Kimkim Trip Reviews

Adam did a great job planning our trip to Iceland, he included lots of options and was very knowledgeable about the country. He was sensitive the dietary needs of our daughter and selected activities that kept our kids (13 and 15) engaged and happy. The excursions kept smiles on our teens faces from the time we landed until we left. The Ice cave tour and hiking were particular favorites for our crew! We would absolutely use Kimkim again!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Frón

Reykjavík

Great central location in Reykjavik! We stayed in an apartment in the back building and this was awesome for our family of 4.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great place, breakfast lacked options we had become accustomed to in other hotels during our trip.

Hótel Dyrhólaey

Vik I Myrdal

Wasn’t high on my list, it was horrible weather during our stylat, I’m sure the views are incredible based on the location. Hotel was in need of updating but was clean. Staff was friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

This is a great hotel but people should be aware that this is a remote location. Lovely hotel though!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very convenient for activities in the area. Not a lot near by so the resatuarant was important and food was good.

Staff

Staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very nice, definitely a favorite.

Hotel South Coast

Selfoss

This was a nice hotel, rooms are tight and very hot, otherwise a nice stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very convenient to dinner options

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was comfortable just very warm in the rooms.

Activity Reviews

Horse riding tour

Iceland

This was a lot of fun! Kids loved it and it was neat to ride in Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjallsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour

Iceland

Such an interesting experience!! Definitely worth it, neat to see glaciers up close and understand calving and rotation. So cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave Tour

Iceland

This was a highlight! It was an incredible experience!!! So cool to get off the main roads and be part of the landscape.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I thought our guide was good, he wasn’t the most knowledgeable but still did a great job!

Transport

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

This was a cool experience! A neat intro to the science behind geothermal and fun to eat bread from the earth!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Cave People Museum

Iceland

I think the tour guide was quite knowledgeable and provided a lot of information. It was really neat to see. You should note that there is not anything substantial to eat or drink there. Part of the tour was in a back room where the guide shut the door and about 8 of us were standing there in pitch black while he told a few scary stories for a bit. Just might not be the best for kids or people who may be a bit on edge by that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We visited Vietnam and Cambodia. We had such an educational and eye opening experience with appropriate and relevant activities as planned with Hien.
Our tour guides, Cuong, Johnny and Neang were so informative, knowledgeable and caring along with our drivers. Comfortable hotels and transport vehicles.

João helped us plan the perfect honeymoon! We had an amazing time exploring the cities of Portugal and relaxing on the coast! Each activity was planned with care and the team even provided little surprises along the way such as a wine and cheese tasting at the end of our walking tour. João and the across Portugal team were always great about checking in on the support chat they set up and quickly responded to any changes or issues along the way. The itinerary he planned was perfect we only wish we could have stayed even longer! We highly recommend João and across Portugal!

From start to finish, our trip to Japan was nothing short of spectacular, thanks in large part to Sandy, our local specialist. This trip, which we planned for my sister and our kids, was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sandy’s exceptional service played a pivotal role in making it unforgettable.
Sandy’s expertise and dedication were evident from the very beginning. She skillfully helped us navigate through the planning process, balancing our budget with our dream itinerary. Her knowledge of Japan was impressive, and her patience and understanding made the planning phase smooth and stress-free. Despite the 12-hour time difference, Sandy was always available. During the trip she would check in daily to confirm all logistics and ensure everything was on track. She even threw in a much appreciated upgrade with our last minute experience add-on!
Our 14-day journey took us to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, and Osaka. Each stop was seamlessly organized, thanks to Sandy’s meticulous planning. The friendly and professional drivers and guides at each location were punctual and attentive, enhancing our experience at every turn. Our bullet train tickets to Kyoto from Hakone magically appeared at our hotel at check-in.
A standout moment of our trip was our day trip to Yokohoma with our guide, Alan Tan. Alan went above and beyond by securing reservations at a fantastic restaurant for the best table with panoramic views of Shibuya Crossing. His thoughtful touch included providing us with detailed train maps for days he wasn’t with us, ensuring we could navigate the city with ease. His dedication and personalized assistance were deeply appreciated.
Sandy’s efforts in securing hard-to-get advance tickets (Ramen Museum, CupNoodle Factory, TeamLabPlanets, Ghibli Museum, Osaka Aquarium) were a huge relief and allowed us to focus on enjoying our trip. Each day unfolded without a hitch, and we are incredibly grateful for the seamless experience she provided. The memories we created will be cherished forever, and we owe a great deal of our unforgettable experience to Sandy’s exceptional service.

