Kimkim Trip Reviews

Enjoyed this hotel very much. The location was central to a lot of sights and tram and bus stops.

Quirky decor and aesthetic.

Loved the vibe of the hotel and historic origins to be repurposed from an old bank into a hotel. You can go down to the vault and see the wine cellar.

Loved the location of this hotel to the center of town. There was a bit of an issue with noise from the heater/cooling unit in the middle of the night and the room was a bit dim. The TV had issues were it kept freezing and the satellite signal would be delayed. It was hard to find an outlet for charging phones.

Step back into the past and sleep in a previous abbey.

Awesome amenity: spa and gym were superb. Loved that there was a water station so that we could refill water bottles and not have to purchase. They also provided sparkling water free of service from the dispenser as well. Customer service was excellent from check in to check out. This was last hotel for our trip and it truly was the best experience.

Too many people and wasn’t what I expected.

Amazing seeing the panoramic painting. Enjoyed the background information on the lower level before reaching the top level to see the panoramic painting. Appreciate how they made it seem like it was a light house view

Staff were incredibly helpful!!

Excellent location.

Excellent location and we loved the bar at the sister hotel Hotel Laurin!

Excellent hotel and superb service by the staff!

Experience was great but unfortunately, it was extremely cloudy/foggy so we were unable to see anything. Was a cool experience though!

Excellent tour guide.

Seemed the trip was coordinated with the Glassblower's shop, Lace maker's shop & Pastry shop to promote purchasing from these vendors. Other than coordinating the travel and directing us to these shops and providing recommendations for restaurants for lunch, the guide did not add much to the excursion, although she was very pleasant.

Really enjoyed our city walking tour and evening gondola ride. Our guide Pamela was excellent and pivoted quickly when we advised we had toured the Doges Palace and St. Mark's Basillica earlier that day. She also recommended a restaurant for dinner and we ate there our last night and it was the best meal of our trip!

Thankfully, we had a beautiful day and had beautiful views!

The breakfasts were tasty but limited, and the bathroom is very unorthodox and not very private.

Perfect hotel. Only minor complaint is walking distance to nearest restaurants.

Another bathroom that isn't very private, but the breakfast had plenty of options.

Even though this property is remote it is very worthwhile visiting. Their concept of community tourism where they take their guests to multiple neighbors and local attractions to learn about many crafts, traditions, temples, factories, and a frog farm. We had several conversations with the owner and found his vision for involving the community in providing educational experiences for his guests very contagious. Such a relaxing, beautiful peaceful place. Staff were very friendly and thoughtful. The rooms were well appointed.

Excellent experience. We wish we would’ve scheduled for three days and two nights. Our state room was spacious and welcoming. Staff were very helpful. Food was excellent.

Great views from our window out over the city. Breakfast buffet was amazing. Our room was spacious and well appointed.

Great location in old corner. Could walk to so many things. Great breakfast buffet. Small enough for the staff to get to know you.

The main lounge area for the hotel and restaurant was artfully decorated. Great views from our room balcony out over the rice patties. Friendly staff.

Very large two room suite. Plenty of room to stretch out comfortably. On site restaurant was excellent place for evening meal and the buffet breakfast was amazing. Good location for walking to multiple things.

Exceptionally beautiful beachside resort with multitudes of flowering plants and trees. General manager talked with us numerous times and made us feel like we were welcome and important. Staff were very friendly. Two swimming pools were great. Evening entertainment with traditional Thai music and dancing as well as a fire dance show was exceptional. Breakfast buffet as well as the other meals served were all very tasty. This coming at the end of our three week trip was pure serendipity for us. Would highly recommend this place for those needing relaxation, immersion in beauty and the need to be cared for.

Comfortable. Great buffet breakfast.

Great views from the hotel balcony and our room.

A fun way to see more of VietNam.

Great location.

Don’t miss staying at this place!!! What a beautiful, delightful location and fantastic staff. Enjoyed ALL the experiences we had starting our from this hotel. The grounds are so lovely. Peaceful. Quiet. Great staff.

Great location. Large comfortable rooms. Professional, accommodating staff.

The food was fabulous. The pools were great. A fantastic location right at the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. The staff were outstanding and very professional. Had several lovely conversations with the hotel General Manager. So happy to have four nights here!!

