Kimkim Trip Reviews

A review our trip to S Korea: Thank you for flawless arrangements, transportation and interesting activities. The hotels were excellent with each having special advantages. The Hotel BOTANIK was close to markets and we loved the roof top garden. The La Valse had great views and was close to the downtown. Whistle Lark had a pool that was good for lap swimming, but too cool for lounging. The Nine Tree had the Insadong market right out the door. The hotels were so nice I am glad we did not opt for 5 star hotels. We enjoyed the K Cooking class and market tours in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. We missed the Gyeongbokgung Palace because it was closed on Tuesday. Climbing the Seongsan Ilchulbong crater in Jeju was great. The restaurant in Busan on the second floor of the fish market was over hyped. We enjoyed seeing the Gamcheon village in Busan and hearing its history. Great photos there. The Manjanggul lava tunnel was better than expected. But the DMZ third tunnel was arduous for Linda..
Our guides each presented unique Korean perspectives. Kory sincerely sought to impart a good impression to the visitor. Jade gave an honest and complete view of life as a young Korean. Sarah told us when we return next time we will be friends and not tourists - so sweet!

We loved Rovinj, Plitvice lakes but really loved everything. Food tour in Zagreb was great, Boat ride to Hvar and swimming in Brac were great. Everything was great and the weather cooperated.

Hotel Reviews

The Melegran

Rovinj

This hotel was our only disappointment in a wonderful trip. When we checked in, we were shown to the annex in the back through a dark alley, we climbed the first set of stairs and then another steep set of stairs and arrived in a room that was only big enough for a bed. When we needed to walk down the stairs, there was no motion light or switch so the first part of our descent was in darkness. The staff was friendly, we loved Rovinj but our stay could have been a disaster.

Authenticity & Character

See above

Location

Location in one town is convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above

Hotel Degenija

Rakovica

We only stayed here one night but it was a great hotel with nice amenities

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riva Marina Hvar Hotel

Hvar

This hotel is in a fabulous location, has been remodeled, has helpful staff and is a great place to stay to see Hvar.

Authenticity & Character

Recently remodeled with spacious rooms

Location

Right on harbor

Staff

Helpful. Even stood in line with our luggage while we had breakfast before we the ferry.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zagreb Leisure Day

Zagreb

We lived having free time in Zagreb to explore on our own.

Quality of Experience

Zagreb - walking food tour!

Zagreb

The was a fantastic introduction to Croatia. Hides combined history and a great food experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Privately guided walking tour of Kotor

Kotor

We had a wonderful guide and we joyed this walking tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Motor Boat Excursion to Brač & the Pakleni Islands (end in Hvar)

Split

We liked stopping at two islands, the chance to swim and see the beautiful scenery by boat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Lovčen National Park & Cetinje

Kotor

The drive up the mountain was spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Needed a guide in Cetinje. We didn’t know what to see in town besides monastery.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Someone who could have given us more insulin Cetinje.

Transport

Hike to Lost Villages of Hvar, Croatian Peka Lunch

Croatia

This was a fun excursion - different from being in town. We walked down , which I would recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

The traditional peak lunch was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Privately guided tour of Pula

Croatia

This was an interesting stop and good to have a guide to show us highlights and recommendation lunch spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Free Day in Rovinj

Rovinj

Great. Loved having the day to explore.

Quality of Experience

Truffle hunting experience in Istria

Croatia

It was interesting and fun but hunting time was a bit short.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked to start hunt and walked so I can’t evaluate transport. There was an option to ride but we walked.

We hired to KimKim to provide local travel expertise. Our travel guide was not based out of Scotland and appeared that she wasn't all that familiar with touring Scotland. There was some very poor planning such as having us visit a distillery one day, drive and 1.5 hour to Inverness and then drive all the way back the next day to visit the distillery next door (owned by the same company) and then drive 1.5 hour back to Inverness again. A lot of Van time instead of touring time, we should have been booked to stay in Speyside at least the first night. Rachel was also not timely in her responses to us through the planning process. She would often set her own deadline to get back to us and then totally miss that deadline by weeks and only communicated once we reached out again. We wanted to have a final trip review with everyone a few weeks before the trip, some of the group had time where they couldn't meet due to another out of country commitment. She didn't get back to us so several in the group couldn't meet and get questions and concerns answered. Rachel and Highpoint Holiday hired Kilted Piper tours to take us around. Kilted Piper is based in Scotland and could have done a much better job of planning everything. KimKim should have went to Kilted Piper directly instead of going through HighPoint who then found Kilted Piper. We paid an extra layer of overhead for no reason.

Nikola was easy to work with and created a great itinerary for us to explore Slovenia, based on our interests and activity level preferences. We packed in a lot and, with the insight he provided, were sure to get in all the highlights with authentic experiences along the way. The details he provided helped us avoid frustration and mishaps on our self-guided tour too, which was especially nice. This allowed us to explore Slovenia fully and savor every moment of our vacation, Thank you Nikola and thank you Kimkim!

What an absolutely amazing trip ! The whole thing was pulled together within two weeks of departure date by Heidi who was phenomenal. We mapped out to Heidi what we were looking to achieve for our first trip to China and she absolutely nailed the brief perfectly. Each of our four guides are absolutely worthy of mention, Li, Coco, Ellen and Vivian, - thank you so much for your attention to detail and being the perfect hosts in each of the cities that we visited and going beyond. You really did make the trip so memorable for us all and so totally seamless. We wouldn’t have found time to do half the things that we achieved if it wasn’t for your local knowledge and familiarity with the landscapes, etc.
I have absolutely no hesitation or reservation in recommending Kimkim to anyone who is thinking of using them as a travel organiser and we will absolutely be using them again in the future for any further travel plans.

Mathilde from Kimkim put together an incredible itinerary for our scenic trip to Switzerland from the suggestions we made. Smooth plane to train transfers in Zurich to picturesque Lucern, ease in finding our hotels (beautiful accommodations), details getting to outstanding scenic hike in Stoos (with up close encounters with dairy cows collectively sounding their bells), unique cogwheel train ride to Mt Rigi, great restaurant recommendations, free time suggestions (that we followed), Jungfraujoch experience, Lauterbrunnen, Trümmelbach Falls, Glacier Canyon, charming Grindelwald, enjoyable resort town of Zermatt and indescribable views of the Matterhorn. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we topped it off with the Glacier Express Panoramic train ride from Zermatt to St Moritz. Switzerland now ranks among the top most beautiful places we’ve ever been! Thank you, Mathilde and KimKim, for a trip of a lifetime! Pictures will never do it justice, but the memories will! The Swiss Rail Pass was a perfect way to navigate city to city. And the SBB Train schedule remarkably efficient. Switzerland! You are a hidden gem!

Activity Reviews

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Quality of Experience

Transport

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

This day as a self guided activity was so fun. Navigating the paddlewheel boat schedule, riding the cogwheel train, leisurely spending time at the top of Mt Rigi and listening to the self guided QR plaques, and finding a local pizza place in Vitznau built our travel confidence.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Round-trip Tickets)

Zermatt

The opportunity to go to the altitude right next to the Matterhorn made it feel like I could reach out and touch it! And the technology in the gondola and lift systems was superior!!!! The Swiss are so smart!!!!

Quality of Experience

Views exceeded our expectations!!!!

Transport

Kateryna is amazing to work with! She is responsive, professional, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. This is my second trip with Kateryna making dreams become reality.
Thanks Kate, for everything!

Hotel Reviews

Gardette Park Hotel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Windsor Hotel

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Jas de Gordes

Gordes

It's definitely not Bacardi Rum (white) in the Bacardi bottle... Friendly staff. Breakfast great but other than that, very limited menu to choose from.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Passy Eiffel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moulin Rouge Evening Performance

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Disneyland Paris: 2- Day , 2 Parks Entrance Tickets with Premier Access Pass

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The arrangements by Audrey were excellent. She was also very prompt with all communciations. All transfers and tours were well organized, except for a slight hiccup on the transfer from our Strasbourg hotel to the train station when the driver was a few min late due to a last-minute change by the company.
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and friendly.
Hotels: The reason for the 4-star rating for Audrey is the hotels. In general, we felt that the hotels did not merit the cost of the trip. We had requested 4-star hotels but except for the Hotel de Seze in Bordeaux, we would consider the other three hotels 3-star, even if technically designated 4-stars. In 2 instances we had to carry luggage up the stairs either to reach the elevator or to reach the room from the elevator. In general, the rooms were somewhat cramped for 2 people. In Amboise, the room was very hot and the hotel was unable to provide fans, saying that they were all in use, and so we did not have one available for even one of the 3 nights we were there.
On the plus side, the staff at all hotels were friendly and helpful. Breakfast buffets were plentiful. All hotels were well located.
Overall, the trip was very enjoyable and stress free. We appreciated the smoothness of the experience

Anna Marie thank you so much for the advice and suggestions you gave us. There were so many highlights and experiences we enjoyed. Each location was lovely, knowledgeable guides and activities. We brought home amazing and very special memories we will always share. Many thanks!

Working with Lucie and KimKim resulted in a trip that was the best experience imagineable for my daughter and I. I explained what I was looking for in a vacation in Germany and what I wanted was not a simple off-the-shelf tour. My vacation involved a combination of an initial trip to Munich followed by a tour of the Bavarian countryside and southwestern Germany that my daughter and I will never forget. Our experience kicked off with a tour of Nymphenburg Palace and and the Old Central city center of Munich. This was followed the next day by a tour of the historic Dachau Concentration Camp that is not to be missed. The last day included a guided tour of Oktoberfest with a genuine tent experience including ready-made friends together with food and drink. PROST! The guides for Oktoberfest and Dachau were arranged by KimKim with a knowledgeable family-owned tour company that was perfectly situated close to our hotel. They were wonderful. After Munich we were off on a cross country tour via rental car arranged by Lucie of various castles, palaces and historic sites across Bavaria and the foothills of the German Alps. Along the way, tours of various castles and palaces were arranged including Linderhof Palace, Neuschwanstein Castle, Lichtenstein Castle and the hilltop castle Hohenzollern were arranged. We even managed to throw in a tour of Hohenschwangau Castle that was not in our itinerary but the ample time provided in our schedule allowed. All of these planned excursions were situated close to charming towns like Fussen and Tubingen where wonderful hotels were booked by KimKim along the way. After a full but unrushed tour shedule each day, Lucie provided recommendations for great restaurants and shopping locations near our hotel to unwind and have a relaxing tasty meal. Where possible details such as tickets were arranged by Lucie and KimKim in advance, and where this was not possible, they provided detailed instructions on how to secure entry to everything we wanted to see. The German part of our trip ended with a drive through the Black Forest for a short stay at the spa town of BadenBaden and then down the length of the lovely hills of the Black Forest to the scenic Triberg Falls. There I couldn't resist purchasing a cuckoo clock at one of the many local shops that still make and sell these mechanical marvels. Finally, we were off by train with tickets arranged by Lucie and KimKim to Zurich for the final leg of our journey. After a short train ride, we were off for a tour of the city followed the next day by a trip for a tour of a beautiful small vineyard and wine tasting at Rapperswil on Lake Zurich and reservations for a delicious lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake. I cannot truly say enough about how Lucie and KimKim made this once in a lifetime trip for me and my daughter an everlasting memory that we will always cherish. I highly recommend using KimKiim to take care of the details of any dream vacation that you wish to arrange.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Helmhaus

Zürich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Batschari Hotel Baden - Baden

Baden Baden

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Krone ****S

Tübingen, Germany

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sonne Füssen

Fussen

Absolutely beautiful nestled below a castle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maritim Hotel Munich

Munich

Terrific Brunch!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Tübingen!

Tubingen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Munich

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transportation via a friendly driver in a wonderful Mercedes limousine

Estate Wine Tasting in Rapperswil

Zürich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide was fantastic. A unique experience

Transport

Höhenzollern Castle (Timed Entrance tickets)

Germany

This was a wonderful surprise. I actually enjoyed it the most of all the wonderful castles and palaces I visited and they let you take pictures inside!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oktoberfest Tour – Experience The World-Famous Party

Munich

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

As an experienced and very demanding travelers we had high expectations of hotels and activities on this trip.
Our travel specialist Maria Jose Jaramillo set the trip up as we asked and then helped us to tweak on the fly to make our experience even better.
She was friendly and constantly available for any of our concerns and I would highly recommend her to anyone.
Ray

It was an amazing trip. We saw not only historical sites but also countryside, desert, Beduin house, carpet factory/workshop, Nubian village on the Elephantine island, oldest Coptic monastery.
But it was so sad to see so much garbage on every corner and children playing there.
Aswan was the cleanest of all the cities we saw.
We especially liked Bahaa, who was an amazing storytellers. Other guides gave us lots of information but sometimes it was hard to see the forest behind the trees but all of them were very knowledgeable, with obvious passion for the history of their country. We were very impressed by our guides' abilities to read hieroglyphs.

Hotel Reviews

Steigenberger Omar Khayyam

Cairo

Authenticity & Character

Very nice hotel but just like any other high class hotel. Hard to talk about it's authenticity or character. It blends with other hotels of this category.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dahabiya Akhnaton

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Temple Hotel Luxor

Luxor

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Concorde El Salam

cairo

Quiet, clean, nice food selections.

Authenticity & Character

There was nothing "authentic" about it. Looked like any other western hotel.

Location

Staff

Very kind , helpful; some porters very a little bit too pushy.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Over Day Fayoum & Wadi Al Hitan

Egypt

The waterfalls look so much bigger than in reality

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Tour to Pyramids, Sphinx & Sakkara and Dahshour

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cairo/ White Desert

White Desert

Probably one of the most memorable part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

The whole desert experience was wonderful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Beduin driver was not only an amazing driver but also the cook.

Transport

Day tour to visit Grand Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Salah El-Din & Old Cairo

Cairo

This museum needs more than 2 hours! There's so much to see there! Two hours allow you just to glance at the exhibits rather than absorb the enormity of history presented there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was well planned, busy and fun!! I can't speak for the others but having all transfers, hotels, tours and meals all planned out was amazing. I enjoyed the personal touches we received as a stand alone tour or small group. To me that makes a tremendous difference. The Doupiani House in Kastraki as well as Porto Del Colombo Traditional Hotel in Chania were my favorite!! The other accommodations were nice as well, I just happened to really enjoy the traditional aspects of the two mentioned above. The continental breakfasts in all locations, YUMMY, YUMMY and YUMMY!! Another highlight for me was the hike on day two which was operated by tour Meteora. Our guide was absolutely hilarious, unfortunately I have forgotten his name. Very knowledgeable and really enjoys sharing his love of the area!!

The KIM KIM team does an awesome job making sure all details are taken care of!
Also, are available if you have any questions at all on your vacation.
I wouldn't hesitate to use Kim Kim again in the future.
Thank you for an amazing journey to GREECE!!

This tour met all my expectations. It rates a 5 star, my agent Solana also gets a 5 star, She was helpful and informative in every aspect of the tour. Buenos Aires was the number 1 highlight of the tour. The Dinner Tango Show, The City Tour,The Sherpa Food Tour and the Ombu de Areco Ranch with the asado and dancers,were very good. Number 2 on the tour for me was The Puerto Iguazu Falls. This was much more impressive than Niagara Falls. I loved The location of La Reserva Virgin Lodge which is in the heart of the forest, that was very nice. Number 3 on the tour was Salta. Driving 2.5 miles up the mountain to the Salinas Grandes salt flats was interesting but not very exciting. Number 4 on the tour was the Cafayate Excursion a drive in the country side looking at prehistoric rock formations and then going to a winery for some wine tasting. It's unfortunate that I do not remember the names of the guides but if this is any consolation, they were all excellent!

Paulo with mcdermotts argentina was wonderful! Not only did he tailor our trip to our interests and budget, but his recommendations outside of the box were the most memorable moments. From horseback riding and eating authentic rural Argentinian cuisine on an estancia, to private tango shows, to active hikes/bike ride through wineries, the trip had it all. It was affordable, seamless, executed perfectly with the right amount of touch and variety. I couldn’t think of a better group to work with if you’re considering an Argentinian adventure!

Exactly the trip I wanted. I appreciated getting to know the country in a variety of ways, particularly in terms of the history, culture and nature. I also really enjoyed getting off the beaten path for several days of more aggressive hiking, and away from the crowds. I had great guides all around - Guido, Hugo + Team, Juan Carlos and Dennys. Many thanks to Jimena for creating a great itinerary.

