Kimkim Trip Reviews

All of the guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. They didn’t just give us a tour, but assisted with our planning and came up with suggestions that would work better. They were all very enthusiastic and loved what they do. Kimkim did an amazing job helping us plan our first trip to Japan.

We loved our trip to Thailand. Sandi did an amazing job planning everything and patiently listening to our requests for a less-beaten track, helping us book memorable side excursions (the highlights for us: the ancient temples at Ayutthaya, and the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai). Our guides, Ms. Leena in Bangkok and Mr. Marty in Chiang Mai, were very knowledgeable, sharing much insight into their country's history and local culture. Great choice of hotels, transport, and logistics. Overall, a great experience!

Hotel Reviews

El Barrio Lanna

Chiang Mai

A beautiful boutique hotel within the Old City, with an architectural style of its own. Flawless cleanliness and very attentive staff. A welcoming oasis within a very busy center.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nysa Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Elephant Nature Park Visit

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We booked a private 11-day tour of Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia and Emerson did an amazing job. The accommodations were perfect and the guides were very knowledgeable, helpful and punctual. The drivers were much more than just a driver as each one provided information about the countryside and history of the country. One driver even included a special stop at an old soviet ICBM silo.
During the planning for the trip, Emerson provided recommendations for unique activities that were off the charts (i.e. Old Võromaa smoke sauna ritual) that we really enjoyed. From start to finish, he took care of every possible detail and everything went exactly as planned.
It was a great trip, Connie & Bud

Our trip to Portugal, visiting Lisbon, the Algrave, and Porto was totally wonderful. In both Lisbon and Porto, we had walking tours with guides who were quite knowledgeable and entertaining. In Lisbon we visited the Earthquake Museum, toured many churches and historic sites, and ate many delicious traditional meals. In the Algrave, we visited the Chapel of Bones in Evora, and stayed in a spacious beach apartment in Lagos. We had a boat tour along the beautiful coast of Portugal and spent a day on a scenic Portuguese beach. In Porto, we had a food tour and did a Port tasting across the river in Gaia. Then we had a tour of the beautiful Pineda-Garês N’ational Park, where we swam in a waterfall pool and had a delicious lunch. And of course, we did lots of shopping everywhere we went!

The finishing touch was the agency helping us retrieve a beloved bracelet my granddaughter left in our hotel room. This was far beyond our expectations and we greatly appreciate this extra effort. Highly recommend traveling with Kim Kim!

Margarita provided excellent assistance throughout the trip, beginning with the planning of the trip. She listened to our needs and planned a wonderful itinerary that accommodated a family of 12 ranging from 4 years old to 85 years old. Margarita, Oscar, and Wendy were all responsive during our trip. We just absolutely loved everything. The tours, hotels, and food were all wonderful; thank you! Juan Camillo, our guide in Medellin, was especially worth noting as we really bonded with him and wished he could have remained with us throughout the duration of our full trip. We stayed in Medellin (Wake Bio,) Santa Marta (Naio,) and Cartagena (Sofitel.) Highly recommend! Locals were all kind and thanking us for visiting as American tourists. We felt safe throughout the entirety of our trip.

We loved this trip!! I think looking back my only change would be to reduce the number of in-country flights because they eat up too much of the vacation time - flights get in very late and then ruin the next morning. If I do a trip like this again, I would spend more time at each place and see less places overall, but I know some people really like a busy itinerary (I don't).

We loved everything about this trip - it was our first time hang-gliding (in Rio), our first time on a helicopter (over Iguazu Falls), and of course our first time in Brazil. So many memories we made, from walking along Copacabana Beach to being rained on for two days straight around Iguazu Falls to swimming with a pink dolphin at Tupana Lodge in the Amazon to eating the (gross) piranha that we caught there for dinner to listening to the great local music on Ilha Grande and waking up to the kiskadees with their characteristic loud song. We saw amazing animals and met amazing people, and it was an overall AMAZING trip!!!!

Sebastian’s help in creating a perfect honeymoon itinerary was amazing! The travel book was clear and easy to use. We had a great time in France!

