Cultural Experience & Seasonal Māori Cuisine at Te Pā Tū | La Vacanza Travel

Cultural Experience & Seasonal Māori Cuisine at Te Pā Tū

Duration: 4 hours
Destination: New Zealand, North Island, Rotorua
from
197.79

Check Availability

  • 4 hours
  • Rotorua
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

Overview

Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within our forest Pā (village) blanketed by towering Tawa trees, its blazing bonfires, and forest-formed amphitheatre.

Te Pā Tū offers 4-hour evening events that change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

Across summer, Tū Te Rā celebrates an abundant harvest, and we explore concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace.

Throughout winter, Tū Te Ihi marks promise heralded by the arrival of the Matariki star cluster which high and bright in winter skies, signalling the new lunar year – we share the energy and passion of this celebration.

Cultural knowledge unique to each season is shared from the outset – rituals, songs, stories and continue across the night. From the beginning too, we share local, seasonal kai - plentiful and delicious. Kai horotai (indigenous canapes) is followed by a torch lit walk to a lavish 3-course fusion feast.

Itinerary

New Zealand’s Most Awarded Cultural Attraction, Tamaki Māori Village presents TE PĀ TŪ
Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within our forest Pā (village) –blanketed by towering Tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and forest-formed amphitheatre.
Te Pā Tū shares Māori history, traditions, and cultural aspirations across 4-hours of celebration and feasting.
These events change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

Summer: Tū Te Rā - Across this lunar phase, the sun expresses optimal energy, the days are longer, and light nourishes the natural world.
Tū Te Rā celebrates abundant harvest and explores concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace.

Winter: Tū Te Ihi includes the time in the earth’s cycle when Matariki stars are high and bright in winter skies.
Te Ihi references the energy and passion stirred by the Matariki cluster and the promise they herald.


Stop At:

• Te Pa Tu, 1220 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua 3073 New Zealand

Inclusions
  • Māori Cultural Performance
  • Māori fusion feast
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Return transport from central Meeting Point
  • Traditional welcome ceremony

Exclusions
  • Gratuities
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Camera and Video usage is permitted throughout the entire evening experience.
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
  • Stroller accessible
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Departure Point

Traveler pickup is offered
You must be an INHOUSE guest of the Hotel.
If not, please meet at our TE PA TU Gathering Place, 1220 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua and we will take you to our village from here.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO CALL US TO RECONFIRM YOUR BOOKING 24 HOURS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL or email us on bookings@maoriculture.co.nz. Please advise us your reservation number beginning with TPT.

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

4 hours


User's Reviews

Freya_J

28 Mar, 2024

This was just the most incredible evening! Really well organised with an excellent coach transfer service from the Gathering Place. On arrival, we experienced the traditional greeting ceremony at the gate which was amazing to see. Once inside the village you really get to appreciate the wonderful setting. We proceeded to learn about different aspects of Māori culture and everyone involved was really charismatic; you could see how passionate they were about sharing their culture with us. The dinner at the end was completely unexpected but absolutely fabulous! We all had the best time and would highly recommend!

Sanjeev_M

27 Mar, 2024

Not a good experience. The characters seemed too artificial and did not do justice to the true Māori culture. The dinner was tasteless, and flavorless. Very disappointing. I am asking for a partial refund.

TPLFC

26 Mar, 2024

A M A Z I N G I found this experience wonderful from start to finish. From the pick up with our driver explaining a lot about the culture and what to expect to the team at the village who provided wonderful service. It was great to break into groups and learn about specific areas of Maori culture and what it means, educational and fun. The entertainment was so much fun and the performers are excellent. Then off for dinner, the best food. I am vegetarian and the quality of the food was of the highest standard and such a change from pasta!! I cannot speak highly enough of this experience, I can only recommend that you book to go on it if you are in Rotorua. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

FancyDougherty

26 Mar, 2024

This was one of the most unique things we did on our trip, and honestly, I expected it to be so commercial and it wasn't at all. The chief was incredibly humble, respectful, and all of his family seemed to have fun sharing their culture with us, even though our haka was terrible haha! No gift shop, no tipping, no selling. The actual cultural experience was maybe an hour long, followed by a dinner with the other participants that was very nice. Their singing was incredible, and they actually speak Maori to each other. Where else could you ever see that? Even in Rotorua the Maori culture seems like an incredibly small part of local life... There's nothing to see culture-wise in town and barring experiences like this, you're not going to find much. Feels like it was worth the price of the ticket just to support this dangerously small population...

ginsengNewYork

25 Mar, 2024

Except for the bus ride made enjoyable and fun by our Maori chauffeur Dennis, an elderly man full of wisdom and humour, the whole experience was underwhelming! It almost felt like entertainment for retirement homes...The different "stations" set up to show an aspect of Maori life were superficial, and did not enlighten about Maori culture. The "family show" of dances and songs was short and cute, nothing more. And the Maori diner had nothing Maori about it. Mind you, it was good, but I did not know that French duck confit, nor pana cotta were Maori delicacies! But I was relieved to discover that wine and alcoholic beverages are not Maori and hence, not included in the price ;-). The very smart and very congenial family who runs this show knows how to win your heart and always has an explanation/ excuse of some sort for their shortcomings. And you really want to give them a 5 star rating even though they clearly don't deserve it. They really need to improve their act, make it more authentic, or lower their price!

User's Picture Gallery

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Te Pa Tu Excellence

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UNDERWHELMING AND NOT WORTH THE PRICE (250NZD per person)

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Great Māori experience evening

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Amazing and informative experience

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Highlight of our trip to Rotarua

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An amazing, memorable experience!

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Just do this!

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FAMILY NIGHT

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Exceptional!

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Don’t miss this - spectacular and humbling

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Fabulous authentic evening in a lovely setting

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Most Amazing Māori Experience!

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Great experience that I will never forget

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Excellent, but the meal?

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Not to be missed experience - fantastic.

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Engaging and Immersive

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Wonderful experience!

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Priceless experience of Māori people and culture.

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Amazing experience

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Must do New Zealand Adventure.

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A not to be missed cultural performance experience with people I believe to be the nicest I’ve ever met in Rotatru

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Fantastic night out

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Spectacular!

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This is a MUST-SEE!!

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