Whakaipo Lodge

We had a wonderfull time at the Whakaipo Lodge. Angie and Garth were great hosts and know how to spoil the guests. We felt like real VIP’s. The breakfast was gorgeous with a lot of homemade food made by Angie. At 6 pm we were offered a very nice glass of wine and beer. Angie had made delicious canapé’s which made the moment perfect. During the drinks we were able to meet the other guests in the livingroom with a nice fireplace with real burning wood. They both explained us which and where the interesting places were, so helpful! The room itself was well equiped with its own entrance and a lot of privacy.

Our trip was a gift from my husband's work colleagues for his retirement. He also has a terminal illness and we already had to cancel back in early December with minimal notice, but Angie & Garth were amazing and kept our booking on hold till he was well enough. On arrival we were greeted with big hugs and shown around their beautiful home and garden before settling in our very comfortable room. Such a relaxing atmosphere, sitting outside looking over their beautiful garden, sheep in the distance. Both nights we had a range of canapes (with smoked trout a special treat)and drinkies in their beautiful cosy lounge, with roaring fire. The food was magnificent, all beautifully homemade by Angie, what an incredible cook. The dinners, pizza to order, best I have ever tasted (my last pizza was in Venice) on the first night and salmon with veges from their garden on the second. Garth not to be forgotten, was a whizz on the barbecue and a guru on the wine choices. After each meal we had exquisite chocolate truffles filled with plums or cherries from their garden. Breakfast, cereals, home made muesli, home made pastries,croissants and bread...we had no room for the cooked breakfast. On our second day we went out on an amazing boat trip around the western side of Lake Taupo with Ian from TaxiCat Adventures, we had the whole boat to ourselves, such a treat. Angie even sent us with a chilli-bin of pastries, fruit and Ginger Beer, which we had on one of the beaches we stopped at after visiting all the waterfalls. Fabulous hospitality and great advice on where to go. We had a lovely afternoon watching the rapids at Aritiaia and a visit to Lava Glass. They even managed to put on 2 days of blue skies (it rained all the way home)! I would highly recommend a visit to Whakaipo Lodge for anyone who is looking for timeout, a bit of pampering, idyllic surroundings and only a short drive to Taupo town centre, but feels like the middle of nowhere. 10/10 for everything. Thank you so much Angie & Garth, you have no idea how special our visit was. Lots of Love Margaret & William xx

We had a wonderful stay with Angie and Garth for 2 nights. The attention to detail was faultless. The wonderful afternoon tea on our arrival was very welcome, especially the delicious homemade apricot cake baked by Angie. The canapés and wine in the evening was a nice touch and gave us all time to chat in a relaxed way with Garth and Angie ready to answer any questions we might have about the locality. Altogether a perfect place to stay.

This was our third visit to Whakaipo Lodge for their annual end of summer concert. What a wonderful way to spend a weekend. Delicious and HUGE breakfasts, hanging out with the hosts and the bands, homemade canapés. For me what makes it so special is the uniquely NZ way in which we are in essence invited into the home of Angie and Garth and treated like royalty. We'll be back next year...and the next... Love it.

What a special place, beautiful place. Angie and Garth are the loveliest people and know the area intimately. Nothing is too much trouble. We loved the peaceful location, central to some fantastic country. Even their sheep were happy for a rub!

Angie and Garth are such lovely hosts. We stayed in a beautiful place, surrounded by an amazing garden. We enjoyed delicious food, all homemade. We’ve had a very good time at Whakaipo Lodge. We wish we could have stayed longer!

Whakaipo Lodge is a peaceful oasis, with genuine kiwi hospitality. Angie and Garth are wonderful hosts - we turned up with little notice after cancelled flights forced a drive between Auckland and Wellington, and received a warm welcome. Whakaipo Lodge was a wonderful stopover. Nothing was too much trouble. I just wish we'd had more time!

I am shocked at the past reviews. We booked based on the 5 star reviews and given the price assumed it was a luxury lodge as stated. This is a guesthouse with 2 bedrooms and the hosts are in a room down the hall. Breakfast is served in the kitchen while they do dishes. Bathroom is in desperate need of a renovation and a sofa in the bedroom does not make it a suite. Good mattress and a dark room makes for a good sleep. But we could have gotten that at the Hilton and paid less and had a pool.

What amazing hosts Garth and Angie are - truly made us feel at home in their wonderful retreat. Canapés and wine each evening, stunning cooked breakfast - the homemade bread is to die for - recommendations for places to visit, places to eat, and a lot of laughs chatting and sharing tales of life’s experiences.