Kimkim Trip Reviews

Superb, wonderful, well planned and just what we had requested.
The one "hiccup" (delayed flight) was handled quickly and efficiently by Joaquina Alvarez. She provided responsive feedback during the trip.
The guides were excellent especially Claudio in Buenos Aires.
The drivers were all on time and helpful.

The hotels were all very good as expected but the Iguazu Pristine Luxury Camp was incredible.
The food was spectacular and the service was wonderful.
The surprise to me was how interesting Salta was. The hotel was pleasant but the manager Petal was particularly lovely and helpful.
Some wonderful dinners in the Balcarce area.

Our last night was spent at the Argentine Diner Experience and was an excellent cap to the vacation. In the future one could consider that as a beginning and save the Tango night towards the end.

Communication with Say Hueque was responsive and many of our questions would have been answered if we opened the Vamoos app sooner. I suggest making it very clear to new clients how important and comprehensive the app is.

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Cafayate

Salta

We shortened the drive as we left one of our party behind with a cold but it was excellent and the guide was wonderful. }Stopping for lunch at a local roadside restaurant was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Humahuaca Gorge - return to Salta

Purmamarca

Around the Clouds Program (02 Days / 01 Night)

Salta

Hair raisin g trip thru tight curves in the mountains but spectacular views and wonderful experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at leisure in Salta

Salta

Lovely town

Full Day MAYO SPIRIT TREK

El Calafate

The second hike was more unstable and the guide should have been more aware that some were not keeping up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Nativo Experience

El Calafate

The guide was interesting and the dinner in the cave was excellent. we were there at night and the view of the sky was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Buenos Aires City Tour

Buenos Aires

Claudio was a perfect guide, informative and entertaining with great insight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Dinner & Tango Show with Lesson included

Buenos Aires

Fun with great show and the food was good

We had a wonderful trip, and loved every minute. Thank you KimKim Team and especially Sandi for making our trip truly exciting and memorable. Everything worked smoothly, without one worry or issue. Planning with Sandi was really fun. She was extremely patient with my questions and changes. She listened to our concerns and planned accordingly. She was communicative throughout the planning and also while we were in Thailand. I couldn't have asked for a better trip planner. I would recommend Sandi highly to anyone!

We had fantastic tour guides. It was not possible to get one tour guide for all days in each location, so we had a different guide each day. And that proved to be fantastic! Each guide was different, and each offered terrific insights and details about everything we were seeing and experiencing. Special side trips and tastes in the markets were included!

Our guides in Bangkok, Leena and, sadly, please forgive me, I am forgetting the name of the lovely and fun guide we had on the second day, were amazing. Loved the Temples, the Palace, the Jim Thompson Museum, and on day two, the Railway Market and the Floating market were great, the guide full of personal and descriptive details, and the trip to the coconut farm much fun. We loved our visit to Chinatown and lunch with our guide in a very local and delicious restaurant.

Then in Chiang Mai, we had the guides Q and Faan, both of whom were amazing. SO much fun! Loved the first day Tuk Tuk tour of the Temples and the markets. Q showed us a very local food market in the morning, and told us a lot about the habits of the people, which was so memorable. The Khaos Soi lunch, the mango and sticky rice delicious, and being blessed by a Buddhist Monk was unforgettable. The next day trip to Lamphun with Faan was also fantastic. Blessed again by another Monk and saw exquisite temples. Very worth the day trip out of the city. Rich with history and beauty.

Finally, the trip to the ethical elephant preserve was a highlight. The guide we had there was so much fun and we learned so much, and enjoyed every minute. Wow, what an experience.

I can't say enough about the tour. From the planning with Sandi, to the logistics--communications from the local coordinator each day before to confirm the details of the next day, perfect pickups and no waiting-- to the really intelligent and interesting guides. I will recommend KimKim to anyone, and plan to use them for our next trip, wherever that may be!

Activity Reviews

Elephant Nature Park Visit

Chiang Mai

Day Trip to a Hidden Gem of Chaing Mai, Lamphun

Chiang Mai

Half day City Temple tour by Tuk Tuk with Khao Soi Lunch

Chiang Mai

Visit Jing Jai Market and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

Chiang Mai

Chinatown visit

Bangkok

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Bangkok by local transfers and temple visit

Bangkok

Ruth was great answering our questions about the trip and helped us prepare well for the trip.
Your company did a great job planning the trip and we were generally pleased with the accommodations and travel arrangements.

However, our accommodation in Sydney was not as good as the rest of the trip.Also, no travel arrangements were made from the hotel to our activities while in Sydney, either. It could have been better if our hotel had a better location or close to Sydney harbor.

Hotel Reviews

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Great location, beautiful city views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to market, shopping areas,great views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Freestyle Resort Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable distance, close to amenities.

Staff

Very helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms with adequate supplies.

Oaks Sydney Goldsbrough Suites

Pyrmont

Nice but older property, not close to the harbor or where most activities were.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not close to Sydney harbor, center of the city or other prominent areas of the city.

Staff

Check in staff not helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and bathroom were old and not well kept.

Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne on Queen

Melbourne

Great location. Close to lot of activities, shopping areas etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to Center of the city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Newer hotel, clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Morning or Afternoon Best of Brisbane Walking Tour - Private

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brisbane Private Transfer Airport to Hotel

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Brisbane

Brisbane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Port Douglas Private Transfer Port Douglas Hotel to Airport

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mossman Gorge Adventure Day

Australia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Outer Reef Mackay Coral Cay (from Port Douglas Hotel)

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Port Douglas Private Transfer Airport to Port Douglas Hotel

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Port Douglas

Port Douglas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Private Transfer Hotel to Airport

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summit by Day, Bridgeclimb

Sydney

Great experience, must do activity in Sydney.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

No transport provided.

Half Day Sydney Classic Tour - E-Bike

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Botanic Gardens Indigenous Bush Tucker Walk

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Private Transfer Airport to Hotel

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Melbourne Private Transfer Hotel to Airport

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Yarra Valley Wine & Sparkling Wine

Melbourne

Include fewer wineries so that we have a little bit more time at each location.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Phillip Island Tour with "Penguins Plus" Viewing

Melbourne

Unique experience, must do activity when visiting Melbourne. Wish Great ocean road was also part of the experience while visiting Melbourne. At least it should be offered as a possible suggestion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide and driver. Very courteous and explained things very well.

Transport

Timely explanations and commentary.

Afternoon Lanes and Arcades Tour

Melbourne

Our guide was amazing,very informed about the city and local cuisine. She made some great recommendations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Melbourne Private Transfer Airport to Hotel

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brisbane Private Transfer Gold Coast Hotel to Airport

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brisbane Private Transfer Airport to Gold Coast Hotel

Australia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Clean comfortable car and courteous drivers.

The itinerary developed by Alfonso was excellent! He & his partner communicated constantly before & during our trip. All of our activities from arrival to departure were flawlessly executed.
We spent 6 days with our fantastic guide, Jose’. He came to our AirBnb each day & took care of all of our needs. He was extremely knowledgeable (especially on art history) & personable. He had a passion for the history & culture of Spain which he shared with us. Our tours of Toledo & Segovia were great day trips. We had one day with another guide, Maria who was also fantastic!

Activity Reviews

Private Reina Sofía Museum Visit with a Historian

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Day Trip to Ávila or Segovia

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk & Royal Palace Experience

Madrid

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prado Museum Private Visit with an Art Historian

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Toledo

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Electric Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Highlights Walk

Madrid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Evening Tapas Stroll with Locals

Madrid

We moved this activity to the afternoon and it was a great introduction to our neighborhood.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All our guides were excellent. They were knowledgeable and really brought Mexican culture alive - walking Tours in CDMX, SAN Miguel de Allende and tours to vineyards, tequila distillery and Whale watching - all were top notch!

Hotel Reviews

San Trópico Boutique Hotel & Peaceful Escape

Puerto Vallarta

We loved this space!!! The room was large, 2 sides opened up to enjoy all the amazing weather of Puerto Vallarta. The bathroom was outside and incredibly spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the marina district

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Morada Hotel

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

The room was large and the bathroom huge and Liberia’s but there were no windows that could open. Additionally, the listing said there was a pool and a roof deck with a hot tub. There was none of this

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to the cathedral

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No windows. The existing windows were frosted and did not open.

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

Clean, wonderful location and the extra amenities were exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Half a block from the zocala

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Thank you!

Puerto Vallarta

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Humpback whales’ season in Bahía de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta

The activity began with an educational overview of humpback Whales which we thought set a nice Tone For The 3 h boat tour of the bay. Awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

City tour & Tequila Tasting

Puerto Vallarta

The tequila tasting and tour were great. We are the the on site restaurant which was really excellent,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour through the historical center

San Miguel de Allende

We enjoyed our walking tour in St-Miguel. The guide, (whose name I do not remember), was thoughtful, interesting and attentive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides’ effort to educate us.

Transport

The tours

Wine tasting at San Lucas Vineyard

San Miguel de Allende

We learned so much from the vineyard host, including Mexican wine and all wine in general. The wine pairing was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

The variet of the food was exceptional and our guide Mar’ knowledge of all things related to CDMX was extraordinary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Free time in Mexico City and Ballet in Bellas Artes

Mexico City

Bellas rates and ballet florique was magical and really provided a rich exploration of Mexico culture

Quality of Experience

Mexico City: Xochimilco, Casa Azul Museum & Museo Casa de León Trotsky

Mexico City

The variety of the 3 activities and the timing were exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Mexico City

Mexico City

The guide was remarkably knowledgeable and approachable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Mexico City and Puebla planned through Kimkim was absolutely fantastic. Every detail was thoughtfully arranged, from the smooth private transfers to the knowledgeable guides and unique cultural experiences. The itinerary struck the perfect balance between structured tours and free time to explore, and we especially loved the food tour in Puebla and the visits to the museums in Mexico City. The accommodations were well-located, making it easy to enjoy each destination. Communication with the Kimkim team was seamless throughout the process, Luz with Rutopia was especially helpful. It was a memorable, stress-free trip, and we would happily use Kimkim again for future travels.

Our local specialist checked in often to make sure we were where we were supposed to be and that everything was running smoothly.

Hotel Reviews

Heritage Rutherford Hotel Nelson

Nelson

Beautiful old time classic hotel right around the corner from Trafalger Street. We ate at a great restaurant with a fun vibe, Hawker House about 5 minutes walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beachfront Hotel

Hokitika

Looked like all the rooms had a view and is right on the ocean. They get big bus tours that take over the restaurant (that has a great view) Should hold out some tables for independent travelers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Watched the sunset from our room.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heartland Hotel Queenstown

Queenstown

Quirky fun hotel. A-frame rooms with exposed beams. If you get a room with a view it's amazing. Not sure what the experience would be like without one. Was at the top of a steep hill so anyone going into downtown like we did a couple times a day would need to walk up that. We were fine with it but we did see a lot of winded people slowly walking up to the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Quirky a-frame style rooms.

Location

Top of steep hill. Makes great views but a harder walk up.

Staff

There was a guy at the concierge desk that we asked for a restaurant reco and his response was "I don't know, I never eat out here." I suspect he was just a valet sitting where the concierge should sit though.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seemed clean and well appointed

Te Waonui Forest Retreat

Franz Josef Westland

Beautiful hotel tucked in the trees. Everything was amazing. The restaurant was excellent. But they had two large bus tours come in and take over. It was super loud and the independent travelers were complaining. We sat outside to get away from it a bit. Would reco holding out some seats in a quieter place for independent travelers. Only other hitch was that the bartender had no idea how to make a manhattan.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Could see the mountains from our window.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Onsen Hot Pools - The Ultimate Relaxation Experience

Queenstown (NZ)

This was the perfect thing to do after hiking the Milford Track. My wife and I are both not huge massage people but after this experience we might be converts. I think the hiking tour companies would be smart to sell this as a package with their hiking tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paula with KimKim set us up with an amazing trip in New Zealand. She recommended the Rees Hotel which was a fantastic spot. We were a bit out of town, but they have a shuttle running all the time and the location on the lake was gorgeous. Having our own apartment was great and even better was the laundry set up in our apartment which helped a lot for our long trip. All our excursions were fantastic. I can’t even pick a favorite. I highly recommend the half day bike trip for Arrowtown, the Milford Sound excursion, the one day Routeburn Track hike (13 miles so long but totally worth it!), and the jet boats out on the Dart River. Angelo was our guide on the hike and he was so entertaining and informative. All of it was amazing and I would happily do it all over again. One last thing - we were supposed to take a flight back from Milford Sound and that got canceled due to wind. It ends up being a LONG day with a lot of time on a bus when you have to take it back, and yet I would still do it. The sound is gorgeous. Thanks Paula!

Let's start with what Kimkim did wrong because it may help you. First, a little background - my wife and I are in our 50's and are likely two of the oldest digital nomads there are lol. In other words, we travel for 7 - 8 months per year while we run a small business remotely. We usually book our own tours / travel, but we have started to use Kimkim when we are too busy or need an expert. We booked a short tour with Kimkim (Ali) recently and in our opinion, Kimkim's only mistake was that they didn't fully prepare us for the beauty we actually experienced. I'm not kidding here - going into this short tour from Marrakech to the desert, all four of us expected (our daughter and mother-in-law came with us) that the tour would be nice, but it turned out to be superb. Ali's guidance and Said's booking was flawless and they were very responsive, Farid the driver was excellent, kind and understanding (he even welcomed us into his mother's home to break fast during Ramadan). As excellent as the Kimkim team was, the actual tour was fantastic - the beautiful landscapes we experienced on our way to the desert, the desert experience itself, the hotel selections, the food, the guide in the desert (Ibrahim) who drove us though the desert in his 4 x 4, it was all much better than we expected before we left Marrakech. Thank you for a wonderful experience! Paul & Erika Montague (Canada).

We just completed a wonderful trip to Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hanoi.
The highlight for us was a “village tour” during our stay in Hoi An. Our local tour guide, Trinh, introduced us to our village with a very personal itinerary, including visits to several homes in the community for food and chats.

The hotels that were selected for us were all outstanding. Our favorites were Nikko Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and Allegro in Hoi An.

A very special thanks to our host, Trang. She made the planning so easy and (other than some minor communication gaps due to the time change) she was remarkably responsive and flexible. Trang literally saved our vacation. When checking in to our Korean Airlines flight in Boston, the airline’s crew noted an error in my visa for Vietnam - basically there was, in error, and extra “s” listed in my name on the Visa. After a long and stressful hour, in which it was clear that I would ultimately not be able to board the flight from Seoul to Ho Chi Minh City with this Visa, Trang saved the day! By the time our flight landed in Seoul, she had arranged for a “rush” replacement visa and I was able to complete travel as planned. I cannot thank Trang enough!

This was our second KimKim experience, as we traveled to Japan with the entire family this past summer. Both experiences were excellent and I will certainly use KimKim again.

Hotel Review

Allegro Hoian

A great boutique hotel with charm and a super-attentive staff. Great location and an even greater breakfast buffet! “Nancy” from the staff was warm and welcoming and made it a point to chat daily and even remembered our names throughout our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Charming feel

Location

Short walk to Old Town

Staff

Nancy was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hoi An - biking Go Noi Village - Hoi An

Hoi An

Our favorite activity of the trip. Trinh, our local tour guide, gave an amazing introduction to her home village. We learned to prepare several dishes and enjoyed a great lunch at a family’s home. Riding around the village on bicycles was a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best driver ever!

The Kim Kim experience was very good and the local specialist Ravi was excellent in handling the itinerary (which we had to modify a number of times), maintained excellent communication prior and throughout the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Fishtail lodge

Pokhara

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Dwarika’s Hotel

Kathmandu

Hotel, Staff and food were excellent

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kathmandu Free Day

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Annapurna Foothills Trek & Cultural Village Experience!

Pokhara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise from Sarangkot!

Pokhara

Unfortunately, beyond anyone's control it was a foggy morning so views of nice sunrise and the Himalayas were non existent

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Pokhara sightseeing!

Pokhara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kathmandu - Nagarkot via Bhaktapur

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kathmandu Full Day Sightseeing!

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mt Everest Flight!

Kathmandu

We had better views travelling out of Kathmandu on air India.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Shree was excellent, very knowledgeable and always very punctual and our drivers both in Kathmandu and Pakhora were exceptional.

Transport

Drivers were always on time, vehicles were very comfortable and the driver had to negotiate some very difficult driving conditions

The planning process was overall positive. We ultimately had three specialists due to staff transitions but the running dialogue was in tact so I think the continuity was preserved. I was new to the Kimkim process and would be a more effective communicator next time. When asked to provide feedback I wasn’t always sure what to say or what alternatives to consider.

Having Omar for the duration of our trip was extremely valuable - both in theory and in practice. I am contrasting that with our current time in Egypt where there have been handoffs. Of course, that only works with a skilled guide. Omar was open, a good listener and engaging. He found a great balance being personal and professional. He was open, educational without being overwhelming. We would welcome him in our home if he ever gets to the states. He even introduced us to his mother! He accommodated special requests.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Really enjoyed our time here. Authentic and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar Timnay Hotel

Midelt

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Fun experience. Well appointed, especially given its location.

Authenticity & Character

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Solid western style, resort style accommodation. Nice pool.

Eden Boutique Hotel

Boumalne Dades

Absolutely amazing! This place is beautiful. Staff is attentive. Food is outstanding. Leadership is present and engaged. Eden is right up there with the very best places we have ever stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Next level

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Syed was fantastic. He is a knowledgeable and clear communicator. Really enjoyed our time with him.

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

Thanks for the heads up about our guide needing to canvass two terminals. That was helpful to know when he wasn’t there at our arrival. Otherwise we may have worried a bit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Driver for Sikkim Sonam Sherpa was outstanding. He also served as a guide for places where we did not need a senior Guide.
Our Guide for Tsomgo Lake trip ( RUBINA) was excellent and went beyond her responsibilities to guide and assist us in difficult terrain over 12,500 feet. The driver was also skilled in navigating difficult high altitude roads.

The overall support provided by the local agency (Rajat and Santosh Gupta) was very good and they showed flexibility to adjust to our needs.

Hotel Review

The Elgin, Darjeeling Heritage Resort & Spa

Darjeeling

Great experiencing at this authentic boutique property.

Authenticity & Character

Old palace converted into a boutique property.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Darjeeling – Tiger Hill Sunrise, Toy Train Ride & Sightseeing

Darjeeling

We covered all the traditional tourist and world heritage sites. One full day was good.

Quality of Experience

Very please and customer centric people

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Customer service

Transport

We can’t say enough wonderful things about the trip to Finland (with a side trip to Estonia) that Emerson organized for our family. Simply put, Emerson was the hero of our trip. Our flight to Helsinki was cancelled, and then our return flight home was delayed by a blizzard in the U.S., but Emerson immediately sprang into action. He quickly reworked our itinerary and helped minimize the additional costs caused by the delays, turning what could have been a very stressful situation into something completely manageable.

Emerson's communication was outstanding from start to finish. He responded quickly to every message and always provided thoughtful, detailed answers to our (sometimes silly!) questions during the planning process. When our flights were cancelled and we were sending panicked WhatsApp messages, he stayed calm, responsive, and incredibly helpful. We truly can’t thank him enough for his professionalism, competence, and kindness; he was an absolute pleasure to work with and genuinely saved the trip (and our sanity!).

The trip itself was fantastic. The hotels Emerson selected were perfect for our family, including a “bonus hotel” (Home Hotel Jugend) that we needed during our unexpected extended stay. The tours were excellent -- especially the dogsledding and Northern Lights tour led by Niko from Johka.fi, which were both truly unforgettable. All of the transfers were smooth and perfectly on time. My husband wasn’t the biggest fan of the overnight train to Kemijärvi, but the kids thought it was a great adventure.

Our hotel in Pyhä (Kurula’s Resort) was wonderful. While the walk into town was a bit long, the weather was beautiful and the road passed a public sledding hill that quickly became a highlight for our family. The warming hut at the base made it extra special because we had fun roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire.

The kids also loved visiting the amethyst mine, and the dinner after our snowmobiling tour was outstanding—especially the moose soup. Estonia was a fantastic addition as well: the ferry ride was relaxing, the tour of Tallinn with Jonas from Estadventures was fascinating, and the city itself is absolutely gorgeous.

This was truly an unforgettable trip for our family, and Emerson played a huge role in making it such a success. We recommend kimkim and Emerson wholeheartedly to anyone planning a trip to the region.

Hotel Reviews

Posti Boutique Hotel Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi

Nice and quiet, quick walk to town, excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kurula's Resort

Pyhätunturi

The rooms are fantastic! Sledding right outside the front door of the rooms (on the provided sleds) is fun. It would be nice to have a shuttle to town since there are functionally no ubers/taxis and bus is very infrequent & expensive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Kids thought it was the greatest thing ever! One adult found it interesting but had some trouble sleeping. The other adult couldn't sleep at all and was fairly grumpy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Paasi

Helsinki

Quiet, friendly, great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

Since we were in Lapland it's only proper to see some reindeer, and we saw some. This was a well-organized tour. Unfortunately, the other guests in our group tour were talking/translating over the tour guide and interrupting her constantly. She seemed really exasperated and I felt bad for her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Finland

This was awesome! We saw the most amazing lights - it was otherworldly. Our tour guide (Niko who works with the company Johka) was a man on a mission to get us to see some lights. He drove so far to get away from the clouds, and we had brilliant success. While I know that we were lucky, I have to give some credit to Niko's very intense reading of his solar activity apps and knowledge of the area. He's also very chatty, funny, and pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Snowmobile Safari with Dinner

Pyhä

It was very very cold and I am not sure that we are natural-born snowmobilers. The dinner afterwards was fantastic and cozy. There were some northern lights above the lake & the proprietor came and got us from dinner to look at the lights, letting us stay a bit late. Excellent hospitality

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Husky Safari and Farm Visit

Pyhä

This was awesome! The dogs are very high energy. Strongly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amethyst Mine Tour with the Pendolino - Snow Train

Pyhä

The kids really liked this activity. The Pendolino was fun & the scenery was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (3h)

Helsinki

Enjoyed the tour - it was a nice way to orient ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

The city tour with Jonas with Estadventures was fantastic, we learned a lot! We enjoyed traveling on the giant ferry through the partially frozen sea - it was like traveling through a slurpee.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Priscilla and the team at MyTripology created an excellent two week end-to-end visit to Indonesia, handling every in-country arrangement with private cars, drivers, and guides. She added things I did not even know about. The cultural diversity in the experiences was wonderful. The attention to detail was perfect. Every airport arrival, hotel transfer, guide pickup, etc. was seamless. She even secured a complimentary couples spa package in Bali and and an upgrade to a suite in Labuan Bajo. Items like the Raffles LiveAboard boat stay and Ceci dancing were unknown to me at the start of planning. The guides were all very good an a couple were excellent.

An important part of the success was having a constant WhatsApp contact "handler" named Deta. Deta sent updates, photos of pickup assistants, flight check-in links, and answered all tour questions. When there was a port closure threatening our ship sailing she created alternate plans, sending updates as needed (but the weather improved just in time to go back to original plan!). When our flight home (which they had not booked) was cancelled I asked the Indonesia team to find us alternate flights as I was having difficulty working 12 hours away from my home agency. They booked us avoiding the closed airports and got us home under difficult circumstances. Much appreciated.

I look forward to exploring another tour in the future with MyTripology.

Karim was a fantastic guide! We went as a group of five and he welcomed us with open arms from start to finish. We loved all of the experiences, especially being in the Sahara. Would recommend to everyone!

We loved our trip to Thailand. Elena did a phenomenal job planning the entire thing and tailoring it to our desires. It was an incredibly memorable experience with phenomenal guides ("O" and Mark). Everything was very well thought out and the travel was seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Varana Krabi Hotel

Wellness Focused Hotel with great amenities. We worked out in the gym each morning, had a yummy breakfast on the veranda and then headed to the pool or beach. My husband did the paddle board fitness class and I got a massage on the beach. 10/10

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort

Wonderful Hotel. The free boat up and down the river was an awesome addition. Centrally located with a great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Four Islands Sunset & Night Snorkeling by Speedboat Join-in Activity

Krabi

Such a great day in the sun! We were able to snorkle both during the day and at night. The beaches were pristine and the water is warm. I typically get seasick, but didn't at all on this tour and the guides had medicine in case. At the end of the tour we saw the most incredible group of bats leaving a cave (I mean thousands) and then snorkled in the dark with bioluminescent plankton. Unforgettable!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secret Bar Vibes Bangkok

Bangkok

Mark was great and we went to the most amazing bars! We went to a few different bars after and they were amazing. The bars Mark picked out were so fun, funky, and had delicious drinks (I even got mocktails and they were so yummy)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

We got so full on this tour! We had a blast trying out the different street foods and seeing the bustling night life.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

This was such a cool and authentic day. O, our guide, showed us local food and we tasted the most amazing Thai snacks at the market. The boat ride was relaxing and allowed us to see local thai culture up close.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic, Local, Fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Great Tour on our first day. The guide "O" was super informative and gave us a lot of information about the temples.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was the most incredible trip! We had so many wonderful experiences including touring the interesting city of Helsinki, enjoying Finnish saunas, visiting a beautiful reindeer farm, and going on a husky ride... But most of all, we had once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the northern lights! We had great success with our northern lights hunting tours and even got to see them dancing above us while in our glass ceiling cabin! The pace of the week-long trip was comfortable and the accommodations were very nice/food was delicious! These were very unique experiences I got to share with my mom and husband that will give us memories to last a lifetime

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nova Skyland Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Lights Ranch

Köngäs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snowshoeing Experience

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adults Only Husky Adventure

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Herder Day Experience

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour (2h)

Helsinki

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Photography Tour

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great overall 15 day Australia itinerary to 5 locations. Logistics went perfectly

Designer Trips represented by Camila and her ops colleague Flora were very professional, pleasant to work with and provided a high level of service and always responded promptly to queries and requests to change a very bespoke and tight itinaeary. All the local guides and drivers provided were excellent and we enjoyed all the properties we stayed at.

Hotel Reviews

Llao Llao Hotel

Bariloche

A unique property with stunning views and location with extensive facilities. A much larger property than we normally like, but the new Moreno Wing was excellent and almost like a boutique hotel. Best designed hotel room we have stayed in anywhere optimised for views, space and amienties! Unfortunately the food was not up to the same standard and we were pleased we went out for dinner one evening

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Awasi Mendoza

Overall Excellent 5* plus experience with personal guide/driver for wine tours. Hotel provided a great wine and culinary experince and rooms as individual Casita's with lovely roof terrace

Authenticity & Character

surounded by a vineyard

Location

Staff

All the staff very attentive and lovely people who want to do a great job

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legado Mitico Salta Hotel Boutique

Salta

Old town house in great location walking distance to centre of Salta and night life area

Authenticity & Character

well done rennovation and conversion of original town house

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grace Cafayate Hotel

Salta

Excellent location close to town with very nice pool area. We stayed in one of the seperate villas which while was a big space was a bit souless and lacking in comfort and amienities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

breakfast and dining service excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

CasaSur Palermo Hotel

Buenos Aires

good hotel as base for a short BA visit in nice area

Authenticity & Character

Black theme bit dated

Location

Palermo

Staff

front desk very responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Navigation & Trekking

Bariloche

We had fabulous weather for our 1/2 day private bosat excursion - really nice itineray and small motor launch and visit to Victoria island was perfect to complement the hiking day

Quality of Experience

Food

simple picnic on the boat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent local guide and skipper/owner of the boat

Transport

Panoramic Hike

Bariloche

we really enjoyed the hiking and expert guiding

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mendoza Private City Tour

Mendoza

the highlight is the city park which is wonderful and the monument - not much to see in rest of Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic drive Cafayate to Salta

Argentina

beacause we did the hike en route

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner under the stars

Cafayate

Beatutiful setting and service at the hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trekking Quebrada de las Flechas

Argentina

Local guide and driver Joachim and our hiking guide Quito were really excellent and made sure we got the best out of our hiking time. This 8 km hike is through beautiful massive landscape with just us and our guide with stunning geology changing every 100m and our guide Quito was a proffessor of Geology so was fascinating experinece as well as amazing for photography. This was the highlight of our Argentina trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joachim looked after us brilliantly and was always available and adjusted the itinaeary to maximise our time and experience

Trekking (El Paso – La Yesera)

Argentina

Local guide and driver Joachim and our hiking guide Quito were really excellent and made sure we got the best out of our hiking time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's wine time!

Cafayate

very nice lunch with wine pairing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport