Kimkim Trip Reviews

In the summer of 2025, we decided to make a trip to Scotland to experience the culture, visit historical sites, and explore the country. After seeing a review for KimKim trip planning service, I messaged them about assistance with our planning, and I was soon contacted by Tatiana. Tatiana worked with me over the months that followed to build a plan that we felt would touch upon all our key desires for the trip. I can’t offer enough praise and gratitude for all the wonderful help we received from Tatiana; especially including when we requested her help to make changes in the middle of the trip.

Our trip then was from 6-16 March 2026, and we began our visit in Edinburgh, which included tours of Edinburgh castle, Rosslyn chapel, St Giles cathedral, and Old Town. We also included Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral and a side trip to Kircaldy for a Fife Flyers hockey game (for several years we have been acquainted with an American player on the team). All these activities were truly wonderful and memorable. Stuart was our Old Town guide and he was excellent. Especially memorable though was our tour to Rosslyn chapel with Rafal, who was a truly amazing guide.

We next went to Stirling and visited Stirling castle. We took the tour with the castle guide, and that was fascinating and wonderful. Then after visiting the castle we moved on to Loch Lomond for a night at the Cameron House. Due to a satnav (GPS) miscue on my part, we didn’t drive through as much of the Trossachs National Park as I had planned, but the views we did see were marvelous. Also, the Cameron House is a fantastic property and superb place to visit, with some local sites and sights to explore as well, and we would probably want to stay there again (and a bit longer) if we ever returned.

Our next adventure was to travel north along Loch Lomond and then head west to Oban. The A82 roadway along Loch Lomond is truly an experience, with breath taking views and also sometimes some heart stopping sections of narrow, winding roadway. Turning west onto the A85 roadway to Oban featured more spectacular views, and a very scenic and peaceful drive without the occasional frights of the A82. Our arrival in Oban was just in time for a walking tour, and our guide David was excellent, sharing the history of the town and taking us to several sites of special interest.

We stayed several days in Oban, and this was truly the highlight of our time in Scotland. As we visited in mid-March, there were no crowds and so the town was very peaceful and calm. We ended up with a room looking out on the bay, and we actually spent quite a bit of time just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view. We did miss our planned Isle of Mull tour, but we made up for it with a tour of the Oban distillery, home of Oban whisky, and as well visiting some other local castle and scenic viewpoints. Additionally, the No17 Promenade hotel we stayed at was truly a gem, including simply outstanding personal connections with the staff and a superb restaurant. We didn’t want to leave.

We decided to modify the final days of our journey, for a variety of reasons, so we didn’t visit Glasgow or Kirkcudbright as we had originally planned. Instead, we ended our journey in Edinburgh and caught up on a few of the things we didn’t see at the outset of the trip, including some sites and sights around Old Town and Victoria Street; the latter being the area said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series by author JK Rowling.

We are very grateful for everything we experienced and for all the opportunities to meet wonderful people in Scotland. Likewise, all the help and support from Tatiana and KimKim. This was a tremendously fulfilling experience and we have lifelong memories of our wonderful adventures in Scotland.

Hotel Reviews

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Edinburgh

This hotel offers a more modern vibe, despite its location practically in the heart of Old Town. The exterior retains the historic look of 100-200 year old architecture, but the inside is generally done in a well-appointed and modern look. The rooms took a bit of getting used to, as they are organized a little differently from other hotels, but the design actually works extremely well. The rooms are all white, which seemed a bit sterile in appearance, but that didn't ruin what was otherwise a very comfortable room. The staff was superb, and extremely friendly, professional, and responsive to guest needs.

Authenticity & Character

The exterior retains the Old Town character, while the inside blends old and new without becoming garish or awkward.

Location

If you want to be in the heart of Old Town Edinburgh, this hotel is the perfect location. A relatively easy walk to the train station as well as most of the big attractions.

Staff

The staff were just wonderful. My wife was not feeling well, and the staff helped us without exception. They even remembered me well enough to ask me how she was doing whenever they saw me, and they asked her directly as soon as she was moving around again. Very personal attention that is hard to beat.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is kept very clean, and the accommodations were very comfortable. Our room did not have a good lounge chair however. There was something of a lounger extending off the side of the bed, but it was a little awkward and not especially comfortable. It was very comfortable to just sit on the bed however, due to a large, padded backboard on the wall.

