Awesome Austrailia
Australia | Oct 11 - Oct 22, 2025

Kimberly
Kimberly B.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Oct 24, 2025

When we got the opportunity to travel to Austrailia from the US, it quickly became overwhelming to take on my usual role as travel planner. One night, while poking around the internet, I ran into kimkim.com and it bacame apparent that this approach to travel planning would fit our needs perfectly.

I was enticed by the menu driven selection approach and the fact that I could interact via the internet at times that suited me. The list of options we were presented, as well as the option to say no to any of them and describe something that might suit us better made it very easy to cultivate the trip we were hoping for.

Vicky was amazing to work with, adjusting easily to our whims, giving guidance where appropriate, getting us taken care of from the foot of the cruise ship to our flight home. It took off so much pressure of having to figure things out on my own.

Vicky was quick to make adjustments in a couple of cases where we wanted to make the trip to the airport earlier. It was nice to know we had someone oncall in the event of a needed change. We appreciated all the other recommendations as well, restaurants and tips on visiting around the city if time allowed.

We enjoyed each of the accomodations we were booked into as well as having the breakfast option which allowed us to avoid starting our day with the first question being "what do we do for food". We could just get going on our travels for the day.

We really enjoyed each of the tours and activities we booked. They met or exceeded our expectations and we could not have been more satisfied.

Vicky did an amazing job and provided service that has and will be highly recommended by us!

Hotel Reviews
Vibe Hotel Sydney
Sydney
Authenticity & Character
All part of city life, it seemed to fit right into the multi cultural city that Syndey is.
Location
It was a nice location for us. Two blocks from the train stop that would take us down to the harbor. Not really too far from anywhere. We were able to find nice pubs and laundry both close by.
Staff
The desk and restaurant staff greeted us nicely. The bartenders were extremely friendly and accomodating.
Cleanliness & Comfort
A big room with big views was really clean and comfortable.
Peninsula Boutique Hotel
Port Douglas

We loved this hotel! Each morning and evening we sat on the balcony enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean. It was a little slice of heaven!

Authenticity & Character
Loved the creativitiy used in the design and how that whole thing was arranged towards the ocean and around the spa and pool. Enjoyed breakfast sitting in view of the ocean each morning. Not sure what else you could ask for!
Location
Ocean front .. what more could you ask for!
Staff
Very friendly and accomodating.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Vibe Hotel
Melbourne

Very comfortable room with great views of the downtown.

Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel
Mascot, Sydney, NSW

Comfortable and quiet. Glad to be at the airport for the trip home.

Activity Reviews
Blue Mountains Wildlife Full-Day Sights and Hiking from Sydney
Blue Mountains Wildlife Full-Day Sights and Hiking from Sydney
Sydney

A long day of great stops. Enjoyed being up close with the animals. Views of the Blue Mountains were beautiful from all the stopping points along the way. The hike was challenging enough with great views and the botantical garden was amazing. The guide we had was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed all of the info she had to share. She did a great job of minding the traffic and giving out various tidbits about Syndey and each of the stops along the way. The lunch was great ... what a fantastic sandwich. I would certainly recommend this trip ... it is a really long day, but worth it!

Full-Day Great Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour
Full-Day Great Barrier Reef & Coral Cays Boat Tour
Port Douglas

If you go to Austrailia ... you'd be crazy not to do this trip! Crew was great from the moment we stepped on to the end of our trip. When we struggled with a poor fitting mask, several of the crew worked together to resolve the issue quickly. They truly wanted each person to have an amazing trip. You can tell they love the Reef and their opportunity to show others.

Quality of Experience
Great ride to the Barrier Reef and just everything!
Food
The prawns were my favorite, but also the Anzac biscuits seemed to be a favorite!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Friendly, happy to help and wanted it to be great for everyone.
Transport
Lots of places to sit and be comfortable.
Small Group Luxury 4WD Daintree Safari Tour
Small Group Luxury 4WD Daintree Safari Tour
Port Douglas

A great trip with lots of things to see. Nicholas was incredibly knowledgeable and if it didn't know an awswer, he had a bunch of book in the vehicle where we could find the answers together. He truly loves this place and all it's crazy plants & creatures. Who else serves morning tea and has lunch in the rainforest in such beautiful surroundings?! Amazing day in the Daintree!

Luxe Bus Great Ocean Road with Wildlife Wonders
Luxe Bus Great Ocean Road with Wildlife Wonders
Melbourne

This coastline is unlike anything we've ever seen before. It was a beautiful drive on a beautiful day. Paul, our driver, was very interesting and happy to keep the conversation going. Loved the stops to get coffee, lunch and visit to the wildlife sanctuary and stretch our legs and the 12 Apostle Area was strikingly beautiful!

Laneways of Melbourne
Laneways of Melbourne
Melbourne

Enjoyed our walking tour of some of the architecture and laneways of Melbourne. It's was a little challenging to keep us all together on the crowded streets, but it didn't impact the beauty of the Cathedral, Art Deco architecture and Street Art areas. We learned a lot about Melbourne and it's history along the way

Sydney City Small Group Walking Tour (Small Group Tour)
Sydney City Small Group Walking Tour (Small Group Tour)
Sydney

We covered an amazing amount of ground on this tour. Loved the way Dave led, walking backwards and talking almost non-stop through street after amazing street! Started with lots of cool history of the Rocks and developing Sydney to the streets of today. Highly recommended!

Quality of Experience
Our guide was great! Covered a lot of ground with constant information. He even gave us ideas for an evening visit to Manly Beach, places to grab a beer and dinner, all which turned out to make for a great evening adventure.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Best guide ever!
Sydney Opera House Tour
Sydney Opera House Tour
Sydney

Enjoyed learning the history of the creation of the Opera House. Didn't realize ahead of time, though it makes sense now, that you might not be able to view all of the presentation areas (or have to do it very quietly) due to practices taking place in the performance halls. The headsets proved invaluable and our guide was very knowledgeable.

Local specialist: Vicky Steinhardt
Vicky
Vicky Steinhardt
Local specialist in Noosa, Australia | Replied on Oct 24, 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, Kimberly. I’m delighted to hear that your trip was everything you hoped for — and that the planning process felt easy and enjoyable along the way.
It was such a pleasure helping you bring your ideas to life and fine-tuning the details so you could relax and enjoy your travels.
Wishing you many more incredible adventures ahead — and I hope Australia will always hold a special place in your travel memories!
Warm regards,
Vicky