Kimkim Trip Reviews for Bhutan

The guides, horsemen and camp assistants were all very professional. They always had our safety and comfort in mind. I would not hesitate to recommend the Kimkim team to any travelers in Bhutan.

Mieke was a great agent. She listened to what we liked and delivered exactly the trip we wanted. It was a great mix of hiking and culture, and spa. She was extremely easy and efficient to work with and she really knew the details about traveling to and in Bhutan. Would highly recommend her.

From beginning to end we were in great hands. Our guides: Tashi and Namwang ever attentive. All questions fielded with grace and perspective. This personal touch exemplifying kindness and care contributed to the overall experience as much as the jaw dropping scenery and enchanted Bhutan forests. A very special time together. Happy to recommend to others.

Activity Reviews

Chele la Pass Hike & Kila Nunnery

Bhutan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Tigers-nest Monastery

Paro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dagala Trek - Day 1 - Geynekha to Gur

Camping

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dagala Trek - Day 2 - Gur to Labatama

Camping

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dagala Trek - Day 3 - Labatama Halt

Camping

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dagala Trek - Day 4 - Labatama to Panka

Camping

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dagala Trek - Day 5 - Panka to Tsheregang

Camping

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dagala Trek - Day 6 - Tsheregang to Chamgang to Thimphu

Thimphu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thimphu - Paro

Bhutan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tashi and Nunwong were the A team. Our every need and want were tended to ,if not anticipated.

Vishal worked tirelessly to make changes to my itinerary as my circumstances changed. Nim (guide) and Cool (driver) were both incredibly professional, personable, and knowledgeable. My trip to Bhutan was a great experience.

Our trip with Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions was amazing from beginning (a six-day cultural tour with acclimatizing day hikes) to end (a seven-day trek). Vishal and guides, Tek and Ngawang, were consummate hosts. Planning was thorough and efficient. Guides were knowledgable and clear when sharing information about Bhutanese history, Buddhist history and customs, natural history, and adept at organizing, executing, and adjusting to conditions while trekking (mainly due to weather and altitude, but also because our group occasionally chose to linger at a location or site longer than planned).
Before departing for Bhutan, I was looking forward most to the Jomolhari Trek that we'd arranged with Vishal, and this did turn out to meet and exceed expectations for adventure and experiencing a remote cultural landscape, but I also got so much more out of the time we spent around Paro, Punakha, and Thimphu than I'd imagined that I would. The temples, monasteries and related Buddhist sites and traditional workshops were profound, magical, and made even fuller by the background and context provided by Tek and Ngawang.
Not being a guided expedition person by nature, I was concerned about being "fussed over" to the point of having the service interfere with my experience of the place that I was visiting, but my experience with Himalayan Kingdom contradicted all of my preconceptions of what this might be like. Interactions with Tek and Ngawang were easy from day one. Their calm, kind, and informative approach to hosting created camaraderie and by the end of the trip I was sad to have to say goodbye to good friends. I have only positive things to say about Vishal and Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions and about the wonderful travel experience that I had because of them!

I recently had the incredible opportunity to embark on a trekking adventure with Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions, and I must say that it was an experience of a lifetime. From the moment we arrived until our final farewell, Vashal and his team provided us with exceptional care, professionalism, and a genuine passion for what they do.

The trekking itinerary crafted by Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions was perfectly balanced, offering breathtaking views, challenging treks, and insightful cultural experiences. Our guides, led by Tik, our primary guide, and Ngawang, our driver, possessed an extensive knowledge of the region and were adept at tailoring the journey to our group's capabilities and interests.

Throughout the trek, safety was always a top priority. The guides were well-equipped with first aid supplies, emergency communication devices, and a wealth of experience in handling various situations. Their expertise and attention to detail put our minds at ease, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the natural beauty surrounding us.

What truly sets Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions apart, however, is the warmth and hospitality of Vashal and his team. They went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction at every step of the journey. From arranging top-notch accommodations in picturesque locations to providing deliciously freshly prepared meals in incredible settings, their dedication to creating an unparalleled experience was remarkable.

Vashal's team was not only professional but also incredibly friendly and approachable. Their enthusiasm for the region and its culture was infectious, as they shared amazing stories and insights along the way. It felt like we were trekking with friends rather than guides, creating a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the entire trip.

In sum, my trekking adventure with Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions surpassed all expectations. Vashal and his team's impeccable service, genuine care, and expertise made this journey unforgettable. If you're seeking a remarkable trekking experience that combines breathtaking landscapes, cultural immersion, and outstanding hospitality, I wholeheartedly recommend Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions. They are the epitome of excellence in the realm of adventure travel.

Thank you, Vashal, and the entire team for creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Vishal planned an unforgettable 9-day trip to Bhutan for us with the perfect balance between cultural activities, stunning hikes in the Himalayas, and incredible food. Our guide Pema and our driver Sonam were both fantastic and they went above and beyond to make sure that we had a great time traveling in Bhutan by personalizing our itinerary each day. We really enjoyed authentically connecting with locals throughout the trip at local spots and sharing tea with monks at some of the amazing monasteries. Bhutanese people are incredibly friendly and we could not have asked for better hosts. We would highly recommend working with Vishal and his team to plan an unforgettable trip to Bhutan!

Our guide was great to be around, he instilled confidence and comfort. He was very knowledgeable and articulate. His range of knowledge was broad from cultural insights to birds, animals and trekking! Just fantastic. Our driver was wonderful as well, great to talk with and not to mention a very good driver. I highly recommend.

Thank you for organizing such a great trip to Bhutan for us! We spent five amazing days in this beautiful country, so rich in nature, culture and tradition. It was truly fascinating to learn how strong the belief and conviction of the power of compassion and kindness is embedded in the Bhutanese people. We could not be happier with our local guide (Tashi) and driver (forgot his name unfortunately)! They were so patient, kind and service minded. Our guide was full of knowledge, which he convened to us in a great way. He also did everything in his power to make sure that we had a good time. Overall, a great experience! There were many highlights during this trip, but the very best was the hike to the Tigernest Monastary (Thaktshang Goenba), which offered amazing views of the Bhutanese landscape as well as the fascinating monastary itself! A truly memorable journey <3

Vishal impressed me from the moment I started our work together planning our Itinerary; helped by his excellent English.
He quickly had a good understanding of what we wanted to do and see in Bhutan and planned a really good varied trip given it was a our first visit to the Kingdom.
We had the most brilliant trip and everything worked so well; undoubtedly due to a lot of hard work behind the scenes by Vishal.
He was incredibly flexible and made last minute changes to our itinerary as needed/requested.
I was particularly taken by the care he took to ensure we acclimatised properly for the altitude we would experience on the Dagala trek which we chose because we wanted a real wilderness mountain experience with exceptional views where we would be unlikely to meet other tourists.
Vishal put together an excellent team to look after us. They provided a great service in really very challenging conditions on the trek given we had very cold unseasonal weather coupled with very strong winds/rain at nights and even woke to good snow cover one morning. Chelap , the cook, along with Daza and Doji his assistants produced excellent food every day including hot lunches on the trail. I was amazed at how versatile they were and managed to produce a roast chicken one evening! The horsemen Thinley and Sangay did a great job keeping their 10 ponies to task. Tashi , the guide, and driver Sonam were also great hosts and we really appreciated their company throughout our 2 weeks in the Kingdom.
We cannot thank Vishal and his team enough for all their hard work in making our trip so special. I can highly recommend him if you are thinking of a trip to Bhutan.

Hotel Review

Dhensa Boutique Resort

Punakha

An excellent choice of Hotel. Great views and very comfortable rooms with extremely friendly staff. The food was also very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

views coupled with peace and quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Paro - Transfer to Punakha

Bhutan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had such a wonderful time in Bhutan. It would not have been possible without the help of Vishal (planner), Nim (guide) ang Ugyen (driver). A big THANK YOU to them. They taught us their culture, custom and the history of Bhutan. What a caring country.
Highly recommend Kimkim if you are planning a trip to Bhutan.
Thank you for a lifetime of memories.

Our party of 7 had a wonderful trip to Bhutan organized by Vishal. Our fantastic guide, Tek , and excellent driver, Ngawang, ensured that everything ran smoothly. Tek was very knowledgable about many aspects of Bhutan . They were flexible and adjusted our itinerary each day to accommodate what we wanted to do.
We particularly liked Bumthuang in central Bhutan which was rural and peaceful with lovely houses and farms built in the traditional Bhutanese style.

One member of our party had a medical emergency which required surgery in Thimpu. Vishal arranged flights to Thimpu for this person and his spouse, and arranged for a guide, Gyem, and driver, Kyem, to take them to the hospital and remain with them to help them during the surgery amd subsequent hospital stay. Gyem even slept on the floor beside the hospital bed at night so that our friend's spouse could get some sleep in the hotel. This level of support was enormously appreciated , not just by the couple involved, but also by the other members of the group who were able to continue enjoying their holiday knowing that our friends were in good hands.

Vishal was very knowledgable about Bhutan and helped me craft the ideal itinerary that balanced a lot of hikes, cultural sites, and relaxation. He was very flexible when we wanted to book our own hotels and helped to give advice and guidance on the best places to stay. Tek, our tour guide, was fantastic and really helped us understand Bhutan culturally and was extremely knowledgable about the flora/fauna, animals, and natural landscape of Bhutan. Sonam, our driver, was a great and we felt very safe with him. Overall, we had a great time and would highly recommend doing your trip to Bhutan with this crew!

Activity Reviews

Hike to Tigers-nest Monastery

Paro

it's a bit of a touch hike but so worth it!

Wangditse Lhakhang Hike

Thimphu

beautiful hike starting at the Dochula Pass with huge payoff at the end. a bit slippery/icy during the winter months, but still totally do-able if you be careful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My guide was Tashi & my driver was Sonam from Windhorse travels. I couldn’t have ask for a more polite & understanding crew. Simply said: THEY WERE FANTASTIC!!
Overall, the trip was amazing & Mieke had done a marvellous job with the details and itinerary.
Highlights :
1) The Dzong (Fortress) at Punakha
2) The Kitchu temple in Paro
3) The trek to the Tiger nest monastery
4) Outstanding service at the hotels- especially Uma Punakah
6) Just the people in Bhutan.
Something that caught me by surprise:
- While the view from my room at Uma Punakha was beautiful, the size if the room (in relation to tye price of the room) was underwhelming!

Hotel Reviews

Uma Punakha

Punakha

Fantastic hotel. Great service across the board: Room service, service at the restaurant, SPA etc., Genuinely warm & friendly staff. I was a bit underwhelmed by the size of the room (I had a valley facing room). One would have expected a bit more generosity for the price tag :-)

Authenticity & Character

The property just has great character & charm

Location

Within 30-40 mins drive of most things to do in Phunakah. The location offers 100% tranquility

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Naksel Boutique Hotel & Spa

Paro

Nice spacious rooms. GREAT SERVICE all round: room service, restaurant, reception etc., The wifi service in the room was sub-optimal!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Like the tranquility the property has to offer. Easy driving distance to most attractions in Paro.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Resort Thim Dorji

Paro

This hotel is “being built” & I used this as i used this as a transit hotel. Met my need 100%. The resort part owner and GM - Dorji was a fantastic host. The room was functional for the most part. If you looking for the “lap of luxury” this is probably not it. Having said that I will need to caveat my review - since the property is under construction.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Punakha Dzong (Punakha)

Bhutan

A must visit location. Amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chorten Nebu hike (Punakha)

Punakha

A short hike up the paddy fields. A intriguing monument.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Punakha - Chimi Lhakhang

Bhutan

Quirky is the way I would explain this. To me this place associates with some kind of an obsession for the male phallus!! As with all monuments in Bhutan there is a story of “good over evil prevailing” A small restaurant on the way to this temple dishes out outstanding local food that is safe to eat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prayer ceremony at local nunnery (Punakha)

Bhutan

Skipped this experience. Ive have just plugged some ratings as the web page wouldn’t allow me to proceed without a rating. Perhaps something that Kimkim should take note of. Travelers shd be allowed to skip, especially when they have not visited some aspect of their planner itinerary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Lungchutse Lhakhang from Dochu La pass

Bhutan

Skipped this part of my itinerary

Quality of Experience

Zaw

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chele La pass (38110 m) & Kila nunnery (Paro)

Paro

Kila nunnery was nothing special. Ok to go if the objective is “have nothing else to do”

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Tigernest Monastery aka Taktshang Goemba (Paro)

Paro

Highlight #1 of my trip. OUTSTANDING.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyichu Lhakhang (Paro)

Paro

Highlight #2 of my trip. The tranquility & serenity that this 1400 year old temple presents is a must experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Bhutan would have been quite nice in itself owing to the scenic vistas, the serene people, the pristine architecture, and the rich culture. But the gap between "quite nice" and extraordinary was bridged by the team at Kimkim: Mr Thinley, our tour and trekking guide who was adept at history, art, and wordly insights alike; Mr Tashi, our very friendly chauffeur, who was as merry and bright as he was peaceful behind the wheel.
Mr Vishal was our trip planner and he had made the process so easy right from the time we got in touch with him after deciding to spend our honeymoon at Bhutan. He took us out for a wonderful dinner at Thimphu and it was great interacting with him in person.
The farmstay at Punakha, hotel at Thimphu and the luxury camping at Paro gave us really memorable and unique experiences in the valley. We did easy to moderate hikes for 4 separate days- very scenic and well planned to make us comfortable throughout. Mr Thinley made sure the activity and locations were all catered to our personal palates the evening prior to the activity planned. He gave us a very nice spiritual insight to Buddhist culture which we were seeking actively when we were planning the trip. Both Mr Thinley and Mr Tashi made sure we had the most relaxing yet adventurous trip. Mr Vishal made sure we are taken care of well and we hope to be back soon- Central Bhutan is on our list next. 🙏

Activity Review

Hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal monastery

Punakha

Outstanding throughout. The booking had to be changed several times for reasons beyond our control and Mieke was proactively helpful the whole time. Guide Jonten was excellent throughout an itinerary that was ideally tailored to me. Bhutan is a truly exceptional place that I will never forget, and I intend to return.

First class trip with amazingly informed and helpful guides.Kinlee and sonom were extremely kind, fun to be with and went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed. Kinlee helped me find the perfect Piece of art and is following up making sure the shipping and everything goes smoothly. Vishal was very helpful from the start helping me to plan and organize The trip to fit my needs. Definitely exceeded my expectations and would not hesitate to use this company again! Namaste🙏 Chris

Our trip was amazing. Starting with a very smooth planning and organizing by Mieke.
Our tour guide , Namgyal was treating us like family. He was very patient, attentive and professional. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Bhutan’s history, culture and religion. Our team during the trek was excellent. They even baked a birthday cake for my husband.
The only comment I would make is about our accommodation in Paro. It was far away from the town so we could not wander around. We also were surprised that the car was not allowed to drive close to the house.

Activity Reviews

Memorial Chorten (Thimphu)

Thimphu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Tigernest Monastery aka Taktshang Goemba (Paro)

Paro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Lungchutse Lhakhang from Dochu La pass

Bhutan

Quality of Experience

It

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten (Punakha)

Punakha

Amazing views and a close encounter with local village and farmers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dagala Trek day 2: from Gur to Labatama

Gur

Wonderful hike with amazing views of Himalayas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dagala Trek day 3: Labatama resting day

Labatama

Beautiful hike but be aware of altitude. Take it easy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dagala Trek day 4: from Labatama to Panka

Labatama

Views were incredible and autumn’s colours added to great experience.

Quality of Experience

Look

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vishal and his team Tek and Migma were fantastic. This trip was initially planned and payed for prior to the pandemic. Vishal was great with navigating the new requirements and updates from teh government once Bhutan reopened. He put together a great itinerary with multiple option throughout each day and Tek was great at making any last minute adjustments as we went through our adventure. Vishal even met up with us for dinner on the first night and introduced us to another of his tour groups which we had a farewell dinner with at the end. I can't say enough about Vishal and Tek's commitment to making sure I had an amazing trip. Your plans are in good hands with this team.