Kimkim Trip Reviews for Brazil

My guide for Iguacu, Flavio, was absolutely AMAZING. I can't stress how kind, generous, and authentic he was. I was running behind schedule because of travel delays and he made it all happen. My main tour guide for North Pantanal, Pedro Paulo, was also just as amazing! Talking to both of them was so easy and I felt right at home.

I had many flight delays that were beyond Sara's control, but they were quick to pivot and ensure that I still had a wonderful experience. I was nervous traveling by myself, but I will 100% go back again having had this trip.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend Sara and everything/everyone that was suggested or scheduled for me. I can't wait to go back to Brazil!

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Argentinian Side of the Falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Tour – Brazilian Side of the Iguaçu Falls + Bird Park (Parque das Aves)

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transparency , quick response , and very reliable. Bruno was amazing. I have to also thank all the private guides who helped us with this amazing Brazil experience

Our trip to Brazil was amazing! Camille planned the perfect itinerary and working with her was very easy. We loved the lodge she chose (Amazon Turtle Lodge) for our Amazon adventures as well as our guide Marcelle. Our guides in Foz de Iguacu and Rio de Janeiro were also amazing (Deanna and Fernanda). The waterfalls in Foz were just awesome and then seeing Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, the Lapa samba party, and more in Rio topped off the trip. We definitely just scratched the surface of all that Brazil has to offer and will absolutely be back to explore more. Thank you Kim Kim for another great trip, and I look forward to planning future adventures with your team!

Hotel Review

Amazon Turtle Lodge

Perfect lodge for our adventures. The staff were fun and knowledgeable and there were just enough activities mixed with down time to occupy our 2 1/2 days. The pool was wonderful and the food was good. The guides and boat captains really had a wealth of knowledge and we learned a lot about the Amazon. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to explore the area!

Authenticity & Character

Just rustic enough to make you really feel like your immersed but with enough amenities that you don't miss the comforts of a hot shower and great meal!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms, common areas, pool were all very clean. It's basic but you'll be comfortable.

Activity Review

Gran Aventura Boat Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Wow, just wow! Best part of our trip to Foz! Adrenaline pumping and opportunity to get up close to the awesome power these falls have!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip! Sara was an excellent communicator and planner and we found the itinerary to be interesting and fun, and I thought the price was fair, especially considering the fact that it included transportation, lodging and meals (*there was a daily budget per meal we did not know about, so ask your guide) across a vast area. We did see many jaguars- which is a thrill with Noor and Pedro Paulo from the UESO chalana. We saw the beautiful rocks and waterfalls of Chapada dos Guimaraes and learned about the flora and fauna from our guide, Yann. Yann also introduced us to "pizza pantaneira" which was probably some of my favorite food on the trip. *Pro tip: ask your guide to tell you when you will need your bathing suit- you can swim in some of the waterfalls, but some are only to look at.* It was of course, hot, but that is what was expected. We enjoyed swimming in the beautiful clear streams of Nobres. We did get to see anteaters, lobete (little foxlike animals), bats, rhea, lots of caiman and capybara. We had a good trip. You may want to clarify what to bring and when you are meeting, just to ensure no miscommunications for your trips. The service was good overall and people were kind.

Hotel Reviews

UeSo Pantanal Lodge

Very nice little lodge with resident blue macaw and capybara family as well as many green parrots. It seems to mainly cater to German speaking tourists, but they did have 2 guides that spoke English. Roxy at reception is very nice. The breakfast is plentiful and the serving staff from the kitchen also seem very pleasant. The wifi works and the price is reasonable. You will have to buy your water/drinks. They offer coffee and juice at breakfast, but not other times. They have tea at times. I bought postcards from them, and it seemed pretty reasonable, but they do not have stamps. The laundry service is good but be careful about humidity and rain. One thing I did not know prior to going is that although the Pantanal is swamp, all the non-water areas seem very dry and dusty. It looked smoggy coming into the Pantanal area because of the dust of the road and other motorists. We enjoyed the activities that were based from there: walking around the area, the lookouts they have built to look into the canopy, the jaguar tour, and paddling. Not high-octane, but doable for multiple ages and ability levels. The horseback riding was a little different from other rides I have done. I was really hoping to see more animals on it because of the decreased threat of being on a horse, but we did not see many.

