Asko Merilainen

Wonderful trip. We'll done, only a couple of things:
Didn't really need or want buffet breakfasts. We upgraded Hermitage buffet to table service Panarama Room was Excellent and way better than buffet. Auckland evening cruise was nice but the 3 course dinner only so so. Would have benn better at a nice restaurant afterwards. The Fable in Auckland was NOT up to our standards. AC barely effective, couldn't open windows, stale odor. Shower temp up and down.... On the plus side Azure in Queenstown was WORLD CLASS!!

Lawrence was a great guide at Daintree. He is very knowledgeable of the area.
Asko was helpful and responsive to our needs.

Hotel Reviews

Lady Elliot Island Eco Retreat

Lady Elliot

Definitely an Eco lodge with emphasis on preserving the environment. The Reef Room was very nice. Close to the lagoon.

Authenticity & Character

Very good as an Eco Lodge

Location

Staff

Very helpful and gave informative presentations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amora Hotel Brisbane

Spring Hill

The rooms are very nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Restaurants nearby

Staff

The staff at reception did not seem familiar with the area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Lodge Daintree

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quaint lodging in the rain forest area

Activity Review

Private Daintree and Cape Tribulation guided tour, full-day

Australia

Our guide Lawrence was the best. He was a great guide who is very familiar with the area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asko was an amazing person to work with in planning our trip. He kept us informed and update to date with any changes and recommendations.

Most memorable: Milford sound cruise,
Hobbiton, Mt. cook hikes, wine and food ferry tour

Activity Reviews

The Gourmet Food & Wine Tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hobbiton, Waitomo caves and Auckland

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Te Pō Indigenous Experience

Rotorua

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt Cook to Christchurch Small Group Tour Via Lake Tekapo (One Way)

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

The van’s A/C did not seem to be working so he put it on high which was deafening. We still suffered from heat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The van’s air conditioning

Milford Sound overnight cruise

New Zealand

First class food and rooms

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

60 Minute Jet Boat

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asko was with us every step of the way, even after we were traveling and thought severe weather might impact our itinerary. He was responsive to the point where I started to wonder when or if he slept.
We were traveling with friends, but didn’t always have the same accommodation, and I was often confused because I referenced our friends rather than our trip plans. Asko was there to redirect with an ever cheerful attitude.

Hotel Reviews

The Carrington

Character galore. Old and in some cases very old! Our bathroom had been renovated nicely.

Authenticity & Character

Charming

Location

Easy access to the area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Sydney

Were given a room with no air con. Had to ask four times for help and were eventually reassigned to another room.

Authenticity & Character

Its a standard hotel, nothing special

Location

Central ciy

Staff

Was hard to be recognized, but refused to believe it’s because I am an older woman.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Getting a room with AC

Activity Reviews

Daintree, Mossman Gorge and Cape Tribulation

Australia

Scenery in Mossman Gorge phenomena Gondola over rainforest excellent But Train ride thru Barron falls even better Not to be missed!

Quality of Experience

Food

Nothing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide for Daintrer rain forrest and camp tribulation was extrdinary conservationalist very knowledgeable and helpfuf Made wholevday come alive Driver for Mossman gorge was very adroit when train up the gorge was cancelled because of mechanical issues he rerouted us so we could take the train ride back which afforded us spectacular views

Transport

Train through Bedford Falls was amazing

The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour (Illi Langi)

Sydney

Fundamentally important to trip Would reccommend to be part of anyones tour and think timing as part of first day of trip was good way to start trip Sidney rock as iconic part of Sydney harbor and simultaneously “holy” Aboriginal ground was particularly important! Speaker was good but not inspired Meeting spot waspoorly indicated, hard to find and should be less ambiguous

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Speaker good but not great. Clearly less connected with target audience than Mauri guide in Christchurch

Milford Sound Day Trip

Te Anau

Most beautiful drive ever. Terrific guide who knew the route and shared so much interesting information about the areas we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Driver, scenery, boat staff and natural vistas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Queenstown Wine and food Tour

Queenstown (NZ)

The driver was knowledgeable and friendly, knew the industry and vineyards very well and was a huge asset to the tour.

