Kimkim Trip Reviews

Knowing nothing about Croatia and having heard wonderful comments, we visited for a week following an eclipse trip to Spain. Kimkim worked with Royal Croatia Tours to organize an efficient trip over one week. We stayed in Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split and Zadar along the Adriatic Shore, with day visits to Cavtat and Sibenek. We traveled by ferry and private car. There's no train service. This region's history is fascinating, from pre-Common Era to date. Dubrovnik's Old City and Split's Roman Palace were most engrossing. The hotels were all excellent, comfortable and located close to walkable destinations. All our drivers spoke excellent English, and were personable and well informed. We had good support from Ivan and Sarah, with Royal Croatia Tours. For instance, we had a boat trip cancel due to weather. They immediately refunded that cost. Cafes and gelato shops are plentiful and Croatian wine is very good. Croatia is working hard to build up its international reputation as a visitor destination, and the hospitality of its people is obvious. If you enjoy beaches, water sports, and historic sites, Croatia is a treasure.

Activity Reviews

Split Walking Food Tour

Split

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide met us promptly and provided an informative tour of the historic parts of town and the Roman Palace. We stopped at four or five cafes to sample the good croatian wine, small bites, entree and pasta courses. Croatian meals are similar to other Mediterranean countries. In addition to the food part of the tour, we learned a great deal about the construction of the huge Roman Palace, and what many subsequent regimes have done in the area.

Transport

Walking tour.

Private Day Trip to Cavtat & Family Farm Day for Traditional Lunch or Dinner

Croatia

Our driver and guide, Doris, was a pleasure. While she was a consummate professional, she was also personable and entertaining. She accompanied us to the little beach town of Cavtat and lunch at a family farm. It was a customized visit and we enjoyed the food, tastings and venue very much.

The support that we received from start to finish was exemplary. The guidance regarding how much territory to cover and the specific sites was perfect. We were not rushed and we saw a lot. The specific site were visited were amazing. The Thorsmork jeep experience was especially good as we were able to hike in a variety of different terrains. Our guide, Carlos, was wonderful. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and personable. The other outstanding location was the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Our Zodiac boat ride, captained by Hurdur, was a highlight. His appearance, skill, knowledge, and engagement was perfect.

The hotels were exactly what we were looking for and met all our expectations. The breakfasts were a perfect way to start our day; with a full belly. There was a wide assortment of good food and plenty of good, strong coffee.

I'm not sure whether KimKim had any control over the weather, but that worked out very well for us too! The only rain we had was during the nights or while driving. It did not affect our outdoor plans at all. And to top it off, we were finally able to see the northern lights on our last night. Great job all around for your team. I highly recommend them to assist in your vacation planning. And knowing that they were always available if we ran into problems, was another plus.

Our guide, Gummi, was so helpful with his suggestions and when we had to pivot one day he quickly responded with an alternate plan. All of the hotels were great and his suggestions for lunches en route were amazing! The travel directions he provided each day were critical to us getting where we needed comfortably (although the road to Landmannalugar was not comfortable but worth it!). We spent 2 days in Reykjavik, 2 days in the Snaefellsness Peninsula, 4 days in the Hella region, including a Super Jeep tour in Porsmork, a day in Vik for a glacier and ice cave tour, and a day in the Jokusarlon area, where we kayaked in the Jokusarlon Glacier Lagoon, which was thrilling. Wish we had time for the Westfjords, but we know we’ll be back!

Hotel Reviews

Tower Suites Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Wow, what a room, what a view! Very clean and largest of all the rooms we stayed in, truly luxurious but that is what I wanted for our last night in Iceland. Our room was warm and they said it had air conditioning, which is rare in Iceland, but it wasn’t working, so they set up a Dyson fan and opened an unreachable window to cool it off for us and it was fine. You can see over the whole city and the ocean. They bring breakfast to your room at the time you select. You do need a key card to get to their floor at the top of an office building, so they need to know when you arrive. We walked to a local place for dinner, Potturinn og Pannan, which was great and an 8 minute walk. A special experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the outskirts of town, but not a too far walk to the main drag, about 17 minutes.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon Hotel

Hofn

Beautiful hotel, only 2 years old, just 10 minutes past the Lagoon. Nice clean and spacious room, although quite warm since it was sunny, but they had Vornado fans in our room and we used them! They said breakfast did not come with the room since it was booked through a third party, but the coffee and tea you could still get from the dining room at no charge. We had a great dinner there. There are 3 big hot tubs overlooking the glacier, which we used, and that was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Black Beach Suites

Vik I Myrdal

We arrived very early, but were able to get checked in so that we could drop our bags and rest before that day’s activities. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable and had a back deck so that after dark we could monitor the Aurora situation, and they came out so that we could see them with our naked eyes, which for me was a highlight! They do not offer free breakfast and their restaurant is basic, so we went into Vik and got Black Crust Pizza, which was very good, and brought it back to the room, which had plates, utensils, and everything you’d need to do that or even make your own dinner. We also purchased breakfast fixings for the next morning, which we stowed in the small refrigerator in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice view of the ocean in the distance.

Staff

There seemed to be one woman manning the restaurant and the check in and she was a bit overwhelmed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rangá

Hella

Loved this hotel! The room was very comfortable and Montana-esque, so we felt immediately at home. The staff could not do enough for you, they were wonderful! The breakfast had so many options and we ate here for dinner all 4 nights because it was so good. Don’t miss their signature mushroom soup!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very, very kind and thoughtful staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Varmaland

Borgarnes

In the middle of nowhere, but very quiet and comfortable room with nice breakfast and fantastic restaurant for dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Outside looks a bit sterile but inside is modern and beautiful.

Location

Good midpoint for Snaefellsness Peninsula and other activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eyja

Reykjavik

On the outskirts of town, but they have parking and the walk to town and good restaurants was easy. Room was clean and nicely appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Great ride in high clearance vehicle to glacier, fitted with crampons, then followed guide through a trail up the glacier to the ice cave, which was beautiful. The ice changes every day due to melt and refreeze, so the cave was pretty small at the beginning of September, but I would still do it again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

The guide was very nice and informative, but this was the least favorite of our excursions. If you go to the Perlan Museum in Reykjavik, or the Harpa exhibit in Reykjavik, you see the same thing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laugarás Lagoon - Lerki

Iceland

Great lagoon, very relaxing experience. Can’t be shy about showering or getting naked in front of others of the same sex. Nobody cares, though. Do it!

Quality of Experience

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Excursion

Iceland

They suited us up and gave us boots and then gave a lesson on how to kayak and how to get back on the kayak if you fall in. It was exhilarating! Getting up so close to the glaciers in the lagoon was a special feeling! A bit physically challenging, but oh, so worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thórsmörk Super Jeep Experience

Iceland

Great guide who has spent many years in Iceland and knew some hidden gems.

Quality of Experience

Food

Decent lunch provided. Nothing fancy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our overall trip was amazing! Majid did a great job personalizing our trip to meet our needs. We kept changing it until the last minute and he accommodated all our changes. We walked away with lots of great memories of the trip.

We loved the kayaking on the Mediterranean sea with views of the Poseidon and ending up at a small beach and being served fresh delicious fruit. The trekking through the gorge was amazing and the lunch after was delicious. The winery with dinner from a farm to table aspect was great. The ebike tour was challenging with great views and a wonderful midway snack with fruits and cheese. Ending the last day in Crete with a full day of sailing, snorkeling and great food was fantastic. The sunset cruise was disappointing and the food at the Holiday Inn was awful so I would take those out of an itinerary.
Kimkim did a fantastic job for us. We had a family trip with lifelong memories to share.

WOW the whole trip was amazing from airflts to ALL THE TOURS we did it was just a FANTASTIC TRIP. the KIN KIN TEAM did outstanding planning on all fazes of the transportation for us. the 2 hotels were the perfect trip for our college grandson from Rutgers university in new jersey
WILL USE KIN KIN AGAIN FOR SURE
THANK YOU
Travis N Grace

What comes to mind is my interest, long before my trip to Norway, in the Viking Age and Norwegian explorations, as demonstrated in two musical compositions: (1) "Viking" by Peter Hammill who, with vivid imagery, stirringly sings: "Looking out forward over the prow of our long ship, pulling our oars and listening..." see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oXn7m_4Cog, and (2) "Amundsen" by Justin Sullivan (while I cannot speak to this its historical accuracy, his is a fine video regarding Roald Amundsen. In taking on the explorer's persona, Mr. Sullivan sings "long ago I learned how to sail...see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_YZd6N978c.)

Without much thought of these works of art, before having arrived, and having no idea that Roald Amundsen's ship was still around, I was gladly surprised to find the ship, so well preserved, at the museum in Oslo! I was not even aware that there was such a museum in Norway. It was indeed memorable part of the trip.

And then there were the fantastic fjords, the climb made to Steinsdalsfossen waterfall, the Stave churches, the TB museum, all very rewarding. Also, while we were there the beloved King Harald passed away and with that event I was able to learn about his life. It was moving to be witness to so many of his followers paying tribute to the King at the parliament, while awaiting his funeral.

I would enjoy returning to Norway. The above accounts of my time there were made possible by Kimkim's planning, itinerary, and guidance, to include the wealth of knowledge displayed by our Oslo tour guide.

Steve

We cannot recommend Erica and our experience with KimKim enough! Erica helped us plan our Greece honeymoon and truly went above and beyond every step of the way. From the very beginning, she took the time to listen to exactly what we were envisioning and brought it to life in a way that exceeded our expectations. She was incredibly patient, flexible, and adaptable as our plans evolved, and her attention to detail gave us complete peace of mind leading up to our trip. Greece was absolutely magical, and so much of that is a direct reflection of the care and thoughtfulness she put into planning every detail. If you're looking for a travel agent who genuinely listens and delivers, look no further!

The driver who took me on the wine tour was punctual, friendly and spoke good English. I do not recall his name, but he was also my driver the following day with my tour guide William. William was very informative and knowledgeable about the history within Santiago.

Activity Reviews

Tango Show & Dinner

Buenos Aires

Tango show was very enjoyable and highly recommend it.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Driver came 30 minutes early and would not wait ten minutes. The driver left and I had to find the location and take an Uber. Poor communication with Transport drivers and Kim Kim Staff in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires City Tour

Buenos Aires

Very informative and enjoyable tour of Buenos Aires. Small group of 5 was enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport to the tour van was good. When the tour ended, I had to fend for myself to get back to my hotel. Ended up walking 3 1/2 miles

Spend Your Day at Viña Santa Rita- Wine Tasting day

Chile

Hada private English tour. Very enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour Private

Santiago

My tour guide William spoke very good English and was very knowledgeable about the history of Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was punctual and very freindly

Transport

Easy to connect with the transport drivers in Santiago. Had challenges with the transport drivers in Buenos Aires. Kim Kim agent was difficult to contact when in Buenos Aires.

Our recent trip to Croatia, arranged by Robi , was amazing! We had a perfect balance of activity with cycling, hiking and walking and kayaking with Tours of the city, which were fun and interesting. We had asked for some off days to relax and he gave us tips and recommendations on those as well, which were optional. Robi was very attentive, and I spoke with him daily about the plans and modified some that I thought would work better with our schedule. Our guides were great from Zagreb with Andrey and Stephen to Sofia and Zadar and Perro in split. They were all engaging and informative. We spent three days with Goran and he took us cycling, wine tasting, and island hopping on a speedboat and we had a blast. He has a great sense of humor and my husband really bonded with him over cycling and music and those few days were super special. I don’t have one criticism about the trip as it was executed perfectly. All of the guides and Transportation people were on time and friendly. We rented a car and that was seamless. So if you’re going to Croatia, which I highly recommend, use Robi at kimkim and you will not be disappointed. We travel a lot, and I feel confident to say this was our best trip ever!

Hotel Reviews

Valamar Collection Dubrovnik President Hotel

Dubrovnik

We are soooo glad stayed here instead of old town. Last stop or first depending on direction on bus to and from old town so very convenient. Fabulous brunch. Big hotel on big beach with loungers included. A great place to come after seeing g old town and walking the walls.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

https://www.facebook.com/VillaRadicSton/

Ston

Good location and good breakfast. Small town but relaxed setting for our activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aminess Liburna Hotel

Korčula

Modern hotel on water with a small seal tester pool. Beautiful view across to old town. Walk easy .45 minutes to old town on a path next to water. Rented bikes and went wine tasting and to lumbarda and sandy beach. Easy to get around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Devecchi rooms

Hvar

Adorable old building in great neighborhood with great harbor view. Made to order breakfast just for us in the dining room. Small hotel really a house into air bnb.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Marul

Split

Great breakfast and location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

Cool hotel in historic building

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Amazing breakfast. Best on our trip. Good location modern hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cavtat

Cavtat

Adorable town and relaxing. The hotel is right across from cute restaurant and beach. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room had terrace with view of ocean and road

Activity Reviews

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Wine tasting on Pelješac peninsula

Croatia

Explore Cavtat

Croatia

We loved this cute relaxing city. We had a great meal and overall experience at restaurant recommended by our Dubrovnik guide Annie. She was very good I may have forgotten to mention

Quality of Experience

Visit to Šibenik

Croatia

I could have skipped but my husband really liked seeing the 3 fortresses high on the hills.

Quality of Experience

Private boat trip to Elafiti islands

Croatia

Great day. Flexible. Walked across one island with Goran and heard stories of his youth there. Had lunch at another island and swam different coves. Great day.

Quality of Experience

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

We walked the walls at 8 am. Hot but beat the cruisers another good time would be 6 pm if cruise leave at 8 which you can google. Very crowded in day but lovely at night. Take cable car to Panorama restaurant and make reservations 6 months ahead if possible for good table.

Quality of Experience

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

See prior

Pelješac peninsula and Ston- triple atraction.

Croatia

Rode e-bikes in amazing nearly car free roads and went to great winery something like Matusko. Took car ferry tour Mljet and beautiful ride to park with “lakes” actually sea water still but warmer.

Quality of Experience

Our guide Goran was amazing. Fun smart flexible and really bonded with my husband as a new friend.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Korčula island and town

Korčula

Loved old town and our hotel location

Quality of Experience

Explore Hvar or boat trip to Blue cave and neighbouring islands and coves

Hvar

See prior review

Explore Hvar, active or leisure day

Hvar

See prior review

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Adorable old town. We kayaked to islands and spent the day there. Did speed boat tour and loved out Skipper named Dario. Kinoba boat tours or something like that stopped and swam many spots and saw blue cave.

Quality of Experience

Explore Split area - Trogir and Klis

Split

Trogir was very crowded since it was a little drizzly so usually not like that I’ve heard. Very cute and my husband really loved it. Had great meal at Casa del Dino. Relaxing day once we sat down.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Great guide and he was funny. Whe organized the tour so we saw Klapa singers and we loved them.

Quality of Experience

Klapa singers

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable. We loved he is a marine biologist and could laugh about the Seinfeld episode.

Transport

We drove ourselves and it was easy

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

We did 8 am entry. I wish we had done 7 am. It’s beautiful but very crowded so earlier start a few less people. Enter as early as possible. Stay overnight in the area

Quality of Experience

Zagorje region and castles visit and Zagreb overnight

Zagreb

The guide Stjepan was good and drive pretty. My husband loved the area to put the history in to perspective. Personally I could have skipped the day but just because I loved the Dalmatian coast much more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very friendly guide

Valentine was a pleasure to work with. The itinerary she curated for us was well planned with thoughtful touches. Her communication before and during the trip was prompt and knowledgeable—she answered all of our questions and helped us make some changes on the fly which made our trip feel seamless. We really couldn’t have asked for a better family vacation—the accommodations, activities, and recommendations for things to do were all nicely tailored to ensure our young kids had a great time. Because of Valentine’s efforts, we were able to just kick back, relax, and focus on having a great time in Switzerland!

We had an absolutely fantastic experience traveling through Morocco!

From the very beginning, communication with Hassan was seamless. He was incredibly responsive, helpful, and worked with us to customize the itinerary based on exactly what we wanted from the trip. The entire planning process felt easy and well organized, and we really appreciated how flexible and attentive he was to our needs.

A huge part of what made the trip so special was our driver, Ismail, who was with us for 7 days as we traveled around the country. He was amazing—kind, helpful, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. We learned so much from him about Moroccan culture, daily life, history, and the different places we visited. Having him with us made the entire trip feel easy, comfortable, and much more meaningful.

We also really appreciated how Hassan and Ismail handled an unexpected issue we had with our hotel in Fes. As soon as we let them know there was a problem, they were incredibly responsive and helped us find and book another accommodation. They made what could have been a stressful situation feel easy and taken care of, which really showed us the level of service they provide.

All of the local guides arranged for us were excellent as well. They were knowledgeable, engaging, and gave us a much deeper appreciation for each city and region.

The accommodations throughout the trip were beautiful and exceeded our expectations. Everything was well organized, and we felt very well taken care of from start to finish.

Overall, we had an incredible time in Morocco and came home with so many wonderful memories. We would absolutely recommend Under the Moroccan Sun, and especially Ismail, to anyone planning a trip to Morocco!

Although I didn’t plan the itinerary, everything was described in detail and organized on the App. Any questions were answered and resolved very quickly. The guided tours and the drivers were very friendly and knowledgeable. Great overall experience.

We had an amazing eight days in Korea, and much of the credit goes to Christine at KimKim. From the beginning, she listened to what we wanted and created a thoughtful schedule that was not only well designed, but actually honored throughout our trip. Every transfer was prompt, communication was excellent, and we always knew what to expect next.
That level of organization made the trip remarkably stress-free. We had only one hiccup during our eight days, and Christine resolved it immediately. Her attention to detail, responsiveness, and genuine care made us feel that we were in very good hands.
A real highlight was having Kory in Seoul and Lucy in Busan as both our drivers and guides. This was an enormous advantage. Navigating the traffic and parking in two major cities would have added a great deal of stress, and instead we could simply enjoy the experience.
Kory brought Seoul’s history to life with his storytelling and knowledge. Our day at the DMZ was especially moving and became a true core memory for us. He clearly loves his country and city, and that enthusiasm was contagious.
Lucy was a wonderful ambassador for Busan. Her love for her city was infectious, and her knowledge, storytelling, and joyful personality made every stop enjoyable. Her timing was also exceptional—we seemed to arrive everywhere just before the crowds.
We also enjoyed a phenomenal Korean cooking class, along with many other experiences that gave us a wonderful mix of history, culture, food, and everyday Korean life.
A note for other travelers: We are an active retired American couple in our 60s and 70s, and this itinerary was very manageable for us. That said, it does involve a fair amount of walking on uneven surfaces, getting in and out of cars and trains, and navigating some smaller hotel rooms compared with typical American accommodations. We knew this going in, so we packed light, wore good, durable walking shoes, and managed our expectations. With that preparation, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
What impressed us most about KimKim was that the trip worked exactly as planned. The schedule was honored, transfers were prompt, communication was excellent, and when something unexpected happened, it was handled immediately.
Christine, Kory, and Lucy each played an important role in making our eight days in Korea exceptional. We came home with wonderful memories and a much deeper appreciation for Korea. We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for a well-planned, personalized, and worry-free experience.

Krista helped us plan an amazing 31 day Scandanavian adventure through Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Highlights were the Folkmuseum and Vigeland Park in Oslo, kayaking in Flam, riding the funicular in Bergen to the park above and going to the Troll museum. The numerous fjord cruises were breath taking. We enjoyed the Cidery tour and lunch in Balestrand. And ending our time with a Midnight Sun kayaking in the Lofoten Islands. We loved Sweden visiting museums and castles. We took a day each to visit Sigtuna and another Uppsala where we had fun looking for Rune Stones. Our visit to Visby on Gotland Island, Sweden was fantastic. Starting and ending our trip in Copenhagen was perfect. The 3 hour Hygee tour is a must do and highly recommend traveling to Fredericksborg Castle. The hotels were very nice with delicious breakfasts. The hotel in Flam was okay but it made up for its plainness by its wonderful breakfasts and dinners. It was also nice to not be in the center if Flam with all the cruise tourists everywhere. We had excellent support by Matijs and Beni. They alerted us to the Norwegian Airtraffic controllers strike - luckily we were not affected. Thanks for the memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lilla Rådmannen

Stockholm

Great place. Good location. Excellent breakfast. Excellent restaurant with Belgium beers.

Authenticity & Character

Great restaurant with Belguim beers.

Location

Near public transportation.

Staff

Friendly. Restaurant staff was very knowledgeable of their beers.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Unique old refurbished fishing cabin. We stayed in 2 bedroom, and 1 bath on first floor and on 2nd floor was an open space with the kitchen, table and chairs and a livingroom. The bedrooms are tiny with built in single beds. Lots of character! The restaurant were breakfast is held is very old, charming and special.

Authenticity & Character

Most authentic place we stayed in.

Location

Beautiful views.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bedrooms can get hot and stuffy due to small size.

Thon Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Nice room with helpful, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located.

Staff

Helpful providing excellent recommendation for traditional Swedish food.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Havila Cruise

Fosnavåg

When we were first boarding, we didn't realize that when you scan your ticket you are assigned specific seats. We thought we would have to find seats. The seats were comfortable and the meals very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Relaxing way to get to Alesund.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower was great! Good water pressure.

Donners Hotel

Visby

Great location, very friendly and helpful staff. Cool older hotel. We had a room on the 4th floor in the rafters. It was a large space which accommodated twin beds.

Authenticity & Character

Quiet, older hotel with character.

Location

Excellent. Visby is a walkable town and the hotel is in the center.

Staff

Very helpful and gave excellent recommendation for dinner on our first night. Both young men who worked the desk were friendly and fun to talk to.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

A very busy hotel in central Bergen. We could easily walk everywhere to see the sites and activities. It was a mad house trying to checkin and we had to request luggage storage since checkin is 4:00. There is 1 key for luggage storage area and it is just a room off the dining area with tables and chairs in it. That made it feel stressful.

Authenticity & Character

Very good breakfast.

Location

Excellent. Right in the center of everything.

Staff

Only 2 check in people who were not that friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

The hotel is small, only 42 rooms. The rooms are basic, no coffee maker in room. There was decaf coffee available but if you wanted regular coffee before breakast or later in the day, you have to buy it. But the fact that it is a 20 minute walk outside of town away from the deluge of cruise tourists and has beautiful views of the water and provided both breakfast And delicious dinners made up for the small, basic room.

Authenticity & Character

A place we're people stayed before the chain hotels. It had a homey feel.

Location

Away from crowds and beautiful water view.

Staff

The woman who worked the front desk was very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean - just an older building.

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Nice room and very good breakfast. Easy walk from station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect for seeing the main sites. Centrally located.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Copenhagen Island Hotel

Copenhagen

Our first stay here at the beginning of our trip was a room on the first floor facing the water with a small outdoor balcony where we could relax and watch people swimming. It has an excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Nice decor and lighting. The area for breakfast has good views and comfortable seating and layout.

Location

Great location, close to public transportation.

Staff

Breakfast was perfect.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Nice tour of Oslo by water with a very good meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

All of it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hygge Tour Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Our tour guide Amit was fantastic. We spent 3 hours walking around Copenhagen. He provided a lot of information about the concept of hygge, the Danish culture, historical facts and present day information about education, taxes, etc. We stopped first for a delicious pastry, then a stop at a sweet shop and ending the tour in a cute, funky little coffee shop.

Quality of Experience

Great guide, valuable information and delicious snacks.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amit was smart, friendly and easy to talk to.

Sea Kayaking In Ålesund

Ålesund

We expected the kayaking to be in canals in Alesund to see Art Nouveau buildings. Tgat didn't happen. The group was too large and a good junk of time went to outfitting everyone with equipment. The guides were great but this tour isn't worth the time or money.

Quality of Experience

Smaller group. Kayak to see the buildings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly

Transport

Good kayaks

Midnight Sun Kayaking Excursion

Norway

Amazing kayaking experience. We had a good amount of time in the ocean. It was about 2 1/2 hours on the water. We landed on a small island for a small break for hot tea and cookies. Guides were excellent. The equipment was not as good as Flam's. The skirts were beat up and need to be replaced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Need new kayak skirts

Guided Cidery Tour to Balestrand & the Sognefjord

Bergen

Balestrand is a very pretty town. The Cidery tour was fun and we had a delicious meal pairing 5 different ciders.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Norway

Nice small group kayaking experience in Flam's harbor area. Mette was a very knowledgeable guide and did a great job. The equipment was well maintained. It was a fun morning.

Quality of Experience

Norsk Folkemuseum - The Open Air Museum (museum tickets included)

Oslo

We enjoyed seeing the Stave Church, the old farms and buildings. We were lucky and saw a dancing performance. We tried the homemade lefties with butter. It is amazing that this musuem was started in 1881!

Quality of Experience

Historical buildings in a large open area.

I felt like our local guide Liz really understood the sorts of travel experiences we wanted and she planned an excellent trip for us understanding what we wanted. The trip had a lot of moving parts and everything worked smoothly. The guides were great too, the drivers especially to cusco and the sacred valley were wonderful.

Hotel Reviews

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

The hotel is set very well...near a plaza. The decor is lovely too..lots of lovely textiles. The noise level though was really hard to sleep through. Every other guest coming up or down the stairs was so audible. Made sleeping hard.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor ...appreciated the textiles!

Location

Very close to all the main attractions

Staff

Everyone was very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness was outstanding- noise though was a serious problem and made sleeping hard.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Machu Picchu

This hotel is just aesthetically gorgeous. Each cottage is decorated beautifully. The hotel sits in the most lovely gardens. We saw many many orchid species. If you bird this is heaven - saw the cock of the rock, Andean motmot, a brilliant barbet...the list goes on and on. And the restaurant is extremely fine! Definitely our favorite day in Peru!

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decorations

Location

Corner of town...tucked away in lovely gardens

Staff

It was pouring on the morning we had signed up for a birding tour and the guide did it anyway with us for an hour and a half...extremely kind!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nothing to improve here

Casa Andina Premium Villas

Urubamba

Lovely location- awesome restaurant...HIGHLY recommend the inka astronomy experience the hotel offers

Authenticity & Character

Reminded me of some very lovely hotels in the American southwest

Location

Lovely quiet location

Staff

Polite and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

All good except for the rooster who wanted to wake everyone at 4 :)

Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

We chosea standard room which comes with no fan! I highly recommend upgrading to a comfort room - we got lucky 2 of 3 nights with the weather but it could be miserable if we were off by one night even. This is a very unique hotel in that the entire room is exposed to the jungle...no nets even. So cicadas moths and everything else can be in your room. That took a bit of getting used to...but it also means macaws wander in to the breakfast area to steal banana bread.

Authenticity & Character

You are camping in the amazon

Location

You are absolutely in the Amazon- no question about it

Staff

Dino the guide was super nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but no fan in the Amazon or charging for it seemed a bit silly.

Dazzler Miraflores by Wyndham

Lima

Solid hotel very nice location in miraflores.

Authenticity & Character

Its the usual brand hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flight to Puerto Maldonado & Tambopata Research Center 1/4

Peru

Just a really long day ...and you get in just after dark. Keep headlamps handy!

Private Full-Day Excursion: Chonta Condor Viewpoint

Cusco

Fair warning - the ride there and back was rough rough roads and its long. The upside is that there is a family of condors that lives up at the cliffs and we were lucky enough to get a fly by at eye level! Very special.

Quality of Experience

The birds

Food

The hotel packed a sumptuous lunch for at least 2 people's appetite...very nice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver managed that mess of a road...James is a very good guide.

Transport

Excursions at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Our birding tour was affected by bad weather but the guide gave us plenty of good pointers so we went back after the rain and saw a ton of stuff...

Observatory Train to Machu Picchu OW, Lunch at Tinkuy & Machu Picchu Tour

Peru

Loved MP but the guide was a bit of a story teller and spun some tales about what MP was built for. Train ride in was absolutely lovely - highly recommend the observatory. MP is well just exceptional..

Quality of Experience

Food

Didn't think that restaurant was very good - a lunch at inkaterra which we did the following day was far better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get guides who stick to facts?

Transport

Private Sacred Valley Tour: Hummingbirds, Ollantaytambo, Moray & Maras

Sacred Valley

Loved the ruins and Moray and Maras..very educational.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

James was excellent

Transport

Tambopata Research Center 3/4

Puerto Maldonado

LOVED the canopy tours and the tour of the bamboo forests...and the sunset cruise

Tambopata Research Center 2/4

Puerto Maldonado

Guide Dino was great - worked tirelessly with us from 4:45 until a night hike even!

Quality of Experience

Nice food too for being in the jungle

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dino the guide was great!

Tambopata Research Center 4/4 & Transfer to The Sacred Valley

Peru

Loved this day seeing Ollantaytambo Moray and Maras...appreciate James very much for taking us salt and chocolate shopping!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

James suggested this place that was absolutely wonderful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

Transport

Very nice driver tough roads!

Ryan helped me book a trip of a little over a week to Newfoundland and Labrador, starting in Gros Morne National Park (Heritage Site #1) and working my way to Quirpon Island. The itinerary and lodgings were great - the Gros Morne Inn in Woody Point was a great place to start - wonderful hospitality and food in one of the most stunning natural settings on the planet. A boat tour of the Western Brook Pond is not to be missed.

From there, I headed north to Port au Choix and over to Labrador. Accommodations were more basic, but very comfortable and conveniently located. Spent an afternoon wandering Red Bay, Labrador (Heritage Site #2). Returned to Newfoundland and drove north to L'Anse aux Meadows (Heritage Site #3), which was the original reason for my wanting to visit Newfoundland.

The icing on the cake, however, was a two night stay at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn on Quirpon Island. The island and its lighthouse are accessible only by Zodiac, and almost entirely outside of cell service. While perhaps not for everyone (you can bring only what you can carry, in a backpack, the Inn is located some distance from the dock, and the weather can present challenges), the scenery and solitude were wonderful. The owner, Ed English, took the 5 guests out for a boat tour on the first morning we were there, and we spent some time observing two humpback whales (a mother and calf) feeding in the cove right next to the dock.

Drove back to near the Deer Lake airport on the last day and stayed at the Sugar Hill Inn in Norris Point, which is another wonderful hotel and restaurant.

All bookings (hotels, Western Brook Pond boat tour, Labrador Ferry, Quirpon Zodiac tour) were taken care of by Ryan with no problems whatsoever. Ryan was incredibly responsive as we worked on the itinerary, and had a very clear sense of what was possible to fit within the time I had allotted.

An absolutely fabulous trip.

Every thing was just as itinerary stated. Naoz hotel that you booked was wonderful on my down time gave me directions to how to navigate things to do locally.

Hotel Reviews

Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Campos Arenal Hotel

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Naoz

Manuel Antonio

Wonderful employees. Very helpful in how to navigate things to see and do.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Very good. Felt rushed through park. This excursion should be longer. Guide was knowledgable and answered all questions.

Quality of Experience

Felt rushed throughout park more time maybe should add waterfall hike in.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio Jungle Night Walk

Manuel Antonio

So educational. Guide on Sept 7 th was just the best. He was so patient with scared individuals. Very good at spotting wildlife in the dark

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Relaxing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on Naranjo River (Class III & IV)

Costa Rica

The gentleman guides to driver “Super Mario”. Were just so much fun. Rapids were low but just a great bunch to be around. Recommend for a fun adventurous and entertaining day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

Just amazing. Everyone should do this. Relaxing also to be on rivet

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wonderful day. Guide was very knowledgeable and very welcoming to questions and conversations

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River

Costa Rica

Enjoyed my day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, we had a very good trip to Sardinia and came home with some wonderful memories. The basic itinerary was well planned, and there were several highlights that we truly enjoyed.

Our first hotel was excellent, and San Pantaleo was probably our favorite town of the entire trip. We absolutely loved it and would happily return. The sailboat excursion was also very enjoyable and a beautiful way to experience the coastline. Our only disappointment was that the captain spoke no English, so we missed having any commentary about where we were going, what we were seeing, or the history of the area. That would have added a great deal to the experience.

The cooking class was another highlight and was very well done.

The drive to Santa Maria Navarrese was beautiful, but it was much farther than we would have preferred. Unfortunately, the Lanthia Resort was the biggest hotel disappointment of the trip. The staff was very good and the food was excellent, but our room was not at all what we expected. There was an enormous green bathtub in the middle of the room, something we had not anticipated from the photos we had seen beforehand. When I later looked again at the hotel website, I still did not feel the photos adequately conveyed what the room was actually like. The hotel had no alternative room available, so we could not move.

Accessibility was also an issue. Reaching our room required navigating cobblestones and stone steps with our luggage, and there were no porters available to help. At our ages, this made arrival and departure unnecessarily difficult.

The drive from Santa Maria Navarrese to Alghero was again quite long—longer than we would have chosen for this trip. Once we arrived, however, we loved Alghero. It was a delightful town, and our hotel there was wonderful.

The one experience that I feel was a serious mistake in the planning was Neptune’s Cave. I had provided our ages and explained that my husband is dealing with cancer, so I was very surprised that this excursion was recommended for us. Reaching the cave involved 654 steps down and, of course, 654 steps back up. Inside the cave, the walking surfaces were also quite slippery. We did complete it, but I felt it was inappropriate for us and potentially unsafe. Had we been given an accurate description of the physical demands beforehand, we absolutely would not have chosen this excursion.

Despite those issues, we really enjoyed Sardinia and would definitely visit again. If I were planning the trip over, I would keep much of the northern portion of the itinerary but eliminate the long drive south to Santa Maria Navarrese. I would have preferred to stay in northern Sardinia and find a comparable catamaran or boating experience there. That would have reduced the amount of driving considerably and made the trip feel more relaxed.

There was a great deal that was done very well, and we are grateful for the experiences we had. I think the biggest opportunity for improvement would be to consider not only what is interesting to see, but also the distances involved and whether particular hotels and activities are appropriate for the travelers’ age, mobility, and circumstances.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Las Tronas

Cagliari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lanthia Resort

Santa Maria Navarrese

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Suera San Pantaleo

Olbia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Splendide Royal - The Leading Hotels of the World

Roma

Great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Italy -Important Trip Information: Please Review Before Departure

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day at Sea: Sailing Experience in the Gulf of Orosei

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Authentic Sardinian Cooking: Pasta & Seadas

Olbia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Boat Day to the Protected Marina Reserve of Tavolara

Italy

it would’ve been helpful if the boat captain had spoken English

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim did a fantastic job helping us organize our itinerary Norway, as well as offering possible activities and side trips. We are most grateful.
All the accommodations were excellent. Some trip highlights included The Hidden Gems walk in Oslo, the Romsdals Gondola and walk, The Loen Skylift, the Sor-Hidle Garden Visit and Dinner, and Lysefjord Cruise. The Borgund Stave church was incredibly impressive! The landscapes we drove through daily were absolutely stunning, and really reinforced why we were eager to see Norway in the first place.

From our end, we realize in retrospect that we probably tried to fit too much in for the time we had. Even though it was clearly posted on our itinerary, the driving some days ended up feeling like too much, with some days very long. We also had some major frustrations with the charging stations for our electric vehicle. It seemed like many of the stations required a unique app, and with all the instructions in Norwegian requiring us to use google translate, the whole charging process ended up taking far longer than we had expected.

We would definitely use kim kim again! Thank you for everything!

Activity Reviews

Sør-Hidle Island Gardens Visit & Dinner

Stavanger

Excellent! A hidden gem!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Loen

Loen

The Sky Lift was great!

Norwegian Evening Cruise in Oslo fjord

Oslo

Way too touristy. The shrimp dinner required a ridiculous amount of shelling for some tiny shrimp, making it not worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport