Chris McCarty

Chris did a great job putting together a memorable trip around Iceland, encouraging us to explore some of the more remote areas. We had all kinds of weather from sleet and snow and wind to warm sun. No problem at Lake Myvatn with bugs, probably because it was a bit cool. Good marsh bird watching there and at Djupivogur. Loved Seydisfjordur and the newly renovated guesthouse, Vio Lonio. Appreciated being pointed to the various little museum: Sheep Farming Museum in Holmavik, Herring Museum in... read more

Chris did a great job putting together a memorable trip around Iceland, encouraging us to explore some of the more remote areas. We had all kinds of weather from sleet and snow and wind to warm sun. No problem at Lake Myvatn with bugs, probably because it was a bit cool. Good marsh bird watching there and at Djupivogur. Loved Seydisfjordur and the newly renovated guesthouse, Vio Lonio. Appreciated being pointed to the various little museum: Sheep Farming Museum in Holmavik, Herring Museum in Siglufjordur, Heritage Museum in Isafjordur and others. The Kia he rented for us handled the mildly terrifying, narrow dirt roads up and down the fjords beautifully. Other memorable hotels were the Vogafjos Farm House at Lake Myvatn, Guesthouse Skalafell outside Skaftafell Park., and Helgugata Guesthouse in Borgarnes. Less memorable were the Fosshotel in Patreksfjordur (costly and less unique) and the Arnastapi Cottages (beautiful location, but be sure to ask for a guesthouse or hotel room with an unobstructed view of the ocean. Also, no good place for dinner). The Sea Monster Museum was pretty lame, but some might like it. Waterfalls were all spectacular and we even saw some crazy kayakers go over one as part of a film shoot.) I'd also recommend the Insight Guide, Explore Iceland as an adjunct to Chris' suggestions. Thanks for everything!

Great trip overall. Chris was very responsive and easy to work with and has been supportive of working with me to address the few issues that did come up on the trip.

KimKim really is a great service. Chris (online) listened to what I wanted to see in Iceland and planed things out perfectly. We were on a very short trip — just 4 days, but we got to see everything we wanted and then some. Our actual tour guide Rhenar (hope I'm spelling that correctly) was amazing. He drove the mini van and told us about every location we went. Rhenar really brought Iceland to life for us—telling us all about the volcanic activity, the glaciers, the ego-thermal areas, and so... read more

KimKim really is a great service. Chris (online) listened to what I wanted to see in Iceland and planed things out perfectly. We were on a very short trip — just 4 days, but we got to see everything we wanted and then some. Our actual tour guide Rhenar (hope I'm spelling that correctly) was amazing. He drove the mini van and told us about every location we went. Rhenar really brought Iceland to life for us—telling us all about the volcanic activity, the glaciers, the ego-thermal areas, and so much more. He even entertained us with stories of Icelandic folk-law. He really knew his stuff. Our group was just 13 people—the perfect size. We stopped between sights for amazing photo opps—of course its hard to take a bad picture in Iceland. People say Iceland is expensive—but between Rhenar taking us to get affordable sandwiches for lunch and finding out of the way restaurants in the evening —I'd say it's well worth the trip.

Great trip
Beautiful country
Great and friendly service
I will use your services again!
Thank you

Chris was very helpful in helping select, discuss, and finalize the exactly right itinerary for my trip needs. All the details were quickly, efficiently and correctly handled. Very thorough knowledge of all aspects of local life and entertainment and fantastic value overall as a service.

I procrastinated my trip planning to Iceland until it was a week before my departure and I decided to try Kimkim. Chris was pleasant to work with and the process was seamless. It took less than 2 days to complete the planning as I wasn’t very picky on what I wanted to do and just let Chris do his work.

Chris did a great job helping plan our unforgettable trip.

I have a few suggestions; please advice traveler to Lake Myran (sp) of the absolutely aweful sworn of black flys in the area. We couldn’t walk around the lake because we were not prepared for the flys. We were pretty disappointed as the area and walked looked beautiful. Face nets are essential.
Also, toward the fiords in the northeast coast, were advices to take road 92 to 96. These roads are now just highway one.
Lastly, our... read more

Chris did a great job helping plan our unforgettable trip.

