First trip using KimKim exceeded all expectations.
Italy
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May 18 - May 25, 2025
Wow! This was my first trip using KimKim. My wife and I wanted a special trip in Sicily with our adult children to see the sights and connect with relatives in a remote part of the island. Our local specialist Chris was excellent in every way. My wife broke her leg in January so we had to put the trip planning on pause until we were confident she would be ready. Chris was very accommodating with this and with some minor last minute changes. Everything was excellent from the airport transfers to the local guides to the hotels (with the exception of the hotel in Palermo which was very noisy). We had a private cooking class in Taormina with Luca. 3 members of our group are gluten free. They had one station set up that was gluten free and another for gluten tolerant. Our guide for the Mount Etna hike to Vale de Bove was incredible. He is part of the Italian mountain search and rescue team. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. The drivers we had were professional and very personable.
Hotel Reviews
Great location. Very nice rooms. Be sure to enjoy the rooftop bar and restaurant with views of Mt. Etna
Stunning views, Very clean and modern rooms. Beautiful pool. One of the best meals we had in Sicily.
This is probably top-10 in hotels we have stayed in. The views of the temples are incredible. Be sure to plan to enjoy a meal in the outdoor dining area.
We asked for a hotel near the PMO airport because we had a 0550 Flight in the morning. The hotel is a very large convention hotel. The room was clean but smelled strongly of mold and vinegar. The concrete was spalling on the wall. The worst problem was the *very* loud birthday party with DJ in the courtyard until 11 PM our first night. The desk staff promised there would be no party on our second night before our flight. They lied. There was a very loud DJ in the courtyard facing our room and the other courtyard had a party with loud music. At 10PM we insisted on a new room. The Staff accommodated us by moving us to a recently built villa but that required us packing and moving to a new building outside the hotel campus. … Less than 3 hours of sleep before a very long trip home. … FYI the beach was filled with garbage, very unappealing but not under the control of the hotel.
Activity Reviews
The cooking class with Luca was a highlight of the entire trip. Half the group was gluten free. Luca had a separate gluten-free station set up for the pasta making portion of the class. Luca was fun and engaging and even experienced cooks learned a lot about Sicilian specialties. The class was super fun and the food was delicious and abundant. … Our guide for the Taormina was a solid “B” grade and was the weakest link of the trip. She was grumpy that our lunch ran late and started the tour with “I have a doctor’s appointment so it is OK if you want to have time to walk around.” She was technically ok but seemed rushed and distracted.
Our guide Dario is a serious mountaineer. He was very fun, entertaining and informative. He is also a member of the Italian Search and Rescue team so we knew we were in good hands. We had a fantastic view of the Vale de Bove, a UNESCO heritage site. I have done lots of backpacking and climbed many mountains, but this was one of the most stunning sites I have seen.
Lorenzo was literally one of the best tour guides we have ever had. His deep knowledge of history gave context to the site. His style is extremely entertaining and he made the whole tour super fun. He talked for 2 hours and the tour went by in a flash. Lorenzo is one of the few people I would specifically seek out if I were to visit Sicily again. I wish I could give 6 stars
Ragusa is worth a quick visit. Our driver was amazing. He took us to a great spot on the superior village to get a view and then took us to the lower village. He dropped us in the Piazza, pointed out a great gelato shop and told us he would meet us by the garden. This gave us the perfect opportunity to stroll through the Main Street in an unhurried manner. Occhipinti gave an excellent tour and the wines were quite good. (We ordered a couple of cases to ship home). However, the vineyard is a bit out of the way and probably not worth a special trip unless you are in the area.