We dove right into the food scene. What a great way to begin the trip with this excellent introduction to the food. A highlight.

Informative. Exciting.

It was wonderful to see the countryside up close. Learned a lot about local culture.

This was a highlight and so worth the time!! Inspiring to see the way the elephants were cared for! The lunch they served was unexpected and was wonderful!!

A highlight. Biking….Such a great way to experience the countryside.

Good location- we could walk to all the major tourist sites.

Low key, very friendly staff, great location

Location close to train station and all major sites

Although the location was pretty good ( a bit hard to find, as many hotels in Venice are), I didn't like the modern, sparse feel. The hotel is at the end of a narrow alley and was gated at night, which made me feel a bit claustophobic ( but my husband was fine with all of that) Staff was great, including the wonderful woman who helped with breakfast and the front desk. We had to leave early the last day and staff out-did themselves packing us a breakfast to go.

excellent guide from Liv Tours. Even though we didn't sign up for the tour of the Brunelleschi dome, I wish we had in advance. There was a good amount of time at the Accademia Gallery

Our Liv tours guide was very knowledgeable. I wish there was more time at the Palace than at the Basilica- we skipped a lot and the Basilica was not as interesting

the most helpful information was on tipping

We would have been fine in a shared gondola to save the money and the gondolier was not particularly interested or interactive. It was too hard to hear what little information he offered.

Offered all the best of island living. A wonderful retreat!

AMAZING! Good location, beautiful accommodations, helpful staff and a robust breakfast bar that is beyond description!

Lovely location and accommodations.

Clean, comfortable, good location.

Food was not very good. Cruise itself was not spectacular, the water was very dirty, and the area was very sketchy.

Amen was a terrific guide, very knowledgable and humorous. We enjoyed spending the day with him.

It was a very short experiences, and felt more like a visit to the zoo.

Very dirty water. Couldn't snorkel in coral areas due to this being planned at low tide.

A climbing event had been planned for the same day, so we diverted to the hot springs first. The botanical gardens were nice, but the hot springs were more like sitting in a hot tub at a cheap hotel. By the time we were able to go back to the mountain, we could barely see it, as significant fog settled in, and we had very little time to enjoy the experience. This was one of the primary activities I had really been looking forward to, so it was a bit of a let down. Zee, our guide, was fabulous however.

The highlight of this trip was definitely getting to check out Osaka Castle. You really need a full day to see everything there but it was still a great time. Nara was great too just have to be careful with the deer because they will check every pocket to see if you have snacks.

The hotel is centrally located . You can walk from the train station and it is on a main street that has good bus service. The breakfast was five stars.

If you are going to Kyoto, you must stay at this Ryokan located in a former Geisha house in the Gion district of Kyoto. The accomodations, meals, and level of service was like anything you would experience in a top tier hotel. The experience is unforgettable, worth the cost. and gives great insights into the Japanese culture. Okuda-san, proprietor and host, was very gracious and spoke excellent english. Oh, and there is a couples hot tub to die for.

This hotel caters to western tastes. They were very accomodating but you are not getting the full Japanese experience. Very good location- right on the river and a five minute walk to Gion.

Very traditional Japanese experience with a Japanese Onsen in an urban setting. For Osaka, this is a good pick as it right near the main shopping areas. If you are not familiar with the Japanese Onsen bath experience, this is a good place to be initiated. It will be worth it. The breakfast was 5 star.

This place is a gem. Get to breakfast and dinner plan because there are few easily accessible locations for dinner. Its a short walk to town but not ideal at night time. Super service, food and nice outdoor areas. Rooms are simple but most have if not all have a small seating area. Naoshima is a pretty island with great vistas. We saw the Benessee house, which is where most people like to stay, but we think this is a bette option.

This is a five star bucket list hotel. You pay the prices but you get an astounding level of service in a hotel that caters to westerners. Tokyo is a big place but this hotel was well located for our purposes and near some main subway lines. Good wind down for us at the end of our trip to Japan.

Dinner at Otari was a highlight of our trip.

The Sake tour was not in English and they discouraged translating by our guide. The tasting seemed brief and seemed like an after thought. The day did include a lunch at a Tofu focused Japanese restaurant which was one of the highlights of our trip and located on the side of a beautiful rural setting. Consider this if you can do it by public transportation.

It is possible to see the major historical sites in Kanazawa in one long day. Our excellent guide, "Guchi" was well versed in in the history and culture of the area. In addition, she took us to some unique artisan shops. Definately ask for her.

Nice hotel, great balcony view, helpful staff, delicious breakfast, Location is perfect for walking to Kalambaka or Kastraki. The privacy lock on the door did not work, and showers are on the small side, soap the walls and spin!

Wonderful views, very helpful staff, breakfast served in the room. The rooms are spacious and well appointed. Hotel balcony is great for lounging, views, soaking in the pool, and dining. Location convenient for walking to the beach and local restaurants/sites.

Very nice staff, comfortable room, nice view. Breakfast was delicious and evening bar options were amazing. Dinner is also available onsite.

Easy experience to do on our own. The Venetian castle was a short walk from our hotel.

Very nice walking tour with Katrina. It felt like we were spending the day with a friend who lived in Greece. She shared stories about the area and the history. Took us to a quaint coffee house for Greek Coffee. We also went to lunch and explored a wide range of Greek Cuisine. This is perfect for anyone who wants to get away from the crowded tourists sites and enjoy the local culture!

Our driver picked us up and we met our tour guide at the Mushroom Museum. Then we followed the guide to the truffle hunting area. We met the handler for Lara the Italian Water dog/truffle hunting dog, and the chef, Alexandria. Lara demonstrated her amazing skill at finding truffles. Alexandria had prepared three different types of mushrooms for appetizers. Alexandria cooked mushrooms and pasta over an open flame. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and wine on a beautiful sunny day. We also enjoyed some time at the Mushroom Museum and Natural History Museum.

Great day relaxing on the beach and walking the town.

Great adventure, food, coffee, and wonderful sites. Love the Olive Oil Mill tour. Our driver Yainis, was entertaining, informative, and a talented singer. The lunch views are beautiful.

Wonderful day climbing with Costas! It was great to try something new with someone so experienced and safety conscious! We loved this activity!

Great tour guide! Very informative! Wear good walking shoes and be prepared for uneven paths/stairs. It was a bit windy then day we toured Acropolis/Parthenon.

Small van tour. It was very nice being picked up and dropped off at our hotels. Very busy tourist site. Informative information about the area and history. Amazing views and sunset!

Our Favorite Hotel of the trip! Located in the heart of the charming Village of Beaune. L'Hôtel de Beaune was comfortable, beautifully appointed with a lovely restaurant, and friendly attentive staff.

Our room was spacious and well appointed with views of the Louvre, Musee d' Orsay, Hotel Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. Perfect location for sightseeing in Paris.

Charming historic hotel with a lovely courtyard for relaxing. Easy walk to restaurants and castle through the charming streets of Amboise.

Courtyard is reliable and comfortable. Located close to Charles de Gaulle airport, this hotel is a great pick for the final night before a long flight home.

Our apartment was in an annex building across street, so we don't feel we experienced the charm of this hotel as The apartment was spacious with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a full kitchen. Yet, the decor appeared to be a mixture of used furniture and IKEA. Not sure how we ended up in this room. We feel a room in the former school overlooking the courtyard, would have given us the charming Normandy feel. We did enjoy the spaciousness, but it felt more like an Air B&B than a quaint historic hotel.

We enjoyed a countryside drive from Bayeux to Amboise with a must-see stop at Mont Saint-Michel. Our guide, Theo, gave an informative tour of this amazing site, efficiently navigating us around the crowds and through the corridors. We enjoyed some generous free time allowing for a relaxing lunch and a walk through the charming village. We walked through a sheep filled pasture with amazing views of Mont Saint-Michel on our way back to the van. From there. we continue on to Amboise.

The Palace of Versailles is an amazing place. The opulence is over the top even off putting but pretty incredible. The history of the palace is an interesting tale. Highlights were the Hall of Mirrors, the Gallery of Battles, Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinette's Private Residence), and the Queen's Hamlet (portrayal of an English village). We met our guide and fellow tour guests, a friendly group, at the TRIP office and travelled together to Versailles. Our guide was a wealth of information but a but dry and a little curt. We were not impressed with the Versailles gardens, not as pictured in brochures. They seemed a bit tired and needing TLC. The fountains were not running either (possible because of a summer drought). Glad we visited Versailles.

Monet's Gardens and Giverny was a wonderful stop on our way from Paris to Bayeux. The garden's are amazing. Wonderful to see the inspiration for many of Claude Monet's paintings. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through the colorful gardens, with Dalias aplenty, and to the Lilly pad ponds and Japanese bridge. The surrounding countryside made for a very enjoyable drive.

Honfleur is a delightful port village with so much interesting history. Our guide navigated us to some hidden gardens, shared some town highlights as we toured. We especially enjoyed free time for lunch and coffee. Beuvron was a charming stop, brief (as it's tiny) but worth the stop. A nice surprise was how thoroughly enjoyed the Calvados tasting tour, a wonderful tour of the Calvados distillery on palace grounds. Calvados, however, is a bit strong for our tastes. Our driver & guide was friendly and conversational. We enjoyed experiencing the charm and traditions of Normandy.

The guide shared some interesting facts about Bayeux. However, I think we would have preferred exploring Bayeux on our own also allowing for more time to visit the Museum of the Battle of Normandy. The Bayuex Tapestry was in London at the time of our visit. When it returns an the remodeled Bauex Museum is complete, The Tapestry would be a must-see.

Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about Paris and the religious history. We probably didn't need a guide to visit the Exterior Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle. Our guide shared interesting facts about Sainte-Chapelle but really shared very little about Notre Dame (maybe because he knew we had already walked through the inside). He walked us through the Latin Quarter and gave us context about the area. The Latin Quarter is where our tour ended (30 minutes early ??), a perfect place to explore. From there we enjoyed walking by the Pantheon and wandering to Luxembourg Palace & Gardens. The gardens are magnificent. So enjoyed relaxing in the gardens watching families enjoy a Saturday morning launching mini boats in the sailboat pond.

A Seine River Cruise was a great intro to Paris. Our guide highlighted the many landmarks along the Seine. The weather was a bit misty, so not the ideallic setting we had hoped for, but alt least it didn't pour.

We loved this museum and a self-guided tour with audio is the perfect way to visit this museum. Timed entry is key as well. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in Cafe Company under the iconic clock.

Hôtel des Invalides was a great stop. Self-guided with audio was perfect for us. Napoleon's tomb and the surrounding rooms were an impressive display, one of a kind for sure. The cathedral is beautiful, too. Gardens are quite nice. We spent more time in the war museum than we had expected. The collection of weapons and armour were remarkable. The 20th century wars were presented very well, a great lead in to our upcoming D-Day tours.

Château Chenonceau is an amazing Château. The grounds are stunning. Lord that fresh flowers from the grounds adored many of rooms. What a beautiful way to bring an ancient structure to life bringing warmth and color whereas many old structures are drab and cold. Built across the river makes Château Chenonceau so unique. The Corridor served as a hospital during WWI, and we had recently learned that a relative of ours worked in the hospital at that time. We loved the river cruise seeing the château from this unique vantage point. Would highly recommend for others to add the boat ride to this tour. Our guide was excellent & informative. Afterward we were dropped at a 5 star hotel restaurant for lunch. Atmosphere was lovely, food was great, but extremely expensive (most expensive meal of our entire trip), unnecessary for afternoon meal.

We enjoyed this tour and a chance to experience the Jewish Quarter on a lively Saturday afternoon. Our guide was a wealth of information. She shared the awful plight of the Jewish people during the time of German occupation. and took us past several historical landmarks honoring those who perished or acted heroically. This was a simple tour. In some respect, not much to it, bot on the other hand, this was information we would not have happened upon on our own. So we were glad we dd this tour. This tour was 30 minutes shorter than listed in description.

Malcom is a passionate historian and war enthusiast. We could not image a better guide. He was amazing, a wealth of knowledge and wonderful storyteller. we were fortunate to spend two full days with Malcom, visiting the British and Canadian Sector one day and the US Sector on the second day. The flow was brilliant as we were able to explore the full 50 miles of D-Day operations. Malcom made the D-Day story come to life as he shared personal accounts , described the difficult conditions, and highlighted failures and successes of that fateful day. A powerful and moving experience. We wish we would have scheduled a third day in order to visit a few museums.

Malcom is a passionate historian and war enthusiast. We could not image a better guide. He was amazing, a wealth of knowledge and wonderful storyteller. We were fortunate to spend two full days with Malcom, visiting the British and Canadian Sector one day and the US Sector on the second day. The flow was brilliant as we were able to explore the full 50 miles of D-Day operations. Malcom made the D-Day story come to life as he shared personal accounts , described the difficult conditions, and highlighted failures and successes of that fateful day. A powerful and moving experience. We wish we would have scheduled a third day in order to visit a few museums. As Americans, this day was especially powerful. In additional Omaha, Point du Hoc, and Utah Beach, we visited the US National Cemetery, a beautiful resting place and memorial for all who gave their lives for freedom sake. We were privleged to witness the daily ceremony singing of the US , playing of taps, and the laying of flowers at the foot of the statue :"The Spirit of the American Youth Rising from the Waves". Very powerful ceremony & honored to witness.

This tour was cancelled, without opportunity to reschedule. This was probably for the best as this allowed us time to explore Beaune on our own. Most especially, this enabled us to visit the Hospices de Beaune, very impressive and well preserved. Had we done the walking tour. We do enjoy some unstructured time, so this worked out well. We do anticipate a refund for this cancelled tour.

Château de Chambord is an incredible structure. The stuff of fairy tails. Crazy, the opulence of the Kings and Queens of the day, for a hunting lodge no less. E-Bikes added a little something extra and was a great way to experience the grounds and nearby forest. Lunch was lovely though a four course meal was a bit much for lunchtime. The tour was not as describe. We expected to go to a Biscuiterie tasting. That did not happen. Maybe they were closed that day? Something that we would expect the guide or Kimkim to know in advance. There was not really an explanation. Our just asked if we would like to ride bikes a bit longer before returning to the van. We didn't understand until after the tour that the extra bike time was instead of the tasting.

Laura , our guide, was wonderful. The Louvre is an incredible space. House within this amazing palace is the most extensive collection in the world. Loved that our tour was at night when the crowds were fewer. The place is massive, yet our guide helped us navigate through seamlessly. Laura brought the art to life with stories of their relevance. From Roman ruins discovered underneath to the modern pyramid entrance, and everything contained therein, the Louvre is a must-see. Very glad we had a guide for this one! At the end of our tour, Laura helped us make dinner reservations and even walked us to the restaurant.

We enjoyed a leisurely, unstructured afternoon exploring Montmartre. At the base, Montmartre was so peaceful and quiet. We started to explore by ascending the steps to the Bascilica du Cacré-Coœur for what we thought would be a quiet time overlooking Paris from the Basilica steps. Once we reached the top, it was as if we had entered a time warp. The top was abuzz with throngs of people celebrating grape harvest with a wine festival. The Basilica steps were packed with everybody enjoying the beautiful afternoon with a glass of wine in hand. So festive. Everyone was having a great time, so we join in for a glass on the steps as well. Just a short walk from the crowds in a quiet courtyard, we were entertained by a young singer and the onlookers danced. Our evening culminated with a delicious dinner at historic La Maison Rose. A wonderful day!

The tour was fine, just not necessary at this point in our trip. After 17 days, we could have done without a final day of visits to small villages (Mostly empty and shuttered due to off season). We did enjoy a unique lunch experience at a farmers co-op restaurant. The town was literally desolate with shutter buildings and empty streets. Then we opened the restaurant doors and it was absolutely packed inside, with locals and families on school break. A delightful experience. We also visited a large Abbey which was interesting. However, for this, our last day after many, many tours, I think we would have preferred a leisurely day experiencing charming Beaune visiting shops, tasting some cheese and enjoying a leisurely lunch before transporting to Dijon to catch the train to Paris.

This sidecar tour was a fun way to see the Burgundy landscape up close learning a bit about the region along the way. Gilles, a retired air traffic controller, was a splendid host treating us to his family Sunday drink, Chardonnay with Black Currant and his wife's homemade cheesecake puffs. Winding our way past vineyards and nearby villages, the weather threatened our day but we enjoyed our time even with mist and sprinkles.

Nicoli was so engaging and knowledgeable. This was wine tasting experience interesting for us as Nicoli talked more about the region and the subtleties in climate and soil that make each wine unique. Wine tastings we've done in California focused more on the grapes and the barrels. We were fascinated how different the wine can be from plots so close in proximity to each other with just a small elevation, tempera or soil difference. We enjoyed learning about the process to become a Sommelier. We know very little about wine, yet thoroughly enjoyed this experience.