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Samantha Slais

Travel can be life-changing, and as your Travel Specialist for Australia, my priority is to provide you a trip you will be telling your friends and family about for years to come. Whether you are an on-the-go adventurer or someone who prefers to savor moments at a slower pace, we will be sure to craft the best plan to meet your needs.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in creating custom itineraries for all ages and all sizes of groups, tailored to first-timers and seasoned adventurers alike. My favorite activities include nature, culture, and going off the beaten path. I am a foodie, so I will definitely point you in the right direction for a great meal after whatever your day's activities hold. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"I started travelling during high school when I got to do a summer long foreign exchange in Finland and a year long foreign exchange in Italy. After that, I was hooked! Since then, I've been living abroad for the past nine years and have visited 27 different countries, with Australia being one of my absolute favorites. Every trip has taught me something new, and I would love to be able to share my passion and insight with you! "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I am a very lucky girl, because it's impossible to choose just one adventure! Here are my top experiences to name a few: eating traditional Hot Pot in Taiwan, watching a traditional Irish band in a pub in Dublin, running into kangaroos while hiking in the Australian bush, bicycling 60 kilometers through Italian vineyards, climbing the Story Bridge in Brisbane, and... many more. "

Samantha is part of the following groups: Australia Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Coastal Queensland: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Great Barrier Reef & More - 14 Days
A trip along the coast is a great way to experience the full range of sights and activities available in the Sunshine State of Queensland. On this two-week tour, you'll snorkel...
Melbourne, Sydney & Western Australia Road Trip - 20 Days
This 20-day itinerary blends city exploration with coastal wonders and an epic road trip along the Coral Coast. Soak up city life, culture, and cuisine in Melbourne and Sydney...
Family itineraries
Ultimate Family Tour in Australia: Cities, Reefs & Rocks - 16 Days
This once-in-a-lifetime tour of Australia is designed for winter travel. It avoids the intensely hot summers and takes advantage of the pleasant dry season—in other words,...
Luxury itineraries
Luxury Australia Grand Tour: City, Outback, Rainforest & Reef - 10 Days
This 10-day luxury Australia trip squeezes in urban fun in Sydney, outback adventures at Uluru, and two UNESCO-listed wonders: the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest....
Road trip itineraries
Australian East Coast Road Trip: Reefs, Rainforests & Beaches - 16 Days
Australia's east coast awaits on this active 16-day adventure that includes an epic road trip from Brisbane to Sydney along the legendary Pacific Coast drive. The fun begins in...
Honeymoon itineraries
Romantic Australia Tour of Melbourne & the Great Barrier Reef - 7 Days
Perfect for couples, this weeklong Aussie trip combines city culture with an island paradise. Kick off the trip in Melbourne, where you'll explore the city's charming laneways...

Favorite experiences

Explore the ancient Wet Tropics Rainforest on the ground and in the air (photo courtesy of Down Under Tours)
Wetlands, Waterfalls & Cableway Day Trip

Discover the natural beauty and cultural heritage surrounding Kuranda on a full-day adventure from Cairns. Together with an expert guide, you'll check out the palm forests of the Cattana Wetlands and stop to visit a steep, tiered cascade waterfall that holds significance to the Djabugay...

Airlie Beach Sunset Sailing Experience
Airlie Beach Sunset Sailing Experience

Embark on a luxurious adults-only sunset sailing experience in the Whitsundays. After a warm welcome and safety briefing, the journey begins from Coral Sea Marina at Airlie Beach, where you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and an antipasto spread. Take in the sights, learn about local history,...

Recent trip reviews for Samantha

5 stars for an Australian vacation amazingly ...
Australia | Mar 5 - Mar 15, 2026

Corinne
Corinne W.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Mar 16, 2026
5 stars for an Australian vacation amazingly planned by Samantha, Alejandra, and Lea! Quick back story, our son decided last minute to study abroad in Sydney. As the saying goes, “fruit doesn’t fall from the tree”, so we too decided last minute to visit. I began researching and quickly became overwhelmed. As a referral from a friend, we tried kimkim. I went online, set a budget and filled out a questionnaire. The actual next day, I had a call with Samantha. Soon after, we had an itinerary... Read more

5 stars for an Australian vacation amazingly planned by Samantha, Alejandra, and Lea!

Quick back story, our son decided last minute to study abroad in Sydney. As the saying goes, “fruit doesn’t fall from the tree”, so we too decided last minute to visit. I began researching and quickly became overwhelmed. As a referral from a friend, we tried kimkim. I went online, set a budget and filled out a questionnaire. The actual next day, I had a call with Samantha. Soon after, we had an itinerary including airport transports, hotels, activities, flights, rental cars- you name it.

Once we arrived in Sydney, we were randomly selected for customs and were running behind- I had a missed call (had my phone on silent) and message from Alejandra that our driver was waiting for us. Because we went to Australia right after the busy season, a couple tours we had booked were canceled. Alejandra immediately had solutions and took care of the details for us. This service and care is priceless!

We toured Sydney, climbed the harbor bridge and had a delightful sunset cruise. The itinerary had built in time to meet up with our kids and see what life as a student in Sydney looks like.

My husband and I flew to Cairns, transferred to Port Douglas to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and visit the Daintree rainforest. The tours Samantha and Alejandra set up for us were out of this world and so memorable.

After Cairns, we flew to Brisbane and drove to Byron Bay to meet up with our kids for some much needed beaching (cocktails and wondering too).

If you are on the fence or overwhelmed like I was, reach out to kimkim. They will tailor your trip to you and will handle all of the little glitches that come along with great adventures. 5 stars- absolutely recommend!

Hotel Reviews
The Lord Byron
Byron Bay

Our favorite! Walking distance from the heart of town and the beaches. Majorly updated to a cool, beachy vibe. Super comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character
Newly(not sure when it was renovated but seemed recent) renovated and perfect beach vibe
Location
A couple blocks from the heart of Byron Bay
Staff
Wonderfully welcoming and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
So clean and super comfortable
Freestyle Resort Port Douglas
Port Douglas

When you meet the hotel host, you will understand why this hotel is great! She was the hostess with the mostess host with so many tips amd tricks, recommendations, amd perhaps the most friendly and helpful woman in all the land.

Authenticity & Character
Authentic and met all our needs
Location
Easily walkable to the Main Street and harbor
Staff
The best!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean, rooms a bit dated but comfortable and lovely
Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour
Sydney

Located in Darling Harbor- perfectly central to the harbor and beautiful neighborhoods like Surry Hills. We limed (bikes) to Circular Quay and all through Sydney. The hotel was chic and had amazing breakfast, rooftop pool and bar.

Authenticity & Character
Updated but still charming
Location
Great location
Staff
Friendly and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean, updated
Local specialist: Samantha Slais
Samantha
Samantha Slais
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Mar 17, 2026

Thank you so much for the lovely review and for trusting us with such a fun, family trip, Corinne and Tim! I really, truly enjoyed working with such a spontaneous, adventurous family, and I'm so glad that Lea, Alejandra, and I were able to help take the stress of planning and managing off your plate.
We hope to see you back here again with kimkim! 🌏

Things that were amazing:Hotels and flights ...
Australia | Mar 2 - Mar 13, 2026

Randy
Randy C.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Mar 14, 2026
Things that were amazing:
Hotels and flights were awesome. We appreciate the bump from economy on the flights and the hotels were very good.
The intimate tours of 8 or less on the tours are invaluable. Well done. The Golden Sands stay was exceptionally pleasant. A must for Cairns guests.
We found that 2 days in Ayers Rock (Uluru) would be sufficient. A must see, but with a trade off. The flies can be rather annoying and you can see the majority of what needs to be experienced in 2... Read more

Things that were amazing:
Hotels and flights were awesome. We appreciate the bump from economy on the flights and the hotels were very good.
The intimate tours of 8 or less on the tours are invaluable. Well done. The Golden Sands stay was exceptionally pleasant. A must for Cairns guests.
We found that 2 days in Ayers Rock (Uluru) would be sufficient. A must see, but with a trade off. The flies can be rather annoying and you can see the majority of what needs to be experienced in 2 days.
The Cableway and Train Ride are a must in Cairns.
Things that were not amazing:
Transfers/Transportation were not to our liking. Honestly as easy and wonderful that Uber/Lift are, I wouldn't put the time in to arrange them. (Unless you have guests unfamiliar or unwilling).
Sheila and I REALLY appreciate your business model and couldn't be happier with the experience.
Feel free to use this correspondence for reviews or advertising.
Ps my Facebook page is attached. You can view my posts and see all of our wonderful memories and adventures.
https://www.facebook.com/share/14fd5ksTU5i/

Hotel Reviews
Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort
Yorkeys Knob

Best stay in Australia. Steps from the beach and the most amazing restaurant on site. Carl and Mandy were very nice and friendly.

Authenticity & Character
Great location
Location
Awesome
Staff
A+
Cleanliness & Comfort
A+
Desert Gardens Hotel
Yulara

One of the nicer places in the resort.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Excellent
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Mrs Banks Boutique Hotel
Paddington

Very nice place in Paddington area.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Very helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Wetlands, Waterfalls & Cableway Day Trip
Wetlands, Waterfalls & Cableway Day Trip
Australia

Must do

Sydney Icons & Hideaways Lunch Cruise
Sydney Icons & Hideaways Lunch Cruise
Sydney

Very well done 👏

Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sydney Opera House Visit
Sydney Opera House Visit
Sydney
Local specialist: Samantha Slais
Samantha
Samantha Slais
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Mar 16, 2026

Thank you so much for leaving such a detailed review and for trusting us with your Australian Adventure, Randy!
We appreciate your feedback as it really helps us refine our service, and I’ll be sure to pass it along to our local partners as well.
In the meantime, we hope you consider kimkim for your future international adventures! 🌎
(PS: Loved your photos!!)

Australian Adventure
Australia | Jan 16 - Jan 29, 2026

K
kevin o.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Jan 31, 2026
We had a fantastic experience with KimKim Travel planning our trip to Australia, including Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. The KimKim team was incredibly responsive and well organized, the collaboration between the client engagement and operations teams felt seamless from start to finish. KimKim planned all our hotels, transports, and tours. They even booked our flight from Melbourne to Cairns. Their website was easy to use and very effective. It was so simple to make a change to... Read more

We had a fantastic experience with KimKim Travel planning our trip to Australia, including Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. The KimKim team was incredibly responsive and well organized, the collaboration between the client engagement and operations teams felt seamless from start to finish.

KimKim planned all our hotels, transports, and tours. They even booked our flight from Melbourne to Cairns. Their website was easy to use and very effective. It was so simple to make a change to the itinerary. I could do it on their site from my phone wether I was sitting in my seats at the Australian Open or in the Daintree Rainforest The whole process was smooth and stress-free—highly recommend! Shout out to the KimKim team Samantha, Lea, & Chinh....

Local specialist: Samantha Slais
Samantha
Samantha Slais
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on Feb 03, 2026

Thank you so much for your kind review, Kevin!
It was a pleasure to help you and Joan plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Aussie Open, and we are so glad that you were able to enjoy a relaxing adventure.
We hope you consider kimkim for your future international adventures!! 🌎

Read all Australia reviews