Reino Encantado Pousada

Nobres - MT

This place is beautiful. I loved the wooden ceilings and architecture of the main area. We had our first cachaca here. They have burrowing owls everywhere and resident monkeys (variable visibility).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cantos da Mata

Chapada dos Guimarães

We had a lovely time. Sandra is a very gracious hostess. We enjoyed breakfast and her beautiful garden as well as the coffee tree by our door.

Authenticity & Character

The plants she has chosen to plant on her property are so beautiful.

Location

I liked feeling like we were in the forest. I heard the Howler monkeys in the morning, which I thought was great.

Staff

They were very nice at breakfast. Sandra is very kind. She made us feel welcome and gave us ice when one of our group pulled a muscle on the hike.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Probably would have been a 5/5 if there had only been 2 people, but we squeezed 3 in and it was a little tight (less comfortable.)

Activity Reviews

Last day at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Very comfortable last day- nature hike, then returned to Cuiaba in air conditioned, spacious van. Unfortunately, the only wildlife seen on the road was an armadillo. Made it back in plenty of time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro Paulo, who drove us back is great!

Transport

Van was very comfortable- we all had plenty of room and air conditioning.

day 3 at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaguar Full-Day Safari – From UeSo Pantanal

North Pantanal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 2 at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First day at the Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Nobres - tours

Mato Grosso Norte

This was an absolutely charming place to stay and base from. The water is so clear and beautiful. The ranch was pretty.

Quality of Experience

Food

Passionfruit mousse/ice cream was delicious! We enjoyed the different flavors.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Chapada dos Guimarães full day

Chapada dos Guimarães

Very nice hike, and our guide was flexible with our party having variable hiking tolerances.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to the Chapada dos Guimarães! First tour

Chapada dos Guimarães

Had a good first day with timely pick up. Ride was comfortable, and our guide, Yann was friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Plenty of meat and veggies. All you can eat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Being that this was my first trip to Brazil, I wasn't sure what to expect. But while all the sights were most gorgeous and fascinating, the most overwhelmingly and welcome aspect was the organization and work Sara did in the organization of all the parts, of which there were many. She planned this trip and all its myriad details so that I didn't have to think of anything - except, of course, the time changes. The guides always arrived to pick me up for a tour way before the scheduled time. They were always where they needed to be. They were kind, polite, and respectful but most of all knew English! Probably the best moment ever was being just about 10 feet away from a jaguar in the Pantanal. He/she acted as if we weren't even there in the boat following him/her. To this lover of all things feline, it was a most spectacular moment. We saw four different jaguars that day along with capybaras, monkeys, caimans and many, many birds there and on the Rio Negro in the Amazon. While I would definitely advocate for someone who loves to watch wildlife take this tour, I would also advocate their visitation to places like Rio, Salvador and Iguassu Falls. Thank you, Sara and the entire KimKim team for these good memories of the beautiful Brazil country.

Hotel Reviews

Bahiacafe Hotel

Salvador

This was the very best of the hotels for the trip. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The rooms were spotless and well-lit. Their bar offered the tastiest pina coladas! Located in the center of the action and at night (except for the holiday being celebrated at the time) it was very quiet and good for sleeping.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazon Turtle Lodge

Middle of the road lodge. Food was good and adequate and staff very friendly and accommodating. However, there wasn't any hot water and no place to wash clothes. This became very problematic when I began to get numerous bug bites and I think the bugs infiltrated my luggage because I was getting bitten even on the plane returning home. I couldn't wash the clothes because there was no hot water and the humidity kept them wet. We were touring when a huge rainstorm completely soaked us and the clothes never dried. This one wasn't the greatest experience and next time I would upgrade to better accommodations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

UeSo Pantanal Lodge

Needs renovation; rather run down. The air conditioner was located right above the bed and the cold air blew on me all night long and made it hard to sleep. Food was pretty good and always enough to eat. The horses looked a little thin, but it might be because the "grass" doesn't seem to be anything but weeds and they need some more nutritious supplementation.

Authenticity & Character

What is authentic for that part of the world?

Location

I don't know whether it was a worse or better location than anywhere else. I've never been there. It took a while to get there.

Staff

They were very pleasant and caring.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Palace

Rio de Janeiro

Hotel was clean and comfortable with varying degrees of accommodation by hotel staff (mostly good).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A regular hotel, but I thought there should have been bottled water available that didn't cost so much.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tour – Brazilian Side of the Iguaçu Falls + Bird Park (Parque das Aves)

Foz do Iguaçu

Full-Day Argentinian Side of the Falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Tour guide was great!

Behind the scenes of the carnival

Rio de Janeiro

Lots of fun! We were able to try on some of the headpieces worn in the Carnaval and tried our legs at dancing the samba.

Day 3 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

Somehow, I was being bitten up by bugs; 20-30 bites. They itched like crazy and there was nowhere to buy anything (finally got to a drugstore in Iguassu) I ran out of shampoo and was using soap in the cold shower. We didn't have any hot water which made it a problem because the bugs had somehow made a nest in my suitcase, infecting all the clothes. With no hot water and no way to wash the clothes free of whatever bugs they were and no way to dry the clothes even if I had had the means to wash them, I had to wait until I got home for some relief. While I wore long pants and long-sleeved shirt, they still got onto my skin.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last day at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Day 1 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

First day at the Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Rio Green Tour: in the tropical urban forest and among imperial palms

Rio de Janeiro

Would have liked to spend a little more time there.

Santa Teresa & Rio Antigo

Rio de Janeiro

All the must-sees of Rio in one day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Staircase and city tour

Rio de Janeiro

Jaguar full day safari - from Ueso Pantanal

North Pantanal

Overall we had a great time. The locations were varied and interesting. The guides and staff were friendly and accommodating, the food was delicious, and we enjoyed the activities and for the see lots of wildlife. It's a trip we'll remember for a long time.

2 areas could use improvement: 1. Managing guests' expectations. Sometimes we weren't informed about things that would have made the experience better, like that we were to spend one night on a houseboat in Porto Jofre. B/c no one told us this, including Sara, we didn't pack clothing for the next day, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and medication. Luckily we did ok and the staff helped once they realized the situation. But all we needed was 1 guide to tell us we were going to be spending a night away from the lodge and we would've packed properly. That said, staying overnight in Porto Jofre is a must as you need to be up early to see the animals and it's too far from the lodge.

2. One guide, Yann, needs more guidance in dealing with people. He's knowledgeable in plants and animals and he did a great job helping my partner w/ a bad hip get up and down from a difficult view location and on other trails. But he could've provided more info on what we should expect, how long things take, and difficulty. By not telling us that we could swim at some waterfalls, we neglected to change into bathing suits. On a hike around the lodge, he didn't take opportunities to check in with us to see how we were doing. There was a place about halfway where my partner and another guest with a bad hip could've turned back to the lodge. Instead they ended up continuing too far and struggled to make it back. He also needs to learn to take responsibility for mistakes and apologizing. One night he told 3 of us we'd need to be up the next morning at 4:30 to take a sunrise hike when he meant 5:30. Maybe he got the numbers mixed up in English but 3 of us heard him say 4:30. He refused to acknowledge his error and apologize which made things awkward going forward.
Otherwise great trip.

Hotel Reviews

Cantos da Mata

Chapada dos Guimarães

This is essentially a collection of guest rooms run by a woman named Sandra. It's a fairly convenient location near the town and also the scenic locations in the area. Breakfast is included and was well prepared. The rooms were fine for sleeping. The shower was adjacent to the toilet and required squeegeeing to push the water down the drain and away from the toilet. This place is about 1 km down a washboard road from the main highway so be prepared for a bumpy ride to and from

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the town and also scenic stops

Staff

The woman who prepared breakfast was very nice and did a good job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reino Encantado Pousada

Nobres - MT

If you're going to Nobres, this is a cool place mostly b/c of easy access to the Saloda River for snorkeling. Also near the lake where macaws go at sunset. Comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and delicious food, plus lots of animals, like burrowing owls, curaçao, and macaws on the grounds.

Authenticity & Character

You'll def know you're in Brazil

Location

Has easy snorkeling and not far from lake w/ macaws

Staff

Friendly and served good food and drinks

Cleanliness & Comfort

UeSo Pantanal Lodge

UeSo is a nice place to stay in the Pantanal w/ comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and delicious food, plus lots of animals, like macaws, capybara, and caiman, on the grounds. There's also a tower you can hike to to get a bird's eye view of the landscape. But be warned, it's quite far from Porto Jofre on a washboard road where you'll spend at least 1 night on a houseboat to see jaguars, otters, and other animals. The houseboat is also comfortable, though beds are small, and also delicious food. Just be prepared for the long journey there and back.

Authenticity & Character

Well decorated, many animals around the grounds

Location

Far from Porto Jofre but that can't be improved

Staff

Most were great, one guide needs improvement

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Last day at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

Yann led us on a tour around the lodge before we had to depart for the airport. He did say the hike was 2 km but at the halfway point didn't check in to see how we were doing. This would've been a point where those who were tired could turn back toward the lodge. Instead we kept going and it was too much for some. My partner and I went a bit further but ended up leaving the tour and heading back to the lodge on our own. The ride to the airport in Cuiaba was faster than I thought. Thought it would be 3 hrs, Pedro Paolo made it in 2.

Quality of Experience

Checking in w/ guests halfway through the hike

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide could check in w/ guests halfway through the hike

Transport

Got to airport faster than I thought

day 3 at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

I did a hike w/ Nour to the tower while my partner rode a horse. We saw a lot of caiman. In the afternoon we kayaked on the river.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaguar Full-Day Safari – From UeSo Pantanal

North Pantanal

This was the best day of the tour. More jaguars including one swimming. A family of giant river otters. A capybara w/ birds in its ears. We felt lucky that we got to see all these animals. Followed by a long drive back to Ueso but Nour did his best to make it go fast

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They're good at spotting animals

Transport

Day 2 at Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

We left Ueso for what we thought was a full day excursion but would return that night. Surprise! We ended up spending the night on the houseboat in Porto Jofre. Seeing jaguars was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Jaguars, wildlife along the road

Food

Food on the houseboat was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wish they'd told us in advance we were overnighting on the houseboat but they were very nice once they figured out we didn't know about it

Transport

Wildlife along the way. It's a long drive.

First day at the Ueso Pantanal Lodge

North Pantanal

It's a bit of a drive from Nobres. We stopped at a pasteleria for lunch. which was good. One of the pastels had caiman, tastes a little like chicken. We arrived at UeSo right before dinner. Nour greeted us w/ Caipirinhas which is a good way to start the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pastels are interesting. Food at Ueso is delicious and there's a lot of variety

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Nobres - tours

Mato Grosso Norte

Snorkeling in a river is different and cool. The current just takes you along. The lake where people go to watch the sunset is really to see dozens of macaws gather

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wish Yann had told us in advance about macaws, but he was good at positioning binoculars over phone camera lens to take closeup pix

Transport

Discovering the Chapada dos Guimarães full day

Chapada dos Guimarães

A long hike to a beautiful waterfall we could swim in. The plateau at sunset.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to the Chapada dos Guimarães! First tour

Chapada dos Guimarães

Chapada dos Guimarães is a small cute town w/ a covered main street w/ restaurants and boutique shops. Outside the town is a scenic plateau where people gather at sunset to gaze down at the valley. There are also trails that lead to waterfalls where you can swim. It's a good intro to this part of Mato Grosso. We enjoyed the variety. It was also our first opportunity for sucos and sorvete.

Quality of Experience

Waterfalls to swim in, nice hikes

Food

Got our first taste of suco, pastel, and sorvete

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yann was informative but wish he'd share more info ahead of time

Transport

KimKim was not the first source we tried to make the arrangements. Thank God, we did turn to KimKim ultimately. We loved each of our four local guides. In Buenos Airs, Enrique was hardworking, knowledgeable, and always well-prepared. For the Sao Paulo part, it wouldn't have been a pleasant trip without Alex who was proud of his city and because of his enthusiam, consideration and willingness to go the extra mile, we came to love this city as well. In Iguara Falls, Mario was professional, could sing and whistle very well in addition to being a good photographer. When it came to Rio, Marcello provided a balanced view of the great city, its beaches, beauty beyond words, and its struggling residents.
We finished our journal without any disappointment and would be happy to utilize Bruno's services again and recommend it to friends.

First time booking with Kim Kim and it went really well. Family of 5, traveling with 3 teens (18, 16, 14.). Bruno was very responsive from the beginning and throughout the trip. Transfers, activities, everything was seamless. We really enjoyed our guides- Hannah in Rio de Janeiro, Edison in Foz do Iguaçu and Antonio at Tupana Lodge. Bruno answered all my questions promptly before and during the trip. The guides were helpful in their respective cities. I think I would have liked maybe a step up in accommodations but I’m also not sure the price difference, etc. All our accommodations were nice but not fancy. And I definitely wasn’t fully prepared for what we were getting into in the Amazon. It was a memorable experience but would not be for everyone! Overall a wonderful family trip through Brazil!

Our recent trip to Brazil was truly unforgettable, thanks to the incredible itinerary crafted for us. From the moment we landed in Rio de Janeiro to our breathtaking days at Iguazu Falls, everything was flawlessly organized.

The hotels were amazing – comfortable, well-located, and with fantastic service. Our drivers were always punctual, friendly, and professional, making every transfer smooth and stress-free. The activities were phenomenal: from iconic sights like Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain to the awe-inspiring power of the Iguazu Falls, every experience exceeded our expectations.

As a family, we felt safe, well cared for, and completely immersed in the beauty and culture of Brazil. We can’t thank you enough for making this dream trip so special. Highly recommended!

Bruno to helped us plan a wonderful trip to Rio de Janiero for 2 couples. His excellent suggestions regarding hotel choice, travel itinerary, and most excellent guide, Marcelo, all added up to make an unforgettable trip. Communication was easy, Bruno responded quickly to any inquiries. Bruno easily made tweaks to the itinerary in the planning phase as I reconsidered the itinerary. I highly recommend Bruno and Kimkim, we were so pleased with our trip.

We had an incredible time in Brazil thanks to Bruno's excellent planning. This was a last minute trip but Bruno absolutely pulled it out of the bag to ensure we had an amazing time in Rio with our guide Marcelo and in Iguazu Falls with our guide Edson. Both guides went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time and Bruno kept us updated with details along the way. Rio and Iguazu were beyond expectation and we're so grateful for the experience. Thank you to the whole team for the trip of a lifetime!

A few days ago we (me and my husband) returned from a travel throughout the Brasil. Bruno gave me perfect itinerary and did all booking of the hotels, transfers and flights during our 10 days trip. We have bad luck with canceling of one of the flights, but thanks to Brino’s quick response we were able to get to the next one on the same day. All transfers ran smoothly. As for local guides, Luis in Rio was excellent, very knowledgeable about the history of Rio and Brasil. Addition to all ‘must see’ in Rio, he showed us a lot of hidden gems od Rio. It was like a walking with some celebrity, because he is/was a professor to almost all other guides we met, so he was warmly greeted everywhere. Edson in Foz do Iguacu was also very knowledgeable about the nature and wildlife in the area of these beautiful waterfalls. And at the end Amazonia, which was amazing. Tupana lodge, regarding which I was a little bit sceptic, turned out to be everything that Bruno promised, and Carlos, our guide there, true nature lover, explained us a lot about birds, other animals, forests and native people.
All in all, beautiful experience. Warm ‘thank you’ to Bruno and to all people we met throughout our trip, Natasa

Everything was perfectly organized—from Bruno, who was always accessible, to our fantastic guide in Rio, Luis (a perfect 10/10), and Edson in Iguazu. We truly had excellent guides throughout

We had a great experience traveling in Brazil! Rachel was helpful in planning our trip, always adapting the itinerary based on our feedback. Once we arrived, the local guides were very knowledgeable, and we truly enjoyed every part of the journey. Communication on-site was also smooth — the agency provided us with a WhatsApp number, and any time we had a question, they responded quickly and helpfully.

The only area for improvement is that we would have appreciated a bit more proactivity. For example, it would have been helpful to receive the names and contact details of our drivers or guides in advance without us asking for it, as well as a little more proactive communication with additional information before departure.

Rachel was the person who organized our trip.
She was very prompt in replying to our questions and was able to make some good suggestions. She was able to pivot quickly when some of our other plans changed.
We were amazed at the thoroughness of the planning from picking us up at the hotel and getting us to a boat or a van or the airport in good time. The other people involved were helpful and respectful. It made the trip very pleasant and made us feel like some care had been taken in the planning. We were surprised at how personal trip the trip was. Three hotels in Rio and Manaus were excellent and the lodge in the Amazon jungle was perfect.

