Amidst a land of caves marketed to tourists, I'm amazed that Aranui Cave has managed to maintain its integrity and escape the interest of tourists. I purchased a summer special two-cave package to see the glow worms for $100NZD per person. Aranui is one of the caves but doesn't feature glow worms. I mistakenly thought the best experience would be the cave with glow worms..not realizing it included hundreds of tourists. Nope. Aranui IS the gem. Highlights: #1- The Guide- he was absolutely amazing and sooo knowledgeable! #2 - a cap on number of tour patrons. My husband and I were on tour with a total of 8 patrons in this cave. #3 amazing vaulted ceilings. #4 for many tourists, ability to photograph is a plus. No glow worms so no worries about photography. Confusing location. To get to this tour, drIve past Waitomo caves. Veer left. Turn right on road into parking lot and wait by the sign. Accidentally turned on dirt road - drove a ways down until we realized we went on wrong road. It's also not the lot on the left. The cave has a nice walking track you can explore. There are no food or vending machines nearby so plan accordingly... especially since the tour is about 1.5 hours. read more