High Point Holidays and Randonnees Outre-Manche

We hired to KimKim to provide local travel expertise. Our travel guide was not based out of Scotland and appeared that she wasn't all that familiar with touring Scotland. There was some very poor planning such as having us visit a distillery one day, drive and 1.5 hour to Inverness and then drive all the way back the next day to visit the distillery next door (owned by the same company) and then drive 1.5 hour back to Inverness again. A lot of Van time instead of touring time, we should have been booked to stay in Speyside at least the first night. Rachel was also not timely in her responses to us through the planning process. She would often set her own deadline to get back to us and then totally miss that deadline by weeks and only communicated once we reached out again. We wanted to have a final trip review with everyone a few weeks before the trip, some of the group had time where they couldn't meet due to another out of country commitment. She didn't get back to us so several in the group couldn't meet and get questions and concerns answered. Rachel and Highpoint Holiday hired Kilted Piper tours to take us around. Kilted Piper is based in Scotland and could have done a much better job of planning everything. KimKim should have went to Kilted Piper directly instead of going through HighPoint who then found Kilted Piper. We paid an extra layer of overhead for no reason.

Activity Reviews

Private Falconry Experience

The Trossachs National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Walk in Glencoe

Scotland

The guide David was trying to get out of the tour the day before and all the way through. He seemed to be scared of light rain and wanted to change it to a 1 hour walk around the car lot. Based on that we cancelled so that we didn't waste our precious time in Scotland. We should be refunded for this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sir Walter Scott Steamship tour on Loch Katrine

Scotland

Rachel didn't book us on the Sir Walter Scott steamship. We were instead booked on a different boat. Very disappointing. However, the boat went on did a good job and the scenery was beautiful. Another mistake made by Rachel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sea Eagle & Wildlife Cruise

Isle of Skye

It was cancelled days before for no real reason other than staff loss, so unfortunately we didn't get to take the cruise

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were most appreciative of the pre-paid ferry tickets and the drivers who were always on time and often waiting for us upon our arrival. With Liam's support we were able to reach all of our destinations in a timely manner. However, on our first night our hotel reservation had not been paid for. This did not get us off to a good start. Fortunately Jane (who was caring for Liam's customers while he was away) eventually handled that for us. When we realized we were double booked for the Staffa tour, she handled that for us as well. We came to believe that there must be very few hotels with elevators in this area of Scotland! It would have been great to not have to have people carry our bags for us, but perhaps that's not an option. We had a tour guide in Oban (Dave) who was very kind and we enjoyed our time with him. For the most part, Liam seemed to overestimate the time we would have in any of the spots along the way. While it was nice to see what was available in the area, our plans did not seem to be very individualized for our schedule.

My and my husband got back from Scotland and Ireland for our honeymoon just over a week ago. It was everything we wanted, and had us immediately wanting to go back as there was so much we didn’t get to see. I was glad we had gotten to have a mixture of planned busy, 8-12 hour tour days, as well as calm days in which we could walk around and just see what we wanted to, and had the option of doing nothing. Salomé and I discussed this prior and she planned our trip accordingly. She answered any and all questions in a timely manner and had everything arranged including directions to places, recommendations for our days with nothing officially planned, etc. On our mid trip travel day from Inverness to Dublin we ran into multiple issues as the radar system was down, leaving us on a plane on the tarmac for hours, delaying our flight, our layover flight in London was cancelled, and therefore we would miss our train from Dublin to Galway. As Salomé was on a well deserved break, Adrian was our point of contact. He was absolutely amazing, immediately jumped in when informed and tried to see what our options were, gave us realistic expectations and possible money losses, called around to ensure our bookings were okay, changing our transportation to our new arrival time, and keeping in consistent contact with us throughout the process. He was very helpful and helped make the day less stressful. Ended up with a secondary flight arriving 2.5 hours later than initially planned, meaning we still got to our destination same day, just later at night. We barely had any loss (none of which were anyone’s fault, and Adrian helped make it less of a loss overall as well by rearranging our ride from airport to train station). Overall the helped make our most stressful day significantly less stressful and we were both extreme grateful. Salomé also checked in periodically after arrival back to work and answered questions I had quickly. Fantastic experience, would definitely use KimKim again, and have already recommended it to a friend of ours traveling to Italy in a year. He said he would be using kimkim for sure after telling him about our experience. Thank you all for your help in making my and my husbands honeymoon a breeze. It was an amazing adventure.

The trip was wonderful! All of the logistics were so well planned! The travel from the airport to Wales, the Farm to Cardiff, the train from Cardiff to London, and the London Marriott to Heathrow went seamlessly. The only improvement that I have is that the PBC Transfer vehicle from Heathrow to Wales was VERY small. We had to sit sideways in the back seat to not have our knees up by our chins (literally). It would have been optimal to have a larger vehicle for that 3 hour drive. The bicycle arrangements with Drover's Cyclery went very smoothly and the equipment (and support) was great! The Trans Wales horse trekking excursion was perfect! The group was made up of similarly skilled riders the horses were awesome! Hello Ladies! The trip was wonderful! All of the logistics were so well planned! The travel from the airport to Wales, the Farm to Cardiff, the train from Cardiff to London, and the London Marriott to Heathrow went seamlessly. The only improvement that I have is that the PBC Transfer vehicle from Heathrow to Wales was VERY small. Gary and I had to sit sideways in the back seat to not have our knees up by our chins (literally). It would have been optimal to have a larger vehicle for that 3 hour drive. Gary's bicycle arrangements went very smoothly and the equipment (and support) was great! The Trans Wales horse trekking excursion was perfect! The group was made up of similarly skilled riders the horses were awesome! I may have been the "short straw" on the first day, but I quickly I figured out that "is everyone o.k.?" meant we were taking off at a gallop straight away and then, after my first long rein gallop across unknown territory, I adjusted and fit in just fine! LOL The Marriott Park Lane in London was comfortable and convenient and the staff was pleasant. I would recommend the Hyde Park ride for your horsey clients (Corey was my guide) as well as one of the river cruises (with live narration). We did the City Boat Cruise. The hop-on hop off Big Bus was fine for a "windshield tour" of the landmarks, but it wasn't a convenient mode of transport. We found that we could get to most of the sites we wanted to explore faster by walking than by Big Busing. Finally, we just Googled what we wanted to eat and were pleased with the resulting options. We stuck mainly to pubs and ate pub fare but, honestly, enjoyed the food (and the quirks) of each pub we frequented. Our trip was a 10/10!!!

Hotel Reviews

London Marriott Hotel Park Lane

London

Clean and comfortable. Convenient to our planned activities.

Authenticity & Character

A classic Marriott hotel. Well appointed but nothing out of the ordinary.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lanelay Hall Hotel & Spa

Hensol

We were at the hotel for a very short time and could not take advantage of the amenities. Since we arrived just after 7 p.m. and were not ready to dine until after 8, our in house dining options were limited to one restaurant However, the serving staff treated us (later arrivals) very well and the food was excellent. The room was well appointed and the oversized bath tub a welcome feature1

Authenticity & Character

Location

A good location but a bit of a drive to get to our scheduled activities.

Staff

Front desk staffer had limited information; wait staff in the restaurant and in the breakfast area was terrific.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pen-Y-Dre Farm Holidays

Abergavenny

The farm was a fun stop! The room was clean and comfortable and the house had SO MUCH character! The breakfast was delicious too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was very convenient for the activities that we had planned.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Old Black Lion

Hay-On-Wye

Our room was in the Annex. It was clean and comfortable and included an en suite bathroom. The food at the pub was delicious and restaurant hours were convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely town and convenient base for our planned activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Transfer from Hay-on-Wye to Blaenau Farmhouse

Hay-on-Wye

A lovely clean vehicle and Kato was an excellent driver

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pauline did a wonderful job putting together an itinerary for my 50th birthday girls trip to France. I provided a general overview of what we wanted to do and she came back with an itinerary that included accommodations we were happy with and a few tours/activities we were pleasantly surprised with, particularly the private panoramic tour of a quaint Champagne village while viewing the beautiful vineyard landscapes.

Hotel Reviews

Chouchou Hôtel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hyatt Centric Reims

Reims

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided visit and tasting at Mumm

Reims

Excellent tour, guide was friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Night Cruise on the Seine with Music & aperitif (With drinks included - 1 glass of Wine)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eiffel Tower Stair Climb to Level 2 + Elevator to the Top - Guided tour

Paris

Tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Art of Pairing Cheese & Wine

Paris

Loved this, the presenter was very knowledgeable, enjoyed meeting other travelers, the wine and cheese quantities were perfect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Panoramic tour with a local guide

Reims

We loved this tour. I don’t think we paid attention that we would be going through a vineyard and were pleasantly surprised. The views were amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from the railway station to the city center (hotel)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim made our girls’ trip to Paris absolutely seamless! The team was incredibly responsive, attentive, and always quick to help. Their exceptional service made our trip truly special. We highly recommend Kimkim and would absolutely use them again!

We didn’t get to know Liam as he was on vacation. Jane was easy to work with by email, French speaker was very accessible but her accent was hard for me to understand on the phone.

Driver Darren in Glastonbury was very professional, fun and interesting.

Verdant Seafood bar and our lodging in Falmouth were wonderful.

We didn’t love Glastonbury.

Once we got to London we started using the tube. Drivers not necessary and I missed our pick up time with the driver back to the airport as I hadn’t stopped to realize you had lined him up.

Nice hotel in London and Kew was delightful!

Thanks very much!

Hotel Reviews

The Crown Hotel

Glastonbury

This hotel is right on the main intersection in Glastonbury.. one night there was a wedding in the hotel, so a lot of loud music. A good place if you are really into being part of the action in Glastonbury.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fine for what it is, But not quiet and a lot os stairs

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Star & Garter

Falmouth

This place was so charming, with an amazing view of Falmouth Harbor. We didn’t get a chance to eat in the little pub, but it looked very nice. Check in required us to find a key in a lock box and let ourselves in.

Authenticity & Character

You walk through the tiny restaurant to get to the room. An old building that is part of the fabric of the town.

Location

Amazing view

Staff

No staff. Maybe directions to hotel from train…

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Chamberlain

London

Nice hotel and great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Used by business travelers as well as tourists. Seemed to be part of the neighborhood

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Entry tickets to historic Kew Gardens

London

Easy subway to a lovely station and short walk to Victoria Gate. There are tours and a tram, but we found it easy to wander through on a September weekday, starting with the great broad walk.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Such a great trip! Cathy did an amazing job. We had no worries about traveling throughout the country. Our accommodations were fabulous, especially the Clontarf Castle hotel. All of our tours were so much fun, and we learned so much about the beautiful country and its amazing history. We especially enjoyed our private tour of Cork with Maurice.

We had a wonderful trip to Scotland. The bulk of our visit was on the isle of Iona; we were part of a pilgrimage group. Kimkim helped us with our travel before and after our time on Iona. Most of the accommodations and transfers went smoothly. There were some glitches however that perhaps could have been avoided with better planning. Our specialilst Liam was on vacation for much of our visit which we didn't learn until his substitute contacted us. When we arrived in Oban on a rainy night, we had to find a cab to get to the hotel. Once there we learned it hadn't been paid for and that our room was on the 4th floor with no elevator. The staircase was narrow and windy. The proprietor graciously got our bags to the room. Our specialist Jane did get us a refund quickly. Our excursion the next day was perfect though and the guide communicated with us promptly and arranged a great hike. Our stay in Tobermory was also lovely. The accommodations were beautiful. After our pilgrimage, we headed to Balmaha. Our road trip guide said we could take a ferry over to Luss but ferry service ended at 3:00 which is when we got there! Our road trip guide also mentioned a private guided tour through the Trossachs National Park which actually was just our cab ride going through it. It was beautiful though! The end result is what is important and we had a wonderful trip. I wouldn't use this agency again and can't really recommend it. We ended up having to do on our own things that we expected the agency to handle. I think a bit more research and effort in the planning would have made a big difference. When Liam returned from vacation, his contact with us was minimal.

Hotel Reviews

Oak Tree Inn

Balmaha

Beautiful setting, great location, wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Western Isles Hotel

Tobermory

Beautiful hotel, great staff, perfect location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Whisky Vaults

Oban

The Whisky Vaults provides simple accommodations and has the most wonderful proprietor on Earth. Our travel agent made some questionable decisions in choosing the hotel for us but the proprietor did everything in his power and went out of his way to ensure a comfortable stay for us.

Authenticity & Character

It's got a lot of charm.

Location

Near the ferrty

Staff

See ablove

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very clean but basic accommodations

Activity Review

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Scotland

The private guided tour through Trossachs National Park was disappointing. It felt more like a cab ride through the park rather than a proper guided tour. There was no extra charge for this, but it lacked the research and quality I expected. It felt like the planning was a bit rushed and not well connected, which was frustrating since I rely on travel agents to avoid such issues.

Ireland for a solo traveler!!

Adrian helped me make the best itinerary for a solo traveler who happened to be my little sister. He helped make sure that all the locations were safe for her as well as all the tours were catered to exactly what she wanted. I was happy to provide him a long list of everything she wanted to see in her 17 days abroad, and he was able to help her see all the places she wanted to see. She came back to the states with over 3000 pictures to share with the family. Adrian was great and I highly recommend him for your kimkim Ireland travels!!

Hotel Review

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY AND TITANIC TOUR FROM DUBLIN

Ireland

Quality of Experience

Hi

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport