Kimkim Trip Reviews for Brazil

The whole trip was memorable, in such small space of time we managed to cram in so much largely down to the planning by our local specialist Camille.
All transfers were a breeze and visiting local attractions with the guide meant we skipped queues and maximised out time and overall enjoyment.
I would definitely recommend kim kim and will be using them again for our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Great location on Copacabana beach and the staff were very friendly and looked after guests coming in and out. Rooms were clean and spacious and ideal to lounge in during the evening, shame they did not have smart TVs but there was a large section of free channels. Had a lot of choice for breakfast and the rooftop bar had great views of the surrounding area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intercity Manaus

Manaus

It was adequate for a nights stay but felt the hotel lacked character.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazon Premium Lodge

Manaus

Considering this was in the Amazon the lodge was amazing. Staff were amazing and super helpful and had fun with google translate to communicate some of the conversations. We were really well looked after, the food was tailor made for my wife as she was a vegetarian. Rooms were clean and comfortable and given the location you have to expect some bugs, we had fun with 2 tree frogs in the room, but they were harmless. AC unit in the room was a god send as even thought there was no wifi or tv in the room it was fine as all the activities planned throughout the day meant we were on the go most the time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf) at sunset

Rio de Janeiro

Had an excelled guide and she knew all the tricks to skip the queues which meant we maximised our time at Sugar Loaf. Having a drink and some nibbles on the terrace bar was amazing as the views were spectacular ...shame it was misty as we did not get to see the sunset but you can imagine it would be spectacular. There was even a DJ performing at the top and there was a very safe and friendly vibe with all the locals and visitors.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corcovado & Christ the Redeemer Tour

Rio de Janeiro

Once again our guide knew all the tricks to get us through quickly and best places to sit on the tram and for pictures at the top.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carioca lifestyle with lunch

Rio de Janeiro

Really insightful walking tour and nice and lovely local authentic lunch

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking to Pedra Bonita

Rio de Janeiro

Lovely hike, just the right pace and not too challenging. Our guide was very knowledgeable and very friendly. Spectacular views at the top.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer & immersion in the rainforest (AP - Day 1)

Brazil

The boat trip our of Manaus was lovely but then the speedboat trip to our lodge was spectacular. Bus transfer was a bit squashed as we have lots of out tourists so the only negative would be to have a slightly larger mode of transfer or not over book passengers

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventures in the Jungle Lodge (AP- Days 2 & 3)

The Amazon

All the activities were amazing and very varied and insightful, our guide was excellent and looked after us extremely well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from the Amazon Jungle to Manaus

Brazil

It was sad to leave the Amazon and the transfer back seemed to quicker and after a drop off to downtown Manaus we were safely dropped off if good time at the airport.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our local specialist was Sara. She took the time to understand what we like to do and see on holiday. She then put together an amazing 2 week itinerary in and around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The guides she choose were outstanding especially Alberto. We had a special request that had never been requested before but she was able to set up the event that day brilliantly. We wuld highly recommend Sara as a local specialist for Brazil and especially Rio.

Hotel Review

Pousada Apple House Paraty

Paraty

Pousada Apple House in Paraty was a unique special hotel. Each room has a personal pool which made the stay even lovelier.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a short drive out of town but in a quiet neighborhood.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice rooms and grounds.

Activity Reviews

sewing and embroidery course

Rio de Janeiro

This was an amazing experience that was new to Sara and the team at Kimkim. She was able to arrange a day with an extraordinary seamstress.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Recipe Brazilian Cooking Class in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

We learned to cook many of the traditional dishes of Brazil. We have used many of them after we returned to the US.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Behind the scenes of the carnival

Rio de Janeiro

Carnival is a special event in Rio. We got not only a superb tour but also a samba demo and an understanding of one of the most iconic events of Rio.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the must-sees of Rio in one day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Staircase and city tour

Rio de Janeiro

Alberto was our guide. He is the best. He knew the history and the best times to fully experience the main attractions of Rio.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Green Tour: in the tropical urban forest and among imperial palms

Rio de Janeiro

Again Alberto was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an excellent time and will certainly my use KimKim again.
While initially we had to get aligned with Renata, she was great. Renata went out of her way to meet our needs before the trip and during the trip. Really appreciated her.
Our guide in Rio, Bruno was sensational. We loved having him. Would recommend him to anybody. Truly amazing.
The anavilhana lodge was truly beautiful. All the personnel there were excellent. Nothing but accolades.

Hotel Reviews

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

Absolutely amazing!!! Loved all the personnel especially the guides.. Kendrick, Ramon, etc Truly an amazing experience e

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tour of Sitio Burle Marx, Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Simply amazing… truly awesome experience

Quality of Experience

Full Days at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

The Amazon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip solid, but not perfect.
Renata was super helpful and very responsive. She was very good, and a pleasure to deal with in setting things up. A big thank you to her!!

The hotels were good, and very much inline with what I had asked for. That worked well. I am happy with the quality of the hotels given the quality/star level I requested. They fit the bill and were what I wanted and needed.

The logistics and information about contacting guides, and WhatsApp info was great, and very helpful in staying connected with guides.