I have a few suggestions; please advice traveler to Lake Myran (sp) of the absolutely aweful sworn of black flys in the area. We couldn’t walk around the lake because we were not prepared for the flys. We were pretty disappointed as the area and walked looked beautiful. Face nets are essential.
Also, toward the fiords in the northeast coast, were advices to take road 92 to 96. These roads are now just highway one.
Lastly, our last accommodation took cash only! We were ill prepared for this as well. Luckily, the women was kind and took what we had. Which was only less than half what we owed.
Otherwise, these were our only problems, and they were minimal!

Thank you for a wonderful trip.

Shaky. Definitely made it right - but I think we all would have preferred a smoother communication channel and not necessarily between us and Chris but rather getting the needed info to us to smooth the process i.e. direct contact info for accommodations (phone #'s!), the very important knowledge that an accommodation does not accept credit cards even though the reservation was secured with a credit card. Little things that need to be tightened up.
We could book through booking.com... read more

Shaky. Definitely made it right - but I think we all would have preferred a smoother communication channel and not necessarily between us and Chris but rather getting the needed info to us to smooth the process i.e. direct contact info for accommodations (phone #'s!), the very important knowledge that an accommodation does not accept credit cards even though the reservation was secured with a credit card. Little things that need to be tightened up.
We could book through booking.com ourselves and accomplish the same thing, we were looking for the "smoothing" aspect using Kim Kim.
As for the suggestions of places to visit and time to allow, I think Chris did an exceptional job! All of the accommodations were perfect for our trip and the vehicle suited the terrain we were traversing.
Despite the various hiccups, we all loved Iceland and our experience overall.

What an amazing country and a well planned trip! Plenty to do and see.

Only issue was a few rough roads which could have been avoided that weren't really appropriate for an RV. In particular the road north of Detifoss. Best to approach from the south which is bitumen.

I am SO glad we used Kimkim to organize our trip. I can't believe how quickly the time passed between booking our flights and when it was actually time to fly out. All of that planning I thought I'd have time to do disappeared in 6 months. It was so convenient to have an idea of the distances to travel, what to see and where, things to skip when we were short on time, and the highlights of each location. It brought a lot of peace of mind and much-needed structure to our road trip.

Chris... read more

I am SO glad we used Kimkim to organize our trip. I can't believe how quickly the time passed between booking our flights and when it was actually time to fly out. All of that planning I thought I'd have time to do disappeared in 6 months. It was so convenient to have an idea of the distances to travel, what to see and where, things to skip when we were short on time, and the highlights of each location. It brought a lot of peace of mind and much-needed structure to our road trip.

Chris provided exactly what we asked for, and went above and beyond when we needed last minute help and changes. His timeline gave us plenty to do on each day, and while we couldn't quite fit in every single thing, it was nice to know we already had our next destination planned and there was no time spent wondering where to go next.

Chris put together a great itinerary and I am amazed at how much we saw. I really appreciated his insight and guidance on places to see. A great example is Seydisfjordur, a beautiful little Scandinavian village at the end of a fjord on the eastern coast. He had us there for a night and it was charming. Not knowing Iceland, I'm not sure on our own we would have ventured all the way out there.

Chris was very easy to communicate with and always promptly answered my questions or concerns.

I asked for breakfast included in all my accommodations, but some did not have breakfast and some others I had to pay extra and this was not communicated to me. Would also be good if there was more information given on the conditions of the roads in Iceland, as some were very bad with gravel and many potholes.

Some miscommunication about the tours cancellations. But at least the refund was completed promptly.

We loved Chris's attention to detail when planning our trip. He really sought our unique experiences for us, and crafted a wonderful itinerary. Each day was a good balance of sight seeing and experience the culture through food and museum suggestions. So many things we would have missed if it weren't for his suggestions and guidance - we are so glad we went with kimkim for planning our honeymoon!

Chris is GREAT! He was extremely attentive with all of our questions and concerns about anything... read more

We loved Chris's attention to detail when planning our trip. He really sought our unique experiences for us, and crafted a wonderful itinerary. Each day was a good balance of sight seeing and experience the culture through food and museum suggestions. So many things we would have missed if it weren't for his suggestions and guidance - we are so glad we went with kimkim for planning our honeymoon!

Chris is GREAT! He was extremely attentive with all of our questions and concerns about anything regarding the schedule, booking day trips, even suggesting what to wear! We could not have gotten a better experience from our trip, and it's all thanks to his great itinerary.

Our trip was absolutely perfect. I wouldn't have changed a single thing about our route, durations of stays, or destinations. Chris was so helpful throughout the entire process and kimkim made our honeymoon unforgettable. Would highly recommend and use again!

We wouldn't have had nearly as amazing of a honeymoon if it weren't for Chris's endless help! Thank you!

Great planning and coordination, however hotel accommodations were a bit out of control in terms of pricing and availability. $350 each night was expensive- were there alternatives such as renting a van that could sleep 3-4, just a thought. Thanks!

Chris' attention to detail was really appreciated. He did an excellent job with our trip from my first inquiry through to his "check in" note during our travels. We really enjoyed the out of the way and less visited places he suggested, and the hotels were fabulous!

As stated earlier Chris was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. His suggestions were excellent, particularly his advice about how much we could realistically see and do in 3.5 days

Response time was excellent, and the expert was very accommodating to my requests

Our trip was an amazing experience, we enjoyed the "adventure" of the suggested route, focusing on West and North Iceland. However, as a first visit to Iceland, we were disappointed we did not spend more time in Reykjavik and area. It deserves more. The suggested activities and places to see along the route were not always organized according to the drive. I also think it would be more helpful in the planning stages if you had more knowledge of the traveler(s) - sort of a "get to know your clients". All in all, it was great. Chris did a great job. Thank You.

We had a difficult time sticking to the timeline as it seemed there was too much stuff for us to do in a day if we wanted to sleep in until about 8 and be at our hotel by 6 or 7 pm or so. Would be nice to have discussed how much we wanted to squeeze in one day. Otherwise, fantastic recommendations. All the restaurants, hotels, hikes, etc. were fantastic. Iceland is amazing.

Chris was prompt in responding to any questions and did a great job of booking all of our hotels and flights and... read more

We had a difficult time sticking to the timeline as it seemed there was too much stuff for us to do in a day if we wanted to sleep in until about 8 and be at our hotel by 6 or 7 pm or so. Would be nice to have discussed how much we wanted to squeeze in one day. Otherwise, fantastic recommendations. All the restaurants, hotels, hikes, etc. were fantastic. Iceland is amazing.

Chris was prompt in responding to any questions and did a great job of booking all of our hotels and flights and relaying the information to me. The only improvement that could be made here is to add a feature for saving all of your booking numbers, confirmation numbers, etc. for each flight, hotel, car reservation, lagoon reservations in one place. It was kind of confusing trying to go back and forth between our itinerary and my emails. Because I had to book the massages at the lagoon, I screwed up and only booked one, but that was totally my fault! Little things like that got confusing - like what I had to do vs. what Chris did for us.

Chris was great!

Without the help of Chris McCarty at Kim Kim, I would have been lost attempting to coordinate hotels and find sights around the coastline of Iceland. The timing from one location to another was perfect. This made a once in a lifetime trip as efficient as possible. Thank you

Very nice trip overall

Chris was great to work with. He provided good recommendations for lodging and took care of making the arrangements. When one of the locations cancelled our reservation at the last minute because of a double booking he quickly helped us find another place. The sightseeing recommendations were very good.

Our first time with KimKim. We learned more about how to communicate with our tour planner. Some our fault, some his. We had a very difficult and unsatisfactory say at Centri Lodge. The other two locations were satisfactory. Yes, we dis comment back to the travel sites on all stays.

Communication of what we expected in lodgings vs. what we had. Other tour comments were in line in terms of what to do and see.

Really was a great trip. Day 2 needed a bit more instructions on sequence of stops. Food recommendations give were excellent, we could have used more recommended restaurants near we're we were booked to stay each night. Everything was really great and we had an awesome time.

Our trip involved the Ring Road and our advisor, Chris timed each day perfectly with the amount of driving and sight-seeing. The majority of the accommodation was wonderful with only two exceptions. The car rental was better than expected and all of the tours we requested were as described.

We had requested the Silfra snorkeling tour in January and received our vouchers from KimKim in March. After being in Iceland for over a week, we received an email from the snorkeling company requesting a... read more

Our trip involved the Ring Road and our advisor, Chris timed each day perfectly with the amount of driving and sight-seeing. The majority of the accommodation was wonderful with only two exceptions. The car rental was better than expected and all of the tours we requested were as described.

We had requested the Silfra snorkeling tour in January and received our vouchers from KimKim in March. After being in Iceland for over a week, we received an email from the snorkeling company requesting a medical questionnaire be completed prior to our tour three days hence. 24 hours later, after submitting it back, they "red flagged" me (the mother) because I was 'over 60' which then required a doctor's clearance. We wasted the next full day driving to another town to see a doctor and/or fax our doctor back in Canada (as email was not possible to our doctor's office). We finally solved the problem with many arrangements and long distance telephone calls but it was with great stress as it was our featured tour. This could have been easily solved had Chris and the tour company communicated that age would be an issue so that back in January, we could have seen our doctor *in Canada* to receive clearance prior. My age was known from the beginning of our trip planning. Vouchers should not be issued if a medical clearance has not been signed!

Chris from Kimkim was a tremendous help, from beginning to end. He helped with all kinds of planning, even calling hotels I had booked separately to make sure they had the right kind of beds ready. Kimkim literally made the difference between a high anxiety trip and a relaxed one. Very highly recommended!

Chris went above and beyond what I would have expected. As a result, the trip was both better and easier than it would have been without his help.

We had a great trip to Iceland! Loved the country and expansive and beautiful landscapes. Kimkim (Chris) provided us with the inside knowledge we needed to plan this trip. The accommodations were good. Two weeks was about the right amount of time for this trip, as we covered a lot of miles.

Chris was great to work with and was very patient in answering my numerous questions. Glad that he recommended that we visit the westfjords, as this was one of our favorite parts of the trip. For some... read more

We had a great trip to Iceland! Loved the country and expansive and beautiful landscapes. Kimkim (Chris) provided us with the inside knowledge we needed to plan this trip. The accommodations were good. Two weeks was about the right amount of time for this trip, as we covered a lot of miles.

Chris was great to work with and was very patient in answering my numerous questions. Glad that he recommended that we visit the westfjords, as this was one of our favorite parts of the trip. For some of the things that we did it would have been nice to have some more detailed information in our itinerary so that we knew what to expect. For example, the road out to the Latrabjarg bird cliffs was a long, windy dirt road with not much room for vehicles to pass each other - and this whole excursion took us much longer than we expected. But, overall, the trip was a fantastic one and went smoothly!

It was very close to perfect. But, instead of sending a series of emails with the rental car, accommodation, and activities information, it would be better if all that information was accessible from the kimkim website so everything would be in one place.

Chris planned great activities, and he did a wonderful job with the accommodations. I wish there was more detail in his itinerary, though. Maybe he could include the price range for recommended restaurants and/or a warning that certain places had very limited restaurant options.

Amazing specialist helping us out and made it a really special and exciting trip tailored just the way we wanted. Thank you to his dedication!

Again, fantastic specialist and was 100% the reason our trip was so perfect. Big thanks to him in particular. Chris is who really made the trip awesome and ensured that personally.

