. Didn't get a sunset on the lake due to the weather, but that detracted nothing from the overall experience. And Justin's local knowledge and stories were great to listen to. Definitely intend on coming back here again next visit to Rotorua!!

Had a great time rafting with my best friend at rangitaiki with Justin he was knowledgeable about the area and funny. The gear we wore were comfortable and warm. Would definitely do another rafting trip again in the future

Went on the sunset kayak and dinner trip with Justin. Absolutely perfect trip! Rotoiti was beautiful to kayak on and the hotpools were clean, well maintained, super warm and also enjoyed the pontoon and slide into the lake to cool off! Justin was a friendly and knowledgeable host, told great stories about the area, and cooked a good summery bbq steak dinner! The highlight was the kayak back at sunset. The lake was like glass and so warm. The glow worm caves were beautiful and it was amazing how much they responded to sound, making them glow more! 100% recommend River Rats to all travelling through Rotorua! 22 years in the industry and it shows. Will be back for more trips soon! Worth every penny!