Kimkim Trip Reviews for Australia

Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and responsive. She catered to our requests regarding accommodations and physical activity levels during excursions very well. Other members of the agency were responsive and helpful when Vickie was unavailable. During our trip we had an activity cancelled that caused disruption with our hotel accommodation and Vickie corrected it quickly within 24 hours.
The New Zealand Touring app was a helpful tool but sometimes contained typos, omissions, or... read more

Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and responsive. She catered to our requests regarding accommodations and physical activity levels during excursions very well. Other members of the agency were responsive and helpful when Vickie was unavailable. During our trip we had an activity cancelled that caused disruption with our hotel accommodation and Vickie corrected it quickly within 24 hours.
The New Zealand Touring app was a helpful tool but sometimes contained typos, omissions, or conflicting information that led to confusion. Not sure how information is entered into app but should be proofread a little more closely before being published to clients.
Overall very satisfied and would recommend Vickie to friends or family looking to travel to Australia or New Zealand.

Hotel Reviews

Pacific Hotel Brisbane

Spring Hill

Clean, really good breakfast included, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Patient and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Park Regis Sydney

Older building with smaller rooms but had lots of charm and can't beat the central location. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to popular downtown neighborhoods and public transit.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Clean, spacious, modern. Beautiful rooms with lots of amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Harbour, The Rocks Walking Tour and Bondi Beach

Sydney

Rocks walking tour was very informative and enjoyable. Easy pace, tour quide was fun and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mirimar - Koala Cruise (Return River Cruise & entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary)

Brisbane

Both the cruise and the sanctuary were fun and informative. Animals were well cared for. Seeing the neighborhoods of the city from the river was very fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day beach cruise to Moreton Island

Brisbane

Tangalooma Island was great fun. So many activities to choose from, you need more than one day to experience them. Resort and restaurants were high quality. Beach was beautiful. Snorkeling and feeding wild dolphins were experiences not soon to be forgotten.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Heart reef and Whitehaven Flight

Airlie Beach

Took helicopter flight tour around the islands, was very thrilling with stunning views. Guide/pilot gave brief but informative blurbs of the major islands and answered our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not terribly talkative but answered all our questions

Transport

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway + Kuranda Scenic Railway

Cairns

An absolute must-do. Both the train ride and the skyrail had views to die for. Both felt very safe and were clean. Kuranda had a lot of cool shops and activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

Possibly best experience of the whole trip. Scuba diving is a must do. The reef and fish are stunning and breathtaking. Saw sharks, sea turtles, rays and many others. Wish stay at pontoon was longer to squeeze in more activities and snorkeling time. Memories for a lifetime.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lots of options and they'll save you a plate for later upon request!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spirit of Cairns - Dinner Cruise

Cairns

Delicious food but cruise aspect left a bit to be desired. Just slowly ran up and down same side of harbor 2 or 3 times. Saving grace was the night sky when the stars came out and the lit up harbor skyline, especially the ferris wheel.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pasta was 10/10

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daintree, Cape Trib & Bloomfield Day Tour

Cairns

Full day experience. Lots of hours being jostled in 4wd tour bus but views and locals were worth it. Especially enjoyed seeing rare insects in their native habitats and swimming in the river. Provided lunch was tasty. Tour guides were jovial and knowledgeable. Saw lots of wildlife despite being off season according to guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Camel Ride

Uluru

Fun and educational experience. Camels were friendly and tame, loved head scratches. Beautiful views. Only move at a slow walk, very easy ride. Guides were clearly very passionate about the plight of the feral camels in Australia and educated us on the topic. Snacks after tour were tasty. Recommend mesh fly mask. Transport to and from resorts/experiences always provided, very convenient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

French female guide was hilarious and passionate, loved chatting with her throughout tour

Transport

Kings Canyon & Outback Panoramas

Uluru

Kings Canyon rim hike is intense, almost grueling, but well worth the views and sense of achievement. Guides were fun and informative and also very serious about our safety. Lots of stairs, elevation changes, loose/rocky terrain. Trail clearly marked and included a few shaded stopping points for brief breaks. Views were stunning. There was an easier/shorter hike for those not physically able to do rim walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AAT Kings Day Tours Aus - Uluru Aboriginal Art & Cultural Experience

Uluru

It felt very meaningful and special to have an anangu guide show us around the sacred sites of Uluru. She also was an artist and showed us traditional painting symbols and we all got to make small canvases alongside her as she made a large one. Cultural center was very informative and educational. Be respectful of when and where to take photographs, the guides will let you know when it's ok.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sacred Sights and Sunsets Tour with BBQ Dinner

Uluru

The sunset views of Uluru and the stars/astronomy discussion were lovely. However, they did run out of almost all the food with 2-3 tables still left to serve. We were second to last table and had only about 2 dishes left to choose from.

Quality of Experience

Ran out of food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astronomy discussion was great

Transport

Our trip coordinator, Liz Neal (Springboard Vacations), who we connected to through the KimKim website is OUTSTANDING!!!
- spent considerable time with us planning the trip, making changes, and building an itinerary just for us
- very perceptive and creative in suggesting activities that dovetailed with the family's interests
- excellent ideas and recommendations, both on and off the beaten path
- very knowledgeable
- great communication, very responsive
- very easy to work with
-... read more

Our trip coordinator, Liz Neal (Springboard Vacations), who we connected to through the KimKim website is OUTSTANDING!!!
- spent considerable time with us planning the trip, making changes, and building an itinerary just for us
- very perceptive and creative in suggesting activities that dovetailed with the family's interests
- excellent ideas and recommendations, both on and off the beaten path
- very knowledgeable
- great communication, very responsive
- very easy to work with
- during the trip, easily reachable and available for needed re-jigging due to weather, closures etc.
- great support team in the country to help us navigate changes and accommodate unexpected requests
- always felt like we were in excellent hands – reducing the stress of the trip immeasurably
- a thoughtful, interesting and caring individual
- went above and beyond to ensure the trip went smoothly

