Kimkim Trip Reviews

Bella was amazing and super helpful! I definitely recommend her for any travel needs you may have.

This was one of our best trips and we have traveled quite a lot. Uma Natarajan was amazing. She already had an itinerary that interested me and my cousins and we just made it exactly what we wanted,
14 days in beautiful New Zealand. It was very busy but we wouldn't leave anything out. I'm sure there is even more to see in that wonderful place.
From the Harbour Sailing dinner cruise in Auckland, then Auckland City Tour with just the 6 of us (cousins) with Raymond great tour guide, Eco Zip line -super beautiful including the walk back to base through the rainforest, Then the unique Waitomo Glowworm Caves and on to Hobbiton with driver Rachael. I'm a huge Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fan and this was special. Next day' Hell's Gate Mud Bath experience was very interesting followed by breathtaking walk through the Redwood Trees. very secure and magical. We followed that with Tu Te Ra Maori Summer celebration. That was wonderful to understand the Maori beginnings and culture. This was followed by a very tasty dinner of their specialties. Next day we flew to South New Zealand into Christchurch and had a unique Tramway gourmet dinner while passing the sights of Christchurch. Next day a Christchurch city tour followed by Punting on the Avon with John from Ireland our boat punter - such a great job he did. The end of the day we picked King of Snakes to have my husband's birthday meal. We had the meal where they put together a selection of their choosing and each item was so delightful - Like a Michelin restaurant. From Christchurch we went to Tekapo Springs and enjoyed a morning soaking in different temperature pools with mountains in the background - so beautiful and relaxing. That night we stayed up late and went to the Dark Sky Project, where they took us to very dark deserted place to tell us about the night sky. We saw the Southern Cross, Jupiter and its rings and its 4 moons, We saw other galaxies - Loved it!. Then on a Cheeky Kiwi van with others to Queenstown the next day. Thrilling walks for views of Mt. Cook and so many "Oh My Gosh" sights. We went on the Appellation Wine Tour - 4 wineries with a tasty meal after winery #1. It was so good that we joined the Kinross wine club. The gondola ride that we did after that was another ' oh my gosh" beautiful experience. Yes, we did more that day - we went on the Walter Peak Steamer to an amazing dinner - actually too much wonderful food to choose from - it was a buffet but we enjoyed the sheep shearing demonstration after that. Next day's highlights was the Milford Sound cruise. Goodness - gorgeous waterfalls, smooth waters, peaceful. Back at the fabulous Rees hotel we enjoyed some light snacks in the bar area before we got a perfect night's sleep. Next headed to Franz Josef on another Cheeky Kiwi bus. It was a long day and possibly too many stops but each one was beautiful so who'd want to miss them? Uma knew we would get in late so she arranged dinner to be included at Legacy Te Waonui. That was one of the best meals of the trip & that's saying something. Next day a Scenic Cruise of lake Mapourika with Joe. A small ship with just our group and 4 others young ladies. Joe was so personable felt like family. We all loved it so much and views of Franz Josef glacier and all the natural beauty that is New Zealand. So after the peaceful cruise we had a nice meal in town and then had a 4 wheeler adventure with Franz Josef Wilderness. That was exhilarating to be sure: rainforests, glacier beds, rivers, mud - wow! At 71 yrs old I had never done this before. The last day of the trip was a highlight. We took the Tranz Alpine Train trip from Greymouth back to Christchurch. Exceptional trip. Views and vista galore and we saw the hugest most vibrant rainbow I'd ever seen. Next day smooth sailing with our transfers to airport and then home to Texas. Couldn't even envision a better trip !

Our family very much enjoyed our trip to Colombia, which included Cartagena, Las Islas del Rosario, and Barranquilla, and working with Cristina and KimKim made it seamless. If there was any concern, they were available quickly to help. I enjoyed the personal contact with Cristina throughout the planning to develop a trip that met our unique requests. It took a big load off the time it would have otherwise taken us to plan such a trip. We will have our memories for a long time. Gracias a todos!

Hotel Review

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

Isla Grande

Unfortunately, the hotel did not have running water when we arrived and it was only fixed in the early evening. This left a bad first impression. It is a lovely hotel and the management staff provided some comped appetizers, but it was an unfortunate incident.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff were very kind and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Initially it was not clean because of the water issue. The water never seems to come on full force across the island due to the way the water system works on the island.

Activity Reviews

Visit the National Aviary of Colombia

Colombia

Delightful aviary. More than I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We enjoyed very much the consistency in tour guide and driver - Gustavo and Julio were terrific!

Transport

As before the driver is 5 stars, though the van was a bit outdated. Julio made it work though!

Barranquilla Express Tour

Colombia

This was a tailored tour and we appreciate very much it being able to happen - Gracias!

Quality of Experience

We had a nice mix of personal visits, and sightseeing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think we tried to do much much in one day. We were rushed at the end and we left Barranquilla in rush hour and the traffic was bad.

Transport

The van was nicer than the one in Cartagena - more modern and all seatbelts worked. However, the driver was rushed at the end and I could tell he was upset as he was late to his next job.

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Lovely city, tour guide explained everything well for a multi-generational family.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gustavo and Julio took wonderful care of us. Muchas Gracias!

Transport

The driver was excellent! The van itself could use an upgrade, for example, not all the seatbelts worked.

So much detail went in to the planning is this trip and I didn't have to do any of the work. Jenny was amazing and patient. My daughter and I had the trip of a life time, but hopefully we will get another one in a few years!

Monika was a great help in planning our once in a lifetime trip to New Zealand! Planning to use KimKim for future adventures!

We just got back from a 17 night trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We worked with Kelly at KimKim to plan this trip. She listened to our requests and sent the first draft of the trip which included almost everything we wanted. With some tweaks, it was the trip of a lifetime. The hotels and tours selected were exactly what we were looking for. Kelly also arranged our Vietnam visas which was very helpful. She kept in touch throughout the trip making sure everything was going as planned.
In addition, the guides and drivers were all excellent, providing knowledgeable history about each city. They gave us some good restaurant recommendations. In Ho Chi Minh City, we left something behind at our hotel and our guide Tran Tuan helped get it to the next stop. He went above and beyond at his own time and expense, checking in to make sure we received it. Our guide in Siem Reap, Phally, was very accommodating giving us a break during the hot afternoons and arranged 2 excursions that were not part of the original itinerary. The driver always had cool towels and cold water waiting for us. We would definitely work with KimKim again for our next trip.

Hoa was very good with communicating and adjusting our trip based on our interests. My husband and I both agree this is the best vacation either of us have ever been on and much of it is thanks to Hoa. I do love planning trips, but for our honeymoon I wanted to be able to just relax and not worry about logistics. We highly recommend using kimkim!

I cannot say enough positive and outstanding things about the kimkim / Columbus Guatemala Travel Team! It was my first trip to Guatemala, and hopefully won't be my last. That is in part due to the beautiful country of Guatemala, but also because of the careful planning, the collaboration, the almost immediate answers to questions and friendship of the Team! I felt 100% supported, informed and all the details handled every step of the way. Catherina and Sofia are AWESOME! So was everyone else, but special call out to Catherina and Sofia. They made sure I was taken care of from before I arrived, to the minute I arrived and also after I got home! I love adventure and travel and new experiences and the Team made sure every box was checked. I cannot recommend the kimkim / Columbus Guatemala Travel Team enough. I will absolutely use them again in the future!

Could not have done this without Monika. She was responsive and helpful every step of the way. One needs to expect a few bumps when doing a trip like this but they were minor and quickly rectified.

Hotel Reviews

M Social

Auckland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hana Lodge

Rotorua

What a unique and spectacular property. Staff was incredibly accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Classic Villa

Christchurch

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Vicarage Geraldine

Geraldine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Dairy Private Hotel by Naumi Hotels

Queenstown

Perfectly located and loved the amenities and staff. Only negative was no chair in the room; the only place to sit was on the bed. That said, I would not hesitate to go back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Road to Mesopotamia - High Country Station 4WD tour

Geraldine

This was truly a great day. Our guide, Wayne, was extremely accommodating and his knowledge of the area was impressive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Without Wayne, the hold have been a nice scenic drive. He made it into one of the best days of our trip with his knowledge of the area and just generally being a great guy. Would highly recommend.

Transport

Mt Cook half day Heli Hike

New Zealand

Don’t truly have a rating for this as weather cancelled the trip and we were told this is not an infrequent occurrence. I am sure it is an excellent experience but I would have a back up plan and it would have been nice to know in advance there was a chance of not getting to go.

Milford Sound overnight Cruise - Fiordland Jewel

Milford Sound

Nice relaxing excursion filled with beautiful sites and great accommodations. Staff was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Original Onsen Evening Session

Queenstown (NZ)

No better way to hot tub than the view you get at Onsen. Simply jaw dropping.

Quality of Experience

Jet Boat the Shotover River

Queenstown (NZ)

The absolute highlight of the trip was our guid, Mu Giang, who was with us 21-26 February as we traveled through Bac Ha, Coc Pa, Ha Gaing and Ba Be. She incorporated a lot of time with local friends and families, a number of home-cooked meals and lots of great information about exactly what we wanted to understand; life today in rural (and urban) Vietnam.
This trip was the most experientially dense trip we have ever been on, and that includes some amazing trips to Anarctica and hiking New Zealand, a lot to compare to!
Hien Do did an absolutely outstanding job of arranging the trip over six months of planning and working through a few changes as plans fell into place. She gets very high marks!
Long Dao picked up the ball about a month before we started and provided the best support, communication and continuity. He is a very hard worker with good contacts.
This team provided us outstanding travel, well within budget and provided us with diverse and very comfortable lodging. We really feel that we experienced all of northern Vietnam in an outstanding way. They were with us every step of the way while providing a very independent feeling trip. We would definitely use Kimkim again for anywhere they operate.

Hotel Reviews

Ibis Saigon Airport

It was a place to crash for our last night before a very early departure towards home. It is very close to the airport. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the room was quite adequate for the mission. The top floor restaurant/bar had a fine view and is a great place for a beer, but the menu is depressing. Lots of fried and western type foods, nothing fresh or local to speak of. The things we ordered were safe and well prepared, but this was definitely the worst food on the trip. Perfect time for it though! We did walk the neighborhood a bit, and there didn't seem to be any other good options. This hotel absolutely served the purpose, but I would not call it a destination to seek out.

Authenticity & Character

It is what it is.

Location

If you want close to the airport (which will soon be replaced...) this is it.

Staff

As everywhere, the people are the highlight and could not have been nicer

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little down at heel, but certainly clean and serviceable.

Saigon - Ba Be Resort

They style themselves as being quite top tier. Almost. The place looks like it's been there for quite a while and is now under newer management. Certain areas are very sharp and well tended but not the whole place. It is clean and our room was very comfortable, though it hadn't been open for quite a while and was in need of a good airing out, which we provided. All good after that. The dining was quite adequate, but not very fresh or inspired the first night. Very short on vegetables, but we asked and they improved markedly the second night. There are not a lot of options for hotels around Ba Be it seems, and this certainly met the need but somewhere a bit smaller and busier might be more fun.

Authenticity & Character

Kind of large and a bit run down. Somebody's grand vision that needs some continuity and TLC applied.

Location

a long way from the Lake and the town, but nothing around it for hiking or sight seeing.

Staff

The Front Desk was helpful and friendly. Dining as well. No English that we could tell, but we had a guide so it didn't matter much.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was great, once we aired it out. Excellent bed, good AC and good shower. Dining room was very clean. Kitchen, maybe... but we had no issues of any kind.

Ha Giang Ecolodge

This was the highlight of our trip in the North. The construction was beautiful, the room well appointed, the view over the village and rice fields from our room was exceptional. The night before we got here had been a little rough, so we really were grateful for this place. Good local fare in the dining room and Hanoi beer, which was welcome after the hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Very local flavor, but nicely done.

Location

Great location for our activities in the area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was a highlight of the trip. Great shower, great bed, very quiet!

Pu Luong Jungle Lodge

This is a really fun lodge. The room was all local materials and really nicely done. They got some laundry done for us and were generally just very helpful and accomodating. You have to be very comfortable with stone stairs without any railings to navigate from Registration to your room and to dining. The place is beautiful but be ready for some stair climber action!

Authenticity & Character

All locally built and the dining was all local as well, and very nicely done!

Location

Good jumping off spot for our hiking and exploration around Pu Luong.

Staff

They were short handed due to the Tet holiday, but met our every need with a smile. They were super.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good room, good bed, quiet AC (though cool enough at altitude not to need much!). good shower

Nung Gia Homestay

This is a family homestay and they did a great job providing us with simple but very excellent dinner and breakfast the next morning. Simple accommodations, but plenty of hot water, good air conditioning. The bed is extremely firm (board with a thin mat over it), so a little like sleeping on the ground, but no rocks! It gave us good access to the area.

Authenticity & Character

Definitely the real deal! Your are in Vietnam now.

Location

Don't believe Google Map directions. The location is correct, but the route isn't workable. The view from the deck is great, overlooking the town and river.

Staff

The family was very welcoming and the mom, who cooked for us after a long day of teaching, made us feel very welcome.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness was very good. The place is very simple and a softer bed was appreciated the next night.

Bac Ha Legend Home

The family bent over backwards to provide us with great locally sourced meals that were perfect. The accommodation is simple but very comfortable. It was a good location for our travel in and around Bac Ha.

Authenticity & Character

Family run, very accomodating, excellent home cooking.

Location

Staff

They bent over backwards in feeding us locally sourced dishes our guide Mu had worked out with them. Superb hotpot!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Simple but very clean and comfortable. Plenty of hot water and a good mattress. AC worked fine, very quiet.

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

The staff here is outstanding. Unfailingly courteous, very helpful and very good English at the front desk. The location is the best. Right in the midst of the bustle of Old Town Hanoi and walking distance to a bunch of interesting stops. The room was comfortable (good mattress!) and quiet. Excellent air conditioning. We really enjoyed the roof-top bar for breakfast and our night cap in the evening. This place was a lovely refuge to return to after prowling around Hanoi or returning from a few days in the countryside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

walkable to lots of Hanoi

Staff

Great English at the Front Desk and Bell staff. Everyone everywhere was super friendly and helpful. Top Notch

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quiet room, quite AC, great shower and comfortable mattress

Activity Reviews

Cycling Around the National park

Vietnam

The only bicycling available was rental bikes at the Saigon Ba Be Resort which were restricted to use on their limited grounds. We didn't bother. We did, however get a bonus on the way back to Hanoi, a stop at the Hua Ma cave, which is one of the longest tourist-accessable caves I've experienced. It has a good cement stair and walkway for access and is fully lit. No headlamp required. A cave purist will be horrified at the colored lighting, but the limestone structures and the size of the rooms are definitely highlighted by it.

Boating And Trekking in Ba Be

Ba Be

The peaceful boat ride to the bat cave, (Hang Puổng) is a magical experience, even on an overcast day. We got the added fun of going further downstream the opposite direction, to the primary school in a small village just northwest of the lake. Mu had arranged with the teacher for us to deliver twenty sets of crayons and coloring books to her class. Items which are outside the budget but were greatly appreciated. Do not waste time on the Fairy Pond, unless you aspire to wall up and down hill through dense smoke from the fires of the food and souvenir vendors lining the path to and from the pea green, heavily polluted pond which has no natural outflow, so can never clean itself out. The newly built quasi-Buddhist temple (Đền An Mạ) is nicely built for tourist consumption, but has no local following or historical significance. Photogenic but not a big deal if you miss it.

Xin Man travel to Ha Giang via Hoang Su Phi

Vietnam

Google Maps showed the shortest route to Ha Giang, but it was a very minimal road. We made it, but the 15 minutes for the longer route on bigger roads could have been worth it. We had lunch with another friend of Mu at their homestay, and it was one of the best meals of the trip without doubt. The village is surrounded by small rice fields and planting was back in full swing after the Tet holiday. A good hike around and we ended up at our Ecolodge, the best overnight in this part of the trip. Took a great hike, river and waterfalls.

Bac Ha Market - Xin Man

Vietnam

Bac Ha Sunday Market was mind blowing! One of the largest markets we've seen anywhere, and everything you can imagine on sale. The highlight was shopping and then cooking lunch at a local family's home with Mu. (a long time friend of her's). That was really special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Home cooking!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Would not have happened without a well experienced and connected local guide.

Visit Hoang A Tuong’s Palace - “Pho” village of Flower H’Mong People

Bac Ha, Lao Cai

Bac Ha was a definite highlight. Great hiking, with an unplanned "happy water" stop at a local farm up in the hills outside Bac Ha. That was a hoot! We did NOT visit the Hoang A Tuong Palace, as it has been redone and not worth the admission or time. Walking around Bac Ha/Lao Cai was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The hiking was splended and having Mu to interpret with our (somewhat tipsy) Hmong farmer friend was essential!

Trekking to Kho Muong and Uoi Villages

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Our longest walk of the trip (14 km) and it was lovely.

Water Wheels walk and Bamboo Rafting

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

The walk around the villages was delightful. Tet in full swing and karaoke at full volume is king in every village. The water wheels were great to see from an engineering standpoint, though they were suffering from quite a bit of neglect, as they serve no purpose anymore, of course. Still, one could get the idea and admire the ingenuity of the design. The bamboo raft was most pleasant and we enjoyed it. Doesn't go very far, but it gave us a couple good photo ops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Quoc was great fun to walk with and did a good job setting up the experiences and meals.

Transport

Mr. Bao got us through the trip with no paint swapped, but he does not radiate the charm and graciousness towards others (especially other drivers) which we experienced elsewhere in Vietnam.

VIP Fast Track Service (including visa application)

Vietnam

Arriving in the middle of the night, this was a godsend and greatly appreciated. Well worth the cost.

Our four week trip to NZ was customized after an iterative process of inquiry and response, including by phone with Ruth. She listened well and offered incredibly helpful insights. We followed her advice in most cases, and she offered various options for us to consider by way of guided tours, etc., as electives beyond the basis itinerary. We selected some of those to be included. The entire trip from arrival to departure including hotels, car rental and ferry booking was organized and communicated really well. All worked out perfectly. It turned out that a medical emergency intruded in the final week of our trip and the local agents were wonderfully supportive to manage and adjust the itinerary and give a sense of local expertise in the local time zone. My wife and I cannot speak more highly of our experience and plan to use kim kim again in our future travel plans.

This was our first time in Egypt. I worked with Kim Kim travel to organize and customize our trip. The service was outstanding. The original itinerary although well thought out wasn’t a 100% of what we wanted. We contact Aya with the changes, she was completely responsive and made all the changes so we could have a completely customized agenda. Kim Kim travel representative Aya did an outstanding job. Whenever I contacted her she got right back to me. It seems she works 24 hours a day.
During our time in Cairo, she was always available and checking in to make sure that things were going well. Any glitches she immediately corrected. I can’t say enough about her service and attention to detail.

Upon arriving in Cairo we were met by Osama, and we were fortunate enough to have Osama as our Tour Guide in Cairo towards the end of our trip as well. He has a genuine love for Egypt and an incredible knowledge regarding the history of Cairo and the history of Egypt in general. Aside from his sincere love for his country and ability to flawlessly instill his knowledge he is a most delightful individual and a joy to be around.
Sam, another one of our guides while we were in Cairo is a wealth of information and sincerely cares about his tour groups. We toured the GEM, the pyramids, Memphis, Sakkara and a full day trip in Alexandrea with him. Sam is another outstanding Tour Guide and Egyptologist, with a wealth acknowledge and a true love of his country He has a sincere respect for other cultures and is fun to be around. We purchased custom made rugs, which will take several months to manufacture. Sam has offered to stay in touch with us and the manufacturer until the job is completed to our satisfaction.

Mansour was our guide on the river, Nile cruise and in Luxor and Aswan. Mansour is a very special person and also an Egyptologist with a superior knowledge of Aswan and Luxor, not only from a historical perspective but seems to know all the hidden gems of the cities as well, not to mention he seems to know everyone in both cities. What a joy it was spending a few days with him, I cannot say enough about Mansour he such a wonderful person.

I don’t remember all our drivers names, but they were all terrific as well , respectful and accommodating.

We had a fantastic experience working with Hoa. She was very receptive to any changes we wanted to make and responded extremely quickly. She helped out with a few extra recommendations that were very appreciated and led to wonderful experiences.

The bike tour in Bangkok was one of our favorite excursions. It allowed for such a unique view of the city that we would not have been able to get otherwise.

We really liked our tour guide that took us on the Ayutthaya tour. She was very knowledgeable and engaging the whole time.

We also really enjoyed the Doi Inthanon National Park tour as it had a good mix of historical sites as well as interacting with nature.

The Lanna Lifestyle and Cooking experience was one of our favorites. The history was really interesting and we loved cooking the delicious meals.

The Cheow Lan Lake tour was beautiful and we were happy we did it, but it seemed a little less organized than the other excursions we had been on. Had a lot more “dead time” where we were sitting around not doing much.

We absolutely loved the Koch Tao & Koch Nangyuan snorkeling trip. The company seemed very well run and the excursion was gorgeous. The snorkeling was so much fun.

All the hotel selections were wonderful. We really appreciated the last hotel, the Culture, as it seemed to be the nicest one and was the hotel room we spent the most time in. Incredible view as well.

The transportation was seamless and made it so easy for us to travel. Very well thought out.

We thought that the trip structure that Hoa put together worked very well with the front end having more excursions and the back end being less filled and allowing for more time to relax.

Hotel Review

The Culture Samui

Ko Samui

This was our favorite hotel of our whole trip. It was beautiful, clean, and great service. Great views. Nice pool. Delicious breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the style, cleanliness, and vibe.

Location

Right on the beach and not far from temples or shops.

Staff

All the front desk people were very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean.

Activity Review

Historic Bangkok Bike Tour (Joining Excursion)

Bangkok

We loved this trip. It was such a unique way to see the city and see parts we never would have seen otherwise.

Quality of Experience

Unique perspective of the city. Riding the bike was actually cooling and not hot.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

The bikes were in great working order.

The trip was absolutely incredible. it was planned to the minute and Long was the best tour specialist ever, he was making sure all our transfers went smoothly right away, he was assisting us if we needed anything and answering all our questions. we were so happy to meet him in person as well back in Hanoi and his service was absolutely outstanding! we totally recommend to leave with his care, everything went perfectly.

This was the second time we have used KimKim to help us plan a holiday in Central America, and would not hesitate to recommend them

Our most recent trip was to Belize, where we were fortunate to have guidance and support from Alex Conrado. He was so very helpful in his advice and professional knowledge of locations (we particularly wanted wildlife, nature, birds) and places to stay within our budget. He booked all the locations and arranged connecting transport which were all reliable and comfortable. All our trips to additional experiences (for instance on one transfer, we had time to stop and enjoy cave tubing through a cave system - something we would not have known about with Alex suggesting it) were reliably on time, with kind and knowledgeable drivers/guides who made us so welcome.

Our holiday was so much richer with the additional input provided by Alex, as he knows the country and what opportunities would be available to us in each of our chosen locations.
He also took the time to meet us when we happened to be in Antigua in Guatemala when he was there. We really enjoyed meeting face to face, and putting a face to a name, such a lovely opportunity for us.

Thanks Alex, 5 gold stars from us!

Hotel Reviews

Birds Eye View Lodge and Tours Belize

Belize

What a wonderful location. The views over the lagoon are superb. We thoroughly recommend the early morning boat birding tour with Leonard, whose knowledge cannot be bettered. We also enjoyed several birding walks both around the lodge, on the shoreline and in the pine forest, all wonderful. A night walk was also a great experience. Food was traditional and delicious (though too much salt - for our taste and health, is added to many dishes - our only recommendation, especially as there are salt and pepper pots on every table should one prefer). Every member of staff was kind and helpful and we felt looked after the whole time we were there (5 nights). Day trip to Laminai was great day trip. Thoroughly recommend and came away having seen over 100 species of different birds!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parrot Cove Lodge

Placencia

Loved the location. Easy to walk along safe beach, great for swimming and photographing brown pelicans and frigate birds. Breakfasts fine, overlooking beach. Evening meals expensive, but there are lots of other places to explore including an Italian restaurant (La Tratoria) nearby for reasonable delicious meals. Staff very kind and so helpful. Room very quiet and comfortable with lovely hot shower.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Falling Leaves Lodge

San Ignacio

Lovely location, within walking distance of Cahel Pech ruins. Lovely breakfasts/evening meals, overlooking the canopy, great pool to cool off in at the end of a day. Saw a kinkajou, aguti and ferruginous pygmy owl in the grounds. Staff very kind and helpful. Restaurant overlooking views of San Ignacio.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve Hike Tour

Belize

This trip would be better if we had left at 6am, rather than 8am. By the time we arrived at the reserve, the day was already very warm, and we missed any early birds and wildlife. However the walk in the jungle was beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lamanai Tour

Belize

30 mile boat trip to Laminai, on a speed boat. Would have preferred the boat to have travelled more slowly, but appreciate that there would not have been enough time, as the boat trip was already an hour long. Felt the speeding boats on the river did little to enhance any animals in the water or on the surrounding trees on the banks of the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birding-by-Boat at Lodge and Crooked Tree; Baboon Sanctuary

Crooked Tree Village

Cannot recommend this experience highly enough. Make sure you go on the 6 am boat tour to maximise the best light and the most birds. 3 hrs in boat before breakfast. Leonard was our guide, and he is truly outstanding in both knowledge and looking after his guests.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Hopkins with Cave Tubing Tour en Route

Belize

Unexpected and amazing experience floating down a river through ancient cave system. Thoroughly recommend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Xunantunich Maya Ruins Tour

Belize

Having visited Mayan ruins at Tikal, Cahel Pech and Laminai our visit to Xunantunich was by far the best. The drive there was over a hand cranked car ferry, which was fun. Our guide used to work as an archaeologist on this site, so was extremely knowledgeable and had both the official story and his own ideas - so wonderful. The ruins are inspiring with views over into Guatamala. We got there quite early, so had the site largely to ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day visit to Butterfly Ranch at the Green Hills

Belize

This was the best butterfly farm we have every visited. Our guide was knowledgeable and kind. We were shown all the stages from how the eggs are collected, the growing on of the pupae and watched butterflies emerging. There was also an opportunity to walk in the forested grounds and sit and watch hummingbirds feeding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A great trip to Nepal!
We just completed a 12 day trip to Nepal. I had been planning the trip for several months and Kim Kim, specifically, Chhewang, helped us along every step of the way! He listened to what we wanted to do and set us up with a great itinerary. We have never done an organized tour before. We were referred by friends, and we are so glad we chose this route for our trip to Nepal!
The first few days were spent in Kathmandu, which is a wonderful city. Pick up at the airport, and all transportation provided by Kim Kim was flawless. After Kathmandu, we were off to Pokhara for a trek. The drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara is the only part of the trip we would change. The roads are horrible and crowded. The ride of about 200 km, took about 8 hours. The views were good, but the time would have been better spent by flying. Pokhara is beautiful, and we could have done a couple more days of exploring there on our own. The trek was great and some of the most beautiful things we have ever seen! We are 60 and 68, and in decent physical condition. This pushed us as far as we wanted, and we are so glad we did it. What made it most enjoyable was our guide, Pema. He was absolutely the best! Just a wonderful person and so helpful and informative! He is now truly a friend for life! After the stay in Pokhara we were off to Chitwan National Park. Again, a wonderful experience! Made even better by our guide Suren. We saw many things and enjoyed the accommodation very much. After a few days there, a flight back to Kathmandu for a day or so and then a ride to the airport. Overall, a 5 star tour and experience.

Hotel Reviews

Jungle Villa Resort

Khargauli

Just a beautiful location! We had a private villa overlooking the river. Great views for sure! Bring binoculars. The food is great and there was plenty of it! The team members at the hotel go so far out of their way to be sure your stay is great and comfortable. The only hitch was the spotty wifi.

Authenticity & Character

Right on the river and near an old Nepali village

Location

Close to the park for wildlife and bird viewing

Staff

Attention to detail and amazingly kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aabas Pokhara

Pokhara

The perfect spot in Pokhara! After our trek this was a welcoming place. The bed was super comfortable, the shower was perfect and good wifi. Breakfast was great and the staff was amazingly nice and friendly. Location allowed us to find restaurants, shops, massages, and great views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to services and restaurants

Staff

Desk and restaurant staff go out of their way to help and made us feel comfortable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bed!

Hotel Manaslu

Kathmandu

This hotel is visually beautiful! Amazing gardens and flowers. The staff is great and the location worked well for us. They hosted 2 weddings while we were there and it was so beautiful to see the traditional dress and ceremony from our window! The rooms are slightly dated, and the wifi was a little spotty. We also decided to go out for breakfast after having it at the hotel once, not because the hotel’s wasn’t good, but it was average.

Authenticity & Character

Great architecture and gardens.

Location

Close to restaurants and shops.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Somewhat dated in bathroom and spotty wifi

Activity Reviews

Explore Chitwan ; Jungle Safari Activity

Chitwan National Park

The park is beautiful and we saw many animals and birds. Hopefully, we’ll see a tiger next time

Quality of Experience

The people always make the experience. These folks are just great and helped us every step of the way.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring more of Chitwan ; Jungle Safari Activity

Chitwan National Park

This was a great stop on our tour! This resort is right near the park and offered beautiful views and food. Our villa looked over the river and provided perfect access to see birds and wildlife. Bring your binoculars! The canoe ride and the opportunity to watch local artisans do traditional dance was were both highlights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Suren was our guide and he was amazing! He could spot birds and animals with ease and was a wealth of information and knowledge. Our driver, Zazu, was equally skilled. Overall a great trip. The staff at the resort always went above and beyond!

Transport

Hike to Nayapul [ 3 hours ] ; Drive to Pokhara [ 1.5 hours ]

Nepal

Wake up to the sun rising over the Himalayan mountains…priceless. The views are stunning. The trek down took more out of us than the trek up. The way down is mostly a stoned lined path and stone steps. This was a long but beautiful day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The cars are always there to meet us and the people are always so helpful

Transport

Australian Camp Trek to Deurali

Nepal

The rhododendron forest, wow! Coming from North America we didn’t even know these trees existed. Bright red flowers and other amazing flowers and vegetation! Pema was so great about pictures and explanations. So great! Also hiked past a small mountain school for orphan children. A nice pit stop to see how well they were being treated and taught.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide makes the trip and ours, Pema, was amazing!

Drive to Kande [ 1 hour] ; Hike to Australian Base camp [ 2 hours ]

Nepal

Loved this stop on the tour! The hike was on stone lined or cement trails and steps. It is a lot, but so beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.

Food

Tea house food was simple, but like everything else in Nepal, simply delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This experience wouldn’t have been as good or memorable without our guide Pema. He was so patient and kind and knowledgeable! He is also a great photographer and took many photos and is preparing us a great album. He certainly made the trip for us and we will refer him wherever possible.

Transport

Meeting with guide and Exploring Phewa lake

Pokhara

Pokhara is beautiful. We chose to forego the lake and just walk around the town.

Explore Kathmandu ; Swayambu Nath, Patan Durbar Square & Pashupatinath Temple

Kathmandu

Kathmandu is a must see city! So much history and culture. This tour allowed us to get up close to the largest stupa in the world and the crematory was an experience we'll never forget. The views from the high temples and the monkeys also are a must see.

Quality of Experience

We asked for a cultural tour, and this was perfect.

Food

Nepali food is one of the best things ever!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Kim Kim drivers and guides are among the very best. So knowledgeable and friendly.

Transport

Great vehicles and drivers.

Kim Kim has an amazing staff of very knowledgeable guides and coordinators. Collectively, they took our desires and built a trip that met our every expectation. We contacted our Kim Kim coordinator, Riwal, approximately one year before the trip. No mater time, he was always available to strategize, answer questions, change plans and support us from beginning to the end. In country, our guide, Nacho (Luis Miranda Casanova), and driver, Logan, were nothing short of fantastic. Nacho’s breadth and depth of information far exceeded our expectations. From animals to geology and flowers to fossils, he was well-versed in everything about in Patagonia, and really South America. Logan is a true professional as evidenced by his driving skills and ability to navigate some very challenging dirt roads, day in and day out. I strongly recommend this highly talented team for your travels to South America.

Hotel Review

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Excellent location. Room was clean and the bed/pillows were comfortable. Staff was supportive.

Authenticity & Character

Cabin life, which we appreciated

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was excellent but some of folks that worked other areas upfront and in the restaurant could have been more helpful. At times we had to ask around the staff to get basic information on excursions and amenities.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Enough said.

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon / Laguna Azul Hike to Laguna Cebolla

Chile

Went on short hike. Nacho provided a great deal of information about the trees, lagoon, tree plantings and many other very special bits of information.

Quality of Experience

Amazing views!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide did excellent job planning around bus traffic.

Transport

Movement through the park was very efficient to get to tour.

Cerro Benitez Half Day Trek - Visit the Chilean "Condor"

Chile

Not sure how to rate this activity since we didn’t get to do the trek. However we did stop to see condors and an eagle during our transition through the park.

Torres del Paine National Park - Private Panoramic Tour

Chile

Sights were simply amazing, spectacular, jaw-dropping. This tour met every expectation.

Quality of Experience

Glaciers.

Food

Lunch was good but not great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

knowledge and insight.

Transport

Full Day Estancia Cerro Guido with a Private Driver

Chile

Horseback riding while herding sheep was a highlight of our Patagonia experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Absolutely amazing breakfast and lunch. 5 starts.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From a year out and the initial planning to daily check in and quick replies…Shona was beyond amazing… we knew there would be hiccups, but really there weren’t

Yuki was our guide to Mt Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi and Kirin whisky tasting, we had the best time, he was so knowledgeable and so friendly!

Tomoko guided us through the world of Samurai and Geisha in Kanazawa. From the beautiful Kenrokuen gardens to the dangerously fascinating Ninja Temple, she explained as we explored such an amazing city.

Yoshiko navigated us through Kyoto and Nara seeing the historical shrines and temples. Our favorites were the 10,000 Torii gates, the world’s largest bronze Buddha and of course the respectful and adorable bowing deer in Nara Park.

Jimmy took us for a foodie tour in Osaka Dononbori famous tastes we will never forget and drool remembering.

Our hotels, tours, and transportation optionswere spot on what we wanted, close to all our favorites and comfortable.. My favorite, in Kanazawa, the hotel Onyado Nono with natural hot springs that rejuvenated the soul and late night ramen to warm the body..

Whether it’s your next vacation or your trip of a lifetime, let the guides and experts at KimKim be who get you there, you won’t regret it!

Alex set us up with a fantastic 5 day Belize getaway. All transports went flawlessly. Our guides for the ATM and cave tubing trips (Abraham and Marvin) were knowledgeable and had great senses of humor. The snorkel trip to shark alley will not be forgotten any time soon! We’ll definitely be using kimkim again the future.

Activity Reviews

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Ramons Village

Belize

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Belize City with Cave Tubing Tour en Route

Belize

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves day tour

Belize

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fleur and her team put together and amazing trip for us! We are a couple that is looking to relocate to the Netherlands and we had asked for a specific trip that would showcase more than just the typical tourist sites. They delivered. We were taken on a couple walking tours that highlighted some interesting areas and local hotspots. We were able to taste some local cuisine that was very unexpected but fantastic! The step-by-step instructions were so helpful that we definitely would have been lost without. The self-guided bike trip from Haarlem to the beach was eye opening to someone that was nervous about that aspect of Dutch culture and daily life. All of the guided tours we took were given by local experts that answered all of our questions with enthusiasm and professionalism. We will definitely use this service again and recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing experience in the Netherlands. Thanks again, Fleur!