Kimkim Trip Reviews for Indonesia

We have just had a fabulous time in Indonesia. The whole process before and during the holiday was expertly run by Marc who understood what we were wanting and adjusted the itinerary to accommodate our preferences. The trip planning was very smooth and he provided all the information we could possibly need, including guide contact details, WhatsApp contacts throughout the trip and helpful photos of pick up points etc.
We had several domestic flights booked and on each change over, the drivers and guides were there as expected and the transfers were seamless. The transfer cars were excellent and the hotels he had arranged were absolutely as expected from his information and were really good. Throughout the trip, the English speaking drivers/guides helped keep us informed on pick up times, plans and optional excursions and opportunities.
When there were travel changes - the airlines adjusted some timings while we were there - Marc kept us informed by WhatsApp so we knew exactly what was happening. The fast boat from Lombok to Bali was threatened with being cancelled due to weather and Marc kept on top of the situation, keeping us up to date, and had alternatives planned in case it did not go. Thankfully it did and there were no issues. It was great to have his local knowledge and experience on tap like that.

Hotel Reviews

Liveaboard in Komodo

The boat was great for the family as it had a lovely sun deck but more importantly, a great shaded relaxation area. The food was superb throughout and we were treated extremely well by the staff on board, always with a broad smile and nothing was too much trouble.

Authenticity & Character

The local crew on board were typical of the Indonesians we met through our trip - friendly and helpful and always smiling and cheerful.

Location

the trip itinerary through the islands took in all we could have wanted.

Staff

as above - friendly and helpful and always smiling and cheerful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Akana Boutique Hotel

We had one night here - lovely hotel right in the heart of Sanur.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

they made us breakfast boxes to take as we left for the airport before the breakfast started

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puri Wirata Dive Resort and Spa

Amed, Karangasem, Bali

Great hotel and location with comfortable rooms, we had a roof terrace to enjoy the stunning views. Diving centre on site was excellent and the snorkelling directly off the beach was excellent, slightly difficult to access but once in, amazing coral, turtles etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The dive centre we used is right on site. PADI 5 star

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Katamaran Resort

Very modern, upmarket hotel in a fabulous setting, making full use of the location with an excellent pool and outdoors area.

Authenticity & Character

the outdoor area and views from the rooms over the beach and sunsets over the volcanoes of Bali

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

Yogyakarta

This is a lovely hotel, with excellent facilities right in the heart of Yogykarta. The old building is very attractive, the rooms extremely comfortable and quiet, the pool area a lovely place to relax.

Authenticity & Character

beautiful old building

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

FM7 Resort Hotel Jakarta

Tangerang, Banten

Very comfortable clean airport hotel with excellent pool. Confusing restaurant options with no clear hotel floorplan offered, but we worked it out!

Authenticity & Character

no need - just a practical airport hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Borobudur: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Yogyakarta

We chose not to go onto the temple, on advice about the conservation of it, but it is still very dramatic and impressive. The whole area around it is very peaceful and well kept

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merapi 4x4

Yogyakarta

Despite clouds covering the volcano, the day was great fun. The jeeps were open top and added to the experience and the drivers and guides we had were keen to keep us entertained. The boys particularly enjoyed driving round an off road course through a rocky river bed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jomblang cave

Indonesia

As we drove up a very rough track in the middle of no where we were uncertain of what to expect. The welcome and briefing was very professional an then we were taken to the rope system that they lower you in on, two at a time. This was nerve wracking but exciting and added a lot to the visit with the 60m descent. The caves themselves are fascinating and the light shaft in the main cave dramatic. Be aware it is muddy++, they give you boots.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prambanan: Indonesia’s Largest Shivaite Temple Complex

Yogyakarta

The temples are being restored currently and our local guide told us how this process was proceeding as well as taking us into the ones which were accessible. The whole setting is peaceful and picturesque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip organised with Yuqqa turned out to be very well aligned with our family’s interests along with some key highlights from Bali and the Komodo islands. A few key highlights for us were the silvermaking class, the cooking class in a traditional Balinese home and our three days in the Komodo islands.
I really liked our interactions with Yuqqa prior to the trip, answering all the questions I had (high-level, but also fine details). The few calls we’ve had prior to the trip were also very helpful in preparing. I’m very grateful for this support!
We had the chance to be accompanied by Suparta, our driver for our time in Bali, who was very safe, always kind and a very authentic source of knowledge on the local culture. We had a great time with him!
Our guide Ray for the Komodo islands boat tour was also fantastic! Such great energy, open mind and great with our daughter to introduce her to snorkeling and to get her comfortable in these adventures.
Overall, I certainly highly recommend working with this team for a future trip to Bali and the Komodo islands.
FIVE STARS!

