Kimkim Trip Reviews

Anders put together a wonderful trip that included Denmark, Sweden and Norway!
We had a lot of questions about lodging, tours, transportation, and the most spectacular things to visit.
Anders answered every one of them.
Transportation in Scandinavia is clean, on-time, and reliable.
We loved the combination of old historic architecture and new innovative architecture.
The highlights were the fjord cruises, Flam, Alesund and Oslo.
But truly, everything was great.
Everything and everyone is green and earth-friendly. The water in Scandinavia is great!

We feel like we saw all of the must-see places and we look forward to visiting again!
Thanks Anders!

Hotel Reviews

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

wonderful view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

great location wonderful room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Axel Guldsmeden

Copenhagen

wonderful breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

wonderful meals

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Njardarheimr Viking Village Day Trip with Nærøyfjord Cruise & Bus Transfer

Norway

tour guide was authentic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucie made planning this trip so easy! She was very good at getting back to me promptly with a proposed trip and then was great to deal with when making modifications to it to create the perfect plan. She did a wonderful job organizing all the car, hotels, and excursions and made it very easy for us and had a lot of great suggestions. When we had an issue or two on the trip (eg one hotel wanted to charge me again for the room), she was very helpful and got them resolved. We had an amazing time and I'll definitely look to use Kimkim again!

Hotel Reviews

Residence Inn Frankfurt City Center by Marriott

Frankfurt

Very large updated room that was easy for parking and getting down to the waterfront and other areas for walking and dining.

Authenticity & Character

modern room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Schwarzwaldhotel Gengenbach

Gegenbach

The hotel was fine, but it was more like a destination resort where companies go to have big meetings and not near much. The room was a bit dated and had a funny smell.

Authenticity & Character

The spa entry was nice, but the inside of the hotel was ordinary and even a bit dated.

Location

Nothing much near it.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel BurgGartenpalais

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

This was a neat old building in a quiet part of town that was still easily accessible to the main sites. Driving to it though was quite a challenge through the many small pedestrian streets!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

a bit dated, but that kind of added to the authenticity.

Hotel Domizil Erfurt

Erfurt

This place was really neat! I was our own little apartment with a balcony right on the main street. We loved it! Getting in though was a bit complicated because no one was at the desk when we arrived at 6:30pm even though it was supposed to be staffed until 7pm. But once I figured out how to contact someone, the key was available in a lock box.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Had almost no staff interaction.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wilde Aparthotels Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin

Beautiful room!

Authenticity & Character

More a modern hotel.

Location

Could walk to many sites.

Staff

Very friendly, but the entrance was a little hard to find and there is no proper reception area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I couldn't figure out the room cooling system - involved having to have switches in the right place and multiple remote controls. The accessible shower was weird too and my kids got water everywhere that I cleaned up each time.

Activity Reviews

Frankfurt Panorama Cruise (1h)

Frankfurt

It was a nice cruise to hear about the city. We liked where is launched from also that had a lot of restaurants and vendors.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rothenburg walking tour

Germany

We really enjoyed learning about the town during the walk. The guide was very friendly and knowledgable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Erfurt Private Walking tour

Erfurt

Great walking tour to learn about the city and also about life in East Germany from a lovely lady who lived through it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Cold War and behind the Wall

Berlin

Unfortunately, we couldn't find parking or the tour and missed it! That was a real disappointment. I tried calling the tour company phone number given, but n o one picked up.

We had the best trip with Gummi! He made it so special and was great, kind and reliable. He also planned really exciting excursions tailored for our group!

I literally googled travel agency and found KimKim, read the reviews and gave it a shot. Pretty risky but worth the gamble. Erika was knowledgeable and accessible. She listened to what we wanted from our vacation and delivered an itinerary that matched our needs. Each stop along the way was planned out perfectly. All travel accommodations between islands and for our excursions were seamless. We enjoyed the local tour guides that we were set up with and just had the most memorable time. Everything was planned in the app and just made it easy for us to relax and enjoy. I never leave reviews. If you’re on the fence about booking your trip with KimKim just do it.

