Kimkim Trip Reviews

First, we can tell you that our overall experience was excellent and the job you did was also great. We would like to break down each category and give you our feedback this way.

Flights: All flights within Australia were fine. There were no problems checking in and they all left and landed on time. Virgin Australia is a very basic airline. We had to ask for water on our flight from Cairns to Melbourne.

Accommodations:
The nicest place we stayed in was the Maq01 in Hobart. The room was spacious and very comfortable. Breakfast was excellent and the location was perfect. Our second best was the hotel we chose in Brisbane, the Treasury. That room was also spacious and we liked the old world charm. Location was ideal there too. The Floriana in Cairns was ok. It was north of town and we should have chosen the alternative that Siena mentioned in our video conference. However, everything worked out ok. The two hotels in Melbourne were inadequate. The rooms were small, especially the Standard X. There was barely enough room to open our suitcases and the locations were not great. 13 years ago, we stayed close to the river within walking distance of the tennis center and that was much better.

Transportation:
That was excellent. All of the pickups at airports and hotels were great and on time. There was water in the vehicles for us and the cars were all comfortable. The one exception was a confusion in Cairns on the 12th, the day we did the Michaelmas Cay Cruise. The instructions for pickup were confusing because it said hotel, then on the next line, 181 Esplanade. Our interpretation was that the pickup point was at our hotel because its address is 181 Esplanade but what it really meant was that the pickup was at the Hotel 181 Esplanade which was on the next street. We didn't know that that hotel even existed. We got it sorted out with a telephone call and we got to the boat on time. It was just a bit nerve wracking. There was no reason that the pickup couldn't have been in front of our hotel.

Tours and guides:
Overall, we felt that our private tours were far superior to the group tours. In Brisbane, our first tour was up to the Sunshine coast with Rashid. That was excellent and very enjoyable. Rashid was very pleasant and we interacted with him very well. The second tour was the Daintree Adventure from Cairns. It was a group tour and our guide was James Unfortunately, that was not as good. First, it was a large van not a 4wd vehicle, There were about 10 of us and James talked the whole way there and back, was hard to understand because of the speaker system on the van, and he repeated himself several times. The walk we did on the walkway to see Cassowaries (we didn't see any) was a bit disappointing. We felt that it was difficult to interact with the guide to appreciate the beauty of the sites.. The third tour to the Great Barrier reef was ok. We expected a lot of people on the boat so that was no surprise but the boat was overcrowded. They took us to an atoll where we started our snorkeling. The site was crowded with other boats and we had to swim out to the reefs which were about 100 meters from shore. The corals were beautiful but the fish viewing was disappointing. 13 years ago, we went on a ship and snorkeled from the ship not from shore and that was much better. The fish diversity then was also much better- the difference was probably the places they took us to. You should consider another boat option. The following private tour with Sean in Melbourne was good. We did a hike in Dandenong and went to the Yarra valley to do some wine tastings. It was a beautiful day and very enjoyable. In Hobart, we did three tours. The first to Freycinet and Wineglass bay with Alex was just ok. The walks we did there were very crowded and we hardly saw any wildlife. We felt that we were taken to all the sites that tourists are taken to and so it was far from ideal. The next tour on the boat for the gourmet seafood lunch cruise was outstanding. It was literally a seafood orgy and extremely enjoyable. The two guys on the boat (Jordy and Lawrence) were great. The food was exquisite and we loved it. The final day, we were picked up by Dave who took us to the Tasmanian wilderness where we did a 4 mile hike and saw three waterfalls. He then took us to an animal sanctuary where we saw Roos, devils, echidnas, an emu and other animals. We had a great time there as well. Finally, we should mention the Q train experience even though it was not part of the package with you. We first took a ferry across the bay and then boarded the Q train for a leisurely 3 hour ride and lunch. We enjoyed that as well and you should consider including it in your packages.

Thank you for organizing this wonderful trip.
Sue and Dan Simmons

My feedback regarding the Egypt tour from Jan. 16 to Jan. 23, 2026 (3 nights in Cairo + 4 nights on the Nile cruise) is as follows:

Egypt tour: Overall, we enjoyed our first trip to Egypt, organized by Nader Hussein, the local agent of KimKim Travel.
1. What I liked:
- As local agent, Nader was very helpful and responded quickly to my questions; I would recommend Nader to my friends in their future quest for travel to Egypt
- Omar was a top notch guide during our Nile cruise trip; he was very knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and effective coordinating our shore visits with the cruise ship; we felt very safe and comfortable traveling with Omar and I certainly would recommend Omar to my friends in their future travel to Egypt
- Our visits to the Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the sites in Luxor, Edfu, Kem Ombo and Aswan, and the hot air balloon ride in Luxor
- Staff on board the Nile cruise ship, the Semiramis III, is friendly and helpful, and the meals are good and well prepared
2. What I wish can be improved:
- The travel rep who met with us at Cairo airport upon arrival showed up late; this created some apprehension
after a very long flight and arriving at night in an unfamiliar, crowded and seemingly chaotic airport
- On the second day in Cairo, a Sunday, the visit to Al-Muizz Street & Khan el Khalili bazaar took barely an hour and was not a good way to spend our time in Cairo, because Al-Muizz St. was closed, and empty on Sundays
- The travel rep who met with us at Luxor airport came in very late, and left us stranded at the empty airport, long after all passengers from the incoming flights to Luxor left with their tour buses
- The selected hot air balloon company (named Excellent Air Balloon, I believe) picked us at 4:15 AM in a big bus, which went around Luxor to many other hotels to gather many more riders, and made us wait in the cold and in the dark in the fields until one of their (apparently few) balloons was available and ready for us to board (we saw passengers picked up in smaller minivans by other operators, and loaded more quickly onto balloon gondolas because these operators seemed to have more balloons available)
- For a better experience travelling on the Nile, I would not choose the Semiramis III cruise ship again:
a. the docking (together with ships apparently belonging to the same company) was very noisy during the arrival at the very early hours in Edfu when staff responsible for the docking shouted loudly to each other and waking up passengers; also, this ship came in Edfu at the place where a large number of ships docked and where most of the horse drawn carriages assembled, at a very chaotic, dusty, dirty and smelly place (we saw a few other ships docking a little further away where the transfer to the horse drawn carriages was a more orderly and peaceful) and this left us a not so good impression of the landing in Efdu
b. this ship arrived in Kem Ombo very late in the evening, and forced our guide to rush us thru a very short visit to the temple visit before the closure time, thus taking away the enjoyment of this site visit, the last one on our itinerary

Thank you to the entire KimKim team for making our trip run so smoothly. They took care of us from the second we reached out until we touched down back home. Will absolutely be using them again in the future ❤️

This truly was the trip of a lifetime. My friend and I spent 8 days experiencing the southeast region of Iceland by car.

We benefited enormously from the knowledge, planning skills and affable manner of our trip planner, Gummi (Guomundur Oli). He was able to take our broad goals and ideas of what kind of trip we wanted and planned it for us perfectly. He was responsive throughout the trip and gave us really good ideas as questions arose as we made our way through this almost other worldly experience.

We drove the perimeter of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and then made our way around the Golden Circle. The northern lights, waterfalls, canyons, tectonic plates, volcanic landscape, black sand beaches, a glacier, ice caves, horseback riding, lava tunnels, amazing food, the city of Reykjavik, thermal lagoons, and more.

The one person we met who really stood out was the fellow who took us on the ice cave tour. His name is Siggi and his company’s name is CrystalCave.is. He takes small groups (there were 4 of us that day) out on the glacier and down to the ice caves. In addition to his knowledge of the glacier and the ice caves, he offered us a view into his world, the respect the other guides clearly have for him, his sense of humor, his wisdom, and how he came to do this work that he loves (I won’t spoil it by telling you here). He truly inspired us, made us laugh, and left a lasting impression on both of us.

I am riding high after this trip.

Our guide Marino was amazing. He added so many details that we would have walked right by. He was flexible to our needs.

Activity Review

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Weather was very bad which hampered the experience.

Our 5-Day Puerto Rico Adventure

We recently used KimKim to help us plan a 5-day trip to Puerto Rico, and the experience was exceptional. While we handled our own flights, accommodations, and car rentals, we turned to KimKim specifically to curate the "what to do" portion of our trip—and they delivered exactly what we needed.

Expert Itinerary Design with Harry
The process started with Harry, who did a fantastic job crafting a customized itinerary. He really listened to what we were looking for and managed to pack the perfect amount of activity into a 5-day window without it feeling rushed. His knowledge of the island ensured that we saw the best of Puerto Rico while focusing on high-quality experiences that matched our interests.

Flawless Execution with Isabel
Once the itinerary was finalized, Isabel took over the project management side of things, and she was a total pro. She ensured every booking and activity went smoothly, providing us with peace of mind throughout the trip.
Beyond just managing the logistics, Isabel’s restaurant recommendations were absolutely spot-on. Every meal she suggested was a highlight, giving us a true taste of the local culinary scene. Her attention to detail and responsiveness made the entire process stress-free.

Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a way to elevate your travel experience with local expertise and reliable project management, I highly recommend this team. Even if you prefer to book your own logistics like we did, having Harry’s vision for the itinerary and Isabel’s execution on the ground made our Puerto Rican getaway truly memorable.

My husband & I just returned from an AMAZING 3 week trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Truly, the trip of a lifetime! Our local specialist , Tina, left the company literally weeks before our trip and I was concerned about the impact it would have on our experience. There was nothing to worry about! Bella, picked up the ball and was there to help us every step of the way. Drivers and guides met us as scheduled. We had 5 flights within our trip and 7 different hotels. There were lots of moving parts and KimKim did an incredible job! We felt safe and well taken care of. We saw beautiful temples, visited busy markets, ate delicious food, sea kayaked, and went on multiple boat trips including a mini cruise. It was a very comprehensive trip. The only challenge we encountered was a couple of times the room description/pictures did not match what we received. Also, I would say the floating village in Cambodia is not worth visiting. Our guide said that things have changed a lot there since COVID. If you have an opportunity to visit this part of the world, please do. You will not be disappointed!

Please thank your whole team, US and Costa Rica, for taking such good care of our group of four when we had car trouble. Everything about the trip was FANTASTIC. Our favorites by far were the Manuel Antonio National Park tour and the Selvatura Hanging Bridges. The hotels were fabulous, esp. Issimo Suites, in the treetops! We plan to use KimKim for every trip out of the country! Thank you again!

Our trip to Bangkok and Phuket was a wonderful introduction to Thailand, and the KimKim team did a great job accommodating our timelines and preferences, while ensuring that we hit the highlights in both of those places. The guides we had in both places were energetic, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to spend time with. We spent several days with Monica in Bangkok, and she not only showed us the sights, but made sure to introduce us to a wealth of great, local Thai food. In both Bangkok and Phuket we were always in good hands. Minah was very responsive as the overall coordinator of the trip, and followed up with us right back to the airport on the way out. This is our second KimKim trip, and we're big fans!

Activity Reviews

Bangkok: Ayutthaya’s Glorious Ruins & Bang Pa-In Summer Palace

Bangkok

Another amazing day, highlighted by the summer palace. We also really enjoyed spending some time with some monks at one of the temples later in the day. Monica led us through another great day with great food.

Bangkok Spiritual Encounter

Bangkok

Amazing and serene temples, and mind-blowing palace grounds make this a must-do excursion. We loved the food as much as the sights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Our driver was an absolute wizard with the van, in spite of the lack of parking and tight roads in Bangkok

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip was incredible! A wonderful experience. The KIMKIM team were always there to answer any of our questions. We particularly enjoyed the Panorama glass lodge and were fortunate enough to see the Northern lights. The App is easy to use and a welcome addition. We highly recommend using them to plan unique one of a kind adventures.

Hotel Reviews

Silica Hotel

Grindavík

Extremely helpful and friendly staff.

Location

A unique site

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Panorama Glass Lodge West Iceland

Authenticity & Character

well thought out. beautiful setting

Cleanliness & Comfort

They thought of everything! Loved the heated floors

Activity Review

Reykjavík City Walk

Reykjavík

Lots of insight and friendly guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great job planning and putting together this very challenging trip. We had a lot of ‘moving parts’ to this journey and Erin, Samantha, and crew did a GREAT job putting all the pieces together. This was a long 4+ week trip with two people traveling on different schedules. Great experiences - I’d recommend this trip and this company to anybody really interested in exploring this area of the world!

Throughout our family's experience planning our trip to Portugal and Spain, Raquel our travel agent, and the teams at both Espiritu Travel and KimKim were so attentive and helpful! We first contacted KimKim in September, and even though we were slow to finalize plans due to the busyness of our personal lives, Raquel especially did a phenomenal job routinely checking in, updating our sample itinerary, and seeing if we had any remaining questions.

In terms of planning our itinerary they were incredibly receptive of our input regarding the types of activities people in our family enjoyed. Be it cultural excursions, museums, food recommendations, hotels and more, they were responsive and asked pertinent follow up questions to guarantee we got the most out of our trip. We highly encourage anyone booking to follow the travel agent's recommendations/bookings to guided tours. The walking tour in Madrid and guided excursion to Toledo were some of the best experiences my family talked about. The main reason my family planned this trip was to visit me in Galicia, and although I personally planned the itinerary on those days as someone that currently lives in the north even I found Raquel's restaurant recommendations in Santiago de Compostela incredibly helpful. If anyone stays in the city we also heartily recommend the Hostal de Reyes Catolico Paradores---it was the best hotel of the trip according to my family.

During the trip, the travel agency was also responsive to cancellations/last minute changes on our end to the itinerary. This was especially helpful because of the transport that they arranged for us. Additionally, they advised us on the appropriate travel insurance before the trip was booked and because of this my Mom was able to get some much needed medication from a doctor when she unexpectedly became sick. Overall we simply cannot recommend this service enough! They made our trip so much easier to enjoy, and relax. Thank you!

We were already happy with the excellent communication w/ActiveIndia before our trip to India Jan.-Feb. 2026. Our confidence was reinforced when we met our local guide in Mumbai, Mr. Suraj and driver, Mr. Sunder and checked into the Suba Palace hotel. Our half day tour of Mumbai, which included seeing the Gate of India, the Victoria Terminus Rail Station, the Gandhi Memorial Museum (Mani Bhavan) on Laburnam Rd. and beautiful city parks, was just enough for us. The Suba Palace hotel was comfortable and accommodating. The next day we were taken to the airport on time & efficiently for the next leg of our India trip, in Delhi. Our IndiGo flight (arranged by ActiveIndia) was also comfortable and efficient. At the Delhi airport we were met by the Delhi ActiveIndia office representative, Adarsh, and our driver for the next week, Mr. Rajesh. Both were friendly and accommodating. We met our local Delhi guide, Nadim Akhtar, at our Delhi hotel, The Colonel’s Retreat, for a quick tour of the Lodi Gardens. Due to the very heavy traffic & our limited time, it appeared we did not see all the planned Delhi highlights, but we did see the most impressive Mahatma Gandhi memorial. As a gardener, I was most touched by the beautiful pollinator gardens and the thousands of bees and butterflies as much as the monuments!
We liked that all our hotels provided a delicious breakfast and most had a restaurant on site. The Colonel’s Retreat was able to accommodate our request for dinner even tho’ we returned from sightseeing after 8 pm.
The next day we got to know our driver Mr. Rajesh, as the trip to Agra was long. We appreciated his skilled driving and he and ActiveIndia selected the perfect places for refreshing rest stops (often with fun shopping opportunities!) In fact, we appreciated the quality and atmosphere of all the places our ActiveIndia guides took us to shop.
In Agra we met our local guide, Mr. Ajay Gupta, there at the hotel, Da Bungalow. Da Bungalow was a quiet and relaxing place to stay, even tho’ we stayed only one night. Mr. Gupta took us to the impressive Agra Fort first, from which we got our first breathtaking glimpse of the Taj Mahal. Mr. Gupta was a premier guide, showing us the detail of the artwork & craftsmanship with local pride and insight. Thanks to him we got lovely “sunset” photos at the Taj to send home to friends & family.
After breakfast the next morning we left Agra for The Abhaneri Stepwell. There, Mr. Rajesh handed us off to a cheerful and knowledgeable local guide for about an hour and we were mesmerized by both the well and the Harshat Mata temple a few steps away. The well, also called the Chand Baori, it was truly a wonder to behold. Then we continued on to Jaipur! In Jaipur we stayed for 2 nights at the most charming Traditional Haveli, but as soon as wee checked in, our Jaipur guide, Mr. Sanjay Safaya, whisked us away to the Laxmi Narayan temple to witness the Aarti ceremony. It was well worth the the rush! In fact, everything Mr. Safaya showed us and introduced us to was marvelous. We especially loved the Jaipur Flower and Vegetable Market in the old part of Jaipur, as well as the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar solar observatory. At the end of a marvelous day of incredible sightseeing, we said a fond “good-by” to Mr. Safaya. We ended our day with a cooking class & dinner with Usha & IV Inder Vigi Singh, a local family. It was really special to learn about their family history and current life in Jaipur.
Our drive to Jodhpur was long, but Mr. Rajesh was very capable and guided us to a good place for lunch! In Jodhpur we enjoyed the lovely Pal Haveli even if only for one night. Our guide there, Mr. Raghunath, was also personable, knowledgeable and easy to communicate with.
The next day we set off for Udaipur and another day & a half of wonderful sightseeing. We stayed 2 nights at the beautiful Karohi Haveli near Lake Pichola, and met our Udaipur guide, Mr. Gajraj there late Sunday afternoon. He & Mr. Rajesh were able to get us to the 6pm show of the Dharohar Dance company at another haveli, Bagore Ki Haveli. That was colorful, but I would have liked to see more of the dancers & marionettes and less of tourists dancing with them! The highlight of our next day in Udaipur was their City Palace & Museum, plus the Courtyard of the Maidens garden . We also liked the Jagdish Temple, where we could take photos & record a short segment of the worship service.
Finishing off our 2nd day in Udaipur, we took a boat ride on beautiful Lake Pichola. It was wonderful to view the city’s skyline from the water.
All in all, we really appreciated all our guides and ESPECIALLY our driver Mr. Rajesh from Delhi to Udaipur (Mon. Feb. 2 through Tues. Feb. 17). We thought all our hotels were a very good value and the personnel at each place were kind and super-hospitable. I appreciated having the written materials ActiveIndia provided. The only negatives we experienced were the heavy traffic and VERY long distances between Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Udaipur. But that was our ignorance of India, not your agency’s fault. In fact, ActiveIndia provided us with a well-curated and sanitized journey overall. Please convey our appreciation to all your staff and participating businesses. We will refer our friends and family to ActiveIndia and hope to return to India someday, ourselves.

Activity Reviews

New Delhi Sightseeing

India

I really liked the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial. The pollinator gardens there were a moving tribute to Gandhi’s work with rural honey production.

Quality of Experience

Getting to spend thoughtful time at the memorials.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ac & USB charging capacity.

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

We only wish we had more time to view monuments and less rime in traffic!

Cooking Class, and Dinner with Local Family

Jaipur

Very gracious welcome by a local family who shared both their home and family lore/history in Jaipur.

Quality of Experience

Listing to IV’s family stories!

Food

Really enjoyed watching Usha in her kitchen and asking her questions about the ingredients and cooking methods.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Half Day Tour of Mumbai

Mumbai

Standing on the balcony where Mahatma Gandhi stood, at his friend’s house on Laburnum Rd., was quite profound.

Quality of Experience

Great local guide. Very knowledgeable and fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was skilled and made us comfortable.

Transport

Good AC!

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour

Jaipur

Really enjoyed the Jaipur Flower (& Vegetable) Market.

Quality of Experience

Local guide’s perspective, knowledge & warm enthusiasm.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very patient with heavy traffic. Selected great places for rest stops.

Transport

Comfortable car w/ AC and USB for charging our phones!

Doris was really wonderful. The overall planning and attention to detail was just amazing. She also checked in on us along the way to make sure everything was running smoothly (which it always was). There were so many things along the way that were so efficient that you might not even notice them. Getting picked up and driven all over Vietnam and Thailand, on time over a period of 30 days is really incredible.

Everyone we met, including our drivers were exceptionally friendly and helpful. We were driven around towards the end of the trip by Hamid from Afghanistan and he was a delight. Another driver that we had in Finland, who took us to Sena was I believe he spells his name TOME but I could be wrong. The activities that were set up for us were great and the people affiliated with each activity were also exceptional. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the food and meeting the local people in each destination. All of my family also recognizes that we did not plan this trip until only a few weeks before and I know that complicated Emerson‘s job trying to coordinate everything and lineup accommodations and activities so he deserves special credit. At the end of the trip, during our stay in Tromse there was apparently a mixup with our two rooms in the hotel that I had hoped would have been resolved differently, but other than that, no issues or problems during our two week adventure in Finland and in Norway. I would strongly recommend Emerson of Kim Kim for trip planning especially in Scandinavian countries. Thank you.

Rajat, thank you very much for the trip!
Everything was planned perfectly, making our India experience truly impeccable!
Your travel services were outstanding, and the entire team — including the guides, drivers, and support staff — was professional, responsive, flexible, and exceptionally polite throughout.
The overall level of service was exemplary!

Activity Reviews

Arrival at Mumbai Airport – Transfer to Hotel

Mumbai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Hotel to Goa Dabolim Airport

Goa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival at Goa Dabolim Airport – Transfer to Hotel

Goa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur City Tour

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Amber Fort & Palace

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Agra Fort

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Mumbai City Orientation Tour

Mumbai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Taj Mahal at Sunrise

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mina was a crucial part of planning a week-long visit to Japan with my two teenage kids. She was responsive to feedback, made changes at our request and was extremely thorough going over all the details, especially in the days leading up to our trip. We particularly enjoyed her recommendation for a casual dinner on our first night after arriving at a wagyu beef-centered restaurant. Kudos as well to our guides Franziskus (Tokyo), Seika (a delicious Shibuya food tour) and Zef (Kyoto).

One note for U.S. travelers: a "double" room doesn't necessarily mean two beds in international hotels -- so if you definitely need a room with two beds, make sure you specify it clearly before booking.

Olman worked quickly following up on our initial inquiry to put ideas into a plan. The drivers we had were courteous and professional, getting us safely to and from destinations. Our initial drive from the airport to our lodging was a bit too long after a full day of travel and made more difficult by standstill traffic, dark and rain. In general, I was not prepared for some of the winding, bumpy roads and switchbacks and was grateful not to be trying to find our way driving a rental car. The lodging, restaurants and staff in Arenal all were excellent. The hike to the volcano was more challenging than the photos of the trail indicated but our guide was very patient and kind. All accommodations were very clean with attentive, polite staff. The river safari, coffee and chocolate plantation, organic farm and cooking class, swinging bridges and night hike were all great activities. If anyone could help us obtain the recipes from our cooking class, that would be much appreciated. Attempts to connect with them online have not been fruitful. Our guide at Manuel Antonio Park was very good but the park was very crowded and busy, taking away from the beauty somewhat. Some tourists in surrounding groups were excessively loud and as a result some of the wildlife were driven away by their noise unfortunately. It seemed to take awhile for groups to be connected with guides on the night walk, but once that happened we were pleased with the guide we had as well as the small group size. The beach in Guanacaste was beautiful and we enjoyed walking there. There were many roving "vendors" trying to sell their merchandise on the beach but we didn't encounter anyone being overly aggressive and most usually moved on quickly. Costa Rica is a beautiful country and the people we met were proud and happy to share the country with us. My hope is that development and commerce can be managed so the many beautiful spots we visited are preserved for the future.

We had an incredible time in the coast of Colombia. Our driver Edgar, tour guide Katherine and our chaperone in Baranquilla were top notch and amazing. We are sincerely grateful and appreciative of the attention they provided us and they made our trip extra special

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Isla del Encanto

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

The room decor fit the location. It has the feel of a campsite which is something I like.

Location

Other than the hotel is in a private location and very difficult to get to without a boat. It was very secure and secluded so that was good.

Staff

Everyone was very friendly. Many staff members remembered my name and always inquired how we were doing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was always cleaned every day and the hotel was always cleaned. The only thing was the room lacked more light or brighter lights.

Alfiz Hotel

Cartagena de Indias

Authenticity & Character

The room was really nice, hammock balcony and two bathrooms and two full bathrooms. The bathroom in the second level the shower had low pressure so we all showered in the other bathroom.

Location

The hotel is located in the center of the historical area. So many great historical sites are within walking distance plus some really good restaurants and street food. It does get noisy but that's part of being in the middle of a lively place.

Staff

The staff were super friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was cleaned each morning and the hotel looked spotless.

Activity Reviews

Horseback-Riding on the Beach

Cartagena

We all enjoyed riding the horses, especially my children. This was my daughter's favorite activity of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salsa Experience

Cartagena

We all had a wonderful time during this experience. My children enjoyed it so much, the salsa instructors were extremely nice and made this activity fun for all of us.

Quality of Experience

It was high energy and a lot of fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The salsa instructors were extremely friendly and fun.

Walking Tour & Street Food

Cartagena

Our guide Katherine was super friendly and had great explanations of the different places we visited. Very engaging and informative. She picked out some great places to eat.

Quality of Experience

Really appreciate our guides explanations of the historical sites and it's significance plus our guide bringing us to different street food places to try different foods.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was incredible, really enjoyed our time.

Carnival: Batalla de Flores

Barranquilla

It was an awesome experience. We met our guide in a mall where many go for the "pre game". That was a great meeting place because we saw many people who were going to attend and the traditional clothing they were wearing to the carnival. Once we arrived at the carnival we were at a lively location. Super appreciative that we were located where it was covered overhead so to block the sun/heat to a certain degree.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide and driver were really friendly and accommodating. It was challenging to navigate the closed streets and the driver did a great job navigating the closures.

Transport

The transportation was very comfortable and again happy how the driver navigated the closures.

Flawless trip! All the arrangements were perfect. Maria kept us informed every step of the way. She went above and beyond to add a side trip we requested at the last minute. She gave us such personal service. We felt confident Maria was always available to help if needed.

All tour guides were great, especially Sara in Venice for history, walking tour of city. The mask making class was a highlight! It far exceeded our expectations. The last minute addition of a trip and tour of Murano glass factory was Amazing!

The hotel Bembo and staff were wonderful. Perfect location, great breakfast, very attentive staff.