Kimkim Trip Reviews for The Netherlands

We had an absolutely amazing time traveling to The Netherlands and Belgium thanks to Bas from Beat the Dutch Travel who we met through kimkim.

Throughout the planning process, Bas was exceptionally helpful; he asked us good questions to get a sense of our interests, needs, budget etc. and always responded to our messages in a timely manner. Early in the process he provided a potential itinerary which was sufficiently detailed to give us a sense of what our trip might look like and then refined it after our review. In addition to activities that were booked for us, Bas, and his colleague Mieke, also provided us with a curated list of restaurants and sights we might like to consider during unplanned times. All tickets for transit and for sights were purchased for us, which took the stress out of our travel planning. Having a local specialist make suggestions with regard to sights to see meant that we were able to take in the "must-sees" as well as some that were less likely to be visited by tourists. The accommodations that we selected, based on Bas' recommendations were all unique and interesting and suited our needs well.

During our trip we had private tours booked in Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Antwerp which helped us to get an appreciation for each of these cities from the perspective of and with the expertise of a local guide. One particular highlight of our trip, one for which we are particularly grateful was the opportunity to meet Bas when he acted as our driver so that we could visit 'The Crossing Bridge', the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, and Vrijheidsmuseum (Freedom Museum), which would have been difficult for us to visit via public transport. In addition to meeting a very practical need in terms of transport, we deeply appreciated the opportunity to learn about life in The Netherlands through is eyes.

Both Bas and Mieke were very responsive to our questions and concerns both before we traveled and then while we were on the trip. We are very grateful to them for making our trip to The Netherlands and Belgium stress free and highly memorable. Thanks to them we can't wait to plan our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Amstelzicht

Amsterdam

We loved staying at the Amstelzicht Hotel. It is small (with only 14 rooms) and quaint with a great location. The staff were friendly and helpful. We had a lovely view of the canal and the hotel is a very short walk from Rembrandt Square. Transit from the hotel is very easy. The rooms are comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Opoe Sientje B&B

Nijmegen

This was a very unique place to stay. We stayed in the the Deckhouse apartment. Our "room" on the boat was cozy with an outer room (including a kitchenette, dining table, and sofas) and a small bedroom. It has a great view of harbour and the bridge over the river Waal. We took a very peaceful walk around the premises in the early morning. Since we only stayed one night we didn't get to enjoy all of what Opoe Sientje has to offer. Breakfast, served in the Hold, was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New York

Rotterdam

The hotel is very interesting and historic with a wonderful location. The rooms are bright with lots of windows and high ceilings. The staff were friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Keyser Hotel

Antwerp

This hotel is located about a 5 minute walk from the train station and in the heart of the city. The room was small but met our needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Atlas B&B

Ghent

We loved this B&B. Our room was very spacious and had a lot of character. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our only complaint was that our washroom (although private - just ours) was outside of our room and down 12 stairs. Otherwise, we had a lovely stay. Breakfast, served in a small dining room was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was very comfortable and clean. We give only 4 stars since our washroom was outside of our room.

Activity Reviews

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Amsterdam - Private canal cruise to Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

This canal cruise was one of the highlights of our trip. The captain of the boat was very knowledgeable and shared with us interesting information and stories about Amsterdam. Our cruise was scheduled in the morning. It was very peaceful and quiet. Seeing the city from the canal is a must!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

World War II excursion Westerbork & Veluwe

Amsterdam

We were really grateful to be able to visit Het Verscholen Dorp (the Secret Village). Although it has such a troubling history as a hideout for Dutch Jews, it was fascinating to see.

Amsterdam - Westerbork - Veluwe - Arnhem/Nijmegen

The Netherlands

We will be talking about this experience for years to come! It was so sobering to come to this place where Dutch Jews, Roma, and other prisoners were brought during WWII but helped us to visualize history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mieke provided us with a fabulous itinerary (Haarlem, Noordwijk, Leiden, Gouda, and Uithoorn) and carefully chosen hotels along the way. She accommodated us with many requests and some changes in the early days of planning this trip. Sebastian was very responsive to our needs regarding the bikes and GPS. The e- bikes provided were in excellent condition and fun to ride. Mieke arranged for transport of one rider on a day she did not wish to ride secondary to some physical concerns. We were very pleased with KimKim and I have told many friends about the company.

Had a great trip that Mieke had only a short time to prepare for us due to our cruise cancelling at last minute. Very easy to work with and great communication.

Hotel Review

Suitehotel Posthoorn

Monnickendam

Very nice staff and beautiful old hotel. If you enjoy 4 or 6 course meals you will love this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Flower bulb & Keukenhof excursion

Scheveningen

Very beautiful exhibition and our guide was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Maarten!

From start to finish, Mieke and Sebastian were amazing. They helped us shape our itinerary, provided the travel passes and all the local insight we needed for a great family holiday. I would highly recommend Mieke and Sebastian to anyone thinking of travelling in The Netherlands.

Our trip was amazing and Mieke was fabulous! We had fabulous experiences that we would not have had without her. I highly recommend allowing her to schedule guides around the cities. The experiences were so much richer!