The most outstanding travel agency - ever! Truly extraordinary
Japan
|
Jul 11 - Jul 18, 2025
I am not one prone to overenthusiasm, but I honestly would give kimkim 6 out of 5 stars if I could. They were simply incredible - perhaps the most distinguishing accomplishment was them getting us tickets to the Ghibli museum for our trip. I did not think that much of it until I discovered asking others that NO ONE else had been able to get tickets.
That seeing the Ghibli museum was a dream come true for my son, leaving him almost in tears, made it that much more special.
But that was far from the only thing: we put forward an aggressive schedule of wants, assuming perhaps we could get half of them in. Eleanor did an amazing job finding us the bullet trains, planes, buses and private cars to allow us to somehow - manageably! - fit it all in.
The private car in Kyoto that allowed us to see the big three shrines there was particularly key - it was a comfy enough car to allow us to take catnaps between events and be fresh as a daisy for the next shrine!
The guides were also exceptional - Yukari who guided us through Tokyo, was impressive - with a great command of English, sense of humor, good energy - and a wealth of knowledge! - to keep us in good spirits through the entire day. Taku, Nammi and Michi were also first rate - guiding us through Kyoto as well as the nightlife of Kyoto and Osaka. Taku gave us a wonderful short list of key japanese words to know in addition to relating the history of the shrines. All very knowledgeable and positive.
And the drivers always seemed to pop out of nowhere to sweep us up directly at the exits and on to the next event.
We had a couple of crises I won't bother with the details of but suffice it to say that Eleanor and the KimKim team had the solution and saved the day - every time.
As a bit of an aside, I came from a week working with the KimKim agents in Vietnam and Thailand - and they were quite impressive as well. So, if you are planning a larger trip to Asia or just Japan, I cannot - cannot! - recommend them more highly. Spectacular.
Hotel Reviews
A rather tony part of Tokyo, so a bit less crowded - which was nice. Very nice amenities and first class rooms.
Upscale hotel - they have a wonderful lobby space and offer a welcome drink which was much appreciated. They are beautifully located relative to the subway (30 meters/yards from the entrance!) and on a much traveled line. Nice neighborhood as well - great hotel.