The accommodation near Vik, Sólheimahjáleiga Guesthouse , was outrageously expensive for what it was , and compared with the proper hotel the next night, Litli Geysir Hotel

You should add the Lava Centre to your itinerary. http://www.lavacentre.is/ We enjoyed a hour or two there and it provided some useful information about the thermal region. One of the useful titbit was to watch for the dome to form in the geyser before it erupts:

Chris planned a perfect itinerary for us. We only a long weekend to spend in Iceland and we felt that we got to see a lot in a little time. Additionally, Chris encouraged us to stay away from tourist traps and instead explore an area that we might not have thought of on our own. Our activities were a great balance of active and relaxing. Looking forward to going back another time to explore a different area.

Overall, the experience with KimKim was quite good. Need to check the rules about the car rentals. We were shocked by the massive deposit required by Sixt Car Rental in Iceland. Nowhere on our paperwork did it denote that they wanted a $2000 hold on our card for 20 days. We were forced to buy added insurance to get the deposit down. Also, need to be careful about where you book people based on their 'lifestyle'. Our second stay was at a hostel which was very inappropriate for who we were. It... read more

Overall, the experience with KimKim was quite good. Need to check the rules about the car rentals. We were shocked by the massive deposit required by Sixt Car Rental in Iceland. Nowhere on our paperwork did it denote that they wanted a $2000 hold on our card for 20 days. We were forced to buy added insurance to get the deposit down. Also, need to be careful about where you book people based on their 'lifestyle'. Our second stay was at a hostel which was very inappropriate for who we were. It was adequate but the beds were very uncomfortable.

A few more details on a couple of things and more appropriate accommodations would have helped.

I do have some feedback, really for North Sailing, but wanted to share here too since they are a partner of KimKim. We went on a whale watching tour which departed from Husavik. The seas were rough on the day of our reservations. When we checked in, the person assisting noted this to us - I was not sure exactly what this meant. They had already canceled some of the other trips that day.

We were provided with the jumpers, raincoats, and gloves. The waves were about 10 feet high and a number... read more

I do have some feedback, really for North Sailing, but wanted to share here too since they are a partner of KimKim. We went on a whale watching tour which departed from Husavik. The seas were rough on the day of our reservations. When we checked in, the person assisting noted this to us - I was not sure exactly what this meant. They had already canceled some of the other trips that day.

We were provided with the jumpers, raincoats, and gloves. The waves were about 10 feet high and a number of them broke partially over the bow of the boat. There was no rain. The boat seemed to rock side to side at roughly a 20-degree angle. My mom (70 yrs-old), who was for a short time next to the side about mid-way down, noted that the sea level was about 2 1/2 to 3 feet from the top of the boat railing. Our backpacks were placed on a bench in front of the captain's control room (bridge on larger ships) and with one of the tips went sliding off and hit the side of the boat where my mom was standing. My husband followed shortly thereafter. He was also seated on the same bench. He slammed into my mom and she sustained a knee injury - it still needs to be diagnosed but it is either a sprain or possibly a minor tear.

After that, one of the guides was very helpful in helping my mom (I was too sick to assist). She made sure she had a raincoat and gloves and brought her to a better location on the boat (top deck). I was sick nearly the whole time. I am susceptible to motion sickness so I knew this would be a possibility; however, over the course of the trip about 2/3 of the approximately 24 guests had thrown up at least once.

That all being said, we did see whales. My perspective is that the decision to go out was not a good call. The conditions I would say were unsafe - considering that it is not unfathomable that someone could have gone overboard which would be pretty terminal (the life ring would not do much in those kinds of seas) - and the majority of the guests were sick. In the cafe afterward, some of the guests appeared pretty stunned - starring into space. Please pass along to North Sailing.

Overall, we were very happy with Chris' work on the Iceland trip. He provided valuable input that really shaped the trip itinerary. We ended up going around the ring road which we would not have thought of if Chris had not suggested it. We are so glad we did! Having information on the sites was very helpful and of course having someone knowledgeable about lodging and booking the accommodations, car rental, and activities was super!

I was very pleased with the work done by kimkim.

My family and I really made it challenging for Chris to arrange our plans: We were located in 3 different cities all giving different feedback. Chris did an excellent job coordinating and adjusting to our {changing} needs.

Chris had very good suggestions and advice during the planning stages of the trip. His experience was very valuable in customizing the trip. Everything went on smoothly. We had no trouble finding accommodations. The places were comfortable and as cheap as one could get in Iceland. The places were also located strategically such that we could get to the attractions reasonably quickly and before it got completely mobbed.

Chris also provided detailed recommendations for each day for... read more

Chris had very good suggestions and advice during the planning stages of the trip. His experience was very valuable in customizing the trip. Everything went on smoothly. We had no trouble finding accommodations. The places were comfortable and as cheap as one could get in Iceland. The places were also located strategically such that we could get to the attractions reasonably quickly and before it got completely mobbed.

Chris also provided detailed recommendations for each day for places to see, hikes to take, and also restaurants. We fully followed those recommendations and were rewarded. remember that in Iceland, every attraction is not marked 20 miles ahead. Therefore, it is easy to miss some. Having a local expert is priceless.

Overall, booking with kimkim was an excellent decision.

The north and east was great, the south was so-so. Some of the hotels were passable. The food was good but outrageously expensive.

Chris was very responsive to the wide range of questions. Response time varied a lot depending on his schedule or travel

It would be great if kimkim could provide google maps links that provide a driving route. I manually created google maps routes each night for the next day- although i am fine with doing it, but i dont think other folks would have been ok with tackling that activity. The manual entry was challenging with the spelling of icelandic destinations.

Chris' trip was outatanding, and I greatly appreciated how he went the extra mile to find a riding tour that was appropriate for my wife's riding experience. It was a highlight of the trip!

We had an amazing time, and thought that KimKim did quite a good job, especially given the short notice for our trip. There were several issues that could have been better:
1) There was several recommendations of places to go that were simply impossible to see at the time of the trip - as an example, the Leirhnjukur Lava Fields were completely inaccessible. This happened to us on several occassions, which caused us to spend time that could have been better spent at places that were simply... read more

We had an amazing time, and thought that KimKim did quite a good job, especially given the short notice for our trip. There were several issues that could have been better:
1) There was several recommendations of places to go that were simply impossible to see at the time of the trip - as an example, the Leirhnjukur Lava Fields were completely inaccessible. This happened to us on several occassions, which caused us to spend time that could have been better spent at places that were simply not accessable.
2) In some of the itinerary, there could have been more detail in terms of actually finding the locations. As an example, where exactly is Hvalnes Nature Reserve? It would be useful, when doing a self guided tour to have more specific directions and suggestions about what to look out for, where to turn, and where to park, etc.
3) In the town of Vik, it would have been I good idea to let us know that we needed to call ahead to make reservations for dinner.
4) There was some really sketchy and somewhat dangerous driving, and I think that we could have been better prepared for that. In addition, the driving times in many instances were a severe underestimate of the actual driving time.

These things being said, we did have an exciting and unforgettable trip!

We thought that Chris did a very good job, and was quite helpful when I reached out to him during the trip.

Chris was very fast to answer, and so informative!

It was pretty much perfect. One day we drove a long way to some hot springs, probably ended up being and extra 2 hrs to find they didn't open untill 4pm. Should've checked but worth adding to the info sheet. Didn't mind too much though.

It was helpful to have someone with knowledge of the area to help us book rooms. However, the itinerary seemed somewhat generic rather than customized. For example, there were several recommendations on the itinerary that were not open during the winter season. Also, because it was winter and the roads were not always in the best condition, it would have been nice if the itinerary was a little more specific with directions (i.e. what roads were before/after) rather than just saying look for the signs. We relied a lot more on a Rough Guide and a detailed map than I had expected to.

I was really pleased with the itinerary put together for us. We weren't able to do everything but we did almost everything and found some other interesting additions along the way.

The whole trip was planned half-way easier knowing what to do and what shall be expected in Iceland with assistance of kimkim's service.

Chris was able to adjust / alter the itinerary according to our preferences and requests and it turned out to be a successful journey. Most of the time we stayed 2 night straight at the same hotel and as a result it allowed us to revisit places and savor the dramatic landscapes we were not able to enjoy at the first day due to extreme weather condition in this April.

The trip was amazing. Loved the tips on stops and restaurants. Really happy with most of the accommodations. Will definitely be using Kimkim in the future

Only complaint was we weren't the happiest with the car rental place, didn't seem the reputable. Also the accommodations at the centric house, while centrally located, were very dirty for the price paid. Other than that, very happy.

Loved working with Chris, however would like an heads up when credit card would be charged so we could make sure the money was in the account.

We had the BEST time! Thanks so much Chris!

We were really pleased with Chris's response time and the trip schedule for making our way around the country. It was clear that Chris was not aware that a few of the sites and one of roads were closed for the winter. I also specifically asked about Glymur falls in the winter and if the log was across the river and what it would be like in March. Chris said the log would be there, however it was clearly marked on the sign at the trailhead that the log is not there in the winter. The hike... read more

We were really pleased with Chris's response time and the trip schedule for making our way around the country. It was clear that Chris was not aware that a few of the sites and one of roads were closed for the winter. I also specifically asked about Glymur falls in the winter and if the log was across the river and what it would be like in March. Chris said the log would be there, however it was clearly marked on the sign at the trailhead that the log is not there in the winter. The hike was very snowy. We were prepared for that. Good hike either way but again some misinformation given the time of year. Our accommodation was generally excellent and very comfortable for our family of four. The OK hotel was good but the "pull out couch" was not long enough even for me to sleep on (I'm 5 foot 5 inches) let alone two 17 year old boys. Just good to know if you are putting a family in there it would work for two young kids.

Chris was very helpful and insightful. Always repsonded promptly.

Loved his suggestions and his possible itineraries he laid out for us. There were options and comments to help us gauge how we can cover all that we intended to see.

Chris was there to help me with everything with a fast response!

My itinerary was great overall. Well paced, stopped at many terrific highlights and quite achievable.
It did however feel like it was written quite generically - that is to say, just a copy paste job rather than something tailored. As an example, one restaurant in Hellnar which was recommended (and pretty much the only one for miles) was closed for the winter. This is confirmed with a search on Google, it's not a one off. I would expect this recommendation to be removed for winter trips.... read more

My itinerary was great overall. Well paced, stopped at many terrific highlights and quite achievable.
It did however feel like it was written quite generically - that is to say, just a copy paste job rather than something tailored. As an example, one restaurant in Hellnar which was recommended (and pretty much the only one for miles) was closed for the winter. This is confirmed with a search on Google, it's not a one off. I would expect this recommendation to be removed for winter trips. Mentions of daily drive distances were a bit off - example, the second last day I had to drive from Skaftafell to Reykjavik (320km, 4hr), not Vik to Reykjavik (180km, 2hr20min) as mentioned in the itinerary. My guess is that Chris used a base itinerary to build mine which is fine, but some of the smaller details were not altered to conform to mine.

My main gripe though is the choice of car hire. I should have looked more closely before agreeing, but I'm generally wary about dodgy operators other than the core Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty. While it might be cheap initially, they do the hard sell at the desk on added insurances, in this case 30 Euro a day (for things like gravel protection, sand protection, reduced excess etc), which still has exclusions. I asked Chris about insurances, he said it included liability and collision and asked if I wanted any additional. Turns out that cover doesn't cover much, and it still includes an approx. $2200AUD excess. Further - the company would put a hold on my card for $2200AUD for going on 10 days after the rental has ended. This is really unsettling and not to mention an inconvenience.

While this isn't strictly Kimkim/Chris's fault, the selection of the car hire company is really important. The discussions online about the chosen car hire company are really worrying.

Chris was very responsive and answered all of my questions promptly.