The guides were all satisfactory to very good. It varied. Their English was all very good, and so there was no communication problem. Orico Soni Machado was fine to ok in Foz. He did was was needed, but he was busy preparing to leave on a personal trip the next day, and seemed distracted by that. He did though get me to the helicopter excursion, and that worked well; he clearly knew the area. His nephew helped to the final transfer to the airport, and helped me get boarding passes; he was responsive and communicative. Orico was fine, but I think he was ready for his personal trip the next day. The use of a group tour for the Argentine side worked very well, and the local guide, I've forgotten his name, did a fine if outstanding job keeping us moving and keeping track of us. This also kept costs down, and did not need to be a private trip. Good decision on that.

The best guide was Rocco Belletti. He also did both transfers to and from Paraty. He was very kind, and helped me understand Brazil, and gave me much information in general about his time as an immigrant to Brazil from Italy. He was top notch. He also gave me great recommendations on restaurants, and food to try and enjoy. He also went above and beyond and recommended a free Samba concert in Paraty. This ended up being one of the highlights of my entire trip because it was so nontouristic and filled with locals.

In Rio, Patricia was very professional, and did her absolute best to keep me safe and interested. She was very protective as I mentioned my concerns about safety. In my one free half day, things were fine, but I almost had my cell phone stolen from my shirt pocket on a street with people on it, during daylight. I only mention this to make you aware of this as Rio clearly remains a semi dangerous city. There is nothing Patricia could have done differently, and she was not on this half free day. It was after the group tour to Sugarloaf and Cristo the Redeemer. Again, it was a good decision to do those as group tours, and there would be no advantage to do those privately. The transfer to the airport was fine, on time and safe.

Overall, however, the private tours in both Paraty and Rio just seemed to lack something. They were only ok, and not terrifically interesting. In particular, the gold tour in Paraty just did not seem to have much of a point other than a short hike, the tasting at the end was rather perfunctory, and not super interesting. In addition, the Rio tours were ok, but I guess I did not learn too too much, but I did get good photos. Maybe I was expecting too much, but the private tours, though I did see what was advertised in the trip information I was given, just seemed uninspired. Not sure if I would not have been better off with more group, public tours to different areas rather than private tours in those two areas.

Lastly, the travel book info packet was very helpful having all the info in one place and in one document. It was very well organized and had all the info I needed in an organized fashion. Thank you Renata for that, and answering all my questions.

If any questions about my comments, feel free to contact me. I'm happy to elaborate.

Hotel Reviews

Pousada do Principe

Paraty

Loved this hotel. Best on the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taroba Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Martinique Copacabana Hotel

Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Safe place

Location

Great location between Copacabana beach, with easy walk to Ipanema beach

Staff

Very courteous and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

I felt very safe in this hotel

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Group Tour Argentinean Side Falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Paraty

Paraty

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Brazilian Falls & Bird Park

Foz do Iguaçu

I did the bird park on my own, and Orico was helpful during the Iguazu Falls portion of the half day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gold Trail Tour

Paraty

Rocco was great, just the activity did not seem to have a lot of point to it other than a short hike outside of Paraty

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carioca Lifestyle and Carnival Culture (by Public Transport)

Rio de Janeiro

Not sure what we really were seeing, but just walked old part of the city and saw many churches. Did not really seem like we had a precise plan of what we were going to see. It was ok, but no real theme to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Group Tour Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer + Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf)

Rio de Janeiro

Group tour was best way to see the iconic sights where there is not much to add other than seeing the two landmarks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andrea in São Paulo, Diana in Foz do Iguazu and Patricia in Rio. All the 3 of them with the drivers did an excellent job. They did their job above and beyond. I can recommend them to anybody especially to my family and friends. The entire trip was amazing. My hats off to Renata who did a wonderful planning, coordinating in smooth fashion. Thank you KimKim team!
Regina Estorninos

Hotel Reviews

Estanplaza Paulista Hotel

São Paulo

Excellent service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nadai Confort Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

Excellent service, Great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Palace

Rio de Janeiro

Love the location most. Excellent service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Catholic Tour

São Paulo

Love visiting religious site, places and learning history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Aparecida do Norte City Tour

São Paulo

So blessed, at least to fulfill my dreams to visit Our Lady of Aparecida. Brought my family and friends, everyone were amazed and touched by our Lady. It was the highlight of our pilgrimage. I can share my experiences to the world

Exploring the Brazilian Falls & Bird Park

Foz do Iguaçu

Another dream fulfilled visiting and seeing in my own eyes God’s amazing creation the Iguazu Fall. also discovered different kinds of birds and species that i have never seen before.

Quality of Experience

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side

Foz do Iguaçu

Oh my God, tell me about it , the Garganta do Diablo is nothing comparison to the other falls I have seen. Just amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe divers

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

All I can say, I love Rio, the place and people. I wanna go back one day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Tour of Sugarloaf Mountain (walking trail) and Christ the Redeemer Statue

Rio de Janeiro

Everywhere we went was incredible, amazing

Quality of Experience

Standing right at foot of Christ the Redeemer Statue. Was able to attend mass at 3:00 pm at Chapel of Our Lady of Aparecida at the the back pedestal of the statue. We met Fr. Raphael

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Carioca Lifestyle

Rio de Janeiro

Just enjoyed everything

Quality of Experience

K

Transport

The trip was seamless and easy as KimKIm Travel set all in motion based on all of our needs and desires. Guides awaited us at every leg of our journey. Renata planned a great trip. We absolutely adored Bruno, our guide in Rio. He was kind, caring of our needs, and surpassed any expectations we might have had. The Availhanas lodge in the Amazon was amazing. The staff, particularly Pedro and Kenrick (one of our guides) went over and above any of our expectations.....The iguazu falls were spectacular and then we ended with our last day back with Bruno. An overall perfect trip -

Hotel Reviews

Arena Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro

food was not good at dinner - buffet breakfast fine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Intercity Manaus

Manaus

only there for a night prior to our amazon trip but staff kind and breakfast buffet decent

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

an amazing experience from beginning to end - all the staff amazing - activities, meals, guides made everything seamless -

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nadai Confort Hotel

Foz do Iguacu

just a place to spend the night - as always breakfast buffet great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arena Copacabana Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

love the location - again just a place to spend a night - breakfast buffet as well great -

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Tour of Sitio Burle Marx, Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

this is a definite must see if you want to see the authenticity of the area outside of the big city -

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iguaçu Falls Hike on the Argentina Side

Foz do Iguaçu

spectacular views

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Carioca Lifestyle and Carnival Culture (by Public Transport)

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Days at the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

The Amazon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Brazil. Sara is very helpful, resourceful and incorporated all the requests we had for this trip. As this was a trip to visit Brazil and attend a family wedding, we had to take multiple flights in Brazil and all the arrangements were so nicely arranged. We had no issues from the airport to hotel, all the hotel reservations were very good. We had a wonderful tour guide in Rio who showed us around beautiful beaches and old Rio with so much of culture.
We have already recommended our friends to go through KimKim travels and talk to Sara. We had a transportation issue at the wedding and Sara's team helped us resolve it with one phone call from me. We so much appreciate Sara to help us and enjoy our entire stay!!!!

Rita

Trip and service was excellent. We were greeted at the airport by taxi driver with our name on a board, helped with our cases to the transport and driver to each Hotel.

My son and I who are Philadelphia Eagles fans, visited Brazil, from August and September of 2024. Our 20-day tour of Brazil included stops at Sao Paulo, Paraty, Angra Dos Reis, Rio De Janeiro, Iguacu Falls, Jumo Lodge in Amazon Jungle near Manaus, the historic City of Salvador, Chapdada National Park at Lincois . Thanks to Kim Kim's tour specialist Sara Martinel, our tour and experiences of Brazil was beyond amazing!! Prior to the start of the tour, we shared with Sara what we wanted to do such as including but not limited to hiking on mountains, snorkeling in the ocean, visit the waterfalls and magnificent caves, appreciate the history and culture and cuisines of Brazil and she made it happen!

Our daily trips were well thought out and provided a variety of options and recommendations! She tailored our trip and itinerary such a way that we were able to travel on road between certain cities to enjoy and appreciate the landscape! Each day we were provided accurate and specific driving plan with stops programmed in and links to other optional places. Travel arrangements were beyond imagination. From the moment we arrived at Sao Paulo, the transfer services from the airport to hotel and hotel to the domestic airports were like timer on a clock. The professional tour guides she selected for us were well informed and kept a pace we could keep. The list of tour guides we has were Alberto Cardoso and Andre Van Berg in Rio, Leon Courtman in Amazon Jungle, Ray Salvador in Salvador and Roco Belletti in Sao Paulo were amazing. These guides commented on wide variety of things in Brazil from Amazon rain forests to history of Salvador and other significance with each place and were recetive to questions and adjustment to the tour. The drivers we had were fantastic. Hotels and the Juma Lodge Sara selected for us were exceeded our expectations.

This was my first time using Kimkim and we highly recommend to other. I can’t wait to use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Pousada do Principe

Paraty

Nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nobile Hotel Copacabana Design

Rio de Janeiro

Very nice hotel and convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Viale Cataratas

Foz do Iguaçu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Manaus

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Juma Amazon Lodge

Autazes

We had the best experience at the Lodge from the location, ambiance, food and staff.

Authenticity & Character

Built with natural wood including the swimming pool built into the lake

Location

Lodge is located in the middle of a lake and atmosphere is very quite and serene.

Staff

Very nice and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Bahiacafe Hotel

Salvador

Beautiful historic building located in a historic district. View of the bay from the dining room windows was magnificient

Authenticity & Character

A historic building is converted to a hotel with all historic architecture still contained in the building.

Location

Conveniently located to all historic buildings and tourist spots and restaurants and activities. Every location within the historic district is walkable

Staff

Staffs speak good English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Lençóis

Lençóis - BA

An historic building converted to a hotel but looks like a beautiful lodge. The entire ambience is so beautiful that we spent significant amount of time walking in and around the hotel. Dining hall is an open air pavilion with an 180 degree view of the nature. Birds simply sit next us while we eat our morning breakfast. We could hear the bird chirping every morning.

Authenticity & Character

Simply it looks like a lodge that is generally built in a jungle

Location

Located at the highest point in Lincois and is next to a beautiful municipal park with multiple water falls.

Staff

Staff were very friendly and cordial.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean facility

Wyndham São Paulo Paulista

Sao Paulo

Nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Nothing can be improved due to constraint with the building structure

Location

Conveniently located close to other attractions in Sao Paulo.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Historical tour of Salvador

Salvador

We were impressed with the rich history, medieval architecture and amazing culture in Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763 . Salvador is one of the major points of convergence of Portuguese, African and American Indian cultures of the 16th to 18th centuries. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. But today, Salvador is deemed a historic city by UNESCO because of innumerable number of historic buildings. The city has uniquely built defensive upper city upper city with administrative and residential buildings which overlooks the lower city where port activities are centered. Among the places we visited, the one that impressed me was Church of Saint Francis , also known as Golden church

Quality of Experience

The history, architecture and culture

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Ray Salvador was amazing. He has wealth of knowledge and great communication skills

Transport

private transfer from Paraty to Rio with stop in Angra for boat tour

Brazil

Our driver was very friendly and helpful. Our stay in Paraty was short but we appreciated and enjoyed the time we spent in the Historic Center District

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Green Tour: in the tropical urban forest and among imperial palms

Rio de Janeiro

Tijuca One of the best botanical gardens I have seen in a while. The extensive selection of plants and trees are labelled. Many of the species were brought from different parts of the world and plated and grown in this garden. There were many that I hadn’t seen before. I was amazed at how they were able to grow so much in the garden. Tijuca Forest is actually largest urban forest in the world. Also, it is growing on steep mountains located adjacent to Rio. We were told by our guide Alberto Cardoso that Tijuca forest was actually created by the reforestation efforts in the late 1800s. The view of Rio from the top of the forest is amazing. Also, the Christ the Redeemer , a colossal statue of Christ is located at the top of one of the mountain peaks in the Tijuca Forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Telegraph Stone RJ

Rio de Janeiro

One of the best experiences I ever had visiting this Telegraph Stone . Our guide was Andre Van Berg. He picked us from our hotel in Copacabana in the morning and drove to village in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca. I just turned 65 and the hike takes about an hour to reach the top of the mountain with an elevation gain of 1100 feet.. It was a little harder going up hill in the first-half of the hike and then it becomes moderate . But our guide and my son kept a slow to pace to help me climb the mountain. The view of the surround area from the top of the mountain was breathtaking and we have spectacular views of mountain ranges with the broadleaf forest and beautiful beach at the bottom

Quality of Experience

Hiking a steep mountain (1100 feet tall) and taking photos at the telegraph stone is simply an amazing experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Andre was very knowledgeable and understand what it takes to hike a steep mountain. He himself was very fit and agile.

Transport

Andre used his own car to drive us from Copacabana to the village and back to Rio. On the way back to Rio, he drove along the coast and showed us numerous beautiful beaches including Ipanema and Leblon

All the must-sees of Rio in one day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Staircase and city tour

Rio de Janeiro

Today we visited Christ the Redeemer, a colossal 38-meter (approximately 127 feet) tall concrete statue of Christ, which stands on the top of a mountain peak by Rio at 710 meters. It is truly one of the wonders of modern world because of the technological difficulties the builders have to overcome to build this colossal monument, with arms outstretched in a gesture of blessing and embrace at an elevation of about 2364 feet above sea level. Experience at the statue is beyond explanation. We saw Maracana stadium (exterior) with famous Pele statue in the front and climbed the famous Lapa Steps or Selaron staircase, one of the most loved attractions in Rio, the work of the Chilean artist Jorge Selaròn, Going to Sugarloaf on a cable car is another enjoyable experience. Overall, tour of Rio as arranged by Sara was truly remarkable. Also, we visited a very uniquely built Cathedral known as Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian. The cathedral was designed in a modern style Mayan architectural style with a taste of pyramids. I have seen so many cathedral s throughout the world but have not see this architecture in a church or cathedral .

Quality of Experience

Food

The Shirley restaurant Alberto recommended had delicious seafood and wines. We enjoyed the lunch at the Shirley restaurant.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alberto Cardoso was our guide. He is very experienced, knowledgable and affable and willing to help even he has to go out of the way. We learned a lot about Brazilian history and culture through him. He speaks English very well. He speaks five languages including English. We highly recommend Alberto to any tourists who is thinking about visiting Rio.

Transport

Alberto brought his own car which was clean and fantastic

HD tour Brazilian side of the waterfalls + Aves Park

Foz do Iguaçu

We have seen numerous water falls in the US and Canada including Niagara Falls but Iquacu falls is one of the most spectacular falls we ever seen in the world. Niagara pales in comparison to Iquacu falls. There are over 300 falls across 2 mile width of the Iguacu river over the rocky cliff. We saw many of the these water falls from the Brazilian and the famous Devils throat from the Argentinian side. The power and fury of Mother Nature in the falls is incredible and awesome on both sides but we experienced that power of the falls from the Brazilian side when our boat ride took us directly under one of the mega falls. The experience under the power of falling water is incredible and amazing.

Quality of Experience

When our boat from Macuco tours went under the falls three times on the Brazilian side, it is something you never experienced particularly the powder and fury of the water. We actually made a 3 minute video of that experience with our iPhone with waterproof cover. But it is not possible to upload that video. If we can upload that video, everyone can visualize the amazing experience we had under the falls for those 3 minutes

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide was Luis who is knowledgable but he was distracted by too many phone calls. People with Macuco were amazing particularly those were driving the boat.

Transport

FD Argentinian side of the falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Our guide Luis drove us from Brazilian side to the Argentinian side of the National Park where another portion of the Iguacu falls is present. We did not take the Macuco ride to the bottom of the falls instead we took a mini train ride close to the Devil's Throat which is located on the Argentinian side of the falls and walked nearly 2 kilometers over a steel pedestrian bridge built over the Iguacu river to reach the Devil's throat falls. The water falls in Devil's throat is so powerful that mist created by the falls constantly hung in the air and making it a wet conditions throughout of stay on the viewing deck. The fury and power of Mother Nature is at full display at the top of the Devil's throat where the rocky cliff is cut to steps by the constant erosion of rocks from the falling water. .

Quality of Experience

The power of water

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide needs to be more attentive to our question rather than answering his phone

Transport

Second day at Juma Lodge

The Amazon

Second day we had rowing canoe in the Juma river/ lake as well seeing the wildlife on the banks of the river which was a wonderful experience. Lunch was at a local outdoor restaurant. The food was delicious. After noon piranha fishing did not go well as no one able to catch a piranha despite stopping our boat at different locations in the lake. In the night our guide took us on a boat to watch alligators, frogs and birds. The Leon only used a flashlight to focus on the animals in the Amazonian darkness, making the ride very exciting. He was able to catch a baby caiman (crocodile) from the lake in the darkness with a flash light and hand. We were able to hold and touch the baby caiman. This was one of the best experiences I ever had in the past.

Quality of Experience

Nighttime boat ride in tranquil lake with Amazon rainforest surrounding the lake is a special experience for us

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First day at the Juma Lodge in the Amazon jungle

The Amazon

Transfer from Manaus to Juma lodge is a unique experience. First, we were on a speed boat and traveled across a vast area of meeting of two rivers, Amazon and Negro from Manaus to an interior land port where Shuttle bus waiting for us to travel on the road to another port where another boat picked us up to travel along a winding river and into the Juma River with a large lake where Juma Lodge is located. The meeting two rivers, Amazon river with off-white color water and Negro river with black color water at Manaus is one of the enchanting natural spectacle one can see. These two rivers flow together with two distinct color for next 6 kilometer on the downstream side of Manaus. Our boat driver drove the boat parallel to the meeting line of these two rivers for distance and circle back to the point where we needed to travel.It is a beautiful phenomenon for mesmerizing distance where two disparate waters touch, bubble and dance, cheek-to cheek, This natural spectacle truly showcases the culturally rich country and the talented, burgeoning peoples that comprise the Brazil nation. First day in Juma Lodge was to acquaint ourself with the lodge facilities and walking tour of Amazon rainforest with our wonderful guide Leon Courtman. Leon is very knowledgeable and has good grasp on the plant species in Amazon rainforest. He gave us a ton information about the plants of the Amazon that have hundreds of potential medicinal uses. The forest tour was an invaluable experience to gain knowledge of plant species that provide ingredients for fighting cancer to soothing asthma and reducing anxiety to treating gallstones. The time in the forest was well spent with Leon

Quality of Experience

Tranquility, serenity, and is really one of the very few places where we can still surround ourselves with a scenery, unlike anything else we've seen so far.

Food

Food was fantastic as most of the cuisines were cooked with spices. Loved the seafoods. Fruits were fresh and abundant as with the varieties of fruit juices. One of the unique culture I noticed was that all fruit juices were kept in pitchers without ice. But ice cubes were kept in a separate container so that if anyone wants ice they can add. Also, there was a long steel spoon kept next to the pitcher so that guests can stir up the juice so that the dense particles can mix with liquid that accumulated at the top of the pitcher.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leon is exceptionally good with full command over both English and Portuguese languages as well as the plant species in Amazon Rainforest.

Transport

Boat rides and ground transportation were like a clock work

Third day at Juma Lodge

The Amazon

The third day began with a viewing of the sunrise from a 100-foot tall viewing tower built next to Juma Lodge. The changing of color of the Amazon sky over the lakes and forest is amazing. Leon showed us the waste water treatment system at the lodge which actually removes the contaminants to a level of drinking water before being discharge to the lake. The sludge that remains in the treatment tanks will be hauled away in the boat for treatment at facility near Manaus. Rest of the morning was spent in the Amazon forest full of Amazonian palm trees which are huge and tall. Palm trees in the Amazon forests are totally different than what I have seen in the US. Afternoon was spent at a native Amazonian farm known as the House of a caboclo (native) which was located where Juma river meets the main Parana river. Leon was very good explaining how native Amazonians perfected the methods to extract edible food from cassava vegetable (like potato) which contains dangerous levels of cyanide. The food that people can make using cassava include bread, French fries, mashed cassava, cassava chips, cassava cake.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last day at Juma Lodge

The Amazon

This day was our return journey back to Manaus airport. So we said goodby to our guide Leon and two tourist from Germany and two from Rio who become our good friends during three day stay in Juma Lodge. It was hard to say goodby to them and leave the lodge. With heavy heart we returned to Manaus airport and caught our flight to São Paulo and then to Salvador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Manaus to the airport was nice, the flight from Manaus to Sao Paulo and to Salvador was on time and had great time

Gruta da Lapa Doce, Pratinha, Gruta Azul e Morro do Pai Inácio

Lençóis

The hiking through the Gruta cave from an entrance at the bottom of the valley and climbing up the steps to an exit hole was a fantastic experience. The numerous stalactites and stalagmites creations are unbelievably beautiful. Visit to blue water cave at Pratinha river and snorkeling in the cave water is an experience my son and I will never forget. Blue cave at Gruta Pratinha in Chapada National Park ( locally know as Chapada Diamentina in recognition of diamond mining in the region) is the most beautiful cave I have seen. The Pratinha River water in the Blue Pool of the cave so perfectly clear that you can see all the rock formations and the numerous fishes in the water bottom below. The snorkeling in the cave was definitely the highlight of the tour. it's an unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

On September 2, to our surprise our transfer from Salvador to Lencois was at our hotel on time and announced that he will be driving us in the car all the way to Lencois, which was 5-1/2 hours. We are unable to remember his name but he was a very nice gentleman. He was gracious enough to use google translate to communicate with us which made the long ride from Salvador to Lencois enjoyable. He stopped at a very nice road side restaurant in a town called Iteberaba for lunch where food was fantastic. We reached the Hotel De Lencois in Lencois in the late afternoon. The hotel de Lencois is almost like a lodge in a jungle not a typical hotel we see everywhere we have gone. This hotel, which is located at one of the highest point in the town of Lencois, has an outdoor pool by the garden, a library, a restaurant with a wine cellar and buffet breakfast. The dining area is an open air porch with garden surround the porch. Furthermore, there is a beautiful municipal park next to the hotel, numerous water falls. Ambiance in the hotel is remarkably tranquil and beautiful. The dining area makes us feel like we are sitting in a jungle lodge eating our breakfast with garden around us and birds simply waiting on the bird feeds placed along the perimeter of the open porch to eat the food to be feed by the staff. The food was delicious and varieties of wines in stock were exceptionally good.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide Maco was exceptionally good. My son and him have become good friends at the end of the tour. The staff at the Hotel de Lencois are very polite, friendly and able to communicate very well with us. Helped us whenever we asked for assistance.

Transport

Transport was on time like a clock work

Cachoeira da Fumaça & Riachinho

Lençóis

Today, I did not go to Vale do Capao for 12 km walk to see the famous water falls Fumaca. But my son did that expedition and was was very impressed with majestic mountain and falls. He said he had wonderful time there with guide Maco and other tourists who were with him. I went on my own hiking of the Lencois municipal park that was located next to Hotel de Lencois. Definitely a MUST visit Park in Lencois. Full of waterfalls, jaw dropping views, wildlife, pretty caves, rocks, water holes, and so much more. The park has an entry fee of 20 Reals. Also, you cannot hike to water falls without a guide. It helps a lot to have a guide with you to show you the trials so you don't get lost and take you to the interesting spots. There is always more to explore in this park depending on how much time you have

Private City Tour in Sao Paulo

São Paulo

Our guide for São Paulo was Rocco Belletti. He was exceptionally good with great command over English language as well as the history of São Paulo. I was impressed with him. We walked the Paulista Avenue, visited Ibirapuera Park and Batman Alley. Everything was fantastic. The night ended by watching the football game between Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers at Corinthian Stadium in Guarulhos. Ice on the cake was our beloved Philadelphia Eagles won that game

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rocco was very friendly and easy to approach. I would recommend him for anyone. Transport from and to airport to hotel and from and to the football stadium are exceptionally good.

Transport

Day 1: Arrival in Sāo Luis: The arrangements went smoothly until check-in to Hotel Luzeiros. The reservations were not paid and had to be billed to my companion's Visa until proof of payment was provided. This took longer than expected because the Hotel accounts office was closed leading to an e-mail trial and error. Not a great start. The problem was corrected eventually that evening.

Day 2: Group transfer from São Luis to Barrierinhas. The transfer bus was one hour late, leading to some anxious moments about being forgotten etc. The communication was minimal between KimKim and us, so we just had to wait and hope. When the transfer bus (about 20 passengers) finally arrived, the air conditioning broke down, leading to an unscheduled stop at the SL airport where an alternate vehicle could be arranged. About an hour delay, but the van arrived and we enjoyed a nice air conditioned ride to Barrierinhas. Wonderful couple of tour guides were patiently waiting for us to check in so they could take us to Lençoise MNP. It was an unbelievably beautiful experience - the guides knew the back dirt roads, leading to us enjoying the swimming/walking experience to ourselves. Nice guide walked us there and back, offering assistance to we elderly women. Pousada Boa Vista was lovely: clean, with one English speaking staff member who helped us immensely. We had to text KimKim Angela to give us the departure time for the tour the next day. This was an ongoing problem - we should not have always had to text for departure times. This is a standing complaint. Please always give departure times for tours. We should not have to always inquire!

Day 3 Preguicas River Tour

Absolutely disastrous. The company who is responsible for picking up passengers operates the tour boat as a transfer boat for passengers who have luggage and are heading to Atins. The boat operator was disorganized, did not bother to organize luggage to accommodate all passenger who were only there for the tour and did not take luggage.. The boat operator took a great interest in two pretty passengers, totally ignoring the rest of the passengers on the boat. We two (2) were left on the beach on the final stop without explanation from the boat operator except that he would return in an hour for us. Our reserved seats on the boat were occupied by two strangers who were picked up for the run Atins, down river. Absolutely unacceptable and this boat tour company should never be used again. Also pretty sure the boat operator took time to smoke a few reefers in between stops, but of course cannot prove that. Just felt unsafe all around.

Day 4 Barreirinhas to Parnaiba

Pousada Villa Parnaiba was probably the best accommodation that Parnaiba could offer, but the rooms were in need of a great deal of repair. The toilet shower was not operable. No restaurant was within a reasonable walking distance, so at great personal cost, food delivery was made to the hotel. The hamburger worked out to be about 120 Reals. The pool was a little dicey - very shallow with no discernible pool cleaning system observed, so no swimming was done there. The tour that was supposed to pick us up at the hotel was over an hour late. This meant that return from the river tour would be well after dark. Nothing to see when the river is dark, so there was no point in taking the tour. KimKim would not refund the cost of the tour, as they thought the tour was only 1/2 hour late. No point arguing. There was no refund given by KimKim.

Day 5 Parnaiba to Jericoacoara

The driver was wonderful but without English, it was difficult to understand the day's schedule. Long drive in the vehicle but enjoyed all the stops and runs along highway and beach. Very generous stops, and very nice lunch spot where the hammocks dip into the lake. Well organized, expert driver who ran us up sand dunes.

Day 6 Jericoacoara

The planned activity for the day was something that perhaps younger generation enjoy, but a hot dusty and bumpy buggy tour at high speeds around sand dunes was not really what either of us wanted to do. We cancelled immediately when we saw what we would be in for. We did request age appropriate activity and this did not fit the request at all. We were perfectly content to stay in Jeri for the day and sit at the beach. We were transferred the next day to another room because of a leaky toilet, without incident. We would like to give a shout out again to Leandro, our friend at the front desk for being an awesome host.

Day 8 Fortaleza

Transfer from Jeri to Fortaleza took 9 long hours. We were advised it would be a 4 hour transfer. No idea why it took so much longer, but were again treated to expert driving along beach and road. Hotel accommodation in Fortaleza was 5 star awesome. Right across from the beach. Great room and location.

Day 9 Fortaleza City Tour

We did not have the benefit of an English speaking guide, but we did hire a guide who showed us around beautiful Fortaleza; the opera house, and market. Unfortunately we cancelled the planned tour, and paid for a tour ourselves. We kept some local families happy with that double payment. Poor choice on our part, not KimKim's fault.

Day 11 Manaus City Tour

Beautiful hotel. 5 star. Unfortunately the car provided by the guide was not air conditioned and the temperature outside was 40 degrees. We did our best, but had to return to the hotel because of heat exhaustion. We missed touring the Indigenous People Museum, unfortunately.

Day 12-15 Ecopark Jungle Lodge

Grateful that we did not have to travel 3 hours up river, the Ecolodge was only an hour away via vehicle transfer and boat. Accommodation cabins were lovely. 3 meal a day food was always superb. Special presentation at the beach one night with amazing food and 5 star entertainment. It would appear that this was for the benefit of special guests at the lodge who we guessed reviewed and recommended accommodation on the Amazon. We got the benefit of ths special presentation - and enjoyed it thoroughly.

The transfer from Manous to Manous Airport did not show up at 9 a.m. or at all.
We took an Uber to the airport instead.

After the original accommodation was cancelled at Turtle Lodge, which was 3 hours further up river, the plane transfer would have been doable from EcoLodge - Manous - São Paulo. An extra night had to be spent in São Paulo because of timing with original accommodation arrangement. Unfortunate.

All in all, a well organized tour, but again, it was not acceptable that communication had to constantly be made with Angela to advise us about tour starting times every day.

Sara was incredibly responsive. She answered every question I had in a timely manner, and when there were logistical problems she worked to quickly solve them. She tailored our trip to our unique interest. We enjoy being in nature and the energy of a vibrant city. We would definitely work with Sara again.

Our family of 4 (2 boys age 16 and 13) just returned from an amazing 13 day trip to Brazil. Bruno and his team at AAA Bahia crafted an unbelievably well thought out and perfectly executed itinerary which included eco-tourism, cultural sights, sporting events, and beach fun. Our trip started in the Amazon then Salvador and wrapped up in Rio. At every location the transportation was seamless and the bilingual guides were extremely knowledgeable, fun, and had great enthusiasm about sharing their homeland with us. Leading up to the trip Bruno and his team were so easy to work with, they always listened to what we wanted out of the trip and and provided great recommendations on sightseeing activities as well as dining and nightlife. The kimkim platform was a breeze to use and was invaluable for communication with Bruno as well as handling all payments. This is the second time we have used kimkim for an overseas trip (Colombia 2023) and both times the local travel companies they hooked us up with were perfect. If you plan to go to Brazil I highly recommend using the kimkim platform and AAA Bahia to craft the perfect vacation for you.

Camille and Renata were kind, patient, detail-oriented, and responsive. Our trip to Brazil was our 3rd trip with KimKim. We can't wait for the next one!

We had a really good time in Brasil. Everything was very well organised.

The Selina hotel in Rio and in Parraty were very nice. Our hotel in Buzios was absolutely fantastic. The hotel Pietro Angelo in FOz do Iguacu was not so good (too big and impersonal.

We had a good time in Rio and the most amazing activity was hanggliding! We liked the samba class as well. And we joined a football game at Maracana. What a vibrant ambiance!

Our day 1 tour guide in Rio was rather boring and super touristic.
The tour day with bus and full boat in Praia do Araial was also very touristic. Pleasant but not our cup of tea.

We had a blast with Greg, the taxi driver. He's really a super nice person!

Thanks to Alfonso and colleagues who really helped us out when we had questions at any time of the day.

Thank you all for the nice experience!

Kim & Nora

We had an exceptional experience with Renata at KimKim as well as the local guides with Bravo Brazil. Everything went off without a hitch. Everyone was so professional and courteous. We would definitely book another trip with KimKim. Very impressed!

Hotel Review

Pousada Pequi

Aquidauana

This is an absolute gem of a place. It is so unique, the food is amazing, and the staff were really exceptional. The tours were so much fun and so interesting and we all had a good time from teenager to adult!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hiking & Waterfalls at Boca da Onça farm

Bonito MS

This hike was absolutely gorgeous. Honestly, it blew all of us away. We felt like we were in a movie :-) The waterfalls are incredible! This was definitely a highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip was overall well planned by Bruno. We visited Rio and Foz do Iguacu with KimKim (we did also add a single night in Sao Paulo, due to travel needs). During the planning phase, we adjusted and added attractions that best fit my family. This included changing our flights that Bruno initially booked to help fit my desired schedule. The planning phase was great and easy. Our English guides did great and accommodated our family of 5 as needed during the various tours. The hotel selections fit our desires as well. My only small issue was the airport pickups. I believe they use a generic airport based service to get you to your hotel (at least in Rio and Sao Paulo that was the case). Both in Rio and Sao Paulo our drivers did not speak English. This was a slight issue as we weren't proficient Portuguese speakers, but we managed ok. If you were uncomfortable putting yourself out there doing some mimes and broken sign-language, it would have been very disappointing. All in all, 9 out of 10.

I just returned from one of the most epic adventures of my life. I went on this trip as a 57 year old single mom from Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
I have Sara, (my wonderful Kim Kim Travel contact/trip organizer) and Gilmar (my amazing jungle guide) to thank for this superior experience.
Sara organized the entire trip for me down to the last detail. She made sure that all of my requests were fulfilled and that she was available at all times to answer questions and navigate through itinerary changes during the expedition. From the moment we met over the KimKim website Sara was responsive, detail oriented, and timely in her feedback.
She supported me the entire way from the take off at IAD to landing back home 12 days later.
Sara's English was excellent and her resources on the ground in Manaus were reliable and friendly.
My guide, Gilmar, had 14 years of jungle guiding experience and provided for my safety and well being from the moment he met me to my final drop off at the Holiday Inn. Gilmar spoke English well and knew the jungle inside-out. I felt safe with Gilmar by my side and learned so many wonderful things about the Amazon jungle from him. He showed me how to fish for Pirhana, set up hammocks in the deep jungle, fry fish on a fire and build a frying rack made from jungle wood. He showed me how to spot Caymans at night and sight monkeys and iguanas and sloths in the tree tops and make plates out of palm leaves.
On my final day in Manaus I woke up unbelievably grateful, thinking that this had been one of the most epic adventures of my life. I actually shed a few tears of happiness when I thought of everything that I had done and experienced in the last two weeks.
This trip did not just meet my expectations; it surpassed them.
It is without hesitation that I would recommend Sara and Gilmar for anyone wishing to have the ultimate Jungle Experience.

Our trip to the Pantanal in Brazil and to Iguazu Falls is Brazil and Argentina was amazing. Our drivers were punctual and helpful at every step of the way. We were able to see two jaguars on the Cuiaba river in the Fontanelle. Iguazu Falls is incredible, and our guide Junior was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, including accompanying us to into the airport to make sure everything was all set for our return home.

Sara was an amazing link to make our Amazon trip possible. She answered all our questions before our trip in a timely fashion and everything went like clockwork. We loved the Ture Lodge and made life long friends at the lodge and with the guests. Arigato!

We had an amazing trip. Everything was seamlessly taken care of for us. This is my first time not doing an organized group tour (I have done more than 40), and this was by far the better way to travel. Renata was able to find things that we never would have been able to do. Our locals guides were exceptional. Manuela, our Pantanal guide, was friendly, reliable, knowledgeable, and honestly really fun. Our stay at Barra Mansa was by far our favorite part of the trip. The folks there legitimately made us feel like we were at home. Manuela, also followed up to assist us in making bookings in Sao Paulo. She was fantastic.

Dai, our Bonito guide, was funny, had so many interesting stories, and was not afraid of jumping in and doing the adventure stuff alongside us. She made sure everything was taken care of for us.

Rocco, our Paraty guide, not only drove us all the way from Sao Paulo but also had extensive knowledge of the local history. He also recommended some places for our favorite meals on the entire trip. He went above and beyond to assist us in booking a last minute boat tour.

Bruno, our Sao Paulo guide, was extremely knowledgeable and able to read our group and pivot on a dime to make instant changes to our itinerary that suited us (MASP was amazing!). We all loved Sao Paulo by the end of the day.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. I can't say enough about how kind the people were, how delicious the food, and how beautiful the scenery. I would highly recommend using Kim Kim. We'll certainly be booking with them again.

As a minor detail, the GRU airport transfer and airport hotel we stayed at twice was the only negative experience we had the entire time. The GRU hotel van transfer was nearly impossible to figure out, especially after an overnight trip. We ended up getting a taxi, which was much quicker and more convenient. I wish we had just done that up front and saved us trekking all over the airport while exhausted only to not find the connection.

The airport hotel we stayed at in GRU was conveniently located and had a good breakfast but was otherwise somewhere I would not recommend to anyone. We ended up in the same room a week apart and it very clearly hadn't been cleaned other than the beds being remade. The bathroom was dirty and unhygienic, the table tops sticky, and something I had accidentally left 6 days earlier was still on the floor (which, I guess was lucky). It was also extremely loud and had an odd smell in the rooms.