Hotel Reviews

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

Great location, beautiful hotel. A little loud. Great staff.

Location

Staff

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay

Urubamba

Beautiful and relaxing. An extra special place

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Activities-a-la-carte at Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Beautiful lodges. Very interesting set of activities and opportunities to engage with the research.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Choquequirao Trek 1/6

Peru

A challenging hike, and totally worth it. Great to get away and get in to Choquequirao.

Quality of Experience

Food

Amazing food in very remote locations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing team. Hugo, Martin, Fortunato, Juan Carlos y Jose

Transport

Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines

Peru

Sacsayhuaman, Temple of the Moon and Koricancha

Cusco

A great base of knowledge for the entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the guides were great. Leny was fantastic putting the trip together. She had to make changes on the fly because of a typhoon which changed our itinerary overnight. I would strongly recommend her.

Hotel Review

Marufukuro

We never stayed there because of a typhoon

Authenticity & Character

N

Location

Never made it there

Staff

N

Cleanliness & Comfort

N

Activity Reviews

Kyoto Evening Gion Food Tour

Kyoto

We did not do the evening tour because of a typhoon which affected our time in Kyoto She was great interesting with different food

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We was poorly informed about our initial meeting place

Tokyo After Dark: Golden Gai Night Walk (2 Hours)

Tokyo

He was great Went to bars and had a drink. Bars are very small. Area was weird with lots of young women outside trying to talk to men. Very safe

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best Of Shibuya Food Private Tour - Evening

Tokyo

She was great. Lots of food and interesting food. Enjoyed your company and was knowledgeable Would strongly recommend her and the tour. Lots of walking Need to be in reasonable shape

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was great. Interesting culture

Transport

Transfer from Port of Osaka to Kyoto City Center

Japan

The driver spoke no English and told us to the front of the department store and the guide was at the back of the store which took 1 hr to meet the guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome (Yokoso) to Tokyo!

Japan

He was fantastic. Fun. Friendly and easy to talk to. Lots of walking Helpful when we were looking for a map. Went to dinner with him to a local restaurant which was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Forge Your Own Piece of Japanese Craftsmanship: Traditional Knife-Making Workshop in Kyoto

Kyoto

Great guys who were helpful. Hard work. 3 hours it took to make the knifes There were two different places to make the knives. One is for a private lesson and the other is for a group. I would strongly recommend the private lesson. It’s not easy because you pound the steel until the metal is thin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

He was great because we went to the wrong place initially but everything worked out fine

Kintsugi Experience in Tokyo: The Art of Golden Joinery

Tokyo

Very tedious and difficult It’s not something that you could do on your own It was a very interesting experience which is unique to japan

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We went by taxi. Difficult to get in because the elevator does go down to the basement until the time of the experience

Tokyo Artisan Traditions & Old-Town Discovery with Edo Kiriko Experience with English-speaking guide and Vehicle

Tokyo

The etching of glass was interesting and not as difficult as I thought it would be The instructor was great. I would recommend it

Quality of Experience

Great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Akosh and canyoning were the highlights of the trip. Lucie did such a great job planning this trip. Everything went off without a hitch.

All of the guides spoke excellent English and were infailingly courteous & well informed. The trip was well planned, so no hurried. Restaurants choices were well made, reflecting that we desired true Portugese cuisine, not touristy or American food.

We were most appreciative of the pre-paid ferry tickets and the drivers who were always on time and often waiting for us upon our arrival. With Liam's support we were able to reach all of our destinations in a timely manner. However, on our first night our hotel reservation had not been paid for. This did not get us off to a good start. Fortunately Jane (who was caring for Liam's customers while he was away) eventually handled that for us. When we realized we were double booked for the Staffa tour, she handled that for us as well. We came to believe that there must be very few hotels with elevators in this area of Scotland! It would have been great to not have to have people carry our bags for us, but perhaps that's not an option. We had a tour guide in Oban (Dave) who was very kind and we enjoyed our time with him. For the most part, Liam seemed to overestimate the time we would have in any of the spots along the way. While it was nice to see what was available in the area, our plans did not seem to be very individualized for our schedule.