Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip was extremely well planned and organized from flights, to guides, to hotels. Everything was perfect. There was always someone to pick us up from the airport and who would stay with us until we were ready to enter security. In Brazil, people rarely speak English, so it is so important to have an English speaking guide while you are here. Thais is extremely sweet and worked so well with me to find the right excursions in our budget! Five stars!

I appreciated the planning that went into the trip, and Kate's immediate replies when we had questions/issues during the trip.
Note: the Royal Hotel in Portree was probably "royal" 20 years ago, but now it's a 2-star hotel at best.

We enjoyed the Whiskey Food Tour, but expected going to more than one location and having wine besides whiskey (per the description).

Also liked the app. Used it multiple times a day.

Hotel Reviews

Merchiston Residence

Edinburgh

Nice apartment!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Most comfortable beds that we had for the entire trip. The restrooms were a nice size.

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

The pictures we were shown were VERY outdated. The hotel is quite run down.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avalon

Inverness

Nice, clean rooms. Enjoyed breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A little off the beaten path, but could walk to town in 20 minutes.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

East Claremont Guest House

Edinburgh

Each room was cute; had its own theme. The bathrooms were impossibly small. The breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were approximately a 15 minute walk from Old Town / New Town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One of our rooms had a bed that slanted. Bathrooms were hard to navigate for our taller family members.

Activity Reviews

Private Scotch Whisky & Artisan Food Tasting Tour

Edinburgh

Joann, our guide, was quite enjoyable and knowledgeable. But disappointed that the "tour" was one restaurant. And disappointed that no wine was available to taste, as indicated in the write-up.

Quality of Experience

add another restaurant, and wine (or update the description to exclude wine)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Since we only went to one restaurant, not sure why we met where we did, only to walk another 15 minutes to get the restaurant

Talisker Distillery

Scotland

Didn't do. It would have cost 100 pounds to taxi to and from the distillery from Portree. Would recommend scheduling something else in its place in the future.

Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

Scotland

This was the family's overall pic. It was an enjoyable boat ride to the castle. Appreciated the comedy of the guide on board. The castle is beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

also loved the bus driver's sense of humor

Transport

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

Stuart was a great tour guide! Funny and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

Inverness

Our guide Cammy was awesome! She did an incredible job explaining EVERYTHING. Glen Affric is incredibly beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible experience in Iceland from start to finish. Everything was so well organized by Gummi, who was incredibly responsive, thoughtful, and attentive to our interests and needs. His suggestions were excellent, and every location and experience felt perfectly chosen for us.

Our guide, Bessi, was truly phenomenal. He was personable, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to make our trip special. He really took the time to get to know us and tailored the experience to our interests. He was also incredibly flexible, able to pivot and adjust our plans based on the weather and conditions while still making every day feel seamless and unforgettable.

It truly felt like a personalized trip rather than a standard tour. We saw incredible waterfalls, glaciers, lagoons, craters, hikes, and so much more — but it was the little details, the flexibility, and the genuine care that made this a trip of a lifetime. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience!

Our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was unforgettable! KimKim hit a home run with every aspect of the vacation - from itinerary to hotels to sights to guides - it was all perfect. We especially loved our guides Leong (Hanoi), Ann (Hoi An), Richard (Saigon), Sang (food vespa guide in Saigon), and Yun Sophea in Cambodia. Our trip consultant, Alex, was in touch with us every step of the way to make sure things were going well. We have done a trip to Morocco with KimKim, as well as this one to Southeast Asia, and could not be more satisfied with both experiences. We will absolutely use them for future vacations!

Hotel Reviews

Metta Residence & Spa

Krung Siem Reap Siem Reap

This hotel was a true gem! Tucked away on a quiet street in Siem Reap, this hotel was a welcome haven after a very busy day of visiting temples and sights. We loved the foot massages at the spa, they were excellent. The room was very large with great air circulation. The dining room was nice for breakfast and the staff was gracious and so friendly. It was very easy to hop on a tuk-tuk to go visit Siem Reap's vivid old city with its canal and Pub Street. A perfect place to stay in a wonderful city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orchid Saigon Hotel

Ho Chi Minh

This hotel was in a great location and had a very nice staff. It was a little bit dated inside, and the room was small, but that is probably how most rooms are in Ho Chi Minh City. The staff was very nice and gave us excellent options for restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoi An Moon Premium Boutique Hotel & Spa Resort hotel

Hoi An

This was our favorite hotel on our trip. The hotel is brand new, and it is part of a 5-star hotel brand. The staff was the most attentive and gracious we have encountered and their breakfast was fabulous. Best coffee and food selection we have seen. The room was beautiful and spacious and we enjoyed the foot massage we got in the spa. We would absolutely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Hoi An!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Elegance Cruise

This cruise was stellar! We loved our cabin and spent a lot of time relaxing on the balcony. We wish we had stayed for two days!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi L' Heritage Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

This was a lovely hotel in the perfect location. We especially appreciated the large sized room and excellent air conditioner. The breakfast on the top floor was delicious and a perfect start to our days in Hanoi. The staff was gracious and were were very pleased all around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Saigon By Night and Food By Vespa (Group Tour)

Ho Chi Minh City

This is a "must do" in Ho Chi Minh City! Our guide, Sang, was exceptional. It was pouring rain during most of our vespa adventure but oddly that just added to the authentic feel of the experience. A huge thank you to Sang for his insights and humor on the excursion!

Siem Reap - Explore Angkor Complex Temples by bike

Siem Reap

We loved this so much. On the bikes you get to see the back side of the temples and some of the villages that are in the complex. We highly suggest visiting the complex this way!

Hoi An - Ba Na Hills - Golden Bridge - Hoi An (Group tour - SIC)

Vietnam

Ba Na Hills is an impressive feat of engineering and really amazing architectural detail and gardens. However, if you don't love amusement parks and tourist-centered attractions, this could be a long drive for not much to offer you. I enjoyed the flowers and landscape and detailed work in the french village architecture, but my husband felt trapped that we had to be up on the hill for four hours. Beautiful and worth it for the right people. My husband was not that person!

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta, Explore Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

This was a true slice of life on the MeKong Delta area. As it was low season and rainy, we had the area pretty much to ourselves so it was surreal to float down the river and experience the lush tropical atmosphere and sounds of the birds. Really great!

Halong Bay - Hanoi - Fly to Danang, Transfer to Hoi An

Vietnam

Don't miss a boat cruise on Ha Long Bay! Worth the travel and it is a unique experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really want to thank you Audrey, for creating such a fantastic trip and for all your assistance while we were sick. Your arranging for us to see a doctor in Arles was extremely helpful and we were able to get medication to help us for the remainder of our trip.

Although being sick changed our trip and we were not able to do all the things as planned, our experience of France, the lovely people, the amazing food and beautiful countryside will leave us with lasting memories which we will cherish forever and we owe all of this wonderful experience to you!

I would like to mention some of the places in which we stayed and the individual owners who made our stay with them exceptional.
The little boutique hotel in Carcassonne was amazing, such a lovely place! Although we were only there one night the owners were fantastic. Katy and her husband are the most accommodating owners. They were very helpful in helping us get a taxi to our meeting point for the Medieval City tour. Katy makes a delicious breakfast consisting of many homemade items. They also recommended an amazing restaurant within walking distance where we enjoyed the delicious local Cassoulet and some local wine. Our guide for the Medieval City was incredible. She was very knowledgeable of Medieval City, and we learned so much history of the area,

Mas Petit Fourchon in Arles is beautiful Provençal farmhouse and Pascale the owner is such a lovely and welcoming person. Her estate is beautiful and the three days we spent there were very much needed and gave us the opportunity to rest in a peaceful and lovely environment.

The Arcanse Hotel in Arcachon was also a very lovely place in a great location. They served a wonderful breakfast, and all the staff were extremely helpful.

I would like to mention both the wine tours we attended were wonderful. Charly our guide in the Burgandy area was very knowledgeable and we learned so much about the wine production in that area. The two wineries where we tasted were lovely and the wine was amazing!
The lunch and wine tour and tasing at Chateau Guiraud was most enjoyable. The food at the restaurant was incredible and we learned a lot about the production of the sweet wine of that area. Our guide for the tour was very knowledgeable, and we really enjoyed the entire day.

Lourdes was a very special experience for us. I have been wanting to visit Lourdes for so many years, and I was so happy to finally experience such a special place. We were able to attend the Dutch Pilgram's Mass, and we did the candlelight processions both nights that we were there. We had a lovely suite at the Le Grand Hotel Gallia in Lourdes.

Our train trip from Arcachon to Paris was a bit stressful. The train from Arcachon to Bordeaux was 15 minutes late in arrival at Bordeaux so we missed our original train to Paris. We had a four hour wait but they were able to get us on another train but unfortunately, they could not provide us with reserved seats which presented a bit of a stressful train ride for us. We had to change seats several times. Fortunately, two lovely gentlemen who boarded the train at two different stops gave up their seats for me for which I was most grateful. The train was very full, and it would have meant moving all our luggage to try to find another seat. We did make it back to Paris without having to move to a different car with all our luggage thanks to the very kind gentlemen who gave up their seats.

The entire trip was fantastic, and we are very grateful to you, Audrey for making all the wonderful arrangements and for your assistance while we sick. As I mentioned it is unfortunate we could not do all the events as planned and there were days, we just had to push through to the next hotel but we thoroughly enjoyed all that we were able to experience and we met some lovely people and enjoyed the beautiful countryside of France.

Thank You, Audrey! I would for sure recommend you and Kimkim to anyone wanting to experience a wonderful vacation.

Additionally, the Kimkim app was great!

All the Best
Bonnie and Dennis

Hotel Review

Mas Petit Fourchon

Arles

The Mas Petit Fourchon is a fantastic Provencal farmhouse just outside of Arles. The house is beautiful and the owner, Pascale was very warm and welcoming. She ensures your stay is most enjoyable and relaxing. The grounds are beautiful; there is also a lovely pool for swimming and relaxing. Additionally she raises Camargue horses which are beautiful. Also, on her property are Alpacas and two lovely dogs which will greet you upon arrival. Her estate is very family friendly with a playground area for children. She severs a lovely breakfast out on the patio which was most enjoyable. The Bed and Breakfast is only 3 kilometers from Arles. I would highly recommend a stay at this lovely Bed and Breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

The house is very authentic with lovely decor.

Location

Lovely place and perfect for exploring the area around Arles

Staff

The owner Pascale is a very warm and welcoming person

Cleanliness & Comfort

our room was very clean and well furnished with everything we needed

Activity Reviews

Guided Visit of the Medieval City of Carcassonne

Carcassonne

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable regarding the history of the Medieval City of Carcassonne. She made the tour most enjoyable.

Immersive Experience at Château Guiraud

sauternes

The food at the Chateau Guiraud restaurant was incredible. We loved the tour and learned so much about the history of this estate and the production of their sweet wines. Our guide for the tour was very knowledgeable and explained everything about the production of their wines.

Côte de Beaune or Côte de Nuits wine tasting tour

France

Charly was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and winemaking. He took us to two lovely wineries for tasting and a tour. We learned so much about the Burgandy area wines and production. It was a lovely day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Looking back on our recent trip to Japan, one of the things we’re most grateful for is having Ben help us plan it. He took the time to understand what we wanted from the trip, and from the start, we felt like we were in very good hands.

Ben was incredibly responsive throughout the planning process and paid attention to all the little details that made such a difference. Our itinerary gave us a great balance of memorable experiences and time to explore on our own. During our trip, Ben checked in every day to see how we were doing and provide assistance as needed

One of our favorite memories was the Yamazaki Distillery tour. It was such a unique experience and a real highlight of the trip, exactly the kind of personal touch that made our time in Japan so memorable.

The guides Ben arranged were another highlight. They were knowledgeable, personable, and added so much to our experience at each destination.

We came home with so many wonderful memories and truly appreciate all the care Ben put into making our Japan trip so special. We would absolutely recommend him to anyone planning a trip to Japan.

My local specialist, Anita arranged terrific experiences for us in the Lisbon and Lagos areas. Upon arrival we were met by a local who brought us to our hotel. The hotel was in a really good location. It was in walking distance to many of the sights that you want to see. It was also close to an area with a great selection of restaurants and shops. In the Lisbon area I went on Bird & Dolphin watching trip. It was a really good time where we saw about a dozen pods of dolphins, plenty of birds, and a blue shark. Another activity we did was a 3 hour walking tour to see some of the historical sites & monuments in Lisbon. The advantage of seeing the sites with a guide is they know the history of the sites and the significance of them. After Lisbon I headed to Lagos for a few days. The hotel Anita helped me find was excellent, the Lagos Avenida Hotel. While in the Lagos area I did a few really enjoyable things. One was the Golden Coast Catamaran Boat Tour. It was a really relaxing trip along the coast where we saw some of the beautiful natural coast and we had a chance to swim. The trip included a bar and food. Another enjoyable time was a trip outside of Lagos in the countryside & Silves. We stopped at a vineyard/winery where we toured the wine making facilities and were able to have a wine tasting. For a little adventure I went one an Algarve Countryside Quad Experience. This was a great way to see a remote castle some small towns, farms, and a lot of nature. One of the last adventures I had in the Lagos area was a guided E-bike excursion on the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. This was an easy way to explore some of the beautiful coastal areas. The scenery was stunning. All of the activities were a great way to experience some of what Portugal has. The companies who Anita booked with were all well run and every one have terrific guides. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable about the areas and the history. KimKim was the right company to help me arrange my time in Portugal. Anita was very communicative, found activities to match what I was looking to do. A+

Hotel Review

Lagos Avenida Hotel

Lagos

I stayed at the Laos Avenida Hotel while in Lagos. The hotel is in an excellent location. It is within walking distance of the restaurants, shopping, historical sites, the beach and the marina. While in walking distance of everything you may want to do it is not in the thick of it all so it feels on the quiet side. The room was large with a nice large shower and patio. The staff was friendly and helpful when I had an any questions. There is a nice lobby with comfortable seats and a nice atmosphere. The hotel has a rooftop pool and bar for relaxing. The hotel is kept clean throughout. I found this a terrific hotel which helped make my time in Lagos even better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within walking distance of everything you want to see and do.

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Every part of the hotel is clean and offers comfortable seating in the lobby and roof

Activity Review

Explore Lisbon with a Local

Lisbon

This was a really good way to explore the history of Lisbon. Our guide knew the history of the city and the significance of the sites we saw. Our tour was in the morning so we finished at lunch time. We saw some beautiful sites that helped define the history of Portugal. The meeting place was easy to find and the first site is within a 2 minute walk. While you'll walk by some shops etc. I recommend bringing water with you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

An Unforgettable 10-Day Journey Through Morocco! 🇲🇦✨

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Original Travels Company during our 10-day trip to Morocco. From the very beginning, Hamza and the team made our journey smooth, comfortable, and truly unforgettable.

Original Travels did an outstanding job arranging our accommodations, transportation, authentic restaurants, sightseeing, and visits to Morocco’s most beautiful historic sites. Their professionalism, hospitality, and attention to detail made our trip stress-free and enjoyable.

We visited Casablanca, Marrakech, Aït Benhaddou, Fès, Meknès, Volubilis, Chefchaouen, and Rabat. Every destination was unique and beautiful, and we created memories that we will cherish forever.

Thank you, Original Travels Company, for making our Morocco adventure so special! 🇲🇦❤️

I worked directly with Rob as the travel advisor coordinating this Japan honeymoon, and he was wonderful to partner with throughout the planning process. The itinerary went through several revisions as we worked to get the pacing, hotels, transportation and experiences right, and Rob was consistently responsive, flexible and helpful. I especially appreciated being able to rely on his local expertise and relationships with in-country partners when questions or logistical details came up. As the trip approached, he was excellent about providing updated driver information, reservation confirmations, transportation guidance and day-of details so I could make sure the travelers had everything they needed. He also responded quickly whenever I needed clarification or wanted to double-check something. From the advisor side, I felt well supported throughout the process and appreciated having a knowledgeable local partner I could rely on.

Ireland is a beautiful place full of wonderful hospitable people. People with a great sense of humor, a wealth of information, and real love for their country. It felt like they couldn’t wait to show it off. The local guides were indispensable because they gave us a tremendous sense of history of the areas that we were touring as well as great local restaurant and pub recommendations. This had been a bucket list type trip for us and it did not disappoint. Aleksandra was so helpful in steering us toward local sites & museums that we never would have thought about. The Butter museum or the 14 Henrietta St Tenement museum were very informative and gave you a sense of Ireland’s past. Would highly recommend Kimkim to any one who doesn’t want a big bus tour of all the usual tourist spots but instead a chance to get off the beaten path and see more of the local culture such as a local food & pub tour in Galway.

Hotel Reviews

Trinity Townhouse

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Corrib House Guest Accommodation

Galway

Very lovely guesthouse with very helpful and attentive staff! Lovely tea house and courtyard made the place feel very homey.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was very accommodating when we needed breakfast a little earlier in order for us to make some tours.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hayfield Manor Hotel

Absolutely lovely with all its old world charm!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killarney Heights Hotel

Killarney

Authenticity & Character

Location

Would’ve preferred a hotel closer to the center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guinness Storehouse Experience Tour

Dublin

I know it’s a must see for all Ireland visitors, but it felt very Disneyesque. The free Guinness pints in the rooftop bar were a nice experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I will speak of the planning side - Hector was great in helping us plan a family trip. We told him the area's we wanted to visit in Portugal and he was able to elaborate and make our trip memorable. He was prompt in responding to questions in we had, making adjustments when needed, setting up tours and drivers. Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency half our party had to drop out, and he worked with me to get refunds and still make the other half a wonderful trip. Thank you Hector. Sheri Torres

The highlights of the trip were the cooking class and the wine tasting. The hosts were very knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make our experience enjoyable.
The olive oil tasting was a bit difficult to follow. The host didn’t speak English but there was a translator. The issue was that the host would speak for long periods before the translator would translate. I would suggest having the host speak only a minute or two and then have it translated .
The day in Sorrento and the Amalfi coast met with some difficulties with land slides. We had about 1 hour at each location which gave us little opportunity to explore. I’m not sure if there would have been more guidance on what to see had more time. The driver was great with dealing with the issues though getting us around road closures.
The Naples food experience was disappointing. There was no pizza! The food choices were fair with the exception of the dessert. The wait was long at some places. Although I appreciated the host I wish there were more details about Naples and the food keeping us engaged while we waited.
All of the hotels were in great locations making it easy for us to explore.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Alabardieri

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso

Alberobello

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dimore di Brando

Polignano a Mare

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Market Stalls to Street Food: Discovering Naples

Naples

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hands On: Cook Like a Neapolitan

Naples

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Organic Winery Experience in the Apulian Countryside

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taylor and her team at Kimkim set up our family trip to Norway. We had an amazing time! They were always available to answer questions in order to plan the perfect trip for us and while traveling they would promptly respond to any questions we had. We felt well taken care of and every excursion, experience and transfer ran smoothly. And our fabulous guides were knowledgeable and went above and beyond to show us around and pivot when necessary.

Will definitely use Kimkim for future travel

Our guide in Tulum was truly amazing. He was artistic, knowledgeable, and spoke normal English. What impressed us most was how genuinely passionate he was about his country and its culture. He didn’t just share information with us — he wanted us to understand, appreciate, and love Yucatán as much as he does. His enthusiasm and personal touch made the experience especially memorable.
The hotel in Valladolid was absolutely wonderful and one of the highlights of our trip. It had such an authentic, elegant, and classy design — the kind of place you know you will remember forever.

The hotel consists of two beautiful, completely different buildings, and the staff kindly showed us both and offered us the choice of which room we preferred. This made the experience even more special.

The staff were extremely friendly and spoke very good English. The food was also excellent. Everything about the stay felt warm, authentic, and special.

For us, the hotel itself was almost a sightseeing experience — not just a place to stay, but a place to discover and enjoy. It was truly a pleasure to stay there.
A special mention absolutely has to go to our driver, Carlo (or Karlo), who was Italian and is married to a Maya woman.

He was an exceptional person and, in my opinion, has all the qualities to become a fantastic guide. His English was excellent, he knew an incredible amount about Yucatán, and, most importantly, he genuinely loved the region and its culture. He even speaks the Maya language and taught us some Maya expressions during the trip, which was a wonderful personal touch.

Uxmal was the absolute highlight of the tour for me. I loved it — the site itself was fascinating and truly impressive. Our guide there was also good and made the visit even more interesting.

The hotel in Mérida was d comfortable. However, it was a much more standard hotel and, for us, could not really be compared with the wonderful hotel in Valladolid, which was a memorable experience in itself.

The transportation throughout the tour was very good. Everything was well organized, the cars were comfortable, and we felt well taken care of during the journey.

Many thanks to the entire KIMKIM team for organizing our trip. Everything was very well planned and professionally arranged, and we felt well taken care of throughout the journey.
You are true professionals, and we have already recommended KIMKIM to our friends.

Hotel Review

Hotel Posada San Juan

Valladolid

The hotel in Valladolid was absolutely wonderful and one of the highlights of our trip. It had such an authentic, elegant, and classy design — the kind of place you know you will remember forever. The hotel consists of two beautiful, completely different buildings, and the staff kindly showed us both and offered us the choice of which room we preferred. This made the experience even more special. The staff were extremely friendly and spoke very good English. The food was also excellent. Everything about the stay felt warm, authentic, and special. For us, the hotel itself was almost a sightseeing experience — not just a place to stay, but a place to discover and enjoy. It was truly a pleasure to stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Almost everybody, even the dog, which was introduced to us as their team memeber :)

Cleanliness & Comfort

It is super boutique hotel of an international standads

Activity Reviews

Visit the archaeological site of Tulum

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Merida to Cancun Airport

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uxmal, a city with Puuc style

Mexico

It is a very well organized touristic site - clean, not crowded, with shadows, no vendors and sellers of souvenirs. Great!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World

Mexico

Ek Balam Archaeological Site & swim in a cenote

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My son and I had a wonderful trip to Mexico.  Kimkim's planning was exceptional.  Hugo helped us think through a great itinerary based on our interests and our goal to visit Chichén Itzá. He recommended some special experiences including weaving a hammock and making tortillas and chocolate at a Mayan village.  We had a nice mix of walking tours and swimming in the cenote. Once we arrived, Luz did a great job keeping track of us as we moved from town to town.  Her attention to detail was amazing and she always checked in with us every day.  Throughout the trip, we had amazing and very knowledgeable tour guides and drivers and everyone took great care of us.  They all spoke English and were very kind to let us practice our Spanish. My thanks for everyone for making this a very special trip for us and creating lifetime memories. Muchas gracias!

Hotel Reviews

Casa Lucia Hotel Boutique

Mérida, Yucatán

Great location! This was very close to the Merida town square and we got to see some local cultural events due to our favorable location. The room was very comfortable. They even had a cat in the lobby which we loved.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

Great hotel! Right in the town square and next to all the major attractions and activities. Breakfast was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Yellow Izamal: the City of Hills

Mexico

Very nice tour. Miranda gave us a great tour visiting the local church and we then saw the pyramids there. She gave us a lot of great information about the history and culture which we appreciated. Excellent tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Xcanche Cenote!

Valladolid

We really enjoyed the cenote. The water temperature was perfect and seeing this as a natural formation was amazing! The cenote is very deep so we both swam with life jackets (highly recommend). They offered a zip line also. This was a very enjoyable experience in nature.

Quality of Experience

Street Food Tour in Merida

Mexico

Overall good tour. We did about 8 stops and ate different local Yucatan foods.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Enjoy the ancestral workshop "The Milpa Cultivation" and time in the community.

Mexico

This was one of our favorite stops. We met with William who lives in the village with about 700 others and we had a delightful tour. We entered the homes of the local people there which we appreciated. Our first stop was making tortillas which was fun. Our second stop was trying to learn how to weave a hammock. It was such fun to learn that and our hosts were so kind. Our final stop was making chocolate which was also outstanding. Along the way we got to see how everyone lives, where the kids go to school etc. This is one of the hidden gems of this tour. The Mayans are beautiful and kind people and we were honored to be guests in their village.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A pink-ish day at Río Lagartos!

Mexico

We had a wonderful time at Rio Lagartos. Henry met us at the boat pier and we had our own boat into the reserve. We saw flamingos in their natural habitat which was truly exceptional. We saw crocodiles, eagles and many other varieties of birds. It is a truly special place right next to the ocean and yet protected with a natural barrier. We also had an opportunity to swim there using the Mayan clay which was great. Overall, excellent visit! We also had a nice lunch at the local restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Colonial Valladolid

Valladolid

Very nice tour. Carlos gave us a nice history of the city and the major events that took place there. It was nice walking through all the streets and we enjoyed the honey tasting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World

Mexico

This was a fantastic experience. Julian was our tour guide and he was so knowledgeable about the Mayan history and gave us the full cultural experience which is what we wanted. He made sure that we got great photos which we appreciated. The tour was very well paced and we had just the right amount of time to fully enjoy Chichen Itza.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Merida: The White City

Mérida

Nice educational tour of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour to the AS of Ek Balam

Mexico

Our guide was excellent. We got a great overview of Ek Balam and the opportunity to climb the main pyramid. It was great to hear about all the Mayan stories and walk through this amazing place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carlo was our driver for 3 days and he was amazing!

Transport

My trip was amazing! I was fully taken care of through out the whole process and stay thanks to Soleil & kimkim! Would definitely recommend to anyone considering traveling to Japan!

Lisa took all of the suggestions we provided and truly tailored an itinerary that matched our travel priorities perfectly. The instructions were detailed and told us exactly what to expect regarding logistics. The pace was at the level we expected with room to seek our own adventure when it made sense to. I would highly recommend working with Lisa and Beat the Dutch travel.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Beijers

Utrecht

Quaint and centrally located. Staff was friendly and acommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Café Hotel Kruller

Otterlo

Conveniently located. Clean, restaurant and exceptional as was the breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Hallen

Amsterdam

Breakfast was top notch. Room was small, yet clean and comfortable. Hotel was in a convenient area of the city!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centrally located

Staff

We had a mix up with getting out chip card and they never found it. Lisa dropped off a new one for us.

Activity Reviews

Amsterdam - Anne Frank House

The Netherlands

A must see for anyone going to Amsterdam. Book early it is popular. We are glad we went.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Utrecht - Centraal Museum

Utrecht

We thought the museum was okay but would have enjoyed the music museum more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Close to the hotel

Amsterdam - STRAAT Museum

The Netherlands

Museum is fantastic. One of our favorite things we did!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Canal cruise (join-in)

The Netherlands

Intimate tour with only 7-8 other guests. Our tour guide was friendly, engaging and informative. Would do again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Day trip to Volendam and Marken by public transport

Amsterdam

Quaint towns and fun to stroll the streets.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Utrecht - Climbing the Dom Tower

The Netherlands

Very challenging but worth the climb. For anyone who has a good fitness level, this is a must do. The restaurant next door was a great place to go afterwards as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otterlo - Explore De Hoge Veluwe National Park on foot

The Netherlands

Hiking was fantastic and trails were easy to follow.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Haarlem - Self-guided cycling route to the beach of Bloemendaal

The Netherlands

INcredible bike ride and views! Loved it! Bike rental was easy as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - NDSM wharf

The Netherlands

Amazing museum and a pleasant surprise. We loved the young, vibrant area as well. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved the ferry.

Transport

Amsterdam - Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

Great overview of Dutch artists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Public transport pass the Netherlands (OV chip card)

The Netherlands

A must for anyone traveling in the Netherlands. So easy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Utrecht - Self-guided cycling route to De Haar Castle

Utrecht

The 40 mile bike route was stunning! The castle and grounds is a must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otterlo - Explore De Hoge Veluwe National Park by bicycle and visit the Kröller Müller Museum

The Netherlands

Incredible park and experience. We could have used another day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved the free bikes!

Amsterdam - Day trip to Haarlem by public transport

Amsterdam

beautiful town. We enjoyed walking the streets and taking in the lovely views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum

The Netherlands

Amazing museum. A must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy to get there

Amsterdam - Half-day trip to Zaanse Schans by public transport

The Netherlands

Touristy but worth the visit. We loved learning about the history of windmills and the influence on industry in Amsterdam.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Easy to get there by public transport

Amsterdam - Private guided historic city walk

The Netherlands

Rudolph, our guide was friendly and engaging. Wonderful person!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved the Flam Railway, the fjords, and the Lofoten islands. All our accommodations were great, but our favorites were in Aurland and Svolvær.

Porto was by far my favorite place. Our driver, Ivo, was entertaining and seemed to enjoy showing off his beloved Porto. The hotel, Porto Bay Flores, was especially wonderful - right in the middle of the action (no cars, just pedestrians) with a lovely outdoor seating area to sit and people watch. An easy walk to shops and food as well. The trip to the Douro Valley was interesting and I would have loved a longer boat ride. The stops at Navarre and Obidos on the way to Lisbon were also very enjoyable and added dimension to the experience..

Lisbon is a busy city! Our driver, Hugo, did an excellent job driving us to Sintra, Cabo de Roca, and Cascais allowing wonderful stops along the way. He was exceptionally engaged - found us a lovely lunch stop overlooking the ocean. The Valverde Hotel turned out to be a solid choice - offering a sip of Port at night in the library! It was also on a street with shops and restaurants but busy with traffic. The tuk-tuk ride to Belem was entertaining.

The stop in Evora on the way to the Algarve was interesting but since it was a Sunday not everything was open and the town was pretty quiet - were hoping to have an opportunity to learn more about cork but the factory was closed. The Pine Cliffs Resort was beautiful but not a perfect fit. A quieter less family oriented place might have been preferable. Also, I had a very negative experience with the management which completely soured my experience there.
The excursion to Lagos and boat ride to Ponta da Piedade Caves was a good contrast to the Pine Cliffs Resort.

Hotel Reviews

Valverde Lisboa Hotel & Garden

Lisbon

The front desk staff and welcomers at the front door were exceptional. I loved the library and servings of Port. The restaurant was a bit slow on service but the sommelier was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Busy street but shops and restaurant accessible.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Pine Cliffs Resort

Apartado, Albufeira

I was treated poorly by the manager on staff at check out which soured my experience. Lots of babies, toddlers and kids so if you are looking for a quiet place, this is not it. Beach is not handicap accessible.

Authenticity & Character

A huge resort - would be good for large family gatherings or golfers

Location

You are isolated once there.

Staff

Front desk staff customer service lacking.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved the room and especially the very private balcony

PortoBay Flores

Porto

I loved the location. Also, the amenities - sauna, steam room, and warm pool, were included. The outdoor breakfast seating was lovely - complete with champagne!

Authenticity & Character

Surrounded by beautiful, classic old buildings

Location

Great for people watching

Staff

They were all so good!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Porto on a Private 4-Hour Historic Center Driver Tour

Porto

Fun to see other parts of the city - crossing the bridge to the Villa de Gaia side and tasting port at Sandemans. Would have perhaps preferred an additional tasting at a smaller establishment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveil the Fairytale Villa of Sintra with a Private Driver Service

Portugal

Adding a visit to the town of Sintra, lunch on a hilltop overlooking the ocean and stops at Cabo de Roca and Cacais made the trip to the Villa even more exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think our driver, Hugo, made all the differnence.

Transport

Comfortable ride and Hugo was a very careful driver.

Uncover Porto's Hidden Coastal Gems on a Private Driver Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Essence of Douro - A River, Wine, and Gastronomy Experience with a Private Driver

Portugal

The drive was long but a great way to see the countryside. I would have enjoyed a longer boat ride on the Douro.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had a great time in Ireland. Loved Kinsale the most! The hotel there was the best of the trip and the vibe of the town is exactly what we love.

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

This hotel is close to the train station and the zoo, but it's far from shops and restaurants. The room was well appointed and clean. Ours was overlooking the HVAC units for the hotel so it wasn't quiet. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived, which is no big deal, but their luggage storage is in the basement of the parking deck and doesn't feel safe or secure. The breakfast was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Galmont Hotel & Spa

Galway

The lobby and main part of this hotel is very nice, including the restaurant but it is the newer wing of the hotel. Our room was in the older wing of the hotel, it was a hike and two elevator rides to get there, and that part of the hotel smelled old and moldy. Additionally, anytime a room door shuts in that part of the hotel, it slams, even if you try to close it gently. So you can hear everyone coming and going all night. The room itself was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killarney Riverside Hotel

Killarney

This hotel felt very odd. The first night we were there we had several spiders in our room and someone on staff came and cleaned them up. Other than the spiders, it was clean but did not feel like a 4 star hotel. It was very sterile and lacked basic amenities. The beds were terrible, they felt very cheap and made our backs hurt every night. Everyone we talked to (Drivers, Guides, etc) while we were in town gave us strange looks and wondered why we were staying there. Turns out, until recently this hotel was used to house displaced Ukrainians. There was one lady at the front desk that was very kind but the other front desk people weren't very engaging and the restaurant and breakfasts were terrible. It was also a bit of a far walk into town.

Authenticity & Character

This is not a 4 star hotel. Its very sterile and basic.

Location

Staff

Only giving three stars becauase the guy who came to clean the spiders was kind and one of the front desk ladies was kind. Everyone else we ran into wasn't particularly friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was clean (other than the spiders) but it was not comfortable.

Perryville House

County Cork

This was our favorite hotel of the trip! The staff were very attentive and friendly. The beds were very comfortable, and our room had a beautiful garden view.. This hotel has the BEST breakfasts!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right across from the water

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stauntons on the Green

Dublin

This hotel was nice. The room was clean, the beds were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Older hotel, but well maintained.

Location

Right across the street from the park and walking distance to great shops and restaurants.

Staff

The staff were kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour

Killarney

Our guide, Mike, was wonderful. But this activity felt underwhelming. It mostly felt like a stroll through the park with a friend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Galway Private Walking tour

Galway

Our guide was very kind and personable, however, she is the daughter of the company owner, she is in college and not really a knowledgable guide. We didn't really learn much. She also said she usually only does 1 hour group tours so she didn't know what to do with us for 3 hours on a private tour. We ended up letting her go early bc it felt like a waste of time.

Quality of Experience

Guide was not very knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was very kind and personable

Kinsale Private Walking Food Tour

Ireland

We enjoyed this! Our guide, Adrian, was wonderful. We had 5 stops and our guide directed us to other places we should try during our time there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff