Kimkim Trip Reviews

Amazing trip!! Our local guide, Julio, was a gem and we thought of him as family by the end.

Multi-Generational Family Trip Success in Spain!
What an amazing time and a fantastic trip that Kimkim and Coraima and team planned for us! We wanted to travel to Spain for the eclipse, and add on a fair bit of intra-national travel. We were a family group of 2 septuagenarians, 6 middle-aged adults and 8 children between the ages of 6 and 13. We had multiple requests for specific cities, day trips, seamless transportation, and Coraima was able to help us with all of them! We had the best time in San Sebastian - in the *nicest* hotel, and a great tour guide, Inigo, from Ikusnahi Tours, for a Private City walk that really set the bar high for all other tours on the trip. We flew from San Sebastian to Madrid on Iberia (that was maybe one of the only downsides as Iberia lost 4 of our bags :( ) We did a couple of day trips from Madrid, including Toledo and Segovia / Avila. The hands-down *favorite* outing for all of the kids (and several of the adults) was the sword-making workshop in Toledo. The father / son duo from Artesania Arellano were so engaging, and patient, and entertaining. The kids were entranced and couldn't stop talking about it. So glad we did that in Toledo, even though that was "out of town". Sonia from Destino Toledo who led us on a walking tour that afternoon was also phenomenal - tailoring the tour to our group and giving us such good recommendations for Toledo and Madrid as well. Our drivers on that day, also from Destino Toledo, were gems. Coraima planned enough enough free time for us to explore each city on our own between activities or trips. The Segovia & Avila day trip we did was fun, but we may have tried to pack too much into that day. We transferred from Madrid to Barcelona via train, which was great fun for our group, and very comfortable. The skip-the-line Park Güell & Sagrada Familia tour was another hit, mainly for the content. We ended our travels with a fantastic and plentiful tapas dinner, followed by a flamenco show, which the kids also loved! My parents kept telling me how happy they were with the trip and thanking me and KimKim / Coraima for planning such a wonderful trip for us. I got major kudos, so thank you Coraima!! For the most part, our guides and drivers reached out in advance of each activity or meet up, which was so reassuring. The hotels were comfortable and just the right level of cushy for our group. We got amazing tips and guidance from Coraima / KimKim during all of the preparatory conversations., including a zoom call as our departure date got closer. All in all, a wildly successful trip, and my mother is already asking if kimkim can plan our trip next year - thank you Coraima and Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Regina

Barcelona

Pretty hotel, well located, great hotel bar and good breakfast. Rooms were big and beds were comfortable. The space was a little rumbly, due to proximity to the subway, but it's not disruptive. Loved that they had a water filling station on each floor and the lounge / bar on the first floor was a great staging place for before & after outings.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the hallways, great vibes.

Location

Great location, wasn't too noisy, and easy to walk to great restaurants and other locations.

Staff

The bar staff was very nice and helped us out with a couple of late night drinks. The restaurant staff was very charming and super helpful as well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Regina

Madrid

Very pretty hotel and the family suites were comfortable. Tucked into a very fancy neighborhood, it's a narrow building but they make great use of the space. The roof deck is a little slice of peace. The breakfast was the best of any hotel we've been to in Europe, plentiful and highly varied - would definitely recommend this as a homebase for Madrid.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location and mostly quiet and very tony, but very easy to walk to so many things we wanted to see. Great food in the surrounding area as well.

Staff

The restaurant staff was lovely. The checkin process was confusing, and that was at the end of a really rough travel day, so it stuck out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Generally clean and well appointed room, but some repairs needed (our light panel was falling off the wall) and the light switches were confusing.

Catalonia Donosti

San Sebastián

Amazing hotel and location. loved the elevator to the street level. Beautiful rooms, great breakfast and super helpful staff. The roof deck & pool was stunning, and we got to watch the festival fireworks from the roof (with complementary cava!). Our favorite hotel on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved that the hotel was up above the city and away from the hustle / bustle, but still allowed you to get to the street level easily.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private City Walk

Spain

Our guide & driver were fantastic on this activity. It was the best way to see the highlights of San Sebastian and also learn a ton about the city. We hit three of the best spots in the city and had enough time at each. Our guide Inigo was very informative, engaging and even taught us some Basque words. He also took some of the BEST photos of our group. Our driver and Inigo worked around a traffic accident that nearly derailed our outing, but they made the whole day work and were really flexible and adaptive. We loved that we ended the trip with a pinxho (honestly, the best pinxho of the trip) and a glass of cider. Inigo even walked us back to the hotel - this was a great walking tour and set the bar very high!

Quality of Experience

The spots were amazing, so glad to have seen the highlights. Loved the pinxho and drink at the end of the tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Inigo and our driver were the best. Energetic, engaging, adaptive.

Transport

Van was comfortable and the driver was always in the right spot.

Emilie and Amandine were terrific! They understood what we wanted to do, made helpful suggestions including things we had not thought of. Highly recommended them snd Kin Kim.

Hotel Review

Hotel Butterfly, BW Signature Collection

Zermatt

Helpful staff, clean rooms, convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a block off the Main Street and five minutes from the train station.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zermatt Village Walking Tour

Zermatt

I needed to rest so I did not go on this tour. However, Jonathan and Yoko did and they let me know how much I missed. It sounds like it was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time in the charming Mürren

Switzerland

Lovely little town.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

Highly recommend. Worth the extra expense.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Exceeded all our expectations

Quality of Experience

Transport

Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe (tickets and seat reservation)

Switzerland

Exceeded all our expectations.

Quality of Experience

Transport

We had the most seamless experience working with Lucy and Audrey for our trip to France. They went above and beyond and catered our family's interest and timing to plan the best excursions. The transportation to/from every activity was extremely professional. We were blown away with everything and look forward to using Kim Kim in planning any trip.
Thank you so much for planning the most memorable trip.

The tour was well organized and the rides were always on time and reliable.
We enjoyed the walking tours with the guides in Dubrovnik, and Split and Zagreb they were friendly and knowledgeable and organized and fun. Our hike in Hvar was really special and we got some extra time in Stari Grad.
Only drawback was the crowds at Plitvice National Park.
We loved snorkeling in Dubrovnik area and swimming and kayaking Hvar. Diocletian palace tour was very special.

Hotel Reviews

Manda Heritage Hotel

Zagreb

Convenient and a large room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Irini Luxury Rooms

Split

Hotel staff were excellent Room was clean and spacious Location was perfect

Authenticity & Character

Rooms are spacious Breakfast very good

Location

Close to Diocletian palace

Staff

They helped us with the key cards

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pharos Hvar Bayhill Hotel

Hvar

Pool was great as was access to beach and Hvar center. However the rooms are very small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ivka

Dubrovnik

The hotel was very nice they gave us a free dinner because our room was not totally accessible by the elevator.

Authenticity & Character

Amazing breakfasts

Location

Taking the bus to Old Town is interesting but the hotel was close to boating excursions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zagreb Private Guided Walking Tour

Zagreb

Our guide made Zagreb come alive We loved the short funicular

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

Our guide was the best She organized the tour to maximize our learning

Hike to Lost Villages of Hvar

Hvar

Loved the views and the hike and learning about the area and surprise trip to Stari Hrad

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I loved talking to our guides about basketball

Transport

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just returned from a ten day trip to Peru with three friends. With help from KimKim, we planned our trip to be exactly what we wanted. Once in Peru, everything was taken care of and any questions handled basically instantly. Guides and the main office were available via What’s App message at all times. All guides were amazing, whether it was Nancy for a half day tour in Lima, Josleen in the Amazon, Eddie for Machu Picchu, or EJ, who went above and beyond and really did become like family in the Sacred Valley and Cusco. All four of us would use KimKim again without hesitation.

Hotel Reviews

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Beautiful boutique hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Finca Sachabacayoc

Authenticity & Character

Excellent eco-lodge

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Limade

Lima

Extremely well-located in Miraflores. Clean, comfortable, rooftop bar and a good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Finca Sachavacavoc - Farewell Amazon

Tambopata

Reviewing the rest of our time in the Amazon here - night hike, lake hike, and overall experience at the lodge - all excellent!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finca Sachavacavoc - D2 - Chuncho Claylick and Condenado Lake

Tambopata

So many macaws and parrots to see! Worth getting up in the middle of the night for this experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Complete hot picnic breakfast by the side of the river.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kudos to the boat driver safely navigating the river in complete darkness.

Transport

Walking food tour at Barranco

Lima

Nancy was an excellent guide - tour is more accurately described as a food and art tour with a bit of history thrown in and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Across Portugal, along with Joao and his team, planned an amazing trip to Portugal for us! Beginning with the initial planning, Joao was attentive and receptive to what we were looking for in our vacation, and willing to update the details as we shifted our ideas of what we wanted. We loved the hotels and the tours he recommended and then booked for us (which made things so easy!). Probably the thing that stood out the most for us is that his job didn’t end once we paid for the trip. He and his team were readily available throughout the trip via a WhatsApp chat group for any questions or concerns we had. They responded quickly to our questions and checked in with us frequently.
We highly recommend Across Portugal to others who are planning to visit!!

Sarah and Ivan were terrific! Able to add last minute details and updates and very accessible

Activity Reviews

Lumbarda wine tasting tour with local snacks

Korčula

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Dubrovnik's Old Town

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walking Tour of Split

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bike tour in Dubrovnik with lunch

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvar - Island Bike Tour with Local Food and Drink Tastings

Croatia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Motor Boat Excursion to Brač & the Pakleni Islands (end in Hvar)

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarah and Ivan were absolutely incredible and available at any given time within minutes.
Best experience ever!

The BEST!
I have never had better customer service from a travel agency ... ever! Diana sent a note every evening detailing what we would be doing the next day that included links as well as the driver's names, times, etc. She also sent a note every day asking how our day went.
My cousin cut his hand and she was gave us all our options from hospitals, to doctors to everything we would need to get it handled.
I was so impressed and will be sure to recommend her to anyone I know going to Portugal.
Thank you to Kimkim to find us such a gem to work with - I will definitely be recommending them as well.

Our family group of 7, spanning 3 generations had a fabulous trip experience in Morocco. Starting with the wonderful welcome by our driver Rachid in Marrakech . We loved our early morning ballooning experience as the sun rose over the Atlas Mountains. To the Berber village hiking experiences in Imlil.
The Agafay desert experience on ATVs & Camels as the sunset followed by as wonderful banquet and local entertainment. We conclude our adventures in Essouria relaxing on the coast and exploring the old city & Souks, thank you Said for the itinerary and flexibility. It was a memorable holiday with treasured memories. 2nd time we have used Kimkim to plan our adventures , they lived up to all our expectations. We loved Morocco, the landscapes and the beautiful people. Thank you Said & Rachid

Hotel Review

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

An authentic Riad in the centre of the Medina. Within walking distance from the Souks, cafes & parks. Friendly staff.. The pool was fabulous after exploring the city in the heat.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful Riad, with fountains, mosaics and traditional Moroccan furnishings, vibrant colord

Location

Central , we walked everywhere

Staff

Helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms serviced daily to a high standard, fresh linen& towels

Activity Review

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech

Morocco

A once in a by lifetime experience. Extremely professional company, from the early morning breakfast, to the delightful pilot, with the Moroccan humour. On completion digital images and videos were provided.

Quality of Experience

The professionalism of the providot

Food

Fresh fruit, breads & honey

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional

Transport

We had the absolute best experience working with Caroline to plan our honeymoon in Switzerland! She went above and beyond from start to finish to make sure every detail of our trip was perfect. She was always incredibly responsive, patient, and happy to answer all of our questions or make any changes we needed along the way.

Caroline put so much thought and effort into our itinerary, and the information, recommendations, and tips she provided made our trip so smooth and stress free. We honestly don’t think our honeymoon would have gone nearly as perfectly without her guidance and preparation.

Everything came together seamlessly, and we were able to fully enjoy our trip knowing that we had a well planned itinerary and someone we could rely on if we needed anything. We are so grateful for all of Caroline’s hard work and would absolutely recommend her to anyone planning a trip to Switzerland. She truly went above and beyond, and we couldn’t have asked for a better travel agent!

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic, Autograph Collection

Montreux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ameron Luzern Hotel Flora

Luzern

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Sassa Hotel Residence & Spa

Lugano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alpen Resort Zermatt

Zermatt

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spinne Grindelwald

Grindelwald

Lovely hotel with amazing views. We loved the spa and infinity pool with the breathtaking views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chillon Castle (Entrance tickets)

Switzerland

We absolutely loved seeing this castle and read all about the history. Since the majority of our trip has been hiking adventures, this was a nice change!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fondue Gondola (To book in advance & to pay on-site)

Switzerland

We really enjoyed this experience. I wasn’t too sure about it when it was booked but I am so so glad we ended up doing it. I’m not the biggest fan of fondue but this fondue was very good but the experience is what made it so memorable! The gondola was such a cozy vibe and the view of the mountains was beautiful. We got lucky and it rained when we were there so it was even cozier!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Harder Kulm (skip-the-line tickets) - From April to November

Switzerland

Absolutely stunning viewpoint! The color of the lakes you’re looking over is just insane!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leisure time in Como from Lugano

Lugano

We took the ferry to Bellagio which was the cutest little town but sadly it rained the entire day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

This was an incredible experience seeing the Matterhorn in person! We took the train up and sat on the right side to get the best views! Once we got up to the top we took the train a stop down to get to the reflecting lake which was incredible. From there we hiked all the way back down to Zermatt.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grindelwald First

Switzerland

This was probably our favorite day! Unfortunately we weren’t able to do any of the activities because the lines were just so long but we hiked to Bachalpsee lake which was the most incredible hike I’ve ever been on. It was just absolutely stunning and truly felt like you were in the sound of music.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Schilthorn - Piz Gloria

Switzerland

This viewpoint was absolutely incredible. You are just completely surrounded by giant mountains and jagged peaks, it was incredible! We went inside and saw the James Bond museum which was fun! The cable car was even steeper than I expected but I loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

Incredible views and loved seeing all the cows at the top!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an excellent trip planned by Emanuela. She was very accessible and responsive and took into account our needs and our young children’s ages in her planning. We had a great time in Iceland!

Kimkim was great and getting a trip organized in such a short period of time. We went to Milan Italy and then took day trips via public transportation throughout the week. The team was responsive to all concerns that we had during our trip. Anita was great and helping us plan our day trips and getting excursion scheduled. My only complaint is the hotel that was chosen was so far from everything else that we did. I felt like we spent so much time traveling back-and-forth on trams and trolleys and trains to get to where we needed to go when we could’ve been closer to the city center. There were no restaurants or shopping nearby our hotel. If we had been closer to the city center, it would’ve made for a much more enjoyable trip.

Our group of 6 travelers recently took a fabulous trip to Iceland using KimKim's travel planning services. Nick, Noga, Maria, and the team at KimKim provided an amazingly diligent and professional level of input, knowledge, and responsiveness that made our trip rich with Icelandic experiences that will last a lifetime. Noga listened attentively to all of our interests and travel preferences and choreographed a complete travel plan filled with wonderful sights, accomodations, food, navigation and adventure. Her depth of Icelandic knowledge was both wide and deep. The travel plan we settled on was meticulously detailed and accurate, leading to a visit to Iceland that was full and exceeded our expectations. Nick was vital in assisting with a travel glitch with one of the excellent local tour guide firms that KimKim pointed us to and led our Icelandic tours. Maria provded superb background support, solidifying the overall top notch experience for our group. Thanks to the team at KimKim, they are high-performing service provider that I'd recommend highly to others. Sandy S

Alejandro stands out for his ability to manage so many different groups at one time. Without him we had been hard pressed to make it to the Galapagos. His crew (especially his son Sabastion was so entertaining the trip to the airport (45 minutes) passed in no time. Everyone was so prompt.
Paola went above and beyond, joining us for a dinner after hours and sharing wonderful information.

Tours on the island took us to places I wanted to see: blue footed boobies, and wonderful snorkeling opportunities.

Overall, we were pleased with our accommodations and the experiences that Hector planned. The Iberostar resort was perfect for our family, and my cousin and I loved our windmills tour with our wonderful guide Birgit. Most of the family also enjoyed the catamaran trip and swimming. The Gran Hotel Havana in Barcelona also suited us well, and we loved our tour guide for Girona (Manuel and his driver Wandr) so much that we lobbied to have them for our second tour (of Montserrat) which was amazing. We also loved the sunset boat trip with the guitarist.

One of the two reasons we did not give 5 stars is because our original flight from Mallorca to Barcelona was scheduled without our agreement to leave at 8:30 in the morning which would have been extremely difficult with three small children. When we requested to move the reservation, we received a lot of pushback and almost tried to make arrangements ourselves (since we received no credit for the original reservation). When we did finally get rescheduled at considerable expense, we learned at the airport that my son would be on standby and his 1-year-old son who is a lap child, had a confirmed seat. It took a great deal of effort to get my son on the flight with no help from Espiritu who blamed the airlines and did nothing to help despite having been responsible for the reservation. I don't believe that the fact that we were with three small children was adequately considered.

The second reason is that we did not receive much help in figuring out where to go to watch the eclipse. Most of the suggestions we received were not helpful because the government was closing many of the streets in Mallorca for security reasons, and they were therefore inaccessible. My daughter did a lot of research online to learn this and did find for us the best place possible given where we were staying, but we would have had a difficult time and probably missed it entirely if we had relied on the information we were given.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Havana

Barcelona

The rooms were very comfortable and attractive and quiet. Most of the staff were helpful and polite. It was good to have room service and the rooftop restaurant available when we did not want to go out, and the included breakfast buffet had lots of good choices.

Iberostar selection Playa de Muro Village

Playa de Muro, Mallorca, Illes Balears

The rooms were clean and comfortable mostly (one had a problem, but the staff moved those of us in that room to a better one). The pools and private beach were perfect and greatly enjoyed, and the breakfast buffet (and other food options) were all amazing. The staff were all helpful and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Montserrat & Catalan Wine of Penedès Region

Barcelona

Again, our guide Manuel made it extra special. It is also a beautiful and spiritual place. Some of us are not religious but were deeply moved nonetheless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Medieval Girona to the Villages of Costa Brava

Barcelona

Our guide Manuel made this a very enjoyable and memorable experience. And some of our group said that the beach where he took us after Girona was the best one they had ever been to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Manuel was knowledgeable, warm talkative, fun and great with the chidren.

Transport

The vans were very comfortable.

Mediterranean Sunset Sailing Experience & Live Spanish Guitar Music

Barcelona

We loved the guitar, and the route was very calm so no one became seasick.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

One of us has balance problems and the captain and staff were very helpful in getting on and off the boat.

Transport

It was a beautiful catamaran sailboat. The only thing that would have been better would have been if it actually sailed instead of motoring the whole way, but that did not impair the experience.

Barcelona for Kids: Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia & Park Güell

Barcelona

The Sagrada Familia on the inside just blew me away; I did not expect to be so moved and impressed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She could have been more enthusiastic and warm.

Mallorca by Sea: A Boutique Sailing, Tapas & Snorkeling Experience

Spain

The swimming in the Mediterranean was wonderful. The only problem was that two of our group got seasick.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Windmills & Villages: A Journey Through Mallorca’s Interior

Spain

Birgit was so knowledgeable and warm. My cousin and I really enjoyed learning about the history, traditions and current day people of Mallorca from her. She was great!

Quality of Experience

our guide Birgit

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Birgit was outstanding and made the whole experience one I will not forget.

Transport

We were grateful that since only two of us went, Birgit picked us up at our hotel.

Laurent was a great partner for planning our group trip to Slovenia! He helped us put together a really fun itinerary with a nice mix of activities, and he secured some really outstanding accommodations for us. At each step, he provided thoughtful recommendations and answered all our questions, no matter how small or silly, in a timely manner. Highly recommend working with Laurent!

Hotel Reviews

Fox on the Rocks chalet

Bohinjsko jezero

Stunning chalet in a stunning location. The breakfast baskets were delicious, and the private chef on the last night was a perfect way to end our trip. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zlata Ladjica Boutique Hotel

Ljubljana

Fantastic location, amazing food, super attentive staff. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle

Postojna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex Sipangkar was our guide across Northern Sumatra. Native to the area, he was very knowledgeable and seemed to know so many people in so many places. He got us to the two memorials we sought, including the more remote Rev. Samuel Munson & Henry Lyman memorial in Lobu Pining. There we met the 6th generation descendant of the raja who led the attack on the party. She was very knowledgeable and we plan on corresponding further, exchanging our knowledge.
The Samosir Island resort was so perfect for our needs. Relaxing, enjoying Batak culture and foods, and exploring the island and Lake Toba were the best. It was a most memorable trip, and will live on as I continue with my writings of the history of the Bataks, North Sumatra and the missionaries. Thanks to everyone who made this possible. Laura and Welton of Kimkim are highly recommended as the planners of our trip, and Alex and his driver made us feel safe and happy over our ten days.

Hotel Reviews

Atsari Hotel Parapat

Parapat

Good overnight stay. Friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near Lake Toba. In town.

Staff

Friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Grand Kenari Tarutung

Tarutung

Rural hotels with basic facilities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right smack dab in the middle of Taratung

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms. Rooms

Anara Airport Hotel

Jakarta

Great airport hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right spot for air travelers

Staff

So helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Hotel Anara Kualanamu

Sumatera Utara

Everything and more. Dining was superb. Bed was most comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean

Location

At the airport so convenient

Staff

Everyone was excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tabo Cottages

Sumatera Utara

Everything was great. Our room, the resort, the food, and all the wonderful people who worked and visited with us. I would go back and stay at the drop of a hat!

Authenticity & Character

Built lovingly from the ground up by terrific owners and staff

Location

Right where you want to be on Lake Toba

Staff

Great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best on our trip

Activity Reviews

Tarutung Tour: Batak Faith & Cultural Heritage

Tarutung

My life is a bit more complete after visiting the memorial sites of the missionaries I had read so much about over the past 20 years The people of the Taratung region were so welcoming to us. Meeting the 6th generation granddaughter of the raja was unexpected and eventful! She shared her knowledge with me and added a lot to my story of those times.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Samosir Island by Car

Samosir Island

We saw and engaged with people of the island. Alex took us to upland farming areas where his family lives and prospers. We visited with school children and shared two books we brought to help with their Rnglish language skills.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex and his driver were the best!

Transport

Great SUV. Comfortable and reliable

While the process was quite simple, and the local specialist appeared to be very knowledgeable having had time to sit and reflect there are many things that were in retrospect quite frustrating. First I am not sure how a tour of the Ufitzi in Florence was not recommended as part of our itinerary. We spent four days in Florence, and it for sure should have been one of them. Second we were talked out of staying in Positano for New Years Eve because nothing would be open, only to discover they host a huge New Years Eve beach party so that information was simply false, and Positano remains one of the best two hour segments we had in our two weeks in Italy. Three days there would have been the best possible end to our adventure. Instead we spent New Years Eve enclosed in a restaurant with no views, and a ridiculously expensive pre-fix menu half of which my older daughter did not eat-which I was told was not alterable while tables around us had altered options. In my past experiences with Kim Kim the local specialist has had so much insight and has connected us with local guides who were simply amazing. Our Florence City Guide was amazing, as was our Coliseum guide-both so knowledgeable and passionate about the places we were seeing. Our Rome sunset tour guide was a nightmare-we did not get to go into the Parthenon which was supposed to be included, and when asked for a recommendation for food for my children who needed a snack she said she was on a diet and did not really eat out. It was truly unbelievable. I hope one day to go back to Italy, but this was not the magical trip we had imagined.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo delle Grazie

Sorrento

Super cute, just off the main square. Breakfast was nice, if not as fresh as we normally see in Europe and staff was so sweet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Dei Mellini

Rome

This hotel is fine. The staff was friendly. The breakfast was okay, but nothing special. We ended up in two connecting rooms as opposed to the family suite we had booked. It was sort of close to everything which meant really it was close to nothing. Everything was a 20 plus minute walk away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

Location was AMAZING, and the room was decent sized with plenty of space for both of my daughters. It made all of Florence walkable but was in a quiet area.

Authenticity & Character

They provided a book about the Medici family my 16 year old was enchanted by. It had so many fun facts!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' dei Proverbi Suites

Venice

This was an amazing space in a fantastic location. Highly recommend for families who can use a little more living space. The stairs would not be great for young children, but school age and up would be a great fit!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So helpful, and walked us over the first night so we would not get lost. They were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free Day on the Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast

This was not an activity-unclear why it is here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This would be us.

Private Evening Rome Walking Tour

Rome

This was TERRIBLE. The guide was awful and we did not get to enter the Parthenon as advertised because of some change of rule in guides being allowed in (I am still unclear on why a time change was not made to allow the tour to be what we were supposed to be having.) Additionally, when asked for a good place to grab a snack during the three hour walking tour the guide spent 10 minutes talking about her diet, and patting her stomach. When asked again she indicated she was not sure. We ended up a terrible tourist cafe which given we paid a guide was RIDICULOUS. The guide makes all the difference in these types of tours, and this was a failure of the travel agency.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour-transport was feet.

Jewish Ghetto & Trastevere Tour

Rome

This was a bit of disaster. It became a tour of 1000 churches when we were really interested in the Jewish History of Rome. The synagogue was not included, and at one point in the Trastevere we walked in to tour a church while a funeral was occurring. We did see some amazing theater ruins, and some gorgeous, stained class as well as very old churches with wells in the front. Our afternoon ended with kosher pizza which was delightful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour-transport was feet.

Full Day Tour: Positano, Amalfi & Ravello

Italy

Positano was AMAZING. I wish our lunch restaurant had an ocean view, but the food was very good. The guide was funny, and knowledgeable and the windy roads were well navigated.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Italy

Our guide was very good, but this was a bit of a nightmare. It was SOOOO crowded, and the guide was in a bit of a hurry. My teens would have liked to spend more time looking at the animal sculptures and she kind of rushed them through to walk through endless rooms of tapestries they had no interest in. The Sistine chapel was shoulder to shoulder-and not quiet, despite the photography prohibition people were taking photos on their phones and in general it just ruined the awe. Nothing however could ruin the awe of the basilica and Michelangelo's pieta.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a walking tour-transport was your feet.

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

This tour, which included the entire area outside the coliseum was amazing. The guide knew all the stories, and to stand in the places where the history occurred while hearing the history was what I came to Rome for. The coliseum was one of the few things that really cannot be oversold. The size, the architecture it was surreal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour-transport is your feet.

Central Food Market & Tuscan Cooking Class

Florence

This was a very good experience, because the day we went the market was closed sadly we did not get the central food market experience. I wish we had known that, as we might have been able to go a different day.

Quality of Experience

Food

The ravioli and the sauce, it was all amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The young women leading

Transport

This category is not applicable.

Private Walking Tour of Florence | City Highlights with David & Duomo

Italy

AMAZING. Our guide was the best we had in Italy-he was funny, engaging and picked up very quickly on what was of interest to my 16 and 21 year old. His love for the city and flexibility to what was of interest to use was an amazing combination. I wish Marco had been out guide for all of Italy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is a walking tour-so transport is your feet.

Venice Walking Tour with St. Marks Basilica Access

Italy

This was very nice. Would have been better if it had included a tour of the palace as well as the church. It was a lot of you should come back here and do x-which given we were in Venice for two days was not great. However, the guide was very kind, and made great restaurant recommendations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was a little challenging to find out guide, but once we located her it was very good.

Transport

This is a walking tour. So transport was your feet.