Rotorua operators voted 'best activities in the world' in Tripadvisor awards

Is this New Zealand's most adventurous town? Photo / Canopy Tours Rotorua

Queenstown might claim to be the world's adventure tourism capital, but another New Zealand city is hot on its heels after sweeping the Travellers Choice awards for top adventure activities.

The annual Tripadvisor awards which recognise the top activities for tourists as voted by website reviewers, found space for two Kiwi adventure activities in their list of top overall travel experiences in the world. Both within the same New Zealand city.

Rotorua Rafting was voted the second-best adventure activity in the world. Right after a Jet Ski Tour of Dubai, and ahead of hand-gliding over Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, said it was among one of the "best activities you can do around the world, according to other travelers who love to do things."

Rotorua Rafting on the Kaituna River. Photo / Supplied

The New Zealand operator, which takes visitors over the highest commercially rafter waterfall, recently spoke to the Herald about bringing an authentically Kiwi experience to visitors on the Kaituna and Ōkere rivers.

"It has served manawhenua as a source of kai and wellbeing for centuries, and now we share similar experiences where the awa (river) provides life and wellbeing for us 400 years on, as it did for our tupuna (ancestors)," said Sam Sutton, owner and four-times world champion white-water rafter.

A short distance away on the geothermal highway, the Canopy Tour Rotorua also found a space at number 11.

Ziplining with Rotorua Canopy Tours. Photo / Destination Rotorua for Travel

The attraction has been taking visitors through the Rotorua treetops on zipwires and rope bridges since 2008, to see the natural world from another angle.

Visitors who left over 1050 5* reviews dubbed the experience "exhilarating" and "time well worth spent".

Across the Ditch a Quadbike Tour of the Kangaroo Island nature sanctuary in South Australia bounded in at number 6, and Queensland's Magnetic Island reef adventure came in 8th.

Tripadvisor's 25 Best Tourism Experiences in the World

1. Jet Ski Tour of Dubai UAE

2. Rotorua Rafting, New Zealand

3. Hang gliding Rio de Janeiro, Rotorfly, Brazil

4. Clear Kayak Tour of Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

5. Arenales Caves, Puerto Rico

6. Kangaroo Island Quad Bike, South Australia

7. Aquascene Magnetic Island Discovery Tour, Queensland, Australia

8. The Deathly Dark Ghost Tour, York, UK

9. Paragliding Oludeniz, Fethiye, Turkey

10. Fins Course Scenic Zipline Tour, Colorado, USA

11. The Ultimate Canopy Tour, Rotorua, New Zealand

12. Hue to Hoi An Top Gear Bike Tours, Vietnam

13. Day Boat Charter exploring the "Best of the US Virgin Islands" St. John, Caribbean

14. Student-led Private Street Food Tour by Motorbike, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

15. Rome by Vespa Sidecar with Cappuccino, Italy

16. Mad Day Out Beatles Taxi Tours, Liverpool, United Kingdom

17. The Best Catamaran Day Sail in St Maarten, Caribbean

18. The Colosseum Underground, Rome, Italy

19. Whitewater Rafting on Soca River, Slovenia

20. ATV Beach and Mountain Tour, Costa Rica

21. Learn to Snorkel with Turtles, Puerto Rico, Caribbean

22. Private Blue City Tour, Jodhpur Rajasthan, India

23. Dubai Sea escape, UAE

24. Phuket Thai Cooking Class, Thailand

25. Private Tour to Manuel Antonio Park, Costa Rica