Those are the key ingredients to an internationally renowned wellness destination, and Rotorua has them all.
Rotorua earned the coveted readers’ choice best wellness destination title at the Matador Network Travel Awards.
Matador said in a statement, one thing was clear.
“Although there wasno single definition of what wellness looked like, wellness travel was best when the destination, culture and local practices worked together.”
Matador said: “Rotorua’s reputation as a wellness hub started with the water flowing in mineral-rich springs beneath the city.”
Rongoā – Māori traditional healing – uses native plants, touch and spiritual practices.
Polynesian Spa. Photo / Supplied
One of Rotorua’s most famous spas, Polynesian Spa, blends historic springs with modern bathing pools and spa therapies.
“Guests moved between acidic and alkaline pools, with lakeside views stretching across Lake Rotorua to Mokoia Island,” Matador said.
On the other end of the spectrum, visitors can walk through a landscape of steaming vents, mud volcanoes and New Zealand’s largest hot waterfall at Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa.
“They could also soak in warm mud and sulphur pools that draw on a long therapeutic history of use by local Māori.”
Owned by Ngāti Whakaue, Wai Ariki has thermal bathing circuits that weave together mineral pools, hydrotherapy, native plant infusions, cold plunges, and body work shaped by Māori concepts of balance and care.
Treatments and experiences are framed around Ngāti Whakaue stories and healing frameworks, with staff trained to explain the culture behind the spa techniques.
South of the city is Whakarewarewa Forest, otherwise known as the Redwoods.
The forest has 177km of trails that wind through native forest and towering California redwoods planted in the early 1900s.
The Redwoods have a range of mountain biking and hiking trails. Photo / Joel McDowell
Trails range from hikes to advanced mountain bike descents.
“The forest’s network of swing bridges and the elevated tree walk – which glows at night with lanterns – adds a gentle option to experience the canopy,” Matador said.
Visitors can also spend their days at one of Rotorua’s many lakes.
“At Lake Rotorua, Tarawera or Rotoiti, days could be spent paddling, walking lakeside tracks or swimming at sheltered beaches.”
In cooler months, brisk hikes or rides can be followed by a soak in a hot pool.
“Most international visitors reached Rotorua by flying into Auckland Airport and taking a short domestic flight or making the three-hour drive.
“Wellington was another option for flying in from.”
Matador said Rotorua can also be a part of a longer North Island loop.
“Visitors could stop in Taupō, the Coromandel or Hawke’s Bay.”
Matador said wellness-minded travellers tended to get more from Rotorua by visiting for a week or more, rather than hopping around.
“Pick one or two spa experiences, plan outdoor time around them, and build in unstructured hours to sit by the lake or wander local cafes, matching the city’s pace.”