Australia favorites
Philip Island and the Penguin Parade
Exhibition at Adelaide Library on Aussie Rules Football : )
Melbourne
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
Great Barrier Reef (Seeing Hammerhead Shark!)
Kangaroo Island special shout-out to Dan (!!!), Exceptional Kangaroo Island
Mossman Gorge and River Drift Snorkeling Tour

NZ favorites
Southern Alps – Flight!
Mount Cook, hiking to glaciers
Queenstown & Rees Hotel
Driving through the Southern Island
Zorbing
Zip Lining
Auckland Central

I don't really know where to start! We had an amazing time, thanks to Ruth. Our accommodation was always in the best locations for activities and tours that had been booked for us. It was always interesting and elegant with wonderful staff. We were treated like royalty everywhere we stayed.
We thought that we had the perfect balance between activity and leisure. The tours were fun and only as active as you wanted to make them,the tour guides were passionate about their work and were keen... read more

I don't really know where to start! We had an amazing time, thanks to Ruth. Our accommodation was always in the best locations for activities and tours that had been booked for us. It was always interesting and elegant with wonderful staff. We were treated like royalty everywhere we stayed.
We thought that we had the perfect balance between activity and leisure. The tours were fun and only as active as you wanted to make them,the tour guides were passionate about their work and were keen on sharing their environments.
We honestly couldn't choose a highlight of the trip but visiting Bonorong wildlife sanctuary and holding a baby wombat would definitely have to be one of them.

Hotel Reviews

The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins Melbourne

Melbourne

Wow! Elegant and stylish, absolutely beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

This place is stunning,the interior looks as though it belongs in a much more refined time. Definitely not a place for children

Location

Great location for the railway and free trams. Easy walking to the riverfront and ferries

Staff

The staff are definitely some of the friendliest and such an asset to this hotel. From the housemaid to the receptionists to the bar staff in the lounge, everyone was just wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The huge comfortable bed, the spacious room and gorgeous bathroom. And the housemaid do a wonderful job of keeping the whole place spotless.

Ovolo Laneways

Melbourne

A quirky and fun style hotel

Authenticity & Character

Quirky with fun art and interesting light filled bedrooms

Location

A great location for around the lanes of upper Little Bourke Street

Staff

Always friendly and helpful with local recommendations for dining

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless and very comfortable rooms

MACq 01 Hotel

Hobart

Fabulous in everyway

Authenticity & Character

Loved everything in this hotel. Would absolutely recommend it

Location

Easy walking around the waterfront and into town

Staff

Always friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless and so very comfortable

Brickendon Estate

Longford

A very interesting place to stay. Although the cottage felt old and very in keeping with the estate it was only 26 years old.

Authenticity & Character

I loved that the accommodation was inkeeping with the rest of the estate. Internally and not just the exterior was lovingly created

Location

Loved that it's set in the country with beautiful views but still only a few minutes drive to the nearest village for dining or supplies

Staff

We meet Louise, who with her family owns the estate, took some time to chat to us about the place. We found her very down to earth and just lovely. And the dogs are so very friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

I cannot think of a single thing that I would change or add.

Curringa Farm

Hamilton

What a stunning place to stay! I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to stay here

Authenticity & Character

the elegance and style, can't think of anything that I would change

Location

Loved the views and it's only a short drive to the closest village if you need supplies

Staff

Jane and Tim are wonderful hosts, they make everyone feel as though they are really special

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed, amazing bathroom and absolutely spotless

Activity Reviews

Morning Cafe Culture Walk

Melbourne

Lynn was a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. A great way to get to know some of the lanes and area around the top end of Bourke street. The finish of lunch in the little Italian Cafe was a really nice end to a fun morning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Great Ocean Road Day Tour (Shared Tour)

Melbourne

A long day but worthwhile doing. Stopped at lots of interesting beaches and historic little towns.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kevin was a knowledgeable and humorous driver and guide. He had stories and information about the places we stopped in. He picked us up on time and even at the end of a very long day he was still helpful

Transport

The bus clean and comfortable

Full Day Bruny Island Traveller Tour (Shared Tour)

Hobart

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip and can recommend it if you are interested in seeing bruny Island and sampling some of the islands treats.

Quality of Experience

Lots of little extras like oysters, honey, fudge and spiced apple mead samples to take home. Could be quite active if you want to walk a bit but if you don't you can take it easy.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alan would have to be one of the best guides we met on our holiday. He was informative and funny, included everyone effortlessly and was an all round good guy.

Transport

Bus was a good size, clean and comfortable

Evening Old Hobart Pub Tour

Hobart

We really enjoyed this tour of old Hobart. Tales of convicts and dirty deeds, settlers and soldiers all told with passion by our guide. A fun way to spend an early evening before dinner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Farm Tour and Lunch at Curringa Farm

Hamilton

Jane and Tim are delightful, down to earth hosts of this farm. The food is BBQ and salad and plenty of it. The tour lasts about an hour or so and is really informative and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Tour of the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Hobart

A wonderful opportunity to visit this sanctuary and I'm glad that we did. We arrived too early but we were allowed to roam the park by ourselves until everyone else had turned up. It was really good being the only people there so that you could see the animals in their enclosures without a lot of people around. Our guide Nikki was bubbly and very passionate about the sanctuary and the role it plays in saving wildlife. One of the highlights was being able to cuddle a baby wombat and feed the Tasmanian devils, albeit with a grasping aid and not fingers, we still wanted those!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Depart Australia

Australia

Departing from Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne is easy. It seems well laid out, so it's easy to navigate your way around. Staff are helpful and courteous. We spent most of our time in the Air New Zealand lounge and enjoyed the facilities there.

Quality of Experience

Liz Neal at Springboard Vacations worked closely with us over several months to help us select the schedule, locations and tours we preferred. She promised that everything would be of the best quality and on time. That is exactly what we got. Over a twenty-eight day trip we had about thirty-five different pre-arranged events (flights, tours, hotels, etc). Every one was right on time and as described.

Gary did an amazing job planning and organizing our trip!!!
We got where we wanted to go, we saw what we wanted to see, logistics were perfect- actually amazingly so, locations of accommodations were unbeatable, and the timing sequencing of our itinerary was excellent!!!! read more

Gary did an amazing job planning and organizing our trip!!!
We got where we wanted to go, we saw what we wanted to see, logistics were perfect- actually amazingly so, locations of accommodations were unbeatable, and the timing sequencing of our itinerary was excellent!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

Desert Palms Resort

Alice Springs

Discovery Kings Canyon Resort

Petermann

Dining is limited and the food sucked

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

Limited staff, no food or coffee available. Very tired, old hotel but excellent location!

Waves Port Campbell

Port Campbell

Incredible room, amenities and staff!

Quality Hotel Melbourne Airport

Tullamarine

Small room, but great staff, bar, and restaurant

Byron Bay Hotel & Apartments

Byron Bay

Very cool spot, great location!

Sails Port Macquarie - By Rydges

Port Macquarie, NSW

Excellent ambiance!

Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens

Pokolbin

A little tired! Very cool grounds, bar and restaurant. Staff were great except for receptionist

Hyatt Regency Sydney

Sydney

Great staff, room and location!

Activity Reviews

Pick up your rental car for your self-drive adventure!

Australia

Uluru Astro Tour

Uluru

Did not go, to late after a long day!

Sounds of Silence Dinner

Australia

Did not go, Wind storm created what we thought would be a miserable experience

Drop Off Your Rental Car at the Airport

Australia

Easy, no problem

Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

Highest kudos to the guide and experience! One of the highlights of our trip.

Uncork the Hunter Full Day Tour

Pokolbin

Too long, got tired of ta s ting the same wine and hearing the same story. Driver and host at Two Fat Blokes was great, excellent guide!

Explore the Blue Mountains - Scenic World

Australia

Total bust! Directions were unclear! Still.no idea what we were supposed to do.

Drop Off Your Rental Car in the City

Australia

Challenging to find the drop off spot/parking space.

The Rocks Walking Tours

Sydney

Clearview Glassboat Cruises Dinner Cruise

Sydney

We skipped this event . It was supposed to be a 3-hour dinner cruise but was actually a one- hour sunset cruise that was scheduled to get back well before sunset. Boat also looked crowded and uninviting!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I really appreciated Gary because he listened to what I was asking for in terms of hotels to stay and the types of experiences that I was interested. in””His work was somewhat stressful because I only had a few weeks before departure to plan the trip and the planning time included Christmas in between those weeks so I really appreciate his stepping up to the plate so quickly. I also learned myself that when I use Kim Kim in the future, I need to really look in detail at the options that they... read more

I really appreciated Gary because he listened to what I was asking for in terms of hotels to stay and the types of experiences that I was interested. in””His work was somewhat stressful because I only had a few weeks before departure to plan the trip and the planning time included Christmas in between those weeks so I really appreciate his stepping up to the plate so quickly. I also learned myself that when I use Kim Kim in the future, I need to really look in detail at the options that they are offering me and really explore them in depth to be sure that I’m asking clearly for the things that I want. I only had one real issue, and that was not being able to go on a scuba diving tour because of a physical limitation, and Gary was very helpful trying to address that at the last. Minute. It was also great to have someone I knew I could call in-country and a similar time zone if I needed assistance - that really helped.

Gary put together a fantastic itinerary that allowed us to see a lot of things in very little time. Having someone figure out transportation, accommodations, and activities was extremely helpful and saved us a lot of hassle. read more

Gary put together a fantastic itinerary that allowed us to see a lot of things in very little time. Having someone figure out transportation, accommodations, and activities was extremely helpful and saved us a lot of hassle.

Activity Reviews

Classic Kuranda Tour

Australia

Everything from the Gold Class train ride to the park to the views from the sky train was amazing. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Punctual, friendly, with clear instructions.

Food

Food at the park was sorta meh.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and friendly guides.

Transport

I mean, whaddya expect from a bus? It was a nice bus, though. USB ports included.

Sounds of Silence Dinner

Australia

The food was phenomenal, the view was spectacular, and the setting was intimate. I enjoyed the astronomy lesson, but I wish the digeradoo player hung out longer (maybe for the duration of the dinner!).

Sunrise Tour of Uluru (Ayers Rock) & Kata Tjuta Hike

Uluru

Hot and tiring, but the guide made it a good experience. The fanny packs with snacks and water were great. The toilets at the rest stops are ---- ummmmm..... an experience. I'm not sure if that could be upgraded since it's a government run thing. I would like to have had a more meditative experience of just "taking it in" when it was still cool first thing in the morning.

Day trip to the Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Well organized, food was great, equipment was excellent quality, supervision was top-notch, and the views were spectacular.

Small-Group Uluru Sunset Tour

Australia

I was expecting better food. Otherwise it was a nice view.

Liz was wonderful. She booked me the most amazing tour in quick turnaround. I loved Australia and being able to see the different animals indigenous to the area was really neat for me. I loved sailing to the Great Barrier Reef, I could spend a whole week there. The sky tram and train rides were so much fun. I loved Sydney and the bustle of the town. The penguin parade at Phillip island was also a must see. My trip was packed full of adventure and fun. I will definitely use Kim Kim in the... read more

Liz was wonderful. She booked me the most amazing tour in quick turnaround. I loved Australia and being able to see the different animals indigenous to the area was really neat for me. I loved sailing to the Great Barrier Reef, I could spend a whole week there. The sky tram and train rides were so much fun. I loved Sydney and the bustle of the town. The penguin parade at Phillip island was also a must see. My trip was packed full of adventure and fun. I will definitely use Kim Kim in the future.

Hotel Review

Bay Village Tropical Retreat & Apartments

Cairns, QLD

Very neat space just outside of the city. Easy walking to the warf and night market. Birds and small animals are heard instead of cars and urban noise. The room was tidy and big for just one person. The fridge was nice for keeping my drinks cold. The restaurant was there and I had breakfast included which was very good. Including hot and cold foods.

Authenticity & Character

Great restaurant attached with authentic delicious food from Bali

Location

Away from everything, but not too far.

Staff

Very helpful with all questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Homey feeling.

Activity Reviews

Sydney Guided Bike Tour - Shared Tour

Sydney

So fun. And not really too physically taxing. Great way to see the city and big sights. The rain was no fun, but we all laughed anyway!!

Quality of Experience

Personal attention and small group size.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was very helpful. Guide grew up there so he knew his stuff.

Transport

I walked to get there.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Cool rich history of the project and udon. It was fantastic to see it all up close.

Quality of Experience

Learning about the iconic place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone I’ve met has been helpful.

Transport

I walked to this tour.

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Amazing trip into the blue mountains. The worst part was the drive, but the guide gave us some interesting information. The hike was amazing and a bit strenuous but not too hard.

Quality of Experience

Lucy was good the hike was fantastic. And I just love the mountains.

Food

The restaurant was a neat place rich in its own history. The food was good and filling. Nice choice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was nice and explained a lot

Transport

Small group

Welcome to Cairns!

Cairns

My favorite city. But yes it’s hot!!

Quality of Experience

Small town. Lots to walk around and do

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone I met was very nice

Transport

The airport driver included an extra tour of the town layout on the way to the hotel.

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef - to pontoon

Australia

Top ten best days I have ever had.

Quality of Experience

The crew was great. The places were beautiful. And everyone was nice and friendly.

Food

Good lunch on board.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and nice.

Transport

The fist driver didn’t show up. I was worried I would miss the trip. But a new driver came after a few calls and I made it.

Morning River Drift Snorkeling

Cairns

Canceled due to too much rain flooding the river.

Full Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail

Australia

This was sooooo amazing. Both methods of transport were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the treetops of the forest. Seeing the underneath thought the train.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No one specific. But everyone was nice and helpful.

Transport

Getting to the place.

Full Day Phillip Island Tour with "Penguins Plus" Viewing

Melbourne

Such a unique and special treasure of a day. Seeing the animals would have been more fun if it wasn’t sooo hot, but again Mother Nature wins.

Quality of Experience

The staff at the penguins were great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our small tour driver was very very nice. And knowledgeable.

Transport

Bumpy ride. But overall great

We went to five different places and everything from tours to accommodations was flawless. We had a wonderful time and I can’t say enough good things about Liz and KimKim. Thank you! read more

We went to five different places and everything from tours to accommodations was flawless. We had a wonderful time and I can’t say enough good things about Liz and KimKim. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Coco Mooloolaba

Mooloolaba

Amazing location, apartment and people. This was our favorite!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gary, our tour agent planned for us a very good 6-day trip in Australia. We went to most of places we wanted to be. And we're very satisfied with his arrangements. The fact that we couldn't make local phone calls made things difficulty but when there're changes during the trip Gary responded very fast to meet our requirements through other communication channel he could find.

We were arranged in Palm Cove for 3 nights. That is a beautiful place. But the hotel (Alassio) is horrible. We... read more

Gary, our tour agent planned for us a very good 6-day trip in Australia. We went to most of places we wanted to be. And we're very satisfied with his arrangements. The fact that we couldn't make local phone calls made things difficulty but when there're changes during the trip Gary responded very fast to meet our requirements through other communication channel he could find.

We were arranged in Palm Cove for 3 nights. That is a beautiful place. But the hotel (Alassio) is horrible. We couldn't get in after 5pm because we didn't get the code to get the key and their emergency phone didn't work at all. Thanks the restaurant next door who helped us to got the key. Then we found there're no elevator, no microwave oven, very hard to get into shower tub (aged people could fell and hurt themselves easily), the toilet seat doesn't stay up at open position unless you use your hand to stop it falling down. One of the bed lamp didn't work, TV remote controller out of battery, There're bugs in the closets. Couldn't find the switch for the ceiling fan (hiding behind the bed board) and nobody to ask after 5pm. Other than that, Palm Cove experience was still very good.

We missed the part of Rainforest program (because we stay at Palm Cove?), still wait for the refund Gary promised for that part.

The experice in Gold Coast is super! Stay in a great hotel (Hilton) at a great location!

After we fly back to Sydney we found no transportation arranged from the airport to the hotel. And we're not told that we need to take a taxi to get to the hotel. Asked Gary, he probably is on vacation so still waiting for the reimbursment from kimkim for the taxi.

All in all kimkim is a very good and trust worthy toure agent! We believe it'll improve their work from our experience to make it better.

Hotel Reviews

Alassio Palm Cove

Palm Cove

We were arranged in Palm Cove for 3 nights. That is a beautiful place. But the hotel (Alassio) is horrible. We couldn't get in after 5pm because we didn't get the code to get the key and their emergency phone didn't work at all. Thanks the restaurant next door who helped us to got the key. Then we found there're no elevator, no microwave oven, very hard to get into shower tub (aged people could fell and hurt themselves easily), the toilet seat doesn't stay up at open position unless you use your hand to stop it falling down. One of the bed lamp didn't work, TV remote controller out of battery, There're bugs in the closets. Couldn't find the switch for the ceiling fan (hiding behind the bed board) and nobody to ask after 5pm. Other than that, Palm Cove experience was still very good.

Authenticity & Character

after hour attendant

Location

the environment

Staff

more friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

shower tub layout

Hilton Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise

Convenient, comfortable, friendly!

Authenticity & Character

like it very much

Location

so close to everywhere

Staff

so friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and comfortable

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

No shuttle bus to the hotel from airport after 5:30pm.

Authenticity & Character

we arrived late so didn't see too much

Location

close to airport

Staff

tried to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean

Activity Reviews

Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

The Great Adventure arranged everything for us, including Green Island visit, Great Barrier Reef, (we took semi-sub), lunch buffet, afternoon tea/coffee snack, transportations to and from the hotel...

Quality of Experience

Went to Great Barrio Reef

Guides, Drivers and Staff

all people were very friendly and helpful

Transport

On time and professional

Kuranda Rail, Rainforestation, Skyrail

Australia

We like the Skyrail and Kuranda Rail experiences! We missed Rainforestation program. kimkim promised to refund that part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

smooth ridings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

all people are friendly and helpful

Transport

On time and professional and friendly!

Our family of 5 (including 3 sons ages 19, 17, and 13) had a fabulous Australian vacation over Christmas and New Years! Liz was instrumental in the planning, ensuring that we got to see all of the sights, but not over-scheduled. Highlights included: watching evening migration of penguins on Philip Island in Melbourne, visiting Bruny Island and MONA in Tasmania, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, and the Bridge Climb in Sydney. The trip culminated with taking in the fireworks... read more

Our family of 5 (including 3 sons ages 19, 17, and 13) had a fabulous Australian vacation over Christmas and New Years! Liz was instrumental in the planning, ensuring that we got to see all of the sights, but not over-scheduled. Highlights included: watching evening migration of penguins on Philip Island in Melbourne, visiting Bruny Island and MONA in Tasmania, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, and the Bridge Climb in Sydney. The trip culminated with taking in the fireworks and ringing in the new year in Sydney harbor. We all agreed that we can’t wait to go back to experience more of the wonders of Australia. Thanks, Liz for planning such a memorable trip for us!

The entire trip was just wonderful! It amazed us that each excursion was planned so far in advance and yet went off without a hitch. We were particularly impressed with the blue mountain guide, we learned so much. The other guide that was wonderful was our guide to the Daintree Rainforest. Greg was available to us all afternoon and there was no question that he could not answer. We loved the Sky rail to Kuranda and also the train back. The walking tour of Melbourne was terrific! We had one... read more

The entire trip was just wonderful! It amazed us that each excursion was planned so far in advance and yet went off without a hitch. We were particularly impressed with the blue mountain guide, we learned so much. The other guide that was wonderful was our guide to the Daintree Rainforest. Greg was available to us all afternoon and there was no question that he could not answer. We loved the Sky rail to Kuranda and also the train back. The walking tour of Melbourne was terrific! We had one excursion where the driver didn't show, but the kimkim team had us back on schedule within 2hours and that trip to Kuranda turned out to be one of the best. The fishing trip with an aboriginal native was a hoot and challenging. I wasn't able to catch anything with my spear. Having a light meal at his home was an honor.

Hotel Reviews

Villa San Michele

Port Douglas, QLD

We loved this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

the tile floors, little kitchen and the balcony. Right one the main street of Port Douglas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney

Sydney

More than we expected!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The entire staff was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

What an amazingly place

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was professional and knowledgeable.

Transport

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Loved our guide, we learned so much

Quality of Experience

the guide made this so special

Food

the food was lovely and elegant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

same

Transport

same

Morning Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

This was a terrific tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we walked to this excursion

Full Day Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Plus Upgrade

Melbourne

Frankly, this was too far a trip for the short time we had in Melbourne. We should have planned something closer

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the driver needed more training, he made 3 wrong turns and was not very knowledgeable about the places we were going.

Transport

See above

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Our villa was amazing and Port Douglas is a delightful resort town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Outer Reef Mackay Coral Cay

Port Douglas

This was an amazing trip. I only wish we could have snorkeled longer

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aboriginal Fishing & Daintree Rainforest Tour

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Kuranda Rail Gold Class, Rainforestation & Skyrail

Australia

Loved both the Skyrail and the train. Gold class was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our 17 night trip to Australia went very smoothly. We stayed in Sydney, Port Douglas, Adelaide, and stayed two nights while doing the drive of the Great Ocean Road. Then we spent four nights in Melbourne. Our travel specialist Liz put together a great itinerary that went very smoothly. We liked our hotels and we had no problems with our internal flights.

In Sydney we stayed at The Grace hotel which was excellent. It’s central location allowed us to walk to a lot of the attractions we... read more

Our 17 night trip to Australia went very smoothly. We stayed in Sydney, Port Douglas, Adelaide, and stayed two nights while doing the drive of the Great Ocean Road. Then we spent four nights in Melbourne. Our travel specialist Liz put together a great itinerary that went very smoothly. We liked our hotels and we had no problems with our internal flights.

In Sydney we stayed at The Grace hotel which was excellent. It’s central location allowed us to walk to a lot of the attractions we wanted to see. The staff was also very helpful and the room was fine. On our free day we took a ferry to Manly Beach. We caught the bus from there to the Spit bridge and then hiked the 10 km trail back to Manly beach that went along the water. It had spectacular views. That was one of the highlights of our time in Sydney.

Highlights included snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island (our guide Jo was excellent), and Phillip Island. It was topped off with a sunrise balloon ride over Melbourne which we highly recommend. I would also recommend seeing the Great Ocean Rd if you can. We stayed two nights between Adelaide and Melbourne. I think a third night would be good if you have the time.

Can’t choose just one place as they all were amazing!! Liz really did a fantastic job guiding us through when choosing what I thought would be the most interesting places for us. When we had questions Liz would get back to us in a prompt time period. We never experienced any bad tour guides along with our pickups. They were prompt every time!!!

Liz went over expectations from me when planning. She watched my budget but also was able to provide us great entertainment and adventure! read more

Can’t choose just one place as they all were amazing!! Liz really did a fantastic job guiding us through when choosing what I thought would be the most interesting places for us. When we had questions Liz would get back to us in a prompt time period. We never experienced any bad tour guides along with our pickups. They were prompt every time!!!

Liz went over expectations from me when planning. She watched my budget but also was able to provide us great entertainment and adventure!

Hotel Reviews

Auckland City Hotel

Auckland

Very polite and helpful! Room clean!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scenic Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

Very clean and great location. Great Mountain View.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bay Villas Resort

Port Douglas

Great, quiet place. Very clean and good location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vibe Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Great place and very nice and comfortable!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Museum entry and 1 Hour Highlights tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hobbiton Express - Full Day

Auckland

Auckland Walking Tour

Auckland

Views were great and guide was great as well

Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet Barbecue Lunch

New Zealand

Food and sheep dog talk was great. Beautiful views on ride over on steamer.

Half-Day Macetown 4WD Tour

New Zealand

Our guide Mark was phenomenal! Everything we could have asked for in a 4Wheeling adventure!

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

Beautiful!!

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Glad we didn’t choose to go to a big city. Port Douglas is perfect for a few days!

Full-Day Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour

Port Douglas

Wow! Exactly as they tell you. Guides were very informative and helpful.

Day Trip to Kuranda Village & Rainforest Tour

Australia

Beautiful scenery and enjoyed seeing the local animals! After an entire day the only thing we weren’t sure of was the actual train ride back. It was slow.

Full Day Mossman Gorge Adventure Day

Australia

Amazing adventure! Especially in the rainforest. We could have stayed all day!!

Morning Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

A must see!

Liz was a gem to work with. She was very attentive, responded immediately, and the chat system that all members of the tour participated in was wonderful. We had a great tour and loved all the excursions. read more

Liz was a gem to work with. She was very attentive, responded immediately, and the chat system that all members of the tour participated in was wonderful. We had a great tour and loved all the excursions.

My fiance and I visited Australia and New Zealand for about 1 month in August and Liz helped us plan an incredible trip. We would definitely use Kimkim and Liz's planning services again. Liz and her team were immediately available to us before and during the trip. When one of our excursions had a hiccup, Liz and co. worked to get us a refund and clarify what happened. They made us feel at ease. Liz also did a great job understanding what we wanted from our trip and helping to make that... read more

My fiance and I visited Australia and New Zealand for about 1 month in August and Liz helped us plan an incredible trip. We would definitely use Kimkim and Liz's planning services again. Liz and her team were immediately available to us before and during the trip. When one of our excursions had a hiccup, Liz and co. worked to get us a refund and clarify what happened. They made us feel at ease. Liz also did a great job understanding what we wanted from our trip and helping to make that happen, and the hotels/excursions she booked us for the most part were all what we were looking for. Our biggest piece of constructive feedback is in regards to domestic flights, which we asked Liz to help us with--even though we packed light, we still had 1 month's worth of things with us for our multiple domestic flights, which meant we had to navigate baggage/carry on rules for a lot of regional airlines we had never flown before. We did not know to pack a small, hand-held scale which would have been very helpful, so we recommend that anyone flying domestic flights do so. We also would have just wanted to pay more ahead of time and have more baggage allowance, but we did not think ahead to request this so had to re-pack our bags a few times to avoid some exorbitant last-minute baggage fees. I guess the best way Liz and co. could have helped us with this is potentially giving us some insight into what the rules for baggage are roughly for each of the domestic airlines we were to use, or clarifying with us how many bags we intended to have before booking our tickets. But we certainly learned from this experience as well.

Hotel Reviews

Harbour Rocks Hotel Sydney MGallery

The Rocks, Sydney NSW

Love the location and the service, front desk was super helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silkari Lagoons Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Found the location to be a bit too far from the city center; having to rely on shuttles was difficult. Room was a bit musty. Did love the patio hot tub though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ovolo Laneways

Melbourne

Absolutely loved this hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cumberland Lorne Resort

Lorne

Nice pool & work out room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Southern Ocean Villas

Port Campbell

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Robe House

Robe, SA

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Atura Adelaide Airport

Adelaide Airport

So convenient that this was connected to the airport for our early am flight

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Browns Boutique Hotel

Queenstown

Good location, but felt uncomfortable wearing masks (owner made some comments about it) and the bathroom was difficult to keep dry (shower leaks around onto the floor in a large puddle)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocks

The Rocks

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Plus Upgrade

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Guided Bike Tour - Shared Tour

Sydney

Really loved to see the city this way

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Climb the Harbor Bridge

Sydney

Consider doing a night time one instead for the view of the lights (we wish we would have done that)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Was nice to get out to the Blue Mountains but this excursion involved a lot of sitting in a car, spending a few short moments at the nature look out sites. We wouldn't do this again, and instead would find some way to do a small hike instead.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Full-Day Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour

Port Douglas

Really great, would do again

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mossman Gorge Adventure Day

Australia

Loved this, highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Yarra Valley Food, Wine and Wildlife Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Heli Cruise

Queenstown (NZ)

The helicopter company changed the type of tour we had and didn't tell us, but Liz and Southern World Tours were able to fix things for us to get our refund back. Other than that, the experience itself was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Jet-Boat Adventure & Funyak River Safari

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family (two kids, 10 and 14) had a great time in Sydney and really appreciate the opportunity to set it up in advance. Ruth was very accommodating in building and changing our trip plans and made sure we were well prepared before leaving.

We really enjoyed touring the city by foot, boat and bike, including the Bonza bike tour. We stayed in a short-stay apartment in Nesuto Woolloomoolloo, which was a great quiet launching point for the Royal Botanic Garden, Harris Farm Market and... read more

Our family (two kids, 10 and 14) had a great time in Sydney and really appreciate the opportunity to set it up in advance. Ruth was very accommodating in building and changing our trip plans and made sure we were well prepared before leaving.

We really enjoyed touring the city by foot, boat and bike, including the Bonza bike tour. We stayed in a short-stay apartment in Nesuto Woolloomoolloo, which was a great quiet launching point for the Royal Botanic Garden, Harris Farm Market and restaurants in Potts Point. Highly recommend wandering through the Royal Botanic Garden in spring! We also enjoyed our tours through Southern Highlands, Northern Beaches and Blue Mountains and recommend planning ahead to keep kids happy on the long drives, though the time in the mountains on beaches made it worthwhile.
Recommend the Aussie Gold Tour at the Taronga Zoo, as the behind the scenes and up front look at the Aussie animals, with tour guide, really made the visit. We also loved the Sharks exhibit at the Australia Museum, short-time only.

Ruth worked with us to bring down the overall cost of our trip, and it really was helpful to have all of the arrangements made for us and put into a single trip plan. It was good to know that we could swap things in and out to meet our needs.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Loved the short and longer hikes in the Blue Mountains, including some really diverse geography and flora. We had a very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide and enjoyed the Botanic Garden and apple pie stops towards the end of the trip.

Quality of Experience

variety, hiking

Food

apple pie stop

Guides, Drivers and Staff

friendly, knowledgeable

Transport

comfortable van

Taronga Zoo - Afternoon Aussie Gold Tour

Sydney

It was great to have a private guided tour of some of the Aussie animals, including up close visit with the koalas. Zoos can be crowded and overwhelming, so this quiet tour was a great way to start our visit.

Quality of Experience

the animals

Guides, Drivers and Staff

friendly, knowledgeable

Ocean Cliffs & Blowhole, Waterfalls, Wineries & Rural Delights Southern Highlands Tours and South Coast

Sydney

This tour has a lot to offer, and it's mostly enjoyable when you let the tour guide and KimKim know up front what you'd like to do. For example, we loved the Illawarra Fly Park and found out that we needed to reserve the zipline tour ahead of time. Unfortunately for us, the zipline was not available, as it was too windy that day anyway. We enjoyed the stop for lunch and shops in Kiawa and enjoyed spending some leisurely time at Illawarra. We even saw a wombat in the wild on the way there and some local birds at the Park.

Quality of Experience

variety, pretty landscape, loved the rainforest at Illawarra

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Go Beyond was friendly, accommodating

Transport

Everything fell into place, plane and transportation and tours, loved Sydney and the harbor and went to a concert in the Opera House, got rain at Ulrulu but that was a good thing as multiple waterfalls developed across it’s face. The eucalyptus forest on the return from the great ocean road was like a jungle version of our redwood forests in No Cal
Great planning for a wonderful trip. Now we’re in NZ
read more

Everything fell into place, plane and transportation and tours, loved Sydney and the harbor and went to a concert in the Opera House, got rain at Ulrulu but that was a good thing as multiple waterfalls developed across it’s face. The eucalyptus forest on the return from the great ocean road was like a jungle version of our redwood forests in No Cal
Great planning for a wonderful trip. Now we’re in NZ

Loved our trip to Australia. My favorite was snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The colors were amazing and so was the boat ride to and from the reef.

I also enjoyed the Blue Mountain trip. Even though it was foggy so we couldn't see anything, our guide tried his best to find us a view, the weather just didn't cooperate. It just means I need to return sometime to actually see the mountains and Three Sisters. It was fun to see the Australian animals at the farm.

My least... read more

Loved our trip to Australia. My favorite was snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The colors were amazing and so was the boat ride to and from the reef.

I also enjoyed the Blue Mountain trip. Even though it was foggy so we couldn't see anything, our guide tried his best to find us a view, the weather just didn't cooperate. It just means I need to return sometime to actually see the mountains and Three Sisters. It was fun to see the Australian animals at the farm.

My least favorite excursion was the Sydney Harbour Cruise. We couldn't really hear what the guide was saying since their sound system was muffled. The lunch provided was also not very good. I feel like there has to be a Harbour cruise that was better than this one.

Overall, we are very happy with our trip and I hope to return to Australia some day.

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Sydney Harbour

The Rocks

Hotel is in a great location but is an older hotel. It was a clean but smaller room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pacific Hotel Cairns

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

⁸

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Perfect location for flying out the next day. Very clean and nice room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Afternoon City Tour

Sydney

Definitely saw the Sydney highlights and very informative on the history of Sydney.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

This would receive 5 stars if the weather would have cooperated. The guide did an amazing job trying to find us a view. Unfortunately all we saw was a sheet of white fog. Also loved the stop at the farm where we were able to see the Australian animals.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour Discovery Luncheon Cruise

Sydney

Sound system was muffled so it was hard to hear anything the guide was saying. Food was also very poor.

Quality of Experience

Food

Better tasting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise

Australia

Everything was amazing on this trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Daintree Rainforest Tour & 4WD Adventure

Cairns

Guide was knowledgeable and informative. However, the sound system in the bus muffled his voice so sometimes it was hard to hear him while in the bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gary was very helpful to us during the trip read more

Gary was very helpful to us during the trip

Hotel Reviews

Mantra Lorne

Lorne

The first room shown was very smelly/musty and we were moved to a newer room

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to restaurants/shops

Staff

D'Altons Resort

Halls Gap

It was nice sitting on the front porch and watching the kangaroos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pan Pacific Melbourne

Melbourne

One of the best hotels we have stayed at!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Drop Off Your Rental Car in the City

Australia

Difficult to find drop off location

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Me and my husband chose kimkim to plan our perfect honeymoon to Australia and the itenary provided by Lisa exceeded our expectations. She listened to our ideas, interests and incorporated each and every detail into our trip. We were there in Australia for 9 days and visited Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. The multitude of experiences we had in such a short time wouldn't have been possible without the perfect planning done by Lisa and team. All the accomodations and activities booked by them... read more

Me and my husband chose kimkim to plan our perfect honeymoon to Australia and the itenary provided by Lisa exceeded our expectations. She listened to our ideas, interests and incorporated each and every detail into our trip. We were there in Australia for 9 days and visited Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. The multitude of experiences we had in such a short time wouldn't have been possible without the perfect planning done by Lisa and team. All the accomodations and activities booked by them were excellent. I would highly recommend Lisa to everyone visiting Australia. We will definitely contact Kimkim for travel in the future.

Had a great time in Australia and Kim did a great job.

Kimkim's associates in Australia, first Jasmine and later Hugh, helped us plan a wonderful 30-day vacation in Australia. Jasmine worked up a candidate itinerary and we worked with it, tweaked it, and fine-tuned it for several months -- way back in late 2019 and early 2020 for travel in August and September of 2020. But then COVID happened. We tried again in 2021, but Australia still had not opened up to tourism and didn't open up until 2022. We picked it up again early this year (Jasmine had... read more

Kimkim's associates in Australia, first Jasmine and later Hugh, helped us plan a wonderful 30-day vacation in Australia. Jasmine worked up a candidate itinerary and we worked with it, tweaked it, and fine-tuned it for several months -- way back in late 2019 and early 2020 for travel in August and September of 2020. But then COVID happened. We tried again in 2021, but Australia still had not opened up to tourism and didn't open up until 2022. We picked it up again early this year (Jasmine had moved on and we were turned over to first Jay and then Hugh with Global Tours Specialists). We worked with them to make a few additional adjustments to our itinerary and Hugh did all the bookings and reservations for our time in Australia. There were some struggles with Australia's recovering tourism industry, but Hugh did a wonderful job handling the challenges. In the end everything worked out almost flawlessly. One of our lodgings (Alice Springs) was a disappointment, but there were no alternatives to be had due to a big auto show that sucked up all available lodging the weekend we were there. We were lucky to get anything, but Hugh found something for us -- better than nothing.

The vacation itself... Wow! We covered lots of ground (literally) from Melbourne to Adelaide, then by rental car to Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, on through the Outback to Uluru and Kings Canyon, and on to Alice Springs. After a couple nights there we flew to Darwin (a few days there), then (by air) to Cairns where we rented another car to explore the Atherton Tablelands and the coast up to Cape Tribulation (including Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree Rainforest). Our stay in Cairns included a day out on the Great Barrier Reef. We then flew to Sydney for a few days before our trip home.

We spent quite a bit of time on this trip traveling by car (about 2 weeks in the Outback and 6 days around Cairns). This was a lot of driving (roughly equivalent to driving from our home in Southeastern Washington to Chicago!) but what a great way to see the country! We loved it! It gave us flexibility to stop (or not stop) whenever we wanted, stay as long as we wanted, and take little side trips whenever we wanted. We were a bit apprehensive going in (e.g., out of touch in the Outback, long driving days, risk of adverse weather conditions, and driving on the left side of the road), but it all turned out perfectly. We'd do it again in a heartbeat.

All lodgings that were suggested by Jasmine, Jay or Hugh were all excellent (except as noted above). The Flynn Hotel in Cairns was particularly exquisite! Highly recommended (book one of the "09" rooms!). Our room at the Mantra 2 Bond Street in Sydney was really an apartment. Probably overkill, but we enjoyed the space.

Breakfast at the hotel was included on most days and usually was full... very full... breakfast from a buffet (needless to say, we tended to overindulge).

Jasmine and Hugh set up eleven tours for us over the course of the vacation. We enjoyed all of these, but our favorites were the small group ones (e.g., the Melbourne City tour, the Melbourne Lanes and Arcades tour, and the Sydney City tour). The two city tours were just the guide and the two of us -- this was ideal. The big coach tours (Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley, Uluru, and Kakadu National Park) are not really our cup of tea but this might have been the only practical way of getting a guided tour of some of these sites. Two of these tours (Kangaroo Island and Kakadu National Park) were full days and involved a lot of time on the bus getting to and from the sites -- almost too much time relative to the time we spent actually visiting the sites.

Prior to our travel we set up a WhatsApp chat with Kimkim (actually, with Hugh and his team in Australia) for real-time support during our trip. We did have a few issues that came up along the way, but through this chat we could get their help and they were alway very responsive. Things alway got resolved very satisfactorily.

Generally we prefer vacations where we "park" somewhere for a long restful stay. This wasn't one of those trips. We didn't see any way to give Australia some of the justice it deseres without a lot of traveling. During the planning phase, we tweaked the itinerary to ensure that we had at least two nights at each location (with three or more at several of them). The only exception was the one night we stayed in the Daintree Rainforest. Now we have some good candidates for our "long restful stay" type vacation should we return to Australia!

All in all, this was a great experience and it was a real pleasure working with the team at Kimkim and Global Tour Specialists. They were very patient with us and very adaptable to our preferences and desires. I highly recommend a Kimkim vacation if you want something designed especially for you with help from a local specialist who can provide recommendations where to go, where to stay, and what to see. However, be prepared to spend some time with them to make sure they know what you want out of your vacation and don't be afraid to let them know if something isn't just right. They are there to work with you and are really good at it.

My wife and I had a wonderful trip to Australia for two weeks. We did Sidney --> Palm Cove --> Byron Bay --> Brisbane and had a wonderful time in each place. Liz was instrumental in helping us plan where to go, booking lodging, and arranging for tours/activities in each place. We did a mix of tour activities (Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Springbrook National Park outside of Brisbane, among others) and free days. For our free days, Liz had good recommendations for... read more

My wife and I had a wonderful trip to Australia for two weeks. We did Sidney --> Palm Cove --> Byron Bay --> Brisbane and had a wonderful time in each place. Liz was instrumental in helping us plan where to go, booking lodging, and arranging for tours/activities in each place. We did a mix of tour activities (Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Springbrook National Park outside of Brisbane, among others) and free days. For our free days, Liz had good recommendations for other sights to see or places to eat. Particular highlights among the many things Liz arranged for us were the Aboriginal Fishing (crab hunting) on the mudflats north of Palm Cove and the Scenic Rim tour outside of Brisbane. Liz suggested and arranged for both of those, neither of which we would have thought of on our own. Working with Liz made everything quite easy on our end - the lodging was excellent, our rides to and from airports or activities were always right on time and very comfortable, and the planned activities themselves were always enjoyable. It was a great mix of big highlights we discussed with Liz with lesser known things that she suggested. She also worked well with us to make a great trip within our budget on relatively short notice (only a couple months) during a busy travel period.

Hotel Reviews

Spicers Balfour Hotel

Brisbane

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pier One Sydney Harbour, Marriott Autograph Collection

Dawes Point

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Reef House Palm Cove

Palm Cove

Great adults only hotel in Palm Cove with lovely rooms, lots of pools, fun activities (yoga, cocktail classes, etc.) included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Byron

Suffolk Park

Beautiful hotel a little outside of downtown Byron with kitchenettes and a combo washer dryer. Really great place to relax by the pool, on the covered room patios, or the nearby beach, or in the beautiful forest on the grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful hotel with lots of boardwalks through lush trees and plants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Aussie Outback Private Tour

Brisbane

Eco Tours Queensland was excellent. The scenic rim tour was beautiful with a great mix of sights, hiking opportunities, or beautiful drives. This is the kind of thing that would be very very difficult to do on your own given the back roads required to get to the best spots, but we had a lovely time with everything.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport