Kimkim Trip Reviews

personal hit tubs a plus, large rooms

great location. good buffet (no cooked like eggs/pancakes)

learned a lot about glaciers and glacier caves

we didn't do much here, a long way from Reykjavik

Good food selections, even the fermented shark head

Soup buffet was the right choice

guide knew a lot about beer and the history of Icelandic independence

Great way to relax and unwind after a red eye flight

this was fun. but the actual flyover was a bit short

just a great experience

very interesting

very knowledgeable and personable guide

it was raining-and the geyser was not impressive

great guide

Just stayed one night but it was a nice rustic resort. Equipment was in great shape and they had SUPs you could borrow for free! I liked that meals were outside!

Wonderful stay. Lovely meals. Wished they kept A/C on all the time. Dive operations were ok. Some guides were fantastic. Even though there was a small smoking area on the deck, a lot of the guides/ staff smoked wherever and it was annoying. I appreciated the guides were focused on eco-appropriate ways to treat the reef and underwater life. I was irritated that I was only diving 3 days and we went back to one of the same sites. I did share my feedback and the guide tried to show me new stuff. I wasn't the only one who was annoyed.

Wonderful hotel and great guide (Kiki) in Kinabatangan River. Meals were so-so - but they were VERY accommodating my dietary restrictions (e.g. made special vegan meals for me). Highly recommend!

Nice, rustic hotel. We enjoyed our stay!

Wonderful stay. Nice location, beautiful setting for the hotel

Fantastic live-aboard, great diving guides, wonderful food!

wonderful stay. friendly service

Great location, friendly staff. Nice amenities. Wonderful breakfast!

Beautiful and restorative stay!

Nice and easy bike ride through village and paddies. My son loved the fruit. Was very safe (a car followed up from behind). Highly recommend!

Great cooking class and learned a lot about the culture. Highly recommend!

Beautiful waterfall - great addition to the day

We went for sunset because sunrise was very early. Guide smoked (we were outside, but it was still icky). He was very friendly. It was a great view, but sunset wasn't as great as maybe the sunrise is?

Such a unique experience. Our guide was wonderful, filmed our experience. Highly recommend!

Fun rafting! very adventurous. Guide was helpful

Great cultural experience. attentive guides

Amazing location within two blocks to rainbow road. Perfect hotel for our family of 4 for sightseeing in Reykjavik.

We loved this place for our family of 4. The hotel was clean, comfortable and stylish. Wish we could have spent more than one night here as we would have loved to use the spa and see more of the cute town.

Beautiful stay here on the south coast. Great location to explore Vik and surrounding areas. The room was very comfortable and clean and we loved the view!

Charming, comfortable and clean accommodation with beautiful surroundings. We enjoyed watching the solar eclipse here from the deck! The staff was all wonderful. We enjoyed the included breakfast.

My husband and I, and are young kids loved coming here and soaking for a couple of hours! One of our favorite stops on the trip!

Our family loved the horse stable visit! Our two girls got to ride horses and had an amazing time. The staff was absolutely wonderful. This was a highlight of the trip for our kids.

This hotel was really nice and very close to River side restaurants…. Literal steps away!!! We loved the location and walking distance to train station.

Convenient walk to train station and attractions. Very quiet and great breakfast!

Excellent hotel, great location and amazing breakfast.

Hotel Apollinaire in Nice was very nice. Staff was helpful. Breakfast was included and was impressive. Hans and Susan and the kids had adjoining rooms. There was some breakfast confusion on the first morning, but we texted KimKim and things were straightened out right away. Hotel approx. 5 stars

Hotel Citadines Trocadero: good location*, good rooms for family group, reasonable kitchen, rather odd bathroom with tiny shower. Toilet in separate room and bathtub were okay. The staff were minimally helpful. There is a large, locked closet in the lobby to hold luggage. A self-serve laundry is onsite. The laundry app works well until you have problems or questions; then, nobody can help you. The dryer didn’t dry very well. We did not have breakfast there. It seemed to be a continental breakfast.

crowded

Antibes and Cannes. (It was interesting having a tour to these cities because we had gone past them on the train.) We met our driver / guide in the same place, along with two Russian women. Sebastian (Seb) was our guide again. It was very hot and we spent more time in the van with commentary than walking about, which worked well. We enjoyed this tour more than the previous one. 5 stars for Seb

We walked to meet our driver / guide Sebastian for a Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze morning excursion. (Not sure why it is advertised this way, since you go to Eze first, then Monaco and Monte Carlo.) Seb was surprised that he had more people booked for the van than usual, but it was summer high season. He told us about history of the area and current celebrities who lived there. We had stops to see the views. It was very hot that day and the many steps in old Eze were a bit much. We arrived in Monaco in time for the changing of the guard, which is very hard to see when there is a crowd. Our family left the group at this point, since the children couldn’t go inside the casino, and we were interested in seeing the Oceanographic Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was very hot and crowded. However, Elizabeth wants to be a scientist and created her own project of taking photos and viewing the exhibits. Tour: 4 stars, museum: 3 stars Since we didn’t continue with the tour, we had to make our own way back to Nice. I had a Rick Steeves map and pocket guide which were somewhat helpful. The bus to the train station is no longer free and it was a rather long, uncomfortable ride. We managed to figure out the train and get through the crowds and back to Nice.

Disneyland Paris. Susan had planned this in great detail and KimKim helped with appropriate tickets, transportation, etc. This was a 5-star family experience.

Private Louvre Visit geared to a family with children. Our guide, Sara, knew the museum well, had a scavenger hunt-focused booklet for the kids to use, and did a great job with the whole family. The kids were very engaged in this activity. 5+ stars for Sara.

We went to Notre Dame early and did a self-guided tour before meeting our guide, Ed. He told us history of the cathedral and the area, showed us the Ile de la Cite, Latin Quarter, the Seine, Sainte-Chapelle. 5 stars

The final activity for the day was an Eiffel Tower summit at sunset. Our hotel wasn’t far from the tower and we walked. It took a little effort to find the meeting point. The guide for this event was more of a shepherd. He made sure everyone got tickets, got in line, knew about the security check, understood how and where to go in the tower. Everything went very well, despite some misgivings about being “way up in the air.” The views were spectacular. A 5- star experience.

Our guide was Arina (originally from Brazil). She had a good mix of places for us to visit and things to taste. We enjoyed this part of the tour very much and give Arina 5 stars.

Versailles, half-day tour of palace and gardens. We enjoyed seeing the palace and would have liked time to actually see the gardens. This was the part of the trip we enjoyed least. The heatwave didn’t help matters. Versailles is some distance from town. We tried hard to figure out walking, Metro, bus, etc. The only simple way to get there and to get back for an afternoon activity is by Uber. The process for sorting out groups of tourists and guides is rather disorganized. This was the first time we ever used the headphones / earbuds and device to hear the tour guide. It seems to be the most reasonable way of having multiple guides and groups of people to communicate with. However, we weren’t very happy with our guide (Leonor) or the tour. We arrived on time for a tour time which was an hour later. It was rather hard to stay with the group with so many other people there. We didn’t find the commentary very informative. After several hours, we were shown the gardens outside (through a window) and told that we had tickets to the gardens but that part of the tour was on our own. In retrospect, we think this should actually be marketed as a day-long tour with a guide in the morning and on your own in the afternoon, with the expectation of eating at the palace. There is a nice restaurant which was very crowded, a café with good food but very little seating space, and a small snack shop we noticed on our way out. Also, bathrooms are very hard to find once you are outside. Versailles 4 stars, guide maybe 3.

Hotel Apollinaire in Nice was very nice. Staff was helpful. Breakfast was included and was impressive. Hans and Susan and the kids had adjoining rooms. There was some breakfast confusion on the first morning, but we texted KimKim and things were straightened out right away.

The afternoon was a Private Louvre Visit geared to a family with children. Our guide, Sara, knew the museum well, had a scavenger hunt focused booklet for the kids to use, and did a great job with the whole family. The kids were very engaged in this activity. 5+ stars for Sara.

Versailles, half-day tour of the palace and gardens. We enjoyed seeing the palace and would have liked time to actually see the gardens. This was the part of the trip we enjoyed least. The heatwave didn’t help matters. Versailles is some distance from town. We tried hard to figure out walking, the Metro, the bus, etc. The only simple way to get there and to get back for an afternoon activity is by Uber. The process for sorting out groups of tourists and guides is rather disorganized. This was the first time we ever used the headphones / earbuds and device to hear the tour guide. It seems to be the most reasonable way of having multiple guides and groups of people to communicate with. However, we weren’t very happy with our guide (Leonor) or the tour. We arrived on time for a tour time which was an hour later. It was rather hard to stay with the group with so many other people there. We didn’t find the commentary very informative. After several hours, we were shown the gardens outside (through a window) and told that we had tickets to the gardens but that part of the tour was on our own. In retrospect, we think this should actually be marketed as a day-long tour with a guide in the morning and on your own in the afternoon, with the expectation of eating at the palace. There is a nice restaurant which was very crowded, a café with good food but very little seating space, and a small snack shop we noticed on our way out. Also, bathrooms are very hard to find once you are outside. Versailles 4 stars, guide maybe 3.

Our guide was Arina (originally from Brazil). She had a good mix of places for us to visit and things to taste. We enjoyed this part of the tour very much and give Arina 5 stars.

We went to Notre Dame early and did a self-guided tour before meeting our guide, Ed. He told us history of the cathedral and the area, showed us the Ile de la Cite, Latin Quarter, the Seine, Sainte-Chapelle. 5 stars

In the afternoon, we had a tour to Antibes and Cannes. (It was interesting having a tour to these cities because we had gone past them on the train.) We met our driver / guide in the same place, along with two Russian women. Sebastian (Seb) was our guide again. It was very hot and we spent more time in the van with commentary than walking about, which worked well. We enjoyed this tour more than the previous one. 5 stars for Seb

We walked to meet our driver / guide Sebastian for a Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze morning excursion. (Not sure why it is advertised this way, since you go to Eze first, then Monaco and Monte Carlo.) Seb was surprised that he had more people booked for the van than usual, but it was summer high season. He told us about history of the area and current celebrities who lived there. We had stops to see the views. It was very hot that day and the many steps in old Eze were a bit much. We arrived in Monaco in time for the changing of the guard, which is very hard to see when there is a crowd. Our family left the group at this point, since the children couldn’t go inside the casino, and we were interested in seeing the Oceanographic Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was very hot and crowded. However, Elizabeth wants to be a scientist and created her own project of taking photos and viewing the exhibits.

Disneyland Paris. Susan had planned this in great detail, and KimKim helped with appropriate tickets, transportation, etc. This was a 5-star family experience.

The final activity for the day was an Eiffel Tower summit at sunset. Our hotel wasn’t far from the tower, and we walked. It took a little effort to find the meeting point. The guide for this event was more of a shepherd. He made sure everyone got tickets, got in line, knew about the security check, and understood how and where to go in the tower. Everything went very well, despite some misgivings about being “way up in the air.” The views were spectacular. A 5- star experience.

wow. this villa was outstanding. It was huge and fit three people very comfortably. the place had everything you needed and wifi was super easy to access and use! the view upstairs was gorgeous and we even had a jacuzzi to use! This is the spot when you stay in Santorini! It looks like you are in a cave, very pretty and grabbed the essence of Santorini perfectly!

Only reason this place is not getting 5 stars is because that wifi was HORRIBLE! the only way I could use my phone was right outside the hotel. but other than that we loved this hotel! we had a perfect beach view and the hotel is located right by the beach!! the breakfast was outstanding and the staff was super sweet and easy to reach! you even get a percent off when you want to buy beach chairs. The hotel is so cozy and fits the Greece vibes, and this hotel is very close to the main town of Naxos so you do not need a taxi!

The hotel itself is very cute and pretty. we had a room that would fit three people, it was small but did the job. It did not have a teapot, robes or slippers. So keep that in mind when booking this hotel. But other than that everyone is super sweet, breakfast was yummy! and overall a cozy spot! wifi is very slow!!

Make sure to have this booked early in the morning and not when it is hot. It is a very long walk and long guide overall so make sure you have water with you at all times. The guide was very sweet and had a lot of knowledge. The Acropolis was gorgeous and a must need to see in Greece.

MUST GOOOO, if you love food and walking around towns this is the spot to go. The guide was so sweet and the people that were with us on this walk were amazing too! Make sure to come in with a empty stomach because you are non-stop eating as you walk and you get a whole free dinner!

We absolutely loved everything about our stay at this hotel! Our suite was fantastic, complete with a complimentary mini-bar and a truly great view of the city landscape. Considering the high quality of the room and the amenities, we felt the price was very reasonable. The breakfast was beyond amazing and became a highlight of our mornings. We absolutely loved every minute of our stay here. In fact, this experience was so incredible that Scandic will now be our default hotel choice for any future travels to destinations that have one. We wish they had hotels in the US! Highly recommended!

Manu, our river guide for the punt boat in Tübingen, was super fun and a joy to work with. The boat ride was so enjoyable and the town was beautiful!

Friendly staff, comfortable rooms and wonderful breakfast made this hotel within walking distance to most points of interest a perfect stay

Hands on cooking class was a fun way to learn about local La Rioja cuisine.

All the people working there are real friendly and will help you with anything you need

My first solo trip out of the US and it was amazing

Great location . Beautiful hotel, Best breakfast buffet.

Drove through the area during inclement weather.Many more interesting areas to see and visit.

Pleasurable.Doesn't get up too close to the glacier itself probably due to calving risk.

Great lagoon.I rate it better than the SKY lagoon in Reykjavik which my wife wanted to see.

Icelandic street food I would not ordinarily try without a culinary guide. Also lots of tidbits of information about food,Icelandic culture and history.Enjoyable