Hotel Reviews

Private cruise trip in Komodo National Park

Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

The crew on the Giona boat was awesome. Having this boat in private format for our family was really great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bayview Gardens Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The AC was insufficient, making the sleep difficult.

Puri Santrian

Denpasar

Authenticity & Character

Big resort but that is precisely what we wanted for that part of the trip.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arkamara Dijiwa Ubud

Bali

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved the nature in this hotel!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Sunset Local Boat Tour and BBQ

Indonesia

Silver class in Ubud

Ubud, Bali

This was our daughter’s trip highlight!

Experience Balinese Cooking Class

Indonesia

Experience Balinese day in Sidemen

Indonesia

Our trip to Indonesia was truly memorable and allowed to experience a broad range of activities (cultural sites, a Balinese cooking class, and outdoor hiking activities to Mt Bromo and various trekking activities in both Bali and Java) that catered to our variety of interest. These activities allowed us to experience the culture of Java and Bali through a variety of activities that allowed us to interact with the local people with the help of our drivers ( Hendri in Yogyakarta and Bargus in Bali) and guides and experience the natural beauty of both Bali and Java.

We really appreciated the help of Yuqqa in helping to suggest some wonderful additions to our original itinerary ( e.g the Gilli Islands, and the Catarmaran Cruise) both of which were nice additions that allowed us to enjoy the beaches and unique snorkel opportunities present in Indonesia. The Gilli Islands also provide a nice change of pace and gave us some down time to relax and have some free days to explore on our own without any structured activities.

Hotel Reviews

Puri Santrian

Denpasar

Hotel had many amenities including spa and multiple swimming pools for guest and a direct access to the beach. Also, the breakfast buffet offered a nice selection of items including Dim Sum, traditional American breakfast items, plus cooked to order eggs and local Indonesian food items. Also, the hotels location offered easy access to many outside dining options that one could walk to in under 15 minutes.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel architecture and beach vibe.

Location

Access to the beach and short distance to evening dining options.

Staff

Staff was attentive and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are pretty spacious with balconies.

Tugu Malang

Malang

Really nice hotel with great amenities and spa. The decor of the hotel is unique with antique furniture pieces in both common areas and rooms. The breakfast buffet was great as there was a wide range of food available to suit all taste

Authenticity & Character

The furnishing and decor that fuse modern and early 20th century Java

Location

Centrally located to restaurants and night life in Malang

Staff

Staff was attentive to our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The spa at this hotel is one of nice perks after a couple of days of rigorous hiking/ trekking activities

Activity Reviews

Experience Balinese Cooking Class

Indonesia

This was one of the best acclivities we did on Bali. Our instructor was very personable and we learned a lot about Balinese culture and cuisine talking to her and getting hands on instruction. The food which we prepared turn out to taste really good too.

Quality of Experience

Food

The opportunity to learn about and taste different seasonings and how to work with them in the kitchen

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Instructor was very personable

Transport

Gili Islands Snorkeling

Indonesia

The water a beautiful turquoise and clear which makes it possible to see many fish and some sea turtles. Depending on your preferences, it is possible to charter a private snorkeling adventure.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Madakaripura Waterfalls (En Route from Surabaya to Mount Bromo)

Mount Bromo, East Java

The trek to the falls is awesome. There are not many people on the trail so this makes the whole experience more serene and enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Borobudur Temple, Pawon Temple, Mendut Temple, and Yogyakarta Market

Yogyakarta

Even though it was crowded, the system in place for tourist to visit the site has greatly made the experience more enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was entertaining and made the explanation of the site history enjoyable.

Transport

Transport was extremely well organized to get to the site.

My wife and I had an incredible 3 week trip to Bali, thanks to Yuqqa, our wonderful trip planner. From the very start, she refined the itinerary to match our interests. Her recommendations for where to go and the order to go to them were spot on. We especially enjoyed Ceningan Island (even if the boat ride there was a bit harrowing!) and Munduk. She was also quick to find great backup options whenever hotels we were interested in were booked up.

During the trip she checked in daily about activities and feedback, making sure everything ran smoothly. As a thoughtful touch, she even surprised us with lovely local Balinese gifts and massages during our stay.

The travel agency also arranged an outstanding driver for us, Nengah Suarma, who made every journey a pleasure. He was kind, punctual, funny, and informative, sharing local knowledge and making the travel time between activities feel like part of the adventure. We always felt safe and comfortable with Nengah.

Some of my favorite experiences were white water rafting and ATV riding in Ubud, the Sekumpul Waterfall trek, and the Sangeh monkey forest. Without their expert guidance, it would have been so difficult to coordinate local transportation or even know the best places to go.

This trip was a perfect blend of adventure, relaxation, comfort, and thoughtful planning. I can’t recommend this team enough!

Marc was quick to respond. However, he was usually defensive instead of validating. We loved our activities, but usually that was due to the guides. They would organize the day to best fit the schedule, instead of following the KimKim itinerary. The write up of the itinerary that I printed and brought was awful. There were too many fluffy desrciptive words instead of the facts. Marc also wrote up the whole planned itinerary, and then the second half of the day was an entire separate itinerary. Poorly written. There was a day our guide just canceled the waterfall as he said there was zero chance there was enough time. We got the airport 4 hours before our flight. Poor planning. I also told Marc numerous times that we wanted animals, like on Sumatra- tigers, elephants and orangutans. Marc said no. Perhaps this is Marc's own feelings but it is not KimKims, as I have done animal adventures in past with KimKim. Thank goodness the guides were so great, as they would change Marc's itinerary to make it work better, with distances and timing. Really, his itinerary write up was terrible. It should just be facts- 1. What time pick up. 2. what to wear. 3. what to bring. 4. length of activities and drive times. 5. what time home.

Hotel Reviews

Lumbini Luxury villas

Marc chose the worst hotel in all of Bali for us to stay at. Why in the world would he choose a hotel that is not even on the beach. There are tons of great hotels on the water, and this one was not one of them.

Tejaprana Resort & Spa

Bali

The massage therapists were terrible. There was a damp, musty smell in hotel room.

Katamaran Resort

Plataran Bromo

Wonokitri

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

YOGYAKARTA

Activity Reviews

Kecak Dance Performance

Indonesia

Our guide had us arrive exactly 1 hour before the dance. The seats are terribly uncomfortable and we were sitting in the beating sun. No need to arrive until 5:55. We loved the tour of Uluwatu Temple. Thank god our guide was so great and kept us safe from the monkeys. Padang-Padang Beach was fine, the surf lesson was fun, but it was ridiculous with all the people. I have to assume, if we had stayed at the hotel on one of the pretty beaches, then we would not have been around 100s of people.

Rafting on the Ayung River – Adventure in Bali's Tropical Heart

Indonesia

This was fun!

Munduk & Tamblingan Lake Exploration

Indonesia

We also went to the rice terraces. This was a great day. Again, Marc did a terrible job letting us know what to bring, wear, leave, the duration of the day etc.

Cycling Adventure from Kintamani to Ubud

Indonesia

This was so fun! Mount Batur was totally fogged in, so we had no view, but the biking was great fun. This day we also did the cleansing ritual. we loved it. this is definitely something that should always be included in the Ubud itinerary.

Waterfall Exploration and Traditional Sasak Village Visit

Indonesia

We loved the walk to the waterfalls. we even did the weird tube ride back down. I didn't really enjoy the Sasak Village tour. We felt like we were at a zoo.

Boat trip and snorkeling around the Gilis island (Meno, Air)

Indonesia

We loved this day. we loved our guide and driver. the 2 boys running the little boat were awesome. again, they took us on the tour that made the most sense, but was totally different then Marc's write up.

Sunrise from the Mount Bromo Caldera

Indonesia

We loved this! our guide and driver were great. we loved the 1978 Land Cruisers. Again- the itinerary write up was all wrong. Marc told us to be ready at 5. Our guide laughed and said- not possible, I will pick you up at 2:30. We loved this day, because of our guide and drive. Marc really needs to work on how he writes up the itineraries.

Prambanan: Indonesia’s Largest Shivaite Temple Complex

Yogyakarta

This was great and so was Sewu Temple, which, thank god our guide was so great to take us here too, as it was not on itinerary.

Borobudur: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Yogyakarta

Huge mistake by Marc, he booked us a ticket for just the outside. No one in the whole world would go to Borobudur and not hike the stairs to the top. In future it should always be booked to hike. It turned in to a pain for our guide, as I had to then by our tickets to the top- which are actually combo tickets, then our guide had to go find us money to give the refund back. Makes zero sense what Marc did.

Yogyakarta Street Food Tour

Yogyakarta

Trip originally planned by Anna and executed to perfection by Yuqqa and Laura. Easy WhatsApp communication and all members of the team very helpful. Trip organisation was brilliant. Given WhatsApp contact of drivers and tour operators which made it a streamlined experience.

My trip was really an enjoyable experience. It really helped having Caroline's advice on things to do and how to stay within my budget. My driver Gusti was a great guy! He made sure to always be prepared, and gave me tips on the best places to look for handmade souvenirs. He was always friendly and courteous too! Overall, it was a great experience that I'd recommend to anyone interested in visiting Indonesia!

Hotel Reviews

Parigata resort and spa Sanur

This is a wonderful little place near both ICON bali mall and the beaches. It's got lots of nearby shopping and cafes, and only 30 minutes walk from sanur cat cafe! It's comfortable, clean, and has a great pool for relaxation. They also have balinese traditional dance performances on Monday nights!

Authenticity & Character

Quiet, comfy, and easy to feel separated from the city noises

Location

Close to beaches, shops, cafes, and sites

Staff

Kind, helpful, and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great room with mini fridge, TV, bathtub, and porch.

D'coin Lembongan

It's a great little getaway that's budget friendly and within walking distance of restaraunts and a couple beaches. The pool is a great feature and rooms are spacious and clean.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are cozy and have good privacy

Location

Near devils tear and plenty of small shops and warungs

Staff

Everyone is helpful and provide good insight on the island locations and beaches

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfy

Artini 2 cottage

It's a unique place located near city center of Ubud, but it doesn't feel like you're in a city due to being surrounded by lush greenery. The rooms are in balinese style with modern amenities. The restaraunt and pool are also perfect for relaxation.

Authenticity & Character

The unique rooms and all the greenery and vegetation

Location

Close to shops, cafes, ubud palace, and monkey forrest

Staff

Everyone was so friendly and considerate, especially housekeeping staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless rooms and well maintained grounds

Munduk Farmhouse

Munduk

It's a beautiful place with cozy cabins, kind staff, and great food! It's perfect for a quiet getaway in the mountains if you like relaxing places with farms and hiking. The owner chichi is so kind too!

Authenticity & Character

Unique refurbished farmhouses with lime trees and rosemary bushes everywhere

Location

Quiet with perfect weather

Staff

Everyone is attentive and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are clean and cozy

De Moksha Eco Friendly Boutique Resort

Tabanan

It's a great place perfect for quiet and relaxation. The service, food, and locations were perfect for my interests and my budget, and it's a great spot if you want somewhere that's not as busy as Ubud. The staff are all so nice and welcoming! And they have a dog and cat on the grounds that both like to say hi to people!

Authenticity & Character

The nature

Location

Quiet and not overly touristy

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very clean and comfy and even the porch provided some privacy

Activity Reviews

Experience Balinese Cooking Class- Shared

Ubud, Bali

Great experience whether you are single or in a group, and great for any age. The whole process is very streamlined and coordinated. We were given a tour of the local market to start with, before going to the guides' family home and learning about the culture and foods. A lot of the staff do the prep work, so if you're looking for something intensive, this may not be for you. But we got to use traditional methods and were given tips on how to select products for quality and freshness. We made at least 8 different dishes. It was so much fun learning the methods for cooking balinese dishes. Staff were professional, friendly, and helpful! The meal was delicious, and we were given a cookbook with all of the recipes we made!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bratan Lake by Canoe & Trek

Munduk, Bali

The canoe and trek were amazing! Mu guide shared lots of stories and we discussed environmental issues. The canoe trip gave plenty of time to take photos and see the wildlife and water temple, and my guide shared a lot of interesting information about the local plants. We even got to eat some cinnamon bark right from the tree! Lunch was delicious and the hike wasn't too difficult (even if you're like me and have asthma and are out of shape lol).

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Tanah Lot Trek by De Moksha

Tanah Lot

Fantastic guide who shared stories about the local area, his family and village, and helped with taking pictures! He came prepared with bugs spray and water too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jessica was amazing in organizing our trip to Indonesia. We spent a lot of time up front working through options and comparing potential itineraries. She was very knowable and ensured we got the most out of the trip. Communication continued to be very easy and quick once we were on the ground and she involved Deta as well. No question was too much and when we had to change some plans around it was easily accommodated. We highly recommend both of them.

The trip was fantastic. Virtually all of the accomplishments exceeded expectations. The guides and drivers were fantastic. Felt like we got an excellent feel for Indonesia.

Regarding all of the above Yuqqa did a terrific job. There were a couple of areas she fell short in. She arranged two hikes for us, only one of which we did. That was the Mt Batur hike. She did not adequately explain what the hike was. The first ninety minutes or so were on a road going up the mountain with cars passing us. I don't understand why we weren't dropped off further up the mountain. On the way down we were. It was poorly planned or executed.

The second hike was supposed to be to the Wae Bae village. My son looked it up on All Trails and the reports were daunting. We have hiked all over the world, but were not prepared for anything serious. We received virtually no explanation from Yuqqa about the hike. She actually tried down playing the trail report. Even asked to see it. Once we had decided not to do the hike she continued to press us to do it. In fairness maybe she just thought it would be an amazing experience, but regardless it was way too much. She was very inconsistent with her descriptions of the hikes, at one point even countering what she had said in the itinerary. She asked me the same question a few times when she was pushing the hike. She wasn't even communicating with the guide who did a terrific job of making alternative plans. She sounded angry and unaware of what was going on.

My other criticism of her regarded her availability. She wanted to arrange for a call, but when I went on the website her open times were at 3 and 4 am of my local time zone. Not acceptable. At times I didn't receive a response on the WhatsApp chat for an overly long time, sometimes not until the next day. Fortunately our guides or drivers were always available to help.

I really enjoy working with Kimkim. I would not do another trip with Yuqqa.

Hotel Reviews

Jakarta Airport Hotel

Jakarta

Hotel was basic. We arrived into terminal 3 at Jakarta. Yuqqa had selected a hotel in terminal 2, but we flew out of terminal 1 the next morning. Why so much movement. Spending the night at the terminal we arrived at would have been much easier and better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A different terminal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arma Museum & Resort

Absolutely fantastic. Was our favorite hotel of the trip. Grounds were magnificent and the staff was great.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like you were in Indonesia

Location

The center of Ubud

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puri Santrian Beach Resort & Spa

Bali

A beautiful resort right on the ocean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the ocean

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wae Rebo Lodge

VERY basic, but we expected that. We were only there to access the hike, which we never did.

Authenticity & Character

Maybe a little too authentic

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bayview Gardens Hotel

Gorgeous views of the harbor

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views of the harbor and access to downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved breakfast being served on our private porch every morning

Private cruise trip in Komodo National Park

Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

The highlight of the trip was the MonaLisa 3. The crew was great. Boat was lacking only one small thing, places to sit. There were no chairs. A couple of benches but nothing else. Everything else was great. Our guide Robert was absolutely sensational. By the end of the trip it felt like we were hanging out with a friend who was a local. When we had the problem with the Wae Rebo hike Robert saved the day. He was amazing looking for Komodo Dragons. He made up for all of Yuqqa's mistakes. One of the best guides I have ever had.

Authenticity & Character

Food was all local and tasty

Location

The snorkeling was amazing.

Staff

Crew was focused on all our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Komodo Cruise Day 2

Indonesia

Ten stars. Best day of the trip. We saw eight Komodo Dragons! Two terrific snorkeling experiences. We will remember this day for the rest of our lives.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise trek to Mount Batur

Indonesia

A little bit touristy and poorly scheduled as mentioned previously. View was magnificent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Komodo Cruise Day 1

Indonesia

Fantastic

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vanilla Plantation Trekking at Dukuh Buahan Village

Ubud, Bali

Very authentic. Loved the hike through the rice fields

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Komodo Cruise Day 3

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We came across kimkim while planning the trip to Bali. The website was thoroughly designed to cater our travel needs. I decided to move on and give it a try.
I was more intrigued by the prompt responses and excellent guidance by the local specialist, Priscilla. Her responses and understanding of our travel needs was spot on. She dealt us in very professional way and also helped us with the scheduling of our payment ,making it easier for us. The itinerary was exceptionally well-planned, allowing us to experience the best of the island's beauty. The accommodations and transportation were also excellent, adding to the overall comfort of our journey. Throughout our journey, Priscilla and her team were available for guidance on whatsapp group. We never felt unattended ,even for a second in Bali.
Highly recommend.
Raman.

We had an amazing trip! Our itinerary covered three major Indonesian islands, Java, Sulawesi, and Bali, and it allowed us to learn about rich and diverse Indonesian culture, history and people from many different angles. Marc, our tour specialist, was very helpful at all stages of tour planning and execution, very flexible, easy to reach at all times by phone/text/zoom. At some point we decided to change the original itinerary by skipping the Java volcano climbs and proposed to replace them with a 4-day visit to Sulawesi with its incredible Bugis and Toraja villages. Marc was very supportive of this idea and quickly re-arranged our tour, which required quite significant changes and a slew of new bookings of hotels, flights, guides, local transportation, etc. Just before the trip we learned that Borobudur and Prambanan temples would be closed on two out of three days that we were supposed to spend there (I wish we knew about it earlier, before we booked our flights so we could change the dates). So, we had to rearrange our itinerary to accommodate this circumstance. Again, Marc was very helpful in fixing this issue. We were generally very happy with the hotels that Marc booked for us, they were comfortable, clean, located in beautiful surroundings and had a boutique feel to them. The only partial exception was our last hotel in Bali, Sun of Granary Resort. While beautifully located among rice fields, with helpful staff, our rooms for some reason were rather humid (with damp smell and a little damp linen), and our air conditioning wasn't able to cure this problem. Of course, the weather in Indonesia is generally very humid, but in all other hotels we did not encountered this issue. Our tour guides in Java (Fakikh) and Sulawesi (Robi) were excellent, very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, with good grasp of English. The tour guide in Bali (Sridana) was OK, but less engaging, perhaps partially because his English was sometimes difficult to understand. On the other hand, Sridana was punctual and took good care of us. The drivers on all three islands were excellent, it was important since driving in Indonesia is not easy to say the least. I am a good driver, but I would not risk driving there myself.

To summarize, overall our trip was a very pleasant and memorable experience, and we certainly recommend Marc as your customized tour operator.

We just got back from trip to Bali, The Island of Gods - Nature and Culture experience.
Marc was our Kimkim local specialist. We wanted to avoid the crowded tourist locations, explore the Balinese culture, and interact with locals. He listened to what we hoped to experience on this trip and made recommendations. The communication was fantastic. Bali is 12 hours ahead of Boston, so the messaging feature in the Kimkim app was easy and efficient.
Marc crafted a very special time on the island. We stayed at 3 different locations, learning about the beautiful Balinese culture, enjoying delicious food along the way, and staying in amazing hotels. We went SCUBA diving, toured rice fields, spent half a day in a Balinese family compound for a cooking lesson, visited temples, biked the backroads, and hiked through tropical forests to waterfalls. There is so much beauty in Bali.
Our drivers from Edi and Cula were the best. They were friendly, professional, and knowledgeable.
The best thing about Kimkim is the local travel specialists. They are available for you every step of the way.

What an amazing trip!! Thank you for all of your help crafting such a memorable experience.

The Klotok boat in Borneo was really special. We had an amazing crew and cook, the food was so good! Our guide, Deka was so knowledgeable and fun 😊

In Bali, the canoe and trekking day was definitely a highlight! It was great to learn more about the organization and learn more about environmental efforts happening in Bali. Our guide, Ojan (I think that was his name?) was so good!! He packed an incredible, sustainable lunch that his auntie made us 😍 It was so fun to have a day where we got off the beaten path, we didn't see any other tourists during our adventure! So special.

The biking excursion was also really fun. Our guides took great care of us and it was really special to get to go back their home and learn more about the Bali culture after the ride. Loved the waterfall and canyon after the ride! A note: this biking was not good for beginner riders!

Our driver Made was also great!! He was very friendly and knew of great spots to show us along the way 😊

Hotel Reviews

Kejora Suites Sanur

Sanur

This was a great hotel! We only stayed here one night, so a bit difficult to compare. But the restaurant attached was nice, it was a quick 5 minute walk to the beach, and our room was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 minute walk to the beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adiwana Suweta

Bali

This hotel was the definition of luxury. I loved our balcony to read in the afternoons between activities, the bathroom was luxurious, and the staff were incredibly accommodating. The free breakfast every morning was a great way to start the day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Klotok Boat - Standard

Central Kalimantan

We had a great experience on the Klotok boat! We loved our entire crew and our guide was amazing. The food was delicious, exceeded expectations. We saw so many animals because we stayed on the boat! Definitely hot and buggy, but worth it for our incredible experience!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jakarta Airport Hotel

Jakarta

A simple, convenient option! Nothing special, but made our early morning journey doable! Also, I got the in room massage after my flight and it was reasonably priced and a great quality!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right above the domestic terminal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Borneo Cruise Day 3

Indonesia

See first day review

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Borneo Cruise Day 2

Indonesia

Same as first day

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling Tour through Tegallalang

Ubud, Bali

This was another great experience for us. The guides were incredibly eager to help make our experience the best it could be. Note: the biking is not great for beginners, it helps to be comfortable on a bike! The lunch at the waterfall and canyon was beautiful! We loved getting to enjoy dessert in their home. That was really special to be able to learn about their culture and way of life. I also loved being able to make my own offering basket!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoe & Trekking at Bratan Lake

Indonesia

Wow! This was a highlight for me. I loved the organization that we got to work with in this day. Our guide Ojan (I think?) was so sweet and knowledgeable about all of the plants. Loved that this truly felt off the beaten path, we hardly saw anyone else except for the people living in the village. Really great lunch we are in the forest, and a lovely canoe ride. The trek was really fun through the jungle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Taman Beji Griya - Healing Experiences

Indonesia

This was a really special cultural experience!! Our guide was great at the ceremony and the entire morning was amazing! I'm so grateful we got to experience this 💛

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Borneo Cruise Day 1

Indonesia

So fun to go to the feeding stations! Deka, our guide, was amazing! He was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, the culture, and we really enjoyed getting to know him. Yuni was the best cook, every single meal was so delicious!! Our boat was clean and had everything we needed! It even had a flush toilet and a shower! The wildlife we got to see were truly amazing. 5 different kinds of primates and countless birds!! Deka was amazing in helping us identify the species for our species count 😊

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

So many memories. This trip was nothing short of exceptional. Borobudur, Mt. Bromo and Mt. Ijen, waterfalls, beaches, immersion in local culture, white water rafting and cycling in the rice fields (under torrential rain!) — all amazing experiences. All our guides were awesome, and all the accommodations great, perhaps with the exception of Jiwa Jawa Bromo which was just ok.

Thanks so much to Marc for having planned it so well, and for standing by for all our questions and requests along the way.

We’ll be back to Indonesia soon for sure!

We had a wonderful trip to Indonesia covering destinations (Yogakarta to Mt Bromo to Kaliburu to West Bali).All was well planned,organised by Caroline and the Internal team of Kimkim.A special 🙏 Thanks to both Tata and Agung who helped us locally to visit all beautiful temples and tourist places.

Hotel Reviews

Margo Utomo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bromo Terrace Hotel & Resto

Jawa Timur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Puri Dajuma

Pekutatan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dusun Jogja Village Inn

Yogyakarta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Prambanan Temple and see Ramayana Show

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Visit Borobudur Temple

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better trip. This was an amazing trip and I enjoyed every second of it. This wasn’t only a cultural experience but also spiritual along with excitement and adventure . Priscilla did a great job helping me plan this incredible trip and Deta helped me all the way through . They were both so accommodating with all my needs and requests. The drivers and tour guides were so nice and kind and I felt very safe during the whole trip.

This was another very nice trip arranged by Kimkim. Overall impression was really good; everything was well organized, and the level of activities was just appropriate for our taste and our capabilities. And yes, we were quite lucky with the weather.

We just stayed in three hotels during our 14 nights trip, which proved to be a good decision as transportation is one of the weak points, especially on Bali. All three hotels were exceptional, but the most we liked Tejaprana Resort & Spa in Ubud.

We like to praise Marc for the planning process. After we gave Marc our traveling details and basic wishes, he generated initial trip plan amazingly quickly, but we were not completely satisfied with it. We proposed several changes, but Marc was politely persistent and give us clear arguments why proposed changes might not be so good idea. We are glad that at the end we accepted originally proposed plan with only one minor change, as this proved to be optimal! Just one example: we insisted to see also Kuta beach on Bali, but this fairly short excursion from Ubud to Uluwatu temple, Kuta beach and back to Ubud took us nearly eight(!) hours of driving, as commuting in Bali is a serious problem.

We like to summarize that all involved guides and drivers on both islands were prompt, polite and knowledgeable.
We like to thank the complete involved team to arrange really nice trip for us.

All of the sites, hotels and tours that we did were great. Our driver was very skillful dealing with the Bali traffic. We would not recommend driving a car or motor bike in Bali especially in the more urban areas. Our guide was very knowledgeable and attentive. We could tell that he knows English well but his thick accent made it difficult for us to always follow his conversation. Overall a great well planed trip and a good value.

Activity Reviews

Sunrise Hiking at Mt. Batur

Indonesia

The sunrise hike up Mt. Batur was definitely a highlight of our trip. The climb was challenging, but the view from the top was worth every step.

Snorkeling in Kanawa Island

Indonesia

The snorkeling at Manta Point was not as impressive as I had hoped. The location just didn't live up to my expectations for a great snorkeling spot, but the surrounding islands were beautiful and cruising around them was quite enjoyable.

Visit Komodo Island

Indonesia

The visit to Komodo Island was a bit disappointing because I expected to see the Komodo Dragons in their natural habitat, but instead, it felt staged. It was part of an all-day trip, and while seeing the dragons was exciting, I wish it had been more authentic and in-depth.

Planning this trip was a bit difficult at first as we wanted a few things different than the Kimkim standard itinerary of a Yogyakarta to Bali trip in the defined amount of time that we had. It was frustrating at first as I assume that is not the way this company usually works. Finally, things got worked out and we had an easy trip with lovely drivers, Tata and Agung. They would stop when we asked them to and both made sure we were comfortable and their driving was safe. Yugga was very sweet and checked in on us frequently, she found us lovely places to stay when they were available, only one place seemed really basic but we also booked late. The beach hotel of our excursion was like staying in a small slice of heaven. Tours were organized well and we would have private guides.
Overall, the service was good. You just have to be firm on asking for what you want. Expense wise, you do pay quite a bit more than planning it yourself but for some, that adds ease to a trip.

Hotel Reviews

Ketapang Indah Hotel

Banyuwangi

Great huge hotel. Clean and comfortable, big shared pool. Really good food for dinner and breakfast. Staff was helpful and kind. Can I just say, as it's a shared pool in a Muslim country, that bikinis seemed really inappropriate. Something to think about.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava View Lodge Hotel

Not fancy but what we expected with our location. It's rustic look fit the surroundings Staff kept breakfast going for us due to our tour delay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nadira Bali Resort & Villa

Wonderful staff, rooms were great, clean and comfortable, pretty gardens, a private pool. Great breakfast. A jungle view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taman Sari Bali Resort & Spa

Pemuteran

This place was amazing. We had our own villa with private gardens and swimming pool. King size beds. Breakfast and dinner with our toes in the sand. So happy we pushed for a second night here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aston Jember Hotel & Conference Center

Jember

Great hotel, clean, comfortable. The only downside was that the poolside restaurant was out of many of the food selections.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Artha Cottages Tumpak Sewu

Lumajang

A basic room. Small hotel restaurant for dinner was our only option and the food though limited was good.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta - MGallery Collection

Yogyakarta

A lovely hotel, great and friendly staff, beautiful surroundings. They upgraded our rooms and they were adjoining. The food was excellent, both breakfast and dinners.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable and the rooms were very clean.

Activity Reviews

Free Day - Pemuteran with driver

Pemuteran, Bali

We arranged an all day birding tour with Made Surya Bird Tours. Made was wonderful, instantly knew birds in flight and by calls. He took us to multiple places where we would see birds we most wanted to see. He even found owls for us. In one day, we saw over 40 new species of birds. It was a fantastic day. https://birdinginbali.blogspot.com/?m=1

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Tumpak Sewu

Indonesia

Beautiful waterfall. Lots of steps and climbing but very doable if you can do that. All the talk about really slippery can be true but our guide told us where to walk and it wasn't an issue at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Trek to Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo, East Java

It was Idul Fitri so very busy. We missed our Mt. Bromo climb due to a 4 hour jeep delay. Drivers let out customers in the middle of the road and won't move until their customers return. It was crazy. On the good side, the delay allowed us to see the view as the clouds cleared. They really need a better system. Jeeps get incredibly uncomfortable after 2 hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Borobudur Temple

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Prambanan Temple

Yogyakarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I could not have been happier with our tour that Yuqqa Macdalena planned for my friends and I! We toured through Java and Bali for 11 days and saw so many magical places including waterfalls, sunrises, mountains, craters, sunsets, temples. We traveled by train and traveled by car. Yuqqa’s guidance was so valuable we felt secure in every situation. Our driver, Agung Ardika, made sure that we arrived at every activity in time and he gave us information about the area we were in and he stopped at areas of interest to us. We had many lovely guides and were pleased with each of them.