Kimkim Trip Reviews

Diana Mota and her associate, Pedro Luis, at Across Portugal planned and helped up realize a wonderful trip to Portugal that far exceeded my expectations. We worked with her to tailor our itinerary to focus the trip on what we enjoy - walking tours, enjoying local food and wine, and boat trips, while still having free time to wander around and soak up the local character. The Across Portugal staff was in regular contact with us throughout the trip, which was reassuring, even though we had no issues. Our guide/driver around Lisbon, Samir Castro, provided excellent service, was a wealth of information, and recommended terrific restaurants. The hotel in Lisbon, the Heritage Avenida Liberdade, was our favorite - historic with lots of character, very comfortable, and the service, breakfast, and location was perfect. Our walking tour guide in Lisbon provided a great balance of history and culture and answered all our questions. Porto was a beautiful old city and our guide/driver Mr. Ivo and walking tour guide, Sarah, were very proud to show us the highlights of their city. The Douro Valley was gorgeous and our gourmet lunch and wine tasting at Pacheca winery were a highlight of the trip. Our second week in the Algarve was very relaxing at the Pine Cliffs resort. We also really enjoyed the Algarve winery visit at Morgado do Quintao. In summary, we had an excellent time in Portugal, learning about the history and culture, and enjoying the beautiful landscapes and delicious food and wine.

My friend and I traveled to Norway in June 2025, fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine. I had always wanted to visit, but I had no idea where to begin when it came to planning the trip.

I contacted [KimKim](https://www.kimkim.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com), and Mathias took care of everything. Before I knew it, we had a well-organized itinerary that included transportation, hotel bookings, train tickets, and tours along the way.

Everything was fantastic, and the entire trip went smoothly from start to finish. I would definitely use [KimKim](https://www.kimkim.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) again.

We just got back from an amazing Australia trip, definitely one of our favorite trips together! My 10-year-old son and I try to do a special trip together every year because it’s such great quality time, and this one was really unforgettable. Paula did an incredible job planning everything — super responsive, organized, thoughtful, and easy to work with throughout the whole process.

The trip had such a fun mix of experiences packed into a relatively short amount of time: Bondi Beach mornings, Taronga Zoo, the Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden, Darling Quarter, rainforest adventures in Cairns, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, the Cairns Lagoon, Uluru sunrise, and the Great Ocean Road. We had epic weather the entire trip and it was so cool getting to see all of the animals — kangaroos, koalas, capybaras, penguins, cassowaries, and even wildlife out in nature during some of the tours.

One thing that surprised us was how amazing the food and coffee culture is in Australia — it honestly felt a bit like Europe in the best way!

Overall, everything ran smoothly and we made such special memories together. So grateful to Paula and KimKim for helping make it happen!

Hotel Reviews

1 Hotel Melbourne

Melbourne

This hotel was incredible! Really trendy design to the room, great view of the city! Pool, jacuzzi, steam and sauna area so relaxing feels like you’re at a spa even with kids. The location to walk everywhere for food key sites. Staff exceptional service.

Sails In The Desert

Yulara

We loved this place. It was so tranquil calming. The food was really delicious. And it was easy to get to the central part of town and go on all the tours.

Crystalbrook Flynn

Cairns

Great location everything you need. Staff is really nice. The breakfast buffet was a little chaotic with big bus to our groups. Something about the acoustics makes it not a relaxing way to start your day. But if you go early, you can avoid the crowds!

QT Bondi

Bondi Beach

Excellent location really easy access to good coffee, healthy food options the beach excellent service, clean room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Great Ocean Road Tour with Lunch

Melbourne

This was an epic day. The guide was so good! And we had a fun small group. There’s lots of different stops so you literally see everything. So many animals, beautiful scenery a mix of all the different types of landscape and the apostles are just incredible!

Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner

Uluru

I enjoyed this as an adult, but it wasn’t very fun for my son. He’s kind of a picky eater so I knew he wouldn’t eat much of the picnic box, but it was cool as an adult to try all the different local foods and watch the light show. My son found the light show in music a little but scary in the dark.

Evening Field of Light Pass

Uluru

Really enjoyed seeing this. It’s so unique and special!

Morning Uluru Sunrise & Kata Tjuta

Uluru

Epic sunrise adventure! The tour as well organized so you get to see a few different spots and get back in time to still have a large portion of the data to do other activities.

Full Day Daintree Cape Tribulation (was & 4WD Bloomfield)

Australia

Long day with a kid but really engaging you see a lot and it’s structured well. The guide was really knowledgeable, and kind. This is someone called plants animals. The lunch is nice, and you’re well taken care of in a small group.

Full-Day Outer Great Barrier Reef (from Hotel)

Cairns

This was a really fun day. It’s well organized. It’s a long day and a long boat ride, but it’s comfortable. There’s lots of snacks and tea, coffee and different areas. You can sit if you wanna be just more relaxed or active in the water doing activities.

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

This was short and sweet. I actually thought it might be boring with my 10-year-old, but it was really cool to see the architecture inside and learn the history of the structure you’re moving around a lot so it’s quite engaging, and it’s a powerful experience, energetically such incredible design!

Taronga Zoo - Morning Aussie Backyard Adventure Tour

Sydney

The guys were really nice and knowledgeable, but the pace was a bit slow for us! With a 10-year-old with a more limited attention span we ended up doing our own thing. I’d say you could just skip this and do the zoo on your own.

Quality of Experience

Rajat at the office and Hemant as our tour guide have been incredible, as well as the rest of the team. Their dedication ensured that we had a smooth and comfortable trip from start to finish. It was also reassuring to see how quickly they went over and beyond by offering help and medical coordination when one of us fell sick for a day. We cannot recommend them enough, and are very thankful for having taken such good care of us.

We visited Delhi, Agra, Shimla and Dharamshala in April/May of 2026. From the moment we landed, we were taken care of with handlers, guides and drivers every step of the way to ensure a smooth and memorable experience. Everyone was very kind and ensured that we felt comfortable as we transferred between several flights, trains and experiences. The Taj Mahal was of course a memorable experience. However, Shimla was fantastic. Our guide, Kavi, was extremely knowledgable about the history of the area. We stayed at the Cecil Oberoi, which was hands down the best hotel we stayed in with its views and historic charm. We also did a hike up the Triund Trek in Dharamshala and the guides surprised my wife with a homemade birthday cake at the top of the mountain. She was really touched by this experience, which was set up by our guide Sammi. We will carry a lifetime of memories from the trip and truly appreciate all of the help in making every step of the way comfortable.

Communication with Mathilde was very good start to finish. Michael our transport guru was good with text msgs so we knew what to expect. Our drivers all prompt & dependable. Sabastien in Paris went above & beyond to make sure we were safe & understood how train travel works in Europe. Emilee in Dijon had a very luxurious comfy car to pick us up in. Our hotels all had great locations, helpful staff; very nice breakfasts. Customers need to know that a sofa sleeper bed is not a good choice, if you can avoid it. Our e-bike trip in Beaune with Mathilda was a highlight. Highly recommend! Chateau de Pape & all day tour was all very good, but made for a very long day. The Pope’s palace in Avignon was not worth a visit IMO. More spectacular from the outside. Awesome location choices for our chocolate/pastry tour in Paris with R.T. Loved all the small shops she brought us to. I would choose a different guide though.

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Provence: Chateauneuf du Pape & Luberon

Avignon

Our guide, Joanna (? Yellow hat) was very informative & moved at a good pace. The scenery & stops amazing. The full day tour is very long though & you do return to Avignon for lunch. Be aware. You will see great views though.

Quality of Experience

Locations

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Beaune: Full day Ebike Burgundy tour, tastings & picnic lunch

Beaune

We can not say enough good about Mathilda our guide! So knowledgeable about the vineyards & the community. This was a highlight of our France trip. What an awesome activity~Peter made sure our bikes were right for us & we had what we needed b4 starting AND he sells wine at his bike shop?!? Love it! The bikes do have pañier bags on the back so no need for backpacks.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked to the location easily

Transport

We walked to the location easily

This trip was a good combination of exercise, scenic beauty, and cultural history. Our guides Robi and Garon were enthusiastic and helpful. The sea water clarity and blue colors was remarkable. The water quality is an asset that needs protection for the ecosystem and the local economy. The people were friendly and the hotel accommodations were very good. I recommend this vacation trip.

I enjoyed three very full days in Madrid and four mofe relaxing days in Barcelona arranged by Hector Molina at Espiritu Travel. The hotel in Madrid, las Meninas, was small and very attentive, located in the center of the historic sector. I had excellent guides, Geza for a walking tour of the historic sector, who was very well-informed about history and current affairs in Spain, and Linda for the Prado, who did an amazing job of structuring our time in this extensive collection to cover my interests, making sure to bring me to Velazquez’ Las Meninas, and pointing out that Picasso, whose museum I visited later in Barcelona, spent several months deconstructing this painting. The hotel in Barcelona , Hotel Regina, was even more apt, being off the Placa Catalyuna at the top of las Ramblas, and close to transportation to all parts of the city. The guide, Adrian, drove a small group of us around the city, including the 1930s Olympic venue at Montjuic, a very informative stop at the Gothic cathedral (whose elaborate front was actually added in the 1900s), and arranging for us to have audio guides to the Sagrada Familia.

The entire vacation was very planned, ensuring that we covered all the sights at a decent pace. The local guides on each island were superb, helping us get the most of our trip. and giving us great insights That we had local support 24X7 was an added bonus! All in all, a great vacation and we look forward to our next vacation with Kimkim.

Kimkim put a wonderful family trip together for us. Costa Rica was amazing and we enjoyed every place we visited, activities in the areas, and our resort stays. This is our second time using kimkim and we plan to use it in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Shana by the Beach Resort

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sibū Boutique Hotel

Puntarenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Country Inn

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

lol

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza San Jose La Sabana by IHG

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Trail Watching Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our English speaking guides were very competent and personable They recommended good local restaurants. We loved the onsens and hotels that Ada booked for us. Our hotel in Kyoto had excellent breakfasts featuring local specialties.

The trip as planned by Mieke at Kimkim was wonderful. Prior to traveling, she carefully listened to our preferences and adjusted the itinerary to our likes and needs. It was necessary to contact her once by phone and a couple of times via in app messaging and she was immediately responsive. The hotels were perfect as to location, amenities and atmosphere. All drivers were prompt and efficient. The one guide we had, Roland in Bruges, was a perfect mix of knowledge and humor, not overly into tedious detail, but just the right balance of information and informality.

Booking my mom’s 70th birthday trip to Scotland through Kimkim was one of the best travel decisions I’ve ever made. Stephen planned a truly beautiful journey from the moment we landed in Edinburgh until our plane took off nine days later. Every detail was thoughtfully arranged, allowing us to experience both the iconic highlights of Scotland and deeply personal moments tied to our family history.

Of course, even the best travel plans can encounter unexpected changes. When our itinerary was suddenly disrupted, Stephen and his team stepped in immediately and seamlessly organized a last-minute hotel stay in London along with train transportation to Edinburgh. What could have been a stressful situation turned into just another memorable part of the adventure thanks to their calm professionalism and quick problem-solving.

Throughout the trip we were able to visit our ancestral home and explore so many unforgettable places: Scone Palace, Blair Atholl Castle, the breathtaking Isle of Skye, and a captivating boat tour in Oban where dolphins followed alongside our boat. Every stop felt meaningful, magical, and perfectly paced.

This trip gave my mother memories she will cherish for the rest of her life, and I am incredibly grateful to Stephen and the Kimkim team for making her milestone birthday so special. I cannot recommend them highly enough for anyone planning a personalized and unforgettable journey through Scotland.

Allie, our guide from Inverness Tours, was excellent. Very knowledgeable, but not overwhelming, She was upbeat and accommodating to our wants/needs.

Our 12-hour bus trip to Isle of Skye featured one-of-a-kind beauty that I’m grateful we were able to see. I wish we could have stayed in some of the quaint towns longer. It was a tight schedule.

Overall, we were happy with the hotels and excursions. It was nice to have our trip well planned so we could enjoy the highlights of Scotland.

First the positives:
I loved using the KimKim travel planning chat and being able to include all travelers to ask questions and make changes. The itinerary and hotel options provided were wonderful and even when we didn't get our initial hotel requested, we had excellent 2nd choices. Ali and Said did an excellent job setting up the trip.
Our driver Maysaar was definitely a highlight of the trip for us. He was very friendly, super talkative when we asked him questions, but also quiet on long drives when we wanted to read a book or stare out the window. He was always available when we needed him for local rides to restaurants, and was really the main reason our trip went so smoothly. We considered him a friend by the end of the trip. I would highly recommend him to any of my travel friends.
The negatives:
The only negative experience we had was surrounding the few days to and from the Sahara (Merzouga, Erg Chebbi). We knew driving there would be a very long day, and it was. We expected 7-8 hours with stops, but it ended up being 10 hours. The drive from Merzouga to Ait Benhaddou was a bit worse. We expected a 6 hour drive, and it was also 10 hours (a 4 hour difference was quite large and more than expected). As a result, we weren't able to enjoy much of the hotel or area in Ait Benhaddou.
Overall, an excellent trip to Morocco and I would recommend it to others as well as recommending KimKim. I am planning to contact KimKim again for an upcoming trip.

My son and i had an amazing trip organized by Emanuela to Iceland around christmas break/new years eve.
She made it so easy for us. i had an idea of what i wanted to do, but gave Emanuela a general description of the activities we liked and she was able to match them perfectly. We based ourselves out of Reykavik, with daily tours to all the main attractions. And then she added a hot springs trip for NYC Eve day that was wonderful. When i changed the departure date to be a day later, she switched things around for me and suggested a 2 day tour out east to go hiking on a Glacier. this was the highlight of the trip. i didn't have to worry about a thing, and followed the itinerary. I would not have thought to hit the blue lagoon right off a red eye; but she highly recommended it and being one of the first people in the Blue Lagoon at 8am in the darkness and then watching the sun rise around 10am was an amazing way to start the vacation. Also Icelend for NYE was a wonderful time to go. Very little snow to hinder driving and the weather was cold but nothing out of the ordinary for someone that lives in the NYC area/USA. i wore my fancy ski pants a lot, sweater, jacket, boots and hat and was very comfortable.

Overall, working with Trang has been amazing!! She is well organized, fast responsive, kind and pleasant to work with well! She is considerate and listens to customers well. Overall flow of the teip from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam was outstanding! When we had an issue with hotel in Cambodia, Trang fixed it quickly and upgraded our room also :) most all guides and drivers were good and very knowledgeable and worked with us well. Best were two woman guides, Ms Susie in Chiang Mai and Ms Chandara in Siem Reap ... Susie and Chandara were exceptional in all aspects! Least effective was guide in Hanoi (Mr Quyet)... not very knowledgeable, poor planner and did not display basic guide tasks such as reviewing plans for the day ahead, prepping customers for unfamiliar experiences by explaining procedures and allowing for questions. Best of all drivers who was above and beyond in every aspect Mr Bo in Hanoi ... great trip overall. Will be more than happy to work with Ms Trang again for trips :)

Hotel Review

Hanoi Pearl Hotel

Hanoi

Great location! Roof top bar was awesome! We were in 9th floor 1st night and it got warm inspite of AC full blast ... 2nd night we were in the 5th floor and it was not very sound proof we could hear bar noise all night... Staff were friwndly and excellent! Breakfast was ok nithing extraordinary.

Authenticity & Character

Location

City center and walkable to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Halong Bay - Hanoi

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai - Half-day Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Elephant Poopoopaper Park Join in tour with private transfer

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my second trip planned by Esther with the Eco-Travel Boutique and another great trip. Esther will work with you to tailor what you are looking for in your trip. And just as important, she is very knowledgeable, which permits her to suggest things you did not know existed or that you never knew you could do.

We all have a choice when it comes to hiring someone to help us spend our precious time away from work. I am very pleased how this trip to Lesotho and Swaziland turned out and I believe Eco-Travel Boutique will assist you to experience similar results.

The trip was extremely well laid out - from the north - lake como - to the south - Sorrento - we saw the highlights of Italy in two weeks. The guides and activities scheduled were great. Each guide was terrific. KimKim did a great job again - this is our second kim kim trip.

However, the hotel in Rome was terrible and the one in Florence was marginal. The hotels in Belligao and Sorrento were great. But after our experience in Rome we asked to be upgraded in Sorrento.

The bike tour in Bellagio was a bit aggressive for our age - and we're in really good shape., I fell as our guide took us through a very narrow path - that was unnecessary. Otherwise the bids tour was fun.
'
Good idea to stop at Pompei on our way to Sorrento - that was well worth seeing. And both boat trips in Sorrento were terrific.

Great trip! We will use KimKim again - soon I hope. But we will request higher level hotels next time.

Our trip to Morocco was the trip of a lifetime!
It was one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever experienced. Our local expert Majid was outstanding in helping us plan, he listened to our wishes and was extremely easy to work with. Once in Morocco, we were greeted by our driver Hamza. Hamza was amazing, so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about his country, the culture and the people. We felt extremely taken care of and saw so many things off the beaten path due to Hamzas knowledge. Every Riad and accommodation chosen by Majid were absolutely beautiful. The city/ onsite guides he arranged were very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.
Majid kept checking in with us throughout our trip and was always available when we had a question. Majid even planned a surprise for my daughter’s 23rd birthday, by arranging for a birthday cake at our Riad in Marrakesh. There was not a single snag or any issues with anything during our trip. Working with local people was a wonderful experience, and it felt good supporting local businesses and people rather than big corporations. Morocco is a beautiful country with an amazing culture and amazing people. We can’t wait to go back.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Absolutely beautiful Riad inside of the Medina. Beautiful location, the owners were very friendly and welcoming. Beautifully designed and decorated

Authenticity & Character

The decorations, the furniture so beautiful

Location

Great location inside of the Medina

Staff

Very attentive and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Riad Touda

Marrakech

Beautiful Riad located inside the Medina of Marrakech. Staff was very accommodating and friendly

Authenticity & Character

Tastefully and beautifully decorated

Location

Right inside of the Medina with a beautiful roof top terrace

Staff

The two gentlemen working there were so sweet and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean

Hôtel Palm Dades

Boumalne Dadès

This is a beautiful hotel, so beautifully designed and decorated. The location is superb as it offers a beautiful view of Dades Valley.

Authenticity & Character

Very beautifully decorated with local art reflecting the amazigh culture

Location

Beautiful view

Staff

Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Nabil was very nice and shared a lot of knowledge about his country with us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean!!

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

This camp is insane!! Luxury in the desert. Beautifully designed tents, very authentic with a big focus on local amazigh culture and artisans.

Authenticity & Character

Wonderful integration of the amazigh culture

Location

Beautiful location in the Saharah

Staff

Everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and comfortable

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

This Riad was one of my favorites from the trip. It was conveniently located right outside of the Medina. Staff went above and beyond.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful decor, the rooftop terrace was beautiful and had a great view of Fez.

Location

Super close to the Medina

Staff

So very welcoming and kind. Ibrahim was so attentive. When sitting on the rooftop terrace he’d bring us tea and cookies

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and bed was super comfortable

Dar Laman

Chefchaouen

Simple but beautiful Riad. Very welcoming and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Charming, beautifully decorated

Location

The view from the Riad of chefchauen was amazing

Staff

Ibrahim was very attentive and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore the Blue City

Chefchaouen

Super cute city. Easily walkable

Quality of Experience

Everyone was very welcoming

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was the best!! Personnel at the Riad was very friendly and helpful

Transport

Our driver Hamza