Quality of Experience

The selection of wineries and terrific lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paddy amazing. Made this an A+ experience

Transport

Paddy a great driver and on time

60 Minute Jet Boat

Queenstown (NZ)

It was fun if you like being bumped, jostled and bounced to the point of disbelief.

Quality of Experience

Showed off the boat and driver skills

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

If you like this kind of thing it was good.

Melbourne Foodie Culture - Walking tour

Melbourne

Guide excellent! The start at the library to give us some cultural background, the places chosen, the order in which we experienced them and the information we received exceeded our expectations. The food choices were all excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

A night at the Filed of Light Dinner

Uluru

Too touristy for me. Food okay The astronomer who spoke was the best part of the evening. The field of light is too contrived.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palm Cove - The Great Barrier Reef

Palm Cove

I’m not one for big group activities like this, and well the boat, the lunch, on the activities themselves were fine. It was the dive staff that made this truly memorable. One of the female staff helped fit my equipment properly, and then helped my husband as well And accompanied him as first time snorkler to help him get an appreciation of what the reef offered. I couldn’t have been more pleased.

Quality of Experience

The one female who helped my husband and I. We are in our 70s

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste of The Hunter

Australia

The wineries were great but could have been a better tour if the guide was a wine rather then a beer drinker. One stop was all about chi chi shimmery alcohol; it had no place on a wine tour. BTW, Sandlers Wines was the best of the day! Pucs includud.

Quality of Experience

Day was exhaustingly hot.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Clean

Our trip to Australia was fabulous. Asko was easily reachable when we had questions. First, all the hotels we stayed in were great and in excellent locations making it easy for us to get around. The excursions were well thought out. We got premium seats for the Penguin Parade, that was unexpected. The Great Ocean Road was stunning. Our guides for the Penguin Parade and Great Ocean Road were professional, polite and funny. Hobart was lovely. Uluru was next and beautiful. The sunset dinner, show and sunrise at Ayer's Rock. I can't say enough. Barrier Reef was next. We spent a relaxing day at Moore's Reef. For those that didn't go in the water there was the glass bottom boat and the submarine. Our last days were spent in Sydney. The Dream World Tour was exceptional. We learned a lot, we wanted to leave with more information about the First Nation than when we came. Our trip Wildlife, Waterfall and Wine tour was a nice change. Our driver, "the other Steve", made that tour enjoyable and he provided a lot of information. Then we had a free day in Sydney to shop and relax. It couldn't have been better. Thank you for an unforgettable journey!

We recently had an amazing experience with Kimkim , specifically with the help of their local specialist, Asko, during our 5-day stay in Cairns, Australia. As a family with two kids, aged 10 and 6, we were looking for a tailored itinerary that would be enjoyable and manageable for all of us. Asko did a fantastic job of understanding our needs and preferences, ensuring that every aspect of our trip was well-suited for both adults and children.

From the moment we started planning, Asko was incredibly responsive and attentive. He provided us with a variety of options and took the time to explain each one. He made sure our itinerary included a mix of adventures according to my request like snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Kuranda Village via the scenic railway, and exploring Daintree.

Asko's recommendations were spot-on, particularly for family-friendly attractions. He also arranged for convenient and comfortable transportation, which made our experience stress-free and enjoyable. His local knowledge was invaluable, and he even provided tips on what to pack and how to make the most of our time in each location.

Overall, our trip to Cairns was a memorable adventure, thanks to the expert planning and support from Asko and the Kimkim team. We would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a well-organized and personalized travel experience, especially families with young children.

Hotel Review

Pacific Hotel Cairns

Cairns

Great location, close to the airport and close to where everything happens and the Marina wharf. Breakfast did not meet our expectations, same thing every day and not good quality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

The Great Barrier Reef day trip

Cairns

Amazing experience would do it again