Sandy Ren

I cannot say enough about the level of service, patience, detail and organization that Sandy, our contact at KimKim and Odynovo, provided. I changed my mind and plans so many times in the planning process and she always responded with cheer and a desire to help me achieve our goals. We had an extremely seamless vacation experience in Japan, and I credit this to her and her team's incredible organizational skills. We never had an issue checking into a hotel, meeting a guide, with a reservation or anything. I didn't realize until we got there how much arranging they had done in terms of reserving a time for us to canoe; meet our guides; planning out trains; etc. Sandy checked in on us many times during our stay in Japan and always wanted to make sure we were having the best experience. I am so pleased we worked with them. Some of our desires may have been difficult to achieve since we were travelling in a less touristed region but they made it happen. There are too many great details of our trip to list all, but I will add some highlights and then a few things that we (or mostly I) would do slightly differently next time. I do want to go back soon and I would definitely use KimKim and Odynovo again.
Highlights- our guides Kohmin, Tomoko and Chie were all so interesting and knowledgeable, and gave us so much insight into local culture and history. Chie in particular is a riot and very personable. We really enjoyed the tuna auction and fish market in Shiogama; those were very different and uncrowded experiences I can't imagine that most tourists get to experience. Matsushima was beautiful and we loved going to the little tea house with Kohmin and Tomoko. With Chie, we explored Yamadera, which is a beautiful mountaintop shrine where we climbed up for gorgeous views and we had a fun local lunch with her and took local trains. One of our most memorable stays that Odynovo booked for us was in the ryokan in Tendo; what a beautiful, soothing and fancy cultural experience with gorgeously served meals I will never forget. I would have liked a little more time in this area. Kakunodate was also very memorable; we loved the samurai district tours with Koh and he also took us to a nearby waterfall. We went back ourselves the next day before leaving for Tokyo and were going to go on a hike up the hill for a view of the town but there were bears in the area! Instead we walked around this lovely town more, had coffee in a little and interesting local place and lunch in the hotel. It would be amazing at cherry blossom time, I'm sure and is quite famous for that. I had found a farm stay called Midori No Kaze but couldn't get in touch with them; Sandy did and booked that for us. It isn't for everyone - very rustic and basic, just 2 roooms in a couple's house, but we really enjoyed being outside the town and walking around their rice fields. They are incredibly hospitable. From the reviews online I had thought we could participate in some farm activities; though that didn't happen, we still had a great time just staying over there. Kazuko, the owner, is Internet savvy and books guests from all over who want something a little different. We really liked her and she even was happy to speak very simple slow Japanese with me so that I could practice! Our other favorite activity which Odynovo booked for us was canoeing in a group in the submerged forest in Lake Ishikawa, an opportunity that only comes along a couple of months a year in the spring when the snows from Mt. Ide melt. A very unique opportunity and fun to be the only foreigners in the group at a beautiful spot. The guides always called ahead to let various activities and hotels know we were coming and make us feel welcome.
The only things I would have done differently are more my responsibility. For example, I would have liked more time to just wander by ourselves through some of the towns. Ginbekei Gorge was a disappointment and I should have read more about it before hand- I was mixing it up in my head with another gorge in the area. At Ginbekei, I thought we could hike and walk around a lot but there are no trails. The "flying dango" were fun to see but I could have skipped this place altogether if I had known more about it, and would have preferred doing something else outdoors in a more expansive natural area. I think that KimKim may want to let people know if a particular activity is not necessarily the best use of their time, but of course again this is something that I should have been aware of myself. The only other thing I would have done differently is upgrade my hotel in Tokyo to one with a slightly bigger room since we were there 5 days. The Knot staff is absolutely lovely, and breakfasts were delicious, and it is opposite a really nice park, so it was fine. The staff also helped me arrange a reservation at a local jazz club one night. However, while Japanese hotel rooms can be small, I know, the KNot's are REALLY small with no place to put our clothes during a longer stay. Also, had I researched it a bit more, while it is good to be near the station, but Shinjuku is really crowded and huge and a little exhausting, so next time I would maybe stay in a slightly quieter area such as Asakusa, or rent an Air BnB if I'm going to be somewhere for more than a few nights.
In Tokyo, Odynovo arranged a fabulous tea ceremony demonstration for us with Mariko, and we were the only people besides one other Japanese woman and we had the BEST time. Thank you! So interesting to learn about. It is right next to the Kabuki Theater so we bought tickets to a performance there ourselves. On our own, we took the bus to Lake Kawaguchi one day to see views of Mt. Fuji and walk around, and that was also a great experience and awe-inspiring. W

I'd also like to be able to speak on the phone with the agency more at the beginning of the planning stage next time although email/ KimKim platforms works very well. Sandy is incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and diplomatic and I really credit her with making our trip such an easy and memorable one!!! She is amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East

Sendai

Great location, nice staff, amazing breakfast selections (Japanese and western). We enjoyed being above the lively and convenient station in Sendai. The room was very tiny, which is not unusual for hotels in Japanese cities though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tsunagi Onsen Hotel Shion

We really enjoyed it but it's a little different. Feels kind of like a Japanese version of a Catskills hotel. There is a large banquet room for meals (food is great!). People go around the whole hotel in their yukatas. Mostly older people or families with young children. We were the only foreigners at the time which was enjoyable for us! Staff is very nice. There are some stores in the lobby and there was a dance show after dinner that we enjoyed. Beautiful view of the lake. We loved the futons and our tatami room which was really comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very pretty view of the lake. Hotel is outside Morioka. We didn't find Morioka all that interesting since it is after cherry blossom season.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tuna Auction & Fish Market Breakfast in Shiogama

Sendai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Encounter Splendid Nature: Matsushima Bay Cruise and Zuiganji Temple

Matsushima

Beautiful views of the bay and islands. Our guides were great in figuring out the best place to take the boat from and also took us to a lovely tea house in Matsushima.

Visit Yamadera, a Historic Mountain Temple

Yamagata

One of the highlights of our trip. It is a moderate climb up the mountain on steps and you get incredible views. Our intrepid and fun guide, Chie, also told us many great anecdotes and information about what we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took local trains. We had our luggage with us, and while I was at first dismayed I had not arranged for luggage transport or been advised to do so earlier, Chie helped us figure out where to store our luggage in the train stations and it was very easy. I was glad we just had carry on size bags too. Not a problem.

Lake Shirakawa

Zao Onsen

Beautiful lake area! I would have liked to spend time hiking in this area but I didn't fully research it before going. The views from the lake of the Mt. Iwate are stunning and we had so much fun canoeing with a group in the submerged forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Hiraizumi: Chusonji Temple, Motsuji Temple, and Genbikei Gorge

Hiraizumi

Gorge was disappointing - no place to really hike or do much - it's pretty but limited - see main review. I could have spent this time elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A little far for what we ended up doing there. The town seems kind of sad as well.

Delve into Samurai Culture in Kakunodate: Samurai Quarter and Sake Brewery Visit

Kakunodate machi

We loved Kakunodate - a lovely small town and it was great to just stroll the streets and learn about the bygone culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Learn about Miso and Soy Sauce Making: Ando Jozo Brewery Honten

Kakunodate machi

We ended up skipping these as we had already been to a whisky and sake factory and I thought this would be too much of the same. In general next time I would incorporate more free time to just walk around interesting towns or spend more time in nature walking or hiking. (Only gave the one star since we didn't do this)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just gave those

Tea Ceremony in Tokyo

Tokyo

A wonderful and interesting activity! Very intimate and enjoyable and Odynovo gave us great directions to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We got there easily by public transportation.

The trip was amazing!! The guides were so nice and helpful. And the overall experience was everything we could have hoped for. Thank you so much to Sandy and your team - we appreciate everything you did to make the experience so easy and memorable!

Our 10 day trip to Japan was beyond amazing
It was perfect ! Each day seemed to got better and better . We traveler with our 21 year old son .Sandy was so easy to work with and responded promptly to every inquiry ensuring our free days were also well planned with recommended activities
Team Labs , Saki and going to the food markets. We also recommend Shibuya Sky .
Sandy put together an incredible itinerary and everything was according to schedule !
Every guide was knowledgeable , personable and each tour was informative and varied .
Hiro went out of his way to ensure our 2 days with him in Kyoto were perfectly planned to the Bamboo Grove and Monkey Forest and the Insight on Religion Temples.
We loved the day we did the Authentic Sumo Experience and Tokyo Bar Hopping in Shinjuku .
Miyajima Island was so special and then Horoshima sobering but we recommend this tour for anyone going to Japan .
Thank you Sandy for your expertise in assisting with us with such special memories that will be with us forever.
We loved the temples and fortunes , the culture and small alleys in Tokyo and Kyoto.
We will definitely use Kim Kim again for future trip planning.
Sincerely ,
Rhonda , Jes and Jaden

Hotel Review

The Royal Park Iconic Tokyo Shiodome

Tokyo

Great hotel big room nice bar

Authenticity & Character

Modern

Location

Near train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Authentic Sumo Experience in Tokyo : Enter the Sanctuary

Tokyo

We loved this tour !

Quality of Experience

The wrestlers were so nice ! The lunch delicious We received a souvenir hand print picture and were able to wear wrestling clothes and then kimonos

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with Skytree

Tokyo

Wonderful full day Kevin our guide was so great and a delicious lunch at the fish market

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

So much fun especially the whiskey bar at the end! Shinjuku is so lively with the bright lights and small alleys

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Loved the monkeys

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Insight into Local Religion: Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji

Japan

Hiro is the best guide in Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiro

Transport

Great having a driver and car

One Day Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Tour

Japan

Loved Miyjama Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent curry lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where to start on our Mother & Daughter trip to Japan...

My daughter Rose and I were fortunate enough to spend just over 3 weeks travelling to Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Mount Koya, Okayama, Naoshima and Hiroshima.
I came across KimKim when looking for Japan travel itineraries while trying to plan this excursion myself. Apart from the fact I had left it very last minute in an extremely busy Cherry Blossom season we also had specific experiences and attractions we wished to incorporate; I decided to give Kimkim a ring!!
The best decision I made as was put in touch with Sandy who put together an itinerary which included accomodation, travel and daily schedules, amazing.
Sandy took into account and included all our travel requests and more linking it all up in a comfortable travel package. I also liked the fact that even though this was a planned itinerary we also had a lot of free self-guided time, this made it more relaxing and gave us extra time where needed.
I cant thank or recommend Sandy enough as we would not have seen or had the experiences we did if we had of planned ourselves.

We went thru a lot of iterations. Sandy was very flexible and invariably polite and responsive.

Both guides were excellent. Mr. Tan went above and beyond to help me deal with the logistics of additional adventures in Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa-Eki Nishiguchi

Kanazawa

very nice but nothing really special. Rooms small for US but nice for Japan. Great bathroom. Good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

standard westernized hotel. No complaint but nothing special

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

love the pajamas

Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien Tokyo Premier

Tokyo

we were pleasantly surprised by how big the room was

Authenticity & Character

it's ok. Standard westernized hotel without much character but no problem

Location

Location is fine. Only thing better would be closer to Tokyo station. Not really possible to take subway with luggage. But no complaint. Tokyo is so huge that we can't really comment on location. Near a very nice park which we enjoyed.

Staff

very helpful with some addtional requests

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything

Activity Reviews

Full Day Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Tour

Kanazawa

Really nice to walk around with Summer

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchiko Cruise and Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo

We loved being in the nice private car. Definitely an upgrade from a bus. The driver really knew the area and took us to a great small local restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

so nice

Transport

big comfy private car

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Tokyo

Mr. Tan was super nice and knowledgeable. He changed the experience since we'd already been to the imperial gardens

Where do I start regarding our trip to Japan. Firstly it was so far a trip of a lifetime!!! From the moment we landed to the sad moment we left my son and i could not have had a more memorable experience..

Sandy our local specialist did a great job hitting the high points of each of the 4 cities that we visited. Every reservation went off without a hitch including our tickets on the Shinkansen bullet train and our Universal and Ghibli Museum tickets. The hotels picked were conveniently centrally located allowing us to get around easily either walking or using the excellent subway system.

Each of our tourguides were excellent and really made our trip very informative and helped so much given the language barrier we experienced. Satomi was helpful a helped me purchase kitchen knife from a knife shop in Dotonbori. She had lived a while in the US and knew what we were all about. She balanced touring with shopping and was flexible regarding our schedule. Naoko was a wealth of knowledge in Kyoto and went above and beyond in trying to explain the dense history of the various temples and shrines we visited. Kyoto was one of our favorite cities. The other one being Tokyo. Kyoji was our guide for beautiful Mt. Fuji and even took us to a special local Ramen shop where we were treated to a wonderful customary meal. Keiichi, our guide in Tokyo took us to a Sumo practice session which was a treat to be a part of. Having lived quite a while in Tokyo he was very familiar with the different Tokyo districts and provided us with local knowledge of the areas. Finally, Yuki was both our driver and guide during our trip outside of Tokyo to Nikko and really showed us the beauty and splendor of rural Japan. Everyone was so kind and obliging. It made our trip so much more informative and special.

We especially enjoyed Mt. Fuji and couldn't get over the grandeur and beauty of the site. Kyoto had its own special vibe which was really to our liking. Finally Tokyo was a wonderland!!! The subway system was so easy to use that we had not problem getting wherever we need to go. And did I mention the food! We did not have a bad meal. We tried to try it all and were not disappointed.

This is my second trip planned with KimKim . The first was to Portugal and was a private tour with my wife. This was a trip with my son and although I didn't think it was a private tour it might as well have been. The attention to detail was on point and it was comforting knowing that any problems were only a phonecall or text away to solve. I will definitely be using KimKim again for future trips.

Activity Review

World Heritage Himeji Castle & Kobe Tour

Osaka

Being on of the few original Castles not devasted by war or fire this was a wonderful site to see. You got to see all floors all the way up to the shrine at the very top. The castle itself was beautiful but the grounds were even more beautiful.

Quality of Experience

One of first sites we saw.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sandy was very easy to work with and incorporated all our input into the itinerary. She helped us plan a really well-rounded Japan trip! We got extremely lucky while we were there as the cherry blossoms were delayed in their blooming and therefore coincided perfectly with our travel dates! Additionally, we had great weather.

Hotel Review

Watermark Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Rooms at the Watermark are quite small, but it was very comfortable for the four nights we stayed there. There are really pretty lighting options in the rooms (lantern and wall lighting), which was a fun feature. The buffet breakfast was an excellent way to start the morning! There are both western and Japanese options. The hotel is not located very close to restaurants or epicenters, but is close to a subway line or a 25-30 minutes walk to more exciting areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo City Tour with East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Tokyo

Our tour guide, Meiji "May," made this day particularly special. He has a great personality and was clearly a very experienced guide, navigating crowds and transportation like a pro. He also recommended an AMAZING restaurant for lunch, Asakusa Tsurujiroh Hanare.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour(join-in )

Hakone

Mt Fuji is beautiful! The drive up was a great way to see the countryside, but where we stopped up the mountain was very crowded. The boat ride wasn't our favorite part, though Lake Ashi is lovely. The gondola ride offered great views but also wasn't a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shibuya Sky and Sumida River Cruise

Tokyo

Shibuya Sky is very cool; even our Tokyo-based guide was impressed. It was his first time visiting and he thought the view was more expansive than some other vantage points in the city, like Tokyo Tower or Skytree. The Sumida River Cruise was a bit underwhelming in our opinion, but a unique opportunity and cool way to see architecture along the river.

Day Trip to Nara and Uji

Kyoto

This was a long day with lots of driving! The temple is very impressive with it's scale, but at this point of the trip we had seen so many shrines and temples. The dear were cute, but we both felt we didn't need to go back to see them. Good food in Nara! We really liked our guide. Very helpful, positive, and fashionable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour with a Boat Ride

Kyoto

The Bamboo Forest was very crowded which made it feel less magical. The garden at Tenryu-ji Temple right near the forest however is beautiful! The monkey park was very fun; it's a bit of a hike to get up there but subsequently offers a great view of the area. Lastly, the boat ride (Arashiyama Tsusen) was one of our favorite experiences! It's very cool to see how the boat is propelled with a bamboo stick, and there's a motor powered boat that comes up halfway through the trip to sell food and beverage.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Kyoto guide, Tomoko, was lovely! We enjoyed spending the day with her.

Transport

Sandy organized some amazing local things for us. We especially loved the Tea ceremony and Fushimi Inari hike in Kyoto and our half day tour in Nara.

Todai-Ji is an absolute must see in Nara.

Overall, we had a memorable experience in Osaka and Kyoto and we're glad we opted for the private tour and driver. The accomodations recommended were authentic and excellent in service, especially the Imperial Hotel Osaka. The Ryokan in Kyoto gave us a really good feel of the traditional way of living.

The guides were all really polite, attentive and knowledgeable. The driver himself was good and acknowledged his minor technical hiccup and went out of the way to get it sorted. Overall we had a great experience and impression of the places we went.

Hotel Reviews

Imperial Hotel Osaka

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Momijiya Honkan Takaosansou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Osaka City Tour

Osaka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Tea Ceremony KYOTO

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Cooking Class

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kinkakuji and Nijo Castle Tour

Kyoto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Nara Tour

Nara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you so much for making our trip to Japan memorable and fun. Our guide Lay-la in tokyo, mt. Fuji was also nice to work with. Dennis in Kyoto is very informational too.
Our accomodation locations are also great right in the center of the city.

Activity Review

Osaka Foodie Walking Tour at dark

Osaka

Okini Osaka! Aina-san is the best guide in this tour. She is so jolly and educational which made our trip enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport