Good help in planning, but at high cost
Japan
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Nov 10 - Nov 16, 2022
1. Use Kimkim only if you have no idea about the country, like I did with Japan. Irish was very helpful and suggested Hakone, which was a lovely place.
2. Be prepared to pay almost double for your trip, compared to doing it yourself. I saw the price and there was a sticker shock, but I decided to still let Irish have her pay since she did a lot of work already.
3. Give them a lot of time! For example time difference between Japan and US is 13 hrs. So it takes 1/2 a day for the email to be answered.
4. Be careful in choosing your "price range". Select "mid-range" only if $300 a night hotels are ok with you.
Overall I appreciate the help in initial planning. Irish was very meticulous and tried hard to meet all our special requests. The support "on the ground" was spotty though. The "limo taxi" that was supposed to meet us at the airport never connected with us and it took Kimkim an hour to answer our call. By that time we were already in the taxi that we hired ourselves. It took them 1/2 hour to an hour to answer our calls each time. So this is not an emergency service. They may have the same problem as everybody else - not enough people willing to work?
Local knowledge was still worth it. Irish suggested JR pass (a weekly bullet train ticket) which was very convenient to have. The Suica card for local trains, subway etc. was also a great suggestion.
Our local guide in Hakone, Mr. Shigeo Ishibashi (a retired engineer) is a great person and we enjoyed talking to somebody local and asking all the "cultural difference" questions!
Hotel Reviews
Don't choose the smallest room unless you're traveling alone! Or unless you're newlyweds and don't mind VERY close quarters! :)
Great property in a tiny "park" of it's own! Next to an antique "museum".
3 minute walk from Kyoto Station! Great open air modern "lobby". Welcome drinks.
Activity Reviews
The art museum itself is ok for a small town, but hard to compare to big city museums. But the park around it is wonderful. Japanese come there in November to admire the beautiful colors of autumn. Many dress in kimonos which they rent for the occasion. They even dress up their kids, very cute!
The "tunnels" made up of thousands of tori gates are amazing. So are the shrines and the gardens!
A must see for any Hokusai art lover. The exposition itself may not have all the originals, but it's so well organized! His life's timeline, different periods in his art. They even animated some of his "dancing" cartoons. There's "find the Fuji" activity for kids (great fun for adults too)!
Konnichiwa Vadim!
Thank you so much for taking time to provide a detailed review! I am glad that I still have been of great help despite a few setbacks especially with your taxi limo upon arrival, but I can see that nevertheless you were able to enjoy your time in Japan and I’m glad to hear about it. It was my pleasure to plan and assist you and Tatyana! Take care and keep traveling!