No17 The Promenade Hotel

Oban

This hotel was the highlight of our accommodations in Scotland. Initially we were in a smaller room toward the back of the property, but as fortune would have it, we were able to move to one of the largest rooms in the front, with spectacular views. The staff here is simply amazing; very personal, attentive, and capable. We didn't want to leave this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

They have done a superb job with setting a cozy, comfortable, yet stylish, perhaps even a little quirky, character to this property. We found it incredibly charming, calming and peaceful.

Location

The hotel is just outside of the town center, along the boardwalk of the bay. This makes it within walking distance of the town but still away from the hustle and bustle of even this smaller town. The views of the bay from the property were simply marvelous.

Staff

5+ stars for this staff. They were simply the friendliest, most personal, attentive, and capable staff we encountered. It was just a pleasure to even stop by and chat with them for a moment or two each day.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The property is exceptionally well maintained, and accommodations are very clean and comfortable. Our first room was quite cramped unfortunately, but more fortunately we were able to upgrade to perhaps the best room in the hotel. That room was simply oustanding; a mix of old and new style that harmonized perfectly, extremely comfortable, and with a bay view that was perfect.

Cameron house

This is a gorgeous property in a very scenic setting. The staff are simply marvelous and were above and beyond any expectations.

Authenticity & Character

The original areas of the property have the old, grand feeling of being in almost a palace like setting. Very beautiful in every aspect. The rooms were simply amazing.

Location

This is a very beautiful property, and it is situated in a very scenic area. It may be better suited for golf enthusiasts, due to what I was given to understand is the fine golfing nearby. Nevertheless, the local scenery is plenty good enough reason to want to stay here.

Staff

The staff were extremely friendly, professional and helpful. They offered plenty of good insight into the area and sites or sights that were worthwhile. Simple excellent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was kept impeccably clean, and everything was extremely comfortable. The room was very luxurious.

Apex Waterloo Place

Edinburgh

We liked this hotel quite a lot. It was in a good location to walk around the center of Edinburgh. It's a short walk to the train station, for those that use the railways. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and they take excellent care of guests and the facility itself. We were also very grateful for the wonderful morning breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It retains the charm of being in a historic area of Edinburgh, with updates that keep it fresh but without ruining the authenticity.

Location

The hotel is very well located for walking around to many of the major attractions in the Old Town and New Town areas of Edinburgh.

Staff

The staff were friendly, personal and professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness was superb. Overall comfort was excellent. I regret I have to say that the bed was too hard, and it made for uncomfortable sleeping for my wife.

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

The Old Town private tour by Stuart was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and expertly guided us through the area to be sure we saw little details we never would have experienced on our own. Stuart was very personable and his commentaries ensured we learned so much more about this historic part of Edinburgh.

Oban Guided Town Walking Tour

Oban

Our guide David did a wonderful job walking us through the small town and taking us to a few sites of special interest. We enjoyed learning more about this little port town. Overall, Oban was the highlight of our trip to Scotland due to the peaceful environment. We were told it's extremely busy and crowded in the summer however, so that might be a planning consideration.

Private Tour to Rosslyn Chapel and Castle

Edinburgh

This site is wonderful, and our tour guide Rafal was amazing. He picked us up and drove us to the site, and then walked us through all the important sights, with tremendously good commentaries on it all. 5+ stars. He also took us to a couple spots along the way that weren't originally planned. The Rosslyn chapel and castle is a wonderful bit of history, and with the amusing connection to the movie the DaVinci Code.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Rafal was amazing. We would have been pleased to have him with us for every tour.

Transport

It was simply nice to have the guide drive us, rather than try to drive, park, etc, on our own.

Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Private Tour

Edinburgh

The Edinburgh castle is a wonderful historic site. Unfortunately, we did this tour almost immediately after we arrived in Scotland, and we were very tired from traveling. We probably didn't get as much out of the visit as we could have. Because of a flight delay we didn't arrive in time for our scheduled Old Town private tour; however, we made it up later in our trip (and it is reviewed separately).

The trip was enjoyable because the main details were taken care of and we could thoroughly enjoy oursevles! Alfonso was responsive to our interests and suggestions as we planned the trip resulting in accomplishing our main goals while traveling. Once we arrived in Spain, we had all the details and tickets needed and an instant contact for any questions or concerns that came up during the week. I would highly recommend!

Activity Reviews

Private City Highlights Walk

Madrid

A wonderful overview of the history of the city and the ability to learn the area as we walked around.

Cooking Class in Seville

Seville

Included a tour of the market as well as cooking main Spainish dishes. It included a large meal!

We did not see the Northern Lights, but had wonderful experiences.unfortunately I do not remember all the names but will just reference the experiences.The Ranua Zoo,
The Husky ride,the Reindeer farm,the Amethyst mine,the Snow Hotel,the Arkticum
Museum were all worthwhile.
The accommodations were excellent.
We enjoyed Helinsku as well and the island we visited which was previously a fort.
Lilla was our main contact and was very helpful, answering all our questions.

My daughter and I had an amazing time traveling from Osaka to Kyoto to Hakone and Tokyo. Marii was incredibly thoughtful in suggesting activities based on our interests and worked with the tour operators to accommodate her food allergy. The kimkim team was so helpful in sending daily reminders for activities, answering our questions while traveling and preparing tickets ahead of time. It made the trip much more relaxing while allowing us to fit in several cities over 8 days.

The time of year was lovely- pre cherry blossoms so fewer crowds- but we did see plum trees in bloom! The group tours were small and very personalized. It was nice to have time to ask questions. Our favorite activity was traveling from the Hakone hot spring (lovely!) to Tokyo with such a friendly driver who took us to several spots to view Mount Fugi, including by cable car and boat. We were fortunate with a clear, sunny day. It is a special site to see! Also highly recommended any tours to see the temples and Gion district in Kyoto and Osaka dotonbori district at night for the lights and food!

Activity Reviews

Hakone to Tokyo Private Transfer: Mt. Fuji and Hakone Full-Day Tour with English-Speaking Driver

Japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No

Transport

Transfer from Odawara Train Station to Hakone Hotel

Hakone

Quality of Experience

M

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kyoto Casual Pontocho Evening Food Tour

Kyoto

Talk was an incredible guide a delightful to spend an evening with trying loc as l food and sake. He was particularly helpful quite navigating a food allergy. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima by bullet train from Osaka

Osaka

Efficient way to see Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day but it did not felt rush. Incredible tour guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

O

Transport

The whole travel team treat us like family, JJ our tour guy was amazing answer all our questions we had.

5 stars for an Australian vacation amazingly planned by Samantha, Alejandra, and Lea!

Quick back story, our son decided last minute to study abroad in Sydney. As the saying goes, “fruit doesn’t fall from the tree”, so we too decided last minute to visit. I began researching and quickly became overwhelmed. As a referral from a friend, we tried kimkim. I went online, set a budget and filled out a questionnaire. The actual next day, I had a call with Samantha. Soon after, we had an itinerary including airport transports, hotels, activities, flights, rental cars- you name it.

Once we arrived in Sydney, we were randomly selected for customs and were running behind- I had a missed call (had my phone on silent) and message from Alejandra that our driver was waiting for us. Because we went to Australia right after the busy season, a couple tours we had booked were canceled. Alejandra immediately had solutions and took care of the details for us. This service and care is priceless!

We toured Sydney, climbed the harbor bridge and had a delightful sunset cruise. The itinerary had built in time to meet up with our kids and see what life as a student in Sydney looks like.

My husband and I flew to Cairns, transferred to Port Douglas to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and visit the Daintree rainforest. The tours Samantha and Alejandra set up for us were out of this world and so memorable.

After Cairns, we flew to Brisbane and drove to Byron Bay to meet up with our kids for some much needed beaching (cocktails and wondering too).

If you are on the fence or overwhelmed like I was, reach out to kimkim. They will tailor your trip to you and will handle all of the little glitches that come along with great adventures. 5 stars- absolutely recommend!

Vicky put together a busy and well-tailored two-week tour of Australian places for us. Small-group and private tours were first-rate, and her very detailed itinerary (59 pages!) offered many options for free time and dining.
The guidance we provided about preferences meant that our tour was geared to our interests very well. Any problems were due to miscalculation on our part: there was a LOT of walking on the tour and my husband had greater mobility limitations than we had expected. Generally, guides were extremely helpful in working around this and there was only one scheduled event that we had to cancel. We also tended to look for dining closer to hotels (and these were excellent).
Great guides included Helder in the Blue Mountains, Andy at Uluru, Errol on the Ocean Road from Melbourne and Jennifer in Hobart. Sue Ann at the Sydney Opera House was also wonderful. All the guides and tour companies showed good planning and a lot of expertise about their local areas and their history and wildlife.
Overall, our tour went very well and was extremely enjoyable.

Ruth did a great job planning our trip, meeting all our expectations of excursions, hotels, tours etc. Byron Bay was an eco friendly special place to enjoy the beach, surfers, and the downtown area and the penguin excursion was definitely a favorite. Great job Ruth, thank you again!!!

I appreciated that the questions I posted were answered by Olman in a detailed and clear manner.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

Well, it's a Hilton. So nice to see carpeting!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

The views of this hotel are amazing! The hotel, I would rate as 3 stars. The showers are nice, the corner room again with an amazing view. The previous two hotels had friendly, accomodating staff, so we expected the same. Unfortunately, we found the staff to be indifferent, though we were friendly towards them. We thought they did the minimal, answered questions quickly without much feeling, and didn't seem to want to be there. I think this is more of a reflection on management. The dinner took two hours, as the server seemed preoccupied. The swimming pool was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Renovate the rooms.

Location

The view was amazing as previously stated.

Staff

See comments above. Wondering if there is a morale issue.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renovate the rooms.

Hotel Belmar

Monteverde

This was rated as a 4 star hotel, though the simple accommodations (no TV, room needing more modern renovations) would rate is more like a 3.5 star hotel. The complimentary breakfast was great, the dinner was fair. The staff was accommodating and mostly friendly. The grounds were very pretty, though the green lake did not look swimmable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

The hot springs in the back of the hotel were amazing. Lots of fun and the resort makes it very convenient to hop in a resort shuttle to travel to the springs, which is a very short ride away. The room is nice, though hotel renovations are needed. The restaurants for dinner at Ave and Tucanes were great. The complimentary breakfast was fair, wishing there was more variety.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Finally! I got to see the white-faced monkeys. I also saw bats, a snake, iguanas, and birds. This was more exciting as I finally can see a lot more animals without squinting all the time. This tour is why I came to Costa Rica, and it did not disappoint.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

My husband's high point was the ziplining. This is the second time I ziplined, and I felt much safer because we are harnassed to the cables after landing. The tour guide gave me the harness used by workers when I shared my health history, which made me feel more secure. I think the photos were on the expensive side though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

This was fun even if it was raining. The tour guide was very informative, the group only consisted of six people, and the animals were motionless mainly, which made them easier to spot and photograph.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

I think we wanted more activity other than sitting on a boat and squinting up at trees. There weren't enough animals to make it exciting enough for us, and perhaps we aren't great bird watchers. The monkeys were fun! But soooooo far away!

Quality of Experience

Food

Loved loved loved the chocolate.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide was very detailed oriented and provided good information about the animals.

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

A nice, professional and friendly tour guide gave us the volcano's history. I appreciated her enthusiasm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Casado was yummy. This was the best casado of the whole trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Donna and I had a wonderful trip to Vietnam with special thanks to Alex (for support on building a great itinerary, and also supporting us when we had eVisa support issues), and Bo for his solid driving skills getting us to and from our destinations, and Mr Binh for his outstanding guide assistance and local knowledge of Northern Vietnam!

Hotel Reviews

GRAND HOTEL du LAC Hanoi

Nice hotel, a bit small but clean and lovely location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Elegance Cruise

Very nice boat and accomodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jiva Hoa Lu Retreat

Perhaps the best resort of the trip. would have been great to spend and extra day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Crazy beautiful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de la Coupole - MGallery

Beautiful hotel and great staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Hanoi

Hanoi

Excellent location and Accommodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi By Night Food Tour - Vespa Tour

Hanoi

We did not take this tour during our visit. We chose to relax before heading back to states

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Hanoi

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ninh Binh - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Mua Cave - Tam Coc Boat Trip

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa, Visit Cat Cat village - Transfer Back to Hanoi

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa - Mường Hoa Mountain Train - Fansipan Peak - Conquer the Roof of Indochina - Free afternoon

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa - Hike to Explore Local Villages: Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai & Ta Van

Sapa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Sapa – Tram Ton Pass – Love Waterfall - Sapa

Sapa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Randall was superb with planning from beginning to end, answering every question all along the way!

Couldn't have asked for a better family trip to Costa Rica, and so grateful for all the help, responsiveness, and attention from Serendipity Adventures. Elena really helped narrow down our itinerary providing multiple updates based on our specific needs accounting for two couples, three seniors (66, 69, 77) and one person with mobility issues.

Our accommodations were perfect, and exceptionally nice facilities. The activities were the perfect balance of seeing a lot and not overdoing it for the older couple.

Our favorite guide was Roy who was with us for the arenal volcano hike and Arenal Hanging Bridges tour over two days. Such a resource of knowledge, passion, attention, and friendliness! All guides were excellent and the parks were all great to visit exceeding expectations.

Adrián was also very helpful during the trip getting back to me very quickly and willing to check on last minute adjustments and requests.

Hoping to be able to enjoy Corcovado next time around and will certainly work with Serendipity Adventures again and recommend them to anyone traveling to gorgeous Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

Everything went great. Sofitel hotel was very nice.

A great experience with my guide Efe and driver Musa.
I liked how flexible they were—we sometimes switched the order of our stops so we could avoid rain/tour buses, etc and also added stops when time became available. All being previously discussed, of course.
Thank you to both Efe and Musa!

Hotel Review

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel

Nevsehir

The perfect location to see the hot air balloons early in the morning. I ran out in a coat and my pajamas so I could take pictures!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location to see hot air balloons

Staff

Everyone was friendly and cordial

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Visit Beautiful Red Valley + Çavuşin

Cappadocia

Ceramic Tradition in Avanos + Light Hiking in the Love Valley

Cappadocia

Discovering the Ihlara Valley and Light Hiking Along the Melendiz River

Cappadocia

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Our guide Karla was wonderful. I really appreciated how when we asked questions ahead of time she was very responsive and when I sent some flight information she noticed that I had sent the wrong date which helped me fix my reservations which somehow had gotten off. She set up a wonderful experience and given the global news that happened right before our trip (war in middle east, US joint military in Ecuador), it was wonderful she had a set up with someone to meet us at the airport everywhere and make sure everything went smoothly and that. My only complaint would be that we never new the name of the tour operators that we were going on which would have helped us plan for what to pack and what we should be taking with us on a trip. For instance, one day we had a tour that listed a hike, a museum, and something else and said there might be time we would do an additional activity. We weren't sure exactly what to pack or wear for the day so having links to what the activities were would have made things a little easier. I don't know if that is a policy so that we can't see what the prices are or not but I would have preferred to have those details. Otherwise, it was wonderful.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Near the airport with an easy shuttle. Gym, sauna, pool were great. Dinner was nice. Nothing to complain about for an airport hotel at all.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

The original part of the hotel didn't look wonderful and the pools look a little dated but they worked great and the new part where all 3 of our rooms were was beautiful and comfortable. Breakfast overlooking the water was wonderful as well. Staff was extremely friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fiesta

Puerto Ayora

Good value. There are quite a few bugs in the evening and the rooms are fairly small but breakfast was nice, staff was nice, and pool was nice (though pool furniture a little worn). Also, kind of on the edge of town so a longer walk to some things.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Go Quito Hotel

Quito

This hotel is beautiful, the breakfast is amazing, the area is beautiful. Could not recommend more!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

