Kimkim Trip Reviews for Australia

We just returned from our travels in Australia and are still processing all the wonderful activities and experiences. The trip offered us so many memorable moments, and we are grateful for each one.

We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for all Vicky's help and expertise in planning our trip. Her attention to detail and careful arrangement of every aspect were impressive, allowing us to simply relax, enjoy, and savor every moment. Her assistance made our experience truly memorable and enjoyable.

Thank you Vicky and kimkim!!

Donna

Great trip. Well planned. Enjoyed the animal parks and seeing the different animals. The Opera House tour was one of my highlights. Walking tours in the cities were very informative. Just a fantastic trip!

Hotel Reviews

The Sebel Quay West Suites

The Rocks

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laneways by Ovolo

Melbourne

Authenticity & Character

OP

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney City Small Group Walking Tour (Small Group Tour)

Sydney

Had a hard time understanding this leader. Wish he had a speaker and headsets. Was not able to hear him b cause of the traffic and other people around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife, Waterfalls and Wine (Small Group Tour)

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SEIT Uluru & BBQ Dinner

Uluru

Quality of Experience

I

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Camel to Sunset

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phillip Island Penguin Parade Small Group Eco Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I

Transport

Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

lol

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane River Cruise

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First, we can tell you that our overall experience was excellent and the job you did was also great. We would like to break down each category and give you our feedback this way.

Flights: All flights within Australia were fine. There were no problems checking in and they all left and landed on time. Virgin Australia is a very basic airline. We had to ask for water on our flight from Cairns to Melbourne.

Accommodations:
The nicest place we stayed in was the Maq01 in Hobart. The room was spacious and very comfortable. Breakfast was excellent and the location was perfect. Our second best was the hotel we chose in Brisbane, the Treasury. That room was also spacious and we liked the old world charm. Location was ideal there too. The Floriana in Cairns was ok. It was north of town and we should have chosen the alternative that Siena mentioned in our video conference. However, everything worked out ok. The two hotels in Melbourne were inadequate. The rooms were small, especially the Standard X. There was barely enough room to open our suitcases and the locations were not great. 13 years ago, we stayed close to the river within walking distance of the tennis center and that was much better.

Transportation:
That was excellent. All of the pickups at airports and hotels were great and on time. There was water in the vehicles for us and the cars were all comfortable. The one exception was a confusion in Cairns on the 12th, the day we did the Michaelmas Cay Cruise. The instructions for pickup were confusing because it said hotel, then on the next line, 181 Esplanade. Our interpretation was that the pickup point was at our hotel because its address is 181 Esplanade but what it really meant was that the pickup was at the Hotel 181 Esplanade which was on the next street. We didn't know that that hotel even existed. We got it sorted out with a telephone call and we got to the boat on time. It was just a bit nerve wracking. There was no reason that the pickup couldn't have been in front of our hotel.

Tours and guides:
Overall, we felt that our private tours were far superior to the group tours. In Brisbane, our first tour was up to the Sunshine coast with Rashid. That was excellent and very enjoyable. Rashid was very pleasant and we interacted with him very well. The second tour was the Daintree Adventure from Cairns. It was a group tour and our guide was James Unfortunately, that was not as good. First, it was a large van not a 4wd vehicle, There were about 10 of us and James talked the whole way there and back, was hard to understand because of the speaker system on the van, and he repeated himself several times. The walk we did on the walkway to see Cassowaries (we didn't see any) was a bit disappointing. We felt that it was difficult to interact with the guide to appreciate the beauty of the sites.. The third tour to the Great Barrier reef was ok. We expected a lot of people on the boat so that was no surprise but the boat was overcrowded. They took us to an atoll where we started our snorkeling. The site was crowded with other boats and we had to swim out to the reefs which were about 100 meters from shore. The corals were beautiful but the fish viewing was disappointing. 13 years ago, we went on a ship and snorkeled from the ship not from shore and that was much better. The fish diversity then was also much better- the difference was probably the places they took us to. You should consider another boat option. The following private tour with Sean in Melbourne was good. We did a hike in Dandenong and went to the Yarra valley to do some wine tastings. It was a beautiful day and very enjoyable. In Hobart, we did three tours. The first to Freycinet and Wineglass bay with Alex was just ok. The walks we did there were very crowded and we hardly saw any wildlife. We felt that we were taken to all the sites that tourists are taken to and so it was far from ideal. The next tour on the boat for the gourmet seafood lunch cruise was outstanding. It was literally a seafood orgy and extremely enjoyable. The two guys on the boat (Jordy and Lawrence) were great. The food was exquisite and we loved it. The final day, we were picked up by Dave who took us to the Tasmanian wilderness where we did a 4 mile hike and saw three waterfalls. He then took us to an animal sanctuary where we saw Roos, devils, echidnas, an emu and other animals. We had a great time there as well. Finally, we should mention the Q train experience even though it was not part of the package with you. We first took a ferry across the bay and then boarded the Q train for a leisurely 3 hour ride and lunch. We enjoyed that as well and you should consider including it in your packages.

Thank you for organizing this wonderful trip.
Sue and Dan Simmons

Sailing with Dave in Sydney Harbour was a highlight. Blue Mountain tour/hike with Larry and kayaking to Goat Island also fun.

Hotel Reviews

A by Adina

Sydney

Nice facility. Great location. Only issue is that vehicle access to the hotel is blocked by ongoing construction activity.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heal House

New Farm, Brisbane

Perfect location, facilities. Great hosts.

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Sydney Guided Walk

Sydney

The Highlights of Sydney Guided Walk was really fun, and our guide Steven was excellent. We got to see a lot of the city, but there was a bit of confusion about visiting the opera house. While we got a great tour of Sydney, the opera house was only pointed out and not toured as part of this activity. We ended up visiting it on our own afterwards. Make sure to clarify this if you plan to visit the opera house.

Kayaking Sydney Harbour & Goat Island

Sydney

The Kayaking Sydney Harbour & Goat Island tour was a lot of fun. We had a wonderful morning paddling under the Harbour Bridge and exploring the Island. It was a unique way to see Sydney, and we got a great photo of my wife with a kayak under the bridge! Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

Sydney Harbour Afternoon Sailing

Sydney

Our Sydney Harbour Afternoon Sailing was magnificent. It was just the two of us with the captain, Dave, who was fantastic. We had perfect winds, and Dave let me sail a bit, which was a highlight. The boat ride took us all the way to the harbor entrance and provided great insights into local neighborhoods. The day was beautifully complemented by a tremendous lunch on board. Highly recommend this experience!

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

The Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike was absolutely fantastic. Our guide, Larry, made the experience memorable with his insightful guidance during the hike. We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed stunning views from the mountains. It was a great way to explore the natural beauty of the area, and everything ran smoothly. I highly recommend it!

Despite the 42° temperature, the 12 km hike around Uluru was great. From the guide, we learned about the aboriginal legends associated with Uluru.
Had great day sailing out to the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas.
In Sydney, we enjoyed a tour of the Opera House where we peeked in on a rehersal for the ballet, Sleeping Beauty. On a tip from the guide, we were able to get tickets to the afternoon performance and got a discount by showing the tickets for the guided tour.

In Sydney, we had a couple of lovely meals at Love.Fish and Fish at the Rocks. On our last day, we really enjoyed our walking tour of Sydney. Just the two of us and our guide.

Hotel Reviews

Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Small boutique hotel. Comfortable room which included a fridge, dishwasher, and microwave. Quiet location with views of the beach. Nice breakfast in the morning. During our visit, the restaurant was undergoing a change in management so they were only serving the included breakfast but there are lots of places to eat out or you can buy food at the supermarket.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the main street with lots of eateries and a supermarket.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Very modern decor with a large patio and swimming pool

Location

Located in a complex only a few minutes from the airport. Close by to a coffee shop and restaurant as well as a small grocery store. A few gift shops to pick up gifts and souvenirs.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shangri-La Sydney

The Rocks

Great Service, good locationand quick check in process. Amazing buffet breakfast but can be busy on the weekend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful. Took care of our luggage while we were away for a few days

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

SEIT Kata Tjuta (Sunrise)

Uluru

The tour starts at a viewing platform to watch the sunrise over Uluru, then a drive to the base of Kata Tjuta. The guide explained the geological process that created both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Then we hiked up the trail to a canyon between two of the largest outcroppings

Field of Light Star Pass (Sunset)

Australia

The bus takes you to a plateau overlooking the plain below with a view of the Field of Lights with Uluru in the background. We were servered canapes and finger food with choice of beer or wine. As the sun set, the led lights began to glow. When darkness fell, we followed the lighted path to walk among the sea lights. The seating was on a narrow bench so we had to balance our food and drink on our laps. Would be better to have a picnic table to sit around. There is a more expensive version of this tour that features a more extensive choice of foods and drink but I don't think it's worth the extra cost. Read mixed reviews of the meal experience. It was very windy on the night we went so hang onto your hats. Even my backpack wad blown away.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SEIT Uluru Trek

Uluru

Up at 4:45 a.m. so as to arrive at Uluru before sunrise to avoid the heat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Learned a lot about stories and legends of the aboriginal people from a very knowledgeable guide

Classic Kuranda - Ex Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Unfortunately, the company that was supposed to pick us up that morning failed to show up because they made an error in the date. However, it was probably for the better as the area was hit by torrential rains and strong winds. We learned later that the cable car ride and train ride were cancelled that day because of the inclement weather. After a quick Whatsapp message to Vicky, everything was sorted and a refund was issued.

Outback Sky Journeys - Astro Tour

Uluru

Unfortunately, the tour was cancelled due to cloudy skies but the costs were reimbursed quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Learned a lot about the history of the construction of the opera house and the unique material and engineering that was used.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vicky did an outstanding job planning and executing our Itinerary!!

Activity Review

Uluru Sacred Site & Sunset

Uluru

Tourist trap.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall we had an amazing Honeymoon with Kimkim. All of our needs were met and there weren't too many speed bumps which made the trip feel personalized.

Hotel Reviews

Little National Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Great location and staff. The room was small since it was in a city but exactly what we needed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palm Bungalows

Whitsundays, Queensland

It was nice having our own little bungalow but we were right next to a busy street and there were a few bugs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

bugs!

Coral Sea Resort

Airlie Beach

The view of the water was absolutely breathtaking to walk into!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane

Spring Hill

The hotel was bit far from the city and on top of a hill so it was difficult to get to but it helped us get our steps in!

Authenticity & Character

Location

location was at the top of a hill

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

Sydney

Really cool birds eye view of the city but it is a bit of a longer experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked there!

Wildlife, Waterfalls & Wine Day Trip

Sydney

Great trip but bring your bathing suits!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A lot of driving on windy roads!

Heart Reef & Whitehaven Beach Helicopter Flight

Hamilton Island

Worth every penny! The view, the private beach, everything was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skydive Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach

What better way to cross off a bucket list item other than doing it with a beautiful scenery!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Highlights

Brisbane

An absolutely incredible experience! We got to feed the kangaroos before the park even opened with a private guide. Can't recommend this enough!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took an uber to this activity

Vicky helped us plan an awesome trip in Australia, matching our interests with amazing tours and fun, knowledgeable guides. All travel arrangements were booked and timely as well as comfortable and convenient accommodations. I highly recommend KimKim for your trip.

Hotel Review

Pullman Cairns International

Cairns

Beautiful hotel in convenient location in Cairns. Modern, clean rooms with great breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Colonial facade with beautiful marble and wood paneled lobby

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Premium Daintree & Cape Tribulation Day Tour

Australia

Jam packed full day trip from Cairns. Great way to see Mossman Gorge, Daintree Rain Forest and Cape Tribulation. Our guide Adrian H. was amazing and shared many stories to keep us entertained.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food stops tasty and plentiful food. No need for dinner .

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Some bumpy roads

Moore Reef and Fitzroy Island Full Day Tour

Cairns

Great way to see the Great Barrier Reef, especially if you want to snorkel in safe surroundings. Fun boat ride, great staff.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sacred Sites, Sunset, BBQ and Star Talk

Uluru

Learned so much about Aboriginal culture and life, was an amazing tour. Don’t miss Uluru at sunset, truly magical.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Small Group Tour

Sydney

An amazing experience! The Blue Mountains are beautiful, our guide Mark was knowledgeable and his love of the country was evident.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Great tour of the Opera House, our guide was very knowledgeable about the history land construction.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Panoramic Sydney Sights - Half Day Tour

Sydney

Toured different neighborhoods in Sutter would never have visited on our own. Fun stop at Bondi Beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paula planned our entire trip, and we followed her itinerary to the letter. We told her we wanted to hit the highlights of Australia and New Zealand, and she planned an three-week plan that met all our needs. Plus, she’s from Australia, so she knows what she’s talking about! We had a wonderful time and never had to worry about the details. All our drivers were fantastic, and all our guides were knowledgeable and interesting.

Overall an enjoyable trip but we were disappointed by a lack of attention to detail and a few sub optimal recommendations which should not have occurred.

We had a fantastic experience with KimKim Travel planning our trip to Australia, including Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. The KimKim team was incredibly responsive and well organized, the collaboration between the client engagement and operations teams felt seamless from start to finish.

KimKim planned all our hotels, transports, and tours. They even booked our flight from Melbourne to Cairns. Their website was easy to use and very effective. It was so simple to make a change to the itinerary. I could do it on their site from my phone wether I was sitting in my seats at the Australian Open or in the Daintree Rainforest The whole process was smooth and stress-free—highly recommend! Shout out to the KimKim team Samantha, Lea, & Chinh....

Vicky was extremely helpful and proactive at getting us the information we needed before and during the trip.

Activity Review

SEIT Uluru & BBQ Dinner

Uluru

We had a wonderful day touring Uluru and learning the history and significance of the people who have lived here.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paula was so helpful and efficient! She had a tentative itinerary quickly created and ready to peruse. She was always available to answer questions and attend to details. When we got to Australia, we had some health hick ups and we were able to contact her workmate, Austin, and he also greatly assisted us with some changes of plans. All in all, we felt well looked after.
My recommendations would be to always check out the online reviews of the hotels and tours to make sure you are happy with the locations and details. Give yourself some leisure time to rest. Traveling is tiring
Sharon, USA - Australia 🇦🇺 n 1/26

Hotel Review

Adabco Boutique Hotel

Adelaide

Downstairs was nicely decorated. Staff was friendly but seemed overwhelmed. Lift broken. Breakfast served” down the street”. Broken wooden blinds in room that were very dusty. No usb connections so that hearing aids and phones could be charged. Very old tv that had to be rebooted. We left. Too boutique for us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

All of the above

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Phillip Island Tour with "Penguins Plus" Viewing

Melbourne

Full Day Daintree Cape Tribulation (was & 4WD Bloomfield)

Australia

Sydney was great the Park Royal hotel has the best breakfast. Melbourne was fantastic and I highly recommend the lanes walking tour.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane

Spring Hill

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grest clean hotel

Reef View Hotel

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland

Authenticity & Character

Updates

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Update clean more

The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins

Melbourne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great area able to get everywhere

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

Best breakfast and great room service.

Authenticity & Character

Nice clean hotek

Location

Within walking distance to everything or transit options

Staff

Great room service and excellent staff at breakfast

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

New Years Eve Cruise - MV Jerry Bailey (Shared Cruise)

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bartenders were great

Transport

Great boat

Full Day Blue Mountains Hike the World Heritage

Sydney

Great guide lots of information and taken to done great spots

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great drivers and clean comfy van.

Transport

Vicky planned a wonderful trip for us. We had well appointed lodging and a good variety of activities.

Hotel Reviews

The Hotel Britomart

Auckland

Wonderful room and location. The staff were very friendly and even came up to our room on arrival to show us how to use the smart features.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Awesome location and hotel!

Regent of Rotorua

Rotorua

Decent hotel but nothing special

Authenticity & Character

Location

A better bar

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quest Cathedral Junction

Christchurch

Stained sofa seats

Authenticity & Character

No stained furniture! Also spill water and when wiped up you could see the dirty floor.

Location

Didn’t like the food coming into our room. Also no windows in the bedroom.

Staff

Not there for arrival and no outreach for things to do.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Warn and smelly

The Hermitage Hotel

Mount Cook Village

Amazing view and lovely room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only one elevator functioning for a large hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St. Moritz

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise - Real NZ Fiordland Navigator

Manapouri

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramada Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

Short visit, not much to review

Authenticity & Character

Location

Big hill getting downtown.

Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne on Flinders

Melbourne, VIC

Great location and roomy space. We had trouble with the washer dryer unit. It ran all night and in the morning it still said 4 hours to go to finish. It never stopped even

Authenticity & Character

Nothing special regarding character but nearby a lot of character.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury

Adelaide

Wonderful staff a comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character

Historic building, bedroom door was awkward.

Location

Close to the market

Staff

Helpful getting us an early breakfast due to an early activity.

Cleanliness & Comfort

QT

Sydney

Great location and loved the quirky hotel that was once a theater. Giving 4 stars because they were delayed in responses to request for additional amenities such as a blanket and extra pillow. We’d definitely stay at this hotel again.

Authenticity & Character

Remnants of the old theater.

Location

In the heart of the CBD and next to the tram.

Staff

Very kind staff. It would be nice to have them ask how they could help, such dining recommendations and more information about the restaurants on site.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Waiheke Island - The Gourmet Food & Wine

Auckland

Fun and beautiful tour. I would suggest a more neutral food than oysters.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rotorua to Auckland via Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves

Rotorua

Te Puia - Te Pō combo (Te Rā Guided Experience + Indigenous Evening Experience)

Rotorua

A little long for the tour in the craft school.

Christchurch to Kaikoura Whale Watching Day Tour

Christchurch

Saw a bit of the sperm whales. Videos were helpful too.

Mt Cook to Christchurch 1 Way Tour (Small group)

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

Would have liked more stops and more time off the bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Explorers - The ultimate ice adventure in Aoraki/Mount Cook

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Queenstown to Mt Cook Tour (One-Way)

Queenstown (NZ)

Wish we were better informed on what stops we’d be making. Appreciated the guides who told us what to expect for the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike the Valley of the Vines from Arrowtown- Return Shuttle from Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Love this ride and flexibility to stop when we wanted. Beautiful scenery and yummy wine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

Melbourne

Great variety of foods and fun guide. Loved it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laneways of Melbourne

Melbourne

Wonderful tour. Would recommend doing this on day one.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luxe Bus Great Ocean Road with Wildlife Wonders

Melbourne

Loved this although we were cut short for fires.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phillip Island Penguin Parade Small Group Eco Tour

Melbourne

Loved this!! I wish we would’ve been told to dress warm.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The F Factor Food Tour

Adelaide

Sweet guide but too many chocolate and nut stops.

Quality of Experience

More variety

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kangaroo Island in a Day Tour from Adelaide

Adelaide

Great sites but too much butt time. Would’ve liked our lunch to know what we had ahead of us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste the Barossa - Premium Day Tour: Small Group Tour

Adelaide

Sydney’s Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour

Sydney

Our guide was great. Would’ve liked our lunch spot preset up for us. The restaurants were busy so we only had one quick option.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

New Years Eve Sydney Harbour Cruise

Sydney

Panoramic Sydney Sights - Half Day Tour

Sydney

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My husband & I had a fabulous 40th Wedding anniversary with our KimKim trip in Australia ( Sidney and Cairns) during the New Year Holiday (2026). The local guides and experiences were outstanding, personable, educational & full of memorable adventures (wine tasting, rainforests, animal sanctuaries, local cultural events (painting class/food instruction), Great Barrier Reef, etc). Special shout out to the KimKim US ( Seine) & Australian planning representatives --they truly are a quality team with high performance. One small glitch transfer issue was discussed immediately by team members and solved. True team work! I recommend KimKim to family and especially seniors -- this is a trusted and 5 star travel experience (our 3rd trip & planning other trips).

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Riley

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little National Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Michaelmas Cay Cruise

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Daintree Rainforest & Aboriginal Culture Day Trip

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Atherton Tablelands & Paronella Park Exploration

Cairns

Guide & small group and wonderful sights

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Superb

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siena, Aliana and Chinh at KimKim were he best. The organized a great 10 dat trip around Australia. Someone was there for us at every turn. They adjusted our trip to accommodate my husband's increased disability. The fellows at the transport companies provided special services.
Our guided tours from small and larger groups to private tours all worked well. Any hiccups were smothed out by KimKim's staff on call 24 hours a day!

Hotel Reviews

Pier One Sydney Harbour, Marriott Autograph Collection

Sydney

Everything from our car arriving, to reception, to our baggage to our room! A second baggage rack arrived in minutes!

Authenticity & Character

Modern, great staff from arrival to breakfast staff.

Location

Close by the Princess Cruise port

Staff

Great staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We told our travel company that we wished our 1st 3 days in Australia had been here!

Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Do not arrive after 6pm! No person on site! We had to move luggage up three stairs plus my husband's mobility scooter. No one to help. AC was broken. They were able to get it fixed later in the day! Kitchen closed for the time we needed it. Bar closed, too! Reception was very nice .... when they were there!

Authenticity & Character

Our room had a kitchenette. Not useful for us.

Location

Shuttles took some planning. Okay if you have no trouble walking.

Staff

One receptionist was especially kind. Wait staff were especially nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

They should have checked the AC before we arrived!

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Beautiful hotel. Very modern. Registration was especially helpful. Good food!

Authenticity & Character

Very well kept and easily accessible for people in mobility devices. Rooms are pretty far fe from the reception and restaurant area

Location

Very good. Access to a small market and shuttle to other resorts.

Staff

Reception was terrific. Restaurant staff were very good.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plenty of space for our suitcases. Good AC for summer!

The Clarence Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Decent location. Very small. Nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was adequate. No place for our luggage

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and adequate towels

Activity Review

Half Day Highlights of Sydney

Sydney

A great city tour for sights. The driver was very nice and waited patiently for all the photo stops. Not for "excitement".

Quality of Experience

Easy for my disabled husband

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide had some good stories

Transport

Van was comfortable

What a relief it was to have someone or an agency helping us with the snafus that cropped up during the trip. KimKim was responsive, helpful, and exceeded my expectations in terms of rectifying issues

I am already in touch with KIMKIM about a trip to Egypt and Africa in May. Given my experience with Siena and the KIMKIM team for the trip to Australia, I know I will be in good hands on yet another continent.

Thank you SO much for all your excellent planning and responsiveness.

Sincerely,

Linnaea

Hotel Review

The Langham, Sydney

Sydney

Unfortunatley, we stayed at this over-priced hotel during a time it was undergoing dining room renovations. But, even with that, the hotel is EXTREMELY expensive. And I mean expensive. We paid $230.00 for an uncomfortable dinner in a bar that consisted of two sandwiches, a quesadilla, dinner salad, and dessert. No desert. Fortunately, the travel agency we worked with reimbursed us for some of that exorbitant cost. Breakfast is $30.00 a person. It is a VERY GOOD buffet breakfast, but pricey. It is not near any restaurants, so we used Uber Eats to have meals delivered. The hotel did its best to address our dissatisfaction by comping us with one free breakfast and a room "gift" of two bottles of sparkling water and apples... But, they were patient, kind, and opened doors for us. The room was beautiful, large, and the deep soaking bathtub divine.

Authenticity & Character

Since it is a five-star hotel, the accommodations were very nice.

Location

closer to easy access to restaurants

Staff

We were high-maintenance guests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Other than the challenges in eating, the hotel was very clean, elegant, and comfortable. But, again, it is for rich folks...

Activity Reviews

Northern Beaches & Ku-ring-gai Chase Day Trip

Sydney

What was amazing about this excurion was the Ku-ring-gai Chase Forest trip. The trip to the beaches was okay, but with rain, the experiences were "dampened." But the forest? Beautiful. Unusual, Interesting insight into the Aboriginal people who once populated the land.

Sydney Opera House Visit

Sydney

The one hour tour covered a lot of territory about this incredible architectural and musical masterpiece.

Blue Mountains Day Trip

Sydney

The stop at the farm on the way to the mountains was fun. Not much food, just beverages and cookies, but the animals like goats, kangaroos, wombat and lizards. The mountains were beautiful! Sort of like a green Grand Canyon. The lunch was good.

Taronga Zoo Wild Australia Experience

Sydney

Our travel agency booked us for a two-hour private tour of the zoo. We didn't see much of the entire zoo, but what we did see was phenomenal. Experiences we simply cannot have in the United States. We got up close and personal with koala bears, Kangaroos, dingos, wallabies, and bilbies, as well as Penguins, exotic birds, capybaras, and baby meerkats. Our senior guide was passionate and interesting. We were thrilled with our experience.

Half Day Highlights of Sydney

Sydney

The driver did not take us back to our hotel as the reservations indicated....we had to spend $58.00 on a cab fare, for which our travel agency helped defray the cost. The tour itself was okay.

We had a great trip thanks to Siena's expertise. She had tips for every part of the trip and when we did have a small snafu, kimkim was so helpful and accommodating. Would recommend if you need help planning an Australian adventure!

The trip to Australia and the excursions were excellent and each trip had amazing guides (Steve for the rain forest and waterfall, Greg for the aborigine experience and Michael for the Great Barrier reef). Each excursion had a particluar uniqueness to it and fulfilled our interest and desires that we had expressed to KimKim. We were fortunate to have good weather and even in those rare instances when there was rain, it was manageable. Small groups are the way to go, travel was easier and there was more opportunity for interaction with the guides and other travelers. One note: we were the oldest travelers in each group and as a result, I would ask for a little slower pace or maybe an extra day to get all the experiences in. Going at a rate of 10-12 hours per day was a challenge but it was what we had asked for, next time we will adjust that. All in all, a fantastic experience and KimKim delivered not only what we had asked for and more, but an incredible memory.

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Convenient to the airport and readily accessible to the Sydney International terminal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Riley

Cairns

I would definitely recommend this hotel! Clean, great amenities, close to restaurants, and excellent staff. If we have the opportunity to go back, I would choose this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little National Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Incredible stay and interesting experience. Very modern, clean, efficient and well worth staying there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Michaelmas Cay Cruise

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michael made this trip confortable and really made it great

Transport

Daintree Rainforest & Aboriginal Culture Day Trip

Australia

Well worth it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Greg was incredible

Transport

Atherton Tablelands & Paronella Park Exploration

Cairns

Incredible

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Steve was amazing

Transport

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Greg was amazing

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport