Vio Travel

We had a great trip, and it was only possible through Leny's help! She recommended places and activities, like the Takayama and the Nakasendo Trail hike which was amazing. She hooked us up with some great guides for food and sake tours and temple/shrine tours that exceed our expectations. We couldn't have done so much in the time we had without Leny's help, and the airport pick-ups and city transfers were especially appreciated, especially when the roads and most of the rail lines were closed because of heavy snowfall, but she instantly had a plan and we were able to continue our trip with an alternative route. Thanks Leny!

Hotel Review

Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari

Great ryokan experience! First off the meals were absolutely incredible! The onsen was nice and hot, the scenery from the large windows was beautiful, and the staff were also excellent. We really enjoyed it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable, unless you need a soft bed (they are futons).

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour (Adults only)

Kyoto

Great way to learn about how sake is made and the range of flavors it encompasses. We tasted at three different breweries including a good lunch at one. Our guide was knowledgable and friendly. Thanks!

Hidden charms of Arashiyama

Kyoto

This was a great tour! Some of the smaller shrines/temples so it's more intimate. Our guide, Keith, was amazing in his knowledge and nuance of Japanese history and culture (and restaurants and nightlife), after living there for 25 years.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Relax and Savor Dinner in the Ryokan

Kiso-Fukushima

We had the most amazing dinners and breakfasts at this ryokan! So many different dishes and flavors: some slightly more than a thimble full, some you grill yourself at the table, some prepared table-side by the chef, but always 10-15 things to taste and enjoy. Truly amazing. And the staff is really great.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Australia. Kim-Kim's local travel agent, Vicky Steinhardt, did a great job working with us and our traveling companions, over an extended period, to plan our trip. I love planning travel but in the cases that we have used Kim-Kim they did a far better job than I could have done on my own. In this case Vicky had good suggestions which we would not have thought about. We were traveling with a second couple who participated in the trip planning. From our perspective the itinerary came together fairly easily. The hotels that Vicky selected were all well located and were ones that I would consider staying at in the future. I liked getting private car service from and to each airport. I was pleasantly surprised at how seamless that worked out.

Our Melbourne hotel was well located for walking to Victoria Market, the Australian Open, a laundromat, and restaurants. We had two small group tour daytrips while we were in Melbourne. One was a drive along the Great Ocean Road to see the beaches and the 12 Apostles. It was a very long day and while the scenery is spectacular it similar to what we have in California. The second tour to Phillips Island, to see the penguins march ashore, was more fun.

Aside from seeing the Australian Open, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, was the other major highlight of our trip. The Crystalbook Flynn Hotel was great and really close to the Cairns marina. The Seastar dive boat was also really good. There are only about 45 passengers and the crew is very attentive and personable. The underwater scenery is, of course, great. We also took a worthwhile small van daytrip to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rain Forest.

Our Sydney hotel was conveniently located next to Chinatown and Darling Harbor. There are a lot of restaurants, and a shopping mall nearby and it's close to a tram stop. We enjoyed our full day daytrip to the Blue Mountains and Leura. We were skeptical of touring the Sydney Opera House but it turned out to be a good call by Vicky. Our wives also enjoyed shopping at the weekend market at the Rocks. I'm also glad we got a half day tour of the highlights of Sydney.

The only travel problems that we had were pretty trivial. We had gone through multiple itineraries before arriving at the final one. Before we arrived in Sydney, Vicky caught the fact that our itinerary listed the wrong hotel. One of our domestic flights was on Jetstar. I would try to avoid them if I was traveling within Australia. Their maximum luggage weight limit is less than that of the international carrier and their check-in and boarding are chaotic if you're flying with them for the first time. We were dinged with a $120 hit for having overweight bags, however their gate agents were so disorganized and harried that they let us fly without collecting it. We had breakfast included at each of our hotels. This worked out well in Melbourne and Cairns but not so well in the Sydney Darling Harbor Vibe Hotel. To catch our tours we had to be out the door before 7:30 AM but they don't open their dining area until 7 AM and they only serve prepared meals and not a buffet.

Overall a very good trip and we expect to use KimKim in the future.

Vicky put together a 33 day trip to Australia and Tasmania for us that went beyond our expectations. During the planning, she made time for 2 calls with us, and through a back and forth, created the ideal custom itinerary. The lodging included boutique hotels (we aren’t as fond of resort hotels), glamping, cottages and apartments. The activities were spaced enough that we could rest (we are an older couple), but each tour guide had grown up in the place we were touring, so the tours all felt very personal to each guide and helped get an authentic feel for the places. Vicky gave us many restaurant recommendations at our request, so we were able to make reservations early at some really great places. Apart from her skill in trip planning, Vicky was so easy with communication; prompt with her replies and clear with her recommendations (including the pros and cons of activities, etc.). We can’t recommend Vicky highly enough. She outdid herself with our trip. Thank you Vicky!

Hotel Reviews

Falls Mountain Retreat

Wentworth Falls

The location of Falls Mountain Retreat was convenient as we could walk to nearby trails in the Blue Mountains, which was great. However, our accommodation was quite disappointing. The apartment felt shabby, the carpet was dirty, and the bed was not comfortable. The kitchen was poorly stocked, making it difficult for us to prepare meals as we had hoped. Overall, the stay at this place did not meet our expectations.

The Henry Jones Art Hotel

Hobart

The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart was an intriguing place with a rich history that was evident in its architecture, which we absolutely loved. However, the layout of our room with the bedroom upstairs and bathroom downstairs was a bit challenging for us in terms of accessibility.

Activity Reviews

Tasmanian Seafood Seduction

Hobart

The Tasmanian Seafood Seduction tour in Hobart was absolutely amazing! The guide dove into the water to collect fresh sea urchins and abalone, which were then prepared into a meal. It was an incredible experience having seafood that fresh, and it made for an unforgettable day.

Melbourne Highlights & Foodie Tour

Melbourne

The Melbourne Highlights & Foodie Tour was fantastic. Marty and Rob showed us the vibrant street art and introduced us to the city's highlights. They were personable and took us to a superb restaurant for lunch. This tour really helped us appreciate Melbourne's charm beyond its big-city feel.

Luxe Bus Great Ocean Road with Wildlife Wonders

Melbourne

The Great Ocean Road Luxe Bus tour was outstanding. The Twelve Apostles were a breathtaking sight, and the tour group was small, which made the experience much more personal and enjoyable. I can't imagine visiting Melbourne without taking this amazing tour.

Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove

Palm Cove

The Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove was enjoyable and well organized. Although we didn't see many turtles, the guide handled the group well and made the experience pleasant. It was nice that we could walk from our hotel to the meetup location. It was a lovely way to spend time out on the water.

This was a dream trip and Vicky helped make everything so seamless. We reached out to her about possible itineraries, and she worked with us to make a perfect 10 days. She was always available for any questions and was helpful throughout the journey. There was some flooding in Prosperine, so we had to pivot, and she was helpful in making changes and arrangements for us in Cairns. Our flights, transfers and tours were all planned out and we had no issues.
The accommodations she choose for us were clean and comfortable. We stayed at The Riley and Visions apartments in Cairns and both were excellent. Upon returning to Sydney, she booked us at The Vibe Hotel in Darling Harbour. It was a smaller hotel and had everything we needed including breakfast. The location was great as it was about 10 minutes away from great shopping.
While we were in Cairns, we had 3 tours booked and they were all fabulous. There was the Classic Kuranda tour where we went up in the train and spent the day touring around. We enjoyed the views and took in some time at the wildlife habitat before heading down in the gondola. The second tour was on the Ocean Freedom where we went out to the reef and did some scuba diving and snorkeling. This tour was so much better than the others we booked on our own and really made me appreciate Vicky that much more for her knowledge on what the tours offered. This was a smaller group and the staff was absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable. Our last tour was of the Daintree Forest and Cape Tribulation. Our guide kept us entertained with lots of stories and we enjoyed a dip in some falls, lunch, a boat ride down the Daintree River and a visit to Cape Tribulation. All the tours she booked for us were excellent.
I travel a lot but am new to Australia and I feel that Vicky really took the time to find out what we were looking for in our travels and did the perfect job on finding us the best accommodations suited to our needs, clean and punctual transfers, amazing tours and flights that worked with our schedules. It was great have the peace of mind knowing we were looked after in an unfamiliar country.

Thank you Vicky for an amazing holiday,

Shauna and Elisha

A lot of waiting around in Thailand, as it felt like I was passed on from one group to the next. Having said that, Jeab was fabulous, helped with so many things, including reservations and recommendations. All my excursions were great.

Great time down under. Vicky, our travel agent was very knowledgeable and accommodating to our requests and situations. She is prompt with returning our messages. She provided excellent tour packages, hotels and airport services. The airport transportation was top notch, both the vehicles and drivers. They were all punctual and can be easily reached. we couldn’t ask for a better hotel location and caliber. Our rooms were very comfortable and from where we were, we could walk wherever we wanted to go.

Hotel Reviews

Rydges Melbourne Hotel

Melbourne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the sights and restaurants

Staff

everyone was nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Sebel Quay West Suites

The Rocks

Authenticity & Character

Location

walkable to the sights and restaurants in the city

Staff

everyone was nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sydney Bridge Climb Summit

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

staff were friendly and accommodating. They were ready for all weather to keep is comfortable during the climb.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Great Ocean Road Small Group Eco tour

Melbourne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Panoramic Sydney Sights - Half Day Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

Blue Mountains Wildlife Full-Day Sights and Hiking from Sydney

Sydney

The weather was topsy turvy during out trip but our guide Andy made sure that we hit the sights while avoiding the bad weather. The champagne after the hike was a nice touch

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport