Kimkim Trip Reviews for Brazil

Rio:
positive:
Daria was excellent in responding to messages.
itinerary was good. Guide was good for us and guide let us enjoy the sites without any time restriction.
Negative:
2 last minute issues with itinerary.
1) show in rio we wanted to see was not available on Tuesdays in May but we were taken to the show and then only we were told there was no show so our much anticipated evening and show became disappointment. they did arrange some other activity free but still one evening is... read more

Rio:
positive:
Daria was excellent in responding to messages.
itinerary was good. Guide was good for us and guide let us enjoy the sites without any time restriction.
Negative:
2 last minute issues with itinerary.
1) show in rio we wanted to see was not available on Tuesdays in May but we were taken to the show and then only we were told there was no show so our much anticipated evening and show became disappointment. they did arrange some other activity free but still one evening is ruined
2) another day, coffee farm visit was re arranged day before to evening from morning. this caused us to cancel our original plan in the evening,

Iguzu falls:

Excellent Guide: Luis was amazing . all went well with the plan

Hotel Reviews

JL Hotel by Bourbon

Foz do Iguacu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Hotel in excellent location. Breakfast and restaurant food was good. Need renovation of washroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Churrascaria Carretão do Lido

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christ the Redeemer & city tour private tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sugarloaf, Santa Teresa and old Rio

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tijuca Forest and Botanic Garden private tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to a historic coffee farm

Rio de Janeiro

good experience if you haven't seen any coffee farm or small towns. but it is a long drive almost 2,5 hrs one way. not sure it is worth the experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Favela Tour private tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brazilian Side Falls Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parque das Aves - Birds park

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinian Side Falls Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We chose to book our trip with KimKim following a recommendation from a friend. Overall the trip was amazing and we had a great time following the "Route of Emotions" in northern Brazil. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone wanting to see a different side to Brazil, compared with the usual Rio/Iguazu routes.

Booking the trip Rachel provided quick feedback and was able to cater to our various requests. Communication at this point was very strong and everything we needed to do was... read more

We chose to book our trip with KimKim following a recommendation from a friend. Overall the trip was amazing and we had a great time following the "Route of Emotions" in northern Brazil. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone wanting to see a different side to Brazil, compared with the usual Rio/Iguazu routes.

Booking the trip Rachel provided quick feedback and was able to cater to our various requests. Communication at this point was very strong and everything we needed to do was clear. You have access to a whatsapp number for any questions once you land at your destination.

We travelled from Barreirinhas to Parnaiba, and then onto Jericoacoara, with two different guides for each part of the trip. Our guide from Barreirinhas around the dunes and local areas was Josiel who was lovely and helpful with any questions we had. I would say he acted more as "translator" than guide (reactive vs proactive) but if you are an English speaker on this type of tour, a service such as this is essential to get by in the region.

We were picked up by Jonas, who was our amazing driver all the way through to Jeri. In Parnaiba, Francisco joined us as we took a tour to see the Guara in the river delta. Francisco was amazing, explaining in great detail to us about the region, its wildlife, food and culture. One of the best guides we have ever had for a tour!

We then moved onto Jeri (with some great recommendations from Francisco) and concluded our trip. We loved the whole experience!

One feedback point for improvement - it would have been great to have a daily update message over the WhatsApp channel to avoid confusion. As English speakers some things were unclear e.g. We were surprised when our guide got into the car on the side of the road in Parnaiba, as the driver didn't speak English he hadn't let us know about it, which was a shock to meet a new person unannounced. Small things like this could have been covered by a WhatsApp in the morning.

All our guides were excellent and very knowledgeable.
All the airport pick ups and transfers went very smoothly as did the tours.
We were very happy with our itinerary and any concerns we had about having to take internal flights were not justified. The country is just so huge that there weren't any other viable options and it was definitely worth it.
All the hotels were very comfortable and everyone we encountered couldn't have been nicer. read more

All our guides were excellent and very knowledgeable.
All the airport pick ups and transfers went very smoothly as did the tours.
We were very happy with our itinerary and any concerns we had about having to take internal flights were not justified. The country is just so huge that there weren't any other viable options and it was definitely worth it.
All the hotels were very comfortable and everyone we encountered couldn't have been nicer.

Hotel Reviews

Águas do Iguaçu Hotel

Foz do Iguaçu

Very clean and comfortable. Good location with a choice of restaurants nearby. Included breakfast had a good selection. Swimming pool was a nice spot to relax at the end of the day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Olho d'Agua

Bonito

Lovely peaceful hotel with wildlife all around. You stay in a bungalow in the grounds and we often had monkeys in the trees around us. Very friendly, helpful staff. The restaurant food was very good, we had dinner there one evening, and the included breakfast was varied and tasty. It is located outside the town, which means you are surrounded by nature and it's quiet but you will need to get a taxi to get to Bonito (not at all expensive)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Aguapé

Aquidauana

located about 70 km down a dirt road, you are surrounded by farmland and wetland. it is beautiful and teeming with wildlife. The hotel is very comfortable and welcoming, the food is great. If you are lucky enough to be there on a Saturday night there is a live band and Parilla. Activities are very well organised.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada do Principe

Paraty

beautiful hotel with lovely communal spaces and pool. great location just a few minutes walk from the old town. Rooms at the from suffer a bit from street noise, so try and get a room around the pool. Breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Brazilian Side Falls Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

The falls are amazing from both sides. Saw lots of coatis here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Macuco Safari

Foz do Iguaçu

Being on a boat at the bottom of the falls was fantastic but this safari seemed to be very focused on selling you photos that they'd taken. There was no option to swim (as was in our itinerary description), we only were taken to one set of falls and they pulled up at the side of the river and spent about 5 minutes taking Photos of the groups on the boats. The small boat also meant that from most seats you had no view up the river, all you could see was the bow of the boat and the worker who was taking photos. Being driven into the water of the falls however was a LOT of fun. The boat from the Argentinian side seemed to be better, it went to 2-3 sets of falls and also drove into the water. So, if your itinerary allows, this would be better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parque das Aves - Birds park

Foz do Iguaçu

Very interesting and lovely to see the birds up close. They are doing great conservation work

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinian Side Falls Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

It was just fantastic. Lunch here was also one of the best meals we had!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buraco das Araras and Rio da Prata snorkeling

Bonito MS

Really fun activity. Like swimming in an aquarium

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boca da Onça

Bonito MS

Beautiful location. Lovely hike through the jungle and the waterfalls are just spectacular

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

South Pantanal

South Pantanal

We did a boat trip, jeep safari, walking tour, horse ride and night safari. We saw the most amazing wildlife including armadillos, capybaras, toucans, egrets, cockatoos and a giant anteater.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Regular Boat Tour around Paraty Bay

Paraty

Comfortable boat and friendly staff. Multiple stops at beaches and to swim. Follows a common path with many other boats but seems to be well organised sonly 1 or 2 boats are at the same place at the same time. Certainly gave a nice overview of the surrounding beaches. Definitely take your own lunch. Whilst the manioc fries were great the rest of the food was terrible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeep Tour

Paraty

If we hadn't already been to Iguassu and Bonito these falls would have been quite impressive! Learning about and tasting Cachaca was great. Sliding on the natural waterslide was great fun, definitely recommend doing this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was so easy and lovely working with Rachel especially when we had a missed connection late at night and having to rearrange travel plans. Our favorite day in Rio was because of Vincent the tour guide operator where we walked around together in Santa Teresa & Faevla. The hotels Rachel picked for us in Rio & Amazon were also amazing (and Santa Teresa Gallery hotel had such good food at their restaurant). I would definitely come back and use Rachel again and recommend to friends. read more

It was so easy and lovely working with Rachel especially when we had a missed connection late at night and having to rearrange travel plans. Our favorite day in Rio was because of Vincent the tour guide operator where we walked around together in Santa Teresa & Faevla. The hotels Rachel picked for us in Rio & Amazon were also amazing (and Santa Teresa Gallery hotel had such good food at their restaurant). I would definitely come back and use Rachel again and recommend to friends.

Brasil was very well organized and also the connection with our combined trip to colombia was good communicated with their office in Colombia. They gave solid feedback on idead which were not possible with reason. They orginazed all the highlights from brazil and made the last minute impossible tours, possible. We really got a great stay in brazil and felt safe everywhere. Such a beautiful country.

This was part of the same trip reviewed above. It was excellent - again Rachel's help was invaluable, she was always available to answer our questions. Our guide at the Amazon Tupana Lodge Dio was outstanding. A highly recommended trip

We had a great trip thanks to the help we received from Rachel. She was always professional, very helpful, easy to contact and, following our requests, she put together a memorable trip for us. We highly recommend the service we received from KimKim and Rachel and are looking forward to using the knowledge local agents can provide through KimKim for our next trip.

My daughter and I decided to visit Brazil in January. I heard about Kimkim from my neighbor and decided to use them. Being two women traveling by ourselves it seemed like an ideal choice. After answering some questions on a very user friendly website we were put in touch with Daria our trip designer. I cannot say enough good things about her. She gave great recommendations to visit 3 places in Brazil and use our 7 days/6 nights wisely. Every detail including pick ups and drops off to airports... read more

My daughter and I decided to visit Brazil in January. I heard about Kimkim from my neighbor and decided to use them. Being two women traveling by ourselves it seemed like an ideal choice. After answering some questions on a very user friendly website we were put in touch with Daria our trip designer. I cannot say enough good things about her. She gave great recommendations to visit 3 places in Brazil and use our 7 days/6 nights wisely. Every detail including pick ups and drops off to airports were planned and we felt very safe and all transfers went very smoothly. We visited Rio de Janeiro first where over 2 days we saw all the important sights leisurely in private tours where only my daughter and I were with the tour guide. The tour guides picked us up at the hotel, took us through leisurely to visit the right amount of sites for half a day leaving us half a day to explore on our own. Rio was beautiful, the liveliness of Copacabana, the majestic views of Christ the Redeemer, the Birds Eye views from Sugar loaf, the artistic Selaron steps and quaint district of St Theresa were all awesome. From there we boarded a flight to Iguazu to see the majestic Iguazu Falls. The falls go as far as the eye can see. We took a boat tour recommended by Daria which takes you right under the Falls. It was exhilarating! We had time to see the Falls from the Brazilian and Argentinian sides. After that we flew to Rio and directly had a taxi take us to Paraty, a village settled by Portuguese in 1600s and it has the original cobblestone streets. This was a recommendation by Daria because I wanted to see a colonial town. It is situated beautifully with the bay on one side and the forest on the other. We enjoyed the walking tour of the serene village in the morning and the bustling streets in the evening. We took a boat out to the bay and the captain stopped at various islands for us to snorkel, sunbathe, lunch! It was a big highlight of our entire trip. I’m so glad Daria suggested this village as it’s not on a traditional itinerary. The food and drinks and the people were also wonderful! Daria and kimkim get 5 stars and more if we could do that!

Hotel Reviews

Arena Leme

Rio de Janeiro

Beautifully located on the quiet part of Copacabana! Wonderful food, beds and showers. We had a great stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right by Copacabana

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Foz do Iguaçu

Foz do Iguacu

We had a comfortable stay at the hotel. Food, staff and location were great for our visit to the Falls.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Porto Imperial

Paraty

Beautiful quaint, historic, clean and comfortable hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gran Aventura

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brazilian Side Falls Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christ the Redeemer & city tour private tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Argentinian Side Falls Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sugarloaf, Santa Teresa and old Rio

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Paraty

Paraty

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour around Paraty Bay

Paraty

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeep Tour

Paraty

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip was overbooked and very exhausting. Communication was lacking. Most of our trip was spent in airports. No accountability taken

I love Brazil! The sights, the beauty, the vibrancy of the people and the culture! I wish I never left!! I was able to visit the best sights and hidden gems of Rio de Janeiro and move along to Salvador and immerse myself in the Afro culture, which was a personal favorite. I relaxed indulged in sand dune activities and saw the most beautiful scenery in Canoa Quebrada and then I visited Iguaçu Falls (experiencing the Argentinian and Brazilian side by boat and helicopter) which is a must for... read more

I love Brazil! The sights, the beauty, the vibrancy of the people and the culture! I wish I never left!! I was able to visit the best sights and hidden gems of Rio de Janeiro and move along to Salvador and immerse myself in the Afro culture, which was a personal favorite. I relaxed indulged in sand dune activities and saw the most beautiful scenery in Canoa Quebrada and then I visited Iguaçu Falls (experiencing the Argentinian and Brazilian side by boat and helicopter) which is a must for lovers of nature!! Rachel always checked on me and made sure the guides were taking care of me every step of the way. I had wonderful and helpful guides. Guilherme was an extra special gentleman who went above and beyond whilst in Rio. Matcos, Leandro, Gabriel and my guide in Salvador Guia Joao Luis went above and beyond to make my time memorable! Thank you a thousand times over😊❤️

Every single guide we had was special. They made us feel at home, at ease. Beginning with Luis that greeted us at the airport in Rio, the professional knowledgeable, fun Ortiz at Iguacu, Crocidile Dundee realty star Dave at the Amazon.. professionals that made us feel comfortable and safe from their first hello! Rachel ass knows the best team and was in touch every single day to ensure we were having a blast! read more

Every single guide we had was special. They made us feel at home, at ease. Beginning with Luis that greeted us at the airport in Rio, the professional knowledgeable, fun Ortiz at Iguacu, Crocidile Dundee realty star Dave at the Amazon.. professionals that made us feel comfortable and safe from their first hello! Rachel ass knows the best team and was in touch every single day to ensure we were having a blast!

Hotel Reviews

Arena Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro

Convenient location.. average food

Authenticity & Character

It felt kkke another normal hotel

Location

When your backyard is the Ipanema beach with amazing sunsets.. there is no way you can go wrong

Staff

Friendly, courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was not cleaned on 2/6 days

Hotel Intercity Manaus

Manaus

Hotel looked tiered, old…

Location

No where to go

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheets appeared dirty. Rooms need to be uodatef

Amazon Tupana Lodge

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day- Rio by Bike

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christ the Redeemer & Sugar Loaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day tour Tijuca Forest

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguaçu Falls - Argentinean side

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoeing in the Amazon and overnight in the jungle

The Amazon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour in Manaus

Manaus

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carnaval Experience - Half day Tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the transfers and accommodations were fine but we were disappointed in the level of English spoken by the owner/staff at the Tariri Lodge. There weren’t many guests but the majority of the other guests were Portuguese speakers. The guides didn’t always translate everything into English and we frequently had to rely on one of the other guests to translate for us.

We just completed our 8-day trip, covering Rio, Iguazu from Brazil and Argentina sides, and a day in Paraguay. It was a memorable experience. We had been planning this trip for about two months, and Meghan helped fine-tune our itinerary multiple times. Meghan and the Kimkim team were very flexible in accommodating our custom requests. On the day we were supposed to go to Christ the Redeemer in Rio, the weather turned out rainy with poor visibility, so we had to cancel. Meghan worked with the... read more

We just completed our 8-day trip, covering Rio, Iguazu from Brazil and Argentina sides, and a day in Paraguay. It was a memorable experience. We had been planning this trip for about two months, and Meghan helped fine-tune our itinerary multiple times. Meghan and the Kimkim team were very flexible in accommodating our custom requests. On the day we were supposed to go to Christ the Redeemer in Rio, the weather turned out rainy with poor visibility, so we had to cancel. Meghan worked with the tour company to accommodate our tickets for another day and that worked out very well for us. Without her help, it would have been quite a hassle otherwise. The local transportation and bilingual tour guides appointed by Kimkim were great and we didn’t have to stress about safety, convenience of pickups/drops and tour tickets. We usually tour on our own, but this time we made an exception to go with a travel company and we think it was a wise choice. Thank you, Meghan and Team!

Hotel Reviews

Nadai Confort Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

We loved the outdoor pool and hot-spa which helped greatly recovery from tiring tour days. The room service was poor.. took an hour to deliver food twice and also messed up the orders. Breakfast was ok. Rooms were small but clean.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice pool

Arena Leme

Rio de Janeiro

Great location - Leme beachfront next to Copacabana. Nice rooftop and bar, though very small pool. Breakfast was ok, but not many choices for everyone in the restaurant. I wish they accommodated more vegetarian options. Rooms were good.

Location

Beachfront

Windsor Florida

Rio de Janeiro

Nice connecting rooms, though no views except buildings. Breakfast was ok. Overall, an average hotel.

Activity Reviews

Argentinean Side Falls & Gran Aventura Boat Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

The Argentinian side of Iguazu is beautiful beyond words. The walkway is serene, and the boat adventure was so fun!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The boat operator was not bilingual, and his commentary was only in Spanish/Portuguese. English should be mandatory as there are foreign tourists always.

Guide and vehicle at disposal to explore Paraguay

Foz do Iguaçu

The Monday Falls at Paraguay were amazingly beautiful. Do include this in your itinerary even after visiting the mighty Iguazu!

Arrival transfer in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

On time pickup at an odd hour - thank you, for making it safe and convenient.

Exploring the Brazilian Falls

Foz do Iguaçu

A visual treat to eyes .. so many beautiful vista points and then the final stop at the grand Devil's Throat is an unmatched experience.

Day Tour of Sugarloaf Mountain (cable car) and Christ the Redeemer Statue

Rio de Janeiro

I wish we had some visibility at the Sugar Loaf.. it was a blanket of white. It was fun to ride the cable cars. But we overcame that in the Christ the Redeemer part - beautiful beyond words!

Evening Tour to Three Borders Mark (Brazilian side)

Foz do Iguaçu

Nice spot to spend your evening - view of the 3 borders, the show they put on with dancers and drama, and the beautiful monument itself. Relaxing after the day tours of the falls.

Our trip was planned perfectly. Every detail every driver was courteous and timely. Leandro was absolutely fantastic. He would ask is if we wanted more or less time at different stops and was incredibly knowledgeable.
This was our first experience with Kimkim and we will always use this service! Already recommending to friends read more

Our trip was planned perfectly. Every detail every driver was courteous and timely. Leandro was absolutely fantastic. He would ask is if we wanted more or less time at different stops and was incredibly knowledgeable.
This was our first experience with Kimkim and we will always use this service! Already recommending to friends

I’ve travelled all my life and this was the first one that was curated for me. I loved it! I didn’t have a lot of time but it’s a huge country, so I wanted to see as much as possible without having to figure it out for myself and Rachel got it perfectly. On her suggestion I visited the Lencois Maranhenses on the North Atlantic coast which I never would have discovered on my own and yet I’m so glad she guided me there. I had personal boat trips, nature trips in groups and personally, all my... read more

I’ve travelled all my life and this was the first one that was curated for me. I loved it! I didn’t have a lot of time but it’s a huge country, so I wanted to see as much as possible without having to figure it out for myself and Rachel got it perfectly. On her suggestion I visited the Lencois Maranhenses on the North Atlantic coast which I never would have discovered on my own and yet I’m so glad she guided me there. I had personal boat trips, nature trips in groups and personally, all my accommodations were set and there were zero flaws in my transfers or my accommodations. My trip through the Favela in Rio with a climb up Two Brothers was excellent. My Eco-lodge on the Amazon was great, and all my adventures on the coast were also excellent. Rachel was always available for questions and I always felt I could reach out at any hour. Brazil is an amazing country and definitely worth a visit

Overall I had a very good trip. The communication between Meghan and me before the trip is essential and was always good.
The full day for the hiking trip was very good. I think Meghan was successful in selecting the hike that fulfilled my requests (duration, elevation change, length, waterfall).
Augusto is a good guy who is personable and friendly. He answered all of my questions whether it was about details for the trip or about the hike itself including flora and fauna. He was very... read more

