Unison Travel & Events

Guide and driver were excellent. Hotel in Tiiblisi (Rooms Hotel Tblisi) was also excellent

We've taken several trips with KimKim and this one had more hiccups. Dislikes:
1. Zehra's company subcontracted the work to another company and that caused too many issues. That was also not disclosed to us. That ended up being a big deal, contributing to my low star ranking
2. Guidance and the FAQs in our travel packet were all about Turkey, but our trip was to Georgia so that was a huge miss. I wanted the same guidance but for the location we were visiting...
3. The hotel in Kutaisi was TERRIBLE. there was mold in the showers, the food was sub par. Our entire group could not wait to check out of that dump.
4. While we enjoy full, busy days, it was often too rushed - too hard to get to things on time and we didn't have any space to linger longer when we wanted to.
5. No beach club was booked for us despite the back and forth with Zehra. This could have been a miscommunication but we really thought we'd asked her to book the beach club for us. This was in Batumi
6. Two of the hotels didn't have the correct bed set up for some of our party which was VERY explicitly discussed up front. While it was resolved, it was incredibly unfortunate that we had any issues at all. This was unacceptable and honestly I still don't understand how/why it happened.

Likes:
Overall, we had a great trip and I think KimKim did a much better job resolving the issues with our travelers. Unlike our Sicily trip which I'm still mad about the lack of resolution for one of our travelers.

Overall, I used to be very high on using and recommending KimKim. Now, i'm on the fence.

Our local guide company, Visit Georgia, was great and we loved our guide and driver. There seemed to be many miscommunications between KimKim and the local company which impacted overall ease throughout the trip. This was unfortunate. Areas impacted included: the itinerary on Kim Kim did not exactly match our local guide’s plans for our day. The hotel in Kutaisi was below our standards. Two out of three hotels did not have the room accommodations requested. Our local guide was not aware of our dinner reservations or the itinerary provided to us by Kim Kim. Overall, using Kim Kim felt like more of a hassle and we would have been better off just booking directly with Visit Georgia.

KimKim travel and their local specialist Burcu helped me make the most of my short time in Istanbul. They crafted an itinerary that combined traditional sight seeing with hands on experience ( mosaic lamp making, cooking class, food tour). The food tour with Bhari was outstanding. Not only did we taste local flavors he shared stories about the buildings and neighborhoods while we wandered. And unexpected bonus, everyone in the group left with tips for places to try that were in the neighborhoods they were staying. The lamp mosaic experience was also pleasant surprise and resulted in a souvenir on my desk. This is my 3rd experience with KimKim Travel. They consistently help me make the most out of my time and budget. Their support is amazing and they add that extra level of confidence while travelling knowing they are there. This trip I had to postpone, but KimKim and Burcu helped me rebook everything when I had the new dates. I can't say enough about the care they put into helping travellers get the most put out of their trips whatever the length.

Hotel Review

Dosso Dossi Hotel Old City

Well located. Easy walk to sites and restaurants. Staff is friendly. Breakfast has a lot of options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bosphorus & Two Continents Tour - Full Day

İstanbul

My knowledgeable guide Furkan showed me the spice market, provided a histical back drop as we toured the Bosphorus by boat and then we went to the Asian side of Istanbul including stops fir wonderful vistas. Oir lunch break even included trying a local snack.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class in Kurtuluş, Istanbul

İstanbul

A great way to taste local flavors andtake some recipes back with you. The chefs were funny and made every step feel easy. It was interesting to see and use some special knives. And the reward at the end is a lovely meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop

İstanbul

The team presenting the workshop we're terrific. They explained each step of the process. They're we're lots of colors to choose from and they provided guided patterns as well. Plus they offered tea.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Princes' Islands

İstanbul

On the boat ride out to the islands the guide shared a lot of history about Istanbul, the islands and various sites usable from the water. We went to 2 islands and had free time at each to explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Istanbul Street Food Discovery: Istiklal & Galata

Turkey

Bhari was amazing. As we wandered tasting local flavors we also learned about the neighborhoods. An amazing bonus we all left with notes about places to try in the neighborhoods where our hotels were.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zehra was amazing. Very quick to deal with our requests and answer our questions and she kept an open dialogue with us throughout the trip ensuring we had all the contact info on all our guides and drivers.
Our guide Eda in Istanbul was very good. She showed us how to you the transit system and sent us directions for our outings on our free day.
a tip for other travellers - air flights in turkey only allow 15kg checkin whereas international is 23kg. We had to pay extra on every flight.
Pera Palace Hotel was excellent. In Cappadocia, Alan and I were in a small room much Lower Than the rest of our group and little space for our luggage. The 2 at the higher level had separate rooms with fireplaces and plenty of room. We ended up upgrading 2 level and they gave us a complimentary upgrade to be at the same level as our friends. Otherwise you had to wait for golf carts to get back and forth. The room we were given was amazing. Also the pool was heated. The hot air balloon was amazing. I would recommend it to everyone!
Our guide in Antalya, Fatih Babaoglu, wasn't sure what he was supposed to show us until I showed him our writeup. It was a long day visiting the Roman ruins which made a very late lunch.
The boat from Olympos to feithye was a disappointment, partly because it was so rough and cool we weren't really able to swim. We could barely move around the boat when it was moving. We couldn't get into Blue Lagoon. Secondly the food was not great. There was very little protein in the meals so we were hungry sooner. Very basic meals, little variety and desert really only 1 night. Also no power outlets in the cabins so my husband could not use his sleep apnea machine and had to store his insulin at the bar (making it easier for him to forget it). Cabins were extremely small and not well laid out. My husband and I had a double and single in our room so had to crawl over each other to get in and out of the bed.
Bodrum was great. The Marmara Hotel was great and the views awesome. It would have been great to have had a heated pool as it was chilly. As it was up in the mountain we needed a taxi to get back up but it wasn't too expensive.
We really needed a full day in Pamukkale . It had some amazing sites but we didn't arrive til around 1pm and had to get lunch before we toured the main attractions. We ended up taking a golf cart to see the Roman ruins (which I think might be the best way as they are really spread out). We would have liked to have gone in the Cleopatra pool as it was open again but we didn't have time and we couldn't go in the limestone laden springs as it was too slippy. It was still wonderful to see. The Richmond Pamukkale Thermal Pool was not up to the standard of the rest of the hotels on our tour. It was a very worn resort hotel and catered to huge groups. Even the dinner wasn't great - too crowded too many people and buffet style!

Hotel Reviews

Richmond Pamukkale Thermal

Denizli

it was set up for large groups of tourists. Not our style. The pool wasn't heated. lightbulb needed replace and a napkin stuffed in the smoke detector. Maintenance took a photo of it but didn't remove.

Authenticity & Character

Location

isolated.

Staff

Buffet not great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marmara Bodrum Hotel

Muğla

Beautiful hotel. Beautiful views but very isolated. Pool not heated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Isolated but taxis reasonable to get to old town.

Staff

restaurant staff slow at dinner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ruin Adalia

Antalya

Room was adequate.

Authenticity & Character

The Roman ruins could be viewed through glass windows on the floor.

Location

very central to Old Town.

Staff

Very accommodating even with a mix up on our tour. We had messed up but they helped us get our money back.

Cleanliness & Comfort

More options on pillows would have been nice.

Argos in Cappadocia

Nevsehir

Beautiful location but isolated!

Authenticity & Character

Omg - it was as if we were staying in caves!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pera Palace

Istanbul

beautiful central hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Pamukkale

Turkey

Long drive, short time for seeing the attractions of Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

drive took too long.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very good. He suggested the golf cart so we could see it all.

Transport

didn't like limo style car!

Olympos to Fethiye Blue Cruise - Day 1

Antalya

there wasn't that much for us to see and it was too rough when we were moving and food wasn't great.

Quality of Experience

Food

No real variety. Not enough protein.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Antalya & Historical Sites

Antalya

Long walk in the hot sun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

same comment re the limo style transportation. Half the group couldn't see.

Explore The Landmarks of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Just amazing - all the rock formations, how the people carved them out and lived in them and the hot air balloon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

the limo style seating was bad as 2 of our group had very long legs.

I have been very fortunate to have taken my grandchildren on 3 amazing trips through the help of KimKim and their amazing travel specialists. This trip we were just on was to Istanbul and Cappadocia. Both places we stayed in were beautiful and our accommodations were excellent thanks to Burcu, my travel specialist. She also made sure we ate well in wonderful restaurants. We couldn't ask for a better and most knowledgeable tour guide, Cengiz in Istanbul, showing us the Blue Mosque, The Topkapi Palace, the Bazaar, taking us on a Food Tour and explaining the history of each place we visited, making the trip even more enjoyable. The Turkish Bath was the hit of our tour in Istanbul as the girls absolutely loved it. We flew into Cappadocia to do the Air Balloon which was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. This did not matter as their tour in the Underground City and the Perfume making made up for it. Not only that but our accommodations in the Kayakapi Premium Cave Hotel was incredible and the sun came out for the kids to enjoy the pool and a swim before flying back to Istanbul. This trip was absolutely wonderful thanks to Burcu, our drivers, and our tour guides. I only wish we were their a few more days to enjoy this beautiful city!

Zehra was amazing!
Very responsive and timely!

We had a very enjoyable and a deep dive into the fascinating history of Turkey. We appreciated experiencing the iconic sites of Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace (Harem), Haghia Sophia and Hippodrome. In Cappadocia to experience the Goreme Valley Monastery, Derinkuyu Underground city and the unique geological formations and balloon ride. In the Aegean region Urlice Vineyards, Ephesus, Aphrodisiacs, Hierapolis and Pamukiale. Experiencing the port city of Fethiye and while on the boat to visit Butterfly Valley, Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon), St Nicholas Island, Kas, Sunken City and Kekova. Around Antalya to visit Myra, Phaselis, Perge and the incredible theater in Aspendos. We enjoyed staying in the old town of Antalya.
Zehra, our travel consultant, was very knowledgeable and helpful in putting together the trip we wanted and getting us off the beaten path. Despite a few delays on flights the entire trip went smoothly, and we were in contact with Zehra at each phase of the trip. The trip was more costly than I anticipated but when you consider it was a private tour for 3 weeks, the vehicle travel and the days we were with guides, the cost is understandable.
All the guides were very knowledgeable and professional. I would point out that guides Uraz Nehir and Mustafa Sahun were exceptional. Good safe drivers are essential. Most of the drivers were very careful. The drivers in Istanbul were too fast for our liking and the one on arrival in Antalya was replaced after the first day because of his driving habits. Ahmed, our driver from Izmir to Fethiye, was exceptional. He was professional, very careful on the road and was very mindful of our well-being. He was also the only driver which spoke some English.
The accommodations were mostly lovely boutique hotels with hotel reception staff which were very friendly and helpful. The Richmond Pamukkale Thermal was the exception in being a massive tourist hotel that was not as pleasant as our other hotels.
The boat trip was great despite the occasionally cool and windy conditions. It was about the right number of days. The beauty and history of the coast was impressive. Something that we appreciated very much was the flexibility of the daily activities to meet our preferences. For example, Judi saw a poster with the cliff tombs of Myra. Our guide was receptive to seeing Myra and Phaselis when we disembarked from our boat trip on the way to Antalya.

Hotel Reviews

Ruin Adalia

Antalya

The location and layout in the middle of old town Antalya is impressive with the ruins under the courtyard. Rooms are large. Staff very helpful. The rooms are in need of some maintenance.

Authenticity & Character

Very impressive courtyard and ruins underneath it

Location

In the old town of Antalya

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very helpful

Marina Boutique Hotel

Mugla

An interesting but strange location in the middle of a ship yard

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Richmond Pamukkale Thermal

Denizli

Too big and impersonal

Authenticity & Character

Everything except the hot springs

Location

Next to Pamukkale

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

LaVista Boutique Hotel & Spa - Boutique Class

Kusadasi

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel was on a hill overlooking the ocean on the edge of the city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fresco Cave Suites & Mansions - Special Class

Urgup

Very helpful staff, excellent breakfast, very interesting and unique hotel architecture.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul

Great location, very helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Interior and exterior of the hotel

Location

Staff

Very helpful on answering any questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Antalya & Historical Sites

Antalya

Sites were amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Impressive guide

Transport

Fethiye to Olympos Blue Cruise - Day 4

Turkey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide is very impressive, driver was not

Fethiye to Olympos Blue Cruise - Day 2

Turkey

Cold and windy during the night

Quality of Experience

Good day visit

Food

Fethiye to Olympos Blue Cruise - Day 1

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat staff was great, very professional and helpful

Transport

Boat was beautiful

Explore Hierapolis & Visit Travertines in Pamukkale

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drive to Pamukkale via Aphrodisias Ancient City

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very Safe driver

Full Day Tour of Ephesus and Region

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was good but not as experienced as other guides

Transport

Visit Urlice Vineyards at Urla including lunch

Turkey

Great to talk to the owner and experience the wines with food

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exceptional driver

Visit to Derinkuyu Underground City & Explore area

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore The Landmarks of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very impressive and knowledgeable

Transport

Safe driver

Cooking Class & Dinner in Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Nice to be with a family

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Istanbul Walking Tour

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Iconic sites

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable