Kimkim Trip Reviews for Australia

We had an extremely positive experience with KimKim! In 3 weeks we visited Brisbane, Uluru, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Sydney. It was nice to have the logistical details of a vacation with multiple locations left to the specialists. Prior to connecting with KimKim we knew where we wanted to go and generally what to do in each location but putting it all together was a challenge, so we turned to KimKim. Samantha and Lea were wonderful to work with! They were incredibly responsive to every question, presented good ideas/options, and we felt supported throughout our trip by the entire KimKim team. (There was one issue with a flight connection and the logistics team was on top of it – monitoring it on their end and keeping us updated throughout – we didn’t miss the connection!). I initially thought working with them just online would be strange – but I had one call with Samantha and then found it very efficient to communicate via the chat. I can’t emphasize enough how responsive they were throughout the process. Huge shout out to Lea who also made sure all the providers/tour operators knew of a serious food allergy and motion sickness issue prior to us arriving – very helpful.

I also recommend winter travel to Australia! Bring layers and you will be fine. It was off season in most of the places that we visited so nothing crowded. In fact, many “group” tours became our private tour! Winter is peak season in Uluru but that is a great time to go – otherwise too hot, plus sunrise/set at reasonable hours.

Highlights too vast to mention – trust KimKim will connect you with the right tour/activities!!

Hotel Review

Villas on the Bay Kingscote

Kingscote

We were very skeptical of the Villas prior to going. Kangaroo Island advertises high end resorts and this seemed very "basic." We needed , however, to stay in an apartment style hotel not an all-inclusive resort. Samantha assured us we would be satisfied with Villas on the Bay. She was right! Cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in! It was a good amount of space, supplied well, and the managers were fantastic and very helpful. It was easy to just walk into Kingscote at night for dinner. There is a trail along the water right across the street, and the pier to walk out on is a short walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Basic villas.

Location

Easy walk to pier and into town for dinner.

Staff

Very helpful. Allowed us to check in early so we could drop groceries since we had a late excursion.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in.

Activity Reviews

Uluru Sunset Visit & Field of Light

Uluru

Wonderful way to start our Uluru experience (we arrived that afternoon). Although peak season at Uluru, it was incredibly quiet and peaceful. Really beautiful experience. The sparkling wine and canapes were a nice touch as we watched the sun set and the field begin to light up.

Quality of Experience

Flinders Chase National Park Day Trip

Kangaroo Island

Finders Chase tour w/ Exceptional Kangaroo Island – wonderful! Our guide, Shauna, was the best! Loooong day in the van but you hit incredibly gorgeous locations on the island. Shauna was knowledgeable and interesting, other guests delightful, and had a wonderful day! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch they provided was very healthy and tasty! It was so good we even pulled down the recipes they posted on their website.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barossa Valley Wine Tasting Day Trip

Adelaide

Barossa tour with Small Batch Wines. Fabulous! Matt our tour guide was amazing. The vineyards we went to were a good variety – one small and one large. Lunch was at a 3rd vineyard. Lunch was extremely delicious! We were the only guests that day so it became a private tour. Highly recommend Small Batch Wines.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He personalized the experience. Also gave us space at the wineries (which some tours don't do -- the guide sits with you etc). Very enjoyable to spend the day with Matt!

Transport

Im a repeat client of Kim Kim, and there’s a reason why I keep coming back! What an AMAZING trip!! My dad and I took a father-daughter trip to Australia and after getting very confused with so many different options we connected with Samantha and her colleagues. They made an amazing itinerary and all the guides they booked were amazing. Towards the end of the trip we had to cancel an excursion last minute, and Samantha and her team handled it so well and even got us a partial refund. 100/10 recommend:)

Activity Reviews

Half Day Highlights of Sydney

Sydney

Northern Beaches & Ku-ring-gai Chase Day Trip

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Australia Zoo & Mooloolaba Beach Day Trip

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Brisbane & Lone Pine Day Trip

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Many great memories came out of this trip. Tasmania was a great choice but we wanted to stay longer. Everything went smoothly on our trip and Ruth was a great help to us. I told her what we wanted to get out of the trip and she made the magic happen. The only regret I have is that I didn’t let Kimkim make the travel arrangements.

One thing I especially enjoyed was having car services pick us up at the airport and deliver us to our hotel. That was such a luxury not having to deal with cabs and Uber and such. We also had a wonderful guide in Tasmania who I would not have been able to book for myself because she was booked through the car service company. All in all, Ruth helped us have a successful and magical trip.

Hotel Reviews

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

The rooms were super nice. We had our best night’s sleep there. Wonderful to have the washer and dryer there because everything was dirty by the end of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved being able to walk to the Pancake Manor! Lots of shopping nearby.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reef View Hotel

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland

We had a nice large room and a smaller adjoining one. This hotel is not luxurious but it had its charm. The cockatoos visited us faithfully and the kids were delighted by them. There was really only one restaurant that was kid friendly, but we also enjoyed the pizza place. Everything costs extra. Very little is included other than your room. We enjoyed the buggies for one day but didn’t find it necessary for the more than a day. There’s a grocery store down by the wharf which was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Very beachy. Good showers, lots of towels provided.

Location

It was a typical resort. Beach was very close and it had a heated pool.

Staff

They were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hard not to bring sand in, but the beds were comfy.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart

Hobart

We loved this hotel. They give you a chocolate chip cookie when you check in. I especially liked the bathroom. It had a very nice shelf that allowed you to have all your toiletries handy. The food was okay, but not great. I wouldn’t advise eating dinner there, but breakfast was fine. It was not in a great location for getting fast food. Not much nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very near the Visitor Center and the wharf. We were able to get the Hop on Hop Off bus at the Visitor Cemter.

Staff

They were very patient about giving us replacement keys. We had a very early departure and they made us breakfast boxes. D

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall

Sydney

The staff was so accommodating. The apartment was very nice. It lacked any basic food ingredients though. Not even salt was provided, so bring everything you need for using the kitchen. The ultramodern stove was difficult for me also. It was in a great location. Lots of shopping close by. The pool was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We found it easy to walk from the apartment to restaurants and to Darling Harbor.

Staff

We arrived way before checkin time and they allowed us to hang out in the pool area and were great about letting us access our bags.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Desert Safari Day Cruise

Brisbane

The Full Day Desert Safari Day Cruise was a bit misleading as it wasn't quite a 'safari'. It mainly involved bus rides, but was still enjoyable. My grandson particularly loved sliding down the sand hills, which made it a memorable experience. Transportation back was a bit tricky as it was hard to secure an Uber. Renting a car might have been a better choice for this tour.

Full Day Private Tasmania's Wilderness & Wildlife

Hobart

We had the best guide ever. Rosie was very friendly and great with the kids. They loved the mushroom experience at the National Park. We had a wonderful lunch at a local cafe and Rosie had us singing the Kookaburra song and we kept singing it for the entire rest of our trip. The kids loved Bonorong so much and Rosie knew all of the information that the guides there had to offer. The kids even got to pet a wombat! It was great.

Quality of Experience

This was the best tour of our entire trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rosie was amazing. We fell in love with her.

Transport

Comfortable and provided for all our needs.

What a amazing trip that Vicky help put together. She was very helpful with date changes, tour changes, hotel changes and anything else I asked for. In the end she made it happen and the entire trip was a success.

Communication with KimKim was great.

Kim Kim was so helpful in developing a plan for our first trip to Australia. Particularly in a place with so many internal flights and transfers within country, it was great to have a single point of contact with getting that organized. We loved the personal walking tours in both Sydney and Melbourne. The snorkeling experience with Ocean Free was lovely, as it was on a small sailboat versus a huge "touristy" ship, which allowed us to interact much more personally with the guides and animals. The zookeeper who led us around the Australian section of Taronga Zoo in Sydney was so informative and both our interactions with the koalas there and at Moonlight Sanctuary were top tier.

When a tour was canceled by the provider, Alejandra was quick to get us rebooked on another experience in the Daintree Rainforest. They were a great team for our first trip Down Under!

Hotel Reviews

Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort

Yorkeys Knob

The hotel itself was clean and the restaurant on sight was good. We didn't see anyone from the hotel during our stay. It is a quiet hotel, so that can be a good thing. I will say though if you are in the market for good amenities and service, this one might not be for you. It is a bit of a drive to Cairnes as well. Again, makes for a more quiet stay but if you are looking for more action, you might want to be closer to the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avani Melbourne Jazz Corner Residences

Melbourne

Beautiful view of the city from our upper level room. Close to trams and train station. Easy walk to the Market.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Adina Apartment Hotel Chippendale

Chippendale

Super helpful staff and lovely hotel that allowed for a quick walk to the trains, but felt like being in a true neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to public transportation.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Laneways & Arcades Discovery Walk

Melbourne

This ended up being a personalized experience with just our family. Our guide did a great job of leaning in to our 14 year old's interest in art. Such a cool feature of Melbourne.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great Barrier Reef Tour & Green Island Day Trip

Cairns

Ocean Free is a collection of folks who truly know and love the reef. We had a great day on a small sailboat. The staff was top notch. Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The transport from the hotel to the boat did not show up on time, which made for a rushed morning.

Our trip was really awesome! We had a great variety of cities and remote areas. We enjoyed all of our tours. Uluru and Kangaroo Island were our favorite places, as we felt that those places really depicted Australia for us.

Hotel Review

Longitude 131˚

Yulara

This lodge was absolutely awesome! We were so spoiled and pampered. The guides were so passionate about Uluru and the culture. We saw and learned so much that it made us feel like we understood a little bit about the history of Australia.

Authenticity & Character

The luxury tents were very comfortable, but still fit into landscape.

Location

Perfect location for seeing the most important places in the area. Also close to the airport.

Staff

They were all very friendly, polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect!

Activity Review

2 Days / 2 Nights Kangaroo Island in Style

Australia

Our guides were so passionate about their island! They both grew up on Kangaroo Island and knew a lot of insider information that we would never have found out alone. They took us to lots of places where koalas, wallabies and kangaroos lived in their natural habitat. We also heard lots of interesting stories about the island.

Quality of Experience

The variety of animals in their natural habitat was amazing.

Food

We had wonderful picnics in the bush

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very passionate about their Island

Transport

Small group in a small transporter.

Our trip to New Zealand and Australia was amazing!! I work with Vicky as our agent— she was filled with information, very patient through the reiterations of our planning and was readily available during our trip to answer questions.

To specific places gave us wonderful suprised— the Reef Hotel’s presidential suite was spectacular ( watch out for the cockatoo’s )— so spacious and what a view.
The
The Featherdale zoo was really fun as we got a behind the scenes tour with a zookeeper— the inside the Koala enclosure and back stage at the Reptile house was extraordinary.

It was a A+ trip— many Thanks to Vicky.

Hotel Reviews

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Our stay at the Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane was overall satisfactory once we settled in. However, the early arrival experience was less than ideal as they were quite strict about the check-in time, not allowing any possibility of early access. The room itself was great, with everyone having a comfortable bed, but the initial waiting after a long flight was a bit of a letdown.

The Sebel Quay West Suites

The Rocks

The Sebel Quay West Suites in Sydney was exceptional! The view was just stunning, and from a quality perspective, it was probably the best. We felt really treated well, and the spaciousness and luxury of the room made our stay very comfortable.

Reef View Hotel

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland

The Reef View Hotel was the highlight of our stay! The presidential suite was just lovely and exceptionally spacious. Even though the furniture appeared slightly dated, it was clean and well-maintained. We enjoyed having so much space and the private amenities, like the golf cart with a reserved parking spot, made our stay even more special. Definitely the best hotel experience of the trip.

Activity Review

Featherdale Keeper Tour

Sydney

The Featherdale Keeper Tour was an unexpectedly amazing experience! Getting behind-the-scenes access and being personally guided by a zookeeper made this visit unique and special. Interacting with animals up-close in the koala and reptile enclosures was an unforgettable highlight.

Vicky, our advisor, did an amazing job. Sydney opera house, barrier reef snorkeling, rain forests, animals, Southern Ocean lodge, all amazing. And the Australian people are so incredibly warm and welcoming.

Our pre-trip Zoom meeting with Samantha was nice, however; she omitted several key issues that we faced before and during the trip— a primary reason we wanted to go to Sydney was to do the Harbour Bridge climb. Samantha neglected to tell us that if you’re 75 or older, you must have a doctor signed permission to climb.. this left us scrambling to visit my doctor the day before departure!! also re our flight to Sydney , when we checked into our connecting flight at Dallas, we were told we needed an Australian visa!! a total surprise to us!! so we spent a half hour at the counter, trying to straighten it all out and pay the extra money. Again, we should’ve known this ahead of time. We were able to do the Bridge climb and our air to Cairns was fine , but when we arrived at our hotel around 5 PM, it was already getting dark and we were so hungry!! everything was closed around the apartment because it was a holiday there!! the operations people at Kim Kim should’ve known this ahead of time. I did make an emergency call and an Uber and a restaurant was found for dinner which Kim Kim paid for.. finally, we missed the entire excursion to Kuranda because we were told by two different operations people that we would be picked up at our apartment. When I got a call 20 minutes after pick up time from the tour operator, I was told they could not wait for us any longer because we were supposed to meet them at the sky rail.!!! we were reimbursed money by Kim Kim for these errors— however we definitely would’ve preferred to have not had the aggravations. For seven years, I was a tour manager for several different tour companies, and so I know a good job in travel preparation and management—you should’ve been better prepared, Kimkim!!

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort

Yorkeys Knob

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sydney Harbour Summit Bridge Climb

Sydney

Make sure you let climbers know if they are 75 or older they must have a doctor sign permission to climb

Quality of Experience

We just got back from an amazing Australia trip, definitely one of our favorite trips together! My 10-year-old son and I try to do a special trip together every year because it’s such great quality time, and this one was really unforgettable. Paula did an incredible job planning everything — super responsive, organized, thoughtful, and easy to work with throughout the whole process.

The trip had such a fun mix of experiences packed into a relatively short amount of time: Bondi Beach mornings, Taronga Zoo, the Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden, Darling Quarter, rainforest adventures in Cairns, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, the Cairns Lagoon, Uluru sunrise, and the Great Ocean Road. We had epic weather the entire trip and it was so cool getting to see all of the animals — kangaroos, koalas, capybaras, penguins, cassowaries, and even wildlife out in nature during some of the tours.

One thing that surprised us was how amazing the food and coffee culture is in Australia — it honestly felt a bit like Europe in the best way!

Overall, everything ran smoothly and we made such special memories together. So grateful to Paula and KimKim for helping make it happen!

Hotel Reviews

1 Hotel Melbourne

Melbourne

This hotel was incredible! Really trendy design to the room, great view of the city! Pool, jacuzzi, steam and sauna area so relaxing feels like you’re at a spa even with kids. The location to walk everywhere for food key sites. Staff exceptional service.

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

We loved this place. It was so tranquil calming. The food was really delicious. And it was easy to get to the central part of town and go on all the tours.

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Great location everything you need. Staff is really nice. The breakfast buffet was a little chaotic with big bus to our groups. Something about the acoustics makes it not a relaxing way to start your day. But if you go early, you can avoid the crowds!

QT Bondi

Bondi Beach

Excellent location really easy access to good coffee, healthy food options the beach excellent service, clean room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Great Ocean Road Tour with Lunch

Melbourne

This was an epic day. The guide was so good! And we had a fun small group. There’s lots of different stops so you literally see everything. So many animals, beautiful scenery a mix of all the different types of landscape and the apostles are just incredible!

Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner

Uluru

I enjoyed this as an adult, but it wasn’t very fun for my son. He’s kind of a picky eater so I knew he wouldn’t eat much of the picnic box, but it was cool as an adult to try all the different local foods and watch the light show. My son found the light show in music a little but scary in the dark.

Evening Field of Light Pass

Uluru

Really enjoyed seeing this. It’s so unique and special!

Morning Uluru Sunrise & Kata Tjuta

Uluru

Epic sunrise adventure! The tour as well organized so you get to see a few different spots and get back in time to still have a large portion of the data to do other activities.

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

Australia

Long day with a kid but really engaging you see a lot and it’s structured well. The guide was really knowledgeable, and kind. This is someone called plants animals. The lunch is nice, and you’re well taken care of in a small group.

Full-Day Outer Great Barrier Reef (from Hotel)

Cairns

This was a really fun day. It’s well organized. It’s a long day and a long boat ride, but it’s comfortable. There’s lots of snacks and tea, coffee and different areas. You can sit if you wanna be just more relaxed or active in the water doing activities.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

This was short and sweet. I actually thought it might be boring with my 10-year-old, but it was really cool to see the architecture inside and learn the history of the structure you’re moving around a lot so it’s quite engaging, and it’s a powerful experience, energetically such incredible design!

Taronga Zoo - Morning Aussie Backyard Adventure Tour

Sydney

The guys were really nice and knowledgeable, but the pace was a bit slow for us! With a 10-year-old with a more limited attention span we ended up doing our own thing. I’d say you could just skip this and do the zoo on your own.

Quality of Experience

We really enjoyed our trip to Australia. Thank you for helping us schedule it.
Here is some feedback for you:

The Brady Hotel Jones Lane was OK. Not as nice or as spacious a room as the one that we had at the Park Hyatt (which is a super nice hotel0. The Brady Jones Hotel was conveniently located and the front desk people were really pleasant but the room was small and the TV never worked (despite several people coming up from the staff to confirm that it was broken...lol). This was a problem only because my husband was trying to watch his team play a March Madness basketball game.

The private trip to Mornington Peninsula was great! We loved our driver/guide Nicci from Epicurean, She took us to a diverse group of wineries and to a wonderful lunch. 10/10 Perfect day!

The car rental from Sixt was a thrash initially because they didn't have the type of car we rented. Lovely people working there but the system was so disorganized. We were not only group that ended up waiting for over an hour to get our car. Eventually they gave us a bigger car for the same price and allowed us to return it without a full tank without charging for the difference in the amount of gas (gas is super pricey there due to the war in Iran). Otherwise no problems with the car and the return was easy.

The trip along the Great Ocean Road was amazing!! We drove about 4 hours each day I think. There are lots of signs warning motorists to watch out for kangaroos crossing the road and they are not kidding since I almost hit one when driving to Robe in the dusk. I will attach photos from Apollo Bay at sunset and the Twelve Apostles if I can.
The cottage at Anchors Port Campbell was wonderful. Spacious with huge windows overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside. Tanya was a gracious hostess and provided us with coffee, cereal, milk, and even a bottle of wine. Lovely place and well situated near the Twelve Apostles so that it was easy to beat the rush of tourists coming from Melbourne in the morning

The Vibe Hotel in Adelaide was nice and in a good location for walking everywhere; the room size was decent and the staff pleasant. The breakfast was good.
We really enjoyed our trip to the Barossa Valley with Chris from Small Batch Tours. He was great and took us to some wonderful wineries and scheduled an excellent lunch for us. The tour ended up being a private one which was a bonus for us. Another 10/10.

Apparently Good Friday is a national holiday in Australia. Almost everything was closed! We did end up scheduling a city walking tour with a lovely young woman (Katina from Flamboyance Tours) which was very good despite the multiple closures. In the afternoon we toured the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Adelaide and got hand pies at the Bakery on O'Connell Street (on Katina's recommendations). In the evening we went to see an Australian football game in Adelaide that evening (which was super fun).

All in all a great trip!

Hotel Reviews

Vibe Hotel Adelaide

Adelaide

The Vibe Hotel in Adelaide was nice and in a good location for walking everywhere; the room size was decent and the staff pleasant. The breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anchors Port Campbell

Port Campbell

The cottage at Anchors Port Campbell was wonderful. Spacious with huge windows overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside. Tanya was a gracious hostess and provided us with coffee, cereal, milk, and even a bottle of wine. Lovely place and well situated near the Twelve Apostles so that it was easy to beat the rush of tourists coming from Melbourne in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brady Hotels Jones Lane

Melbourne

The Brady Hotel Jones Lane was OK. Not as nice or as spacious a room as the one that we had at the Park Hyatt (which is a super nice hotel0. The Brady Jones Hotel was conveniently located and the front desk people were really pleasant but the room was small and the TV never worked (despite several people coming up from the staff to confirm that it was broken...lol). This was a problem only because my husband was trying to watch his team play a March Madness basketball game.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Mornington Peninsula Day Trip with Lunch & Wine Tasting

Melbourne

The private trip to Mornington Peninsula was great! We loved our driver/guide Nicci from Epicurean, She took us to a diverse group of wineries and to a wonderful lunch. 10/10 Perfect day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were extremely pleased with Paula and Kim Kim. The hotels and tours she set for us were first class. The drivers that took us to and from each airport were excellent, on time, and had nice, roomy vehicles.

I would encourage others to consider Kim Kim if they are looking for a detailed trip abroad. They supplied all the information we needed to make our trip hitch free.

Paula was always prompt in responding to the many questions we asked when planning a trip nearly a month long.

Thank you, Paula!

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Christchurch Airport

Christchurch

Just steps away from the airport. Very nice breakfast buffet. Rooms were clean, comfortable, and roomy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oval Hotel at Adelaide Oval

North Adelaide

Thos hotel is over the top! It is connected to the sports stadium which is unique. The rooms are almost futuristic with lighting and amenities. Great location in downtown.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hermitage Hotel

Mount Cook Village

Nice views of the mountains from most rooms. Nice buffet for meals and an ala carte Cafe as well. Since the hotel is in the natio al park there are no other restaurant options other than those at the hotel. Staff was exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laneways by Ovolo

Melbourne

Old building remodeled into a nice boutique hotel. Rooms were very nice. Bedroom was smallish but there was a nice sitting room as well. Very close to restaurants and the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Not too many hotels to choose from, but this one is nice. A little older, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the nicely appointed rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M Social

Auckland

Very nice hotel right on the wharf. Close to many restaurants and shopping. Rooms were immaculate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Rees Hotel

Queenstown

Hotel is built on a hill. Very awkward routes to get to rooms including two elevator rides and a walk though the parking garage. There is a shuttle to town that is very responsive to requests, but personally I would have preferred staying closer to town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Robe House

Robe, SA

Older hotel. Absolutely no human interaction as keys were left in the doors with a sign directing us to our rooms. Breakfast was just ingredients left in refrigerator for us to make our own breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

What staff?

Cleanliness & Comfort

Drift House

Port Fairy

What a find. One of our favorite stays on our trip. Staff was super friendly. Rooms are unique and very well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Port Fairy is a cute small town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Port Douglas

Very nice small hotel close to town. The breakfast was great and the staff super friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town. Short walks to restaurants and shops.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

Outstanding breakfast! Nice, clean rooms near downtown Sydney.

Authenticity & Character

Nice boutique style hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day City to Country Experience - Mornington Peninsula

Melbourne

Raphael was our favorite guide of our entire month long trip! He was fun, knowledgeable, and willing to modify our time to suit our interests!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Camel to Sunset

Australia

You gotta do this! So unique with great guides!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover - Sydney and Bondi Beach (24 Hour Ticket)

Australia

One of the slowest running hop on hop offs I've ever experienced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time in Australia. The hotels chosen were decent with very good location. We would have preferred more with complimentary breakfasts. The tours provided were good with knowledgeable guides. We were disappointed to not be able to do the Sydney Opera behind the scenes tour due to a mistake by kimkim. This was a complicated tour that had some communication issues. The difference between a great tour and a good tour is how you handle the details.

This trip was so smoothly planned. There wasn’t any glitches. Paula did an outstanding job. We experienced so many different adventures that were so new to me. First time snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef - very cool, camel ride, and the bridge climb that I was sure I wouldn’t do. But really glad I did. We had an excellent trip

Hotel Review

Robe House

Robe, SA

This was such a great place to stay at. We really enjoyed our night there. Very quaint and special.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were clean and charming

Location

The town didn’t have much there but the hotel was worth it

Staff

Nothing to improve on. I didn’t interact with any staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the breakfast foods for in the morning. Everything was very clean

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Camel to Sunset

Australia

I wasn’t really sure if I was going to enjoy the camel ride, but it was really fun. A new adventure to add to my travel experience.

Quality of Experience

Something new that I tried and really enjoyed

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff was really amazing and fun and very informative

Transport

Full Day Outer Reef Mackay Coral Cay (from Port Douglas Hotel)

Port Douglas

It was my first time snorkeling. The staff was very accommodating and helpful. They made sure that you were comfortable going out snorkeling and checked on you while you were out there. It was a great adventure.

Quality of Experience

Just how helpful they were with the first time I snorkeled. They didn’t make you feel dumb that you didn’t know what you were doing.

Food

The food was really good. Sometimes you think you’re gonna get crummy food on these trips and this one was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful, attentive and friendly staff. They made the trip

Transport

From start to finish, we really enjoyed our Australia trip planned and put together by the experts at KimKim…

Every transfer was easy… Our hotels were great… And we had so many wonderful guides to help us enjoy the beautiful country of Australia…

Vickie gave us a detailed tour of The Rocks area of Sydney and was such a lovely person…

Guy took us on a fantastic food tour of the city, including the fish market, spice Alley, and we even had a tiger pie! He was very knowledgeable and made the afternoon really fun…

Karen went out of her way to give us a very special tour of the blue Mountain area… We met a number of Australian animals and birds… We saw beautiful views of the Grand Canyon of Australia… She is very knowledgeable and a lot of fun… Now we want to go back to the blue Mountains!

Our stay at Ayers Rock Resort and our visits to Kata Tjuṯan and Uluru were the highlight of our trip… Graham was both driver and guide for our private sunrise and sunset excursions… Super down to earth with so much knowledge and experience…

Overall, it was a wonderful first taste of Australia… We will definitely return so we can see more of this beautiful country…

Hotel Reviews

Capella Sydney

Sydney

An elegant oasis close to the many activities of Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Elegant facilities and super comfortable room

Location

A couple of blocks from the circular Quay…

Staff

Everyone was helpful from the reception team to the restaurant personnel…

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was absolutely spotless and beautiful… We loved the thick robes and big towels

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

Very friendly and helpful team… Comfortable accommodations with a nice view

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is full of aboriginal, artworks, and design

Location

Very close to the amazing sites

Staff

The staff at the front desk and the restaurants were so helpful and made our visit

Cleanliness & Comfort

We love the bath robes and the tea kettle in our room!

Four Seasons Sydney

Sydney

Super comfortable room… Great view… Extremely helpful staff… Excellent restaurant… Perfect location from which to explore Sydney…

Authenticity & Character

The view from my room of the harbor was spectacular

Location

Very near the circular Quay and many local attractions

Staff

Super friendly team

Cleanliness & Comfort

We love the bathrobes and tea kettle in our room

Activity Reviews

Private Uluru Sunset Experience

Uluru

Although we had spent the morning watching the sunrise at the rock, the sunset was even more amazing

Quality of Experience

Watching the colors of the rock change minute by minute was the experience of a lifetime… A place we have always wanted to visit… Totally worth it…

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Graham is the best… Super knowledgeable… Always prepared… Loves his work…

Transport

Private Uluru Sunrise with Breakfast

Uluru

To watch the sun come up in such an amazing place is something we will never forget… Truly, one of the most unique places in the whole world

Quality of Experience

It was a cool morning, and the light was just perfect…Uluru is an incredible experience

Food

Graham had delicious food prepared… a great place to have a sunrise breakfast

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Graham was the best… Driver and Truf guide all in one! Very knowledgeable… He really enjoys his work and he shares it with everyone…

Transport

Afternoon Kata Tjuta Domes Visit

Uluru

Although it was a very hot day, the area is dramatically beautiful, and the colors were amazing… Almost out of this world…

Quality of Experience

An amazing place… Stunningly, beautiful and dramatic

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matias was a very knowledgeable guide— very enthusiastic about the beauty of this area

Transport

Private Blue Mountains Day Trip

Sydney

We had a fabulous day on our tour of the blue Mountains… Karen took us to meet Australian animals, then she took us to view the beautiful Grand Canyon of the blue Mountains… Absolutely stunning… It was a misty day, which made it even more magical…

Quality of Experience

We had no idea that such a green and jungle like area existed so close to Sydney! We will plan a future trip to come back to this area and really spend some more time…

Food

We had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant with a beautiful view…

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Karen was both driver and guide… Super knowledgeable… So much fun… she gave us a detailed, personalized tour of the area…

Transport

Private Taste of Sydney Experience

Sydney

From the fish market to the spice Alley to the tiger pie, it was a super fun afternoon… And we were very full!😊

Quality of Experience

We really saw so many different areas of the city… And tasted so many different foods

Food

We enjoyed so many different flavors throughout the afternoon… Quite a variety

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guy was a lot of fun and was very knowledgeable… He’s been in the food and hotel industry for many years and he is an expert on the tastes of Sydney, for sure!

Transport

Guy was driver tour guide… Very safe… We got lots of good parking, too😊

Private Rocks Walking Tour

Sydney

Vickie gave us a very personalized tour… She took extra time to show us the little details and back Allyz of the rocks… She loves the history of the area and it shows! A beautiful person!

Quality of Experience

Vickie really customized the tour for us… she spent extra time giving us lots of unique details of the area

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vickie was the best!

Transport

Hello, my daughter and I spent 10 days in Australia, and with only that amount of time , we got a very good taste of what Australia is all about, so if you are ever uncertain about 10 days being enough time, the answer is absolutely. Vicky, our specialist, is exceptional, and if planning a trip I would highly recommend using her. She put together a trip that was truly some of Australia's highlights. We spent time in Sydney, the outback, particularly Uluru, and the Great Barrier Reef. Each area had something different to offer. The beaches in Sydney were beautiful, with great shopping. We stayed at Ayers Rock Resort, with great tours to Uluru, and again, lots of local shopping. We visited a huge cattle ranch which was very interesting and saw plenty of sunsets with amazing clear nighttime skies. And finally, we went snorkling in the Great Barrier Reef, which I feel was the best part of our entire time. It was truly a wonderful trip.

Activity Reviews

Mackay Coral Cay Great Barrier Reef Sail & Snorkel with Lunch

Port Douglas

The Mackay Coral Cay Great Barrier Reef Sail & Snorkel was the highlight of my trip. The catamaran took us out into the Barrier Reef for a full day of snorkeling. The coral was stunning, and the water was warm. The wet suits provided kept us safe from jellyfish. It was an incredible experience to be out at sea and see such beautiful marine life up close.

Southern Daintree Tour + Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

Port Douglas

The Southern Daintree Tour and Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas were delightful, especially getting to interact closely with kangaroos, which was a dream come true for me. We also saw a koala, although it was a bit hidden in the trees. The tour felt a little packed as we also did a river cruise for crocodile spotting, which we felt we could have traded for more time in the rainforest. Still, the rainforest landscapes and the wildlife habitat were absolutely beautiful.

Mount Conner 4WD Small Group Tour from Ayers Rock including Dinner

Uluru

The Mount Conner 4WD Small Group Tour was superb. It was fascinating to visit such a vast cattle ranch. We experienced a rare sight of the desert being lush and green thanks to recent rain, which we were told is a once in a lifetime event. Dinner with the local family managing the farm added to the authenticity and warmth of the experience. Seeing the salt lake and learning about the local environment was truly extraordinary.

Uluru Sacred Site & Sunset

Uluru

The Uluru Sacred Site & Sunset was wonderful. We got to see both the sunset and the sunrise, with champagne in the evening and breakfast in the morning, which was such a fun experience. Our guide was excellent, and we really enjoyed the activities despite the flies, which were quite something, but not detrimental to our enjoyment.

Panoramic Sydney with Lunch cruise

Sydney

The Panoramic Sydney with Lunch cruise was a bit disappointing. We felt quite rushed during the bus tour part, and my daughter even got motion sickness from the winding roads. There just wasn't enough time at stops, like Bondi Beach, to fully enjoy the sights and shops. We ended up skipping the lunch cruise and explored Sydney on our own, shopping and enjoying the markets, which turned out to be a much better experience.

5 stars for an Australian vacation amazingly planned by Samantha, Alejandra, and Lea!

Quick back story, our son decided last minute to study abroad in Sydney. As the saying goes, “fruit doesn’t fall from the tree”, so we too decided last minute to visit. I began researching and quickly became overwhelmed. As a referral from a friend, we tried kimkim. I went online, set a budget and filled out a questionnaire. The actual next day, I had a call with Samantha. Soon after, we had an itinerary including airport transports, hotels, activities, flights, rental cars- you name it.

Once we arrived in Sydney, we were randomly selected for customs and were running behind- I had a missed call (had my phone on silent) and message from Alejandra that our driver was waiting for us. Because we went to Australia right after the busy season, a couple tours we had booked were canceled. Alejandra immediately had solutions and took care of the details for us. This service and care is priceless!

We toured Sydney, climbed the harbor bridge and had a delightful sunset cruise. The itinerary had built in time to meet up with our kids and see what life as a student in Sydney looks like.

My husband and I flew to Cairns, transferred to Port Douglas to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and visit the Daintree rainforest. The tours Samantha and Alejandra set up for us were out of this world and so memorable.

After Cairns, we flew to Brisbane and drove to Byron Bay to meet up with our kids for some much needed beaching (cocktails and wondering too).

If you are on the fence or overwhelmed like I was, reach out to kimkim. They will tailor your trip to you and will handle all of the little glitches that come along with great adventures. 5 stars- absolutely recommend!

Vicky put together a busy and well-tailored two-week tour of Australian places for us. Small-group and private tours were first-rate, and her very detailed itinerary (59 pages!) offered many options for free time and dining.
The guidance we provided about preferences meant that our tour was geared to our interests very well. Any problems were due to miscalculation on our part: there was a LOT of walking on the tour and my husband had greater mobility limitations than we had expected. Generally, guides were extremely helpful in working around this and there was only one scheduled event that we had to cancel. We also tended to look for dining closer to hotels (and these were excellent).
Great guides included Helder in the Blue Mountains, Andy at Uluru, Errol on the Ocean Road from Melbourne and Jennifer in Hobart. Sue Ann at the Sydney Opera House was also wonderful. All the guides and tour companies showed good planning and a lot of expertise about their local areas and their history and wildlife.
Overall, our tour went very well and was extremely enjoyable.

Ruth did a great job planning our trip, meeting all our expectations of excursions, hotels, tours etc. Byron Bay was an eco friendly special place to enjoy the beach, surfers, and the downtown area and the penguin excursion was definitely a favorite. Great job Ruth, thank you again!!!

Things that were amazing:
Hotels and flights were awesome. We appreciate the bump from economy on the flights and the hotels were very good.
The intimate tours of 8 or less on the tours are invaluable. Well done. The Golden Sands stay was exceptionally pleasant. A must for Cairns guests.
We found that 2 days in Ayers Rock (Uluru) would be sufficient. A must see, but with a trade off. The flies can be rather annoying and you can see the majority of what needs to be experienced in 2 days.
The Cableway and Train Ride are a must in Cairns.
Things that were not amazing:
Transfers/Transportation were not to our liking. Honestly as easy and wonderful that Uber/Lift are, I wouldn't put the time in to arrange them. (Unless you have guests unfamiliar or unwilling).
Sheila and I REALLY appreciate your business model and couldn't be happier with the experience.
Feel free to use this correspondence for reviews or advertising.
Ps my Facebook page is attached. You can view my posts and see all of our wonderful memories and adventures.
https://www.facebook.com/share/14fd5ksTU5i/

Hotel Reviews

Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort

Yorkeys Knob

Best stay in Australia. Steps from the beach and the most amazing restaurant on site. Carl and Mandy were very nice and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Great location

Location

Awesome

Staff

A+

Cleanliness & Comfort

A+

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

One of the nicer places in the resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Excellent

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mrs Banks Boutique Hotel

Paddington

Very nice place in Paddington area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wetlands, Waterfalls & Cableway Day Trip

Australia

Must do

Sydney Icons & Hideaways Lunch Cruise

Sydney

Very well done 👏

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sydney Opera House Visit

Sydney