KEY POINTS:
Two years ago New Zealand couple Sonny and Ria Galvin were at the supermarket watching people leave with full trolleys.
They were down to their last $2.
To keep their tourism venture Superia Tours alive, they sold their home and boat.
Now, Superia Tours has been voted one of the top 40 "experiences that only insiders can deliver", by readers of the luxury travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler.
The prestigious accolade has been slow to sink in for the humble couple.
"I am still in shock but it is an awesome achievement and worth all that hard work," Mr Galvin said.
Conde Nast Traveler is an American magazine specialising in luxury travel, reviewing high priced hotels, products and services.
Superia Tours was on its Dream List of one-of-a-kind experiences.
For about $820, Superia Tours takes visitors on personal tours, catering for two to four people at a time.
The tourists are escorted to Rotorua tourist spots including Mokoia Island, Lake Okataina, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Valley, Waimangu Valley and Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Village.
Maori cultural performances, the Redwoods, Hinemoa Point, Tutanekai Marae and Ohinemutu are also on the itinerary.
"Our main market is exclusive tours, mostly Americans, where we take either two or four people, normally couples. It is a much more personal experience," Mr Galvin said.
"I will go to Mokoia Island and show them the wildlife and the native foods - they just love it. It's really personal for them and that's what makes it special. The places I take them mean a lot to my family and I can explain to them the significance of each location."
He and his wife have come a long way in the past two years.
"The first five years were pretty tough. [Sonny] said if it didn't pick soon up we would have to stop," Mrs Galvin said.
No sooner had the words been spoken than their bookings picked up and they were back in business.
The Galvins' tour features on the Conde Nast dream list alongside other award winning adventures.
These include a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels used by the Vietcong during the 1968 Tet offensive in the Vietnam War and a private tour of King Seti I's Egyptian tomb.
Click here for the full list of winners.
- ROTORUA DAILY POST, NZ HERALD STAFF
