Kimkim Trip Reviews for Philippines

Where do I begin? I can't put into words the magical experience Sarah, Angela, and the rest of the team put together for our 20th wedding anniversary in the Philippines. I'm so happy that Sarah and I were able to lock down the perfect itinerary for me and my family. Her ideas were amazing, but she also took into consideration the things that were important to me in planning our trip. For example, I wanted to visit my dad's grave and also show my family where I grew up. Sarah incorporated my requests seamlessly into our itinerary. This proved to me that Sarah is genuinely looking out for our best interests. After several changes to our itinerary, the fifth one was the charm. We were all set for our trip to Manila, Angeles City, El Nido, Cebu, Bohol, and back to Manila to shop for some pasalubongs before returning home to California. Our point of contact in Manila was Angela, Sarah's right-hand woman in the Philippines. Angela was amazing. Any questions I had regarding the local operators, such as drivers, tour guides, or even the boat crew, Angela would respond without hesitation.

I often referred to them as "The Team" because it was definitely a team effort in making our Vacation/Anniversary magical. From Arrival to Departure everything was on point. I can't even fathom how much planning our trip took. To me, it was a monumental task that the Team made look easy. The most touching moment for us was our unforgettable 20th Anniversary Lunch on our own private beach with a personal note from Sarah and Angela wishing us a happy 20th anniversary. Thank you again, Sarah and Angela. My kids loved the Tarsiers and the whale sharks. Me personally, I just enjoyed the crystal clear beaches with the Limestone cliffs in the background doing absolutely nothing in El Nido.

Everyone we interacted with will always remain in our hearts. The kindness and warmth everyone showed us made it feel like a home away from. I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved, Sarah, Angela, our drivers, our boat crew, our tour guides, and all the people involved that help make our dream vacation come true. I will definitely be booking our next trip with Sarah and her A-TEAM!!!

Thank you so much,

Ribac Family of California, USA.

Hotel Reviews

Maayo Hotel Cebu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Nido Coco Resort

El Nido

Our Apartment style suite with our own private pool was mind blowing. Few steps to the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Staff was awesome. Newport City is conveniently located by the airport and we felt safe walking around the surrounding area

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslob Whale Shark Watching Experience

Philippines

Quality of Experience

⁶

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohol Country Side Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: El Nido Island Hopping Tour B: Caves & Islands

El Nido

Quality of Experience

⁶

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: El Nido Island Hopping Tour A: Lagoons and Beaches

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Manila and Surrounds with Private Driver

Manila

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Some parts were good and others not so good. I would skip some parts knowing what i know now. We got to see a lot of the country but it became a little too much of the same thing. Would have liked some advice on what to do and not to do and why.

The transit in country was ok but had some issues like waiting at a airport 5 hours before boarding because they were worried about traffic. Killed an entire day to avoid traffic that was never there.

We had fairly short notice to arrange a visit to Philippines and Sarah did an amazing job helping us work out an itinerary and getting all the moving parts booked. When inevitable hiccups arose, she was readily available to help us resolve them. We found internal air travel to be fairly unreliable and Sarah went “above and beyond” to help us overcome significant communication and flight issues on our way out of Philippines. We’ll definitely use KimKim again and will hope to get a local expert as good as Sarah!

Hotel Review

Huni Lio

El Nido

Beautiful boutique hotel in a great walkable area for food and shopping.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Coron Island Super Ultimate Tour: Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Balinsasayaw Reef

Coron

Initially seemed more commercialized than a similar tour in El Nido, but overall this was an amazing, well organized experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Van to underground river was very late, and a long tortuous drive. More time to fit in transfers would have been better. Four hour ferry ride was also unexpectedly rough and we should have prepared by taking Dramamine.

Our trip to the Philippines (Palawan/El Nido, Boracay, and Siargao) was overall very smooth from a logistics standpoint. All transfers were well organized, on time, and clearly communicated in advance. On that front, everything worked seamlessly and gave us peace of mind.

We initially had very limited time to plan, which is why we chose to use Kimkim and were connected with Sarah. While the coordination was efficient, we would have appreciated a more proactive and personalized approach early on—especially a video call to better understand our expectations and walk us through the differences between destinations. Instead, we were given a lot of written information and options to review, which was difficult to process given our time constraints.

In hindsight, we feel the itinerary could have been better tailored to our preferences. Several activities ended up being quite repetitive (multiple island-hopping tours), and many excursions were subcontracted to local operators of varying quality. Some tours felt more like mass-market group experiences than curated activities, and the level of crowding—particularly in places like Boracay—was not aligned with what we were looking for. We ended up cancelling a few tours because of this.

Additionally, a couple of experiences we had specifically requested—such as a scuba initiation and e-foil—were not included in the final itinerary, which was disappointing.

Overall, while the service delivered on logistics and saved us time upfront, we’re not convinced it added much value in terms of experience design. With more guidance, clearer recommendations, and better alignment with our preferences (especially around crowd levels and activity variety), the trip could have been significantly improved.

Hotel Reviews

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Huge hotel with extensive breakfast. Cramped bathrooms. Pool facilities were minimal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

It was very good, huge family room, very modern and good breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seaclub Siargao

Siargao

Our private villa was one of the highlight of our visit to the Philippines. While not directly near the beach it is very walkable yet secluded. Once you put aside the extra cost for everything, you can have a really nice time there. The morning breakfast prepared in the villa by attendants and the on demand BBQ dinner + movie made for one of our best day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Two Seasons Boracay Resort

Boracay Island

The location on the beach was good, our room next to the road not so much. Beds were not great, our room was outdated. Service was slow. The pool is pretty useless due to depth and location. Also the beach / ocean was full of algae when we visited, and Boracay was VERY crowded. I dont know how much we paid for it but I would stay elsewhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Nido Coco Resort

El Nido

I would stay at this hotel again. The staff was good, the location is very convenient and quite secluded from the frenzies of El nido centre.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Siargao Land Tour

Siargao

Nice tour with highlight about the lagoon.

El Nido Island Hopping Tour B: Caves & Islands

El Nido

This was one of our best tours but be careful to opt for a big boat and small boat (so you have some privacy and are not cramped in a local boat). Because the day is long and groups varied! Some will get drunk, some will be loud, some will take up all the space.

Food

Boracay Island and Beach-Hopping Boat Tour with Snorkelling

Boracay

This is a useless tour. They put you on several beaches for 30-45 min each with nothing to do. The snorkelling part was useless, with dead corals all around. It was underwhelming after El Nido.

Quality of Experience

Food

Premium food was a joke.

Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour and transfer to El nido

Philippines

I really appreciated the zipline adventure before, it is worth it even though not utterly safe. The underground tour was good because we didn't have many people at that time. Our tour was a bit big (~15-20pp)

Quality of Experience

Food

The buffet are of very poor quality.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The car driving us to El nido was not very comfy for this long drive

Cami did a very good job planning my trip! My flight arrived in Puerto Princesa 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, so I arrived before my guide, Rick, who did arrive at the scheduled time :-). Rick gave me a nice city tour as planned, skipping a temple, at my request — I had seen more than enough temples! My day tour of the Subterranean River NP (mangrove and cave tours) was very nice — the highlight of my visit to Puerto Princesa!

My trip in a “public van” was a nightmare — one of the worse travel experiences of my life! I was the 10th of 10 oassengers, squeezed into a temporary seat with no seat belt or headrest squeezed between two oversized men pressing hard against me on my sides! This was a 6 hour ride — I feel lucky to have lived through it !

My 2 days in El Nido went as planned — 2 days island hopping with snorkeling at each island including lunch and some caving. I was not picked up by a tricycle as expected, but by a tour agent on foot, as I was in easy walking distance of the gathering spot.

I was picked up on time for my ride to the El Nido airpprt and again at the Manila airport for my ride to the hotel. I used the Grab app to visit downtown Nanila before deoarting for Guam :-)

I had goid weather throughout ;-)

Doreen in Baguio was so knowledgeable about the culture and area. Andrew was such a helpful guide on the island hopping tours that we asked for him on our second day along with the same speedboat captain and crew. They know the best time to go to each island to limit crowds and had so much patience when we wanted to stay longer in some locations. Ed was the best driver to Baguio and ended up being our driver to the airport on our last day. We were so happy to see him again. Our last hotel in El Nido was the best. We would ask for a different hotel in Puerto Princessa if we return. Aziza was old and needs updating. But the staff were very pleasant. All of the logistics worked flawlessly.

Hotel Reviews

Microtel by Wyndham Baguio

Great staff. Room was comfortable. Restaurant on property was not that great.

Authenticity & Character

Well kept landscaping.

Location

Located in the city and within walking distance to dining.

Staff

Very pleasant and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and lobby were very clean.

Aziza paradise hotel

Puerto Princesa

Older hotel. Needs updating. Didn't see any pool tables (shown in picture above) limited seating by the pool.

Authenticity & Character

Lobby was open and clean. Some lighting was not working and not enough fans for the lobby.

Location

Close to airport.

Staff

Everyone was very nice and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room did not have pleasant smell. Roosters right by room crowed during the night and kept us awake.

El Nido Coco Resort

El Nido

By far the best resort of our trip. Lived having our own bungalow right across from the pool and restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Grounds were full of flowers and plants.

Location

Quiet, away from the town and streets.

Staff

The restaurant staff were so friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The resort was spotless and very well maintained.

City Garden Grand Hotel

Manila

Expansive breakfast buffet and amazing rooftop view of Manila.

Authenticity & Character

Fit into the financial district.

Location

Rooftop view

Staff

Recognized us from our multiple stays and our request for morning mimosas.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were cleaned and lobby was very nice.

Activity Reviews

Private: El Nido Island Hopping Tour B: Caves & Islands

El Nido

Loved spending extra time at one of the beaches.

Quality of Experience

Food

Variety and quality

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrew and the captain and crew of Seanorita

Transport

Private: El Nido Island Hopping Tour A: Lagoons and Beaches

El Nido

Kayaking was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Food

Didn't expect so much food for the four of us!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrew was helpful. Especially with our older aunt and uncle getting in and out of the kayak.

Transport

Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour

Puerto Princesa

Amazing view and depth of the river caves.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Princesa: Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner

Puerto Princesa

Seeing the fireflies was a great. But, seeing the amount of stars in the sky was really the highlight of the tour.

Quality of Experience

The your guide and boost crew were knowledgeable and very helpful.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Baguio Whole Day Tour with Lunch (Private Tour)

Baguio

Doreen fit a lot into one day. She even took us to a place tourist don't typically go. It was extra special.

Quality of Experience

Food

We were tired and ate at the hotel. Which was just ok. We probably would have had better if we felt up to going out.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Doreen, our tour guide and Ed, our driver.

Transport

Ed was great. Safe and on time.

What a great trip.
It took a long time to get the trip right, but with the great help ofCami we got there, Cami was very patient as this was a special trip for myself and my wife, getting the balance right between having enough time in one place and getting the accommodation right all took time and Cami was very knowledgeable and helpful .
We spent the whole of February travelling the Philippines and hit was wonderful, saw so many places, great trips and excursions, all private as well which was great.
All pick up from hotels, airports, ferry terminals all went great and according to plan, not one thing what wrong which was amazing
Would defiantly use KimKim again and a big thank you and shout out to Cami.

Thank you very much.

From Shirley & Paul

We worked with Sarah and her team to plan our honeymoon to the Philippines, and she was truly incredible from start to finish. During the planning process, she was extremely helpful, responsive, and thoughtful with every detail, from mapping out excursions and coordinating airport transfers. She made everything feel seamless and stress‑free.
Once we arrived, any small hiccups that came up (on the vendor side, never from Sarah’s team) were handled immediately. She and her team were always just a message away, and their quick action made us feel completely taken care of throughout the trip.
One of the highlights was a surprise beachfront lunch with champagne that Sarah arranged for us during one of our excursions. It was such a beautiful touch and made our honeymoon feel even more special and personalized.
We can’t recommend Sarah enough.

We really enjoyed Buko Resort, I forgot to mention in my Google review Ritchelle at Buko but she was AMAZING. Overall, we enjoyed the Philippines, though we were only here a week. The KimKim team put together a good tour of the islands and overall enjoyable experience.

From the start of me arranging KimKim didn’t mind how many alterations/changes made, so in end got exactly what wanted. Not cheap but when have short time-well worth it. Our personal guide was exceptional -informative, perceptive and perfect. The 2 local guides used were very well selected for us-we loved them too. Whole trip smooth, slick, personal and just what wanted.

Hotel Review

Masferré Country Inn

Sagada

Local hosts and good food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Banaue + Sagada + Batad 4D/3N Tour (Day 3)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banaue + Sagada + Batad 4D/3N Tour (Day 2)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banaue + Batad Rice Terraces (Day 1: Manila-Banaue)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banaue + Sagada + Batad 4D/3N Tour Description

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was amazing! We felt confident that all of the planning had been taken care of and the detailed itinerary provided helped us feel like we had all of the information we would need. Everything went according to plan, and all of the guides and hotel staff were great communicators. We felt as though we could ask questions and problem solve if we needed to thanks to the contacts and travel info we were provided. Both of our boat trips were incredible and would highly recommend them to anyone staying near El Nido. The team for the Sibaltan tour was especially generous with their time and helpful during the duration of our trip to that side of the island. Considering how far we traveled I would have expected to feel out of place or confused about what to do when we arrived but our Kim Kim planner helped us fill our days with great recommendations which made the trip feel easy and fun. I would highly recommend this trip as well as Kim Kim in general to anyone planning a trip somewhere they have never been.

Hotel Reviews

Bayleaf Intramuros

Metro Manila

Great value for the price! Location is great in Intramuros with many things within walking distance. The hotel felt very clean and luxurious with great breakfast and restaurants. Staff were very kind and quick to help!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla Amara Boutique Resort

El Nido

Beautiful hotel with a luxury vibe to it. Small enough for personalized attention, but large enough to have the amenities we wanted. Breakfast every morning was fantastic! The rooms were clean and felt secure, as well. Isla Amara felt like a very good value for money and we would recommend it for anyone staying in Lio Beach!

Authenticity & Character

Clean, sharp architecture with style

Location

Close enough to walk everywhere we wanted to go at Lio Beach without being noisy

Staff

Very friendly and quick to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms, very nice air conditioning

Activity Reviews

Sibaltan Day Tour

El Nido

Fantastic tour! The team picked us up from Lio Beach and drove us to Sibaltan which was super helpful. The whole team was so friendly and helpful throughout the whole trip. It was very cool to see the island that the guide lived on since he knew his way around. It felt like we were able to see a personal view into life on the islands near Sibaltan. Also the crew went above and beyond with all of the food preparations throughout the day. We ate incredibly well, especially for being on a boat in the middle of the ocean!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour D

El Nido

Unreal! This tour was amazing and our guide was knowledgeable and thoughtful. We managed to see most of the stops with only a few other boats and had them mostly to ourself as a result. One of the best possible ways to see the islands around El Nido.

Quality of Experience

Food

Highly impressed, especially since it was all cooked on the boat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to the Philippines!! We were able to really relax and enjoy our time, knowing we didn't have to worry about our excursions and transportation at all. Furthermore, we really liked the dive shops that were chosen - very professional and safe!!

Hotel Reviews

Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Points by Sheraton Palawan Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seda Lio

El Nido

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

North Zen Villas

Panglao

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Club Serena Resort

Moalboal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Puerto Princesa Underground River Day Tour from Sabang

Sabang, Palawan

Maybe my favorite activity- SUCH a fun experience. Jonall was a phenomenal guide too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sibaltan Day Tour

El Nido

This was a really nice tour overall. A little off the beaten path, so the beaches seemed very private and secluded. Unfortunately, we were not able to hit all of the destinations, because of high winds. Also, our guide was apparently new to guiding, and we had a few strange interactions. We also ended up having to pay for coconut water, which we were not told about prior to - the guide brought it to us, and then asked for the cash later. Luckily, I did bring cash. However, most of the crew was very pleasant, and the food we were given was phenomenal. It was overall a lovely day, just doesn't get 5 starts from me given a few strange moments.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very comfortable on the way there, but on the way back, the guide made my partner sit on a cardboard box because his shorts were damp. We didn't disembark on the dock, given the winds, so our clothes got wet once more since we landed on a beach. I think the expectations should have been discussed earlier, not when we got into the car.

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohol Island Day Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Pamilacan Island (3 dives)

Panglao Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Balicasag Island (2 dives)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Moalboal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Moalboal - 3 dives

Moalboal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All locals were very kind and friendly. All drivers except for one showed up on time. This one driver said he was told to be there at 8:00 per the company and our itinerary said 7:00.
Excursions were not always as represented. Example the firefly evening was supposed to be two different boat rides into the bay for a
dinner on a floating restaurant followed by view of the city lights and then the fireflies. In reality it was a river boat ride on a small skip. We never saw the bay or a floating restaurant, it was a buffet on land.
Island hopping in El Nido was amazing however was not as represented. We were told we would go to Big Lagoon, Entalula Island, Helicopter Island, Snake Island and Cadlao Lagoon. The above islands are actually a combination of 4 different tours and we were only able to see 2 of these locations.
The ATV ride was 90% city streets.
The Bohol Countryside Tour was great however we were unable to do the add on cable car tour due to our driver picking us up one hour late. This was not the drivers fault but a time issue between pick up company and Kimkim.
We were scheduled for a sunset sailboat ride and we were told our time was up 10 minutes before sunset.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfectly Planned, Stress-Free Family Adventure

We just returned from an incredible family trip to the Philippines that Cami planned for us, and it was one of the most seamless travel experiences we’ve ever had.

We’re from the United States, and flying halfway around the world with a 9-year-old and a 21-year-old felt overwhelming at first. But Cami provided clear, step-by-step instructions for the entire trip, which made everything feel easy. All we had to do was follow the plan and enjoy the adventure.

Cami’s communication while building the itinerary over several months was fantastic. She really listened to what we wanted — an action-packed trip — and offered great recommendations that fit our travel style perfectly.

While I handled the international and inter-island flights myself, every other detail was flawlessly arranged. Every airport pickup, hotel transfer, and excursion transport was perfectly timed and waiting for us. We never had to guess what to do or where to go.

Once we arrived, Ana from Uncharted Philippines became our in-country contact and was amazing. She responded quickly anytime I had a question. It truly felt like we had a personal vacation coordinator in our pocket the entire trip.

The itinerary was full of unforgettable experiences that worked wonderfully for both kids despite the age gap. If you want a perfectly planned, stress-free trip where you can just show up and enjoy, I can’t recommend Cami enough.

Activity Review

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Philippines

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing and Safe Family Adventure Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls was unforgettable! We each had our own guide, which made us feel very safe and well taken care of the entire time. They helped us navigate slippery rocks, encouraged us through every jump and swim, and made the whole experience fun and stress-free. A perfect mix of adventure and safety — highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a really large trip with 12 people over 12 days. Over $40,000 was paid for this trip not including the price of the airline tickets to get to the Philippines. The planning of this trip spanned around 9 months. The bulk of the planning I needed help with was coordination of transport between hotels, inter island domestic flights, and a few excursions. The core of this was achieved with Sarah. However a few major issues occurred during our trip which could have been better laid out to me or planned differently. One was the ferry from Cebu to Bohol. We wanted to go from Boracay to Bohol so Sarah booked us a flight from Boracay to Cebu then a ferry from Cebu to Bohol. OMG what a waste of a day and an experience I never want to have again. The airport in Bohol was 5 minutes away from our resort, but we ended up spending 12 hours commuting from Boracay to Bohol rather then just taking a flight. If Sarah had pointed out options I would have never taken that ferry. Then a bucket list item of a whale shark tour was completely botched. Our group woke up at 4am to be ready for our whale shark tour but the operator never arrived. I tried to get ahold of the tour operator, Sarah, and her assistant. By the time someone returned a call it was too late to do the excursion. I never heard back from Sarah which left a sour taste in my mouth. A big mess up like that I should hear from the person whom I trusted to make this dream vacation work. I did hear back from Sarah’s assistant with some excuse about dates being mixed up and we would be refunded for the excursion. However missing out on a bucket list item like this feels like only a refund misses the mark on fixing the wrong. Overall the trip was successful and we will have memories of a life time. The transportation companies Sarah provided us with were very nice and punctual. Also our accommodations during our entire stay were excellent. However with the issues we did have, those cannot be overlooked or forgotten.

I’m so thankful for all of the transportation that was prearranged. This made our adventures seemless. The whale shark and waterfall tour was our favorite!

This experience was excellent. Leo and coworkers made sure everything was taken care of once we got there. Excursions were already planned, hotel staff already informed, on ground transportation prearranged.

Hotel Reviews

Isla Amara Boutique Resort

El Nido

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The District Boracay

Boracay Island

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Incredible food. The best food we had all trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A walk away from the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

El Nido via ferrata

El Nido

This was my personal favorite as I enjoy climbing more than most things. Great trek to a vista overlooking El Nido and the bay. My dad and I did both routes in 20 minutes so that was the only downside, but we were hustling because of the rain making all the metal walkways a bit dangerous. But it was great if you’re fit and up for a challenge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in Boracay

Boracay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailing in Boracay

Boracay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leo was extremely helpful and truly listened to our needs and wants for our trip to the Philippines. He was very knowledgeable and always responded quickly to my questions. The hotels Leo chose for us were beautiful and perfectly suited to our preferences.

When we arrived in Manila, we spent one day on our own. The next day, our tour guide Ana and her husband John picked us up for a canoeing trip and then dropped us off at Planet Dive Resort. The resort was beautiful, and we spent two wonderful nights in Anilao. Ana and John later picked us up and drove us back to Manila. They were amazing hosts—kind, attentive, and they took great care of us throughout the trip.

Ana continued to stay in touch during our visit, which was incredibly helpful and reassuring. Overall, we had a fantastic experience.

We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for help planning a trip to the Philippines or anywhere else in the world.

Activity Reviews

Island hopping in Boracay

Boracay

Celcine, was wonderful. She took us to crystal cove and then snorkeling. It was a fun day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taal Town, Tagaytay and Taal Volcano

Philippines

This excursion was interesting in Taal, but we were unable to go to the volcano because it is active. John and Ana did make a few stops so we could get a better look.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailing in Boracay

Boracay

This was a highlight of our trip. We all enjoyed this fun sunset sailboat trip. It was not what we expected, but it was 100 times better than what we expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anilao Snorkeling Day Tour

Anilao, Batangas

Alan our tour guide was wonderful. He knew I didn’t swim very well so he let hold onto the life preserver and took me around to see all the fish and coral. On our last snorkeling stop he led my husband and daughter to see multiple sea turtles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alan

Transport

Pagsanjan Falls Day Tour

Anilao, Batangas

This excursion was wonderful and one of our favorite memories. It was relaxing and peaceful along the river. The waterfalls were beautiful. Our tour guide was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Kimkim and specialist Sarah was easy and accessible. I like the platform of interacting with the specialist (Whats App & Kimkim platform, and email. We went through several versions of our itinerary so I appreciate the patience as this was the first time visiting the Philippines, along with my 91 year old mother. So special care needed to be given. The air and ground transportation went without a hitch. I also appreciated having a local Philippine agent, Angela, who helped with any questions about activities and contacts. Tourist Driver Manila is a reliable agency with comfortable cars and safe drivers -- Ed & Anthony were helpful and patience with us and my mom. We had a wheelchair to transport.

Caba, La Union: Our stay at Solarena Resort was lovely, quiet. It seemed we were the only guests there. The food options were limited, but definitely the stay felt like home, and very familiar to beach living. The staff was accommodating. The hotel is definitely not a "luxury" hotel, but worth the value -- especially since we had a large house with 2 separate beds, 2 TVs (appreciate access to Netflix), our own indoor and out door living area. The hotel also had air conditioning. The hot water for the show was not so hot, but since it was a very humid and hot outside, this was not an issue. The shower actually felt refreshing. Evalyn, the restraunt hostess, along with the other staff were helpful. Evalyn shared her knowledge about how to look for clams at the beach. I found some. This was a nice touch for my personal experience. This hotel is close to the "downtown" area of Caba. I would recommend this place to my family and friends.

Palawan: My favorite island with my favorite hotel, Four Points Sheraton at Sabang Beach. Large, but easy to naviage hotel. Also, a huge pool, great breakfasts, and close to the Underground River. I like that the Four Points had Netflix, and this hotel was easy for me to navigate with my 91 year old mom.

Our only hiccup was that we did not have timely pick up in at Palawan PPA. Somehow Palawonderful Adventures either forgot, or got mixed up. I contacted notified Sarah/Angela. Maybe an hour later our driver picked us up to take us to our hotel. So service was delivered. Palawonderful Adventures made up for the gaffe by sending us a tour agent (Arnel Nalica) who gave extra care to my 91 year old mother, and even held her hand during the Underground River tour and during all of the boat rides. As he explained, he took care of my mother, so I could relax and enjoy myself too. I appreciate the empathy and awareness that he had for his guests.

My only regret, and now that I am aware, was that the Palawan Puerta Princesa Airport was 2 hours away from our hotel, so we did not arrive until evening. The dark, winding roads from the airport to the hotel was unexpected. I actually wished we spent more time on Palawan given the distance, as we only spent 2 nights. Palawan is BEAUTIFUL, and my favorite island.

Boracay: The "Waikiki" of the Philippines -- party atmosphere, if that's what a person wants. However, we stayed at the Crimson Resort and Spa, luxury hotel where we had a private beach -- also fantastic service, fantastic breakfasts, and other restaurants on site. Easy to get other transportation to leave to resort to explore the town and island. I used the beach, spa massages with Hazel (very strong hands!) Helpful staff, lifeguards, and activitie staff -- I think they were all biased towards my 91 year mom as they were attentive to her. The staff arranged for various activities, including parasiling for my 91 year old mom. My only desire was I wish they had Netflix . Otherwise, another hotel I would recommend.

Overall, the contacts, agencies, and transportation set up by Sarah and her team were reliable, and easily accesible. I would certainly recommend Sarah for our next trip.

Choosing Kimkim (and ultimately Leo of Uncharted Philippines) was an absolute heaven sent for planning my families two week adventure in the Philippines. I am a biracial Filipina American who for several reasons has never been able to visit the “motherland”.

There were several places that I wanted to visit and Leo created THE perfect itinerary for me, my husband and adult son. The Uncharted took all of the “work” from our vacation to Manila, Palawan (Puerto Princesa and El Nido) and Boracay . Ana was our contact on the ground and helped to facilitate communication with our activities/tours, guides and accommodations. We had a couple small bumps in the road that quickly remedied and every single guide was so knowledgeable attentive, flexible and gracious. Especially Zeon and Jhon in Manilla and Rich on Palawan . Our accommodations were top notch and in beautiful and active locations yet were not pretentious and felt rooted in local culture and community. We visited the most beautiful beaches, historical sites ,natural landscapes , and cultural hubs. Our tripped was packed with activities yet we didn’t feel rushed or stressed at all.

Uncharted/Kimkim made everything run so seamlessly and easily that It will be difficult for me to travel any other way. I am definitely planing to use them again in 2026 to visit other islands that I couldn’t fit in my itinerary.

In summary, this was hands down the best trip I’ve ever had and as a mom who has historically been in charge of all planning , coordination and organizing … the least stressful!

An 11 out of 10 !!

Hotel Reviews

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Beautiful hotel. A little hectic in the lobby upon arrival . Rooms were comfortable and breakfast was really nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport and easy to access transportation.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The District Boracay

Boracay Island

Perfect location and staff went above and beyond with transfers and service . Rooms were clean and comfortable. We stayed in the loft suite which was well appointed and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was absolutely fantastic. The transfer to and from the airport was seamless , stress free and easy. Everyone was so friendly. My family really felt at home and cared for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla Amara Boutique Resort

El Nido

This was my favorite hotel on our multi location two week trip to the Philippines. The location was beautiful beds comfortable and we stayed in the celebrity suite that was comfortable and spacious for a 5 day stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Steps from a beautiful white sand beach, near many restaurants including a completely vegan restaurant. Easy to access a tuk tuk or cab to local attractions .

Staff

The staff was very pleasant and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable but could use laundry service or a contract with a laundry company. I had to take a tuk tuk to a laundry service. They delivered which was helpful .

Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

Great location. Friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable and clean rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bayleaf Intramuros

Metro Manila

Conveniently located. Limited food options for vegans but not a deal breaker. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Staff was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pangsanjan Falls & Tagaytay

Philippines

Our guide Jhon was so fun flexible and knowledgeable. From the tours to helping us find places to eat. He made everything so easy and so fun. By the end of the day he felt like family. He really maximized our day without us feeling rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manila Day Tour

Philippines

What made this tour special was our guide Zeon (with uncharted Philippines) . My husband is a history buff and really enjoyed conversations with and asking him questions about the sites and historic and current info about the places and spaces we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport