Kimkim Trip Reviews for Myanmar

Everything went smoothly from start to finish. We were met at Yangon airport and transferred to our accommodation.
This was of a very acceptable standard.
Our trip to Bago was easy (an excellent driver) and our guide was knowledgable and informative.
The accommodation in Bago (Shwe Pyi Resort) did have some minor problems (power failures, termites? eating the bamboo bedheads, and the distance to breakfast). But I recognise that there were not a lot of alternatives. I was happy there but my travel companion (Jacqui) did need to move rooms.
The drive from Bago to Pyay was smooth and interesting. and we enjoyed the sightseeing and museum there. The spectacled Buddha was a highlight.
The accommodation was comfortable and spacious.
The drive to Mt Popa seemed very long and in hindsight we might have stopped more along the way to look at the scenery.
We were probably too late arriving at Mt Popa to climb the stairs but probably would not have done so even with an earlier arrival. If I were to do the trip again I would recommend a night or two at the Mt Popa Resort as it did seem to be beautiful.
The temples in Bagan are stunning and the number of them is astounding.
The accommodation was very good and was close to restaurants and bars.
At Bagan, Jacqui and I have different responses to our guide. Jacqui believes that he was not very communicative with her at first but that he treated me with more respect because I was a male. I am not sure if this was the case but we both found him to be knowledgable and (after a discussion with me) helpful in varying/amending our itinerary to ensure that we had extra time at the archaeological dig sites.
Jacqui was most impressed by Bagan and it was her favourite location - she is a history teacher.
Mandalay had some great experiences and our guide was informative and helpful. She made sure we had the best possible experiences while in the city.
Our accommodation (the Yadanarpon Dynasty Hotel) was spacious and comfortable.
I think that for both Jacqui and I the Teak Temple was the most amazing sight.
Finishing at Inle Lake was a good choice, as it was more "laid back" and touristy. The lake is beautiful and the pace much slower than elsewhere. The boat trip up the canal to Pa-Oh village was well worth the time. Accommodation (Inle Resort) was very comfortable. In future I would ask for a room closer to the restaurant and reception as it would be a long walk from the back rooms if it rained (unlikely in the day season).
Our guide, who seemed quite young, was very helpful and has excellent English. I believe that he will become an excellent guide who could take on longer sections of a trip in future.
Returning to Yangon, we had just enough time there to unwind and get ready for our trip home.

All up, the trip was very well organised and suited to our interests and level of fitness. I am happy that we did not pre-plan lunch and evening meals and the guides provided excellent suggestions and took us to places that were not too challenging for a western palate.
All flights , transfers and pick-ups were efficiently handled and all vehicles were clean and comfortable.

After meeting with all your guides, I feel that both Jacqui and I have a greater understanding of social and political life in Myanmar.

What would I change if I were to return?
I would try to get away from the more tourist busy areas to get an experience of Myanmar village and rural life.

Thank you, Wai Lin, for your thorough organisation.
Your efforts ensured that we had a great experience in your country.

I was set up with a very good schedule. Got to see some of what others do not get to see. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me and it was important to get as many of the importantant sites seen before heading home. Kimkim did that.

Guides were fairly proficient in English. They may not have pronounced all the words correctly but I knew what they were saying. And all of them were very helpful. They tried to answer all my questions, provided extra services like gem and jewellry shopping, and were able to explain some of the quirkiness that is Myanmar.

Myanmar is a must see.

We had an incredible Myanmar trip that Anne Cruickshanks from Myanmar Pure helped put together. Anne was amazing in creating an itinerary filled with activities that were tailored to our interests, intentions and yet gently pushed us beyond what we normally do on our own trips.

She truly listened and talked to us prior to the trip to better understand us as travellers and proposed itineraries that suited our needs. Anne is responsive, intuitive and knows Myanmar beyond the beautiful pictures and images.

For our 16 days trip, she included the 'essentials' of Myanmar along with the 'personal/intimate' side of the country, that helped us not only see but experience and feel the country. From the religious/spiritual side of Myanmar to the friendly and charming people of the country to the many local food scenes that she and her guides set up for us were just simply amazing, loved the BBQ.

Being independent travellers, we had a fair sense of what we wanted from our trip but Anne and her team over delivered on each of the experiences and made our journey unforgettable. Some of the more memorable and unique experiences include the Buddhist Nunnery (very touching), the cooking lesson and market outing with Ma May (immersive, personal and delicious), the bike tours (a little exhausting but exhilarating), the sunset cruise (great way to end the day), the hikes (incredible views and great way to work up an appetite for the delicious foods of Myanmar). The guides and drivers were all very personable and Ah Korn was a stand out, he made the Bagan temples come to life with his story telling. Impressive.

The whole trip went smoothly without a hitch and Anne was there every step of our journey. I cannot wait for her next curated journey. J & R.

As experienced travellers this was the first time we had 'outsourced' our travel planning and we couldn't have been happier with the outcome. Anne took the time to fully understand our ambitious wishlist and returned with a suggested itinerary that whilst action-packed never felt overwhelming or rushed.

Each of our local guides managed to strike the right balance between being extremely attentive whilst also letting us explore at our own leisure. As well as visiting flagship attractions such as Inle Lake and Bagan, the tour also provided an opportunity to scratch below the surface and visit places off the beaten track such as the fish markets of Yangon and artisan quarter of Mandalay. These combined experiences provided us with some fantastic memories and a genuine desire to return to Myanmar and explore this fantastic country further.

Huge thanks to Anne and our fantastic guides and trek leaders in Myanmar!

One of the best trips of my life! Tour was nicely set up, and Anne make changes where necessary when my flight screwed up my arrival. The Bagan tour guide was very good, and the accommodations at the hotel were superb. And the cooking class was very informative and tasty. Flights and airport transfers went without a hitch. I highly recommend the tour, and KimKim tour company.

We had a wonderful month in Myanmar being looked after by a range of guides who were all fabulous. Great knowledge, love of the country and fun to spend time with. Everything went smoothly in line with the plan and any changes we requested were dealt with very quickly. We loved our trekking at both hsipaw and kalaw. Swimming at waterfall and sleeping at monetary were terrific experiences. hot air ballooning over bagan, Inle Lake was a delightful and different location, the meal we ate at our cooking class was superb. Great to finish at Ngapali Beach relaxing after a very full 3 weeks touring.

The entire trip from the moment we touched down in Yangon until we left a week later was fantastic . The drivers and tour guides we had, Tin in Yangon, Naing at Inle and Arkar in Bagan, could not have been any better honestly with knowledge, professionalism but also made new friends with these folks as well . We even had the pleasure of meeting Anne who put the trip together . The hotels , balloon ride , internal flights all went smoothly . The only part that wasn’t enjoyable was the day we had to return.
Thank you
Jay

Myanmar Diaries represented by Wai Lin, our local kimkim specialist for our Myanmar Trip, was exemplary .... Wai Lin was highly professional, helpful, accommodating and informative, we could not have asked for better. All our guides were most respectful with very good English speaking skills and knowledge of their areas, likewise our drivers skilful and very safe, the cars in excellent condition.

Our 16-day Trip was absolutely amazing ... we were very pleasantly surprised at how totally safe we felt at all times given the recent unrest in the Northern area of Rakhine, which is well away from all tourist hot spots such as Bagan, Lake Inle, Ngapali Beach (divine), Mandalay and Yangon ... do not hesitate to visit Myanmar as it is an extremely scenic, culturally fascinating and safe country to visit, the Myanmar people utterly delightful! And incredible value for money as a holiday destination!

Do not hesitate to use Myanmar Dairies as your travel agent, you could not ask for better!

The whole trip was wonderful. Our guide in Mandalay and (July) in Yangon were exceptional. Just one thought, 4 nights in Bagan was a bit much. Maybe adding a little more north city might be interesting. In my case, I should have done Lashio. If guides could have more info for dinner, might be helpful. Loved the country & the people. Food was good too.

I just came back from Myanmar and it was amazing!
Kimkim paired me up with Wai Lin, I couldn't have asked for a better person to help me plan my trip he was responsive, helpful and he definitely made my experience in Myanmar truly enjoyable.

We loved the trip to a Myanmar, especially our guides in Bagan (Ankar) and Ny Ny in Inle Lake. We loved doing the little canoe trip with Ny Ny in his village and tea with his family. Of course, Bagan was amazing.

This was a great trip, from the start of the planning to the flight home! Anne responded daily to all my questions/concerns and this made the trip planning so smooth and easy. Our guides, Lu Wine and Zawturn we incredible! They were very friendly and the trip felt more like visiting a friend who was showing us around, as opposed to hiring a guide.
We got to really feel the local scene in Mandalay! We went to local markets, spoke with Budist monks and nuns. It was great!
We learned so much about the temples in Bagan and the religion.

Also, our guides and Anne had backup plans for everything. For instance, we wanted to ride bicycles in Mandalay but it rained so we had a driver pick us up and we went to a monastery where we got to talk to a young monk who told us about Budism and what it’s like to be a monk. This is an experience we would not have had if we didn’t book the tour.
In Bagan, the weather was nice so we got to Bike, but I ran over something sharp and got a flat tire. But our driver followed not too far behind and was quickly able to meet up with us so our trip could continue. Anne and her team really thought of everything!
Also, considering the expertise, thorough planning, and great accommodations, I’m surprised the price is at such a good value!
Our guides an Anne showed us the real culture of Myanmar that most tourists I’m sure miss. If you wanted to be among locals and try local food and see places visited by locals and some tourists, then this is the perfect trip for you! I would happily book again!

We are a family who travels a lot – for work, adventure, and play. We travel together and individually from places as diverse as Afghanistan and Ethiopia. So we are capable of organising stuff ourselves. Sometimes though life is too busy, and coordinating the views and opinions of 4 sets of people living in different places is just too daunting.

We knew we wanted to travel around Burma. I knew we needed someone to organise and advise. I can’t remember how I came across kimkim and their partner in Burma Myanmar Pure, but as soon as I was put in touch with Anne Cruickshanks at Myanmar Pure, I knew I was having a conversation and not being sold to. How do I know? Well, there are serious ethical issues surrounding the decision to travel to Burma and everyone in the family was uncomfortable. Anne did not shy from the questions we were asking but provided us with perspectives to help us make our own decision.

On the design of our trip and the itinerary we communicated a lot. Anne wanted to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted – what kind of experiences did we want? How active? How adventurous? How much travelling from place to place and to what? We went through a number of itineraries. Anne didn’t mind starting again if we felt it was not quite right. At the last minute Anne accommodated an extra person in our group – it was not trouble whatsoever (or rather it might have been, but Anne did not let on for an instant).

We had seven days and we went to Mandalay, Bagan, and Lake Inle. We had three separate young guides – obliging, positive and informed. They knew just how much to join in and how much to stand back.

Nay cycled us around Mandalay – round back streets, up hills, onto tiny ferries, around markets, into Muslim and Buddhist communities, along rail bridges and gave us a lovely Burmese picnic by the Irrawaddy surrounded by munching cows. In the evening we visited a proper local temple with rituals that were more fairground than religious. Then a really great barbecue shop. Nay was great company.

Thet Wai took over at Heho, meeting us with bikes almost straight off the plane to cycle to Nyaung Shwe. We had a truly lovely snack break in a village with exceptional food. Then we cycled to Nyaung Shwe on Lake Inle (through rice fields – stopping and asking farmers dumb questions). A great lunch.

Everyone travels by boat across Lake Inle, and everyone visits weavers and local crafts shops. It is touristy and it is designed to make you buy, but hell you have to give something back. Wai gave us a really good tour of the floating gardens and of the floating/stilt houses, shouting with joy when we found a pig house sitting over the water, inaccessible to dry land. A suggestion here – some of the houses are beautiful and spectacularly painted. Don’t waste time watching the sunset over the lake, ask to stay in the village on the water and watch the sun go down on the houses (we didn’t but I wished I had). Lake sunsets are boring – you can see them anywhere. We swam from a house in the middle of the lake and watched a couple having their wedding photos taken (people don’t usually swim…).

The undoubted highlight was Wai taking us to have lunch with his family (absolutely incredible food and so welcoming and curious about us), and then to great hilarity giving us a go with leg rowing on two of the family boats). We all had a go and it was brilliant. This is something people don’t do – and it was Anne and Wai that made it possible. I predict it will be the next bog thing at Inle.

The next day we had a gentle walk around the hills and good noodles in a place with a great view. Thet Wai is a legend.

The final stop was Bagan with a new guide called Arkar. He was laid back, patient and very good humoured. A really good guide. We had a day’s fun zooming around the temple complex on electric scooters (all coloured like Power Rangers) and eating in local places. Brilliant. We had final cocktails on our own boat watching the sunset over the Irrawaddy (best boat and best position).

All the hotels were very comfortable and well situated.

So thanks kimkim, Anne, Nay, Thet Wai, and Arkar. You are brilliant. It was an extraordinary holiday – open to what was going on in the wider country, but adding value to people working hard to make a living at a local level.

Koy, Hilary, Doy, Guy and Matt. December 2017

Both our guide in Yangoon and Bagan were very well prepared and considerate. In particular our guide in Bagan was a delight to work with and we are glad to have met her. All members of the guide staff were professional and pleasant to work with.

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is amazing, as one can read in many reviews. Perhaps the most memorable place we visited was the street market in Bagan.

This was an amazing trip. Everything in detailed arranged. So many different experiences. Guides were excellent.
The highlight of our holiday was Bagan, on the ebike. So beautiful.

We really enjoyed our trip to Myanmar. Our guide in Yangon, Jin, met us at the airport and was so courteous, informational, and helpful. We especially appreciated his help when we went to get on our night bus, he stayed until we were at the right bus and all checked in ready to go. In Bagan, our guide Wint picked us up right at the bus stop. She had arranged for us to be able to check into our hotel early for a shower and breakfast, SO NICE. She was very friendly and took us to the main temples, but also to some of her favorites, which was so personal and wonderful. In Mandalay, Tim told us not only about the temples, but also about life in Myanmar and how things are changing or not changing. We really were interested to hear about the life and culture of Myanmar beyond the general Buddhism of the temples history. In Inle, our guide Koko was still waiting for us after our night bus got stuck in traffic - he waited from 3:30am when we arrived at 9:30 am! He took us to the Pindaya caves and to Inle Lake. When tummy sickness changed the end of our trip, our local planner, Wai Lin, was very helpful and able to arrange for Jin to pick us up again at the airport, instead of the night bus as planned. Jin even took us out for another visit in Yangon before going back to our departure at the international airport. Overall the trip was very well planned, the accommodations were excellent, and the local guides in each place were superb!

The trip to Myanmar was exceptional.Not knowing what to expect,we were met at the airport by Sai our guide who immediately made us feel relaxed and comfortable.He spoke perfect English and was extremely knowledgeable about all facets of his country both past and present.He took us to areas where we never would of been able to find without him and presented views of all different kinds of people from all walks of life which made the trip very fascinating.The Shwedagon Pagoda is immense and has a distinct life of its own.The fortune teller was charming and added another dimension to that day.I myself liked the trip across the river and the trishaw ride the best ,seeing the life over there and how it differs from mainstream Yangon.Sai took care of us at every step of the way and the taxi driver was at his beckoned call and stayed with us whenever needed,even the next day to take us to the airport.Anne ,the local travel agent checked in a few times making sure everything was going well.All in all it was a wonderful experience and I would go back in a heartbeat and deal with the same expert travel people. Sincerely,
Dave and Constantine

What an amazing experience! My local specialist Anne was incredibly considerate, intuitive and very detail oriented. She helped me plan the trip to Mandalay and Bagan down to the last detail including guided and unguided portions per my request (for the latter she offered several suggestions on things I could do based on my interest level). She tailored my days to balance my interest in seeing a lot with my desire to do it all within a certain budget. She was very patient in back and forth emails, and even intuited from an email that I would not be as comfortable doing an all day motorcycle trip, and suggested a little more expense may be worth the mix of using a motorcycle and car - and she was absolutely right! She stayed on top of everything throughout the trip - I could always reach her, she always confirmed guides/itinerary beforehand, answered all my questions and even took the time to invite me out for drinks!

The guides she picked for both cities were also great! In Mandalay, Wine Wine was very attentive to my safety and comfort, while making sure I didn't miss any key attractions at each stop. We got an earlier than normal start and had some extra time, and he was great at improvising the agenda and coming up with new sights he thought I would enjoy. After I arrived in Bagan, I had the first day to explore on my own and that was lovely - I basically followed a suggested self-guided itinerary Anne had provided - including restaurant suggestions based on my dietary preferences and sunset cruise locations etc. The second day I had the pleasure of touring around with Arkar - he was AMAZING! Very knowledgeable and tailored the tour to my interests - he took me to is local breakfast place after I opted out of the hotel breakfast in lieu of spending more time e-biking around! We also skipped a couple markets as I had seen a few in Mandalay and was more interested and excited by the sight of pagodas! I took several side roads on a whim and he gladly followed me and provided history and insights - of course, he took me to some amazing hidden gems I could have never found on my own or with a big tour group.

Overall, I fell in love with Bagan. You think after two days I'd be tired of pagodas, but I was not. I was giddy at every side road that led into them - just to see myself in a sea of pagodas with different architecture and designs. The local people are incredibly nice and thoughtful - and the food is great! On the day I was self-touring in Bagan, e.g., there were several times I had stopped next to a pagoda and was looking at google maps on my phone, and each time a local stopped to ask me if I needed help!

Thank you for such a memorable trip!

We loved our Myanmar trip and are grateful to have a resource like Kimkim to help direct us to the type of tour company we want to deal with.

Anne at Myanmar Pure Travel worked with us to create an itinerary that worked really well for us, and she gave some great input and suggestions along the way.

The whole trip ran very smoothly, everything was well organised, the guides were awesome. We had different guides for different parts of the trip and all of them were really experienced and professional. They all went out of their way to give us an authentic experience and were extremely flexible.

Inle Lake and Bagan were definite highlights and Anne lifted it to another level by with the accommodation she arranged. We were keen to do a hot air balloon ride and Anne suggested we do this at Inle Lake rather than Bagan - we went with her suggestion and were so pleased. Seeing the floating gardens and life on the canals/lake/gardens from above was amazing and I would recommend other people consider this option too.

Cannot fault any of the trip.

Jo Broadhead & Jens Richter Dec 2017

Everything went so well. Driver there at appointed time everytime, hotels were very good.