Eleanor Chen

I will start by saying I loved Japan. The itinerary was based on a trip another kimkim representative – who had left kimkim – had put together but was still on your web site, and that trip really appealed to us. What we did do was a nice mixture of cultural things (shrines, temples, even riding the subway) and food-oriented activities – sushi making class, ramen making class, sake tasting, street food tour, sushi and waygu beef tasting, etc. This is a nice way to get to see Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka in a relatively short time. I now have a better idea of what we can do ourselves in terms of getting around, and what we need help with.

Our tour guide in Tokyo was one of the best we have ever had anywhere. I mean it. She was super!!!! Not only did she know a great deal about Japanese history and culture, but even while we were waiting for things, she would explain things – like bowing, etc. She also gave us tips about keeping cool - -5 degree neck towels, using a small fan, using a spray to cool us down. These are ‘forever” tips, and I just shared them with our daughter who is heading to Italy.

Our guide in Kyoto and Osaka was fine and extremely nice, but she did not have a depth of knowledge – particularly about food – and I believe her English was not quite strong enough. She was adaptable, however, and found us a place to buy knives and other things we asked about. So overall I thought she did a good job. Thus, we found her very responsive and helpful, despite the bit of English problem. And since I was in Japan without being able to speak more than a modicum of Japanese, one can hardly complain!

My main concern is with communication problems with our main travel agent Eleanor. We found it impossible to get detailed itineraries in advance. We waited for a very long time to get picked up in the Tokyo airport. We did not see anyone with a sign when we left baggage claim, and walked outside. We kept asking where the driver was, but couldn’t seem to get an answer. I felt very bad for him, and I still have absolutely no idea where he had been waiting. A simple email, text, or message on What’s App with his exact location would have been helpful. All we got was “he was there” and a photo of his sign. I think I sent the message “where” about 5 times.

For our foodie tour, it was super unclear where we were expected to get to. One set of itineraries said we needed to get to that part of Tokyo by subway. Another said we were to get driven there. We were very mixed up about pick-up and meet up times and places on many occasions. While taking the subway at rush hour in a new city would have been challenging, and we were glad to be driven and picked up, a detailed itinerary would have solved this problem.

We had another extremely stressful incident getting on the bullet train in Tokyo to head to Kyoto. We almost missed our train, because we were not given whatever “code” we needed to scan at the entrance. I sent a lot of messages on this one, and the bullet train person ran us to the gate and got us through somehow. Luckily a person named Jonathan sent us the correct bar codes or we wouldn’t have been able to exit either.

When we were leaving to fly home, Eleanor sent us a message late the night before and said the car would pick us up at 11 am (for a 12:45 pm flight to Tokyo – then U.S.) and the driver sent us a what’s app message that he would pick us up at 11:20 pm – and neither time was acceptable. It was over 30 minutes to get there by car, and we had baggage to check. Having less than an hour to get checked in for what is an international flight technically is just crazy. When I saw this the night before, I immediately sent a message through the Kimkim app that we needed to be picked up by 10 a.m. at the latest. Eventually this got arranged, and the new driver was very prompt the morning we left. However, a question to us before hand of how much time we needed and when we would like to get picked up would have saved a lot of late night scrambling on the part of Eleanor.

I view these issues as a lack of ability to provide detailed itineraries for the entire trip, with times, bar codes, meeting spots, etc. in advance – certainly by at least 2 days in advance. Receiving this late at night the day before a specific set of activities was difficult. By providing detailed itineraries in advance, we wouldn’t have a panic late at night. This all adds up to insufficient clarity and timeliness in the communications from Eleanor.

Overall, the trip was great. I adored Japan, and I cannot wait to go back. It is unfortunate that we had the communication difficulties we had. We did not have any of these problems on our February trip to Costa Rica – nor when my husband used your group in Morocco.

First, I should say we had a fun and memorable trip to Japan. We did pretty much everything we had in mind, and many things were good. The shortcomings were in the details. Although it is not the fault of the travel agent or Kimkim, the part of Japan in which we traveled is very hot and humid in July. We really should have gone during a different time of year. Many of the fine details arranged by the travel agent were problematic. For example, we arrived in Tokyo via Mongolia Air, which uses terminal 2. Our driver was waiting for us in terminal 1. It took over an hour and a lot of angst to connect with our driver. The travel agent had our flight information, and should have directed the driver to the correct terminal. Another example, is our departure from the Osaka airport. The travel agent told us our driver would pick us up at our hotel at 11:00. The driver sent us a text saying he would get us at 11:20. Our flight boarded at noon. It was a half hour drive to the airport, and it took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get into the terminal, check our luggage, get through security and walk to our gate. Obviously, there was a scheduling problem. We did insist on an earlier pickup, which happened. The quality of the tours varied. We had a guide for a day in Tokyo who was possibly the best guide we have ever had. She taught us so much about Japanese history, culture and religion. She was a wonderful traveling companion, and her English was excellent. We had a different guide for three days in Kyoto and Osaka who was a poor guide. She was very nice and friendly, and she was great at navigating between sites. She knew a few historical dates, but she really taught us nothing. And her English was poor. The quality of some of the things we did was variable. We did an excellent ramen making class. Our sushi making class was superficial. We did not even get to cut our own ingredients. The sake class and museum were nothing more than an ad for one sake company. It taught us absolutely nothing and was a waste of time. I expect a travel agent to be more selective. I could have done better using Trip Advisor. In summary, the quality of the trip was variable. Due to the problems, I really am not sure if we will use Kimkim again.

I will mention that we started our Asia trip with two weeks in Mongolia. We used a different travel agency for that portion of the trip. Our Mongolia experience was absolutely perfect in every way.

Eleanor did an outstanding job planning our family vacation trip to Japan. The itinerary was well‑organized, the tickets were handled smoothly, and the train directions were incredibly easy to follow. Every guide we met was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience even better. I truly recommend KimKim for anyone looking to book a stress‑free and well‑planned trip

Eleanor is an excellent planner. She was knowledgable and helpful in the planning process as well as throughout our trip. I appreciate how clear Eleanor was in her communication with us. She was prompt and consistent in her responses, and always available and able to answer questions/ change bookings etc. Knowing Eleanor was on hand to help in the event of difficulty was reassuring to myself and the other members of our party.

Eleanor also put us in touch with Yoshika, who was a fantastic tour guide for our time in Kyoto.

Many thanks to Eleanor for helping us to make the trip of a lifetime in Japan!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Groove Shinjuku

Tokyo

Nice spot to start and end out trip with. Large, western-style hotel in Shinjuku (busy commercial and transportation hub area). A reliable choice for cleanliness and tasty food.

Authenticity & Character

Fun theme of records and vintage music.

Location

Bang in the middle of a very busy area of Tokyo (Shinjuku). Good if you're happy to be in crowds first thing in the morning with lots of commercial outlets near by.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive staff who managed the chaos of check in and out with ease.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quiet and clean. Very comfy beds for an excellent sleep.

Kyoto Umekoji Kadensho - Private Bath Facility

Wonderful space with traditional tatami mats throughout (no shoes allowed past entrance). The rooms were comfortable, clean and quiet, and the breakfast delicious. The staff was helpful and attentive. Would definitely stay here again when traveling to Kyoto.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional tatami floors, futon beds, shoji doors throughout. The baths were lovely too.

Location

About a 45min-1hour walk from the central shopping area and Gion neighborhood, 20-30 min walk from Kyoto Train Station. It was nice to retreat from the crowds to have a relaxing sleep and leisurely start to each day.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

Quite a touristy experience. Wasn't my favorite of the trip, although not sure if there were other ways of witnessing this special practice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wonderful Day in Uji & Nara

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing in Kyoto: Arashiyama & Zen Temples

Kyoto

Fun, quirky and beautiful sites to visit. More crowded but helpful to have a guide to help navigate and cut-down the need for constant decision making on our part!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Spiritual and Tranquil Kyoto with Fushimi Inari (for Laura)

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed a spectacular visit to Japan which we could not have had without Eleanor at kimkim. Thank you doesn't begin to express our deep gratitude for how well she orchestrated our experience. From arranging hotel reservations, private guides and drivers, and answering my countless questions about various details, all was handled with grace, patience, humor and skill. Our time in Japan went very smoothly and when we requested a change Eleanor seamlessly made adjustments to suit our needs. We felt very well cared for. We couldn't have asked for a more competent agent and advisor. Eleanor was a pleasure to work with and helped our Japan travel dream come true.

We had a wonderful 14 day trip to Japan organized by Eleanor. It was our first trip to Japan, and we saw and did everything we wanted to and more. We have never used a service or tour group for our travels before this trip.

The itinerary created by Eleanor was completely manageable and ran smoothly- no problems at all. It was mostly self guided (our choice) but with selected guided sections that were very enjoyable and worthwhile. She kept in touch periodically along the way just to make sure things were going as planned.

There were many cities and adventures we wouldn’t have chosen without Eleanor’s recommendations (such as 2 short day hikes along the Nakasendo Trail and Kiso valley, tea ceremony in Kyoto, onsens and sentos at all hotels). The guides and drivers recommended by Eleanor were all excellent. Japan was absolutely memorable and fantastic on all levels. We look forward to going back. I highly recommend Eleanor and kimkim if you are planning a trip to Japan.

The prospect of planning a trip to Japan with my two young kids was so overwhelming that we turned to KimKim for help and I’m very glad we did. They had a basic outline for a family trip to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto that we were able to tweak to suit our preferences. There was a great mix of fun for the kids (Disney, Universal) and sightseeing for the adults (Meiji Shrine, Mt. Fuji, etc.) for the adults. All of the transportation was booked beforehand and seamless. Eleanor (our local specialist) always answered my questions quickly and she checked in throughout our trip to make sure everything was going well. A special thanks to our tour guides Machiko, Nick, and Sunny who were so knowledgeable and patient.

Our guides were wonderful...Very friendly, knowledgeable, punctual, and informative - Everything one would look for in a guide ! The tip to use TaxiGo for some travel was also a Great Tip - they were amazingly quick and affordable !!

Hotel Review

Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori

3 beds to a room made this a bit crowded, but only for the very short time we were actually in ;-) ! Extremely well situated, clean, very friendly and fast service, good breakfast options!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kyoto's Cultural Treasures: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

The Nijo Castle was really cool. The grounds were amazing and very interesting. The tour of all (33) rooms inside was neat but could have been shorter. The temple and the shrine were also really interesting and good to visit; just not really my area of interest to spend much time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport