Kimkim Trip Reviews for Brazil

My son and I who are Philadelphia Eagles fans, visited Brazil, from August and September of 2024. Our 20-day tour of Brazil included stops at Sao Paulo, Paraty, Angra Dos Reis, Rio De Janeiro, Iguacu Falls, Jumo Lodge in Amazon Jungle near Manaus, the historic City of Salvador, Chapdada National Park at Lincois . Thanks to Kim Kim's tour specialist Sara Martinel, our tour and experiences of Brazil was beyond amazing!! Prior to the start of the tour, we shared with Sara what we wanted to do such as including but not limited to hiking on mountains, snorkeling in the ocean, visit the waterfalls and magnificent caves, appreciate the history and culture and cuisines of Brazil and she made it happen!

Our daily trips were well thought out and provided a variety of options and recommendations! She tailored our trip and itinerary such a way that we were able to travel on road between certain cities to enjoy and appreciate the landscape! Each day we were provided accurate and specific driving plan with stops programmed in and links to other optional places. Travel arrangements were beyond imagination. From the moment we arrived at Sao Paulo, the transfer services from the airport to hotel and hotel to the domestic airports were like timer on a clock. The professional tour guides she selected for us were well informed and kept a pace we could keep. The list of tour guides we has were Alberto Cardoso and Andre Van Berg in Rio, Leon Courtman in Amazon Jungle, Ray Salvador in Salvador and Roco Belletti in Sao Paulo were amazing. These guides commented on wide variety of things in Brazil from Amazon rain forests to history of Salvador and other significance with each place and were recetive to questions and adjustment to the tour. The drivers we had were fantastic. Hotels and the Juma Lodge Sara selected for us were exceeded our expectations.

This was my first time using Kimkim and we highly recommend to other. I can’t wait to use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Pousada do Principe

Paraty

Nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nobile Hotel Copacabana Design

Rio de Janeiro

Very nice hotel and convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Viale Cataratas

Foz do Iguaçu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Manaus

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Juma Amazon Lodge

Autazes

We had the best experience at the Lodge from the location, ambiance, food and staff.

Authenticity & Character

Built with natural wood including the swimming pool built into the lake

Location

Lodge is located in the middle of a lake and atmosphere is very quite and serene.

Staff

Very nice and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Bahiacafe Hotel

Salvador

Beautiful historic building located in a historic district. View of the bay from the dining room windows was magnificient

Authenticity & Character

A historic building is converted to a hotel with all historic architecture still contained in the building.

Location

Conveniently located to all historic buildings and tourist spots and restaurants and activities. Every location within the historic district is walkable

Staff

Staffs speak good English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Lençóis

Lençóis - BA

An historic building converted to a hotel but looks like a beautiful lodge. The entire ambience is so beautiful that we spent significant amount of time walking in and around the hotel. Dining hall is an open air pavilion with an 180 degree view of the nature. Birds simply sit next us while we eat our morning breakfast. We could hear the bird chirping every morning.

Authenticity & Character

Simply it looks like a lodge that is generally built in a jungle

Location

Located at the highest point in Lincois and is next to a beautiful municipal park with multiple water falls.

Staff

Staff were very friendly and cordial.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean facility

Wyndham São Paulo Paulista

Sao Paulo

Nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Nothing can be improved due to constraint with the building structure

Location

Conveniently located close to other attractions in Sao Paulo.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historical tour of Salvador

Salvador

We were impressed with the rich history, medieval architecture and amazing culture in Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763 . Salvador is one of the major points of convergence of Portuguese, African and American Indian cultures of the 16th to 18th centuries. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. But today, Salvador is deemed a historic city by UNESCO because of innumerable number of historic buildings. The city has uniquely built defensive upper city upper city with administrative and residential buildings which overlooks the lower city where port activities are centered. Among the places we visited, the one that impressed me was Church of Saint Francis , also known as Golden church

Quality of Experience

The history, architecture and culture

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Ray Salvador was amazing. He has wealth of knowledge and great communication skills

Transport

private transfer from Paraty to Rio with stop in Angra for boat tour

Brazil

Our driver was very friendly and helpful. Our stay in Paraty was short but we appreciated and enjoyed the time we spent in the Historic Center District

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Rio de Janeiro

Tijuca One of the best botanical gardens I have seen in a while. The extensive selection of plants and trees are labelled. Many of the species were brought from different parts of the world and plated and grown in this garden. There were many that I hadn’t seen before. I was amazed at how they were able to grow so much in the garden. Tijuca Forest is actually largest urban forest in the world. Also, it is growing on steep mountains located adjacent to Rio. We were told by our guide Alberto Cardoso that Tijuca forest was actually created by the reforestation efforts in the late 1800s. The view of Rio from the top of the forest is amazing. Also, the Christ the Redeemer , a colossal statue of Christ is located at the top of one of the mountain peaks in the Tijuca Forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Telegraph Stone RJ

Rio de Janeiro

One of the best experiences I ever had visiting this Telegraph Stone . Our guide was Andre Van Berg. He picked us from our hotel in Copacabana in the morning and drove to village in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca. I just turned 65 and the hike takes about an hour to reach the top of the mountain with an elevation gain of 1100 feet.. It was a little harder going up hill in the first-half of the hike and then it becomes moderate . But our guide and my son kept a slow to pace to help me climb the mountain. The view of the surround area from the top of the mountain was breathtaking and we have spectacular views of mountain ranges with the broadleaf forest and beautiful beach at the bottom

Quality of Experience

Hiking a steep mountain (1100 feet tall) and taking photos at the telegraph stone is simply an amazing experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Andre was very knowledgeable and understand what it takes to hike a steep mountain. He himself was very fit and agile.

Transport

Andre used his own car to drive us from Copacabana to the village and back to Rio. On the way back to Rio, he drove along the coast and showed us numerous beautiful beaches including Ipanema and Leblon

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

Rio de Janeiro

Today we visited Christ the Redeemer, a colossal 38-meter (approximately 127 feet) tall concrete statue of Christ, which stands on the top of a mountain peak by Rio at 710 meters. It is truly one of the wonders of modern world because of the technological difficulties the builders have to overcome to build this colossal monument, with arms outstretched in a gesture of blessing and embrace at an elevation of about 2364 feet above sea level. Experience at the statue is beyond explanation. We saw Maracana stadium (exterior) with famous Pele statue in the front and climbed the famous Lapa Steps or Selaron staircase, one of the most loved attractions in Rio, the work of the Chilean artist Jorge Selaròn, Going to Sugarloaf on a cable car is another enjoyable experience. Overall, tour of Rio as arranged by Sara was truly remarkable. Also, we visited a very uniquely built Cathedral known as Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian. The cathedral was designed in a modern style Mayan architectural style with a taste of pyramids. I have seen so many cathedral s throughout the world but have not see this architecture in a church or cathedral .

Quality of Experience

Food

The Shirley restaurant Alberto recommended had delicious seafood and wines. We enjoyed the lunch at the Shirley restaurant.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alberto Cardoso was our guide. He is very experienced, knowledgable and affable and willing to help even he has to go out of the way. We learned a lot about Brazilian history and culture through him. He speaks English very well. He speaks five languages including English. We highly recommend Alberto to any tourists who is thinking about visiting Rio.

Transport

Alberto brought his own car which was clean and fantastic

HD tour Brazilian side of the waterfalls + Aves Park

Foz do Iguaçu

We have seen numerous water falls in the US and Canada including Niagara Falls but Iquacu falls is one of the most spectacular falls we ever seen in the world. Niagara pales in comparison to Iquacu falls. There are over 300 falls across 2 mile width of the Iguacu river over the rocky cliff. We saw many of the these water falls from the Brazilian and the famous Devils throat from the Argentinian side. The power and fury of Mother Nature in the falls is incredible and awesome on both sides but we experienced that power of the falls from the Brazilian side when our boat ride took us directly under one of the mega falls. The experience under the power of falling water is incredible and amazing.

Quality of Experience

When our boat from Macuco tours went under the falls three times on the Brazilian side, it is something you never experienced particularly the powder and fury of the water. We actually made a 3 minute video of that experience with our iPhone with waterproof cover. But it is not possible to upload that video. If we can upload that video, everyone can visualize the amazing experience we had under the falls for those 3 minutes

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was Luis who is knowledgable but he was distracted by too many phone calls. People with Macuco were amazing particularly those were driving the boat.

Transport

FD Argentinian side of the falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Our guide Luis drove us from Brazilian side to the Argentinian side of the National Park where another portion of the Iguacu falls is present. We did not take the Macuco ride to the bottom of the falls instead we took a mini train ride close to the Devil's Throat which is located on the Argentinian side of the falls and walked nearly 2 kilometers over a steel pedestrian bridge built over the Iguacu river to reach the Devil's throat falls. The water falls in Devil's throat is so powerful that mist created by the falls constantly hung in the air and making it a wet conditions throughout of stay on the viewing deck. The fury and power of Mother Nature is at full display at the top of the Devil's throat where the rocky cliff is cut to steps by the constant erosion of rocks from the falling water. .

Quality of Experience

The power of water

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide needs to be more attentive to our question rather than answering his phone

Transport

Second day at Juma Lodge

The Amazon

Second day we had rowing canoe in the Juma river/ lake as well seeing the wildlife on the banks of the river which was a wonderful experience. Lunch was at a local outdoor restaurant. The food was delicious. After noon piranha fishing did not go well as no one able to catch a piranha despite stopping our boat at different locations in the lake. In the night our guide took us on a boat to watch alligators, frogs and birds. The Leon only used a flashlight to focus on the animals in the Amazonian darkness, making the ride very exciting. He was able to catch a baby caiman (crocodile) from the lake in the darkness with a flash light and hand. We were able to hold and touch the baby caiman. This was one of the best experiences I ever had in the past.

Quality of Experience

Nighttime boat ride in tranquil lake with Amazon rainforest surrounding the lake is a special experience for us

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First day at the Juma Lodge in the Amazon jungle

The Amazon

Transfer from Manaus to Juma lodge is a unique experience. First, we were on a speed boat and traveled across a vast area of meeting of two rivers, Amazon and Negro from Manaus to an interior land port where Shuttle bus waiting for us to travel on the road to another port where another boat picked us up to travel along a winding river and into the Juma River with a large lake where Juma Lodge is located. The meeting two rivers, Amazon river with off-white color water and Negro river with black color water at Manaus is one of the enchanting natural spectacle one can see. These two rivers flow together with two distinct color for next 6 kilometer on the downstream side of Manaus. Our boat driver drove the boat parallel to the meeting line of these two rivers for distance and circle back to the point where we needed to travel.It is a beautiful phenomenon for mesmerizing distance where two disparate waters touch, bubble and dance, cheek-to cheek, This natural spectacle truly showcases the culturally rich country and the talented, burgeoning peoples that comprise the Brazil nation. First day in Juma Lodge was to acquaint ourself with the lodge facilities and walking tour of Amazon rainforest with our wonderful guide Leon Courtman. Leon is very knowledgeable and has good grasp on the plant species in Amazon rainforest. He gave us a ton information about the plants of the Amazon that have hundreds of potential medicinal uses. The forest tour was an invaluable experience to gain knowledge of plant species that provide ingredients for fighting cancer to soothing asthma and reducing anxiety to treating gallstones. The time in the forest was well spent with Leon

Quality of Experience

Tranquility, serenity, and is really one of the very few places where we can still surround ourselves with a scenery, unlike anything else we've seen so far.

Food

Food was fantastic as most of the cuisines were cooked with spices. Loved the seafoods. Fruits were fresh and abundant as with the varieties of fruit juices. One of the unique culture I noticed was that all fruit juices were kept in pitchers without ice. But ice cubes were kept in a separate container so that if anyone wants ice they can add. Also, there was a long steel spoon kept next to the pitcher so that guests can stir up the juice so that the dense particles can mix with liquid that accumulated at the top of the pitcher.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leon is exceptionally good with full command over both English and Portuguese languages as well as the plant species in Amazon Rainforest.

Transport

Boat rides and ground transportation were like a clock work

Third day at Juma Lodge

The Amazon

The third day began with a viewing of the sunrise from a 100-foot tall viewing tower built next to Juma Lodge. The changing of color of the Amazon sky over the lakes and forest is amazing. Leon showed us the waste water treatment system at the lodge which actually removes the contaminants to a level of drinking water before being discharge to the lake. The sludge that remains in the treatment tanks will be hauled away in the boat for treatment at facility near Manaus. Rest of the morning was spent in the Amazon forest full of Amazonian palm trees which are huge and tall. Palm trees in the Amazon forests are totally different than what I have seen in the US. Afternoon was spent at a native Amazonian farm known as the House of a caboclo (native) which was located where Juma river meets the main Parana river. Leon was very good explaining how native Amazonians perfected the methods to extract edible food from cassava vegetable (like potato) which contains dangerous levels of cyanide. The food that people can make using cassava include bread, French fries, mashed cassava, cassava chips, cassava cake.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last day at Juma Lodge

The Amazon

This day was our return journey back to Manaus airport. So we said goodby to our guide Leon and two tourist from Germany and two from Rio who become our good friends during three day stay in Juma Lodge. It was hard to say goodby to them and leave the lodge. With heavy heart we returned to Manaus airport and caught our flight to São Paulo and then to Salvador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Manaus to the airport was nice, the flight from Manaus to Sao Paulo and to Salvador was on time and had great time

Gruta da Lapa Doce, Pratinha, Gruta Azul e Morro do Pai Inácio

Lençóis

The hiking through the Gruta cave from an entrance at the bottom of the valley and climbing up the steps to an exit hole was a fantastic experience. The numerous stalactites and stalagmites creations are unbelievably beautiful. Visit to blue water cave at Pratinha river and snorkeling in the cave water is an experience my son and I will never forget. Blue cave at Gruta Pratinha in Chapada National Park ( locally know as Chapada Diamentina in recognition of diamond mining in the region) is the most beautiful cave I have seen. The Pratinha River water in the Blue Pool of the cave so perfectly clear that you can see all the rock formations and the numerous fishes in the water bottom below. The snorkeling in the cave was definitely the highlight of the tour. it's an unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

On September 2, to our surprise our transfer from Salvador to Lencois was at our hotel on time and announced that he will be driving us in the car all the way to Lencois, which was 5-1/2 hours. We are unable to remember his name but he was a very nice gentleman. He was gracious enough to use google translate to communicate with us which made the long ride from Salvador to Lencois enjoyable. He stopped at a very nice road side restaurant in a town called Iteberaba for lunch where food was fantastic. We reached the Hotel De Lencois in Lencois in the late afternoon. The hotel de Lencois is almost like a lodge in a jungle not a typical hotel we see everywhere we have gone. This hotel, which is located at one of the highest point in the town of Lencois, has an outdoor pool by the garden, a library, a restaurant with a wine cellar and buffet breakfast. The dining area is an open air porch with garden surround the porch. Furthermore, there is a beautiful municipal park next to the hotel, numerous water falls. Ambiance in the hotel is remarkably tranquil and beautiful. The dining area makes us feel like we are sitting in a jungle lodge eating our breakfast with garden around us and birds simply waiting on the bird feeds placed along the perimeter of the open porch to eat the food to be feed by the staff. The food was delicious and varieties of wines in stock were exceptionally good.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide Maco was exceptionally good. My son and him have become good friends at the end of the tour. The staff at the Hotel de Lencois are very polite, friendly and able to communicate very well with us. Helped us whenever we asked for assistance.

Transport

Transport was on time like a clock work

Cachoeira da Fumaça & Riachinho

Lençóis

Today, I did not go to Vale do Capao for 12 km walk to see the famous water falls Fumaca. But my son did that expedition and was was very impressed with majestic mountain and falls. He said he had wonderful time there with guide Maco and other tourists who were with him. I went on my own hiking of the Lencois municipal park that was located next to Hotel de Lencois. Definitely a MUST visit Park in Lencois. Full of waterfalls, jaw dropping views, wildlife, pretty caves, rocks, water holes, and so much more. The park has an entry fee of 20 Reals. Also, you cannot hike to water falls without a guide. It helps a lot to have a guide with you to show you the trials so you don't get lost and take you to the interesting spots. There is always more to explore in this park depending on how much time you have

Private City Tour in Sao Paulo

São Paulo

Our guide for São Paulo was Rocco Belletti. He was exceptionally good with great command over English language as well as the history of São Paulo. I was impressed with him. We walked the Paulista Avenue, visited Ibirapuera Park and Batman Alley. Everything was fantastic. The night ended by watching the football game between Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers at Corinthian Stadium in Guarulhos. Ice on the cake was our beloved Philadelphia Eagles won that game

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rocco was very friendly and easy to approach. I would recommend him for anyone. Transport from and to airport to hotel and from and to the football stadium are exceptionally good.

Transport

Day 1: Arrival in Sāo Luis: The arrangements went smoothly until check-in to Hotel Luzeiros. The reservations were not paid and had to be billed to my companion's Visa until proof of payment was provided. This took longer than expected because the Hotel accounts office was closed leading to an e-mail trial and error. Not a great start. The problem was corrected eventually that evening.

Day 2: Group transfer from São Luis to Barrierinhas. The transfer bus was one hour late, leading to some anxious moments about being forgotten etc. The communication was minimal between KimKim and us, so we just had to wait and hope. When the transfer bus (about 20 passengers) finally arrived, the air conditioning broke down, leading to an unscheduled stop at the SL airport where an alternate vehicle could be arranged. About an hour delay, but the van arrived and we enjoyed a nice air conditioned ride to Barrierinhas. Wonderful couple of tour guides were patiently waiting for us to check in so they could take us to Lençoise MNP. It was an unbelievably beautiful experience - the guides knew the back dirt roads, leading to us enjoying the swimming/walking experience to ourselves. Nice guide walked us there and back, offering assistance to we elderly women. Pousada Boa Vista was lovely: clean, with one English speaking staff member who helped us immensely. We had to text KimKim Angela to give us the departure time for the tour the next day. This was an ongoing problem - we should not have always had to text for departure times. This is a standing complaint. Please always give departure times for tours. We should not have to always inquire!

Day 3 Preguicas River Tour

Absolutely disastrous. The company who is responsible for picking up passengers operates the tour boat as a transfer boat for passengers who have luggage and are heading to Atins. The boat operator was disorganized, did not bother to organize luggage to accommodate all passenger who were only there for the tour and did not take luggage.. The boat operator took a great interest in two pretty passengers, totally ignoring the rest of the passengers on the boat. We two (2) were left on the beach on the final stop without explanation from the boat operator except that he would return in an hour for us. Our reserved seats on the boat were occupied by two strangers who were picked up for the run Atins, down river. Absolutely unacceptable and this boat tour company should never be used again. Also pretty sure the boat operator took time to smoke a few reefers in between stops, but of course cannot prove that. Just felt unsafe all around.

Day 4 Barreirinhas to Parnaiba

Pousada Villa Parnaiba was probably the best accommodation that Parnaiba could offer, but the rooms were in need of a great deal of repair. The toilet shower was not operable. No restaurant was within a reasonable walking distance, so at great personal cost, food delivery was made to the hotel. The hamburger worked out to be about 120 Reals. The pool was a little dicey - very shallow with no discernible pool cleaning system observed, so no swimming was done there. The tour that was supposed to pick us up at the hotel was over an hour late. This meant that return from the river tour would be well after dark. Nothing to see when the river is dark, so there was no point in taking the tour. KimKim would not refund the cost of the tour, as they thought the tour was only 1/2 hour late. No point arguing. There was no refund given by KimKim.

Day 5 Parnaiba to Jericoacoara

The driver was wonderful but without English, it was difficult to understand the day's schedule. Long drive in the vehicle but enjoyed all the stops and runs along highway and beach. Very generous stops, and very nice lunch spot where the hammocks dip into the lake. Well organized, expert driver who ran us up sand dunes.

Day 6 Jericoacoara

The planned activity for the day was something that perhaps younger generation enjoy, but a hot dusty and bumpy buggy tour at high speeds around sand dunes was not really what either of us wanted to do. We cancelled immediately when we saw what we would be in for. We did request age appropriate activity and this did not fit the request at all. We were perfectly content to stay in Jeri for the day and sit at the beach. We were transferred the next day to another room because of a leaky toilet, without incident. We would like to give a shout out again to Leandro, our friend at the front desk for being an awesome host.

Day 8 Fortaleza

Transfer from Jeri to Fortaleza took 9 long hours. We were advised it would be a 4 hour transfer. No idea why it took so much longer, but were again treated to expert driving along beach and road. Hotel accommodation in Fortaleza was 5 star awesome. Right across from the beach. Great room and location.

Day 9 Fortaleza City Tour

We did not have the benefit of an English speaking guide, but we did hire a guide who showed us around beautiful Fortaleza; the opera house, and market. Unfortunately we cancelled the planned tour, and paid for a tour ourselves. We kept some local families happy with that double payment. Poor choice on our part, not KimKim's fault.

Day 11 Manaus City Tour

Beautiful hotel. 5 star. Unfortunately the car provided by the guide was not air conditioned and the temperature outside was 40 degrees. We did our best, but had to return to the hotel because of heat exhaustion. We missed touring the Indigenous People Museum, unfortunately.

Day 12-15 Ecopark Jungle Lodge

Grateful that we did not have to travel 3 hours up river, the Ecolodge was only an hour away via vehicle transfer and boat. Accommodation cabins were lovely. 3 meal a day food was always superb. Special presentation at the beach one night with amazing food and 5 star entertainment. It would appear that this was for the benefit of special guests at the lodge who we guessed reviewed and recommended accommodation on the Amazon. We got the benefit of ths special presentation - and enjoyed it thoroughly.

The transfer from Manous to Manous Airport did not show up at 9 a.m. or at all.
We took an Uber to the airport instead.

After the original accommodation was cancelled at Turtle Lodge, which was 3 hours further up river, the plane transfer would have been doable from EcoLodge - Manous - São Paulo. An extra night had to be spent in São Paulo because of timing with original accommodation arrangement. Unfortunate.

All in all, a well organized tour, but again, it was not acceptable that communication had to constantly be made with Angela to advise us about tour starting times every day.

Sara was incredibly responsive. She answered every question I had in a timely manner, and when there were logistical problems she worked to quickly solve them. She tailored our trip to our unique interest. We enjoy being in nature and the energy of a vibrant city. We would definitely work with Sara again.

Our family of 4 (2 boys age 16 and 13) just returned from an amazing 13 day trip to Brazil. Bruno and his team at AAA Bahia crafted an unbelievably well thought out and perfectly executed itinerary which included eco-tourism, cultural sights, sporting events, and beach fun. Our trip started in the Amazon then Salvador and wrapped up in Rio. At every location the transportation was seamless and the bilingual guides were extremely knowledgeable, fun, and had great enthusiasm about sharing their homeland with us. Leading up to the trip Bruno and his team were so easy to work with, they always listened to what we wanted out of the trip and and provided great recommendations on sightseeing activities as well as dining and nightlife. The kimkim platform was a breeze to use and was invaluable for communication with Bruno as well as handling all payments. This is the second time we have used kimkim for an overseas trip (Colombia 2023) and both times the local travel companies they hooked us up with were perfect. If you plan to go to Brazil I highly recommend using the kimkim platform and AAA Bahia to craft the perfect vacation for you.

Camille and Renata were kind, patient, detail-oriented, and responsive. Our trip to Brazil was our 3rd trip with KimKim. We can't wait for the next one!

We had a really good time in Brasil. Everything was very well organised.

The Selina hotel in Rio and in Parraty were very nice. Our hotel in Buzios was absolutely fantastic. The hotel Pietro Angelo in FOz do Iguacu was not so good (too big and impersonal.

We had a good time in Rio and the most amazing activity was hanggliding! We liked the samba class as well. And we joined a football game at Maracana. What a vibrant ambiance!

Our day 1 tour guide in Rio was rather boring and super touristic.
The tour day with bus and full boat in Praia do Araial was also very touristic. Pleasant but not our cup of tea.

We had a blast with Greg, the taxi driver. He's really a super nice person!

Thanks to Alfonso and colleagues who really helped us out when we had questions at any time of the day.

Thank you all for the nice experience!

Kim & Nora

We had an exceptional experience with Renata at KimKim as well as the local guides with Bravo Brazil. Everything went off without a hitch. Everyone was so professional and courteous. We would definitely book another trip with KimKim. Very impressed!

Hotel Review

Pousada Pequi

Aquidauana

This is an absolute gem of a place. It is so unique, the food is amazing, and the staff were really exceptional. The tours were so much fun and so interesting and we all had a good time from teenager to adult!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hiking & Waterfalls at Boca da Onça farm

Bonito MS

This hike was absolutely gorgeous. Honestly, it blew all of us away. We felt like we were in a movie :-) The waterfalls are incredible! This was definitely a highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip was overall well planned by Bruno. We visited Rio and Foz do Iguacu with KimKim (we did also add a single night in Sao Paulo, due to travel needs). During the planning phase, we adjusted and added attractions that best fit my family. This included changing our flights that Bruno initially booked to help fit my desired schedule. The planning phase was great and easy. Our English guides did great and accommodated our family of 5 as needed during the various tours. The hotel selections fit our desires as well. My only small issue was the airport pickups. I believe they use a generic airport based service to get you to your hotel (at least in Rio and Sao Paulo that was the case). Both in Rio and Sao Paulo our drivers did not speak English. This was a slight issue as we weren't proficient Portuguese speakers, but we managed ok. If you were uncomfortable putting yourself out there doing some mimes and broken sign-language, it would have been very disappointing. All in all, 9 out of 10.

I just returned from one of the most epic adventures of my life. I went on this trip as a 57 year old single mom from Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
I have Sara, (my wonderful Kim Kim Travel contact/trip organizer) and Gilmar (my amazing jungle guide) to thank for this superior experience.
Sara organized the entire trip for me down to the last detail. She made sure that all of my requests were fulfilled and that she was available at all times to answer questions and navigate through itinerary changes during the expedition. From the moment we met over the KimKim website Sara was responsive, detail oriented, and timely in her feedback.
She supported me the entire way from the take off at IAD to landing back home 12 days later.
Sara's English was excellent and her resources on the ground in Manaus were reliable and friendly.
My guide, Gilmar, had 14 years of jungle guiding experience and provided for my safety and well being from the moment he met me to my final drop off at the Holiday Inn. Gilmar spoke English well and knew the jungle inside-out. I felt safe with Gilmar by my side and learned so many wonderful things about the Amazon jungle from him. He showed me how to fish for Pirhana, set up hammocks in the deep jungle, fry fish on a fire and build a frying rack made from jungle wood. He showed me how to spot Caymans at night and sight monkeys and iguanas and sloths in the tree tops and make plates out of palm leaves.
On my final day in Manaus I woke up unbelievably grateful, thinking that this had been one of the most epic adventures of my life. I actually shed a few tears of happiness when I thought of everything that I had done and experienced in the last two weeks.
This trip did not just meet my expectations; it surpassed them.
It is without hesitation that I would recommend Sara and Gilmar for anyone wishing to have the ultimate Jungle Experience.

Our trip to the Pantanal in Brazil and to Iguazu Falls is Brazil and Argentina was amazing. Our drivers were punctual and helpful at every step of the way. We were able to see two jaguars on the Cuiaba river in the Fontanelle. Iguazu Falls is incredible, and our guide Junior was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, including accompanying us to into the airport to make sure everything was all set for our return home.

Sara was an amazing link to make our Amazon trip possible. She answered all our questions before our trip in a timely fashion and everything went like clockwork. We loved the Ture Lodge and made life long friends at the lodge and with the guests. Arigato!

We had an amazing trip. Everything was seamlessly taken care of for us. This is my first time not doing an organized group tour (I have done more than 40), and this was by far the better way to travel. Renata was able to find things that we never would have been able to do. Our locals guides were exceptional. Manuela, our Pantanal guide, was friendly, reliable, knowledgeable, and honestly really fun. Our stay at Barra Mansa was by far our favorite part of the trip. The folks there legitimately made us feel like we were at home. Manuela, also followed up to assist us in making bookings in Sao Paulo. She was fantastic.

Dai, our Bonito guide, was funny, had so many interesting stories, and was not afraid of jumping in and doing the adventure stuff alongside us. She made sure everything was taken care of for us.

Rocco, our Paraty guide, not only drove us all the way from Sao Paulo but also had extensive knowledge of the local history. He also recommended some places for our favorite meals on the entire trip. He went above and beyond to assist us in booking a last minute boat tour.

Bruno, our Sao Paulo guide, was extremely knowledgeable and able to read our group and pivot on a dime to make instant changes to our itinerary that suited us (MASP was amazing!). We all loved Sao Paulo by the end of the day.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. I can't say enough about how kind the people were, how delicious the food, and how beautiful the scenery. I would highly recommend using Kim Kim. We'll certainly be booking with them again.

As a minor detail, the GRU airport transfer and airport hotel we stayed at twice was the only negative experience we had the entire time. The GRU hotel van transfer was nearly impossible to figure out, especially after an overnight trip. We ended up getting a taxi, which was much quicker and more convenient. I wish we had just done that up front and saved us trekking all over the airport while exhausted only to not find the connection.

The airport hotel we stayed at in GRU was conveniently located and had a good breakfast but was otherwise somewhere I would not recommend to anyone. We ended up in the same room a week apart and it very clearly hadn't been cleaned other than the beds being remade. The bathroom was dirty and unhygienic, the table tops sticky, and something I had accidentally left 6 days earlier was still on the floor (which, I guess was lucky). It was also extremely loud and had an odd smell in the rooms.

A truly fantastic trip, flawlessly organised by Chadya and the KimKim team. We could not have asked for a better guide to Bonito and the Pantanal that Miguel. He truly went above and beyond to make our stay in this beautiful part of Brazil all the more captivating. Our driver Jerson was also great company an a very keen eyed spotter of roadside wildlife. Doris was an excellent guide in Sao Paulo and our two city walks with her were fascinating. Many thanks KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Heritage

São Paulo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfectly located for exploring Avenida Paulista and the surrounds.

Staff

Friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Olho d'Agua

Bonito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pousada Aguapé

Aquidauana

Great accommodation in a beautiful part of the Pantanal. A fantastic programme of activities enabling us to get the most out of being in this very special part of the world. The amazing wildlife of the area was always all around us, even in the Pousada itself. The food (and the caipirinhas) were also excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the city of São Paulo

São Paulo

A great introduction to this fascinating city. Doris was a brilliant guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Estância Mimosa Tour

Bonito MS

A truly unique and captivating experience. Beautiful location. Friendly, patient staff.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sucuri River Snorkel Tour

Bonito MS

A really unique and memorable experience. Thoroughly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking in South Pantanal

South Pantanal

A truly memorable experience. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historical Center of São Paulo

São Paulo

A fascinating chance to explore the historical centre of Sao Paulo. The Mercado Municipal was particularly enjoyable. Doris was great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Lago Azul

Bonito MS

Fascinating and awe inspiring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Photo Safari in South Pantanal

South Pantanal

A truly memorable experience. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak Ride on the Aquidauana River

South Pantanal

Relaxing and beautiful. A great way to get really close to some of the incredible bird life of the Pantanal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Motorboat Tour on the Aquidauana River

South Pantanal

A truly memorable experience. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nocturnal Wildlife Tour

South Pantanal

A truly memorable experience. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leisure Time in São Paulo

São Paulo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In Brazil, we had a total of 3 tour guides with us and 2 of them exceeded expectations and one seemed to leave us hanging for a part of the trip. Luis and Alberto excelled at their job they both kept a pace we could keep up with (we are both 60+), were very informative, commenting on the significant historical stories of each locale, and were receptive to questions and adjustments to the tour so that we felt comfortable at every stage of the trip. While C was informative and tried their best at English she probably kept the Portuguese portion of the group well informed but when we went to confirm our return ride back by rail, we felt a little abandoned not knowing what the next step was. Thankfully fellow passengers and the station master were quick to figure out the next step and ensured we had tickets for, the return train trip back to Curitiba. It must also be said that C was very considerate in backtracking the group to recover a personal item left behind - thank you C. Kimkim and Luis were very helpful when the airline cancelled a trip from Foz do Iguacu to Curitiba shortly before boarding. Luis was on the phone to clarify alternate plans, and in a few minutes, an alternate route going through Sao Paulo was arranged. While we got in later than expected it all worked out. All the transfers were handled professionally with no hiccups. At all times when travelling with the parties, Kimkim arranged we felt safe and looked after. In overview, the hotels were all comfortable and met our expectations with interesting features and locations. Kimkim was right on with sticking to the plan as agreed upon. I would travel with Kimkim again especially if the same stellar tour guides were included.

Had an amazing although short trip to Rio. Alberto was a fantastic knowledgable guide and I truly appreciated his fluent English. Also thanks to Sara for preparing a detailed plan to see all the major sights and some of the more unique ones. I truly enjoyed this trip.

The adventures were fantastic. All guide and drivers were amazing. I would like to specifically thank Lucas. He was a fantastic guide. We really enjoyed all the things he showed us and taught us. Especially the local phrases and we got to use to communicate. Fun was had by all. Thank you so much.

Hotel Reviews

Pousada Naturalia

Angra dos Reis

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Califórnia Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Tour of Sugarloaf Mountain (walking trail) and Christ the Redeemer Statue

Rio de Janeiro

This was an awsome experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour Halfway Around Ilha Grande (Group Tour)

Ilha Grande

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Lopes Mendes Beach

Ilha Grande

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant on the water was excellent

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Doris in Sao Paulo for both the Avenida Paulista and Centro tours was great. She was really informative and friendly. We would encourage people to walk in the centro area, if the police presence is maintained, because it is very interesting. We didn't feel it was any more dangerous than San Francisco.
In Bonito and the Pantanal our guide was Miguel Aguilar. He was absolutely brilliant. He was really knowledgeable and very friendly. He also took great photographs that he shared with us. He is quadrilingual - Spanish, English, French and Portuguese, so I would definitely recommend that you use him for other guests to the area.
Our driver in the same area was Gerson. He was really good, drove very safely and was also great at spotting wildlife.

We loved all the activities we did in Bonito and the Pantanal. Posuada Aguape is a really great place, with fantastic staff and delicious food.

To start off, I was very happy with my trip and I came in with multiple concerns relating to safety and Yellow/Dengue fever outbreak in Brazil. Coming out of it, I think the safety was much overblown and I did not have any issues with mosquitoes as I used bug spray, sprayed clothes ahead of time, and I avoided going to the Amazon rain forest and other areas that are in more "higher-risk" areas.
Using Kim-kim significantly helped with the ease. I was able to modify things before I paid for them, and I was picked up from the airport and had guides set up. Could I have found something cheaper? probably, but I am paying for the convenience and the safety because I needed a guide for any big trip I would go on because I do not speak Portuguese.
I do wish there was a breakdown of the pricing because the lack of transparency makes me think I could have gotten a better deal, especially with the exchange rate and how things tend to be very affordable in Brazil.
I stayed at Hotel Arena Copacabana. The couple negatives that I experienced while I was there was that I arrived at the airport at 8 AM and was exhausted, but my room was not ready until 2 PM so I had to "waste" 6 hours exploring the area until I was able to go to my room and nap. In addition, I believe under the description I was told that each guest gets 1 free water bottle, which was not the case. You can buy one for 8 Brazilian Real.
Overall my room was fine. The view was sort of from the side so it was not the best, but overall I was satisfied with it. The staff was very courteous and they cleaned the room very well when asked.
The guide I spent the most time with was Louis. He was great, and from the beginning I felt very comfortable with him. He bought souvenirs for my guest and I, and he would get us waters when we needed it. He did discuss politics and philosophy a lot but overall I was very happy with him. He took us to Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Tijuca Rain Forest. I wish we went on actual hikes in the rain forest. We essentially drove into the area, and stopped at areas to take pictures near the waterfall. I was a little underwhelmed with the rain forest. Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain were cool to see. Definitely a must-see, but it is definitely a big tourist attraction.
The next guide was Danyel, or he goes by Jack Danyel. I requested to not go to the Favelas for tours due to safety concerns. We did end up going to the Vidigal Favella and took a van to the top to get to Two Brother's Peak. The hike was very strenuous and I was sweating buckets by the time I got down. We then had food at the Favela and rode a motor-bike down. The food we had at the Favela was very good. The Favela was nowhere as dangerous as online reviews make it seem. I may have also lucked out because at that time there was no ongoing conflict between police and drug gangs in that area. We then went on ao bike tour. My one critique was that Jack Danyel tended to be on his phone for the majority of the time.
The next guide was Miguel. The main adventure with him was going kayaking. Unfortunately, the waves and wind did not let us go to Tijuca Island but we went around the lagoon and enjoyed that as well. Miguel was a great tour guide.
The last day we went on a Food Tour. Vicente, he did not contact me ahead of time like the rest did to confirm pick-up time. Either ways, I loved the food tour and he was very informative. I thinka food tour should be required for any trip to a foerign country to learn about the food and culture. I had a great time that day.
Louis drove us back as scheduled.
Overall, this was a great trip with very few negatives. I definitely want to go back to Brazil again in the future. Almost every guide offered their services to me in the future if I have any questions on future trips and I do plan to keep in contact with them. Louis contacted me later to make sure I arrived in the states ok.

Hotel Review

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Good location. Annoyed that I had to wait 6 hours to get my room. Wasn't necessarily the fault of my hotel but it was tough to get to the hotel 8 AM from a long flight and wait a while. They do not give any free water bottle for each guest, even though I believe they mentioned that.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach was right across the street.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were ok. They cleaned the rooms very well.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day private tour: Santa Teresa and Rio’s Municipal Theater

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Tour of Two Brothers Peak & Vidigal Favela

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day- Rio by Bike

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak around Tijuca Island

Rio de Janeiro

The weather did not allow us to go to Tijuca Island so we went around the lagoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour in Rio

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

Sara was exceptional at helping us plan our first trip to Brazil. She was very knowledgeable about where to go and how much time to spend in each place, and she was extremely patient with me as we locked in the fine details. Once in Brazil, she and Thiago were very communicative and helpful. Everything that Sara planned for us went extremely smoothly. Our drivers and tour guides were punctual and added new dimensions to our trip. We had a very kind tour guide in Paraty, who taught us about the town's history. We so appreciated Thiago and Eder helping us make our transfers as early as late in the day as they needed to be. Our tour guide in Foz do Iguacu was very flexible as there were some weather impacts on our trip there. However, he made sure we got to see as much as we could and even helped us fill some time before we had a late flight out of town. Our tour guide in Sao Paulo likewise rolled with the weather and brought us to a bunch of highlights in the city. Thank you Sara (and Thiago) for making our first trip to Brazil one that we will never forget!

My husband and I had an absolutely delightful trip to Brazil in December 2023. Renata helped us out really well. The local team were very responsive and all the tours we had booked were well coordinated and flawless. We went to the Amazon, Rio and Iguazu Falls. Renata made us a perfect and well rounded itinerary for the entire duration of our stay. We are glad we booked through our Brazil trip through Kim Kim.

We felt that 2 things could have been different and can be improved :
1) Since I had many questions and clarifications needed from Renata, I wish we had more phone calls instead of to and fro messaging on the Kim Kim app which lead to some delays for us( We did have couple of short calls later). It would have helped us to communicate faster and better.
2) I wish we were informed about carrying less luggage to the Amazon, as it was a challenging task for us to carry multiple bags that was meant for the entire duration of the trip.

Overall, it was an amazing trip to Brazil and we are happy that we booked through KimKim.