Kimkim Trip Reviews for Brazil

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 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 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 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 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!!!!

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 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.

We just finished the most amazing family trip to Rio. We were travelling with our two young sons (ages 3 and 10 months), so we needed significant attention, special needs and flexibility. Camille made great recommendations on the tours to book. Our specialized guide, Daniela, was an absolute superstar. She adapted each tour and day to our specific needs and tastes, and was very flexible as the needs of the boys evolved over the days. They absolutely adored her and were excited to see her each morning. Pere and Dayane were also integral parts of our trip and made sure our whole family was well taken care of.

I would recommend this team to anyone looking to take a trip to Rio. Just let them know your interests and they will put together something special and maximize your trip to this beautiful and wonderful country. We hope to come back to visit you all again soon.

Activity Reviews

Boteco Tour of Rio

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

Walking through the Bohemian Neighborhood of Santa Teresa

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luciana was just amazing and gave me great advice, I loved every minute fo this trip. Organization was just perfect and Brazil is such a beautiful country

The planning of my solo trip to Brazil was very organised from start to finish. Camille was very helpful in making recommendations and suggestions of places to visit in Brazil, what to do and where to visit and stay. She helped me to have a personalised planning experience with a trip catered specifically to me. She helped to coordinate and plan my holiday and ensuring I was completely satisfied with the final itinerary, tours and plan, and taking on board what i wanted to get out of the trip. I was then provided a very detailed itinerary with timings of pick ups, transport and tours before I flew out.

Every aspect of my trip went according to plan whilst out in Brazil. All guides and transport were prompt and very helpful and friendly.

My guide in Rio, Fernanda was very friendly, personable and gave me lots of information whilst on tours and travelling, whilst also suggesting great places to see. She kept on communication all the time and made my trip extra special and helped take amazing pictures in tourists spots such as Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, fun Samba carnival experience, local neighbourhoods and so many more. She really helped me to get a rich experience of Rio.

I also had other guides in Manaus and Ilha Grande - John-Paul and Carlos who were also very friendly, helpful and supportive to ensure I had a great trip.

My time in the Amazon was a lovely experience and this was a great recommendation as the staff at the Tariri lodge were amazing and the food was brilliant.

I also had great experiences in Ilha Grande, which is a beautiful island that Camille recommended to me as I wanted sun, sea and beaches during the final part of my holiday. This did not disappoint and I enjoyed Ilha Grande very much. My guide, Carlos gave great tips and information and recommendations of great food and restaurants to try and was helpful explaining good spots in the different beaches on the island. He also helped to take amazing photos for my memories during the boat tour. I also loved meeting new people from all over the world and also local Brazillians during my tours.

All of the guides were very helpful and knowledgeable and I appreciate their warmth and enthusiasm to make my trip feel special and also safe, as a solo traveller.
I was also able to get 24 hour emergency assistance when my domestic flights was delayed and they helped to reschedule my transport to ensure everything was taken care of.

I had an amazing trip and have fond memories, photos and stories that I have taken back and shared with friends and family.
I had great experiences and memories in Rio, The Amazon and Ilha Grande and would highly recommend Brazil Green Travel and Kim Kim to plan life-changing holiday experiences.

Thank you!

We had initially booked this trip through Kimkim with Brazil Green Travel in March of 2020. The pandemic forced us to cancel. We waited two years before we were able to rebook. Camille stayed in contact and was able to redo our trip without additional cost. It was worth the wait. The accommodations were well chosen, the private transport service great. Our personal, professional guides added immeasurable value to our understanding and enjoyment of Brazil’s vibrant culture, history and stunning landscapes. We visited Rio, Paraty, Lencois/Chapada Diamentina, Iguazu and Salvador during our three week sojourn and locked it all. If you haven’t been to Brazil, go—and go with Brazil Green Travel!

When we were looking to travel to Brazil, we knew we needed some help planning and organizing never having been to the country and not knowing the best things to see and do, I spent some time looking online and trying to find people that could help. From prearranged tours to private tours, and nobody seem to have the flexibility to be able to book the things that we specifically wanted to do, if you wanna book a private tour, it’s all private, there’s no option for anything else and it Hass to be using their specific vendors which are generally quite expensive, and if you wanna do one of the prearranged tours you have to stick to those tours and can’t deviate from them. So if you need help finding out what to do, how to get there, and finding accommodations that suit your best needs weather be budget or luxury I’ve done all the research for you, and Camille is the best person for the job, she was able to book tours at an affordable rate rate including flights and make the entire process seamless and smooth. She was able to find budget hotels when we needed them and luxury ones when we wanted somewhere to kick back. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a situation where you show up somewhere and then you need to figure out where to go, how to get there or what to do when you’re traveling, Camille handled everything from A-to-Z and even when we had issues that came up she was there to assist to make sure everything was fixed and went smoothly. I would highly recommend using her, without any questions asked, she did a great and fantastic job was there for us the entire time, and everything was pre-arranged and booked so everything transition smoothly and we didn’t have to stress about anything, and when issues did come up she was there to help immediately handle and address them

We loved our trip to Brasil, we enjoyed a different kind of Brasil, the Atlantic forests, the colonial villages, nature world patrimony at its best, away from the crowds.
And all the experience was enhanced by great guides, great choices.
Loved Paraty, the trekking we made with Rocco Belleti, the best guide we could ever had, and also the Boat ride with "Peixe" with a fresh fish meal aboard. Loved our free day witch Rocco that took us in a beautiful boat ride in "Saco de Mamangua", with a great trekking in the "manguezal", and a beautiful fish lunch in the surroundings.
We also loved "Ilha Grande", paradise on earth, charming boutique hotel, we had a great day with Carlos, that guided us through the best 10km of treckking ever, till we get to the wonderful "Lopes Mendes" beach. The next day boat trip around the island was also very good. Not only Carlos chose a very good travel agency but also gave us some precious tips for that day.
At last Rio de Janeiro, we had less time, but Lucas did its best to provide us with a broad view of the way of life and best spots of Rio.

To say that I am a hard person to organise something for would be an understatement :D
This wonderful team at Nattrip however managed to go with all my obligatory requests and last minute changes and created the best trip I could have wanted!
At one point I thought they will just leave me or start caring less about me and my trip due to the many demands, but no! They were on point till the last day!
From customer service, to hotel personal, restaurant staff in the city, guides, assistance during the trip, everything was 10/10 !!!
Chapada Diamantina has so much history and unbelievable nature that is just mesmerising. However the people who assist you along the way, make the trip as much as the destination visited, and I can happily say that this 4 day trip was probably one of the best I have had here in Brazil so far.
I will most definitely use their services again when I come back!
No matter what kind of demands you might have, this beautiful team consisting of brilliant people will surely assist you in making THE BEST trip you can around Brazil and you won't regret a single thing.
The best part, they take care of EVERYTHING! You just need to enjoy it ;)

Great great experience! Seamless and magical.

Paulo, our local representative for KimKim, really helped us out after one of our flights were cancelled. He worked into the evening from home to make sure we were looked after. When you are a foreigner who doesn't know the language of the country this is how a trip can be ruined or fantastic memories can be created for a life time. Paulo was amazing.

Cynthia Lebrao, our English tour guide, at the Pousada Uacari was amazing. Her experience with the area and because she was a biology major her vast knowledge of the mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, flora and fauna was very helpful. Her demeaner, laid-back and positive, when working with the team of locals, who helped as tour guides, was amazing to watch and fit well with the whole experience of an ecotour.

I have been asked to write a review of my experience with Kim Kim and for me in particular Luciana who was my representative in Brazil.

This tour was something I do not do - when traveling I usually ensure family are available to look after me but I decided to take a risk.

Luciana poor dear was inundated with questions / concerns / reservations from the time I decided to make the booking. Her patience / professionalism and efficiency was first class throughout.

When I eventually arrived in Brazil it was raining - my tour guide who met me at the airport was very supportive and took me around to a few places of interest and for a meal.

The official tour was in a coach / bus that took me and a group who I knew none of the to places of interest- but when we hit sugar loaf mountain / cable car ride and the famous Christ statue that is when my breath was taken away - the view was stunning.

We then went to a restaurant for a nice buffet.

After I walked on my own on Copacabana beech and had a greater experience - food / people / music / sea / sunshine- what a rush.

I felt safe at all times even with shop keepers who knew I did not know the local language.

My holiday started with a very skeptical attitude and has ended with my thinking how to plan the next one if God spares my life.

The holiday was wonderful and has to be repeated- just walking on the beech alone is a holiday in itself.

To Kim Kim - Lucinda and her crew - thank you for making a miserable old fart of a middle aged man have an experience of a lifetime

Rating - mega great

Kevin Moses

Luciana was amazing, being always available to help us both before and during the trip! Our hiking guide Guilierme was excellent. Highlight of the trip the Pedra bonita paragliding!!

Luciana had a major contribution to our amazing experience in Brazil!
She was truly committed to ensuring that we get the best from our trip.
She acted really quickly when we came across some difficulties with our planned activities due to bad weather!
Thank you once again Luciana!

Everyone from your agency made my trip with my 3 sons amazing! Lucinda was so accommodating by rescheduling some of our activities due to weather and a medical emergency.