Kimkim Trip Reviews for Australia

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.

Had a great time in Australia and Kim did a great job.

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.

My wife and I had a wonderful trip to Australia for two weeks. We did Sidney --> Palm Cove --> Byron Bay --> Brisbane and had a wonderful time in each place. Liz was instrumental in helping us plan where to go, booking lodging, and arranging for tours/activities in each place. We did a mix of tour activities (Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Springbrook National Park outside of Brisbane, among others) and free days. For our free days, Liz had good recommendations for other sights to see or places to eat. Particular highlights among the many things Liz arranged for us were the Aboriginal Fishing (crab hunting) on the mudflats north of Palm Cove and the Scenic Rim tour outside of Brisbane. Liz suggested and arranged for both of those, neither of which we would have thought of on our own. Working with Liz made everything quite easy on our end - the lodging was excellent, our rides to and from airports or activities were always right on time and very comfortable, and the planned activities themselves were always enjoyable. It was a great mix of big highlights we discussed with Liz with lesser known things that she suggested. She also worked well with us to make a great trip within our budget on relatively short notice (only a couple months) during a busy travel period.

Hotel Reviews

Spicers Balfour Hotel

Brisbane

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pier One Sydney Harbour

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Reef House Boutique Hotel & Spa

Palm Cove

Great adults only hotel in Palm Cove with lovely rooms, lots of pools, fun activities (yoga, cocktail classes, etc.) included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Byron

Suffolk Park

Beautiful hotel a little outside of downtown Byron with kitchenettes and a combo washer dryer. Really great place to relax by the pool, on the covered room patios, or the nearby beach, or in the beautiful forest on the grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful hotel with lots of boardwalks through lush trees and plants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Aussie Outback Private Tour

Brisbane

Eco Tours Queensland was excellent. The scenic rim tour was beautiful with a great mix of sights, hiking opportunities, or beautiful drives. This is the kind of thing that would be very very difficult to do on your own given the back roads required to get to the best spots, but we had a lovely time with everything.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liz helped us plan an amazing 1 month trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Liz and her team were always there to help and support while abroad and couldn't have been accommodating. They have personally tested all recommended guided trips and hotels as was apparent because all were first rate, including the drivers that transported us to and from the airports. I highly recommend Liz and her team to help you plan and execute your dream vacation, too!

Hotel Reviews

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

Excellent property and perfect location for seeing all of Sydney’s wonders. Great breakfast and coffee each morning with very attentive service staff both in the restaurant and the front desk. Highly recommended.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pacific Hotel Cairns

Cairns

Good property in an excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Garden Court Suites & Apartments

Queenstown

Modest apartment style accommodation that was very clean and in an excellent location with views of the “Remarkables” from the property. Front office was most kind and managed by a dear woman from Ireland.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, an IHG Hotel

Natadola, Fiji

A true 5 star property with staff, views and food to match. All needs are immediately attended to with your happiness and comfort always in mind when dealing with the property staff. The food and beverage manager, Freddie, was everywhere and was always making sure that every meal and drink was served to perfection. Highly recommended!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Panoramic Sydney Sights

Sydney

Nice overview of the city ti get an overall feel of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Great, insider primer on the Opera House that really helps to understand the significance of the building. Highly recommend instead of just relying on a tour book.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Excellent day trip with incredible scenery. Visited the “3 Sisters”, the Australian “Grand Canyon, Bridal Falls (for a hike.) Sunset champagne toast before heading back.

Quality of Experience

Food

Just a pick nick lunch, but was perfect for hiking.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tali Wiru Dinner

Uluru

Incredible cocktails and dinner overlooking Ayers Rock at sunset. Will definitely be a once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommend. Also recommend the “field of 50,000 lights” afterwards. Amazing beauty in the middle of a desert.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Highlights

Uluru

Would highly recommend this visit deeply moving, beautiful work of nature. Don’t miss this if traveling to Australia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Field of Light Star Pass

Uluru

Don’t miss this beautiful work if art in the desert!! The beauty, scale and surroundings will delight all your senses.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Fiji !

Fiji

Intercontinental Hotel was amazing as was the day River Safari to visit a local village and its warm and friendly people. Highly recommend the river trip to get a feel for the “real” Fiji.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Cairns!

Cairns

Beautiful tropical town which is a launch point for a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef! Si different than Sydney and Melbourne and gives a totally different perspective to tue diversity of Australia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef

Cairns

A must do while in Cairns to see one of the natural wonders of the world. Fun boat ride to and from with good food, snorkeling and amazing sea life all around. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Buffet, but was good for what it was. Had to service the many people on the cruise, so it was a bit crowded on the platform.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Outback Tasting Adventures

Port Douglas

Great experience to get to see another side of Australia. The “Tablelands” wee beautiful and rich with agriculture and the tastings were all well prepared and served with a wide variety of Australian cuisine. A great experience to see the true diversity of Australia.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Macetown 4WD Tour

New Zealand

Great four wheeler fun crisscrossing several rivers to get ti the location. Learned much about the development of NZ through the lens of the gold rush that helped settle the area. Panned for gold which was great fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skyline Gondola Ride

Queenstown (NZ)

Easy on and off and would highly recommend to get incredible views of the “Remarkables” as well as the lakes and surrounding areas.

Quality of Experience

Boutique Wine Tour - Half Day

Queenstown (NZ)

Total fun way to spend a day! Saw beautiful scenery and sampled great regional wines. Had a delightful lunch along the way. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet Barbecue Lunch

New Zealand

Wonderful way to spend a day! Delightful trip over on an authentic 1912 steamship with incredible scenery along the way. Gourmet lunch featuring local grilled meats and vegetables, served in a beautiful environment overlooking the water. Sheep dog exhibition after lunch was beautiful to watch and learn. Tour of the farm and interaction with the animals in a beautiful setting was a great way to end the day before heading back over to the town on the ship. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I first contacted kimkim re a preset 3 day itinerary they advertised for Uluru. When I mentioned we were also going to Perth/WA she offered to book that part of the trip as well. Ruth turned out to be in California at the time. I thought that would work out as I am east coast US and doing these things at night EST can pair well working with someone in an earlier timezone. However, she was working with her Sydney office, who was in turn working with people in Perth. This ended up being a bad situation, which I will admit was made worse by our being last minute, but having to go thru so many channels and the time zone differences every time you ask a question created major communication delays. In the end, they were unable to find availability for the Uluru package, although I was able to book it directly on my own. We were scheduled to go on a day trip to Freemantle & Rottnest Island. Our itinerary instructed us to be ready to be picked up at 8:45 am at the hotel. Turns out this was TOTALLY WRONG. The boat leaves at 8:45, and you're supposed to be there earlier. According to the doorman & concierge no pickup came for us at 8:15 either. Ruth also suggested and then arranged an overnight side trip to Cervantes for us. The hotel up there was pretty bad. If the problem was hotel availability she shouldn't have sent us up there. (As a side note, we did a walking tour with a local guide in Perth. This local guide was mortified that it was suggested/arranged we take this trip to Cervantes and she did her best to scare us into not going!). After this Cervantes trip was arranged, there was drama over the car rental closing early the day we would be coming back, and we were forced to decide between paying a surcharge to drop at an alternate location or come back early. There was really no good option but we were already locked in to the Cervantes hotel. If this was going to be an issue Ruth could have arranged the days in a different order. After the side trip we went back for one last night in Perth. We had to leave so early for our flight that we could not have breakfast (and Ruth knew about our early flight as there was a lot of back & forth about whether we would return the rental car the night before and taxi to the airport or return the rental on the way to the flight), the hotel did could no accommodate us with any food to go so that was another unnecessary expense paying for a breakfast included room.

I can't say enough about my local specialist, Liz! She was wonderful to work with. Always responded timely, patiently answered my many questions, was full of helpful information and put together a wonderful itinerary. Our airline made major changes to our flight (mid flight during our first leg) and it was so comforting that Liz was working on all the many things it caused us to need adjusted. Really took the stress out of an already stressful situation. I look forward to working with her on another trip in the future!

Hotel Reviews

The Reef Retreat

Palm Cove, QLD

Loved the Reef Retreat. Great location and loved the atmosphere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Suites Gateway

Melbourne

We were luck to have a corner room with all windows where we could see the River Walk. In the evening beautiful to look at. Only disadvantage was you can hear some of the street noise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Surry Hills

Surry Hills, NSW

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Cruise - Snorkel Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Well run and very organized. Staff was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liz planned a perfect getaway, taking in consideration our timetable and price range. She also encouraged us to try new things like the Sidney Bridgeclimb and River Drift Snorkeling, we're grateful we did it. We'll reach out to Liz again for our next Australian adventure.

Despite we planned to do this trip very late (less than 1 month before the departure), everything was done perfectly: all bookings made in 1 week And targeting exactly what we expected (hotels and activities). The hotels were very comfortable and in a ideal place in each city. We really loved all the activities : excellent guides with a lot of experience, good advices and sense of humor. The only activity we liked less was the barrier reef boat trip because the weather was quite bad but also because it was a “mass “ activity (more than 100 people in the boat). Our best memories will be the biking in Sydney, the magnificent blue mountains, we did by ourselves a walking day starting in Bondy beach and it was great !, in Cairns, we visited the beautiful tropical gardens, and finally in Melbourne, we loved the arcades walk with the guide (despite the rain) and the trip to Philip Island (it was so fantastic to see penguins and wallabies in their natural environment!). Australia was full of surprises even for people like us who live in an exotic country (Thailand) : seeing cacatoès, ibis, perrots and giant bats in the middle of a big city is really unusual ! We loved this mix of nature and modernity.

Hotel Review

PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Sydney

good location close to Darling harbor and only 30 minutes walking to the Sydney opera. Comfort and very good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Unfortunately the hotel is stuck between a road bridge and a massive hotel so the view is really bad

Location

Close to public transportation and Sydney places to visit

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full Day Blue Mountains Deluxe Day

Sydney

Very difficult to choose the best activity: blue mountains is finally our choice because of the stop to the farm so we could see koala, wallaby and kangaroo very close and then the fantastic views and water falls! It was a perfect day

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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.

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.

I had an amazing adventure in Australia. The in-country agents that kimkim set me up with were overall very good. Initially, I had to review everything quite closely and we made changes to a number of things on the itinerary, such as choice of hotels or upgrades to the hotel rooms. If I hadn't been so engaged I don't think the trip would have been quite as fun and satisfying as it was.

Peggy was very responsive to my requests and added a few nice touches, like private limo airport transfers, which I really appreciated.

All my stops were incredibly satisfying. Sydney was terrific. I did the Bridge Climb (pay the premium for the twilight option as you get afternoon light, sunset and night views) which was really fun. Swissotel was a fine choice — very central and make sure you choose the Executive Lounge option (thanks Peggy!).

Really enjoyed Adelaide and the Mayfair Hotel. About as central to city center as it gets. Wine tour of Barossa Valley was excellent. My two days of touring on Kangaroo Island was wonderful. Kangaroos, wallabees, koalas, sea lions, seals, dolphins, and more! My Inn, Wanderer's Rest, was a little downscale from my other hotels, but the owners and food were lovely. Next time I might splurge on Southern Ocean Lodge.

Cairns was really fun. Peggy suggested the Riley Hotel, which was an excellent choice. Great view of the sea and right on the promenade. Day of snorkeling the reef and the Sky Rail to and train from Kuranda were real highlights. Make sure to do the Gold Service on the train. Well worth the few extra bucks.

Ended my trip with three days at Uluru. I broke the bank staying at Longitude 131, which is the safari-inspired hotel with magnificent views (the only hotel with good views) of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Food, room, everything was amazing. If you can afford to splurge when you visit Uluru, Longitude 131 is the only option, trust me.

In terms of negatives, I was concerned that when I called kimkim customer service about an issue, not only did no one pick up but there was no answering maching. Please upgrade!

Overall, I must give it a big thumbs up, as I had a truly wonderful trip. Having all of Peggy's logistical help was incredibly helpful.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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 !

Lisa and the kimkim team were tremendous to work with. Our 10 day journey around Australia was perfect, the kimkim business model works! Lisa built a detailed itinerary that was fantastic, memories for a lifetime.

Accommodations in Port Douglas wasn’t as good as expected. Staff was not as attentive and room location was not as good as others. Also hotel told us we would be charged for new towels to take to beach unless we laundered dirty ones. Also we asked for later 11am checkout and was told no. However when we left at 11:15 the room was still not occupied or staff cleaning it. Would have preferred a better hotel in the area.