Overall I had a very good trip. The communication between Meghan and me before the trip is essential and was always good.
The full day for the hiking trip was very good. I think Meghan was successful in selecting the hike that fulfilled my requests (duration, elevation change, length, waterfall).
Augusto is a good guy who is personable and friendly. He answered all of my questions whether it was about details for the trip or about the hike itself including flora and fauna. He was very accommodating, more than happy to comply with my requests or make minor changes to the itinerary along the way.
I only have one criticism. Augusto explained his hiking tour method; he would hike at his own pace and then wait for me to catch up. I agreed to this. I had no problem with this since I was comfortable hiking in the woods and because I needed to hike slowly and carefully.
However, on the return this method broke down. At one point there was a fork in the trail and Augusto was ahead on the trail and out of sight. Remember, these trails do not have any trail markers so at this point I did not know which way to go. I tried one direction but guessed that it was not the correct way. Then I went the other way and caught up with Augusto. I briefly mentioned the fork to him. Then it happened again.
It all worked out fine but a hiking guide should not lose track of his clients.
Again, overall the tour was great. It was a great hike to a nice waterfall on a beautiful day. I would recommend Kimkim and Aniyami to others and I would book with you again.
Thank you very much for organizing it all and please thank Augusto.

Activity Review

Full day tour of Serra dos Orgãos National Park with Véu da Noiva Waterfall & Petrópolis

Brazil

Overall I had a very good trip. The communication between Meghan and me before the trip is essential and was always good. The full day for the hiking trip was very good. I think Meghan was successful in selecting the hike that fulfilled my requests (duration, elevation change, length, waterfall). Augusto is a good guy who is personable and friendly. He answered all of my questions whether it was about details for the trip or about the hike itself including flora and fauna. He was very accommodating, more than happy to comply with my requests or make minor changes to the itinerary along the way. I only have one criticism. Augusto explained his hiking tour method; he would hike at his own pace and then wait for me to catch up. I agreed to this. I had no problem with this since I was comfortable hiking in the woods and because I needed to hike slowly and carefully. However, on the return this method broke down. At one point there was a fork in the trail and Augusto was ahead on the trail and out of sight. Remember, these trails do not have any trail markers so at this point I did not know which way to go. I tried one direction but guessed that it was not the correct way. Then I went the other way and caught up with Augusto. I briefly mentioned the fork to him. Then it happened again. It all worked out fine but a hiking guide should not lose track of his clients. Again, overall the tour was great. It was a great hike to a nice waterfall on a beautiful day. I would recommend Kimkim and Aniyami to others and I would book with you again. Thank you very much for organizing it all and please thank Augusto.

Quality of Experience

The selected hike fit my requirements perfectly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Personable, friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable.

Transport

Newish car. Good route.

From start to finish Rachel was incredible. She responded very quickly to all our messages before we booked and then while we were away, she was quick to help with any issues, including delayed flights etc ensuring guides met us at the new times. She ensured all the hotels and guides were appraised in advance of our comprehensive dietary requirements.

While we were away for the last week the weather forecast was dreadful, with thunder and lightning. We spoke to Rachel, she and her... read more

From start to finish Rachel was incredible. She responded very quickly to all our messages before we booked and then while we were away, she was quick to help with any issues, including delayed flights etc ensuring guides met us at the new times. She ensured all the hotels and guides were appraised in advance of our comprehensive dietary requirements.

While we were away for the last week the weather forecast was dreadful, with thunder and lightning. We spoke to Rachel, she and her colleague Paulo, didn’t hesitate to rearrange things for us. They got refunds where they could and re-booked the last part of our trip within 24 hours of the initial conversation about it. They could not have been more helpful, understanding and accommodating. Nothing was too much trouble for them. We were incredibly grateful as it made the last few days of our trip so relaxing and enjoyable.

Rio:
Hotel was nice, staff helpful and the breakfast was good. Plenty of options, including gluten / dairy free products and staff were able to assist with ingredients for other products.
Luis our guide was lovely. Knowledgeable and friendly. He made our tours educational and enjoyable. He mixed humour with information and we always felt very safe with him. His English was excellent and he was very helpful at the airport ensuring we got checked in and staff were able to assist us. Our extra tour with him was a bonus and we enjoyed that given the weather was not conducive to sitting on the beach!
Bike tour: This was the only aspect we were not happy with. The bikes were dreadful. They were very old, unsafe and didn't work properly. The gears kept slipping and the brakes didn't work well. The guide kept cycling off in the distance, not noticing that we had had to stop due to the bikes. He did switch bike with me at one point but it didn't help much as they were all as bad as each other. This spoilt the ride and we had to end it half way through to return the bikes as they were so difficult to ride. We felt as if he had chosen those bikes as the owner was a friend of his rather than they were good quality bikes that would be safe to ride.
We were appreciative of Rachel dealing with the issue swiftly and ensuring we were able to have the extra half day with Luis instead.

Pantanal:
We were disappointed by the condition of the room and dining room at the Pousada Rio Clara. The door handle fell off on the first day and was never fixed. The room itself is probably best described as shabby and in need of attention. There was nowhere to put clothes away, no wardrobe or drawers so we had to live out of suitcases on the floor which is not ideal. The dining room is best described as mess-hall style. The food was reasonable. We had made special requests which weren’t always followed and what was provided was basic and repetitive. It feels as if there is not enough funding, The staff all do multiple jobs on the property and so there are not enough available to ensure things are at a good standard. They are friendly and as helpful as they are able given the difficulties they seem to face.
The guide DJ was great, incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. We really enjoyed the boat trips most of all. The road safaris are a bit hit or miss as far as seeing animals which can’t be helped.

Foz do Iguazu
We were met by the very lovely Lurdes and the driver. She was so friendly and helpful, always trying hard to help us have the best experience, we were sad to say goodbye to her! She made the whole stay in Foz really special.
The Wish hotel was incredible, a huge property with a mix of property styles for the rooms. A lovely pool area and small pools adjacent to the properties. The restaurant was great, excellent choice of food at the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Options for gluten free and very helpful staff.
Salvador
The guide was very friendly and helpful, giving advice as to where was and wasn’t safe to go while we were there. He also advised my husband to take off his fine gold chain. This did all make us feel quite vulnerable there as we were obviously tourists. The city was interesting in parts but the deprivation was sad to see.

Prai do Forte
Such a wonderful place to end our trip. Beautiful weather, a lovely hotel with incredibly helpful staff and a very nice local area, in walking distance, and a beautiful beach with white sand, palm trees and water as warm as a bath!

All in all we found that going through KimKim and the local agent worked really well. This was the first time we had used an agent, we usually book everything independently and don't have guides or drivers. We felt this was a really excellent way of travelling around Brazil and would have struggled without Rachel's advice, knowledge and help. We will recommend both KimKim and Rachel to anyone wanting to book!

The title says it all. We were looking for a panorama of Brazil and boy did we get it. We saw Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Manaus and the Amazon, and Salvador, each destination better than the last. All our guides were professional and made our experience better with their behavior. They were easy to talk to and offered insight on the life of the Brazilians in each city we visited. Especially in Rio we were guided by the greatest guy, Felipe, who went above and beyond to make us feel safe... read more

The title says it all. We were looking for a panorama of Brazil and boy did we get it. We saw Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Manaus and the Amazon, and Salvador, each destination better than the last. All our guides were professional and made our experience better with their behavior. They were easy to talk to and offered insight on the life of the Brazilians in each city we visited. Especially in Rio we were guided by the greatest guy, Felipe, who went above and beyond to make us feel safe and comfortable.

The destinations were all gorgeous. Rio is beautiful and surrounded by many great vantage points that offer spectacular views of the whole city. The monuments were breathtaking and the food was plentiful and delicious.

At Iguazu, all words fail to make justice to the grandeur of the waterfalls. All visitors be prepared to get wet, especially if you book a boat trip as you will find yourselves directly underneath the falls!

At Manaus, prepare to get hot! It is a very humid city, we could feel it almost as soon as we landed. But it is all worth it when you get to the Amazon forest and get to see river and the jungle. We had plenty of activities here, like fishing for piranhas, night animal watching, walking in the jungle and swimming with pink dolphins! We also had the opportunity to taste awesome local cuisine and everything was produced right there in the forest. And our guide, Antonio if memory serves right, was pretty easy going and cool.

Finally at Salvador we saw what I think is the most beautiful city of Brazil. Colorful houses and vibrant street culture bring this city to life. Capoeira dancing, African drum playing and dancing can all be seen simply by galivanting through the streets. We had some interesting activities here as well like drum and cooking lessons. Like always, the food was delicious.

Overall this was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives and we were saved a lot of hassle thanks to Meghan who handled pretty much everything before our arrival, all we had to do was discuss the trip plan and book the trip. 10/10

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cruz do Pascoal

Salvador

The location was good but other than that it didn't offer much else. The breakfast was offered in another hotel se we had to leave to eat. The most important issue was that the room was not really clean and we woke with bug bites, possibly from some bed bug. These were not mosquito bites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room hugiene

Nobile Hotel Copacabana Design

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nadai Confort Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Perpetua hotel d charm

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tariri Amazon Lodge

Iranduba - Amazonas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porto da Lua

Mata de Sao Joao

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sugarloaf Mountain Walk

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio City Tour & Carnival Culture

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Art & Architecture Tour in Niterói

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corcovado & Christ the Redeemer Tour

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side & Gran Aventura Boat Tour

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day of Hiking & Cycling in Iguaçu

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon River to Jungle Lodge & Rainforest

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainforest & River Tours

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

African Heritage City Tour

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching in Praia do Forte

Praia do Forte

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bahian Percussion Workshop

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salvador Market Tour, Cooking Demonstration & lunch

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Art and Literature Tour of Bahia

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Cultural Experience in Rio Vermelho

Salvador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the local guides were wonderful!!!! read more

the local guides were wonderful!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

very unique setting and experience. A must stay place if in the amazon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmond Hotel das Cataratas

Foz do Iguaçu

The style was not our favorite so almost didn’t select this location. Extremely glad Jason highly encouraged it! The location was incredible and private time without the crowds at the falls was well worth it! Food and service were fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Janeiro Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour & Secrets of Old Rio

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Yacht Tour of Cotunduba Island

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Corcovado & Sugar Loaf with BBQ Lunch

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helicopter Overflight Iguazu Falls Brazil

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour Brazilian Iguazu Falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Argentine Iguazu Falls from Foz do Iguacu

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Adventure (Argentinian Falls Tour Supplement)

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Final Day Amazon. Flight to Foz do Iguaçu via Rio and Transfers

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you! It was an amazing trip.

All the flights worked out. Very smooth.
Lucas in Rio was awesome. And the tours were great. The bike tour was dangerous to be on busy city streets. Along the beach was fine. But my 12 year old got bumped by a truck on the busy streets with no bike lane. Got a bruise. Luckily it wasn’t worse. Carlos was great on the Corcovado tour. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. Lots of rain and clouds. But we had a memorable time.

Orico was great at... read more

Thank you! It was an amazing trip.

All the flights worked out. Very smooth.
Lucas in Rio was awesome. And the tours were great. The bike tour was dangerous to be on busy city streets. Along the beach was fine. But my 12 year old got bumped by a truck on the busy streets with no bike lane. Got a bruise. Luckily it wasn’t worse. Carlos was great on the Corcovado tour. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. Lots of rain and clouds. But we had a memorable time.

Orico was great at Iguaçu Falls. Very knowledgeable and definitely indispensable in the process to get over to the Argentina side of the falls. Again that bike trip was dangerous. The should is not very wide on that highway and my 15 year old was inches from getting hit by a bus. Very scary. But besides that we had a great time.

I would not recommend the bike tours next time. Or at least 18 and older and very competent on a bike if you’re going to do it.