This was good but we didn't spend anywhere near 6 hours on activities. We did the interpretation center but it wasn't a long thing to do. The hike was great but not all that long. I don't know what La Loberia was. I think there was some talk of snorkeling but were told the visibility was poor. I think we spent a total of 3 hours on activities so while we enjoyed what we did, it was not as good as most of the rest of our activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

This was our favorite activity. It was amazing to have an island and snorkel and beach all to ourselves in our 7 person group. The guides and boat team were wonderful. The animals, views, activities were perfect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

This was beautiful. The only downside is the over 2 hours on the boat to get there and then another over 2 hours to get back. This is on top of 40 minute bus ride to get to the boat and another 40 min bus ride on teh way back so tons of time spent traveling for really 2 hours of beautiful things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Wonderful to see sharks, sea turtles swimming underneath your kayak, tons of lizards, beautiful beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The plant a tree part was hokey and not really special. Everything else was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World

Quito

This was fun though somewhat touristy. Still worthwhile to see the main points.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! (Transportation Service)

Ecuador

Appreciated meeting us at airport to make sure we got settled in.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jorge and Alejandro made our trip unforgettable. Ana Sofia and Luz Maria were very helpful and attentive. Great experience!

Our driver, Odik, was just a delight. He was always early, which meant we were never running behind schedule. He answered our questions, and provided commentary from time to time, especially when the Guide wasn't with us. He was very alert to my desire to take a photo from inside the car and would stop or slow down as traffic permitted. And speaking of traffic, it's a little crazy navigating the roads. There were a few times when I closed my eyes because I thought something bad was about to happen, but it never did.

Our guide, Badi, was likewise very engaging and informative. He provided lots of great historical and background information on the places we visited. He dealt with our on-the-fly requests to find an ATM we could use, and to buy some liquor to take home with us.

All of our outings were much better than the descriptions. We were particularly happy with the cooking classes at Rumah Desa and Paon Bali were excellent! Well-organized, efficiently delivered, and informative. The Monkey Forest was a delight as well, getting to be up close and personal with the animals.

One tiny downside...it would have been helpful to have a level-of-effort rating on some of the walks. I was able to do pretty much everything, but my traveling companion had to forgo some of the walks, or sections of walks, because they were just a little too strenuous.

In the end, though, I will be happy to recommend Kimkim and our consultant, Marc Urban to anyone who asks!

Hotel Review

Tejaprana Resort & Spa

Bali

We felt like we sat down in the lap of luxury when we arrived at Tejaprana. Once you turn off the very busy street, you descend (literally) into an island paradise of quiet and green and luxury. Frankly, we were happy to spend all of our free time at the resort, partly because we'd been traveling for a long time, and partly because it's just so damn nice. Similarly, Aruna Restaurant is excellent! We ate our way through most of the Balinese offerings they had on the menu, sometimes more than once. Staff is very friendly and welcoming, from the top management to the people cleaning the resort.

Authenticity & Character

I can't speak to the authenticity of the establishment, since I've had little exposure to the culture. But the character was very much in line with what I expected.

Location

It was relatively central to all that we wanted to see. It took us a while to understand that you can't move very fast in Bali, particularly in congested areas. But all was great.

Staff

From top to bottom the staff was excellent! Pandi, the restaurant manager, was particularly helpful and welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

When your hotel is in the middle of nature, as is Tejaprana, you can't expect it to look 100% pristine at all times. So there were times that there were leaves and other natural debris scattered about. But it wasn't in the least offensive. Cleanliness was top-notch.

Activity Reviews

Visit a local market & enjoy a cooking class

Indonesia

The market walk was interesting, because it gave us such a good glimpse into daily life. The cooking class was exceptional, start to finish!.

Quality of Experience

well-run and delightful from start to finish!

Food

OMIGOD! SO GOOD!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was really great! It seemed like they very much enjoy what they do!

Transport

Cultural Immersion and traditions at Rumah Desa

Indonesia

It was absolutely fascinating to step into the world of a Balinese family, if only for part of a day. Our guide (I wish I could remember his name, but he was 6'5" tall, so very distinctive among Balinese men) did a great job introducing us to religious traditions and other aspects of daily life. I enjoyed learning about their 18-character alphabet, and getting a memento of my name written in Balinese. It was also interesting to see the amount of labor that goes in to producing coconut oil, coconut milk, and grated coconut.

Quality of Experience

Nope. Start to finish, it was excellent.

Food

The meal we helped to prepare was excellent!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I've talked about our driver elsewhere. The staff was uniformly warm and welcoming.

Transport

Discussed elsewhere.

Our honeymoon was absolutely incredible, and we’re so grateful to KimKim for planning such a seamless and memorable trip. From the moment we arrived to the time we returned home, everything went so smoothly. All the logistics, transfers, and activities were perfectly arranged, which allowed us to truly relax and enjoy the experience without worrying about any details.

We especially appreciated how well the planning team listened to what we wanted out of the trip. They really understood the kind of experiences we were hoping for and built an itinerary that felt perfect for us. It felt very personalized rather than a generic travel plan, and that made the whole trip even more special.

One of the absolute highlights of our trip was Chiang Mai. We completely fell in love with it. The city has such a beautiful balance of culture, nature, and peaceful energy. Exploring the temples, markets, and surrounding countryside was unforgettable, and the atmosphere there felt both vibrant and relaxing at the same time. Our guide in Chang Mai, Bammie, was amazing. It felt like touring with a friend.

Visiting Elephant Nature Park was also a truly life-changing experience. Being able to see these beautiful animals in an ethical sanctuary and learn their stories was incredibly moving. It was one of those moments we’ll never forget, and it was easily one of the most meaningful experiences of the entire trip.

Another thing that made the trip so special was the people. Everyone we met was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and kind. The warmth and hospitality we experienced everywhere we went made the entire journey feel even more meaningful.

Overall, it was the perfect honeymoon—relaxing, exciting, and filled with unforgettable moments. We’re so grateful to KimKim for listening to what we wanted and putting together such an amazing trip for us. It’s a honeymoon we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Hotel Reviews

My Beach Resort

This hotel is in a more secluded and quiet part of Phuket, which is exactly what my husband and I wanted. The hotel was kind enough to upgrade our room and we had a beautiful ocean view balcony room. The hotel was extremely clean, breakfast was great, and is in walking distance to some other restaurants and spas. We really enjoyed staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

U Chiang Mai Hotel

Chiang Mai

The location alone is worth the stay. In walking distance to so many restaurants, smoothie bars, souvenir shops, and spas. The hotel has so much character. The room was spacious, clean, and staff were very friendly and accommodating. The only negative was that the AC was putting off a foul odor. We informed staff who tried to fix the issue but I think it wasn’t fixable with us staying in the room. Thankfully, it was cool enough most of the stay that we didn’t need to run the AC.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mode Sathorn Hotel Bangkok

Bangkok

This hotel is very well located. It’s near public transport which made it easy for my husband and I to get around when we arrived the day before the tour started. The staff was extremely kind and accommodating, the included breakfast was delicious, and there is a coffee shop on the lower level. I will say that the pictures are very dated. The hotel is much more worn than the pictures show, the carpet in the room had staining, but it was overall clean enough. The mattress was extremely hard, and my husband had a hard time sleeping. We only stayed in Bangkok for 2 nights and used that as an opportunity to save money on the hotel, so most of the “negatives” were to be expected with a more budget hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Updated pictures, clean carpets, update some of the worn down parts of the hotel

Activity Reviews

Chiang Mai from a Different Perspective by Bike

Chiang Mai

This was such a cool and unique way to tour Chang Mai and all of the various. Our guide made sure we were safe the entire time, helmets were included.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Monk Blessing at Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

This is such a beautiful temple. It was an amazing experience and we got to see some really cool rituals as it was New Year’s Eve. Can’t recommend enough. As usual, our guide made everything even better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Nature Walk and Culture

Chiang Mai

One of our favorite activities. We had our local KimKim guide, as well as a local villager helping us throughout the nature walk. It was so cool to see this side of Thailand, with many amazing waterfalls, and end with a tour of the coffee farm. It wasn’t a difficult hike, and they have walking sticks available for use.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

This was such a cool experience. We were able to see Bangkok at night and enjoy some amazing Michelin star rated food. Our Bangkok guide ensured we were safe, and even gave us hand sanitizer, etc throughout the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Nature Park Half Day Visit (Joining Excursion)

Chiang Mai

One of the best experiences on our whole trip. This was a must do for my husband and I, and we wanted to make sure we chose an ethical sanctuary that did not promote abuse of the animals. I can’t recommend Elephant Nature Park enough. Although there is no touching or bathing of the elephants, we were able to walk with the group all over the grounds and observe the elephants enjoying their daily life from a safe distance. It was so fun to see each elephants distinct personality. The included lunch was amazing as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

This was a very cool experience at first, but once you get to the floating market part of the tour, it’s extremely busy. We got into a boat traffic jam several times. Overall, it’s basically a tourist trap, but still a cool experience nonetheless. As usual, our guide in Bangkok was amazing and even bought us coconut ice cream to try while we were on the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thoughtful itinerary that made the best use of our limited time and kept in mind our location and budget. Kate was easy to work with and responsive. All of our experiences were well paced throughout the week.

Activity Reviews

Cotswolds Tour (From London)

London

We had a great time once we got on the bus. We had left our flat in Elephant & Castle at 7:30 that morning but missed our tube exit and had to backtrack via Black cab, which made us late. We contacted the number on our ticket, who expressed concern that the bus might not wait for us. Our tickets said to be there at 8:15 with an 8:30 departure, but, despite our best efforts, we arrived at 8:38. The man at the counter (also the person I talked with on the phone) was super rude and chastising about our tardiness. We felt horrible, but he made us feel 100 times worse. Liam, our driver, and the other passengers were very understanding. After that, Liam had a wonderful day planned for us where we had time to go about the towns and see historical sites as well as shop and eat. It was a great introduction to the area, and we can't wait to go back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

customer service of ticket staff

Transport

Great driver and very knowledgeable.

Tower of London Beefeater Welcome & Crown Jewels

London

You could spend several days here, but we knew to go straight to the Crown Jewels as that tends to get the busiest the quickest. After that the Beefeater tour is a great way to get some history highlights and learn about the grounds and the people who protect them. The café has wonderfully fresh and delicious food and is a great place to break up the day of looking at all of the buildings and exhibits.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

Perfect first stop for our first day in London after an overnight flight. It allowed us to get a lay of the land from the backseat of a comfortable cab with a very knowledgeable driver, John. He was prompt in our pickup (even early) and did the best he could, even though it was raining. We got out of the vehicle to look and touch the old Roman wall which was a neat moment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stephen Hoang Long and the team at Realistic Asia planned our 13 day vacation to Vietnam and Thailand. We have travelled a lot, but have never been to Asia before, so we were excited but nervous. Long took our preferences for accommodations and activities and came up with an incredible vacation plan. We were busy every day doing interesting and unique things. Each of our hotels were top notch. All of the logistics and experiences were well planned and went flawlessly. Long checked in with us during every transfer and activity to make sure we were picked up and that everything was going smoothly. He was always available for any question we had and it was very reassuring knowing that we could reach out at any time on our trip. He even came to meet us at our hotel and introduce himself and brought us a welcome gift! When we come back to Asia for our next vacation, we will definitely contact him again! Thank you Long, for giving us a once in a lifetime vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Montien Riverside Hotel

Beautiful views of the river!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ao Nang Villa Resort

Krabi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Saga Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Eco Garden

Beautiful location and gorgeous rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragon Legend Cruise

Hon Gai

The rooms were large and very beautiful! Amazing experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bespoke Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

The location was centrally located and the staff were the friendliest and most helpful!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cycling in Cam Thanh & Thanh Dong Organic Farm Visit

Vietnam

Our local guide was so friendly and informative, we learned so much about Vietnamese culture!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Pu Luong Iconic Rice Terrace & Local Brocade (Excursions) Updated

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pu Luong Explore Village Life Water Wheels & Rafting (Excursions) Updated

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

So unique and educational! Beautiful scenery!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

We got the local flavor by visiting 6 or 7 different restaurants! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport