Simply Excellent
Australia
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Aug 10 - Sep 9, 2026
This was our 4th trip with KimKim and they have never failed to connect us with excellent local travel consultants.
Asko Merilainen of Project Matka, based in Melbourne, was our advisor for a 31 day trip around Australia. He put together an ambitious and comprehensive itinerary that kept us fascinated, delighted and tired by the end of the day. He dropped in rest days here and there, just when we needed them and always made suggestions for additional fun along the way. He took us from the tropics to the desert and back again and mid trip, when a surprise appendicitis stalled us for a week, he made sure we had everything we needed, changed plans and made it easy for us to resume our trip when we were ready. He has also been great about making sure we have everything we needed to complete the travel insurance paperwork. We highly recommend Asko and Project Matka. LGBTQ friendly too! Thanks everyone.
Hotel Reviews
The Mantra on Russell Melbourne had excellent beds and linens, which I am usually very fussy about. The bedding quality was consistently excellent throughout the trip, which was impressive.
The Ozone Hotel Kangaroo Island was nice overall, but the coffee was the worst I've ever had in my life. We ended up bringing our own instant coffee and hot water. Other than that, the hotel was fine.
The Rydges Perth Kings Square hotel was our least favorite. Although the bedding was excellent and it was centrally located, the view was not great and the hotel felt a bit odd. However, Perth was a difficult part of the trip due to an appendicitis incident, so I wouldn't hold it against the hotel.
Activity Reviews
The Melbourne Foodie Culture walking tour was excellent. Unlike some food tours that can be marginal, this one was very good and enjoyable.
The Great Ocean Road – Coastal Spectacular & Wildlife Wonders tour was a lot of fun. We ended up being the only people on the tour and had a wonderful guide who was very knowledgeable and skilled at navigating crowds.
The Island Life tour on Kangaroo Island was really nice and beautiful. One highlight was visiting a sheep station where they cooked fish for us on a beautiful day with perfect weather.
The kangaroo sanctuary visit in Alice Springs was amazing. We got to hold and feed baby kangaroos rescued from traffic accidents, and the sanctuary educates people on kangaroo rescue. It was truly a high point of the trip.
The Sunrise Camel Experience at Uluru was really fun and memorable. It made me want to learn serious camel trekking one day. The overall experience at Uluru was worth the trip with many sunrises, sunsets, dinners, presentations, and light shows.
The Great Barrier Reef day trip was amazing. I thought I had seen amazing reefs before, but this experience proved me wrong with its beauty.
Thank you, Caroline and Eva! I enjoyed being involved in planning and organising your trip to Australia. It was also wonderful to meet you in person in Cairns and hear about your experiences. It truly was an amazing trip that covered almost the whole country. Thank you again for travelling with us!