Vicky Steinhardt

Our trip to Australia was a once in a lifetime experience. Vicky, from KimKim, did a spectacular job in every aspect. The hotels were both conveniently located and well above average. The guide in Sydney, Andrew, was a former teacher and singer at the Opera House and was a font of information and a pleasure to be with. The guide in Melbourne, John, took us on a walking tour and it was also very well orchestrated. He also was flexible as we had to change the date. Vicky was extremely helpful in resolving some rental car issues. She got back to me on a daily basis assuring me that it would get sorted. I would highly recommend both KimKim and Vicky for travel plans

This was our first time using KimKim and appreciated the ease in which options were provided by the local specialist, Vicky, and how we were able to provide input. During our trip, we reference the on-line itinerary several times a day. Vicky was a joy to work with and was available seemly 24 hours a day. She made multiple changes to our plan and responded to questions very quickly.

Hotel Review

Harbour Rocks Hotel

The Rocks, Sydney NSW

Nice boutique hotel and centrally located. However, the room we ended up getting was extremely small. Literally couldn't open up two suitcases at the same time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

The cruise was nice - food was decent. The duration of the cruise was perfect (not to long - my personal preference). The "sunset" part of the cruise didn't really exist -- the sun was still fairly high in the sky when the cruise ended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Mountains Wildlife Full-Day Sights and Hiking from Sydney

Sydney

This was one of our favorite activities during the trip. We asked for and got a private driver that was very friendly and knowledgable. The hike in the Blue Mountains was the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Bike Tour

Sydney

This was a great way to see a lot of Sydney in a short amount of time. The only complaint we had was that the final part of the tour was through a heavily congested (by pedestrians) trip on the boardwalk by the harbour. My wife and I both felt a little unsafe during this and I'm sure we totally annoyed numerous pedestrians. Probably could be easily solved by starting the tour earlier the morning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

McLaren Vale Wine Tour by Bike

Adelaide

Totally glad we did this tour - BUT felt a little unprepared for the skill level/fitness needed for the tour. I'm sure the "mountain biking" aspect of the tour was at the low end of average of skill/fitness for mountain bikers - but I felt a bit terrified during part of the tour (sharp rocks, narrow tracks, steep hills). I'm a semi-fit 60 year old that bikes quite a bit (albeit not mountain biking) and was pushed from a fitness perspective to complete the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

DOLPHIN SANCTUARY & SHIPS GRAVEYARD KAYAK TOUR

Adelaide

We saw dolphins (which was great!) though they were from quite a distance away. However, I was really looking forward to seeing the ship graveyard and picked this tour because of it. The tour guide decided to cut the ship graveyard from the tour - because he said we spent too much time looking for/viewing dolphins. We did have a nice trip through the mangroves. The tour guide was very monotone and did not speak very loudly. I'm sure most of the people on the tour gave up on trying to hear him - he seemed oblivious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laneways of Melbourne

Melbourne

This was a big surprised - but we loved it. We never got the sense from reading the tour description that this was actually a tour of graffiti in alleys. Loved the artwork and the chance to see some sights you normally don't see walking through a big city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private and Customised Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Tour

Melbourne

Really have mixed feelings about this tour. We loved the sights. We had a private driver. The mini-van we were in was a bit run down. Both my wife and I had trouble hearing the driver due to the road noise from the van and the driver not speaking loud enough. The driver wouldn't stop talking even after we told him we couldn't hear him. We told him a couple times to save his voice and stop talking, but that didn't stop him. Since about 60% of this tour is driving, this became awkward at times.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The van we rode in was run down. Windows didn't work in the back. Very loud. The tour operation should consider an intercom system (very common) or something to make driver more audible.

Kuranda Scenic Railway Gold Class and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Australia

One of our favorite activities on our trip to Australia. Both the railway and cableway were outstanding!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gold Class VIP Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Cairns by Luxury Superyacht

Cairns

The boat ride was very rough and I learned that snorkeling isn't for me (neither of which is the fault of the tour operator). Many people we sea-sick for the entire cruise. We paid extra for the Gold Class VIP treatment with a private stateroom - and very happy we did this. The staff was wonderful. The food good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Daintree Wanderer Tour

Australia

Another highlight from the trip! We had a private driver who was very knowledgable. He actually walked with us on many parts of the tour which was nice. Never felt like his presence was intrusive. Newer mini-van. The only part of the day-long tour that was a bit of a dud was the one hour Crocodile Boat Tour. There were no crocodile sightings. The boat driver said that he had had several trips out with no crocodiles to be found. I don't think the other crocodile tour operators were having any better luck.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Blue Mountain trip was exciting with Guide Elliott who was very knowledgeable and polite.
Uluru the walk looking at the skies was good. Hotel stay was standard with lousy job by housekeeping.
In Cairns the Ocean Freedom trip was exciting well looked after by the amazing staff.
Daintree Wanderer tour was very interesting in the rain forest and teh guide was excellent.
Melbourne City tour was a waste of time except the MCG tour and the MCG guide was excellent.
The pick up to and from Melbourne Airport was very efficinet with the driver Pierre.
New-Zealand trip to Queenstown was interesting. The St. Moritz Hotel is good with the lake view unfortunately there were scaffoldings that blocked the view.
Milford sound Cruise was very scenic but the flight portion did not happen due to bad weather.
The TSS Earnslaw buffet lunch did not have good choice for vegetarian meals in spite of one requested beforehand.
In Auckland The Waiheke Island wine tour and lunch were excellent with a very knowledgeable guide from Ananda Tours.
The Rotorua tour could have been better with the inclusion of the Cultural presentation at Te Puija which was missed. The guide Harry was brilliant.
Special mention to be made of Raymond shuttle service to and from Auckland airport for their very timely and friendly service.
Thanks to Vicky of VIO travel Australia for arranging this trip at short notice and planned very well except for early morning pick ups as teh whole trip was fast paced.
I would

Hotel Reviews

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

Sydney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Housekeeping was poor

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Langham, Melbourne

Southbank

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fable Auckland

Auckland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St. Moritz

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ocean Freedom - Cruise to Outer Edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef (Departs from Cairns)

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Daintree Wanderer Tour

Australia

Different kind of rain forest !!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

One of the best theatres in the world.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

Worth the full day trip.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Sydney Sights 4 hours - Private Tour

Sydney

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Very relaxing and good food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Field of Light Dinner | Indulge in a feast for the soul

Uluru

A sprecial place to celebrate my wife's 70th birthday.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful experience on our custom tour with KimKim to Australia and New Zealand, enjoying all of it and every place we visited. It was so nice to have all our accommodations, flights, transportation and tours taken care of so we could relax and enjoy. We balanced the tour with a mix of group tours and free time, so were able to see things outside the cities such as rainforests, beaches and wildlife, while allowing days to just sleep in, go for a run or swim and spend the morning at a local cafe.

I also appreciated the menu-option like format where Vicky provided several activities for us to choose from. While we'd love to do them all, it worked out perfect to have free days so we weren't on a bus every day for hours. The moderate level hikes for us were easy and shorter than expected, however most still allowed us to experience spectacular views and forest. Our favorites were the penguin parade at Philip Island, the Blue Mountains hike outside Sydney, the Auckland rainforest/beach hikes, and renting bikes in Rotorua through single track trails and redwood forest. Our accommodations had amazing locations, all very close and walking distance from the center of town, lake and beach. Most had kitchenettes and 3 had laundry in the room - amazing!

The interaction all online with Vicky worked out perfect. She was very quick to respond, very flexible with making changes to our original itinerary, as well as updates while on the trip. The ability to cancel tours with a couple days notice for a refund was a plus, given changes in weather and our preference once we were in-country.

All in all, a very well organized planning, booking and service from Vicky. The online site is also very easy to use and collaborate on. I would definitely recommend or use Kim Kim again for this type of tour.

Hotel Reviews

Park Hyatt Auckland

1010

Over the top accommodation on the waterfront docks of Auckland. Amazing pool and the best spa I've ever been in a hotel. The cafe/bar was nice and relaxing, with a really wonderful local musician playing soulful R&B. The breakfast spread was spectacular and offered many healthy options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank

Melbourne

Great location with fantastic lap swim-able pool and good sized gym. The room was clean and modern.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The White House Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Perfect location just a block from the gorgeous 4-mile beach and a few blocks from downtown restaurants and shops. Easy walk to the pier to catch the boat for the Great Barrier Reef tour. The fans and AC worked well. The only feedback would be to change out the lighting from stark, overly bright LED overhead to softer white light and/or optional lamps. We turned the lights off most of the time. A night light would have also been good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Rotorua

Rotorua

Very nice accommodation with great location near restaurants, lake and parks. The breakfast was wonderful and offered a variety of healthy options with fresh fruit, pastries, breads, chia pudding and gluten free muesli. We liked the convenience of renting e-bikes right from the hotel lobby, however it did take a long time for the staff to get us registered and set up. Still, they were super friendly, accommodating and flexible. One tip: The hand soap dispenser is very highly mounted to the far right of the sink, so I had to literally reach over and get on my toes to reach it every day. I would recommend making it lower, putting it on the sink or swapping the soap and the lotion (which is used less).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scenic Suites Queenstown

Queenstown

This accommodation had nice views of the lake and gondola ridge, however was right on the main road so was quite noisy. The temperature was quite cold when we arrived and the room was very cool, as if not used for some time. The main wall heater did not put out much heat so took a long time to warm the room and keep it warm. The bathroom and bedroom heaters worked much better. The windows are not well insulated, so the heat was not retained especially at night. Thankfully it warmed up and the sun warmed the room in the afternoons. If it was raining or snowing, we would have been uncomfortable in the room. The breakfast spread was very good with lots of variety and healthy choices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Walking with us through the maze of lifts, hallways, outside byways and ramps to our room upon arrival with all our bags. It's very confusing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Sebel Quay West Suites

The Rocks

Beautiful hotel in a perfect location near the Rocks. Just 2 blocks from my company's office which was a pleasant bonus as I was meeting friends there while visiting. Everything about the hotel was wonderful. Gorgeous pool area (albeit not a lap pool unfortunately). The hot tub and sauna could have been hotter. The gym was very small for a hotel this size. Breakfast was very good and a lot of food. Good strong coffee drinks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Small Group Bus Tour Phillip Island Wildlife and Brighton Beach

Melbourne

I didn't know before the tour what the penguin parade was all about, and this ended up to be one of the highlights of my entire 21-day vacation! The boxes beach was interesting. The wildlife park was ok, nothing special. However, once we got out to Philip Island everything changed. The views are spectacular. We saw dozens of wild wallabees and sea birds. Our tour guide was fun and informative. Even getting in late after 11pm, it was worth it. I would have only preferred more time at the penguin information center/shops as we only had maybe 10-15 mins to look around including using the restroom. There were some nice exhibits I would have liked to read through in more detail.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a 20 min walk from my hotel to the pickup hotel location. This made me nervous getting back into the city after 11pm at night. The driver dropped me off a little closer, but I still had a 15 min walk. To my surprise, the streets were very busy even at that hour on a week night so I felt relatively safe.

Waitomo and Hobbiton Experience (Auckland to Rotorua)

Auckland

Wished the glowworm cave experience was longer and the Hobbiton experience was shorter. Ideally, Hobbiton as a self-guided tour would have been much better. Our guide had over 30! people in the group so we had wait for everyone to take photos and selfies (ugh) before moving on to the next attraction. I would suggest smaller groups and a self-guided option. We had to suffer through a long time before getting to the restrooms and something to drink at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coast & Rainforest Walking Day Tour

Auckland

Gorgeous rainforest with a very informative and personable guide who knew every tree, fern, bird and bit of the ecosystem. Very interesting Maori center. A little more time at the center would have been nice. Nice light hike. Spectacular black sand beach walk without shoes and to see the magnetic essence of the sand. Not too much bus time so all in all a good trip. There was one trail I would have preferred to go down farther, but the guides cut it short due to warm weather. That was a disappointment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vicky , you arranged our Australia and New Zealand trip very well. Hotel stays were very good except Fable where the service was moderate. Tours were very well organized, pickups were efficient and good and friendly.Ayer’s rock was amazing. Except the evening arranged dinner was so so for us vegetarians and atmosphere was full of bugs at night which the organizers could have controlled better. Cairns is beautiful. Seeing Great Barrier Reef was wonderful. On the whole an amazing trip and experience. Thank you Vicky.

Hotel Reviews

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

Sydney

Old charm. Very centrally located. Good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fable Auckland

Auckland

Many staff spoke English poorly and communication was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poor cleaning. Bathroom sink poorly designed.

Desert Gardens Hotel

Yulara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Langham, Melbourne

Southbank

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel St. Moritz

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Field of Light Dinner | Indulge in a feast for the soul

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Food

Better vegetarian options.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the mysteries of the outback sky

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Ocean Road Full Day Private Experience

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Milford Sound – Coach Cruise Fly

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waiheke Island - Exclusive Tours - STANDARD DAY (Private Tour)

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Debra was excellent.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Freedom - Cruise to Outer Edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef (Departs from Cairns)

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Private Melbourne City Highlights

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TSS Earnslaw and BBQ Buffet Lunch in Queenstown

Queenstown (NZ)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uluru Sunrise (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta Half Day Trip

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Daintree Wanderer Tour

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Full-Day Rotorua Tour

Auckland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Sights 4 hours - Private Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I traveled to Australia for the first time. We had 15 days and we wanted to make the most of them but we didn’t know where to start as Australia is too big.
We read some reviews from other travelers for Kim Kim and we decided to leave the planning of the trip to experienced and local professionals. We were so right about this decision: Vicky was the agent assigned to us and she made this trip an amazing experience, stress and hassle free.
First of all she chose 4 destinations based on the questions we answered and what we wanted to do ( Sydney, Port Douglas, Uluru and Melbourne) that gave us a great flavor of what is Australia and its beauties and landscapes.
Every single activity has been thoroughly planned by Vicky and all her choices of the local companies and agents were spot on ! From the transfer from and to the airport to all activities, the Sydney opera tickets purchased, recommendations for restaurants etc. Vicky was so responsive and helpful during the planning but also during our trip. When we needed her to clarify couple of things, she immediately handled all the matters within minutes. She is just fantastic ! We didn’t have to think or stress about anything as Vicky took care of all the matters.
While all activities were very good, I would like to highlight few of them and some of our tour guides who were exceptional :
A) Sydney opera performance, just a “must”
B) Walking tour with Dave from Dave’s travel group. Dave was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic person and we learned a lot about Sydney’s history
C) Blue mountains, a beautiful landscape
D) Daintree waterfall hike tour with Allister from the Daintree experience. Allister was an amazing guide and the highlight of the day was the swimming in to the rock pool next to the waterfall
E) ABC snorkel charters: Marine biologists were snorkeling with us at the Great Barrier Reef explaining everything about the corals and the life underwater we were watching. We were a very small group of 8 people and we had 2 marine biologists with us ( Sam and Paula who were just awesome who tirelessly took care of us ).
F) Uluru as a destination offered a completely different experience where we understood a little better the incredible history of the place and the Aboriginal people.
G) Foodie Discover walking tour: Our tour guide was wonderful Rita (by Walk Melbourne tours), a passionate Melbourne lady who shared so many excellent stories about the city and places with amazing food, sweets and drinks.

Overall an amazing country and an amazing trip. Thank you again Vicky 😊🤩

Activity Reviews

Sydney City Small Group Walking Tour (Small Group Tour)

Sydney

Dave was fantastic

Beautiful Daintree Waterfall Hike Tour, Magical Swim and Lunch

Port Douglas

Allister was fantastic

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ABC Snorkel Charters Port Douglas Snorkelling max 12 passengers

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Blue Mountains Small Group Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Kata Tjuta Small Group Tour

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Yarra Valley Local Produce Tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Laneways of Melbourne

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We travelled to Australia for 3 weeks in October, 2024. I had been attempting to plan the trip myself before I found Kimkim. As soon as I got connected to Kimkim, the planning was amazing. Our specialist, Vicky, was incredibly helpful. We communicated multiple times to insure that we chose the best itinerary to fit our needs. She arranged everything: domestic flights, all airport pickups and drop offs at our hotel, hotel reservations, tours both private and small group with hotel pick ups, private tour guides, and even recommended additional activities and restaurants. Every connection was seamless and we had no stress. She was also in touch with us throughout the tour to be sure all was going well.
I enjoy planning travel, but I could not have put together this 3 week, 5 city adventure on my own and had it run so perfectly without Kimkim and Vicky. Thank you so much!
Judy McKenzie

Vicky helped my husband and I (and our 23 and 19 year old daughters) plan an incredible, once in a lifetime vacation! Not a single detail was overlooked. Every booking was confirmed and we had no hassles. And when we were delayed getting to Australia by 24 hours due to flight issues, Vicky helped rebook all plans we had for our missed day to a day we were able to add onto the end of our trip. This trip was perfection, thanks to Vicky!
We traveled to Sydney, Uluru, and Palm Cove, before heading back to Sydney. Our favorite days were exploring the Blue Mountains with Ben, staying at Longitude 131 with McKayla as our guide, and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef. We finished our vacation touring Sydney, again with Ben as our guide!
Thanks again for helping us plan our luxury vacation Vicky! It was exactly what we dreamed of!

Hotel Review

Longitude 131˚

Yulara

Luxury at its finest - we will never forget our nights spent in the Dune Pavilion at Longitude 131! We loved every minute of it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Such a unique way to experience The Outback!

Staff

McKayla was an incredible tour guide to Ayers Rock - she was so much fun! Edward was excellent with suggestions for the rest of our vacation!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Blue Mountains Full Day - Private Tour

Sydney

If you can have Ben as a tour guide, you will have the best time! Such beautiful scenery and a fun trip to a local zoo on the way there! Our first full day in Australia was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Trip with no complaints. Really appreciated the hotel selection as well as the smaller more intimate tours. Especially enjoyed the Blue Mountains tour with the hike. The Go West tours out of Melbourne were also well led and fun. Would recommend the foodie tour of Melbourne too.

Everything was very well organized and took the hassles logistics out of your lap.

Would do again

Hotel Review

Crystalbrook Bailey

Cairns

Activity Reviews

Blue Mountains Wildlife Full-Day Sights and Hiking from Sydney

Sydney

Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

Melbourne

Great Ocean Road Scenic Tour

Melbourne

Kata Tjuta Sunrise and Valley of the Winds Half-Day Trip

Uluru

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

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

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

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

Activity Reviews

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

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

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

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

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.

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