Kimkim Trip Reviews for Indonesia

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

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

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

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

Puri Santrian Beach Resort & Spa

Bali

A beautiful resort right on the ocean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the ocean

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

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

Activity Reviews

Komodo Cruise Day 3

Indonesia

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 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

Komodo Cruise Day 1

Indonesia

Fantastic

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

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 - Purification Ritual

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.

Thoughtful Exploration of Komodo and Yogyakarta, but Disjointed Planning

Our recent journey through Indonesia with KimKim featured some outstanding highlights—particularly in Komodo and Yogyakarta—but ultimately fell short of the seamless and well-curated experience we’ve come to expect from the platform.

We began in Bali, where things got off to a shaky start. Although we were met at the airport by both a guide and a driver, we were simply dropped off at our hotel with no further guidance or suggestions for the rest of the day. The following day we had a driver (who was friendly and helpful) but no guide, and were again left to plan our own itinerary. We visited Uluwatu Temple, much of which was unfortunately closed and underwhelming, and Padang Padang Beach, which was uncomfortably crowded. A stop at a luwak coffee plantation ended up being a nice surprise—albeit a bit touristy—but overall, we felt that Bali lacked the thoughtful planning and local insight we were hoping for. In hindsight, we would have preferred to skip it entirely and focus more on Komodo and Yogyakarta.

Komodo, in contrast, was a true standout. Our guide was exceptional, and the experiences—from trekking to see Komodo dragons to snorkeling with manta rays and turtles—were unforgettable. We also loved visiting waterfalls and caves, all of which felt immersive and well-curated.

Yogyakarta offered a mixed experience. Borobudur was beautiful, though we unfortunately purchased the wrong ticket and were unable to access the upper levels to view the carvings. Candi Rejo was a delightful visit, and Prambanan was another high point, enhanced by an excellent guide. The cooking class, while fun, felt somewhat underwhelming. Our visit to the Ramayana Ballet was disappointing—it felt overly touristy and amateurish, with low-quality food. Ironically, we discovered a much more authentic and high-quality ballet performance at the Kraton the following day (after our official itinerary had ended), which made us wish our original tour had included this instead. Fortunately, our local guide in Yogyakarta was incredibly knowledgeable and brought a lot of insight and depth to our experience.

While we appreciated many aspects of this trip, we felt that overall planning could have been stronger. Communication from our specialist, Marc, was inconsistent, and there seemed to be a lack of alignment between him and the local guides. We encountered several discrepancies—such as starting times that didn’t match—and often felt unclear about the daily agenda. In previous trips with KimKim, we've valued the daily suggestions and tailored support from our specialists, which were largely missing here.

More importantly, one of the reasons we turn to KimKim is for thoughtful, curated travel that helps us avoid crowds and overly touristy experiences. Unfortunately, this trip included several stops that felt like classic tourist traps. A more customized and locally-informed itinerary would have made a significant difference. With more attentive planning and better communication, this could have been a truly exceptional trip.

Hotel Reviews

d'Omah Hotel Yogya

Sewon

Great hotel but very loud due to prayers, roosters, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Great food, Cool village life.

Location

Little bit far from the town center and sights such as borobodur and prambatan.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little bit worn. Sometimes felt a bit dirty. Private pool was satisfactory.

Sudamala Resort, Komodo, Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo

Great place although it did have a large number of families which may have been difficult for some.

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic and unique. Great food!

Location

Beautiful sunsets, not too far from town. Bay was too cloudy for snorkeling nearby.

Staff

Friendly, Amazing masseuse!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great character, spotless

Lumbini villas

Outstanding hotel although a ways from the beach. There is a shuttle although we did not try it. Private pool was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Felt very unique. Loved the pool.

Location

Good although not near some of the famous areas like Kuta

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great beds, outstanding private pool

Activity Reviews

Experience the Ramayana Ballet

Yogyakarta

Very touristy and amateur. Felt like a community production. Food was poor quality, exclusively tourists, mostly large groups. Not worth going to.

Quality of Experience

Amateur and touristy

Food

Okay buffet style but not very unique.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not much our guide could add

Transport

Easy

Prambanan: Indonesia’s Largest Shivaite Temple Complex

Yogyakarta

Outstanding with spectacular views. Cool historical bas relief carvings.

Quality of Experience

Cool to see and very special

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing guide, Very knowledgeable.

Transport

Easy

Cooking class - the heart of Jogja

Yogyakarta

Fun but could probably have been better.

Quality of Experience

Cool to learn cooking but did not feel quite as full as it could have been.

Food

Delicious food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful but did not speak english, has not really taught this much before

Transport

Easy, in hotel

Explore Traditional Javanese Villages

Indonesia

Delicious lunch and a cool look into the world of the Javanese village. Did not feel exploitative. Carriage ride was cool as well.

Quality of Experience

Felt authentic

Food

Delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide

Transport

Easy

Borobudur: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Yogyakarta

Beautiful and historic wonder of the world. Our guide was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Would have been nice to go inside

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, great cultural insight

Transport

Easy

Day tour Highlights of Komodo national Park

Indonesia

One of the best experiences ever! Loved seeing the Komotos, the Mantas, and the turtles. Skip the Pink Beach and see if you can swim other places.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the Komodo dragons and the Mantas!

Food

Lunch was so-so.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing guide. Authentic, Charismatic, and charming

Transport

Loved the fast boat.

Rangko Cave

Labuan Bajo

Good but must get very busy during the summer. Did especially love the waterfall and I think it's worth the special trip. The visit to the village was so-so.

Quality of Experience

Cool Cave but could see it getting really busy during the summer.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Outstanding Guide! Funny, charismatic, and authentic.

Transport

Great Driver, very comfy

Bali and Komodo Island. Had the best time! Well organized trip.

I can’t thank Yuqqa enough for organizing such an incredible trip to Bali! From the lush jungles of Ubud to the serene beaches of Sanur, every detail was perfectly arranged.

She listened to my preferences and curated an itinerary that balanced adventure, relaxation, and cultural experiences. The accommodations were fantastic, transportation was seamless, and their local recommendations made the trip unforgettable.

What stood out the most was her responsiveness and professionalism—anytime I had a question or needed adjustments, they were quick to assist. Thanks to them, I experienced Bali stress-free and made memories that will last a lifetime.

If you’re planning a trip to Bali, I highly recommend Yuqqa. She truly went above and beyond!

I stumbled across KimKim online when I started to look for ideas for a 2- week
Trip across some Indonesian Islands. Since I had limited time for planning and knew nothing about where to go (except that we wanted to end in Bali to see some friends), I thought I’d see what they would come up with. I put down a few things about our preferred type of travel and Jessica came back to us after 24 hours with an amazing itinerary, that felt totally like us and was extremely reasonable. First time I had ever used a travel service in over 40 years of traveling across Europe and North and South America.
It was a wonderful experience. Every detail was beautifully selected and smoothly executed on the ground by our fabulous, punctual drivers ( Dian in Java and Asink in Lombok) and knowledgeable guide, Anam.
Our travel time fell during Ramadan, which caused some closures, but everyone on the team, from the guides to the ground staff in Jakarta, thought on their feet and offered other, equally amazing experiences. And, we often had places to ourselves!
Having every detail taken care of ( including moving hotel rooms to an upgraded one when we encountered a problem), meant we could just enjoy ourselves without care. What a gift!
Thank you.🙏

Hotel Reviews

Rajavilla Lombok Resort

West Lombok

Beautiful location and rooms, plus lovely grounds

Authenticity & Character

Plantings and settings seem naturally fitting into the landscape

Location

Sunsets!

Staff

Friendly and personable, after only a single encounter.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect and pristine. We were there during 2 days of storms and rains- but everything was being cared for

Dusun Jogja Village Inn

Yogyakarta

We felt very comfortable here. Lovely room ( junior suite) and relaxing pool and seating areas away from the busy streets around us.

Authenticity & Character

Feels like old-time Yogya- perhaps a little tired, but charming!

Location

Easy to walk to amazing restaurants

Staff

Really excellent and wonderful staff all around.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, but a little run down. The restaurant served delicious Soto Ayam for breakfast, but would recommend to eat dinner elsewhere

Amata Borobudur Resort

Jawa Tengah

We only spend one night at this beautiful place. Very comfortable and serene.

Authenticity & Character

Villas were traditionally built and fit into the surroundings

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Secret Gili Snorkeling

Indonesia

We had to abort the trip on day one because of storms, but had a fabulous time on day 2. Great experience on the boat, snorkeling ( saw many fishes and beautiful coral), and relaxing at lunch and on the little island. Fabulous lunch !!

Quality of Experience

Wonderful all around. The fresh fish Oceanside was perfect! Enjoyed it with a beer!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so patient with us snorkeling- showed us where to go and attracted the fishies so we could touch them. Also he collected some beautiful shells and coral for us to take home

Transport

Private boat and good equipment

Visit Batik Bantul Village and Batik Workshop

Yogyakarta

Beautiful workshop and fun activity. I Lived that it was a coop with the work of Many artists visible

Quality of Experience

Everything was made for us to have a good time!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Patient and kind!

Watch Shadow Puppet Performance

Yogyakarta

Because of Ramadan, there was no performance, but we watched how the shadow puppets were made And that was super interesting and cool! Also the museum oneself was very interesting ( the old part)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Responded to Ramadan closure to still give us an extraordinary experience with the shadow puppets and visit the museum

Visit Taman Sari Water Palace

Yogyakarta

This was not the favorite part of our trip. Felt a bit weird to be in a place where someone was peeping at bathing women to choose whom to bed next…

Visit Keraton Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta's Palace)

Indonesia

Happy we went, as it rounded out our trip to Yogya- telling us a bit about the current affairs. But not our favorite part.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was good to go With our guide Anam, who was open to all Our questions!

Watch Ramayana Dance Show

Yogyakarta

Beautifully danced with the backdrop of the Temple. The fire displays were spectacular! Then we all rushed indoors for the end due to a sudden downpour!

Quality of Experience

Surprising, beautiful and moving!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Totally smooth transition when the dancers and audience had to hurry inside because of rain

Visit Prambanan Temple

Indonesia

Remarkable temple complex with a fascinating history that was visible at every turn. Lived that we were free to explore at our pace with our own guide, not a prescribed tour. Seeing the Ramayana story in the stone carvings was really beautiful

Quality of Experience

Exceptional Site with a fascinating history and story

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anam really shined with his knowledge and stories!

Transport

Visit Jomblang Cave

Yogyakarta

Absolutely stunning and fun!

Quality of Experience

Even though we had never done anything like this, we felt safe and that we could totally enjoy the activities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent and expert. The operators were patient and helpful and also waited down below until everyone’s a chance to get awesome photos

Transport

Visit Borobudur Temple

Indonesia

Awe inspiring place and well Worth a visit. Didn’t love the being minded and restraints imposed by the rules of the tour guides ( eg, had only 20 minutes to explore on our own).

Quality of Experience

It’s an amazing site! And I loved the lotus flowers

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Watch the Sunrise from Punthuk Setumbu

Yogyakarta

Easy walk up stairs and a wonderful experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Klipoh Village Andong Tour

Magelang

We enjoyed going along the quieter lanes through the villages- initially we were on a large road ( I guess this could not be avoided), which was a bit unnerving

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and funny! And we loved Henri, the horse!

We had a fantastic time in Indonesia. Special thanks to Yuqqa. Everything went smoothly. In Medan we had Joel to guide us and the time in the jungle was amazing in Bukit Lewang. Ronie our expert guide in the jungle helped us to see Orangatans and Tomas monkeys. He also found giant ants for us and they were amazing and BIG!! In Bali our driver Roosna was great. Our VW buggy driver Dan was also great and we had a great exploration of Bali and even visited a family owned coffee plantation and drank Luak coffee and it was good. Our whole 31 day trip of Asia was fantastic and specifically Indonesia was a memory I will never forget. We even got a Balinese massage which made me sore for days. It was great.

Our guide was excellent and very flexible. Planned well all the activities on time and helped us in exchange of our currency and loaning Rupea when we did not have local currency. The driver and the guide were very helpful and friendly.
Marc coordinated all our planning and his communication is excellent . We had an excellent trip. Thank you all .