Hotel Review

Amazon Tupana Lodge

Manaus

As we rounded the corner in the motorized canoe, we saw buildings up on stilts, thatched roofs and a screened amenity room. The dock was there to received boats. It was perfect! Just what we hoped for in a remote jungle experience.

Authenticity & Character

The staff, the meals, and the activities were what makes this place special. There are knowledgeable guides to take us on jungle walks and people who know the compacted waterways. We learned alot about the Amazon River and the jungle.

Location

Remote. Just like your expect in the jungle. Perfect!

Staff

They were pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cabins were as clean as a jungle cabin could be. The linens were good. Each cabin had a fan which I’d necessary to keep cool!

Activity Review

Discovering the Amazon

The Amazon

The sunset motorized canoe rises were a highlight. Learning about the changes in this river over the year was fascinating. We also really enjoyed swimming - right by the dock - with the pink dolphin. It was refreshing after the heat of the day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was friendly ands always in time.

Transport

From vans to motorized canoes, it was an authentic expense.

Brazil is such a passionate and vibrant country. It was too big though for us to figure out how see what we wanted and know how to do it. Enter Sara Martinel. We all worked together closely to answer her questions of what we like to do, time we had available, budget and pace we like to run. Then she did her magic!!!

She presented her plan. We did some tweaking and ended with a perfect plan

What we couldn’t have done (and Sara could) is find the guides we had. I believe these Best of the Best are somehow hidden from the general public.

Erika (our Sao Paulo guide) was full of energy and passion. And more information and details (which we love) than our little brains could hold. She zipped us al over the place giving us such a great overview of the city. We dipped into small neighborhoods. We Ate. We laughed. We made a new friend

Then we made it to Rio where we were blessed to meet Alberto. This guy is clearly a local tour guide legend. We were stopped a number of times by other tour guides letting us know how lucky we were to have him. We felt it and we knew it. Alberto just has a humble, easy going way about him and he made the very full day in Rio so enjoyable. Our driver Márcio was awesome too. Fun to chat with. Very principled man. Always taking pics and videos so we could enjoy the moment

I don’t think we could have pulled off such a great trip with amazing guides on our own.

Grateful to Sara and KimKim on curating a lovely Brazilian vacation!!

Kath + Brett

My wife and I took a 13-day custom tour of Brazil, organized by Rachel at Kimkim. We visited Rio, Salvador, Manaus, the Amazon, and São Paulo. It took nearly two months of back-and-forth communication before we finalized our itinerary. Throughout the process, Rachel was incredibly attentive, patient, and courteous. Additionally, during our trip, she stayed in constant contact with us to ensure everything was going as planned. All the hotels and guides she selected for us were excellent. A special shout-out to Alex in Rio and Carlos in Sao Paulo, who made our trip truly memorable.

We will always cherish our experience at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in the Amazon. This beautiful lodge, set in the heart of the rainforest, offers modern amenities while maintaining a deep connection to nature. The guides were highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and courteous, and the restaurant was simply exceptional.

Overall, we had an unforgettable vacation. Thank you, Rachel, for all your help!

Hotel Review

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

We will always cherish our experience at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in the Amazon. This beautiful lodge, set in the heart of the rainforest, offers modern amenities while maintaining a deep connection to nature. The guides were highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and courteous, and the restaurant was simply exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Christ the Redeemer & Sugar Loaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very disappointed with the service we received from Rachel. She was very non responsive and didnt properly plan the trip or ask the correct questions. We had confusion at the airport, confusion on 2 out of 3 trips. The only part of the trip that was worthwhile was the food tour.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tour of Two Brothers Peak & Vidigal Favela

Rio de Janeiro

it was not half day. We were picked up 45 min late as they went to wrong hotel. Driver did not speak a word of english. We didnt know that we were going on motorcycles or hiking for 4 hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christ the Redeemer & Sugar Loaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Guide was nice but his english wasnt that good and we saw Christ took a picture and moved on. He provided little to no history .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour in Rio

Rio de Janeiro

The guide was incredible

Quality of Experience

he spoke english and was very informed

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very knowledgeable

Transport

easy

We recently used Kimkim for our trip to Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguazu. What a great experience! Bruno was our trip coordinator and did an excellent job putting together an itinerary that met all of our needs and interests. Lines of communication were open before, during and after the trip, and he was always responsive. When we arrived in Rio, our guide Luiz was waiting at the airport for us. He then took us on an amazing tour of the city over the next few days. Our first day was spent taking a relaxing afternoon and sunset boat ride around the bay. Fun drinks on board and beautiful sights to see! We of course went the next day up to Sugarloaf Mountain and then up to Christ the Redeemer, both offering beautiful views of the city. We then spent time in the Santa Teresa neighborhood visiting some sites. This neighborhood had a very cool vibe. We had lunch at the Aprazivel restaurant (which we highly recommend), and then continued on to see some local churches and the Metropolitan Cathedral which is designed like a Mayan pyramid! Another day was spent visiting the factory where they assemble the floats for Carnival. There, we also had fun trying on Carnival outfits and were entertained by a Samba dancer! Our trip, as well, to the tiled steps in Santa Teresa was a must see. These steps contain tiles from all over the world, which were very cool to look closely at. Get there early, as it's a tourist attraction! Walking around the city with Luiz was great. He was full of historical and cultural information, which we loved. It provided us great insight into what we were seeing and gave us a better appreciation for the Brazilian culture! He took us to another restaurant in town; I can't remember the name, but the food was excellent! We fell in love with the cuisine, and Luiz had plenty of recommendations on what to try! Our last day in Rio was free time, which we spent on Copacabana Beach (where we were staying right across the street at the Miramar Hotel), and we walked down to see Ipanema Beach, where we had lunch at an Italian restaurant called Il Piccolo. Rio of course has plenty of Brazilian restaurants, but also offers many other cuisines! Hanging on the beach was a lot of fun. There are plenty of vendors selling things, but they are not pushy. It was actually convenient having them there, as there was no need to bring food or drink to the beach. They brought it to you! The beach was full of tourists and locals all sitting together. It was a fun experience. One thing that we took notice of was how health conscious the locals are. Walking up the main path along the beach early in the morning, we were impressed to see the great number of joggers and cyclists going up and down the road, and the beach full of pickleball and volleyball games along with yoga classes, swimming classes and surfing classes. It was great to see!

The second half of our trip was then flying to Foz do Iguazu where we were met by our guide Edson at the airport. Edson was wonderful (just like Luiz) and provided us much information about that section of Brazil which borders Argentina and Paraguay. Seeing the falls was a very different experience than being in the city of Rio. You were out in nature (which we love) and hiked many miles on the trails around the falls. The first day was spent visiting the Argentinian side. Iguazu is the largest waterfall system in the world and should not be missed. The views are spectacular! We also did the boat ride which takes you almost under one of the falls. Bring a change of clothes with you, as you will be soaked to the skin, but it was so much fun!! The next day we toured the Brazilian side of the falls. Again, the views were incredible. We then went to Parque das Aves (the bird park) which is a beautiful sanctuary for so many colorful birds! We really loved walking around and seeing such beautiful birds living in their natural habitat. Well worth the trip! By the way, we stayed at the Bourbon Cataratas do Iguazu Thermas Eco Resort. Great selection by Bruno! After a long day of hiking around the falls, the hotel was a great place to relax poolside and have a cocktail! The food there was awesome. We highly recommend the buffet (which was high end). One night the cuisine had a pan-Asian theme. The next night was Mediterranean. Both delicious!

Overall, I think this trip to Brazil well exceeded our expectations. This is our second time using Kimkim. Last year it was Morocco. We have loved using Kimkim so much that we have booked another trip next month to Peru! We are very grateful to Bruno, Luiz and Edson. They gave us such a memorable trip, and we have been telling all our friends they need to go see Brazil (and of course use Kimkim!).

I give KimKim lots of credit for finding this very obscure trip for me. I have an interest in prehistoric rock art and wanted to find a way to visit Serra Da Capivara National Park, which has very few foreign visitors because of its remoteness in northeast Brazil.
That said, I had very little interaction with KimKim following the booking. Once I had the WhatsApp number of my local guide, I stayed in contact with him.