Odynovo Tours Co., Ltd

We spent an amazing 10 days in China, always accompanied by knowledgeable guides. Bonnie, our guide in Shanghai, was so happy and proud to show us around her city! She was very knowledgeable, kind and patient, always willing to make changes or pivot to other interests of the group and was so capable in dealing with a few glitches we had at the train station. Alvin, our guide for Huangshan and the spectacular Yellow Mountain was a pleasure to be with as we hiked up the mountain on our way to the amazing Up Cloud Villa where we stayed for one night. I cannot recommend this small, luxury hotel enough! The rooms were gorgeous and comfortable, the food was delicious and the staff went above and beyond at all times. They not only provided exemplary service but also led us through various crafting experiences, even setting up Mah Jong for us and offering to play with us to complete the foursome. Truly an experience worth having to wake up on the mountain before the crowds for a sunrise hike! Alvin then took us to a gem of a protected town for our stay at the SU House Hotel where we were surprised by an amazing show for the mid autumn festival that was being celebrated that day. The fire works, dragons, lanterns overlooking the lake was mesmerizing! Florence, our guide in Hangzhou, showed us around her beautiful city with grace and precision. She was so knowledgeable and informative of the history and growth of such a lush and progressive city. She was also very open to a change of plans for a whole day as we got to know the city better.
Not our first trip to China but always leave the country wanting more. Cannot recommend it enough and Heidi from Kim Kim was a pleasure to work with and understood so well what we envisioned.

Hotel Reviews

The Silk Lakehouse, Shangri-La Hangzhou

A truly beautiful luxury hotel next to the stunning lake. The rooms are well appointed and very comfortable. Spectacular buffet breakfast and staff were all kind and mindful. Would definitely recommend for an enjoyable stay in Hangzhou!

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Huanghsan SU House

A beautiful hotel nestled in a protected town with gorgeous rooms and spectacular views over the lake and town. Had a wonderful stay at this little treasure.

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

UPCLOUD SHUGUANGLI VILLA

Can't not say enough wonderful things about the UPCLoud! What a gem on the mountain! The rooms are beautiful and so comfortable with every detail thought about. The staff are the true stars! They were so attentive and kind providing a warm and engaging experience. If you have the opportunity to stay her absolutely do it!!

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Cleanliness & Comfort

The St. Regis on the Bund, Shanghai

Beautiful Art Deco inspired hotel right on the Bund. Walking distance from so many hotspots in Shanghai with spectacular river views over Pudong.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Tea Culture in Hangzhou: Meijiawu Tea Village

Hangzhou

A fun time spent with NaNa, a local tea producer in Hangzhou. Spending time with her in her home teaching us about the local teas, flavors, and history, was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ERA Intersection of Time Acrobatic Show 2

Shanghai

The show was entertaining with some great stunts. Not sure the price is worth the duration of the show and the time spent in transportation. Would not say it is a must do in a city so full of activities and nightlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit the Magnificent Huangshan Mountain

Huangshan City

A visit to the Yellow Mountain is an absolute must! The beautiful views, spectacular rock formations and manicured hiking trails are very worth the climb.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Full day in Hangzhou: West Lake and Lingyinsi, Feilai Peak & Six Harmonies Pagoda

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is a truly vibrant and interesting city. The West Lake tour in a boat was a really enjoyable experience. The visit to Lingyinsi, a spectacular temple and grotto sculptures was the highlight. Only thing that would suggest is to be willing to do the tour as early in the morning as possible to avoid the heat and crowds. The area opens at 7 am and is definitely worth the early wake up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The van was the oldest of the vans throughout our stay.

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Shanghai is an impressive, clean and safe city absolutely worth a visit!

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Enjoy the Historic Villages in Huangshan

Huangshan City

Really enjoyed a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Honcun. A beautifully preserved town with nice shops and wonderful views. Definitely worth a stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Japan was fantastic. Shona did a wonderful job catering to our requests for a balance of historical places and modern experiences. We especially liked Nijo Castle and Shinjuku.

Our individual guides, Miwa Aoki and Katsumi Ishikawa, were amazing. I would highly recommend both for Tokyo and Kyoto, respectively.

Our guides were great. Nicole was really amazing and fun to be with on our tour of the Fortress in Suwon. We wanted to detour to Osan to take some pics of my old base but wasn’t able to do so but everything else went well. Billy our guide for our trip from Seoul to Gwangju, Daegu, Cheongju, and Pusan was extremely well versed in the history of the different dynasties and period of Korean history. He did everything to ensure we had a great time as we journeyed through the land of South Korea. Christine was always available to help and to fix anything that went wrong or keep us informed of any changes or updates to our itinerary. We love the Hotel arrangements and the food offerings at each location. Our tour in Daegu and Cheongju as well as Pusan were great. The people we met were so warm and attentive to our being able to have a wonderful experience in South Korea. We were able to visit the Language Institute in Seoul and Pusan and attended church on two Sabbaths and met some wonderful people of our faith. We enjoyed the spiritual fellowship with them and great food as well. Our trip to Jeju had a small hiccup with airport security but Christine came to the rescue and remedied the situation. Thanks for all your help Christine. You were great. We plan to visit again in 2030. Hope to stay in touch with Billy(Lee Kyung Jong), so we can see him again soon. Thanks to everyone involved in making our trip to South Korea so enjoyable and such a memorable success.

The planning phase was super - we were hoping to trust kimkim to interpret our requests and preferences into an itinerary that met our needs and would make our travel experience smooth and enjoyable. They delivered. Every day was thoughtfully planned with the right amount of activity and also room to improvise when we decided in the moment we wanted to do something different. We had support from private guides and scheduled activities so we didn't have to figure out many logistics, but also flexibility to explore or simply skip things based on our energy levels. The only challenge was overcoming the time difference and a bit of a language barrier negotiating some of the details.

The guides were all excellent in different ways, and I would recommend them all. They were funny, enthusiastic, and friendly and truly enhanced our experience in all of the places we visited. The Hello K cooking class and the Jinyeon traditional music performance were especially notable, but we found so much to enjoy every day. I also recommend the National Museum of Korea, the United Nations Peace Memorial, and the charming Hotel 28 Myeongdong where we stayed during our first leg in Seoul.

This is the first international family trip that we have done, and it was a stellar experience. We had a beautiful and memorable visit to Korea that we will remember for years to come.

Hotel Reviews

Maison Glad Jeju

Jeju

Felt luxe, and everything was quite nice, but lacked personality. Good location and an excellent breakfast.

Shilla Stay Busan Haeundae

For a huge hotel they did a good job. Beach town vibes. Not fancy, and some of the choices in the rooms were odd, but pleasant enough, and well situated.

Hotel 28 Myeongdong

Seoul

We LOVED this charming little hotel. It was a perfect place to spend our first nights halfway across the world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We could walk to many restaurants, shops, and sites

Staff

Very kind, polite, and attentive, They spoke English extremely well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great amenities and exceptionally well maintained

Activity Reviews

Family-Friendly Mt. Hallasan, Tea Plantation, and Arte Museum Tour

Jeju Island

Jimmie was fun and interesting - loved hearing about his mother's diving, and appreciated all of his recommendations. The Arte Museum was an unexpectedly awesome experience.

Discover the Culture of Busan with Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Busan

Jino was a delight. Such a kind and sweet young man. We loved seeing Busan with his perspective.

Jinyeon: Korean Traditional Music Performance with Modern vibes

Seoul

Unexpectedly moving. Loved learning about Korea from a musical lens.

Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience

Seoul

Perfectly lovely in every way

Go on a Hiking Tour of Bukhansan and Ancient Seunggasa Temple

Seoul

This is a challenging hike! We enjoyed it but it was VERY hot and we probably shouldn't have done it during the heat wave.

Explore Seoul Highlights

Seoul

Sebastian was amazing!

We had a wonderful trip to China.

China is home to all kinds of natural beauty and temples/monuments. However visiting the Great Wall and Zhangjiajie were by far our highlights.

We really enjoyed our guides Linda, Kevin, and Arthur. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the area we were visiting and more than willing to help us with anything we needed. I want to specifically give a shout out to Arthur who helped me find some cold medicine at a pharmacy.

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

Great location. Comfortable rooms (although we did have to ask for a mattress topper due to VERY firm mattress). I would recommend this hotel to future guests.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Great location. Comfortable rooms. One of the better hotels we stayed at on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chengyun Yuexi Resort

This hotel was in a good location near restaurants and access the riverside. However upon our arrival to our room we noticed the floors were very dirty and the bathroom area smelled of sewage. Very nice sized rooms, but the cleanliness of the room was very disappointing.

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Green Lotus Hotel

Very nice hotel and in a great location to restaurants and bars. There is an amazing view out the back of the hotel at the river and surrounding hills. The hotel is very modern and elegant. However our friend did have unclear sheets upon our arrive. Very disappointing for such a nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need to make sure rooms and sheets are clean before guest arrivals.

Guilin Bravo Hotel Grand Wing

This hotel has a great location near the lakes in Guilin. Very convenient walk to restaurants and bars near the hotel. The hotel itself was nice, but the rooms were a little musty. This was likely due to the humidity the local areas see.

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Staff

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Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

Very pretty hotel with a nice lobby and bar area. Rooms were very nice but we had an issue with our room smelling BADLY of cigarette smoke even though it was a "non smoking " room. It seemed to pick up when the fan was turned on. We asked the front desk for another room, which they kindly helped us with - but once we turned on the fan in that room....same cigarette smell. This was very disappointing given how nice the hotel looked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Non smoking rooms need to be rid of cigarette smoke smell.

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

This hotel is a great location - close walking distance to several bars and restaurants. Very elegant and modern. We particularly enjoyed the complimentary supply of water bottles. One of the better hotels we stayed at on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

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Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing

Beijing

This hotel is in a great location. Close walking distance to restaurants and shopping. The lobby is very nice and we enjoyed the hotel bar on several nights. Staff were very friendly and washing machines were free to use. However we were not thrilled about our room. There was hair on the floor in our bathroom and finger smudges on the mirror. You could also tell that someone had smoked in the room at some point even though it was a "non smoking" room. Bed was firm (which I don't mind as much), but it seems most are in China are (at least at the hotels we stayed at).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room needs to be cleaned better before guests arrive. Old cigarette smoke needs to be removed.

Activity Reviews

Countryside Tour in Yangshuo by bike

Yangshuo

We chose to rent scooters and had a lovely time riding down the trail parallel to the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Enjoy a Spicy Sichuan Hotpot Meal

Chengdu

Very good. One of our better meals on the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

The show was very nice, but the food was expensive and not that great. They bring out several plates of dumplings with all sorts of fillings, but most of the time they were not hot. We had better dumplings elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Half Day Exploring the Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill

Guilin

Thought this would be something else. Pretty cave system, but very cheesy and relatively small. The elephant trunk hill area was very underwhelming.

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Peking Duck Experience

Beijing

Very good! One of the best meals on the trip. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

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Half day Golf course at Shanghai Silport Golf Club

Shanghai

Very nice golf course. We met the general manager upon walking in (Jack) who was incredibly helpful getting us set up and going. Our guide was not very familiar with golf or the check in process so this was a helpful coincidence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There is really no need for a guide to be included on this. Just a driver is enough. Especially if the guide is not familiar with golf.

Transport

Travel from Fenghuang (Phoenix) Ancient Town Town to Furong

Fenghuang

We really enjoyed our time in Fenghuang. Particularly the river boat ride and grabbing some drinks in the evening along the riverside. Furong is much smaller and would not recommend staying there for too long. Waterfalls are beautiful. Get in, get your photos and head out.

Quality of Experience

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See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

Very cool to see and learn about the warriors, but got very repetitive after the first couple chambers. Still would highly recommend going, but have appropriate expectations.

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Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

We would honestly skip this. Mostly seeing old bank buildings and a overcrowded garden area.

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Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

Grand Canyon was a little cheesy. It was cool to walk across the glass bridge, but the zipline and slide were just okay. The zipline limited your speed and the slide got backed up due to too many people being allowed at once. The boat ride at the bottom of the canyon could be skipped. Tianmen mountain was one of the coolest things we did on our trip. Beautiful area. Highly recommend. You MUST walk up the 999 steps.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

Highlight of the trip. Beautiful national park.

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Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

We enjoyed our cruise down the Li River. Seats on the boat were very comfy - although we spent most of our time on the top deck outside site seeing as we cruised down the river.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Encounter Adorable Giant Panda in Chengdu

Chengdu

We loved seeing the pandas.

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Food

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Explore Local Food Market and the Temple of Heaven in Beijing

Beijing

Seeing the local food markets was fine and the Temple of Heaven was nice. We were in the market for maybe 5 minutes. We did enjoy seeing the morning workout area where the locals meet. However we would not recommend going out of your way to see the food market.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

Seeing the Great Wall was perhaps the highlight of our entire trip. Definitely recommend.

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Explore Fobidden City and Hutong in Beijing

Beijing

We had a great time visiting both the Forbidden City and Hutong areas. Both sites are worth visiting. We ended up going back to the Hutong area in the evening for some drinks and shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Heidi did a great job organizing our trip and planning everything out for a stress free trip. All the guides were friendly and flexible to work with what we wanted to do. We will definitely be using Kimkim in the future!

Everything put together by our Kimkim team was great. Thanks much to our local specialist Kelly who was always on top of things and readily available. Our guides & drivers Nick & Nat (in Bangkok) and Praew & Mo (in Chiang Mai) were all very kind and superb. You all made our trip unforgettable. We can’t wait to return to Asia and seek your services again.

Hotel Reviews

Nora Buri Resort & Spa

Koh Samui

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Rim Resort Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Perhaps the most amazing hotel staff we’ve even come across. Simply beautiful, wonderful people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Elephant Nature Park Tour (Join-in)

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai Tour with White Temple

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Historical Ayutthaya Tour from Bangkok

Thailand

Quality of Experience

M

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Bangkok City Tour with Canal tour

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing eight days in Korea, and much of the credit goes to Christine at KimKim. From the beginning, she listened to what we wanted and created a thoughtful schedule that was not only well designed, but actually honored throughout our trip. Every transfer was prompt, communication was excellent, and we always knew what to expect next.
That level of organization made the trip remarkably stress-free. We had only one hiccup during our eight days, and Christine resolved it immediately. Her attention to detail, responsiveness, and genuine care made us feel that we were in very good hands.
A real highlight was having Kory in Seoul and Lucy in Busan as both our drivers and guides. This was an enormous advantage. Navigating the traffic and parking in two major cities would have added a great deal of stress, and instead we could simply enjoy the experience.
Kory brought Seoul’s history to life with his storytelling and knowledge. Our day at the DMZ was especially moving and became a true core memory for us. He clearly loves his country and city, and that enthusiasm was contagious.
Lucy was a wonderful ambassador for Busan. Her love for her city was infectious, and her knowledge, storytelling, and joyful personality made every stop enjoyable. Her timing was also exceptional—we seemed to arrive everywhere just before the crowds.
We also enjoyed a phenomenal Korean cooking class, along with many other experiences that gave us a wonderful mix of history, culture, food, and everyday Korean life.
A note for other travelers: We are an active retired American couple in our 60s and 70s, and this itinerary was very manageable for us. That said, it does involve a fair amount of walking on uneven surfaces, getting in and out of cars and trains, and navigating some smaller hotel rooms compared with typical American accommodations. We knew this going in, so we packed light, wore good, durable walking shoes, and managed our expectations. With that preparation, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
What impressed us most about KimKim was that the trip worked exactly as planned. The schedule was honored, transfers were prompt, communication was excellent, and when something unexpected happened, it was handled immediately.
Christine, Kory, and Lucy each played an important role in making our eight days in Korea exceptional. We came home with wonderful memories and a much deeper appreciation for Korea. We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for a well-planned, personalized, and worry-free experience.

Judy did an outstanding job arranging my trip. I emailed him the specifics of what I wanted to do in Japan, and he arranged everything for a flawless trip. I was able to summit Mt. Fuji, ride the Shinkansen and attend a formal tea ceremony. They cover all the small details that I wouldn't have thought of, such as sitting you on the side of the Shinkansen where you can observe Mt. Fuji.
This trip was a dream come true for me. I will definitely use KimKim again for my future adventures. Just outstanding service all around!

Hotel Reviews

Cross Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to shopping

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mt. Fuji Mountain hut

For what it is, it's great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Groove Shinjuku

Tokyo

Great staff and beautiful hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

9h nine hours Hamamatsucho sleep lab

Great capsule hotel. I don't think I would stay in one again. Great experience but I prefer regular hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to anywhere

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

2-Day Hiking the Mt. Fuji Subashiri Trail (Sep.~Oct.) - Day 1

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

2-Day Hiking the Mt. Fuji Subashiri Trail (Sep.~Oct.) - Day 2

Fujikawaguchiko

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tokyo Day Tour with Tsukiji Outer Market & Senso-ji - East & Central

Japan

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Tea Ceremony

Kyoto