My dad worked with Katie to plan this trip, and it turned out great! I really appreciated the balance between guided/scheduled events and free time. It gave us the freedom to explore while also participating in some extremely interesting tours. At one point, we had a small issue with our tour guide not showing up. Mathia at KimKim, however, was able to rebook us for a tour for later in the day. It is really nice to know that KimKim has someone available if anything goes wrong! This trip was also a great balance between city and nature. Bergen and Balestrand were the perfect places to stay. I would definitely recommend this trip!

Both Nikola and Antonia were great. Super easy to work with, responsive and they crafted a perfect family vacation. We had the best mix of downtime and excursions. The app outlined our daily outings and also we got a text each evening from Nikola providing additional details. I will definitely use KIMKIM travel again to plan a trip. It made everything so easy and transparent.

The trip was great. My only disappointment was the accommodations at three of our hotels. The group consisted of seven people ages ranging from 63 to 76. A few hotels had stairs that were difficult to navigate And no lift available. Also two hotels had no AC and one didn’t have a fan and no AC. One of our high lights was the food tour In Kinsale. It was awesome.
Overall the trip was well planned and we all enjoyed it!

Overall the trip was successful. Everything planned worked like a clockwork.the drivers were polite smart and I enjoyed talking to each one of them.they spoke perfect English. The tour guide in Riga was exceptional. She knew a lot about architecture art and history. She went well over her time slot to accompany me to different areas to experience the city..
The same goes for Rolanda in Kaunas who was extremely informative and friendly..
Ramune in Vilnius was one of the best. Not only her vivacious and energetic personality but her knowledge and efforts to learn more about me and from me. I must point out that she visited the towns I requested a few days beforehand so she can learn and prepare herself. That is remarkable.
Emerson and Moonika were on top of things and were accommodating,responsive. I had the pleasure of meeting them both.
Ad I mentioned to Emerson ,I would not recommend the Koventa Seta hotel in Riga but rather choose a smaller more intimate hotel . This one was noisy ,it has a few bldgs which don’t have elevators that they don’t tell you even when you check in.
I will definitely choose KimKim again for my future travel.

Hotel Reviews

Neringa Hotel

Vilnius

Great location rooms and staff. I love the rooftop bar and view

Authenticity & Character

I love an old bldg which is modern and slick

Location

Staff

Villa Santa Hotel

Cesis

One of the most beautiful places on this trip. Quite serene and simply elegant . The dinner at the restaurant is top notch. Breakfast unfortunately starts at 8:30 which is late for early risers. The manager was willing to accommodate me for a 7:30 room service but the kitchen was not prepared and I received it 30 minutes late. It would have not been an issue but I had preplanned a guide and driver picking me up. I suggest to staff to open early to accommodate the guests.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lydia Hotel

Tartu

Clear cut modern hotel. With everything you need. The restaurant for breakfast is clean spacious and elegant, it has everything you need.warm and pleasant staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My City Hotel

Tallinn

A beautiful old town charm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Pleasant friendly accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Konventa Seta Design Hotel

Riga

The location is fantastic but the hotel has 5 bldgs all on the same old street. The ONLY BLDG which has a lobby is the main one where the reception is. It has a restaurant across the main bldg which serves as a beer garden during the evening. Extremely noisy if you stay in one of the bldgs close by. The restaurant for breakfast is excellent. Most of the bldgs they assign to you DO NOT have elevators.they don’t tell you this when you check in. I asked for a high floor so they gave it to me upon checking in not fleeing me I am in a separate building without an elevator. Upon asking the front desk they responded I should have known!. The room was above the noisy rest where music was on until 2 am. I would think twice before staying there again..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Too busy can be more accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tallinn Old Town Walking Tour

Tallinn

Jonas is a pleasant experienced tour guide

From a planning and booking standpoint Katie did a great job taking my family's feedback into account and suggesting options for activities based on that combined with her knowledge of Norway. We had a group of six with ages ranging from 11 to 70, and everyone had a great time! There was a minor hiccup when our guide for a walking tour of Bergen did not arrive on time, but that got worked out in short order after I posted a message in the Kim Kim app. Delaying that activity to the afternoon actually ended up being better for us because the weather improved and we got an awesome guide named Thomas. We particularly enjoyed our time in Balestrand in the middle of the trip with the highlight being a private sightseeing tour via boat of the surrounding fjords. Our guide, Thor, did an amazing job tailoring that experience so everyone in our family found it enjoyable despite the "hyper-nature" conditions (it rained most of the time). For the most part, everything related to transportation and lodging went smoothly. I will certainly consider engaging Kim Kim again for trips in the future.

Late last fall I started looking at trips for the family and found a National Geographic trip to Portugal that looked interesting. My daughter-in-law (part of the family going on the trip) found KimKim online, and that is how we started communicating with Pedro Luis. We had a few written conversations then spoke on the phone to work out what itinerary options seemed best. The price was higher than the group tour, but it was also definitely much more flexible and that had a lot of appeal for us. So we signed up for a two-part tour: the first part (Lisbon, Algarve, and Cascais) was for the 3-generation family, and the second part (up to Porto for 3 nights) for the 2 retired folks after the younger ones returned to the US for work and school. It all worked out perfectly.

I'm not sure what is the most memorable part of the trip. So many places were interesting and/or fun. The Pena Palace, Joanine Library in Coimbra, the Douro Valley, the various boat tours--all these and more were great.

A few more detailed comments: (1) The itinerary that Pedro worked out was perfect for the family. Everyone enjoyed the trip immensely. (2) It all worked: the expected tickets were all booked, the hotels were all booked, drivers showed up when and where they were scheduled to show up. Everything was very smooth, with no glitches. This is how it is supposed to happen! (3) All of the drivers, boat captains, and tour guides were competent, polite, very informative, gracious, sufficiently flexible, attentive to our needs, and responsive to our requests. For example, on two occasions, we didn't really want a large fancy lunch; we just wanted a sandwich. In each case, the driver knew of a not-so-touristy place that had exactly what we wanted. And oh my, those sandwiches were simply the best! I'm sure they knew of other fancier restaurants if that is what we had asked for, but we didn't want that. (4) All the drivers, boat captains, and tour guides spoke English at a sufficiently high level for effective communication, which was great. Communication was never a problem and we really enjoyed visiting with them all. (5) The hotels were spectacular. Very lovely choices. The staff at all the hotels were all very professional and helpful and again, all spoke English. (6) We had no issues to resolve, but I felt confident that Pedro or one of his colleagues would have been available to help resolve any problems if they had occurred. Pedro regularly kept in touch with us during the trip and provided us contact information in case of any problem.

In summary, let me say that I am generally reluctant to recommend much of anything because other people have different perspectives and so I usually resist "recommending", but we have already recommended KimKim to one family member who plans to travel to Spain in the near future and to one couple who we chatted with in an elevator ride!

Thanks, Pedro, for a great trip. We really enjoyed our time in Portugal.

Our trip through Peru was absolutely incredible! So much of that comes down to the thoughtful planning and care from Jimena. Right from our first planning message—and from the moment we landed in Lima until we flew out of Cusco—everything ran seamlessly. Jimena took the time to figure out exactly what we wanted, striking the perfect balance between iconic highlights and authentic local experiences.
Traveling with two teenagers (ages 16 and 18!), I was blown away by how well the itinerary fit our family. Every day brought amazing new experiences—from biking through Lima and tasting our way through local markets to hiking the Sacred Valley, exploring Moray and the Maras salt ponds, and of course, taking in Machu Picchu.
A huge shoutout to Guido, who was an absolute rockstar of a guide. His knowledge of Peruvian history and culture brought every site to life, and he had an amazing knack for keeping everyone entertained and curious. We always felt like we were in the best hands. Machu Picchu was unforgettable, and even though rainy weather kept us from getting the full view at Humantay Lake, the hike itself was still unbelievable—as was Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain! Experiencing Cusco and the Sacred Valley gave us such a rich look at Peru beyond the typical tourist trail.
Jimena made the whole journey feel effortless. Transfers, hotels, timing—it all clicked into place so we could just relax and soak it all in. This was our first time in Peru, and it blew all of us away. We came home with incredible experiences and lifelong memories.
If you’re planning a trip, work with Jimena—and if you get Guido as your guide, consider yourself super lucky!

Hotel Reviews

Tariq Boutique hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Very nice hotel. Excellent location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Machu Picchu Exploration

Peru

Transfer to Lima Airport

Lima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

If you are planning a trip to Africa, do yourself a favor and work with KimKim, specifically Anne Marie and Janneke. They planned an absolute masterpiece of an itinerary for our family and provided extraordinary in-country support from start to finish.

The Ultimate Stress-Free Experience
An itinerary like ours had a lot of moving parts, multiple countries, border crossings, and virtually every mode of transportation imaginable (commercial planes, bush planes, helicopters, and private cars). On paper, the logistics looked incredibly complicated, but in reality, everything was 100% seamless. Anne Marie and Janneke held our hands through the entire journey, taking every ounce of stress off our shoulders so we could just be present and soak in the experience.

Unforgettable Highlights Across Every Stop
We packed our days with activities, and every single location delivered something truly special:

Johannesburg: A powerful, eye-opening tour of Soweto that gave us such deep context and appreciation for the culture and history.

Kruger National Park: Unbelievable game drives and breathtaking wildlife encounters.

Cape Town: Going up Table Mountain offered stunning views, and visiting the African penguins at Boulders Beach was an absolute favorite for everyone.

Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe: Seeing the Falls from the air via helicopter was surreal, and our village tour in Zimbabwe was a deeply moving, beautiful experience that connected us directly with the local community.

Botswana (Chobe & the Okavango Delta): Pure, untouched paradise with world-class safari experiences on both land and water.

Incredible Lodging & Warm Hospitality
Every single lodge and hotel chosen by Anne Marie and Janneke was phenomenal—luxurious, comfortable, and perfectly suited to our group. But beyond the beautiful settings, what truly set this trip apart was the people. In every town, lodge, and country we visited, everyone was exceptionally warm, welcoming, and friendly.

Perfect for the Whole Family
Traveling with a mix of teenagers and adults isn't always easy to balance, but they nailed it. Every activity was engaging, fun, and age-appropriate for everyone. The teens were completely captivated from start to finish—which is no small feat!

Bottom Line: This was truly a trip of a lifetime, made completely effortless by world-class travel planners. Thank you to Anne Marie, Janneke, and the KimKim team for your care, precision, and warmth. We couldn't have asked for a better African adventure!

Hotel Reviews

Pioneers Lodge Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls,

Our stay at Pioneers Lodge in Victoria Falls was wonderful! It delivered the ideal combination; it has all the great amenities of a large hotel, while retaining all the quaintness, warmth, and character of a small, intimate property. Some Highlights: Gorgeous Design: the design and ambiance of the lodge are full of charm. It has a historical luxury vibe that is really lovely. Spacious Family Room: We stayed in a family room that worked brilliantly for the four of us. It was beautiful, clean, comfortable, and gave us all plenty of space to relax. Lovely Courtyard & Pools: The property centers around a beautiful, lush courtyard. The family loved having access to two great swimming pools, which were perfect for cooling off after a long day of sightseeing. Additionally, the daily breakfast was fantastic, and the bar area offered a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere to unwind with a drink in the evenings. Lastly, the staff were warm and accommodating. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Every interaction was met with genuine friendliness and great hospitality.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Victoria & Alfred Hotel

Cape Town

You simply cannot top the location. Being situated right on the V&A Waterfront meant were steps away from great dinning and shopping along with beautiful views of Table Mountain and the harbor. It made exploring Cape Town feel completely safe, easy, and stress-free. A few highlights: Amazing Breakfast: The morning breakfast spread was absolutely delicious—fresh, high-quality, and offered something wonderful for every palate before a full day of sightseeing. I highly recommend opting to have breakfast at the hotel. Accommodating Staff: The hospitality was top-notch. The staff was incredibly warm, welcoming, and eager to help with anything we needed to make our stay seamless. Beautiful Property: The hotel itself is clean, modern, and has elegant interiors, and comfortable, stylish rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ivory Wilderness River Rock Lodge

Hoedspruit

Our stay at Ivory Wilderness River Rock Lodge was nothing short of magical from start to finish. Everything about the property met and exceeded our expectations, creating an authentic and high-end bush experience we will never forget. Beautiful Property, Great Rooms & Delicious Food The lodge itself is stunning, perfectly nestled in the bush with peaceful surroundings and incredible views. The Rooms: Spacious, comfortable, clean, and beautifully appointed to blend luxury with nature. The Food: Absolutely delicious! Every single meal served was fresh, flavorful, and memorable. Phenomenal Game Drives with Ingrid While the accommodations and meals were top-tier, what truly made our trip extraordinary were the game drives. Our guide, Ingrid, was outstanding. Her expertise and tracking skills are amazing, she had an incredible knack for finding wildlife and tracking down unforgettable sightings. Just as importantly, Ingrid tailored the entire safari experience to suit our family group, which included teenagers. Keeping kids fully engaged for hours on end can be hard, but Ingrid connected with everyone effortlessly, catered to our group's pace and interests, and made every single drive thrilling and educational.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

58 On Hume

Randburg

We stayed at 58 On Hume as part of our African itinerary planned through KimKim (organized by Anne Marie and Janneke), and it completely blew us away! It was the absolute perfect home base in Johannesburg. To say the hotel exceeded our expectations would be an understatement. The rooms were spectacular: spacious, stylish, spotless, and far nicer than we could have ever anticipated. But what truly set 58 On Hume apart was the incredible team. The staff was accommodating, treating us with such genuine warmth and attentiveness that we felt completely pampered from the moment we arrived. The food was perfect. The entire property feels like a peaceful, luxurious oasis in the city—offering plenty of space and comfort for both the adults and teenagers in our group.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Soweto Bicycle, Walking, or Tuk-Tuk Tour with Traditional Lunch in Outdoor Kitchen

Johannesburg

Absolutely amazing experience that shouldn't be missed. It provided a historical context and understanding that was really amazing. The guides were wonderful and kind.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family of 4 thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Peru thanks to the planning and execution of the KimKim team and associated travel guides. Liz allowed me to curate a trip that was family friendly for our young children while also allowing for adventures that the adults would enjoy as well, exploring history, cuisine, and local culture.
Our favorite guides were Nataly(Cusco area), Natali(Cusco city), Pamela(Machu Picchu -kids), and Roderigo(Machu Picchu).

Muchas Gracias to the team for making a dream trip a reality!

Activity Reviews

Shared Pachamanca Lunch Farm Tour

Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley’s Hummingbirds

Sacred Valley

Shared Painting on Ceramic Pucara Toritos

Cusco

Adventure with Allco and his friends tour in Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Shared tour to the Planetarium Cusco (May - August) w/assistance

Cusco

Private tour to Moray Terraces & Maras Salt Mines: Picnic and Paintings

Peru

Moray and Maras and picnic were amazing but our guide took us off itinerary to a high pressure sales textile factory which we did not enjoy

Urban Kitchen Experience

Lima

Shared Lima Fountains Tour

Lima

This was super fun but we felt rushed and couldn’t enjoy the park

Private Half-Day Cusco Walking Tour: Sacsayhuamán, Qoricancha & San Pedro Market

Cusco

Self guided Trek to Huayna Picchu

Peru

With children we instead hiked the smaller mountain but it was incredible!

Private Sacred Valley Experience: Andean Animals & Clay Art Traditions

Peru

Our trip to Norway, organized by Taylor, was fantastic. The logistics were flawless, which I have come to expect from KimKim (our second trip organized by them). The recommended itinerary had us see essential Oslo, the beautiful train to Myrdal and then down to Flam. We then spent a few days on ships in the fjords with the Kvikness Hotel in Balestrand as our base camp (which was lovely - by the way the views from the mountain facing rooms are just as beautiful if not more so than the Fjord facing ones). After that we took the ferry to Bergen and enjoyed a couple of days enjoying the local culture, crafts and learning about its history. All told a great trip. Thanks Taylor!

All local tour guides were absolutely incredible, and I enjoyed talking to every single one of them as a means of learning about local life. Jack in London then Ruari and John in Inverness particularly stand out. Also, the Inverness Taxi company was amazing in their flexibility and reliability.

Hotel Reviews

Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel

Inverness

Really enjoyed our stay here, and the staff as well as the restaurant were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bonham

Edinburgh

Beautiful, but we were in the basement and it felt that way.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montcalm Brewery, London City

Looks wonderful from the outside, definitely needs updating on the inside. It was hot without AC, which was broken, and they seemed to struggle with providing two beds in one room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Scotch Whisky & Artisan Food Tasting Tour

Edinburgh

Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal Cruise

Inverness

Cairngorms National Park Wildlife Tour

England

Our guide, Ruari, grew up on the land and was incredibly knowledgeable and fun to talk to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Loch Ness Tour from Inverness City

Inverness

Our guide, John, a former detective, was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle from London, private group

London

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Loved our guide, Jack. So knowledgable, and he did such a good job navigating the London traffic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jack the Ripper Walking Tour in London

London

This was my favorite activity, and the guide, a PhD student, was incredibly knowledgable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Harry Potter's London Tour

London

The tour guide, Domiano, was excellent, but the sites scene were mid.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gersende was great in listening to us and helping book an itinerary which was just right for our family. It had activities on most days but allowed time for us to schedule impromptu activities. Thank you for making our holiday memorable!

Tony was very reliable in coordinating all our pickups and drop offs. It gave us confidence in knowing what was happening when.

Thank you for making our holiday memorable.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Bastille Spéria

Paris

Le Soleia - La Malmaison Nice Boutique Hotel

Nice

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Lenox Montparnasse

Paris

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Special evening experience!

Paris Macaron Baking Class

Paris

Chef Marthe was a wonderful teacher. We leaned many insightful tips and left with her book to try more recipes at home!

Sea Adventure in Villefranche-sur-Mer: Boat Ride, Swim & Snorkel

Nice

Antoine was fun and knowledgeable!

Morning Food and Wine Tour!

Nice

Ally was super! She knew so much about food, wine and the local history. We also really enjoyed her and appreciate being taken to local places we would never have found on our own.

Half-Day Private E-bike Tour of the Alpilles

France

Our guide,Julien, was great! He showed us all around the Alpilles in the area of Provence. He was very knowledgeable.

Château de Versailles (tickets + audioguide only)

France

We had an amazing time in Quito and the Galapagos this summer. All the arrangements for pick up, drop off tours were planned and executed by the guides and drivers to perfection. We feasted on local seafood fusion delights, went swimming with sea lions and sea turtles and met kind Ecuadorian people at every turn.

Our guides, especially Viviana in Santa Cruz and Ian in San Cristobal were wonderful and gracious. They had all the local knowledge and presented it with enthusiasm!!

Special thanks to Nichole for welcoming, planning and rearranging accommodations when needed.

Hotel Reviews

Casa de Nelly

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We were initially placed in a very small room which was not to our satisfaction, but the hostess very graciously moved us to a room with an ocean view which made all the difference.

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Alameda Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Galapagos Cooking Class by the Sea

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My KimKim team to Norway was comprised of Taylor (my initial contact and overall trip designer) and Maria and Nick (who promptly addressed my questions, my issues and any changes I needed). It was comforting to know I had such an efficient team.
It's hard for me to say which aspect of the trip was most memorable. Was it seeing in person the World Heritage fjords (something I had on my bucket list) or was it the experience of driving Lofoten where I had no prior vision of how spectacular that actually was. Or, was it the architecture of Alesund and their 148 steps vista. Norway is just one visual gift after another.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

For someone needing to catch an early morning flight, you couldn't have chosen a better hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

I loved everything about Alesund including this hotel. The rooms were uniquely laid out. Their restaurant was full service. Their staff was both knowledgeable and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

As it turned out, they were exactly where I wanted them to be in relation to resturants and sites.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Tide Rorbuer

Sørvågen

This hotel was a little confusing, as I was assigned a cabin instead of a room. Finding this cabin was not clearly explained, but eventually I did. But this was after a day's drive, so it added a level of frustration to what was an amazing area. The cabin was ok, but I didn't need a kitchenette as I was not planning on making my own meals. I would have requested a change if I had known this was the choice KimKim made. Would recommend KimKim explain the options before booking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

As a solo traveler I am keenly aware of how I am treated by hotels and restaurants. I felt I was not particularly appreciated as a guest - especially in their restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Svolvær

Svolvær

At this point I had a rental car; however, the hotel did not provide parking nor any assistance in explaining how to pay for parking. I managed to figure it out, but that fact tainted my feeling about the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Fine but nothing special.

Location

This was my first exposure to Lofoten and I was so impressed by how nature surrounded the area.

Staff

When you're in a foreign place you want greater assistance regarding unfamilar things ie: paying for parking.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

Of all the hotels I stayed in during this trip, I was least impressed by this guesthouse.

Authenticity & Character

I suspect the reason for KimKim chosing this guesthouse was its view of the fjord. However, that view is somewhat blocked by trees.

Location

Getting to it was both confusing and uphill.. both from the dock and then the steep driveway and staircase you needed to climb. With 2 suitcases, this 78 year old was not happy. Given there is a hotel close to where you dock, I would have appreciated that convenience. Also, the hotel provides dinner, but it does not provide choices.

Staff

Having to ring a bell in order to have someone assist or answer questions, is just not classy

Cleanliness & Comfort

I felt like I was in a dormitory room.

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

Ideally located within walking distance of everything you want to see.

Authenticity & Character

While an historic building, it amenities were sufficiently upgraded

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Oslo Exploration

Oslo

Walk up to Aksla Viewpoint

Ålesund

Self-Guided Bergen Exploration

Bergen

Self-Drive Exploration of Moskenesøya

Norway

Self-Guided Flåm Exploration

Flåm

There's a wonderful walking/biking path that leads you along the fjord.

Explore Ålesund

Norway

See my earlier comments re Alesund. I loved it.

Self-Guided Svolvær Exploration

Norway

Solvaer is the great place to start the Lofoten experience. While stunningly beautiful, it just keeps getting better as you drive away from it.

Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo (Tickets not included)

Oslo

Enjoyed learning more about Munch than just his 'The Scream". That said, the museum has a dedicated room for the 3 versions of The Scream.

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Norway

The speed boat ride was the experience, but the stop to taste the local cheese was a nice touch.

Depart Norway

Norway

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

The boat ride took special care to slow down (and in some instances, stop altogether) to explain what we were seeing and provide anecdotal stories related to the series of waterfalls. Time at the end of the fjord was just long enough to let you refresh, eat lunch or just walk around. It was an extremely pleasant day.

Quality of Experience

Visit Henningsvær

Svolvær

Since the drive from Solvaer to Reine is relatively short, I enjoyed getting off the main road and visiting as many of the towns along the way (Henningsvaer being one). Each is uniquely placed, so each offers a different view. What I also found, is this helped slow me down vs racing to Reine.

Quality of Experience

Reinebringen Hike

Norway

This is not a hike for the faint of heart. The steps are huge chunks of rock requiring much effort everytime. The climb is very vertical, so if you have any fear of heights, you might want to reconsider this choice. There is no railing (and there are sections where a misstep could be serious). The climb up is the climb down, so crowds going both ways can be a challenge. In retrospect, I wondered if I had made a bad choice (but the view WAS spectacular and no point in crying over spilt milk!) Although my 78 year old body had a very different point of view.

Quality of Experience

Although the reward is spectacular, I was more scared descending than going up.

Driving the Lofoten Islands: Nature Stops Along the Way

Norway

Lofoten is one amazing site after another. Even with the summer traffic that gave me more reasons to stop and take in the views.

Quality of Experience

Visit the Gol Stave Church (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History)

Oslo

For me, architecture is important, so this visit may be more personal than necessary for most. However, getting to the church required a short ferry ride which added a pleasant element to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

The guide was genuine, knowledgeable and flexible. I felt like I was walking around with a friend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a walking tour.

We had a great trip to Norway and the help with knowing where to go and where to stay - was amazing. I took parents in their 80s and my teenagers on a family trip and I am not sure we could have pulled off a trip that was exciting for everyone without KimKim.

Our Norway trip was a magical adventure. KimKim and Tom Christer specifically made sure that every question was answered and every detail meticulously attended to. I recommend this trip highly!