Samantha Slais

Our guide Samantha was great in planning the variety of experiences we wanted on our first trip to Australia. She listened to our request for some outdoor adventures and some city activities. Highlights were snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef (a super cool trip on a sailboat), a tour of the spectacular Sydney Opera House and lots of Aussie wildlife - koalas, birds...
The Zoom call with Samantha before the trip was very helpful to clarify the timing and all the transfers, hotel details etc. We felt very prepared.
There were some last minute changes with a tour operator, I recommend using the kimkim 'emergency' number if the operators are not reachable.

Excellent trip. Samantha and Lea did an awesome job. We traveled to 4 different cities, and all of the arrangements were excellent. Seamless coordination between domestic flights, transfers, hotels, and activities. Diving at the Great Barrier reef in Carins was a highlight, as was the Taronga Zoo Experience!

Hotel Reviews

Crystalbrook Riley

Cairns

Location was excellent, but the hotel left a bit to be desired. Clean, but showing some age.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Qualia

Whitsundays

5 stars doesn't even do it justice. A pricy option, but worth the splurge. The grounds, food, and staff are second to none! The resort also provided free transportation all over the island.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Taronga Zoo Wild Australia Experience

Sydney

Highly recommend. We were able to get up close with a koala and feed kangaroos and emu. A really great "behind the scenes" tour led by a zookeeper.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paul the zookeeper was the best!

Transport

Great Barrier Reef Tour & Green Island Day Trip

Australia

We were on the Ocean Free which is a sailboat. It was awesome. Toni did a great job on the guided scuba dive as well. Would certainly repeat!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Toni was the best

Transport

Samantha and the KimKim team did a great job helping us schedule and organize our 3-week trip to Australia. We like to explore on our own but appreciate guided tours in special places - especially with small groups. Samantha worked closely with us to come up with a flexible schedule to accomodate our style. She came up with a plan but then worked closely with us to adjust to match our interests. We really appreciated that special help.

The biggest highlights were the tours at Uluru (guided by Ali) and Kata-Tjuta Domes (Jose) with Seit Outback Australia and the Sydney Opera House by SOH staff. We also appreciated the arrangements for lodging and transportation (flights, airport pick-ups, rental cars) that made the trip very easy.

The Daintree Heritage Lodge was a fantastic natural location with a great creek and swimming holes going through the property, outdoor eating area, and great birds and flora. It also was close to another highlight, the Madja Boardwalk trail which goes through both rainforest and mangrove habitats and gave access to tours of the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree River to see crocodiles and other river wildlife. The lodging and amenities at Yulara were amazing. I wondered what we'd do there in between tours to Uluru and Kata-Tjuta but the whole city/resort provides many opportunities to walk around, see great aboriginal art galleries, and have short tours about flora and the local culture. The rental car from Melbourne let us get out to the 12 Apostles and a great hike at Triplett Falls. We also enjoyed the New Hotel in Sydney for our short stay there - great location and unique design.

We will definitely be using KimKim again for trips in the future. Thanks to Samantha and the whole team.
Rick and Laura

Overall, kimkim put together a very good trip and was conscientious and thorough in all the bookings. Samantha provided some great suggestions, asked the right questions and took good care of transfers and so on. We were so delighted with the recommendation of staying at Silky Oaks and the Gorge day with Backcountry Bliss. Also, the Kuranda Skyrail day had to be cancelled when it closed for maintenance and kimkim did a great job of providing several good other options and talking us through which one might be best for us.
My concerns are:
The reef outing with Ocean Free was on a really small sail boat that felt very cramped. It was slower than the other boats that were all passing us and getting to Green Island more quickly. I can see that some folks may prefer the charm of a sailboat and that would be worth going more slowly for them, but I think kimkim should have pointed this out and given us options to choose from. I also felt in danger of falling when the boat was pitching wildly in choppy water and there were inadequate handholds.
Our other reef outing was cancelled due to weather, which is of course understandable and no one can be blamed for poor weather. The issue was that the tour operator didn’t let us know they cancelled, so we got up early, dressed and were waiting for the pickup. I would hope that kimkim would refuse to book with operators that are careless with their clients’ time.

This was an amazing trip!! I can’t explain how much fun I had. Samantha did great organizing my trip and adding all the things I wanted and even those I didn’t know I wanted. I had fun meeting Sienna (another KimKim specialist) on one of my tours. I love that the specialists experience everything for themselves so they know what clients will experience. My one tip - go on the sailboat tour with David!!! He was a gem. One of my tours was cancelled bc there weren’t enough people, but it ended up being perfect because o was able to get out in Sydney with no agenda or timetable.

Hotel Review

Little National Hotel Sydney

Sydney

The rooms were small, but it was great. I slept great every night. The bed and pillows are amazing. I wish they had more food options, but what they had was delicious. My uber had an issue with the drop off and pickup location because it says no stopping on the street, but that’s really the biggest issue I had.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Most of the staff were good, but a couple I felt as though I was interrupting them.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sydney Harbour Afternoon Sailing

Sydney

DO THIS! 100% recommend this to everyone. David is amazing. The tour was fun and learning all the history was fun. Great food too!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an extremely positive experience with KimKim! In 3 weeks we visited Brisbane, Uluru, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Sydney. It was nice to have the logistical details of a vacation with multiple locations left to the specialists. Prior to connecting with KimKim we knew where we wanted to go and generally what to do in each location but putting it all together was a challenge, so we turned to KimKim. Samantha and Lea were wonderful to work with! They were incredibly responsive to every question, presented good ideas/options, and we felt supported throughout our trip by the entire KimKim team. (There was one issue with a flight connection and the logistics team was on top of it – monitoring it on their end and keeping us updated throughout – we didn’t miss the connection!). I initially thought working with them just online would be strange – but I had one call with Samantha and then found it very efficient to communicate via the chat. I can’t emphasize enough how responsive they were throughout the process. Huge shout out to Lea who also made sure all the providers/tour operators knew of a serious food allergy and motion sickness issue prior to us arriving – very helpful.

I also recommend winter travel to Australia! Bring layers and you will be fine. It was off season in most of the places that we visited so nothing crowded. In fact, many “group” tours became our private tour! Winter is peak season in Uluru but that is a great time to go – otherwise too hot, plus sunrise/set at reasonable hours.

Highlights too vast to mention – trust KimKim will connect you with the right tour/activities!!

Hotel Review

Villas on the Bay Kingscote

Kingscote

We were very skeptical of the Villas prior to going. Kangaroo Island advertises high end resorts and this seemed very "basic." We needed , however, to stay in an apartment style hotel not an all-inclusive resort. Samantha assured us we would be satisfied with Villas on the Bay. She was right! Cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in! It was a good amount of space, supplied well, and the managers were fantastic and very helpful. It was easy to just walk into Kingscote at night for dinner. There is a trail along the water right across the street, and the pier to walk out on is a short walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Basic villas.

Location

Easy walk to pier and into town for dinner.

Staff

Very helpful. Allowed us to check in early so we could drop groceries since we had a late excursion.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in.

Activity Reviews

Barossa Valley Wine Tasting Day Trip

Adelaide

Barossa tour with Small Batch Wines. Fabulous! Matt our tour guide was amazing. The vineyards we went to were a good variety – one small and one large. Lunch was at a 3rd vineyard. Lunch was extremely delicious! We were the only guests that day so it became a private tour. Highly recommend Small Batch Wines.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He personalized the experience. Also gave us space at the wineries (which some tours don't do -- the guide sits with you etc). Very enjoyable to spend the day with Matt!

Transport

Flinders Chase National Park Day Trip

Kangaroo Island

Finders Chase tour w/ Exceptional Kangaroo Island – wonderful! Our guide, Shauna, was the best! Loooong day in the van but you hit incredibly gorgeous locations on the island. Shauna was knowledgeable and interesting, other guests delightful, and had a wonderful day! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch they provided was very healthy and tasty! It was so good we even pulled down the recipes they posted on their website.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sunset Visit & Field of Light

Uluru

Wonderful way to start our Uluru experience (we arrived that afternoon). Although peak season at Uluru, it was incredibly quiet and peaceful. Really beautiful experience. The sparkling wine and canapes were a nice touch as we watched the sun set and the field begin to light up.

Quality of Experience

Im a repeat client of Kim Kim, and there’s a reason why I keep coming back! What an AMAZING trip!! My dad and I took a father-daughter trip to Australia and after getting very confused with so many different options we connected with Samantha and her colleagues. They made an amazing itinerary and all the guides they booked were amazing. Towards the end of the trip we had to cancel an excursion last minute, and Samantha and her team handled it so well and even got us a partial refund. 100/10 recommend:)

Activity Reviews

Private Brisbane & Lone Pine Day Trip

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Australia Zoo & Mooloolaba Beach Day Trip

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Highlights of Sydney

Sydney

Northern Beaches & Ku-ring-gai Chase Day Trip

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kim Kim was so helpful in developing a plan for our first trip to Australia. Particularly in a place with so many internal flights and transfers within country, it was great to have a single point of contact with getting that organized. We loved the personal walking tours in both Sydney and Melbourne. The snorkeling experience with Ocean Free was lovely, as it was on a small sailboat versus a huge "touristy" ship, which allowed us to interact much more personally with the guides and animals. The zookeeper who led us around the Australian section of Taronga Zoo in Sydney was so informative and both our interactions with the koalas there and at Moonlight Sanctuary were top tier.

When a tour was canceled by the provider, Alejandra was quick to get us rebooked on another experience in the Daintree Rainforest. They were a great team for our first trip Down Under!

Hotel Reviews

Adina Apartment Hotel Chippendale

Chippendale

Super helpful staff and lovely hotel that allowed for a quick walk to the trains, but felt like being in a true neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to public transportation.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avani Melbourne Jazz Corner Residences

Melbourne

Beautiful view of the city from our upper level room. Close to trams and train station. Easy walk to the Market.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort

Yorkeys Knob

The hotel itself was clean and the restaurant on sight was good. We didn't see anyone from the hotel during our stay. It is a quiet hotel, so that can be a good thing. I will say though if you are in the market for good amenities and service, this one might not be for you. It is a bit of a drive to Cairnes as well. Again, makes for a more quiet stay but if you are looking for more action, you might want to be closer to the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Great Barrier Reef Tour & Green Island Day Trip

Cairns

Ocean Free is a collection of folks who truly know and love the reef. We had a great day on a small sailboat. The staff was top notch. Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The transport from the hotel to the boat did not show up on time, which made for a rushed morning.

Laneways & Arcades Discovery Walk

Melbourne

This ended up being a personalized experience with just our family. Our guide did a great job of leaning in to our 14 year old's interest in art. Such a cool feature of Melbourne.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our pre-trip Zoom meeting with Samantha was nice, however; she omitted several key issues that we faced before and during the trip— a primary reason we wanted to go to Sydney was to do the Harbour Bridge climb. Samantha neglected to tell us that if you’re 75 or older, you must have a doctor signed permission to climb.. this left us scrambling to visit my doctor the day before departure!! also re our flight to Sydney , when we checked into our connecting flight at Dallas, we were told we needed an Australian visa!! a total surprise to us!! so we spent a half hour at the counter, trying to straighten it all out and pay the extra money. Again, we should’ve known this ahead of time. We were able to do the Bridge climb and our air to Cairns was fine , but when we arrived at our hotel around 5 PM, it was already getting dark and we were so hungry!! everything was closed around the apartment because it was a holiday there!! the operations people at Kim Kim should’ve known this ahead of time. I did make an emergency call and an Uber and a restaurant was found for dinner which Kim Kim paid for.. finally, we missed the entire excursion to Kuranda because we were told by two different operations people that we would be picked up at our apartment. When I got a call 20 minutes after pick up time from the tour operator, I was told they could not wait for us any longer because we were supposed to meet them at the sky rail.!!! we were reimbursed money by Kim Kim for these errors— however we definitely would’ve preferred to have not had the aggravations. For seven years, I was a tour manager for several different tour companies, and so I know a good job in travel preparation and management—you should’ve been better prepared, Kimkim!!

Hotel Reviews

Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Golden Sands Beachfront Apartment Resort

Yorkeys Knob

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel

Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sydney Harbour Summit Bridge Climb

Sydney

Make sure you let climbers know if they are 75 or older they must have a doctor sign permission to climb

Quality of Experience

We really enjoyed our trip to Australia. Thank you for helping us schedule it.
Here is some feedback for you:

The Brady Hotel Jones Lane was OK. Not as nice or as spacious a room as the one that we had at the Park Hyatt (which is a super nice hotel0. The Brady Jones Hotel was conveniently located and the front desk people were really pleasant but the room was small and the TV never worked (despite several people coming up from the staff to confirm that it was broken...lol). This was a problem only because my husband was trying to watch his team play a March Madness basketball game.

The private trip to Mornington Peninsula was great! We loved our driver/guide Nicci from Epicurean, She took us to a diverse group of wineries and to a wonderful lunch. 10/10 Perfect day!

The car rental from Sixt was a thrash initially because they didn't have the type of car we rented. Lovely people working there but the system was so disorganized. We were not only group that ended up waiting for over an hour to get our car. Eventually they gave us a bigger car for the same price and allowed us to return it without a full tank without charging for the difference in the amount of gas (gas is super pricey there due to the war in Iran). Otherwise no problems with the car and the return was easy.

The trip along the Great Ocean Road was amazing!! We drove about 4 hours each day I think. There are lots of signs warning motorists to watch out for kangaroos crossing the road and they are not kidding since I almost hit one when driving to Robe in the dusk. I will attach photos from Apollo Bay at sunset and the Twelve Apostles if I can.
The cottage at Anchors Port Campbell was wonderful. Spacious with huge windows overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside. Tanya was a gracious hostess and provided us with coffee, cereal, milk, and even a bottle of wine. Lovely place and well situated near the Twelve Apostles so that it was easy to beat the rush of tourists coming from Melbourne in the morning

The Vibe Hotel in Adelaide was nice and in a good location for walking everywhere; the room size was decent and the staff pleasant. The breakfast was good.
We really enjoyed our trip to the Barossa Valley with Chris from Small Batch Tours. He was great and took us to some wonderful wineries and scheduled an excellent lunch for us. The tour ended up being a private one which was a bonus for us. Another 10/10.

Apparently Good Friday is a national holiday in Australia. Almost everything was closed! We did end up scheduling a city walking tour with a lovely young woman (Katina from Flamboyance Tours) which was very good despite the multiple closures. In the afternoon we toured the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Adelaide and got hand pies at the Bakery on O'Connell Street (on Katina's recommendations). In the evening we went to see an Australian football game in Adelaide that evening (which was super fun).

All in all a great trip!

Hotel Reviews

Brady Hotels Jones Lane

Melbourne

The Brady Hotel Jones Lane was OK. Not as nice or as spacious a room as the one that we had at the Park Hyatt (which is a super nice hotel0. The Brady Jones Hotel was conveniently located and the front desk people were really pleasant but the room was small and the TV never worked (despite several people coming up from the staff to confirm that it was broken...lol). This was a problem only because my husband was trying to watch his team play a March Madness basketball game.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anchors Port Campbell

Port Campbell

The cottage at Anchors Port Campbell was wonderful. Spacious with huge windows overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside. Tanya was a gracious hostess and provided us with coffee, cereal, milk, and even a bottle of wine. Lovely place and well situated near the Twelve Apostles so that it was easy to beat the rush of tourists coming from Melbourne in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vibe Hotel Adelaide

Adelaide

The Vibe Hotel in Adelaide was nice and in a good location for walking everywhere; the room size was decent and the staff pleasant. The breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Mornington Peninsula Day Trip with Lunch & Wine Tasting

Melbourne

The private trip to Mornington Peninsula was great! We loved our driver/guide Nicci from Epicurean, She took us to a diverse group of wineries and to a wonderful lunch. 10/10 Perfect day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport