Preeti Bhide
Travel is an experience that enriches our lives and is essential for all of us to grow as individuals.
Personally I love my holidays to be slower paced with time to stop and smell the flowers; a balance between the famous sights and the offbeat lesser known places; and opportunities to experience local culture, people and cuisine.
At the same time, I strongly believe that a holiday is all about the person travelling and the essence of travel planning is to help people plan an itinerary that is exactly how they want it to be!
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"I specialise in customised holidays all across Iceland. For me, your holiday is all about you. You let me know what you want and I will try my best to make it happen!"
How did you get involved in travel?
"I have always loved travelling. After many years of working in consulting, I had an opportunity to take a sabbatical which is when we started our travel company, Wild Westfjords.
I have never looked back and it seems that this is what I was always meant to do.
Today, under our umbrella, we also have the Icelandic Aurora, specialising in winter & northern light holidays; and Iceland Offbeat, catering to the traveller who is looking for something different."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"Iceland is beautiful, in a surreal way, and it is difficult to pick one unique experience. I know it sounds cliched but it's true.
However a few of my travels in Iceland that I especially remember are:
- a trip to the gorgeous Westman islands: Hiking to the newest volcano Eldfell, looking for puffins, attending a festival and enjoying the fantastic food. Apart from the breathtaking scenery, most interesting, were the locals who are so passionate about their little island.
- a trip through the Northern Westfjords and North West Iceland to Akureyri to see the Holuhraun eruption: Stopping for the best waffles in Iceland, driving the remote coastline of Skagafjordur and Trollaskagi and of course flying over the eruption. The most fascinating part of this trip was discovering the hidden beauty of the North West which many people consider to be a less interesting part of Iceland."
Featured trips & expertise
Iceland Super Jeep Adventure - Day Tour
Experience the powerful and incredible beauty of Iceland's raw and remote landscapes on this full-day Super Jeep tour. You'll drive past smoldering volcanoes, into breathtaking highlands, and past orange and cream colored rhyolite stone. You'll cross rivers and explore thunderous coastal waterfalls, walk on black sand beaches, and find secluded hot springs among the highlands.
How to Spend 7 Days in Iceland
Iceland doesn't need a London, Paris, or Rome to fill any travel itinerary — budget, luxe, adventure, or otherwise. With no shortage of beautiful landscapes, untamed wildlife, and plenty of both nature and nightlife, you'll have no trouble keeping busy and entertained throughout your week-long vacation.
Beyond Hotels: 9 Unique Lodging Options in Iceland
Iceland has no shortage of hotels, but if you're looking for a truly memorable travel experience, why not defy convention? From camping on a glacier to overnighting in a historic herring factory, you're sure to find a unique lodging option for your Iceland trip that's more than just a place to rest your head.
Game of Thrones: 6 Places in Iceland Every Fan Should Visit
As Game of Thrones fans already know, Westeros is a fictional continent, home to the famous Seven Kingdoms and the uncharted, snow-covered territory beyond. In reality, much of the hit show was filmed in Iceland, and you can visit many of these stunning locations on your next trip to the real land of ice and fire.
7 Alternatives to Southern Iceland's Most Popular Sights
Planning a trip to Iceland in the high season? Skip the most crowded sights on Iceland's South Coast and along the Golden Circle, and visit these equally breathtaking spots instead.
Recent trip reviews for Preeti
2-week ring road self-drive itinerary: highlights of iceland and the remote westfjords, Iceland - May 20 - Jun 1, 2018
My husband and I enjoyed a two week, self driving tour through West and North Iceland. We had an excellent, detailed itinerary with lots of options each day from our specialist Preeti. She focused on what we most wanted to see and do, and we weren't disappointed! Particularly of note were the dining suggestions - it's sometimes challenging to decide on the right place, so we enjoyed all her suggestions without worry. We also enjoyed having vouchers for our accommodations and excursions, it... read more
Iceland babymoontrip , Iceland - May 20 - May 26, 2018
We had a fantastic time exploring Iceland and are very happy with our decision to book a trip through kimkim. We were able to see many extraordinary features of Iceland without being too busy or 'overbooked' feeling. The hotels and rental car accommodations were also fantastic.
A week in iceland: 4 unique road trips filled with highlights & hidden gems, Iceland - May 12 - May 18, 2018
Hi Preeti,
The trip was terrific. We appreciated your help a great deal and everything was fine. My feedback is only about the things that I thought could have been improved. Please know that overall we were very happy.
First of all, the email situation during the planning phase, the long threads and the occasional difficulty wading through. I always appreciated your immediate response but wished the format could have been a bit different.
Second: I know we were on The Ring Road that... read more
This was a dream trip! I was so busy with work and Preeti had everything planned according to where we wanted to go and sights we wanted to see. The self driving tour was great and the hotels were all amazing!!
I will definitely use Kim Kim again - it’s perfect for a busy person who doesn’t have time to plan all the logistics of a trip
Thank you
K & d birthday spectacular, Iceland - Mar 7 - Mar 16, 2018
We loved our trip! So happy with Kimkim for tailoring our trip to our type of travel. Especially loved our guide Yuli (Mývatn area snowshoe/waterfall excursion). All our bookings were without a hitch and we would recommend kimkim to anyone looking for a self drive tour of Iceland.
5 days of iceland’s highlights: east to west from egilsstadir via jokulsarlon to reykjavik, Iceland - Feb 10 - Feb 18, 2018
Other than the weather interrupting our plans, which is not in anyone's control ... All of the activities were great and we really enjoyed them all from Ice Cave to Lava Tunnels to Icelandic Horse back riding and all of the scenic locations. We will return to see some of these sites in the summer at some point for additional breathe taking views. Thanks for all the support from Preeti, even while on vacation, it was a nice touch of excellent service.
Trip to iceland, Iceland - Dec 23 - Dec 30, 2017
Our winter trip to Iceland was amazing. Preeti helped us find great accomodations for our large family and tours we wouldn't have known about without her -- such as the only ice cave tour that allowed us to bring our 8-year-old. She was right to tell us that certain things we wanted to do would require too much driving and was able to suggest alternatives that fit our schedule better. We especially loved the dogsledding. There was one problem with the car rental when we arrived and we had to scramble to make new arrangements, but after the trip KimKim quickly helped us get a refund.
Walshmob christmas 2017, Iceland - Dec 22 - Jan 2, 2018
Overall our 12 days in Iceland were excellent. We did eveything we'd included in our trip specification, although mother nature didn't deliver whales on our Laki cruise or a spectacular northern lights display. However, we did have a magnificent White Christmas experience in Siglufjörður at the Herring House, which was the highlight of the trip for me. Other highlights were:
the dog sledding with Ispiration Iceland as we all got to drive our own sleds instead of just being passengers
our... read more
Hot springs and northern lights, Iceland - Dec 9 - Dec 13, 2017
Preeti was awesome and took the time to really listen to our often contradictory instructions. The only shortcoming was when we had to drive, it wasnt clear that some of the roads were closed in winter, and we had to improvise and lost an activity deposit. Thats the only reason the entire trip wasnt 5 stars.
Explore iceland in 5 days, Iceland - Dec 1 - Dec 5, 2017
We enjoyed our Golden Circle Tour, we had excellent climate conditions so we got to be very efficient with our time. We got our ice cave tour cancelled and instead did a small cave while hiking the glacier... I was expecting something more amazing but can't complain. The hotels were really great, food was okay.
Our snorkel guide Richard was the best! He also was an expert in Game of Thrones
Iceland last minute trip , Iceland - Nov 9 - Nov 13, 2017
Had an incredible incredible time on our self-driving trip around Iceland and everything was planned so perfectly with just the right amount of time. The trip was perfectly tailored to our needs and the couldn't have been more seamless.
Emanuela was so nice/knowledgeable and happy to answer any and all questions I had.
Iceland tour with my son - game of thrones and other highlights, Iceland - Aug 24 - Aug 31, 2017
"Nearly" perfect. Excellent response time with questions and generally a wonderful experience. A few tiny quibbles include a steep, gravel road not being adequately acknowledged in the itinerary, and a couple of aspects that seemed cut and pasted from other itineraries (to other parts of the country) rather than specific to my itinerary. But really, my complaints, a couple of months later, pale in comparison to how great the trips was for my son and me.
Preeti was so responsive to every question and concern. It was a pleasure working with her!
Off the beaten path, searching for whales and birds, Iceland - Oct 14 - Oct 20, 2017
There were several mishaps in the execution of the trip which weren't Preeti's fault and she was willing and able to help us make the best out of these situations
More effort could have been made to understand the needs and preferences of the traveler. Too much was planned for each day and we were very rushed. The accommodations could have been at a higher level as well. If more time was spent getting to know the likes, dislikes and traveling style of the clients our needs could have been met better.
My comment here is the same as the previous comment. I fealt that the trip wasn't customized to us. It fealt like a standard trip template. The... read more
Amanda and mom, Iceland - Sep 28 - Oct 4, 2017
We loved Iceland but I think hotels should be researched more. We had a reservation at the GEO hotel it was unexceptionable. It looked like an institution. We left, even though we already paid $180 for it that's how horrible it was. We went to Northern Lights and had to pay $500 for the night which was a killer. The hotel in Fudor would have been much better. The other hotels were from 180$ to 200$ per night no dinners included which was another 120$. Except Aldo in Reykjavik which made the... read more
Iceland adventure, Iceland - Sep 11 - Sep 21, 2017
Preeti - was excellent in her suggestions - having the detailed itenerary everyday with where to go, what to see, suggestions on where to eat and a hotel a the end of the day was invaluable...and imo the best way to see Iceland. The booking process was very smooth - I only wish there was more disclosure on actual cost of the trip abd some of the hotels - i.e so you could perhaps upgrade if desired, etc...
Preeti did an amazing job. We had one issue that was not her fault, but was the fault... read more
It sometimes felt like the driver was a bit impatient with us. We wanted to linger a bit each morning (not morning people) and the driver seemed annoyed with us. We are of a different culture so taking our time is normal, but there may have been a cultural misunderstanding.
The arrangements Preeti made were wonderful! She was very responsive to us and made every little tweak we requested. My finance's birthday was amazing!
Self driving including short hikes and other activities, Iceland - Sep 1 - Sep 14, 2017
Friendly and responsive staff. good itinerary. We enjoyed the trip very much.
Navigation directions had inaccuracies or were out of order that led to skipping some destinations or having a "phantom" starting point on one of the detours.
Not clear if going on a potholed road all the way to Látrabjarg makes sense, since the puffins leave in mid August.
5-day tour of the north: akureyri, lake myvatn, waterfalls, and geothermal hotspots, Iceland - Jul 30 - Aug 5, 2017
Very helpful for a very last-minute vacation! We loved some of our lodging accomodations and really enjoyed the sites you suggested.
Preeti was very responsive at every moment that we needed her, and she created a terrific itinerary for us as we knew little about our destination and what we wanted to see.
Iceland with an 11-year-old, Iceland - Jul 31 - Aug 4, 2017
This was my first experience using kimkim and I'm now a huge fan. I had a last-minute trip to plan and little time to do so and kimkim connected me with a wonderful travel agent. I felt completely confident sending funds to someone in another country I had never met because of the structure of kimkim and other's reviews. I would never have found this travel agent without kimkim but I'm so very glad I did. And I appreciated the ability to look at potential itineraries before making a choice... read more
This was such a great experience!! All we had to do was follow the itinerary. It was so detailed and so easy to follow. Thank you so much kimkim!!
30th birthday trip two sisters traveling together, Iceland - Jul 31 - Aug 6, 2017
However, one detail that would've been nice to have is the suggested resturants closing times so I could have planned dinner better, as I was usually arriving just in time.
Preeti was AMAZING, available everyday until my last day of trip. It made things really flexible as I altered my trip when learning new sites to see as I met fellow travelers.
Well, it was between really good and perfect. We had a great time. The itinerary allowed us to see everything without feeling too overwhelmed. We only missed one thing on the super rainy and windy day. We are already planning our return trip! Turns out that where we spent our first night (and also our last) is a great place for seeing the northern lights, we are thinking of coming back for that, hopefully this winter. Thank you for your help in everything, you made our trip trouble free and memorable.