We have always wanted to see Iceland and it did not disappoint. Of course it rained, a lot, we made (navigation) mistakes, it's expensive and all that, but the place is just so breath takingly beautiful! Guðmundur did an amazing job planning our trip and when things went not quite right he was immediately available to replan and recover. I hope we can visit again. What an amazing country!!

Activity Review

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Don't use Google Maps to get to this destination. Instead use the route Kimkim gives. Otherwise you might be ~45 minutes in the mountains and not where you need to be.

We had an excellent time. It was just enough nature and luxury combined. Kokoro hotel was very rustic and natural. We saw lots of animals, like sloths, monkeys, and birds right on the property . The natural hot springs were amazing. The staff were friendly and helpful and the food was good. One day we forgot to make a lunch reservation and they came and made us lunch anyway and were extremely accommodating and kind. All the kids (3) had separate beds in our bungalow and all the beds were comfortable. The rainforest tour was amazing. Jacaro tours were great, specifically we really liked Nelson. We did hanging bridges with him and the volcano tour was very nice too. The lunch that came with the volcano tour through the Jacamar owed farm was fantastic, probably the best we had. Everything was fresh and grown on site. Because our own hotel came with the natural hot springs , we could have passed on the paradise springs hotel. If we didn’t have our own springs this would have been nice. The waterfall tour was beautiful.

Our next stop was Koora hotel in the cloud forest of Monteverde. The hotel was amazing. Everyone was so kind and very helpful. The front desk staff were fantastic. The food was very good. Lots of fun animals to see and they have a nature trail right on site. Our zip line tour was very fun.

Our stop in tamarindo was very nice. Surf lessons with the iguana surf shop were fantastic. Luis, David, and Viola taught everyone great lessons. Our snorkeling tour got off to a rocky start due to pick up confusion with pacific coast company. The wild life was great! Snacks were ok and equipment needed updating. This company appeared to be more diving focused than snorkeling. Our hotel was good. The actual pool could have used some updating but the view was amazing and all the service was great and staff were very friendly. The beach club included in the hotel was a very nice addition it gave opportunity to have beach access w a restaurant and pool while the hotel was more tucked into the mountain for spectacular views of ocean. Every room had a balcony w an ocean view. There was a shuttle into the town and the beach club that left every hour .

In San Jose w took a historical tour with Paula who was a wealth of knowledge and was super kind. She had a passion for history and people. The traditional food at the end of the tour was fantastic.

The Delta by Marriott was not great. The hotel messed up our reservation and gave us a king room w cots for our three kids. They were very confused at the front desk and tried to charge us for our stay which was prepaid. While this is true, Kim Kim went above and beyond to try to fix it for us.

All the drivers we had were kind, knowledgeable and pointed out interesting things on the way.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Beautiful views, good food, great staff, very comfortable, beautiful lobby. Pool was really cool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Delta Hotels by Marriott San José Aurola

San José

Staff was very confused at front desk, gave us wrong room .. one king for 5 people and brought cots in for our kids. Room was humid, climate control not great. Food was just ok carpet was stained . Needed updating

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff were not helpful but the bell hop was very kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

The correct room and cots with mattresses with poking springs

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

Beautiful, clean, new, fresh, lots of nature to look at. There was an onsite trail to explore, pools and restaurants great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Loved the ladies at the front desk!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

The place was rustic and great for seeing animals and nature. Staff was very accommodating and kind. Beds were comfortable. Food was good! General maintenance of hut could have been a little better

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just upkeep on maintenance

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

Nature on the way to the snorkeling places was fantastic. The Pacific Ocean co concentrated on more the divers than the snorkelers . The equipment could have been updated and cleaner. The locations were better suited for the divers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk & Paradise Hot Springs Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nelson was an amazing tour guide. He showed us so much and was very kind and funny.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Costa Rican Culture & Cuisine – Nighttime Guided Walk in San José

San José

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paula was amazing. So much knowledge. You can tell she loves her job, history and people!

Transport

Group Surf Lessons at Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis, David, and Viola were fantastic teachers!!

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We would give 10 stars to Andrea if we could! Using kimkim for the first time and not really knowing what to expect, Andrea listened to our various wishes and constraints, and proceeded to design a super incredible itinerary for us. He was super patient and detailed, and gave us various options, and their pros/cons as well. We had some last minute changes even during the trip, and Andrea was immediately responsive, sorting out our issues for us (like a sudden diversion to retrieve left behind items!), saving us so much worry.

Andrea is also very experienced around the Dolomiti area, so he knew the best hikes, how hard they were, and gave us detailed instructions to go on the public transport to go around and visit different areas around there (since we didn't self-drive).

We highly recommend Andrea and are very grateful for his advice on this trip of a lifetime!

Tiago created a perfect trip for us. It was a great balance of big city and smaller historic ones, plus beautiful countryside. He managed to make an itinerary that kept everyone happy- my husband, myself, and our 3 kids, aged 21, 19 and 15. A big challenge and Tiago was definitely up for it.
The hotels we stayed in were a great deal for the price, just quirky enough to be interesting but still had all the modern amenities.
Our tour guides were all fantastic, spoke perfect English, and were incredibly knowledgeable about local sites and history.

Rinolda put together a great itinerary for us!

We traveled in Norway. We rented a car and then traveled to places recommended by KimKim and Mar. It was great to have a mix of planned days and days with suggestions that we could do on our own. We really enjoyed Flam with the train, zipline, bikes and kayaking. The scenery and suggested routes to drive were simply stunning. We were thrilled with the accommodations. Norway will be a stunning memory for sure!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

This one was fine - no elevator. What was a really nice perk was that breakfast and dinner were included. The only downside to that was there was no choice in the dinner - if you did not like what they were having, you would have had to buy something else. I was vegetarian and that was fine, but my daughter did not want goat and asked to have the vegetarian and was told no. Town is cute, but small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Balestrand Hotel

Balestrand

This hotel had a fun vibe with a pool table and young staff and a bar. The room was our smallest of all of them and breakfast was only croissants and coffee. The town was also small but beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

This hotel was fine. Right in the city center - right next to the train station. Parking was a little hairy in the tight garage, but otherwise, just fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

The centrality of this hotel was great as was the "family" room we stayed in. The included breakfast was amazing. The only downside was parking - garages are so tightly packed downtown! Yikes!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Camping

Odda

The room was great with a kitchen and bedrooms. The scenery walking into town and the lake were gorgeous. The staff was also very helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Highland Lodge

Geilo

This hotel was new, beautiful, had lovely walking paths, a pool, a sauna, a kitchen in the room and was just beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

This ride was great - the views were amazing and the walk down was hard on the legs, but worth it! Just note, there is a funicular in town but this is a 12 minute drive outside of town. Town buses seemed to be available to get there. Note what kind of ticket you have. Ours were one-way which was great! But it is a steep descent (or ascent!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Norway

The guide, Romane, made it amazing! She was knowledgeable about the sport and the area. She told us good stories and also let us discover the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was so much fun to chat with!

Transport

Flåm Railway, Zipline & Cycling Adventure

Norway

This was amazing - I am afraid of heights but sucked it up and am glad I did. The train ride to the zip line is stunning and the zip line itself is the longest in Norway - over beautiful scenery. Then we picked up bikes to ride 7 miles back downhill to town. Easy! After lunch we went kayaking with a guide who was outstanding - she was so personable and knowledgeable about the area. Overall an amazing day! Definitely the best day for our teens!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

This was a nice way to break up a travel day and see a Viking village and to learn more about what defines a Viking and how they lived. The guide was knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip planned by Pilar at KimKim was great. All local guides and tours were perfect! We got to see everything we wanted. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime. For all future travelers, altitude sickness in Cusco is real. For the first day, either do a Cusco city tour or the Sacred Valley. On the second day, do the Sacred Valley or Machu Picchu. On the third day, do Machu Picchu or Ollantaytambo. Ollan is at a higher elevation than Cusco, so stay hydrated. Go from lowest elevation and work your way up.

Hotel Review

Refugio Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

There is no better place to stay than Refugio Amazonas! The local guides are built for knowing where and when the wildlife will come. We got to see all different types of monkeys, capybaras, macaws, caimans, frogs, turtles, snakes, and tons of insects! Thanks to the efforts of the biologists, we got to see the very rare crestled eagle nest. You will absolutely need good hiking boots, flashlight or head lamp, bug repellant, and binoculars. Light long pants and long sleeved shirst are essential. Get ready for the time of your life! The food offered was delicious and refreshing! It fueled our bodies for the hikes and adventures. At night, the bar offered all sorts of drinks and coffees. The beds were protected by elegant mosquito nests, so we slept peacefully to the sounds of the rainforest. The shower was so tranquil and relaxing. They even offer massages!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour in Sacred Valley, Chinchero, Maras, Temple of the ten windows (Shared)

Cusco

This is an amazing tour. You get to see all of the amazing Incan structures and learn about their way of life. It is an authentic experience at your comfort level. You want this tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Cusco with tour (shared)

Cusco

Our arrival in Cusco with tour was to Ollantaytambo. This is NOT recommended on the first day!!! 1 in 5 people experience elevation sickness and it is real! The reason this got 4 stars is because the tour is incredible and the guide was so knowledeable. If I had not gotten elevation sickness, it would be 5 stars. The guide gave me local medicine to ensure I was comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 3 Puerto Maldonado at Refugio Amazonas- departure to Lima

Puerto Maldonado

Refugio Amazonas made sure our departure was stress-free and easy. We got to enjoy a nice breakfast and off we went in the boat. The porters take care of the baggage, so you can focus on spotting the last bit of animals. The boat trip down the Amazon gives you time to reflect on your once-in-a-lifetime stay. I would come back in a heart beat!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 2 Puerto Maldonado at Refugio Amazonas

Puerto Maldonado

I cannot say enough about the staff and guides! I love the leave-no-trace mentality in order to preserve and save the Amazon. Refugio Amazonas will make sure you are taken care of and are having a great time! We got to see a variety of different animals, to include monkeys, macaws, turtles, frogs, capybaras, insects, and so much more! This is the only place to experience the Amazon as it really is!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 1 Puerto Maldonado at Refugio Amazonas

Puerto Maldonado

I cannot say enough about the staff and guides! I love the leave-no-trace mentality in order to preserve and save the Amazon. Refugio Amazonas will make sure you are taken care of and are having a great time! We got to see a variety of different animals, to include monkeys, macaws, turtles, frogs, capybaras, insects, and so much more! This is the only place to experience the Amazon as it really is!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machupichu full day tour (Shared)

Cusco

Machu Picchu was amazing. We did Circuit 2 and it was perfect. Our team got to see everything and learn so much. It is a lot of stairs, so please stretch and stay hydrated. It is well worth it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anna was amazing, she guided us through everything and ended up making the ideal itinerary for us.

So many wonderful things to write about! We loved each of our tour guides, and appreciated their knowledge and friendliness. Of all the tours, the e-bike tour in Florence was our favorite. Cecelia was so fun! We loved getting a glimpse of areas outside of the city center. We also really enjoyed our cooking class and wine sampling at the vineyard! Our only regret was not spending enough time in each location. The hotels that were chosen for us were top-notch and exceeded our expectations. We did have an issue with the train from Milan to Cinque Terre. However, Andrea was quick to remedy the situation and on a Sunday no less. Much appreciated! We loved our time spent in your beautiful country, and look forward to visiting again in the future. Thank you so much for planning a wonderful family trip for us!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Gran Duca Di York Milan

Milan

Absolutely gorgeous hotel with friendly staff, beautiful rooms, and delicious food. The location was very convenient to city interests.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful! We wish we stayed at this hotel for more than just one night.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We loved the extra treat of chocolate in the room!

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Beautiful hotel with extremely large rooms. The location is wonderful with close proximity to city interests. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albergo Degli Amici

Monterosso al Mare, Italy

Beautiful location and amazing view from the garden. We are so happy that we took advantage of the garden! There was ample seating and private nooks to enjoy. The rooms were lovely and the breakfast was delicious. The location was also wonderful. The only thing that may cause an issue are the steps into the hotel, which was a challenge when carrying heavy suitcases.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to restaurants and beach. View from gardens is beautiful.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antica Locanda Leonardo

Milan

Beautiful hotel with friendly personnel and wonderful breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful rooms and common areas, especially the courtyard

Location

Centrally located in the city, but private and quiet location.

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

The most comfortable beds on our trip. Very clean and well furnished

Activity Reviews

Milan Duomo Entrance ticket

Italy

We enjoyed not having to stand in line because of purchasing tickets in advance, especially in the high temperatures of July,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Accademia Gallery visit (Private Guide)

Florence

This was an amazing experience! Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winery visit with wine tasting and cooking class

Italy

We highly recommend this activity! It was fun to learn how to properly prepare all the dishes on the menu. It was easy and fun way to learn these skills. Everything was delicious! We also enjoyed the wine tasting coupled with our food creations. All of the staff were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks also to Marco, our driver for the day. He talked about different highlights along our journey, and pulled over for photo opportunities.

Florence bike tour (small group)

Florence

Amazing experience and our favorite part of our trip to Italy. Cecilia was very knowledgeable, friendly, and fun. We highly recommend this activity for the chance to see Florence outside of city center.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cecilia is a wonderful guide! She is very knowledgeable and happy to answer all of our questions.

Transport

The bikes are easy to operate and provided a very fun way to tour Florence.

Lake Como Guided Visit (Varenna, Bellagio and Villa Melzi Gardens)

Italy

Extremely friendly and knowledgeable guide. We felt like she was showing us her home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver to Milan was clearly not feeling well and the most aggressive at driving than other drivers on our trip.

Milan guided walk, including Duomo - Private guide

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family used KimKim to help plan our summer vacation to Thailand, and we couldn’t be happier with the service. We would definitely use them again. I want to give a special mention to Julie, our tour guide in Bangkok. She made us feel like part of her family—always thoughtful, taking our family photos during the tours, sharing insightful information, and even providing us with snacks. We also want to recognize Toy, our tour guide in Koh Samui, who did an excellent job as well.

From the outset the service and communication was EXCELLENT. Our planner Amanda was super helpful in good advice for travelling in the off season / monsoon season and helped create an amazing itinerary that gave us the best trip for the little amount of time we had in Nepal. It was all organised in a short time and meant we didn't have to worry about what to do when we arrived.

Our on ground contacts and guides were equally amazing - they contacted us before our tour started while we were in Kathmandu to have a quick catch up, meet and greet and go through the upcoming days in more detail. It's little things like this that make for a confident trip and ease any concerns about travelling in a new country.

Throughout the whole tour our guides were prompt, friendly and very knowledgeable. Flights, transfers and site entries / permits were all sorted and something we didn't even have to think about - all we had to do was enjoy the amazing scenery, culture and interesting history.

An extra special mention to the team in adjusting our tour when I sustained an injury which meant we couldn't do a planned small trek. They arranged extra nights in our current hotel so we could stay where we were and rest.

Couldn't recommend the team highly enough.

Cheers Chris

My husband and I spent about 18 days in Australia, our first trip to this beautiful land. I feel I was so lucky to find Kimkim online and worked with Vicky who helped me planned everything, hotel, airfare, tours and suggestions of restaurants. From the time I was connected with Vicky to the end of our trip, Vicky was with us every step even though she's not with us physically. At the planning stage, she replied to my inquiries promptly; during the trip, she followed up to ensure our tours/check ins were smoothly. The day we left for Sydney to fly back to LA, she sent a farewell message. Other than being courteous and professional, what Vicky really impressed me is her ability of knowing customer's need by simply asking a few questions. I only told her our preference of activities and gave her the cities we would like to visit, Vicky designed a perfect itinerary within 24 hours. Everything she arranged for us, e.g. the hotels, the flight time btw places, the tour groups, seems to be exactly what we wanted. This is one of the best travel experience we had and I've got to give full credit to Vicky. Without her help, our trip would not be as memorable as it is. Thank you, Vicky!

Hotel Reviews

Vibe Hotel

Melbourne

Nicely located in the heart of CBD.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff is professional and very friendly. We asked the staff to heat up some leftovers and they did for us happily. Breakfast is fresh in good quality.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Right in the heart of Brisbane downtown, walk to all the nice restaurants, shops, South Bank, and shops. The apartment hotel is well equipped with washer/dryer, laundry detergent and full kitchen. Room is a bit of small but it's adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful on giving us directions to wheresabout.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hamilton Island Beach Club

Hamilton Island

This is one of the best hotels we've stayed. We have been pampered from the moment we landed at the Hamilton Island, the hotel staff greeted us at the airport and a porter (how amazing) picked up our luggage. We were served Champagne and a cold towel when we arrived in the lobby while the staff gave us a brief introduction of the hotel. Our room is upstairs with breathtaking ocean view. The infinity pool is right below our balcony but very quite. The room is well decorated, roomy, well equipped and clean. Bathroom has a nice modern tub and sizable shower room. Food in the hotel restaurant is surprisingly good, comparable to the fine dining restaurants we've been to. We had the breakfast delivered to our room two days in a row so we could enjoy the beautiful sunrise and serenity in the morning. Staff is very attentive. Shuttle service is very convenient to get around the island. We were in heaven.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the One Tree Hill for amazing sunset, marina for tours and water activities. The hotel has its own beach which is very nice.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Luxe Bus Great Ocean Road with Wildlife Wonders

Melbourne

Truly luxury bus tour. The Benz Sprinter has phone charger!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phillip Island Penguin Parade Small Group Eco Tour

Melbourne

This is the highlight of our entire trip. Those precious penguins are soooo cute. The coastline of the island is spectacular!

Quality of Experience

The Moonlit Sanctury is in no comparison to Lone Pine, Brisbane. I feel this visit is just to kill time for the penguin parade at night.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bus was a bit tight but it's ok.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane River Cruise

Brisbane

This is the best animal sanctuary among all the sanctuaries we visited in Sydney and Melbourne. Most of the Koala are awake!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk + Hop on Hop off Shuttle

Australia

A bit underwhelmed. May be because of the winter, the mountain is not as green and waterfalls are ok. I would suggest to go to the Gold Coast instead.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef Scenic Flight - 70 minutes

Australia

Smooth ride to see the crown jewel of Great Barrier Reef, the heart shaped reef. It's about 1 hr heliride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet Chill and Grill

Australia

It is pure paradise. The lunch provided in White Haven is very good. Tour guide is knowledgeable. Boat transfers was efficient.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had 2 guides fantastic. Rodolpho for the IGuazu leg, very knowledgeable about the area and made the trip much easier especially for border crossing with Brazil which can be a big pain.
Rodolpho was friendly and very focus on making our trip unforgettable.
For the second leg, Maria Eugenia was our guide and driver for 10 days. Such a nice lady, when we finished the trip we had the feeling to leave a friend.

Nihad was very responsive and helpful
Hicham our guide was great
He was highly knowledgeable and made us feel at home everywhere
We appreciated his flexibility and personalized high level service

Our Kenyan guide George was awesome- such personality and so joyful! From the moment he picked us up at the airport, we felt comfortable and well cared for- we didn’t have to think at all about next steps, where to go, what attractions to see, where our meals were, etc. Everything was exquisitely planned.
We saw the big 5 before we left Kenya!
Our Tanzanian guide, Francis was great too and this part of the trip was also well planned without us having to think about a thing! Francis is passionate about the animals and knows so much about them. Francis found remote spots in the parks, which gave us a different perspective.
The Serengeti is HUGE! We finally saw lion cubs and a hunt!
Unfortunately, the vehicle needed some repairs and he was struggling with it stalling and having to restart along the way. Thankfully with his mechanic background he figured out how to keep it moving.
The only general feedback (for the whole trip) I would give is that the travel time on travel days was underestimated and we often arrived at the next spot later than anticipated.
The lodges and camps were all wonderful in their own ways. Not being a fan of camping I was worried about the tented camps, but they were all so comfortable and the staff so accommodating. The food was great and the wine was always pouring. My favorite lodging experience had to be the Kilimanjaro Coffee House. We were the only guests and felt so pampered!
While the kids hiked, we took a tour of the coffee farm, hiked to a waterfall nearby and enjoyed a massage. It’s a magical place.

Adam was amazing to work with and so helpful in customizing our trip. We asked to see puffins and we must have seen 20,000! There are so many hidden places to see in Iceland I can’t imagine any other way to find them all.