We had an amazing experience booking our trip to Tossa de Mar and Barcelona through Kimkim. From the very beginning, the planning process was seamless and stress-free. The itinerary was thoughtfully designed, giving us the perfect balance of sightseeing, relaxation, and local experiences.
Every recommendation—from our accommodations to activities and transportation—was well chosen and made our trip even more enjoyable. Exploring the beautiful coastal town of Tossa de Mar and the vibrant city of Barcelona was unforgettable, and everything went exactly as planned.
What impressed us most was Kimkim's excellent customer service. The team was responsive, attentive, and always available to answer questions before and during our trip, giving us confidence and peace of mind throughout our travels.
We highly recommend Kimkim to anyone looking for a personalized, well-organized travel experience. They made our vacation smooth, memorable, and truly enjoyable. We wouldn't hesitate to use Kimkim again for our next adventure!

Eleanor helped plan the trip so perfectly. We began at Mizumari, a Ryokan on the Izu Peninsula for 4 glorious, restful days. The food was amazing. We took walks to waterfalls and went to the beach. From there we traveled to Kyoto. The train station at Kyoto was incredibly confusing and we struggled to find the hotel which was right there. Finally, a cook at the hotel showed us where it was. Otherwise, the app that was provided gave us all the information we needed to find temples, museums, Saihoji and wander the city. One rainy day we went to the Kyocera museum and were awed by the work of Ida Shoichi. We were in Kyoto for a conference with Japanese Psychoanalysts and Eleanor found us a hotel right around the corner from the conference. The conference was a highlight of the trip. Getting to meet people who live and work in Japan--not just hit the tourist spots. Wandering around the area where the conference was, gave us an additional feel for the city. We found the wood block prints of Hokusai--the 36 views of Mount Fuji, a fabulous food market and incredibly friendly, open people to chat with. Our final meal was with in a teeny restaurant with a couple who made us noodle soup. We fell in love with Kyoto.

We really had a great time in Greece. We did not have any issues with transfers or tours that we set up through Eirini. We particularly enjoyed the cooking class that we participated in on the island of Crete. We also enjoyed our wine tour in Santorini. We would definitely use this service again.

Just got back from two fabulous weeks in beautiful Morocco and Kimkim was excellent to work with -- taking our request for a "calmer" itinerary and yet still getting the most bang for our buck. We never felt rushed and yet we covered a lot of territory, starting in Casablanca, down to Marrakesh, Ait Benhaddou, Boumaine Dades, Merzouga, and back through Agdz to Essaouira. Each area had its own uniqueness and beauty, and it was very special to see such diffefent landscapes -- from the bustling medinas to the gorgeous valley area. There were times we were "in the middle of nowhere" with no other tourists around. We had a local guide in each place and enjoyed experiencing their perspectives. One stands out: Mohamed, our guide in the valley, who led us on two hikes that were unforgettable. He told us, "Life in my hometown is simple but beautiful." For anyone looking to plan a trip like this, Majid did a great job putting things together for us. But our daily "fearless leader" :-) was our driver and new friend, Hamza, who took excellent care of us. He was very professional and friendly and fun. He was our liaison when we needed to add or tweak a little something on our itinerary. Whoever is reading this and planning to visit, we hope you ask for Hamza. He's just a super nice guy and was very patient and kind to our group, which consisted of two "older parents" traveling with three teenaged boys. ;-) (Btw Hamza can sure cut a rug. Ask him to show you his Ahidous dance moves ;-) Such a wonderful holiday.

Lucy was amazing! My dad got sick at the beginning of the trip and would up in the hospital for a couple days. But thanks to Lucy, I had a place to stay close to the hospital set up as soon as she knew I needed it and she checked in on my dad through out the trip. Being so far from home it was nice to have a local helping with all the little bumps in the road.

Leon was our guide in Cape Town and made the whole experience wonderful. He knew so much and was funny and friendly. My dad didn’t always feel up to walking and Leon stayed and was a great companion while we adventured a bit. Definitely made that portion of the trip special for our family. The Romney Park Luxury apartments were gorgeous! Their elevator was not working and they moved us to a ground floor apartment to make it easier for my dad, the ground floor was not nearly as nice of an apartment, but we appreciated the accommodation since their elevator was broken.

Marine Dynamics was greatly enjoyed by my husband and kid's. The shark diving was the highlight of the trip for my daughter. The Abalone hotel was lovely and they really enjoyed eating in town at The Chard- best milkshakes ever! Steaks, calamari and side dishes were also delicious!

Moditlo Lodge was my favorite stay. We were treated so well, every need anticipated, every staff member kind and attentive. They knew it was our anniversary and we were treated with hearts and champagne in our room. My dad’s birthday was also celebrated with all staff singing and a cake at lunch time. Kailey the check was phenomenal and our guide and tracker (Dumi and Derrick) were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about making sure we had the best time. The game drives were the highlight of the trip for me, seeing hundreds of animals and my children getting to see all the ones they wanted to and more. The hot water bottles, lined ponchos and warm drinks made the chilly mornings and adventure and something to look forward too. My words don’t do the experience justice. I do wish we had know that the entire experience was outside the park, we would have asked to spend at least one day in Kruger.

Victoria Falls - the Shearwater was a real downgrade after Moditlo, no one cleaned our rooms or replaced amenities like coffee and water without a request and the staff wasn’t very responsive. More than once I stood in line waiting to be helped while watching staff gossip about guests, one night the kitchen staff got in a huge fight and you could hear them yelling at each other from the dining room. Definitely a place you kept all the doors locked every minute.

Kuda was a wonderful guide to the falls, full of local information and willing to share a lot about the culture and what it was like to grow up in Victoria Falls. The helicopter flight was the highlight of my dad’s trip and fell on his 82nd birthday. The view from above was spectacular! We also great enjoyed our tour of the Wildlife Trust, the work they do there is so important and fascinating. Kuda went on that trip with us as well and said he learned a lot himself.

Bamba train was fun. The Chobe day trip was my son’s favorite day and probably tied for one of my favorites as well. Our guides, Captain O, Terrance and Kenneth, were funny and obviously enjoyed showing us around on bus, boat and safari. We saw THOUSANDS of birds and animals that day, it was unreal and felt like the scenes you see in movies. Our fellow passengers were also very fun on this trip.

Our last experience was the Dusty Roads dinner and it was informative, colorful, whimsical and funny. We were able to try grubs - my daughter ate two!! And all kinds of different local foods while learning about what plants they came from and how they were prepared. The owner came to our table and chatted for quite awhile, it was interesting to learn about her family and time in Zimbabwe. We loved it!

We would encourage people to follow the travel agents advice and to not walk alone and keep valuables secure. I should have Ubered from my hotel to the hospital! Had to cancel my credit card and file a police report after an encounter in the street with a few young men.

AirLink was a very hit or miss airline to travel with about half the staff was polite, friendly and helpful, the other half was dismissive if not out and out rude at times.

All in all it was a trip of a lifetime and I would highly recommend working with Lucy. She was so helpful, kind and if she didn’t know the answer she said so and told you she would get it!

Hotel Reviews

Shearwater Explorers Village

Victoria Falls

Didn’t really feel safe or welcome hear

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff gossiping about guests in another language, we may not have understood the words but the eye rolls, faces and tone are universally disrespectful body language and when you do it in another language and think the people around are to dumb to notice it is even ruder

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms could be cleaned up daily and amenities, like coffee and water replaced without having to ask

Moditlo River Lodge

Hoedspruit

Treated like family and special guests all at the same time

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outside the park

Staff

Would give more stars if I could

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything, the food was amazing

Abalone Guest Lodge

Hermanus

Beautiful rooms with ocean views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to cliff walks

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely place to stay

Romney Park Luxury Apartments

Cape Town

Staff was lovely and helpful. Breakfast was tasty and quick in the morning. Top floor apartments were so cute and probably the nicest apartment we stayed in. Such a nice place to stay with multiple family members and not have to go in and out of separate rooms with separate keys.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Thoughtful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was exquisitely neat and tidy

Activity Reviews

Chobe Full Day Safari Trip

Victoria Falls

One of the best days of the whole trip!

Quality of Experience

Couldn’t imagine the amount of wildlife!

Food

Nona’s are the bomb

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and helpful

Transport

Going back and forth between two countries and changing vehicles so many times could have been confusing or difficult and they made it super smooth!

Flight of the angels

South Africa

Very efficient

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Views were fantastic and ride was smooth as glass

Dusty Road Dinner Experience

Victoria Falls

Awesome concept and execution

Quality of Experience

Great service and good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust – High Care Rehabilitation & Lab Tour

Victoria Falls

Cool to see everything they were doing and meet their current guests

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very informative

Transport

Sunset Cruise - Signature Deck

Victoria Falls

We wound up on the dinner cruise instead of the dinner cruise. It was too late and cold for my 82 year old dad. Our itinerary said sunset cruise, but what was booked was the dinner cruise. It was nice, but not what we had planned.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thoughtful and provided blankets for my cold dad

Transport

Tour Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

Much better with a guide - Kuda had so much local knowledge about the plants, the river as an energy source and local history. Greatly added to the walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Local knowledge

Transport

On time and safe

Shark Cage Diving

South Africa

According to my daughter - the best day of her life!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The boat ride was exciting and fast

Full Day City Tour, Robben Island & Table Mountain

South Africa

Love the look at local history by those directly impacted by the Robben Island prison. Table Mountain was spectacular and we felt lucky to have such nice weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and thoughtful

Transport

On Safari

South Africa

Dumi and Derrick were the very best! It was so fun talking with them and learning from them.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides and trackers are amazing and funny

Transport

Always felt safe and looked after

Cape Point & Penguins Tour

South Africa

This day was amazing!! Leon really helped make it memorable with his local historical knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Views and penguins

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leon was awesome, lunch staff was okay

Transport

Safe and always early

Sara helped us plan a wonderful trip to Germany including stays in Cologne, Heidelberg and Munich. Every hotel was comfortable and conveniently located near the major attractions. The tours were informative, engaging, and a lot of fun. Sara took the time to understand our travel goals and created a personalized itinerary that exceeded our expectations. She was also readily available to help when we had some confusion with our train schedule, which gave us great peace of mind. We highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for a well-organized personalized vacation experience.

It was great to work with Shona on planning this trip. I was really glad for her help as I didn't have the knowledge to put together this trip myself, since I was trying to get "off the beaten track" for my trip. Everything went very well on my trip and I had the peace of mind that everything was prepared for me.

Hotel Review

Kirishima Momijidani Seiryuso

I highly recommend this ryokan. First, the staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful! I can't say enough about how wonderful everyone was across the board. Second, I loved how remote feeling this location was. It was right outside of a small town, but the whole hotel is surrounded by forest making it feel like you are really out in nature. Third, I loved the variety of hot springs. There were two indoor options plus an outdoor onsen that was magical to visit at night. It sits right next to the rushing river. Guests can reserve time in both the private indoor and private outdoor onsen each day. Finally, the meals are exceptionally well prepared. I was especially appreciative of the chef's work to create unique meals for each of my dinners that suit me as a vegetarian.

Authenticity & Character

The private outdoor onsen next to a roaring river was an enjoyable way to relax and connect with nature.

Location

I love how the hotel feels isolated, away from everything.

Staff

All of the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Several of the staff speak English.

Cleanliness & Comfort

My room was very clean, comfortable, and spacious. I had a second floor room with a nice balcony looking out into the forest.

Activity Review

Day Trip Ebino Kogen Plateau & Kirishima Shrine

Kagoshima

Both Kirishima Shrine and Ebino Kogen Plateau were unique locations that I'd encourage anyone in the area to experience. Walking around the Shrine was peaceful and relaxing. Ebino Plateau was a great way to experience a different landscape and connect with the volcanic natural history of the region. I highly recommend visiting the Ebino Eco-Museum Center, especially after a hike as it is a nice way to relax and learn about the region.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christina was very helpful before our trip and always very responsive. Ran into a few questions while in Norway and she always got back to us within minutes. The app had everything we needed to get around and was very helpful with directions.
Would definitely use Christina and KimKim again!
Loved Norway went to Bergen, Balestrand, Aurland and Oslo. Wouldn’t change anything except to stay one more day in Bergen which was the only place we stayed 2 nights. All other places 3 nights were perfect. Don’t miss Balestrand it is magical!

I've used kimkim in the past for a trip with my best friend. This time I decided to use their services for a trip with my sister. Overall, the trip featured all the aspects we wanted to touch on on our trip. Every guide we had was great and the trip was paced out well. You can't really escape from walking too much in Japan but even with all the walking, we enjoyed the pace and all the activities. It's definitely pricier to experience Japan this way but since it was our first time, we wanted it to be hassle free so it was very convenient to have everything booked for us and to just enjoy the trip. The few times we had to get to places on our own, the instructions were clear and I knew my specialist was not far away if I needed them. I will definitely visit Japan again and may consider using Kimkim for it but perhaps be even more particular about where I want to go so that it would be most beneficial to pay for a service to plan for it.

Hotel Reviews

Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Ekimae

Kyoto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama

Osaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and comfortable but our window faced a wall which was kinda sad.

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

Hakone

Would definitely visit again - location was stunning and food was amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Knot Tokyo Shinjuku

Tokyo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kimono Tea Ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya

Kyoto

So much fun! Learned a lot too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Japan

Food was great and filling, our guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sushi & Home Cooking Class from Market to Table near Asakusa

Tokyo

One of my favorite parts of my trip. Alice was our guide and she was a lot of fun. Learned a lot and made the best sushi. Would love to have another class with her in future.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Temples & Bamboo Grove in Kyoto

Kyoto

Asuka was our guide and she was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi with Oishi Park

Japan

Got lucky and could see mt Fuji

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was great- she was super helpful, patient and overall just a great driver.

Transport

Tokyo Highlights: A Day of Tradional & Modern Culture with Local Life

Tokyo

Our guide was Yoshi and he was awesome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yoshi! Highly recommend

Transport

We took public transit and it was a good experience

We had an amazing trip. Planning by Ivan was really good. We had really good guides too. Loved the country, the people & the food. It was a memorable trip for sure!

Our family of 12 very different personalities and ages all loved our trip. Margarita and Oscar supported us through every moment, and ensured we had a wonderful time. Each day was thoughtfully planned, and executed perfectly!

We had a fantastic trip. I really appreciated how much Krista was willing to go through all of our requests and the multiple changes (people arriving and departing on different days, lots of requests for very specific details) with patience and grace. The trip was super smooth, we never had any issues with transport, hotels, etc (I think Norway is a pretty organized country!). We loved our time in Ulvik and Kinsarvik especially, and feel like most agencies would not have picked up on our desire to be in smaller, more out of the way places. Several Norwegians were surprised to see Americans in Ulvik! The hiking was fantastic in both places. We loved our hiking guide, Andreas, in Bergen, along with the dinner cruise and the Greig house and concert. Can't wait to come back.

Hotel Review

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Central location, comfortable, amazing breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bergen’s Classic Trails – Private Hiking Experience

Bergen

Great hike, learned so much about Norway chatting with Andreas as we hiked.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cider tasting in Ulvik

Ulvik

lovely place to visit, great view and the food accompanying the cider was delicious

Quality of Experience

Everyone and every stop was amazing! It was truly so awesome to let the professionals do the planning- zero worries and so much fun! Our trip had so much that my husband and I, as well as my 82 year old mother enjoyed every part of it - truly a huge weight off my shoulders and I came back refreshed rather than exhausted. Alex and his team are gems and I plan to use them for our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

A great hotel - new and updated. Rooms were great and very modern. Food was awesome and it was right near a great food hall and places to visit.

Authenticity & Character

Great ascetic

Location

Easy to get to all sightseeing places

Staff

Helped my mom out when she had an issue fisninf us - so kind!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Other than the lack of aircon - fans were provided and the rooms were cool

Scandic Neptun

Bergen

This hotel was just ok. A little on the older side and need of renovation. The floor we were on also had some water damage, maybe - it smelled badly in the corridor at times. Otherwise it was clean and comfortable. Food was great - location was top notch.

Authenticity & Character

A little on the olderside6

Location

Easy to get to the warf.

Staff

Helpful and very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our floor hallway smelled like mold or sweage.

The Dock 69 39 By Scandic

Tromsø

This hotel is right in the center of all things new in Tromso - new restaurants and cafes and shopping- but all the historic stuff also. The roof top bar and restaurant was a great place for my family to watch the Midnight Sun Marathon. Its a great new build- comfortable and modern rooms - and the food was top notch! Planning to go back and this will be where we stay-

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Helpful and quick

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brand spanking new and shiny

Activity Reviews

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

The ride to and from Rosendal was amazing, as was the ferry which was very comfy. But on Rosendal it is not very easy to get around unless you are planning to walk. There are also not a ton of shops near the warf - so it was a slow aftwrnoon.

Quality of Experience

Planning ahead more.

Self-Guided Tromsø Exploration

Norway

Tromso was so easy to navigate - walking most places was easy to do.

Quality of Experience