Kimkim Trip Reviews

All our guides were very good and we had a great experience. My daughter joined the trip later after we had already made most of the reservations but Alvaro made all the last minute adjustments to the bookings and trips. We visited three islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Floreana) and had a great time in all of them. Since our Spanish was not good, we really appreciated that there were always a KimKim representative who made sure that we were on the correct trip/bus etc. We had a good time.

Hotel Reviews

SeaSide Hotel

Galapagos

The Rooms were large and spacious. There were TV in the room . The breakfast was good but basic.

Authenticity & Character

This was a modern style hotel - good for the stay.

Location

There was a good view from the rooms but it was not on the waterfront.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Angermeyer Waterfront Inn

Santa Cruz

This hotel was on the waterfront and by location it had amazing views. The rooms were small but comfortable. Our rooms had a balcony which was also a pleasant place to sit and take in the wonderful scenery. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They were very helpful in giving us a good idea on what to expect from the trips that we had booked. Their restaurant and breakfast was also excellent.

Authenticity & Character

This was an older historical hotel and they have maintained the history very well. However, the rooms were still modern. Our rooms however did not have any TV.

Location

On the waterfront with great views

Staff

Always friendly and ready to help in any they could. Helped us with our heavy suitcases. We left our larger suitcases in storages when we went to San Cristobal. In addition to storing our suitcases, they also had our rooms ready with the suitcases in the rooms when we checked in. That was very thoughtful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All the rooms were clean.

Activity Reviews

Speedboat to San Cristobal Island

Galapagos Islands

The boat was fast and the outboard motor was very noisy. But that's to be expected. Otherwise the trip was ok.

Quality of Experience

Fast and noisy

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helped get us on and off the boat which can be tough with the waves.

Transport

Morning Hike to Tortuga Bay & Free Afternoon

Puerto Ayora

We set off early. The day was hot and not knowing the details of what to expect. There was a pretty breach at the end of the hike. Thinking this was a hike, we had hiking clothes and shoes. The beach at the end would have necessitated us to bring a whole change of clothes which seemed too much to carry. On hindsight - this was not a true hike but a short walk. People were dressed for swimming - slippers/sandals was all we needed.

Quality of Experience

It was hot and we did not get to swim since we didn't know exactly what to expect from the hike.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The dude explained the history of the place in English.

Transport

No transportation involved

Kris our walking tour guide in Copenhagen was terrific. She knew a lot and made the tour very enjoyable. We learned many new facts about the city, Boat ride in Nyhaven was also very good . Phillip made the boat ride fun and also knew a lot about the city and Denmark .
Rest of our trip including Odense Billund and Aarhus was great. Rudkobing was a pleasant surprise. Very quaint an d charming town,
Entire family very happy with this trip.
Thank you

Thank you guys for planning this trip. Memorable, with every detail covered. It took the stress out of travel and let us relax at every turn. Really made it special for our family. Thanks again. JB

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel De La Ville

Sorrento

Easy access to all parts of Sorrento. Amazing views of the bay from our balcony. Excellent staff.

Gallery Hotel Art - Lungarno Collection

Florence

Excellent location in the heart of Florence. Easy access to all parts of the city. Excellent rooms.

Hotel Santa Chiara

Venice

Excellent location. Close to train station. Easy access to the city. Exceptional staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Florence Exploration

Florence

Quality of Experience

Private Family Highlights Walk with Michelangelo's David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angela our tour guide was outstanding. The best of our trip.

Welcome to Italy

Italy

Quality of Experience

Private Photoshoot

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Depart Italy

Italy

Quality of Experience

Day Trip to Positano & Amalfi by Boat

Sorrento

See below

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Cinque Terre & Pisa

Florence

Cinque Terre was amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Culinary Discovery Walk

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Day Trip to Verona & Lake Garda

Venice

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovery Walk with St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride

Venice

Great history tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We could not have asked for a better person to work with to plan our honeymoon than Bella.
​Before the trip even started, she was incredibly patient as we described countless iterations of what we wanted to do, and she managed to accommodate all of our out-of-the-box requests for activities and hotels. She also provided invaluable insight into the scheduling of our proposed itineraries, ensuring we didn't plan ourselves into tight timelines that would leave little to no time for rest and relaxation.
​The outstanding level of service only continued once our trip began. When we arrived at our first hotel in Bangkok, there was a gift bag from Bella welcoming us to Thailand, which we found to be unbelievably thoughtful. Whenever we had questions about the itinerary or local customs, she would always reply via WhatsApp within minutes.
The tours and activities themselves were also top-notch. We ended our trip feeling that we came away with far more knowledge and context to all of the sights that we saw than we ever could have if we had planned things ourselves. Our tour guide in Bangkok, Leo, was especially knowledgeable and made us feel like we were truly receiving an immersive look into the Thai culture.
​We did experience a hiccup with one of our flights to Phuket, which was pushed back several hours without us or Kimkim being notified. Even though Bella had zero control over that, she still went out of her way to arrange accommodations for us during the newfound downtime and even helped reschedule the tour we ended up missing because of the delay. All of this required zero effort on our part. Truly great service.
​Throughout the entire trip, Bella was remarkably communicative. Between her and the Kimkim app, we felt so prepared that we could comfortably move from activity to activity without ever having to give a second thought to tickets or confirmations. All of the information we needed was conveniently located in a single place within the app.
​I would recommend Kimkim to anyone looking to plan a trip, and I would absolutely recommend Bella for anyone planning a trip to Thailand. My wife and I truly feel like we had the honeymoon of a lifetime.

We planned our Milan and Lake Como trip late in the season and kept hitting sold-out rooms, then we found Giulia. She listened, found two perfect boutique hotels in great locations, and built an itinerary we never could have put together ourselves. Her guides were excellent, and every excursion was a hit: a fantastic cooking class, and wonderful tours of the Duomo, The Last Supper, and the surrounding areas. Once we arrived, she stayed with us every step of the way. Highly recommend!

We loved every single moment in Greece and hope to return to visit more islands.
We loved all of our transfer drivers, especially Tony! He was hands down our favorite driver!!! Michael, who lead our biblical tour, In the Footsteps of St. Paul was fabulous as well.
Overall, the private boat trips were our favorite days, although the weather for our Mama Mia Tour kept us from seeing some of our destinations like the chapel.
Thank you Effie and all the people at Kimkim for a trip we will never forget!

Matyem planned the trip through and through it was very last minute and I made continuous last minute changes that she worked around. The driver hamza was great and very fast when we contacted him. We got a great experience of the Morocco culture and went many places in a short period of time. I highly recommend booking with maryem if you plan on traveling to Morocco

Eleanor did an outstanding job planning our family vacation trip to Japan. The itinerary was well‑organized, the tickets were handled smoothly, and the train directions were incredibly easy to follow. Every guide we met was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience even better. I truly recommend KimKim for anyone looking to book a stress‑free and well‑planned trip

We started looking on the internet at some tours to Ireland but they all didn’t seem right. We recently went to Costa Rica and used KimKim travel company to plan it. So, we contacted them and they put us in contact with Adrian who is their Ireland consultant. We told him basically who we were and what we wanted and the time frame for our journey. After several back and forths by email and a couple of video calls, he came up with version 3.5 which appeared to be our ideal setup for this vacation and as it turned out it was.
We made our own airplane reservations with Aer Lingus and the whole process was easy. They included one checked bag in the price which was better than a similar United flight and the flights in both directions were essentially on time. I say essentially because the flight back to Dulles Airport landed twenty minutes early. One of the perks of flying to and out of Dublin, a tip Adrian gave us, is that you go through US passport control and customs in Ireland so when you land after the long flight you can just go and get your bags and leave.
Upon arrival our driver was there awaiting us and texted on WhatsApp exactly where he would be. We had a nice ride to our Dublin home, the Ashling Hotel. While it wasn’t right in the center of town, it was in a nice area that wasn’t congested and was only a ten to fifteen-minute taxi or FreeNow ride in traffic to the center of the city. When we arrived, our room wasn’t ready, so we went to the breakfast buffet. Their breakfast buffet was very good. It had just about everything you could think of except for my favorite, lox. We ate long enough that when we were finished our room was ready.
We rested a little and then went on a walking tour of Dublin. The Dublin Highlights and Hidden Gems Walking Tour. Unbeknownst to us, this was the end of the Bumblebee 1000 Charity weekend which essentially closed many of the streets in downtown Dublin, so we were late. The tour was to start at 1:00. At about 1:03 I got a call from the tour guide wondering where we were. He talked with our FreeNow driver and together they figured out that we would have to walk the rest of the way (actually only two alleys away) and gave us directions to get there. The point here is that the guide cared enough to call and waited for us even though we got to the starting point more than 10 minutes late.
The tour itself was fantastic. Even though we were jet lagged, we enjoyed every part of the two hours. Not only did we see the main sights of the Dublin city center but the information about the city, the Irish culture, and the history of the country from the earliest Gaelic settlers through the Vikings, the plague, and the Normans, and the English and even the famine. He was not only informative but entertaining as well. Even our twelve-year-old grandson made it through the two hours and didn’t complain once or look for his phone, although that was on airplane mode.
When the tour was over, we finally hit the wall. We hardly slept on the overnight flight. Actually, they slept a little bit, but I didn’t sleep at all. We went and looked for a taxi, which wasn’t so easy because of all the blocked streets. We did find one and went back to our hotel. Unfortunately, we didn’t make our 5:00 PM visit to the St. Patrick’s cathedral although we did see the outside on our walking tour.
The next morning, we had a private driver who would take us to Galway after a stop at Clonmacnoise. This was basically fascinating ruins of a monastery that was founded some time in the sixth century on the banks of the River Shannon. There was a Cathedral there and two round Towers. There were also three high crosses, one of which was erected in 914. There were ruins of several Churches. What I found most interesting was that there were many early Christian graves dating back over a thousand years old and even some recent graves. There even were some of the graves of Irish kings and even the grave of the last high king of Ireland who was buried in the 10th century.
From there our driver took us to our hotel in Galway.
That was the Hotel Leonardo Galway. It was in an excellent location at least for us. After a brief rest we went to explore. Just outside the hotel was Quay Street, a pedestrian-only street. It is exactly what I imagined a truly Irish street would look like. There were several pubs all with big Guinness signs. Many of these had Irish music blasting out into the street. Since we were hungry, we had lunch in one of the pubs. There was an outside table at the appropriately named Quays Bar and Restaurant. We both had fish soup which was listed as a light bite. Not only was this remarkably delicious but very filling. Our grandson had chicken tenders and fries. He is a connoisseur of chicken tenders and gave them a 5 out of 5 and the fries were wonderful as well. Neither my wife nor I enjoy beer, but we were in an Irish pub. I had a Guinness and she had a beer that was lighter in color also made by Guinness. The beer was very tasty at least for beer, but we at least did this Irish rite of passage.
The other aspect of that Irish street of my imagination that came true is that the rest of the street was comprised of shops. Wool shops, jewelry shops, and Irish gift shops. We did our share of boosting the Irish economy and bought many of our gifts for family as well as gifts for ourselves in those shops. It was time to rest our feet and our bodies so back to the hotel we went.
Later we went back to Quay Street and went to dinner at the Kings Head which was a truly iconic Irish pub. The decor was just as I imagined. This building was erected in the 13th century, and the ambiance was loud and joyous. There was loud Irish music and lots of beer. We ate in a second room that was much less noisy and not only was the setting great, but the food was too.
The next day we had a full day tour and our tour guide, Frances, was great. He was very knowledgeable and told some funny stories. Our first stop was at a chocolate factory where there was a brief presentation and especially some good chocolate tasting as well.
Next, we drove through the Burren, which is an interesting geological area made of, if I remember correctly, is mostly limestone. Frances explained in good detail about this formation. In the Burren we went to one of the activities we were looking forward to, the sheep dog demonstration. He took us to Caherconnell. There we had one of the highlights of our trip. The sheep dog handler and the dogs were terrific. I won’t go into it further because I recommend everyone experience it on their own. What I will say is that the dogs herded the sheep and they were not sheepdogs but Border Collies.
Also, at Caherconnell was their Stone Fort. This was the remnants of a fort that was initially used over a thousand years ago and was in use up until the sixteenth century. The guide told us interesting facts about the history of the area and how the fort was used to protect the people of that area. Not too far from Caherconnell was the Poulnabrone Dolman, a structure that was erected over 5,000 years ago.
After that we went to lunch at McGanns Pub in Doolin, another traditional-looking Irish Pub although since it was midday the decibels were a lot lower. I took a picture of one of the signs on the wall. “Everyone who visits this place brings happiness. Some by coming in… Some by going out.” My wife and I both had the fish chowder and it was both sensational and filling and we were sufficiently sated to go on to our next stop, the Cliffs of Moher.
We arrived at the parking lot and at Frances’s urging we took the golf cart up to the entrance. From the entrance we took another golf cart up to the top of the cliffs. This was a good idea especially for us older people. It cut out a lot of the uphill walking. The views were truly like the proverbial statement “No words can describe the beauty of the sight.” It really was majestic and to imagine the years, the decades, the millenniums, that created them. We also went into the museum which was there and also the gift store.
We then took a different route back to our hotel in Galway. We rested up and then went to a seafood restaurant that Frances had recommended. Oscar’s Seafood Bistro was a short walk from our hotel in the opposite direction. We went over a bridge and turned right and after a short while we were there. The daily specials were written on a sign on the wall. The food was very good as advertised.
The next morning our private driver met us in the hotel lobby and drove us to our stop at Birr Castle. We did not do the castle tour, but we did explore the grounds. There was a waterfall, beautiful flowers and a field of green but the most interesting was “The Great Telescope”. It was built in the 1840s and was the largest telescope in the world at that time. It was standing in the middle of a field that was designated for it. It was huge and I could imagine the astronomers of the day being excited to explore the universe. In the science center, there was a display that explained how the telescope was made and some of the issues related to it.
We got back in the car and continued on to our hotel in Kilkenny. We made it to the Hibernia Hotel and after checking in had a good lunch. We then went to the Kilkenny Castle. The Castle, built in 1260, is just what you would think a castle should look like. We did tour this Castle, and it was just what you think the Castle Rooms should look like. Don’t misinterpret this was a marvelous place and I recommend it. We then went out to the beautiful grounds where there were many picnickers, a couple of frisbees flying through the air, and even a couple of young women doing some back flips. Kilkenny wasn’t much of a town to walk through so we had dinner back at the hotel.
The next day was our last full day in Ireland. We took a Freenow ride from the hotel to the train station. As I mentioned earlier, we actually used Freenow several times in Dublin as well. Freenow is an Uber type company that uses essentially the same process as Uber does and it worked well for us, each time we used it. The train from Kilkenny to Dublin was right on time. We had reserved seats and the ride was pleasant. The one thing I will point out is that each of the seats were two and two facing each other over a small table. We had three seats in a row, so one of us, me was across the aisle and there were other people across from me. If you are going to take the train and are more than two, I would suggest that you look at the train seating chart.
We returned to the Ashling Hotel for our last night of our vacation. That evening we went to the Celtic Show and Dinner. The dinner was as you would expect from a dinner theater. It was unremarkable. In my mind that was good because since my expectation of dinner theater meal is that it could be uneatable, but this meal was OK. On the other hand, the show was fantastic. It had the energy that was electric. The band leader, who was the emcee, was engaging and had a good rapport with the audience, including reading notes from the crowd for shout outs.
The band played, no surprise, Irish music and then called out the Irish dancers. Then there was double energy. They moved their feet so quickly, it was hard to imagine. They did many different dances. The one I remember is the broom dance. I don’t know how they managed to jump over the brooms and keep dancing. It was a memorable evening.
The next morning our driver came to take us to the airport. The Dublin airport was nice and clean and had a nice area of duty-free shops. Since we didn’t have to go through passport control or customs when we arrived back to Dulles airport, we did not have to wait on the lines going to have our passports checked and then through customs.
In conclusion, we had a wonderful trip to Ireland. The journey was exactly what we wanted and what was planned. Adrian was very helpful in arranging what we had in mind into specific activities that worked within our timeframe and our budget. This is the second time we used KimKim and both times we have been very, very satisfied.

Caherconnell.

Sheepdog Presentation

Poulnabrone Dolman,

Cliffs of Moher

Kilkenny Castle

Celtic Nights

My daughter and I recently used Kim Kim to help us plan our trip to Thailand. We spent two days in Bangkok and three days in Phuket. We also went to the Khao Sok National Park. At every step of the way, there was a representative that was there to let us know what to expect and help us get from one location to the next. We were allowed plenty of time to explore and do things on our own, but also booked several guided trips. We were helped at every step of the way to make the best of our trip. I could not be more satisfied.

This was a bucket list trip for me and it turned out really well. The itinerary was in line with my budget and was incredibly fun. A big part of what I was looking for was a great food experience. Check! I wanted to see historically and architecturally significant places. Check! I wanted fun local shopping where I could purchase goods not available in New York. Check! Some tour guides were a better fit than others, but everyone was professional and knowledgeable. They brought me to places I never would have found on my own.

In sum, I would highly recommend this outfit for booking a trip to Japan. I had a great time and got a lot of value for my money.

We had a lovely trip to Croatia and doing this with Nikola and Kim Kim made it seamless and stress free! I’m so glad we decided not to drive ourselves and have transportation dealt with, since we moved around quite a bit. We loved our private walking tours but especially loved our sea kayak tour with Andre around Korcula and our boat tour with Tony around the Elaffiti islands by Dubrovnik! Korcula and Dubrovnik were our favorites of the trip. The drivers were always on time and great as well. I would absolutely book through Kim Kim again and if you’re ever going to Croatia, Nikola’s your guy!

We had a wonderful experience working with Responsible Travel Agency in Ecuador, and we're very happy we chose them to organize our trip.

The mainland Ecuador itinerary was orchestrated beautifully. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring Quito, the Andes, and our unforgettable Amazon experience. Every destination was thoughtfully planned, and everything flowed smoothly. A very special thank you goes to our guide and coordinator, Andres. He was knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and genuinely passionate about Ecuador. His enthusiasm, organization, and attention to detail made our mainland experience exceptional, and we truly enjoyed traveling with him.

We would also like to thank Belen Ana for putting together and coordinating our entire itinerary. Planning a complex trip like this is no small task, and we truly appreciate all the work that went into making it happen.

The Galápagos portion of our journey was also very enjoyable, although we believe there is still room for improvement. We especially want to thank Alvaro, who accompanied our group throughout the Galápagos. While he was not our guide, he was always available to resolve any issues that arose, answer questions, and ensure we could continue enjoying our trip. His support was greatly appreciated. Of course, it would have been even better if some of those issues had not arisen in the first place, but we were grateful to have someone so responsive and dedicated to helping us throughout the journey.

One thing that truly impressed us was the overall logistics. Coordinating flights, buses, boats, hotels, guides, and tours across mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos is an enormous undertaking, yet everything ran remarkably on time. It was amazing to see how well the agency managed such a complicated itinerary.

That said, we do have a few constructive comments. Some of the hotels in the Galápagos were only average and did not quite match the quality of the rest of the trip. We also would not recommend traveling between the islands by speedboat. We understand that this is the standard mode of transportation and not something the agency controls, but we found the rides to be physically exhausting and quite uncomfortable.

We would also encourage future travelers to be aware that visiting the Galápagos requires a reasonable level of physical fitness and mobility. Boarding and disembarking often involve stepping or jumping between moving boats and docks, which can be challenging. Travelers with limited mobility or certain health conditions should carefully consider whether this portion of the trip is right for them.

Overall, our experience was overwhelmingly positive. Responsible Travel Agency demonstrated excellent organizational skills, reliable communication, and a genuine commitment to making our trip successful. We would gladly work with them again and are already looking forward to planning future Latin American adventures for our nonprofit organization, Jookender. We highly recommend Responsible Travel Agency to anyone looking for a professionally organized and memorable trip to Ecuador.

Hotel Reviews

La Casa de Marita

Puerto Villamil

A great hotel with its own private beach. An excellent location to relax and do nothing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Ninfas

Puerto Ayora

A great Hotel, right in the middle of tourist attractions! Great rooms, tasty breakfasts, friendly personnel. Highly Recommended!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arena Blanca

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

An awful choice. Far from most hotel and tourist areas. Water is always cold, and sometimes, no water at all. Toilets don't work properly. The personnel are extremely unfriendly. The featured buffet actually counts the pieces and does not allow refills.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suchipakari Jungle Lodge

Puerto Misahuallí, Tena Napo

An excellent choice! great accomodations, clean, and friendly. Excellent Tour guides and boats. Highly recommended

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Baños Hosteria y Spa

Baños

Great hotel, especially if you're traveling with a group. A great way to save, booking fewer rooms, because each room has 5-8 beds

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Alameda Quito

Quito

An excellent hotel and a very tasty breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring The Charles Darwin Research Station

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Speed back to Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Galapagos Cooking Class by the Sea

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Return to Quito before Galapagos adventure!

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Chocolate Experience & Farewell from the Amazon - Suchipakari Lodge

Puerto Misahualli

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nature's Spectacle: Cotopaxi Volcano and Lake Limpiopungo Adventure

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! (Transportation Service)

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Ayora Departure Transfer: Farewell to the Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isabela Island's Treasures: Exploring the Breeding Center & Wetlands

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Expedition to El Junco Lagoon - Galapaguera Colorado Hill - Puerto Chino Beach

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay Lick and more Amazon exploration - Suchipakari Lodge

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to the Amazon - Amazon Encounters: Kichwa Community and nigh walking - Suchipakari Lodge

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Baños & Pailón del Diablo Waterfall

Baños

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Treasures of the Andes: Cayambe, Otavalo & Cuicocha

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour Quito - Mitad del Mundo - Teleferico

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tetiana did an amazing job planning our Ireland/Netherlands trip. She took a very skeleton outline and filled in the gaps with great tours and experiences. Our hotels were a variety of different stays from regular hotels to resorts to castles and canal houses. Her recommendations covered all experiences . She even added in some extra tours and sites for the kids. Our private tours and drivers offered regional information, history, and culture references and provided a great education on top of our scheduled tours. Our family of 5 had an amazing vacation experience without the hassle of the planning piece. Also, during our trip we only ran into two instances when we needed support and Tetiana immediately let responded and helped us navigate any issues. It made for a very stress-free and relaxing vacation knowing we had support for any travel questions/hassles.

Activity Reviews

Kinsale Ghost Tour

Ireland

So much fun! Not at all scary. Slapstick comedy that wa great for our family with kids ranging from 6-12 years. Guides were hilarious yet still provided some great history of the town. Kids loved the “scary” bits and tried to catch the guides as they added some surprises to the tour. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking to learn a little history with comedy and ghost stories thrown in. Great for families!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Killarney National Park Private Tour

Ireland

What a cool experiences! Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the park and Irish history. He offered stops for pictures and even took family pics for us. He let the kiddos sit up front with him and feed the horse a small snack. I would absolutely recommend this horseback tour to anyone visiting Killarney National Park!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dublin Secret Food Tour

Dublin

Awesome experience to try Dublin-centric foods. Guide gave a great overview of the city as we walked from place to place as well as the foods and eateries we visited. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans Windmills Day Trip from Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Our driver and guide was such an incredible host. Not only did he provide culture and history during our drive, he made sure we had personalized experiences at every tour or stop. He also took tons of pictures and recommended extra stops and places to eat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Li

Transport

The Scilly Walk in Kinsale

Ireland

First of all, we would like to thank Rachael from the bottom of your hearts. She did a wonderful job from the planning of the trip, the zoom call to finalize, and checking on us during the trip. Everything was perfect. Each room was perfect from the Apex in Edinburgh, Tall Pines in Pictlockary, Raasay House, and Glenview B and B in Luss. The castles were amazing from Stirling to Inverary. The scenery along the trip was breathtaking. We hike several trails on Raasay. The climb from the ocean to the top of temptation was a great hike. Touring the distillary on Raasay and at Oban were wonderful. The tasting at Raasay with whiskey and chocolates was a highlight the trip. The town of Luss was beautiful with flowers blooming outside of the houses.
We would highly recommend Kim Kim and Rachael to everyone who is planning a trip. It will be several years before we can plan our next trip to England. We will be contacting Rachael and Kim Kim when we start planning that trip.

Hotel Review

Pine Trees Hotel

Pitlochry

The room was perfect and the breakfast was wonderful. We arrived at Pine Trees before the rain started. After we were in the room, the rain began and sitting in the room listening to the rain was so relaxing. The hotel had snacks set out and a tea pot in the room. So afternoon tea was so enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful interior

Location

Peaceful

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect

Activity Review

Raasay Whisky, Gin and chocolate tour

Scotland

The chocolates were perfect with the whiskey

Quality of Experience

Staff was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were great

Transport

Adam did a great job accommodating our group and finding a right balance for everyone. We were a group of 8 (including 2 sets of grandparents in their 80's, and 2 kids aged 6 and 9 yrs old). We highly recommend the Katla Cave Ice Cave Tour, it is one of the best experiences ever! We stayed a night in Westman Island, which we also recommend. That is where we were able to experience the puffins :)

Chris was wonderful to work with throughout the planning and booking process for our trip to Italy. He took the time to understand our vision, offered thoughtful suggestions, and helped guide our decisions without ever making us feel pressured in one direction or another.

Once our itinerary was finalized, the planning, coordination, and execution across the KimKim team and their travel partners were outstanding. Everything felt remarkably seamless, and we truly did not have to worry about a thing.

After arriving, we gained an even greater appreciation for all of the behind-the-scenes coordination, especially with transfers between destinations and reserved tours. Chris and our local contact, Maria, were incredibly responsive to our questions and always made sure we knew the plans for the following day, which gave us tremendous peace of mind.

The hotels were lovely and thoughtfully selected, with excellent locations that allowed us to feel more like locals than tourists.

Our favorite experiences were the private boat tour around Capri with our captains, Mario and Rafaello, and the Path of the Gods hike in Positano with Vincenzo. Those experiences created memories we will treasure for years to come.

We are so grateful to Chris, Maria, and the entire team for helping us create such a special trip.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Tasso

Sorrento (NA) - Italy

Finding the entrance to Palazzo Tasso was a bit confusing at first, but fortunately the hotel’s website included helpful instructions on how to access it from a nearby side street. Once we arrived, we found the location to be excellent. Tucked away on a quieter street but just steps from Piazza Tasso, it offered both convenience and a peaceful atmosphere. Palazzo Tasso is a straightforward hotel, with a reception desk and guest rooms but no common areas for socializing or relaxing. That suited us perfectly, as we stayed there toward the end of our trip and were mostly looking for a comfortable place to recharge after long days of exploring. Our room had several thoughtful features that we especially appreciated, including keyless entry with a code instead of a traditional key, a balcony overlooking the main street, a spacious shower, and a high-quality Dyson hair dryer. Those details made our stay feel both easy and comfortable. Overall, Palazzo Tasso was a great base for enjoying everything Sorrento has to offer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Imperati Suites

Positano

We had a wonderful stay at Imperati Suites. While it is not located right in the middle of town, the location was still very manageable and offered a nice balance of convenience and tranquility. It is close enough to the road that arriving with luggage was easy and did not require navigating too many stairs. Getting to the beach was straightforward, with several routes to choose from. We especially enjoyed taking the longer path, which involved fewer stairs and offered beautiful views along the way, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops to explore. Katia was incredibly welcoming and always available to answer questions or help with anything we needed during our stay. Her hospitality made us feel right at home. The rooms were surprisingly spacious, exceptionally clean, and very comfortable. However, the highlight of our stay was waking up each morning to the stunning view and enjoying breakfast on the balcony. It was the perfect way to start the day and one of our favorite memories from Positano.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mignon Sorrento

Sorrento

We had a wonderful stay at Hotel Mignon. The location was excellent - just a short walk from Piazza Tasso - and we loved having a market and bank nearby within walking distance, which made everything incredibly convenient. The staff were warm and welcoming from the moment we arrived. The hotel itself is beautifully decorated and impeccably maintained. Every area felt clean and inviting throughout our stay - especially the dining and outdoor areas. While the rooms are not large, they are thoughtfully designed and make great use of the space. Our room was very clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed. As Americans visiting during the summer, we especially appreciated how well the air conditioning worked! We would absolutely stay at Hotel Mignon again and would happily recommend it to anyone visiting Sorrento.

Authenticity & Character

One of the things we appreciated most about Hotel Mignon was how thoughtfully the space was designed. The hotel makes excellent use of its footprint while maintaining a cohesive style throughout. For example, the entrance is a long hallway, and rather than treating it as merely functional, the hotel transformed it into a beautiful space that complements the character of the rest of the property. The dining area and outdoor spaces also felt very intentional in their design. There was an abundance of intimate seating, which created a welcoming atmosphere and made it feel like the perfect place to begin the day over breakfast or unwind in the evening. It also encouraged guests to relax and connect with one another.

Location

The location was excellent - just a short walk from Piazza Tasso - and we loved having a market and bank nearby within walking distance, which made everything incredibly convenient.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The dining area, outdoor spaces, and our room were all exceptionally clean and comfortable. The hotel was consistently well maintained, and the inviting seating areas made it easy to settle in and enjoy the surroundings. The thoughtful design and attention to detail contributed to a stay that felt both relaxing and welcoming.

Activity Reviews

Private hike along the Path of Gods

Positano

The private hike along the Path of the Gods was another highlight of our trip to Italy. Our guide, Vincenzo, was fantastic. He was engaging, easy to understand, and struck the perfect balance between sharing information and simply letting us enjoy the experience. He pointed out interesting sights along the trail, matched our pace perfectly, and shared stories about both Italian culture and his own life, which made the four-hour hike pass surprisingly quickly. We hiked from Agerola to Nocelle and then continued on to Montepertuso, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The scenery was absolutely stunning throughout. Some of our favorite moments included seeing herds of goats on the mountainside, passing residents tending their gardens, and walking the same paths that donkeys traveled centuries ago. We also loved stopping at the lemonade stand in Nocelle and seeing the walkways that locals still use to travel between Nocelle and Montepertuso. As fans of Nicki Positano’s YouTubevideos, it was especially fun to recognize many of the views and landmarks we had seen online. This is not an easy hike, so we were very glad that we brought hiking shoes and plenty of water. That said, the effort was more than worth it. After finishing the hike, lunch at Ristorante Il Ritrovo in Montepertuso was the perfect reward and a wonderful way to end an incredible experience. We would highly recommend this excursion to anyone looking to experience the Amalfi Coast beyond the beaches and town centers.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day boat excursion to the island of Capri (Lancia Sorrentina)

Italy

This full-day boat excursion to Capri was one of the absolute highlights of our trip. Having experienced it firsthand, we now fully appreciate the value of taking a private boat directly from Sorrento rather than navigating the ferry to Capri and joining a tour from there. The experience was seamless, relaxing, and allowed us to enjoy the island from an entirely different perspective. Our guides, Mario and Rafaello, struck the perfect balance of being welcoming, accommodating, and knowledgeable without ever feeling intrusive. We had already spent time exploring Capri by taxi a few days earlier, but seeing the island from the water was a completely different experience. They pointed out the various coves and took us to the quieter side of the island that we had not yet discovered. One of our favorite moments was being able to jump into the crystal-clear water and cool off during the day. The leisurely lunch on the island’s quieter side was exactly what we needed and provided a perfect break from the busier tourist areas. This excursion gave us some of our favorite memories from Italy, and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Amalfi Coast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall this was a great experience! Olman was quick to respond and very knowledgeable, he was more than willing to help with many detailed requests for our large and complicated group. I thought the price was very fair for what we got to experience, including a private driver with a bus of our own and the quality of the hotels. Everything ran exceptionally smoothly and William our driver was fantastic. The only hiccup we had in eight days with 13 people was our ride to the airport was significantly delayed, however I don't believe this was anyone's fault.
We will definitely use Kim Kim again

Hotel Reviews

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo

Guanacaste

We loved the location and convenience of this hotel's setup- the rooms were right next to the pool with a very handy kitchenette to store leftovers, make drinks, etc. The pool was lovely although definitely needs more shade first both swimming and sitting. The kids activities were great and the little soccer field was a hit. More beach chairs would be helpful as well. The staff was helpful in planning excursions and walking down to the Marina was convenient and beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Wonderful unique place! Having a room at the top of the mountain was a challenge and mild inconvenience with kids, but the shuttle was fast and predictable. The highlight was the very warm hot springs pool/bar, and the water slides for the kids were a hit for hours. Close to La Fortuna for dinner, near the excursions, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sky Tram & Ziplines Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wonderful experience even for the littles – the staff was kind and helpful to the slightly nervous kiddos, and everyone had a great day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

A lovely family friendly activity that was safe with just enough excitement to keep everyone engaged. The raft guides were knowledgeable and friendly and we had a great experience even in the rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ed in Iguacu and Marcelo in Rio were both very knowledgeable and helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Miramar Hotel by Windsor

Rio de Janeiro

Not luxurious, but very comfortable. Right on Copocabana beach

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmond Hotel das Cataratas

Foz do Iguaçu

Clearly the best place to stay

Authenticity & Character

Been there a long time

Location

Staff

Quick response

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Just went for a walk

Cooking Class in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Worth the time.

Bird Park - Parque das Aves

Foz do Iguaçu

Sugarloaf Mountain & Old Town Tour

Rio de Janeiro

Samba Class

Rio de Janeiro

Don’t know that i learned anything.

Half day Tour in Rio 6h

Rio de Janeiro

A visit to Foz de Iguacu Falls - Brazilian Side

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit to the Argentine side

Foz do Iguaçu

Don’t miss it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning our trip to Portugal was easy and enjoyable with Tiago. He is very knowledgeable of all that the country offers and provided great ideas to bring our trip to life. He was quick to respond to questions, very solution-oriented, and considerate of our budgets while not compromising a quality trip throughout. We really enjoyed our short time in Lisbon but the highlight was definitely exploring the Algarve and all that this area offered - incredible beaches and quaint but beautiful towns. We had an incredible trip full adventure and relaxation. Thank you Tiago and kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel 3K Faro Aeroporto

Faro

Brief stay - not close to amenities or restaurants

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to airport but difficult to walk to based on highways; Not close to restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dom Carlos Liberty

Good hotel - helpful staff, clean rooms, good breakfast, walking distance to old town and shopping

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Carvi Beach Hotel

Lagos

Perfect location to the beach and short walk from town, this hotel offered a lot of charm. We also enjoyed the pool and a wonderful morning breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close proximity to beach, amazing boardwalk overlooking cliffs, walking distance to Lagos restaurants and town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enjoy Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

A really nice and authentic experience with music and dinner. Food and atmosphere were great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Meal exceeded expectations - very enjoyable and one of our best meals in Portugal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Portuguese Cooking Lesson

Portugal

An amazing experience - exceeded our expectations. Good food, great facility and the instructor was very knowledgeable and led a great class!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our instructor was amazing and created a fun environment for the group to cook and learn together!