Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had the most unbelievable trip! We love all of the diversity with animals and plants.

I presented KimKim with a unique challenge which they were able to respond to. I was interested in traveling to Thailand which is on the other side of the world for me, not so much for a destination trip of a lifetime, but to meet someone in person who had captured my heart. However, I had reservations about undertaking this endeavor on my own, so I reached out to KimKim and they put me in contact with Jook. Jook understood my concerns and unique requirements for this trip and was able to think outside the box of the more traditional type of trip plans and customize the itinerary to suit our specific needs. Jook created a perfect balance of free time and tour itinerary that allowed us to both get to know each other, and to allow me to get to know her homeland and its customs. Jook’s itinerary included a wonderful blend of hotel accommodation from elegant and classy, to remote and exotic with a splash of contemporary and modern mixed in. From the time I arrived in Thailand until the time I departed, I was completely at ease and comfortable in this foreign land so far away from home because I knew I had the KimKim Team with me. The scheduling and transportation arrangements were flawless and the food outstanding every step of the way. A must see for those that like isolation and remote wilderness were the float houses on the River Kwai, perhaps our favorite stop of the entire trip and our only regret was we only had one night there. If your interest is in the islands to the south a must is the James Bond Island tour provided by one of KimKim’s travel partners Sawanu Travel and a special thanks to our guide that day, Tee. I must say this trip ended up bringing two people from different cultures on opposite sides of the world closer together then ever could be imagined and felt much more like a honeymoon to both of us than a destination trip. We would not hesitate again to travel with the KimKim Team and a special thanks to Jook our local trip specialist for the personal touch and incredible effort in the arrangements.

Steve and Joonjing

Hotel Review

The FloatHouse River Kwai

Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

James Bond (One - Day Trip)

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot say enough good about my experience planning and executing a once in a lifetime trip to Paris and neighboring locations with Kimkim (France Local) and our local specialist, Sebastian. Sebastian helped us plan a very workable itinerary that covered all the important locals in Paris, Chartres, Bayeux, Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy (Point du Hoc and Omaha Beach, Rheims, and Versailles - in a week and a half. He prepared a wonderful guided trip in a cute little car through Paris, and, our guide was VERY informative. We picked up a wonderful car in Amboise, and could drive ourselves through the French country side. We had lovely tours of the Chateaux de Chambord and Chenonceau. We drove to Chartres for a view of town and Cathedral. We then moved to Mont Saint Michel, where Sebastian arranged for us to stay in the wonderful L'Auberge de la Mere Poulard. We were SO happy, because friends had told us not to miss eating at their restaurant. I have had a lifelong wish to visit the Abbey, so, it was an amazing treat to climb all the way up there! Sebastian provided us with a wonderful guide for Point du Hoc and Omaha Beach. That guide timed our tour so that we could see the lowering of the U.S. flag on Omaha Beach. Very moving. Back in Paris, we visited Versailles, then set off to see the Reims Cathedral, and, of course, to sample Champagne.

All of our tickets were available, easy to organize, easy to print, and easy to use at the cite. Given the complexity of our arrangements, we lost no time, trying to make arrangements, or walking across town to pick up tickets or loosing time "fixing" arrangements during our trip.

However, the absolute most extraordinary thing about Sebastian's service, was that he was available to us during the trip. We had a couple instances where we misunderstood directions and couldn't find our guide. Especially, when we tried to meet our guide for the Normandy beach trip, we found ourselves waiting at the meeting point, with no guide. We notified Sebastian and he was at his desk, and, within a minute, he was in touch with our guide, who was waiting for us around the corner. If Sebastian had not been available and responsive at that very minute, we would have totally missed a very important part of our trip.

So, in sum, visiting Paris and environs has been a long-time wish of mine, and Sebastian made a busy and complicated schedule easy, doable, enjoyable, worry free - and wondrous. For that, I will be eternally grateful!

My recent trip to Costa Rica was to celebrate my sister's birthday. There were 7 of us traveling together. Adrian and Nancy, from Kimkim, were very helpful in getting our trip planned and answered all our questions promptly. Brian, from Serendipity Adventures was the local expert who helped with planning and organizing our trip. Our accommodation was a wonderful house in the Manual Antonio area. Beautiful rooms and space to relax in. Nearby stores made it easy to get supplies when needed. Our planned adventures were, kayaking, white water rafting, zip lines, sunset cruise and visit to local spice farm. All were amazing and we had a wonderful time. I would definitely recommend

Hotel Review

Casa del Sol

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful living space. Bedrooms were spacious and living areas relaxing. We had fun using the pool table and pool area. Housekeeping was daily and always done well. Also able to have our clothes washed when needed. Andreas was the host for the house. He was very helpful with questions and helped to coordinate the chef who made dinner for us two nights. The location was close to grocery stores and were walkable distances. Also able to walk to nearby restaurants and small shops to look around in. We were picked up at the end of the driveway for our tours which made it so very easy for us. Local wildlife included monkeys and beautiful birds. The scarlet Macaws were my favorite.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Chef Service

Manuel Antonio

Please see my earlier comments about this service. This was our second chef prepared meal. W e had it on the evening before we left to go home. Again, a wonderful experience and meal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset Catamaran Adventure with Meal

Manuel Antonio

Very fun experience. Our tour was not crowded and staff were very attentive. We chose not to snorkel as we had been in this area earlier in our visit. Instead we enjoyed the slide and jumping into the ocean. The boat captain was able to located a pod of dolphins and they were very entertaining to watch chasing along the side of the boat. The sunset at the end of the trip was beautiful and we were able to take several really nice pictures. The meal was good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villa Vanilla Spice Tour

Manuel Antonio

The spice tour was in a beautiful setting. Our guide shared the spice farm's development and current crops that included many spices, cacao, and vanilla beans. As we walked through the farm/gardens she would share the various spices and the organic growing practices. There was a tasty treat at the end of the tour as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

El Santuario Canopy Adventure Tour

Manuel Antonio

This was my first time doing a zip line. I had a lot of fun doing the different lines and was impressed at the safety precautions that staff used.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Savegre Whitewater Rafting Adventure

Manuel Antonio

White water rafting was the highlight of the trip for me. Orlando was the guide who talked with us on the ride in. It took an hour and a half to get the area on the river where the rafts could be launched. He shared many stories about the countryside, the people and the surrounding industry and farming. He kept us all entertained. David was the guide for the raft I was in. David made the trip so very fun and memorable. He was a good judge of our capabilities and would find fun areas to go over and get a good splash of water. We were able to get out of the raft and swim in a deeper area. Also go into a waterfall and splash around a bit. Mario, our driver, was also a gem. Not only was he a good driver, he had a beautiful snack set up for us when the trip ended. Mario also shared several local plants and their uses with us. The meal at the end of our trip was a buffet and was very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

I would definitely recommend using a guide service when visiting the national park. Our guide found many animals, insects, birds, and flowers that we would have not seen. Also, he had a viewing lens that he could take pictures on our smart phone. We have many fun pictures because of this. Also our guide was so knowledgeable about the park and beautiful nature in it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

-Private Chef Service-

Manuel Antonio

Wonderful meal! Chef Germaine's dinner for us was delicious and beautifully presented. Everything was prepared fresh. Chef Germaine and his staff set the table, served the food, cleaned up the dishes and kitchen. It was awesome to have a gourmet meal prepared and served in the house we were staying at.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

The kayak portion was fun. However, snorkeling was limited as there were so many people in the snorkeling area due to other tours using the same reef area. Caesar and Joseph were our guides and were very helpful. My thanks to Joseph for snorkeling with us and helping us to find an octopus to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Although our trip was cut short due to an accident, I must say that all the people guiding on the various activities were excellent. The crew on the Funyak safari in Glenorchy were great, as was Tony on our Harbor tour in Akaroa.

Hotel Reviews

Oakridge Resort

Wanaka

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chalet Boutique Motel

Tekapo

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Newton Heights Bed and Breakfast and self-contained apartments

Akaroa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Queenstown House Boutique B&B

Queenstown

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Penguin evening Tours Akaroa

Akaroa

This is where my wife had her accident. No fault of the guides or trip itself. I add this review to say thanks to the young lady who drove us back to Akaroa. I don't remember her name, but thank you

Kayak Tasman Glacier Lake

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tekapo Springs - StarGazing

Lake Tekapo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safari of the scenes Glenorchy (LOTR)

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dart River Funyak Safari

New Zealand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tina planed the trip and was very much attuned to our requests and needs. I planed the rout and Tina followed up with hotel suggestions, day trip attractions and transportation from and to the events. EVERYTHING went by very smoothly and we had no complains at all the opposite - we only have positive and thankful comment. Until we got to Bangkok and were placed in a low quality hotel (more like a hostel) and I was very surprised. It was hard to understand how the same team that booked us in beautiful, luxury hotels throughout the two weeks prior, also booked the run-down HOSTEL in Bangkok. As the season is the busiest it was very hard to find a suitable accomodation replacement and we stayed at this hotel but I feel it has affected my experience in Bangkok. this is the second time I use KIM KIM for my travels, first time was to Australia, BUT - I strongly suggest that if accommodations are important to you, check the suggested itinerary and make sure to read reviews on other websites. other than the hotel in Bangkok ALL of our accommodations were amazing ! After the planing ends, we were assigned a lock agent. Sandi connected with us directly Via WhatApp. Having a local agent that can be reached 24/7 while we were on vacation is an UNBELIEVABLE comfort figure. Sandi welcomed us, checked on us, offered to help us when our luggage didn't arrive on time, but most of all was able to make some changes and last minute tweaking for travel arrangement and day trip cancellation. It gave us a really stress free experience knowing that there is someone we can connect at any time. Over all it was an amazing experience and I will 100% recommend the service offered by KimKim

Hotel Reviews

The Quart Ruamrudee

Bangkok

this is not a hotel. it is a cheap hostel. the location is bad, the rooms are small and smelly. the bed was good but towels were thin. breakfast was dull the best part about this hotel is the Bakery Holy just outside of it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

LONG road to get you to the BTS and the Main Street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the Gym and pool smell of mold

Railay Princess Resort

Krabi

This is not a luxury Hotel but it is GOOD enough. The location is perfect and very central. the rooms are big, comfortable king bed, and the AC works well. Two pools with plenty of sitting

Authenticity & Character

Location

right in the middle of East Railay beach, as soon as get off the boat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Khao Lak Marriott Beach Resort & Spa

Phang Nga

if you are looking for a resort to eat well and not to move for few days, it is a very nice option. we were there 5 days on a breakfast only plane and we tried to travel around. not much to see and do in Khao Lak, we did the trip to Samillian island and the mangrove paddling experience and just chilled on the other nights . everything on the resort is expansive but there are few local options around. Nice, American style resort. Please note - it is more on the quite style - not to much activity and music. I loved it, but some people going on resort for a week may find it boring. Food at breakfast buffet was OUTSTANDING

Authenticity & Character

very American style. I couldn't see any Thai influence

Location

very isolated. it takes 30 minutes to get to the "city". the hotel provides shuttle couple a times a day.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Khaosok Boutique Hideaway

I am a bit ambivalent about this place. A - I wish it was located IN the Khaosok little village and not few kilometres away - the resort is isolated so if you want to grab dinner in the little village they charge 400 BTH for a round trip. B - the actual Tents are massive, clean, fully equipped with AC unit, warm water, and a VERY comfortable bed. The place is very clean and comfortable. C - breakfast was good

Authenticity & Character

The tents are cool, clean, the views are wonderful as the resort hustled under huge cliffs

Location

not IN the Kohosok Village but couple of kilometres out side,

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ping Nakara Boutique Hotel

Chiang Mai

What a BEAUTIFUL Charming and relaxed hotel . We were treated at the airport by the hotel rep. He drove us to the hotel and pointed some interesting places along the way. The hotel is NOT in the old town it is in a very close proximity to the night weekly night market which is a plus for after you finish the night. The hotel stuff were UNBELIEVABLE, friendly, eager to help, to make you feel at home (that includes the servers at the breakfast ), they helped us coordinating the arrival of our delayed luggage this hotel is not for backpacking crowd , the demographic is a bit older - which for us was super. Grab is available in Chiang Mai do moving around was cheap and easy. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

Authenticity & Character

looks like a British colonial home, evnnhough the Brits never colonials this area....

Location

not IN the old city but in a more up scale area, very close to the night market.

Staff

Friendly, eager to help in any way possible.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless place.

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Phi Phi island and Bamboo island by speedboat!

Thailand

again - very very busy in terms of the amount of people around but the tour itself is good and recommended

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mangrove Self-Paddle Kayaking Tour

Khao Lak

no one was on this tour but us and it was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling Trip Around Similan Islands with Speedboat

Khao Lak

the experience should be amazing BUT - there were GAZILION other people all over the tour operator shoved WHY too many people on each boat but other than that they supplied high level of English speaking guilds, good food and lots of drinks. the island were very beautiful but hard to enjoy for the amount of people around you

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Khao Sok Trekking Full Day Hike by Boutique Camp

Khao Sok National Park

we canceled this activity. it was TOO much

One Day Cheow Larn Lake and Cave!

Khao Sok National Park

THE BEST DAY OF THIS WHOLE TRIP !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Night Safari Trekking!

Khao Sok National Park

wondeRFUL way to start the exploration of the park. our guide was so nice and so eager to show us animals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Bua Tong waterfall or Sticky waterfall

Thailand

waste of time going all the way there . nothing much to see but LOTS and LOTS of tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Nature Park Visit

Chiang Mai

LOVED

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fabulous experience with The Panama Trip. Isabel was our trip planner and she took care of all the details of our trip end-to-end. From the airport pickup all the way to our return. This was a customized private tour and her team more than met all our expectations. They provided excellent communication and support throughout the trip. We explored the Panama Canal, visited the Embera Quera community. Jean was our guide for this segment of the tour and he was very knowledgeable. He got us on time to all our activities making sure we were ahead of the crowds. We sailed across the San Blas Islands. German was our captain and Iru the first mate. They were a great team and treated us like royalty. Iru"s cooking was amazing. This was our first trip to Panama and left the country with the desire to come back.

Our trip to Vietnam was amazing and we had a blast full fun memories to remember. Our specialist Ashley did a fantastic job booking our trip to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. We had several tours that were exciting and interesting to all of us. Food tour with young motor cyclist tour guides was great in Ho Chi Minh. It was fun and best ever tour we had. Recommended to everyone, fun & exciting experience. Ha long bay, street train tour-and walking food tour were our best tours that we experience. Local foods were delicious in Hanoi. Rated 5 for my over all experiences 😊

We had the best private guide
Nickname - gipsey - in Bangkok !
She made sure we were well cared for . She was so knowledgeable and a true gem !
Great get away with a mix of culture and beach !

Activity Reviews

Explore Bangkok Waterways

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok – Damnoen Saduak floating market & Grand Palace

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Romantic Dinner on the Manohra River Cruise!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Phuket

Explore the Koh Phi Phi By Speedboat

Phuket

Too busy … and a bit long . The islands have beauty but too much crammed into one day !

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Too much to mention. Denise did a fantastic job of arranging everything.

Wonderful trip. We'll done, only a couple of things:
Didn't really need or want buffet breakfasts. We upgraded Hermitage buffet to table service Panarama Room was Excellent and way better than buffet. Auckland evening cruise was nice but the 3 course dinner only so so. Would have benn better at a nice restaurant afterwards. The Fable in Auckland was NOT up to our standards. AC barely effective, couldn't open windows, stale odor. Shower temp up and down.... On the plus side Azure in Queenstown was WORLD CLASS!!

The entire trip was so smooth and organized because of Kimkim, we truly got to enjoy the country without any stress!

Hotel Reviews

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

Had an amazing view from our very large patio. Super clean and staff were very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Retreat

Thanh Hoa

This place is stunningly beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GM Premium Hotel Hanoi

Perfectly situated in old town. Very clean and wonderful service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silverland Mây Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to so may shops and places to eat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic Cycling Experience Around the Village

Ninh Binh

Such a wonderful way to see the mountains of this town. Would highly recommend doing this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Water Wheels walk and Bamboo Rafting

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Highly recommend going to Pu luang to see the small rice villages and mountains.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Half Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Guide was be try knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kim Kim and Bryan and his team were great. Our experience in Costa Rica was wonderful. We had one glitch and he resolved it immediately. The quality of the tours were wonderful with very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides. I would definitely recommend KimKim.

Paula planned our entire trip, and we followed her itinerary to the letter. We told her we wanted to hit the highlights of Australia and New Zealand, and she planned an three-week plan that met all our needs. Plus, she’s from Australia, so she knows what she’s talking about! We had a wonderful time and never had to worry about the details. All our drivers were fantastic, and all our guides were knowledgeable and interesting.

While we spent weeks building this trip as the days passed we realized that the information on the tours was incomplete and the age of the men in our group was not considered fully. My husband is 72 and Gabi is 72 as well. We had to send numerous messages to figure out the details of the itineraries, the length, challenges, etc. One tour was dangerous to our health. The Puerto Varras tour gave no details on the challenge, 23km length, amount of water needed, clothing, huge flies, etc. we had to turn around after just 3 km.
Several tours had guides who struggled with English or did not bother to speak it at all.
In short, KimKim needs to refund us the money for the full day Puerto Varas tour. In general, KimKim should assign a travel specialist who is educated about the destinations and give full details about the tours.
While South America is beautiful and we appreciate the people and the landscape, we expect KimKim to do the write thing about its customers and offer best communication.

Hotel Reviews

Rochester Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cabaña Del Lago Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No AC

NOI Indigo Patagonia

Puerto Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Diego de Almagro Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No AC

Hotel Pueblo de Tierra

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Plaza El Bosque Ebro

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit to Perez Rosales National Park – Trekking through Desolation Pass

Puerto Varas

We were not given any details about the length, clothing, food and water demands. Guides were nice but the communication with kimkim I existent. We need to be refunded as we could not do this tour safely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Give full details about the tour before the tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Island & Arrayanes Forest - Navigation

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Trip- Red Rocks, Lagunas Altiplánicas & Atacama Salt Flats

San Pedro de Atacama

Guide struggled with English

Quality of Experience

Better guides

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Astronomical Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama

Did not happen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Munich and Salzburg was AMAZING!! So festive and gorgeous....the Christmas Markets were magical and the tour guides were fantastic!
Two major hi lights were the Sound of Music Tour, and the private Tour to Neuschwanstein Castle on our last day. Our wonderful and enthusiastic guide was David! We spent all day with David and it was a delightful time...he was so personable and funny, surprised us with coffee and the most deletable "donuts" and kept us entertained the entire day. I would book another tour with David in a heartbeat.
Fritz was amazing as well...added so much to our tour to "Silent Night" and was a joy to be with.
We are still talking about our AMAZING Christmas and looking at pictures a lot. Gorgeous countries!
Thank you so much for a holiday full of wonderful memories!!
Anna Moore

What a fantastic experience it was dealing with Serendipity Adventures in Costa Rica, the company recommended by KimKim Travel. I led a team tasked with providing a birding adventure for our community. From the start, Elena helped craft a 6-day/5-night trip that would work for 50 seniors from Florida. Charlotte and her team worked to execute this plan. In the end, we had 66 who wanted to join along.
The personal attention from landing until take-off was above and beyond. We had 2 buses and 4 outstanding bird guides that stayed with us along the way. They provided additional bird walks around the hotel and resort in the morning and afternoons. Additionally, Serendipity had staff members who set up snack stations, went ahead to ensure we had easy access to our events, and helped out wherever needed. When some members inquired about ziplining, the activity was added to our itinerary, and many took advantage of the addition. The first night we stayed at the Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen by the San Jose airport. Then we headed out to the El Lugar resort, with a stop at the Las Paz Waterfalls for a few hours of animal exhibits and a scenic trail to see the waterfalls. The next days included a riverboat tour, a guided naturalist hike at La Selva Biological Station, a Cacao tour, a visit to the hanging bridges near Arenal Volcano, and a relaxing evening at the hot springs. Everyone raved about the quality of the trip. Thanks for everything!!!

We had a great time spending two weeks in Costa Rica

Highlights and best memories:

1. Frog night tour with Kendra our first night in country outside of La Fortuna.
2. Saw and heard 133 species of birds using Merlin ID app - highly recommend downloading the Costa Rica bird data
3. Saw 2- and 3-toed sloths, howler and squirrel monkeys, white-faced capuchins, coati mundi, agouti, peccaries and skunk! Also crocodiles (at Tarcolos), iguanas, lizards, venomous snakes, tarantulas, mango crabs and wonderful small hermit crabs in all sorts of seashells at Manuel Antonio beach,
4. Excellent and memorable dinner at San Lucas Treetops in Monteverde. Also enjoyed the farm to table cooking class outside Quepos with Caesar and Crystal and the foodie tour in San Jose with Andrea. Dinner at Sikwa in San Jose and food at Hotel Guachipelin were also memorable.
5. Covered rain forest, cloud forest and dry forest habitats at La Fortuna, Tenorio, La Finca Farm, Monteverde, Santa Elena, Rincon de la Vieja and Manuel Antonio with excellent guides Kendra, Melany, Olman, Fatima, Olivier & Corey.
6. Orchid garden and hummingbird feeders at Cloud Forest Lodge and the hummingbird gallery in Monteverde; butterfly gardens in San Jose (Spirogyra and National Museum), El Jardin Orotina and Manuel Antonio.
7. National Museum, Jade Museum and Museum of Precolumbian Gold in San Jose
8. Seeing cloud forest canopy and epiphytes from a different perspective at Treetopia
9. Good choices of hotels overall with breakfast free and good dining options at almost all.
10. Good hike seeing waterfalls and hot springs on the grounds of Hotel Guachipelin with one of our favorite guides, Olivier. The Montezuma Orooendulas, Amazons and two different owls calling at night there were also memorable
11. The chocolate, sugar cane and coffee tour at Don Juan’s was much more informative and fun than I was expecting. Seeing the cacao beans during fermentation and tasting them before and after roasting was really instructive. If you’re lucky, they will prepare some Mayan Xochol for you to drink with freshly ground beans. Sampling fresh frogwater after squeezing one’s own sugar cane was also great fun.

Disappointing or not as enjoyable or memorable:

1. Overall, the fauna in the Cloud Forest (Monteverde, Tenorio, Santa Elena & Tretopia) was more disappointing and/or elusive than in other areas. Not sure if this was because of the time of year or our guides.
2. Snorkeling trip to Isla de Canos. The drive and boat trip took >2 hours each way and the snorkeling was not that much better than we could experience with less effort in Hawaii. Also, 1.5 hours in the water was quite tiring.
3. Not enough time to explore Papagayo beaches. Not sure that going to the coast from Rincon de la Vieja and then going back inland for a long round trip to Tenorio was the best planning.
4. Los Lagos Resort in La Fortuna was the hotel at the bottom of our list: too touristy, tired rooms and poor food. Birds on site and landscaping were good though. I think we would have enjoyed a smaller boutique hotel in town.
5. Lots of driving! Next time, we’ll stay in fewer places and drive less
6. It was REALLY, REALLY wet in La Fortuna. Not KimKim’s fault, of course!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

Very well located in center of town although the entrance is not very obvious. Rooms and food were great. Free breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the middle of the city so there was city noise

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge

Manuel Antonio

Very nice grounds with a great pool, view of the ocean and great wildlife including scarlet macaws and toucans. Food at both restaurants was above average

Authenticity & Character

Location

There were a lot uneven steps down to get to our room

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Very quiet and well appointed hotel away from the more touristy parts of Monteverde. Food was excellent and the bird feeders at the restaurant were a treat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Nice hotel right on beach at Playa Hermosa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín

Liberia

Great place to stay for a few days with good wildlife, lots of activities and two restaurants to enjoy.

Authenticity & Character

Architecture and wildlife on site

Location

Situated adjacent to Rincon de la Vieja National Park

Staff

Servers in restaurant were great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Resort was a little tired and touristy. Food was not the best

Authenticity & Character

Rooms and food

Location

Would prefer to have been in town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Best thing about the trip was seeing the rain forest canopy from above and getting a closeup view of all the epiphytes living high up on the tall cloud Forest trees. Also got to see a forest millipede and our first tarantula.

Quality of Experience

Guide was a wise guy and not very knowledgeable outside of his prepared spiel. Couldn’t distinguish moss from lichen

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Someone with more natural history expertise and less wisecracks

Transport

Private Rio Celeste & Finca Verde Nature Farm

Gulf of Papagayo

Hike through Tenorio National Park with great views of Arenal volcano and great cloud forest vegetation. Wildlife was a bit sparse however, and there was a very long wait with lots of people to see the waterfall, because of a landslide Finca Verde Nature Farm was excellent and we got to see a couple of sloths on the move as well some great birds.

Quality of Experience

Helmeted iguana. Keel billed Toucan. Sloths Great vegetation

Food

Good food and coffee at La Finca

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olman spotted the helmeted iguana which was a great find although difficult to photograph. Fatima was a great spotter at La Finca.

Transport

Full-day Waterfalls Expedition

Rincón de la Vieja

We hiked for several hours with a very pleasant young man called Olivier who was knowledgeable about the flora, fauna and geography of the area. Saw howler monkeys and white faced capuchin and some great birds. Saw three waterfalls which were each spectacular. The first two we had completely to ourselves. The last one had a great swimming hole but there were quite a few people. It was nice to relax in the hot spring pools at the end after the hike, but they were also quite crowded. Beware: the no-see-um bugs in the parking lot were the most vicious bugs we encountered during the whole trip. The bites stayed with us for 2 weeks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olivier was very knowledgeable, polite and pleasant. After talking with others, we realized how lucky we were to get private transport between the Oropendula waterfall and the hot springs.

Transport

Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very wet hike. Saw bedraggled specimens of both 2- and 3-toed sloths high up in trees, but they were huddled up and not moving much. It’s good sloth habitat. Also saw a BoatBilled Heron who was rather splendid. Good coffee at the place they took us after the hike and it was great watching birds eat plantain pieces while staying dry!

Quality of Experience

Boat Billed Heron.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Melany was our guide and she was an experienced spotter.

Transport

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

One of the best nature hikes on our trip. Saw quite a few species including the Blue Jeans poison frog and the eponymous Red Eyed Leaf Frog

Quality of Experience

Beautiful garden with ponds and vegetation perfect for finding frogs

Food

Good chicken and rice; home made CR cuisine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kendry was good at finding frogs

Transport

Driver did a great job driving in pouring rain along potholed roads

Everything that Kim Kim arranged happened seamlessly! All the hotels, transfers, boat trips, guides, liasons worked out without a hitch. Our guided hike to Laguna Esmerelda was amazing and the guide was friendly and accomodating. Our group of 6 had a wonderful and memorable trip to Torres Del Peine, El Calafate, Ushuiai, and Beunos Aires.

We've just returned from our trip to South America, travelling through Chile initially and then Argentina.
Our first stop was Santiago, the hotel was fine, smooth pick up at the airport and transfer, all good
After two days we transferred by air to Puerto Natales and we were picked up at the airport to Transfer to Torres Del Paine . The Torres Hotel was amazing in every respect ,the food service and rooms ,the guides were excellent, special mention to Alonso who we walked part of the W with and Paulina .We thoroughly enjoyed our time here .
we then travelled to El Calafate by coach , The Wyndham hotel was slightly tired ,decent but out of town.We checked in and were told we had been upgraded to corner rooms ,otherwise we would have been overlooking the car park.we enjoyed our trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier which was amazing and on the boat ,our guide was Rebecca who was very knowledgeable. we transferred by bus to El Chalten ,and had two days on our own.The National park was amazing ,we did two self guided walks and enjoyed the Bars and restaurants .The Hotel was The Hosteria Senderos which was very accommodating ,special mention for Tony who looked after us in the restaurant.
we were picked up and transferred to El Calafate airport and flew to Ushuaia ,smooth pick up at the airport and transfer to The Las Hayas ,a lovely Hotel ,a little out of town ,it did have a shuttle to Town Centre .
two fulls days one Raft ride and walk in the National Park which was very well done ,the tour guide did and excellent job,Gabi he was very knowledgeable,and entertaining.the second day we had a trip to Port Almanza where we were taken by boat along the Beagle channel where we met some penguins ,it was amazing and the ride to and from the Island was exhilarating.Afterwards we enjoyed some local Tapas and wine then back to Town for some Ice Cream with Regina and the Driver .
We then flew to Iguazu via El Calafate ,then Buenos Aires ,we would suggest for future travellers that a direct flight to BA then connect to Iguazu would be far better as we spent all day travelling ,arriving quite late at our Hotel.
We were picked up by Diego ,who discussing our plans realised that Scott and Tracy needed a Visa for the Brazilian side of the Falls trip ,which had not been mentioned in any communication with Kim Kim.This was disappointing that this issue was overlooked and we did not have sufficient time to get the necessary Visa .we were able to change our plans to do the Argentina side first ,and on our second day the local company arranged two different excursions plus a sunset boat tour .Unfortunately no one arrived at the agreed time to pick us up for our proposed boat tour ,and we had no communication as to what happened .
We stayed in the O2 Hotel ,which was near the centre ,but disappointing standard ,the views from the rooms were over scrapyards and the Towels were thin ,grey and Shabby .We can provide photos ,we did enjoy the nearby Bars and restaurants but were overall disappointed with the Hotel.
We then transferred to BA and stayed in the Palladio M Gallery ,a superb hotel in every respect .We had a great tour with Andrea who was very pleasant and knowledgeable .We enjoyed the Tango experience and Dinner.
overall we were very pleased with our trip ,there were a couple of issues with the Hotels and Visa issue .we had excellent ,warm weather almost everybody we met during our visit was warm ,welcoming and accommodating .
we would certainly use Kim Kim again ,thank you.
Scott,Tracy,Sandra and Bill.

Hotel Reviews

Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires—MGallery

Buenos Aires

This Hotel is superb, classy interior ,spaces to relax in ,great lighting and atmosphere.Amazing choice for Breakfast ,and great bar ,unfortunately we did not have dinner during our stay due to planned activities but the restaurant looked very inviting if you are looking for a Classy ,Authentic and Stylish hotel then look no further ,this is the one for you if all the Mgallery hotels are as good as this then they are going to the top of my list

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

O2 Hotel Iguazú

Puerto Iguazú

A well situated Hotel for Bars and Restaurants ,the style is a little of putting ,bare concrete walls and glass elevators our rooms were at the rear of the Hotel and the views were of industrial yards and rubbish . the towels were old grey ,thin and repaired and not a very good standard the beds and bedding were fine Im not sure how old the Hotel is but it could do with an update

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort

Ushuaia

a good standard of Hotel ,a little out of town but with a Hotel shuttle ,nearby Park and bike trails the staff were friendly ,warm and welcoming.Nice size rooms well decorated and good finish

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria Senderos

El Chalten

A pleasant hotel ,with friendly staff and cosy feel. it has the feel of a Ski lodge or Lakeside Log cabin ,good location ,the staff were friendly ,good restaurants and coffee shops nearby

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

A decent Hotel but not outstanding or overly welcoming .We felt the room Decor was tired and in need of refreshment . The Hotel is out of the main street of El Calafate and would not have been our first choice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room decoration and standard of furniture

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

This is a gem of a Hotel ,i can find nothing to criticise and everything to applaud .The Ethos of the Hotel ,its attitude to nature were a refreshing change . The food was fresh ,beautifully prepared and presented ,the cocktails and drinks menu amazing . Everyone we met was friendly helpfull and always smiling , I cannot fully explain the experience we had here ,you must visit ,it is more than just accommodation,it is reviving ,refreshing and you feel totally at ease and welcome .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago Vitacura

Santiago

lovely Hotel in a quiet district ,walking distance to good restaurants ,the Hotel staff were friendly ,helpful and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Location

good restaurants close by ,quiet and great views opposite

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms were clean ,bathrooms spotless

Activity Reviews

Almanza, sunset and Penguins 🐧🍽️🌅 PM Excursion

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tierra del Fuego National Park: Trekking and Canoes 🌲🚣

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Food

local food ,simple and delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion 🗻

El Calafate

City Tour "Santiago Green Parks"

Santiago

Lovely green city; especially enjoyed the cable car. Good way to see Santiago from different viewpoints.

Quality of Experience

Guide was very accommodating and helpful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport