Mar Quiñones

While "amazing" is a very high bar, kimkim and our local specialist Mar definitely deserve a solid "very good" rating. Mar was highly responsive and provided useful insights into Norway. We appreciate that she was open to our suggestions to book Oslo and Bergen hotels that met our high standards. I love that kimkim's technology allowed us to see all communications and provided pictures and commentary about where we were going and a detailed itinerary.

What worked perfectly were all hotel, train, funicular and cruise bookings and drivers meeting us at the Oslo airport and our Kirkenes hotel. Bjorn, our excellent Oslo tour guide, was engaging and knowledgeable. We really liked our Bergen Food & Culture Walk and the King Crab Safari in Kirkenes.

As 2 members of our group of 4 have mobility issues, it was challenging to change in Myrdal to the Flam train and to negotiate the ferries between Flam and Balestrand and Balestrand to Bergen. Perhaps because our group has taken luxury cruises in the past, we were somewhat disappointed in the Havila cruise. That said, we recognize that Havila and Hurtigruten are the primary operators for coastal voyages, and I don't believe either are noted for fine dining and highly personalized service.

While not at the level of the "bespoke" trips we've taken in the past, we enjoyed working with Mar and appreciated her insights and suggestions and willingness to accept feedback. I have a feeling that kimkim's ideal client is a younger, more active traveler than our group of 74 to 80 year olds, but I would definitely consider kimkim for future travel.

Mar was great until we were unfortunately changed specialist. The issue we had was we relied on the specialist to plan things based on timing and organization. However, there were multiple times where I had to review the itinerary and make them aware that it was physically impossible to do all the excursions because of time.

For example - We were told we'd be leaving camp and would have time to do an activity before our dinner. Once looking at the full detailed itinerary, I noticed that we'd be getting back to town only 30 minutes before our dinner and would not have time for the activity. They took note of this and adjusted but it was still an inconvenience for me to have to look at all the details and correct the mistake. This included also KimKim attaching the wrong tickets for certain excursions.

The communication while on our trip was GREAT. At one point our coinlocker would not open and the team was very helpful in communicating with the driver that it was causing us to be a few minutes late. The tours and excursions recommended by KimKim were all fantastic and we had a wonderful time. It would just have been nice to have a specialist who took into consideration timing a little better.

What an adventure! From start to finish, everything was seamless and easy to understand. We started in Oslo and explored on our own; the train to Flam lived up to the hype; having reserved seats by the Kimkim team was so helpful. We had some memorable tours in Flam, but the water trip/ cheese tasting (Nathan was our fabulous guide) and the hike up the waterfall with Bjorn (the best guide we had all rip) were huge highlights. We really enjoyed the private floating sauna and can't imagine making the trip without that experience. The ferry to Bergen was great too. Just an easy, exciting, memorable trip that was so carefully constructed to our specific interests and limited time.

Hotel Reviews

Clarion Hotel Admiral

Bergen

Excellent location, beautiful hotel with great views. The buffet breakfast was superb.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful rooms with great views

Location

Right on the water and easy to reach

Staff

The front desk was only ok- when we checked in, the woman gave us to single rooms and one double room for the 5 of us. I know we had reserved two superior doubles and a single. She also gave us misinformation about our taxi pickup for our departure day. HOWEVER, the staff at breakfast was excellent- a special shout out to the man who was clearing tables and was quite attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfy, bathroom showers had great water pressure

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

The Flamsbrygga hotel is the obvious choice of places to stay in Flam, as it is in the center of town and the restaurants and pub and all connected to it. You will see a lot of traffic from the cruise ships but when they come, the whole town is overrun anyway and it's unavoidable.

Authenticity & Character

Very charming camp-like vibe

Location

In the heart of the town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oslo Guldsmeden

Oslo

Very cute vibe but maybe a little out of town for some. We enjoy walking so it wasn't an issue for us, and there is great public transportation.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has a spa vibe with beautiful decorating and comfy rooms

Location

Close to public transportation but a bit far from most things

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds are very comfortable

Activity Reviews

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

This was a little longer than necessary- we could have seen and tasted everything in 2 1/2 hrs instead of 3 1/2 (it ran long)

Quality of Experience

Good food and the guide was sure to provide alternatives to those who had dietary restrictions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The pacing was a little slow and we would have preferred to spend less time on the tour overall

Transport

we walked!

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Flåm

One of our favorite activities during our trip. The guide was so knowledgeable and helpful, especially when it came to more tricky footing along the trail.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful views, great to be out in nature and experience the magic of the area

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bjorn was our favorite tour guide. He was really knowledgeable and friendly, and had some great stories and information to share.

Transport

Very comfortable and we were given lots of time to take pictures and enjoy the views

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

One of the highlights of our trip! A perfect experience.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful view, and really gave us a chance to experience the fjord

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was not much guidance required. They were fine.

Culture & Nature Excursion by Electric Minibus

Flåm

The best part was touring the old village. We didn't really need the stop at the shoe factory, but I understand why that would appeal to some.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was very patient with us, as we took a long time with pictures

Transport

Very comfortable

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting (One Way)

Flåm

Our guide, Nathan, was very informative and provided a lot of details about the area. The cheese tasting was fun. We never felt pressured to buy anything. The suits are really warm and help protect against the wind. We were given lots of opportunities to take some amazing photos.

Quality of Experience

Well timed and lots of beautiful vistas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nathan was excellent. I liked that he reviewed safety protocols (especially what to do if he was somehow incapacitated)

Transport

Mar and the entire Kim Kim team made our trip fantastic. We really appreciated the real time help when we had travel hiccups to help us find solutions (or reservations). The plan she set out for us made logical sense and we also got to maximize our time and see the best of Norway in the winter. LOVED the Flam train ride and all the activities in Flam. Mar and her team were very approachable with any and all questions and also very responsive. The only complaint would be that sometimes our taxi's did not accommodate our travel party and luggage, but we were able to work around this. I want to go back!