Amazing Honeymoon Trip to Southern France ( Lyon-Annecy-Chamonix-Aix en Provence) - 5 July - 15 July 2022
France
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Jul 5 - Jul 15, 2022
Truth be told, we took a leap of faith when we engaged KimKim.com for our honeymoon in Southern France, because no one around us had heard of KimKim.com before. It turned out to be one of the best decisions for our honeymoon trip, especially since we could not speak French.
Pre-trip wise, it was lovely to work with Joel, and the detailed itinerary he prepared as well as the prompt responses he gave to all our countless enquiries made the preparation so much easier. He gave priority to what we wanted, and was very open to discussing options on how we could fit this trip into our budget, even going the extra mile at times which we appreciated very much.
During the trip, we felt very assured and relaxed since all our accommodation/transport/activities were booked. This helped us to "live in the moment" and experience our trip fully.
What we really liked about the trip:
- We appreciated the pace of the trip, where we had a good balance of sports activities (i.e. hiking, water rafting) and cultural /leisure activities (i.e. food tours, lavender field tours) throughout our 10-day trip.
- The accommodation options that Joel picked for us were really awesome. Each had their own unique charm. I personally loved the College 4 Hotel in Lyon the best while my husband loved the Rivera Hotel in Annecy the most.
- We loved the activities that were planned for us, especially the water rafting experience in Chamonix and the private hiking tour in Annecy by our guide Olivier, and full day trip to Cassi and villages of Luberon by our guide, Ady. It was a good mix of small group and private activities and very apt too, fitting with the nature of the activity.
- Our drivers for the private transfers were really friendly and welcoming too. Special mention to our driver who waited for us at Aix en Provence for a few hours till midnight due to our train delay,. During the trip, we realized how much we would have struggled if we had done this trip on our own as navigating around with language barriers was challenging, especially for transport.
One point that we must highlight would be the responsiveness of Joel and his team. Not only was Joel prompt in responding to our enquiries and couple of changes that needed to be made during the trip itself, we also experienced first-hand the "crisis support" that was provided. We had a security scare at Lyon train station where our train was delayed for slightly more than two hours, and the process was quite anxiety-provoking and nerve-wrecking given that it was already nighttime when this happened and our inability to understand what was going on due to the language barrier. However, thankfully Valentine (Joel's colleague) reached back to us promptly after we tried calling the after-office-hours hotline for support. Her assurance and liaison with the driver who was supposed to pick us up at our destination (Aix en Provence) was immensely helpful and she ensured that she remained contactable to us till we reached our hotel safely in Aix en Provence. We were extremely thankful that we had Kimkim's service to back us up if anything happened in France. :)
There was one aspect which we felt could be improved though. For our train ride from Geneva to Lyon, even though we had First Class tickets, we were unable to get any seats in the First Class cabin likely because it was free seating, and it was full by the time we reached the cabin. It was also quite chaotic and confusing as we did not know where the First Class cabin was in the train and everyone was rushing up the train so it was difficult for us to ask people as well (we almost got onto the wrong end of the train). In the end, we ended up sitting at whatever available seats we could find, which was in the Second Class cabin. We noted that perhaps this was a common occurrence as there were others who were like us, had First Class tickets but there were no more seats in the First Class cabin for them. Additionally, there was also no train conductor to verify if our seats match our tickets. As we were unfamiliar with taking trains in Europe and this was not what we were expecting, it might have been helpful to let us know such situations could occur and tips for us to manage this (E.g. which end of the train that the First Class cabin belonged to). Nevertheless, for the other trains where there were fixed seats and cabins designated for us, it was much easier.
Apart from this however, everything else was perfect. :) We are grateful to have engaged Joel via KimKim and would highly recommend for others to do the same, especially if you are taking tours in a foreign country where you do not speak their native language.
- Lyon and Shan (from Singapore)
Hotel Reviews
We had a pleasant experience at this hotel. It is cozy and quaint. The staff at the reception are friendly and willing to help. What impressed us most was the dedication of the hotel to being environmentally-friendly.
This was the most luxurious hotel that we stayed at for our trip. We loved the spaciousness and the balcony which overlooked beautiful views of the sky. Though it is located slightly further away from the city centre, it was nevertheless a good location for those who wanted to enjoy the lake.
We felt that this hotel would be perfect for winter but not so much for summer. For example, there was no aircon and we had to borrow a fan from the reception. The hotel also seemed understaffed as there were a few times where we could not find a staff to talk to and needed to wait for awhile. They also had no dental kits to provide us. Nevertheless, the design of the room and the balcony that overlooked the snowy mountains made up for it, on top of the lovely design of the hotel ground floor. :)
We loved our stay at this hotel. The location was great and the room was very well-designed, especially the toilet. The breakfast spread was one of the best as well. The room could have been slightly more spacious, if not all would be perfect. :)
Activity Reviews
We loved that the guide not only brought us on a food tour, but also gave us a history tour of Lyon. :) However, this tour might not be the best for vegetarians, because there will be some dishes where vegetarians are unable to enjoy.
As first-time hikers, we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to achieve our hiking goals for the day. It was a good experience, though quite challenging at certain parts and the hot weather certainly didn't make it easier. However, we had a charming and wonderful guide who really helped and cheered us on.
It was unexpectedly awesome, one of the most memorable experiences this trip! :) Definitely worth a try. Rafting down the river of Chamonix was an amazing experience , with the backdrop of the snowy mountains and beautiful scenery. It helped that the guide was witty and humorous, and made it very fun for us. Kudos to him for also speaking in both French and English to cater to us.
It was a pity that due to the drought, much of the lavender fields had been harvested already. However, thanks to our guide, we were still able to find some lavender fields, together with sunflower fields to take beautiful pictures. We also enjoyed the tasting session at the lavender shop.
Though the full day tour can be tiring, it was fulfilling. We loved Cassis with the cruise and the amazing views, and the different villages of the Luberon were really charming and beautiful. :) We really appreciated the guide who always offered us tidbits of knowledge about Provence and also spoke in French and English to cater to the whole group.
Thank you so much for having taken the time to write such a detailed and enthusiastic feedback upon your honeymoon trip in France ! I really appreciate !
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So all the details you've mentioned are really helpful for us, including your chaotic train journey from Geneva to Lyon. YOu're right, we should give more details in our... Read more