Custom Private Tours in Java

We had an amazing trip! Our itinerary covered three major Indonesian islands, Java, Sulawesi, and Bali, and it allowed us to learn about rich and diverse Indonesian culture, history and people from many different angles. Marc, our tour specialist, was very helpful at all stages of tour planning and execution, very flexible, easy to reach at all times by phone/text/zoom. At some point we decided to change the original itinerary by skipping the Java volcano climbs and proposed to replace them with a 4-day visit to Sulawesi with its incredible Bugis and Toraja villages. Marc was very supportive of this idea and quickly re-arranged our tour, which required quite significant changes and a slew of new bookings of hotels, flights, guides, local transportation, etc. Just before the trip we learned that Borobudur and Prambanan temples would be closed on two out of three days that we were supposed to spend there (I wish we knew about it earlier, before we booked our flights so we could change the dates). So, we had to rearrange our itinerary to accommodate this circumstance. Again, Marc was very helpful in fixing this issue. We were generally very happy with the hotels that Marc booked for us, they were comfortable, clean, located in beautiful surroundings and had a boutique feel to them. The only partial exception was our last hotel in Bali, Sun of Granary Resort. While beautifully located among rice fields, with helpful staff, our rooms for some reason were rather humid (with damp smell and a little damp linen), and our air conditioning wasn't able to cure this problem. Of course, the weather in Indonesia is generally very humid, but in all other hotels we did not encountered this issue. Our tour guides in Java (Fakikh) and Sulawesi (Robi) were excellent, very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, with good grasp of English. The tour guide in Bali (Sridana) was OK, but less engaging, perhaps partially because his English was sometimes difficult to understand. On the other hand, Sridana was punctual and took good care of us. The drivers on all three islands were excellent, it was important since driving in Indonesia is not easy to say the least. I am a good driver, but I would not risk driving there myself.

To summarize, overall our trip was a very pleasant and memorable experience, and we certainly recommend Marc as your customized tour operator.

We just got back from trip to Bali, The Island of Gods - Nature and Culture experience.
Marc was our Kimkim local specialist. We wanted to avoid the crowded tourist locations, explore the Balinese culture, and interact with locals. He listened to what we hoped to experience on this trip and made recommendations. The communication was fantastic. Bali is 12 hours ahead of Boston, so the messaging feature in the Kimkim app was easy and efficient.
Marc crafted a very special time on the island. We stayed at 3 different locations, learning about the beautiful Balinese culture, enjoying delicious food along the way, and staying in amazing hotels. We went SCUBA diving, toured rice fields, spent half a day in a Balinese family compound for a cooking lesson, visited temples, biked the backroads, and hiked through tropical forests to waterfalls. There is so much beauty in Bali.
Our drivers from Edi and Cula were the best. They were friendly, professional, and knowledgeable.
The best thing about Kimkim is the local travel specialists. They are available for you every step of the way.

What an amazing trip!! Thank you for all of your help crafting such a memorable experience.

The Klotok boat in Borneo was really special. We had an amazing crew and cook, the food was so good! Our guide, Deka was so knowledgeable and fun 😊

In Bali, the canoe and trekking day was definitely a highlight! It was great to learn more about the organization and learn more about environmental efforts happening in Bali. Our guide, Ojan (I think that was his name?) was so good!! He packed an incredible, sustainable lunch that his auntie made us 😍 It was so fun to have a day where we got off the beaten path, we didn't see any other tourists during our adventure! So special.

The biking excursion was also really fun. Our guides took great care of us and it was really special to get to go back their home and learn more about the Bali culture after the ride. Loved the waterfall and canyon after the ride! A note: this biking was not good for beginner riders!

Our driver Made was also great!! He was very friendly and knew of great spots to show us along the way 😊

Hotel Reviews

Kejora Suites Sanur

Sanur

This was a great hotel! We only stayed here one night, so a bit difficult to compare. But the restaurant attached was nice, it was a quick 5 minute walk to the beach, and our room was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 minute walk to the beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adiwana Suweta

Bali

This hotel was the definition of luxury. I loved our balcony to read in the afternoons between activities, the bathroom was luxurious, and the staff were incredibly accommodating. The free breakfast every morning was a great way to start the day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Klotok Boat - Standard

Central Kalimantan

We had a great experience on the Klotok boat! We loved our entire crew and our guide was amazing. The food was delicious, exceeded expectations. We saw so many animals because we stayed on the boat! Definitely hot and buggy, but worth it for our incredible experience!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jakarta Airport Hotel

Jakarta

A simple, convenient option! Nothing special, but made our early morning journey doable! Also, I got the in room massage after my flight and it was reasonably priced and a great quality!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right above the domestic terminal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Borneo Cruise Day 3

Indonesia

See first day review

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Borneo Cruise Day 2

Indonesia

Same as first day

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling Tour through Tegallalang

Ubud, Bali

This was another great experience for us. The guides were incredibly eager to help make our experience the best it could be. Note: the biking is not great for beginners, it helps to be comfortable on a bike! The lunch at the waterfall and canyon was beautiful! We loved getting to enjoy dessert in their home. That was really special to be able to learn about their culture and way of life. I also loved being able to make my own offering basket!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoe & Trekking at Bratan Lake

Indonesia

Wow! This was a highlight for me. I loved the organization that we got to work with in this day. Our guide Ojan (I think?) was so sweet and knowledgeable about all of the plants. Loved that this truly felt off the beaten path, we hardly saw anyone else except for the people living in the village. Really great lunch we are in the forest, and a lovely canoe ride. The trek was really fun through the jungle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Taman Beji Griya - Healing Experiences

Indonesia

This was a really special cultural experience!! Our guide was great at the ceremony and the entire morning was amazing! I'm so grateful we got to experience this 💛

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Borneo Cruise Day 1

Indonesia

So fun to go to the feeding stations! Deka, our guide, was amazing! He was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, the culture, and we really enjoyed getting to know him. Yuni was the best cook, every single meal was so delicious!! Our boat was clean and had everything we needed! It even had a flush toilet and a shower! The wildlife we got to see were truly amazing. 5 different kinds of primates and countless birds!! Deka was amazing in helping us identify the species for our species count 😊

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport