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Global Tour Specialists

Global Tour Specialists has a simple philosophy. We want to take you on a truly unique journey. We listen to your needs and offer itineraries that resonate with the purpose for your travel – whether it is to relax, visit family or to see as much as possible in a specified period. Our inspirational travel itineraries are just that, created to inspire so that you can indulge, explore and adventure through Australia & New Zealand in style. Every detail, every request is listened to, analysed, researched and offered to your in its finest form. Bespoke and exclusive, pure and simple all our tours are handcrafted for the discerning traveller.

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Recent Trip Reviews for Global Tour Specialists

Amazing vacation planned by Lisa and team. Thank you Kimkim!
Australia | Dec 24 - Jan 1, 2020

M
Manasa G.
Morrisville, NC | Reviewed on Oct 25, 2022
Me and my husband chose kimkim to plan our perfect honeymoon to Australia and the itenary provided by Lisa exceeded our expectations. She listened to our ideas, interests and incorporated each and every detail into our trip. We were there in Australia for 9 days and visited Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. The multitude of experiences we had in such a short time wouldn't have been possible without the perfect planning done by Lisa and team. All the accomodations and activities booked by them... Read more

Me and my husband chose kimkim to plan our perfect honeymoon to Australia and the itenary provided by Lisa exceeded our expectations. She listened to our ideas, interests and incorporated each and every detail into our trip. We were there in Australia for 9 days and visited Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. The multitude of experiences we had in such a short time wouldn't have been possible without the perfect planning done by Lisa and team. All the accomodations and activities booked by them were excellent. I would highly recommend Lisa to everyone visiting Australia. We will definitely contact Kimkim for travel in the future.

Local specialist: Lisa Sultanova

Amazing Australia
Australia | Aug 16 - Sep 14, 2022

Tom
Tom B.
Kennewick, WA | Reviewed on Sep 21, 2022
Kimkim's associates in Australia, first Jasmine and later Hugh, helped us plan a wonderful 30-day vacation in Australia. Jasmine worked up a candidate itinerary and we worked with it, tweaked it, and fine-tuned it for several months -- way back in late 2019 and early 2020 for travel in August and September of 2020. But then COVID happened. We tried again in 2021, but Australia still had not opened up to tourism and didn't open up until 2022. We picked it up again early this year (Jasmine had... Read more

Kimkim's associates in Australia, first Jasmine and later Hugh, helped us plan a wonderful 30-day vacation in Australia. Jasmine worked up a candidate itinerary and we worked with it, tweaked it, and fine-tuned it for several months -- way back in late 2019 and early 2020 for travel in August and September of 2020. But then COVID happened. We tried again in 2021, but Australia still had not opened up to tourism and didn't open up until 2022. We picked it up again early this year (Jasmine had moved on and we were turned over to first Jay and then Hugh with Global Tours Specialists). We worked with them to make a few additional adjustments to our itinerary and Hugh did all the bookings and reservations for our time in Australia. There were some struggles with Australia's recovering tourism industry, but Hugh did a wonderful job handling the challenges. In the end everything worked out almost flawlessly. One of our lodgings (Alice Springs) was a disappointment, but there were no alternatives to be had due to a big auto show that sucked up all available lodging the weekend we were there. We were lucky to get anything, but Hugh found something for us -- better than nothing.

The vacation itself... Wow! We covered lots of ground (literally) from Melbourne to Adelaide, then by rental car to Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, on through the Outback to Uluru and Kings Canyon, and on to Alice Springs. After a couple nights there we flew to Darwin (a few days there), then (by air) to Cairns where we rented another car to explore the Atherton Tablelands and the coast up to Cape Tribulation (including Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree Rainforest). Our stay in Cairns included a day out on the Great Barrier Reef. We then flew to Sydney for a few days before our trip home.

We spent quite a bit of time on this trip traveling by car (about 2 weeks in the Outback and 6 days around Cairns). This was a lot of driving (roughly equivalent to driving from our home in Southeastern Washington to Chicago!) but what a great way to see the country! We loved it! It gave us flexibility to stop (or not stop) whenever we wanted, stay as long as we wanted, and take little side trips whenever we wanted. We were a bit apprehensive going in (e.g., out of touch in the Outback, long driving days, risk of adverse weather conditions, and driving on the left side of the road), but it all turned out perfectly. We'd do it again in a heartbeat.

All lodgings that were suggested by Jasmine, Jay or Hugh were all excellent (except as noted above). The Flynn Hotel in Cairns was particularly exquisite! Highly recommended (book one of the "09" rooms!). Our room at the Mantra 2 Bond Street in Sydney was really an apartment. Probably overkill, but we enjoyed the space.

Breakfast at the hotel was included on most days and usually was full... very full... breakfast from a buffet (needless to say, we tended to overindulge).

Jasmine and Hugh set up eleven tours for us over the course of the vacation. We enjoyed all of these, but our favorites were the small group ones (e.g., the Melbourne City tour, the Melbourne Lanes and Arcades tour, and the Sydney City tour). The two city tours were just the guide and the two of us -- this was ideal. The big coach tours (Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley, Uluru, and Kakadu National Park) are not really our cup of tea but this might have been the only practical way of getting a guided tour of some of these sites. Two of these tours (Kangaroo Island and Kakadu National Park) were full days and involved a lot of time on the bus getting to and from the sites -- almost too much time relative to the time we spent actually visiting the sites.

Prior to our travel we set up a WhatsApp chat with Kimkim (actually, with Hugh and his team in Australia) for real-time support during our trip. We did have a few issues that came up along the way, but through this chat we could get their help and they were alway very responsive. Things alway got resolved very satisfactorily.

Generally we prefer vacations where we "park" somewhere for a long restful stay. This wasn't one of those trips. We didn't see any way to give Australia some of the justice it deseres without a lot of traveling. During the planning phase, we tweaked the itinerary to ensure that we had at least two nights at each location (with three or more at several of them). The only exception was the one night we stayed in the Daintree Rainforest. Now we have some good candidates for our "long restful stay" type vacation should we return to Australia!

All in all, this was a great experience and it was a real pleasure working with the team at Kimkim and Global Tour Specialists. They were very patient with us and very adaptable to our preferences and desires. I highly recommend a Kimkim vacation if you want something designed especially for you with help from a local specialist who can provide recommendations where to go, where to stay, and what to see. However, be prepared to spend some time with them to make sure they know what you want out of your vacation and don't be afraid to let them know if something isn't just right. They are there to work with you and are really good at it.

Hotel Reviews
The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins
Melbourne

Very nice room, great location -- right downtown. Very quiet. The included breakfast was elegantly presented and in a elegant high-ceilinged room. And -- most importantly -- it was delicious. The staff at the reception desk was very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character
A very modern interior in a historic building. It must have been gutted (leaving the outside walls) and rebuilt from the inside out).
Location
Short walk to all downtown sites. Very quiet, even though it was directly across from the Southern Cross train station.
Staff
Reception staff was very friendly and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Nicely decorated. Not a large room but certainly adequate. Nice view from the window overlooking the Southern Cross train station.
Majestic Roof Garden Hotel
Adelaide

Comfortable room and pleasantly large. Breakfasts were included, although there were only several choices from a limited menu. One downside (although we were aware of this going in) was that there was a per-night charge for parking our rental car on site. The location is right in central Adelaide, so it was easy to walk to nearby shopping and dining venues and just a 15- to 20-minute walk to the very interesting Adelaide Central Market.

Authenticity & Character
Clean, generously-sized room. Good views of downtown. Seem to be a good local hotel -- not one of the big-name chains.
Location
Near shopping and dining.
Staff
Front desk and restaurant staff were friendly and helpful. They made us feel welcome.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The cleanliness and comfort were fine, although I can't point to anything that was particularly exceptional.
Desert Gardens Hotel
Yulara

This hotel worked very well for us. It did seem like a "tourist destination" hotel (which it is!), not the more local, boutique-y hotels that we are accustomed to with Kimkim bookings. But... the choices are limited at Uluru.

Authenticity & Character
This is a large hotel in multiple two-story buildings. The grounds are well-kept and very in-tune with the Outback environs. It has a "resort" character to it which is not our first choice for accomodations, but here there aren't too many alternative (other hotels, yes, but they are all part of the same resort and just vary in style and amenities)
Location
There are several hotels in the complex, but all are close to each other and as close as they can be to Uluru. Can't do much better.
Staff
Professional but not particularly personal. They had to process lots of guests -- it's a big complex. The first lady who checked us in did not, in fact, check us in. We got a text that we still needed to check in and had to go back to get properly-programmed room keys. Only a minor annoyance. To their credit, they did provide us with very nice "box breakfasts" (for our early tour departure), as was arranged for us by Kimkim. Our breakfast on our third day in the restaurant was excellent.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The grounds and the room were clean and well-kept. The room was nice and comfortable. The hotel provides a complimentary self-serve laundry, which was a pleasant surprise and very welcome.
Mantra 2 Bond Street
Sydney

This is a large high-rise hotel in central Sydney. It appears to be a converted apartment building. The "room" was huge -- separate bedroom, full bathroom, sitting room (parlor?), full kitchen, and living/dining room. Much larger than we really needed but it was a pleasant surprise. The apartment was showing some signs of wear and probably is due for some renovations (at least a thorough carpet cleaning or replacement). That being said, it was a very comfortable stay for us. Unfortunately the view from the apartment (windows in the bedroom and in the living room) was disappointing -- just adjacent buildings (not even a street view) with only a narrow glimpse of the skyline if we craned our neck. Although there was a small restaurant in the lobby (open only for breakfast), breakfast was not included in our Kimkim booking (I think we had expected it to be included). We ate there anyway our first morning -- a minimal menu and expensive. We ate down on the waterfront the next morning.

Authenticity & Character
Apparently an older building but the lobby and hallways are very modern. A better view from the windows would have been an improvement.
Location
Right in downtown Sydney. Easy walk to the waterfront and other sites.
Staff
Maybe a little more friendly or engaging. They were pleasant but, in retrospect, nothing stands out as remarkable.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The comfort was fine and the apartment was huge (two TVs, two sofas, dining table and chairs, sitting chairs, and more). But overall, it was showing some age... a little "tired". The carpet was in need of a good cleaning or replacement, the tile in the bathroom needed some grout work... things like that. That being said, it worked nicely for us.
Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy

Two weeks in east Australia by Judie Yamamoto...
Australia | Feb 25 - Mar 8, 2020

C
Charles M.
Norton Shores, MI | Reviewed on Mar 11, 2020
Two weeks in east Australia by Judie Yamamoto and Charley Mullally

Overall, our trip to Australia, arranged by Jasmine through KimKim, was excellent. The accommodations were comfortable and for the most part spacious, modern, and conveniently located, quite more luxurious than we’d expected on the “mid-level” plan we had requested. Transportation (airport and hotel ground pickups as well as our three flights in Australia) went very smoothly, spoiling us for the return home when we had to...
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Two weeks in east Australia by Judie Yamamoto and Charley Mullally

Overall, our trip to Australia, arranged by Jasmine through KimKim, was excellent. The accommodations were comfortable and for the most part spacious, modern, and conveniently located, quite more luxurious than we’d expected on the “mid-level” plan we had requested. Transportation (airport and hotel ground pickups as well as our three flights in Australia) went very smoothly, spoiling us for the return home when we had to drive ourselves! And even though we were always based in the city centers, there were enough excursions into the countryside to provide both urban and rural experiences.

Our most memorable day was probably our trip to the Mornington Peninsula, made so by our driver/guide Juliet. She was absolutely delightful and clued us in on local specialties: where to eat in Sorrento, vanilla slices, a little known “secret” oceanside cliff walk in front of million dollar homes. The upbeat music she played enroute didn’t hurt the day, either.

Other highlights:
· Watching wild kangaroos and koalas at the Conservation Ecology Centre in Great Otway National Park (the B&B there looks worth coming back to spend a few days!);
· Views along the Great Ocean Road;
· Up close opportunities to see the remarkable beginnings of recovery from the extensive bush fires that had occurred only a short time before our visit.
· Sydney Harbor cruise and strolling through Sydney’s Chinatown (all those Asian restaurants!);
· Tour of Sydney Opera House followed by dinner and front row tickets for “Six!”
· Swimming in a mountain stream in the Daintree Rainforest

The major downside to our trip was that there wasn’t enough downtime – days with little or no planned activity. At age 78, both of us needed more time to kick back and relax, fewer early morning pickups, less bus travel. We didn’t know that when we OKed Jasmine’s arrangements, but we will be sure to be cognizant of it on our next journey.

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Mar 12, 2020

Hi Charles & Judie,

Thank you for the review and I am so happy to hear that you both enjoyed your trip to Australia. I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed the overall experience and I will be sure to pass on the feedback to Juliet in Melbourne.

I appreciate you letting me know about having more downtime. I will make sure in the future that I let the other travellers know of the early mornings and long travels.

Thank you for choosing KimKim for your travels and hopefully we can help you plan another trip!

Safe Travels,
Best Regards
Jasmine

Good Trip
Australia | Jan 20 - Jan 24, 2020

Ira
Ira H.
Shaw, DC | Reviewed on Feb 06, 2020

I very much enjoyed the trip. I would have like to attend the Dinner in Forest with the aborigines but it wasn't an option. The only thing I didn't enjoy is the hotel in Cairns, it was a bit outdated and the bed was uncomfortable. Our Guide form Billy Tea safari was excellent and very knowledgeable.

Local specialist: Lisa Sultanova
Lisa
Lisa Sultanova
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Feb 06, 2020

Hi Ira,
Thank you for your lovely feedback. I am glad you enjoyed your trip and sorry to hear that hotel in Cairns didn't meet your expectations.
If you decide to come back to Down Under we will be more than happy to assist you with the trip.

Thanks,
Lisa

Cairns, Uluru & Sydney - 10 Days
Australia | Sep 23 - Oct 2, 2019

Taryn
Taryn T.
Pearland, TX | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2019

Jasmine did a great job listening to me and booking everything. The trip to Australia was beyond my expectations. I definitely will use KimKim and the services provided for all my trips that I can! The value is amazing!

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Oct 11, 2019

Hi Taryn,
I'm really glad to hear you had an amazing time in Australia! Thanks for using KimKim and hope to help you again!
Kind Regards
Jasmine

Outback Australia - Self Drive
Australia | Sep 4 - Sep 17, 2019

L
Lee B.
Woodridge, IL | Reviewed on Oct 01, 2019

The entire team was great! Whenever we encountered any issues they were resolved very quickly. The paperwork was very thorough and made the driving experience go smoothly. We will definitely contact KimKim for travel in the future.

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Oct 02, 2019

Hi Lee,
Thanks so much for the feedback. We're glad to hear you enjoy your outback experience in Australia and hope to see you here again!
It was a pleasure working with you.
Kind Regards
Jasmine

Melbourne, Cairns & Sydney
Australia | Sep 9 - Sep 18, 2019

S
Sharon N.
Huntington Beach, CA | Reviewed on Sep 28, 2019

My Granddaughter and I had wonderful trip.Meeting first with Rogan Lind giving us an overview of what was planned was really helpful. All of the all of the hotels were perfect but the most perfect of all was the excursions we liked them all. Our favorites Sidney Opera House, The Great Barrier Reef, Penguin Parade,Kangaroos& Koalas in the wild. Trip guides were great especially Amy of Echiona Walkabout. I can't thank you enough for helping make this a memorable trip.

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Sep 30, 2019

Hi Sharon,

I'm so glad to hear you had a wonderful time in Australia with your granddaughter. Please visit our country again sometime soon! Thanks again for choosing KimKim to book your trip.

Kind Regards
Jasmine

Australia
Australia | Sep 11 - Sep 20, 2019

C
Chris F.
South Lyon, MI | Reviewed on Sep 23, 2019
Jasmine was very responsive to ALL my questions! The hotels she chose were exactly what we were looking for. We especially liked the Pullman in Cairns and the Montra Bond in Sydney. Get location and value. All the tours were wonderful. Especially the 1/2 tour tour of Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef Day. The only tour we did not like was the Daintree Rainforest. Had we known how long it was we would have opted to do something else. Driving for 5 hours in one day is too much. I... Read more

Jasmine was very responsive to ALL my questions!

The hotels she chose were exactly what we were looking for. We especially liked the Pullman in Cairns and the Montra Bond in Sydney. Get location and value.

All the tours were wonderful. Especially the 1/2 tour tour of Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef Day.

The only tour we did not like was the Daintree Rainforest. Had we known how long it was we would have opted to do something else. Driving for 5 hours in one day is too much. I think that tour they try to do too much. Long drives and then short stays at the venues.

Thank you very much!

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Sep 23, 2019

Hi Chris,

Thanks so much for your feedback. I'm really glad you enjoyed your trip & hotels!

Sorry to hear the Daintree Rainforest trip was too long. I will make a note next time to inform the passengers on the duration of the trip.

Hope to help with your travels in Australia again. Thanks for booking with KimKim!

Kind Regards
Jasmine

Sydney and beyond for nature lovers
Australia | Aug 2 - Aug 12, 2019

Susie
Susie G.
San Diego, CA | Reviewed on Aug 14, 2019
We had an absolutely enchanting trip to Australia, thanks to Jasmine at Global Tour Specialists! She created a perfect itinerary for us that involved adventures like a rock hopping river hike to a day spent in the rainforest sampling ice cream and climbing above the tree line! We snorkeled at four sites along the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns to Port Douglas, cuddled koalas, and just had day after day of top notch adventure. Travel was seamless and included transportation - which was a... Read more

We had an absolutely enchanting trip to Australia, thanks to Jasmine at Global Tour Specialists! She created a perfect itinerary for us that involved adventures like a rock hopping river hike to a day spent in the rainforest sampling ice cream and climbing above the tree line! We snorkeled at four sites along the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns to Port Douglas, cuddled koalas, and just had day after day of top notch adventure.

Travel was seamless and included transportation - which was a huge help since we’re used to driving on the other side of the road! We felt so relaxed and joyful, and grateful to have had Jasmine’s insight and good planning. We appreciated that there was a 24 hour phone number to contact in case of an emergency, and when we ran into minor issues, Jasmine and her team were so responsive.

This is not the type of vacation we usually take — it was a special occasion (our 10th wedding anniversary) and Jasmine did absolutely everything to ensure it was a special trip every day from beginning to end. Thank you so much! We had the adventure of a lifetime and would recommend KimKim and Jasmine at Global Tour Specialists in a heartbeat!

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Aug 15, 2019

Hi Susie & Michael,

I'm so happy to hear about your experiences in Australia. Cairns & Port Douglas are such a special area of Australia with so much to offer to each and every visitor. I'm glad you guys enjoyed your trip and really hope to see you travel to Australia again. I enjoyed working with you from start to beginning on your itinerary.

Kind Regards,
Jasmine

High school graduation trip
Australia | Aug 2 - Aug 8, 2019

Rebecca
Rebecca H.
| Reviewed on Aug 09, 2019

Had a wonderful time , missed flight due to weather and Kim Kim team was right on it . No way we could of experience all the things we did in a short time without their help. Would highly recommend !

Local specialist: Jasmine Harvy
Jasmine
Jasmine Harvy
Local specialist in Gold Coast, Australia | Replied on Aug 13, 2019

Hi Rebecca,
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Australia. It was such a pleasure to create your dream itinerary. We hope you visit our country again sometime soon!
Kind Regards
Jasmine