Kimkim Trip Reviews

Elena was amazing. Knowledgeable and very pleasant to work with. She planned my bucket list trip of a life time exactly with precision and left no detail out. She included all of the activities that were important to me as well as my Niece and Great Niece that made this such a memorable experience

We had a private guide “Andy” who was so gracious wonderful. He shared his time and years of experience with a passion. He is an A+++ and represented your company very well

Our drivers were also amazing. Everything about Costa Rica was magical and special

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Wonderful accommodation. Staff were very nice and helpful Loved our resident 5 month old two toed sloth Lucy who visited daily Pool area was lovely and made it easy to meet other guests have drinks and relax

Authenticity & Character

Location

Situated beautifully on landscape. Felt private and had access to wildlife. Breakfasts were great

Staff

All were accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was great. Wonderful view.

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

All staff were very helpful and the location was wonderful. Quaint and welcoming and nestled into a lush landscape. We were welcomed at our first breakfast with a stunning rainbow 🌈 Loved the night walk. Highly recommend the zip line experience and walking through the cloud forest and hanging bridges

Authenticity & Character

The spa was a wonderful addition. After a day of walking we loved our massages and hot tub

Location

Quaint and tucked into the landscape.

Staff

Everyone

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Close to airport. Clean and friendly. Only there overnight to arrive and leave

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location and optional restaurants close bu

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Great staff. Great food. We enjoyed snorkeling and swimming off the boat before the bbq. Watching the sunset and the dolphins was so special

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Our guide was great. He was able to find many species for us. So many creatures, so little time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

We did not have a guide. We chose to do this walk by ourselves and loved it

Quality of Experience

The view, the smell, the mist on my face. It is awe inspiring

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Countryside Horseback Ride

Monteverde

The farm was amazing. Greeted by goats dogs chickens and the barn cat The cowboys were wonderful and the scenery and ride was beautiful. Such vistas!! The farm was all organic and we were treated to a drink and lovely snack after the ride We even got to milk a cow and bottle feed a calf

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The team that conducted the zip line adventure were excellent. Friendly and funny. Very informative and careful with safety

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Hard to get good photos in the dark. The guides were very helpful in assisting Guide was good but wished we could have seen more frogs

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drivers were interactive and provided information about Costa Rica

We have just returned from a truly wonderful 14-day February trip to Chile, booked on kimkim with the excellent, professional help of Jesse. First we must write about Jesse. From the moment I began looking into doing this trip, Jesse provided thorough, competent, and sensitive assistance. She "listened " to all our hopes and preferences, designing for us the trip of a lifetime. She adjusted hotels for us to make the package more affordable. And every tour she arranged for us revealed things we had hoped for and amenities we couldn't even have imagined - like early morning outdoor breakfasts in the desert, and phenomenal trekking and viewing experiences.

Once we arrived in Chile, again, Jesse could not have been more helpful. Communicating with her on WhatsApp, she ensured that all pick-ups and drop-offs went smoothly, and answered all the questions we had immediately, even sometimes quite late at night. Her responses were always kind and personable. We always knew we were in good hands with her guidance, and when we return to Chile - which we will! - we hope we will be lucky enough to work with Jesse again.

We began our trip in Santiago, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Valparaiso, with its incredible murals and steep, winding streets. Our guide, Javi, made sure we spent as much time as possible walking those streets, and she pointed out many treasures that we would have missed without her help. And we were thrilled with the "San Jose Volcano and Andes Mountains" experience. We had our guide, Juan Paulo, all to ourselves, and his love of the area and of the climb was so evident and genuine that it filled us with love for the experience, as well. He was also a true professional, teaching us things about the flora and fauna and ensuring that we were always safe as we climbed and descended.

Then we flew to the Atacama desert, and began our time there there with what was my favourite tour of all - the "Atacama Experience." We visited the farm of Gonzalo, a young indigenous farmer who introduced us to his llamas, and then demonstrated and talked us through the experience of making pottery with local materials, helping us each to create pieces of pottery that we could take home. Next we sat 'round a small fire with him while he prepared infusions from local herbs, which we gratefully drank. And last of all, he "gave" us each a llama to walk, and we spent an hour or so walking with "our" llamas in the desert as the sun was setting. Gonzalo was an excellent, knowledgeable and gentle host whose passion for the way of life he was retaining has stayed with me and made me want to return to Atacama.

Everything we experienced in the Atacama was wonderful. Our guide for "Exploring the Atacama Salt Flats" and "Valley of the Moon Tour" was Daniel - a true professional with an uproarious sense of humour. We learned about the salt flats, saw statuesque flamingos and wild vicunas with their young and had a great outdoor breakfast. Daniel brought us to a small village where he helped us find and purchase genuine alpaca products - and when we saw things we wanted to photograph he always made that possible. We were thrilled to have him as a guide again to visit the Valley of the Moon. The trek along the salt caves and stone formations was awe-inspiring, and Daniel thoroughly explained the formation of these geological wonders.

Marta was our guide to the Tatio Geysers, and she too was a wealth of knowledge and a great outdoor breakfast provider. And seeing the geysers steaming into the air at sunrise was beautiful and otherworldly.

I was sad to leave the desert, but other wonders awaited us. We flew to Santiago and from there, via Puerto Montt, to Puerto Varas. We loved our "Day Trip to Vincente Perez Rosales National Park" as well as our wonderful and quick-witted guide, Jorge. The highlight of this tour for us was the amazing view of the volcanoes and glaciers, and our ascent of the Osorno volcano. We chose to take the lifts up the side of the volcano, and I'd recommend that to anyone taking this tour. We also had a fabulous lunch of local salmon. All the while Jorge had us learning and laughing. He was an excellent guide.

Nest we went "Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park" with Luis, whose knowledge of local flora was impressive. He shared with us his fascination with the plants, flowers, and trees of this rainforest - and kindly taught us a lot of Spanish, which really pleased us.

Then we flew to Punta Arenas. It proved too windy to go see the penguins on Magdelena Island, but we enjoyed time to ourselves exploring the town with its amazing waterfront statues. We could feel the pull of Antarctica from there. Punta Arenas is another place we'd like to return to.

In Puerto Natales. the "Boat Tour to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers" was a fantastic day. We saw sweeping waterfalls, sea lions resting on shore, and beautiful views of the glaciers. It was doubly gratifying to be able to land and walk to the base of one of them, where the view was amazing. So was our stop at the ranch and our meal of lamb there. And so was our surprise treat of whisky served with glacier ice, on the boat!

We finished our time in Patagonia with a day of trekking Torres del Paine. Three treks in one day was challenging, but the views of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls was memorable.

Jesse and Kimkim made all of this happen for us, and we will certainly want to work with them both again for our next South American adventure. Thank you for this amazing experience.

We had a fantastic trip organized by Ravi and Idityah Tikoo with Active India Holidays. This was our second Kim Kim trip, and we are heading on a third next month. We so appreciate the Kim Kim platform for ease of communication in planning and for their excellent vetting of tour providers. The trip Ravi planned was excellent. The coordination and local knowledge at every stop was really impressive. I remember at one point, stepping out into the wonderful chaos on the street outside of the Taj Mahal and our driver, Mr. Singh, zooming in to pick us up without missing a beat. The traffic is absolutely insane in India and our group marveled at how all our guides coordinated with Mr. Singh for inexplicably perfect transfers. Mr. Singh was a hero -- an impressive, friendly and safe driver (not to be underestimated with the traffic. I might also add that he was brave!). Other guides and helpers that we appreciated were Adarsh in Delhi (who in our last hours in India, late at night, made sure we caught showers and dinner as we were heading to the airport for our long flights home), Dharmendra (we loved Delhi with the Sikh Temple as one of the highlights), Gaj in Udaipur (a master of tricky Udaipur traffic along with Mr. Singh), Sanjay (for a wonderful time in Jaipur, including a wander through the flower market), Ronit (so knowledgable about Agra and the Taj -- not to be missed!) and finally, Mohan in Varanasi (what a great tour of a mind-blowing city). We really wouldn't have changed anything in our itinerary. We really enjoyed all the historic hotels. Restaurant choices were really good and we all stayed healthy. Thank you so much, Ravi & Co! All your choices were spot on. Five stars!

Hotel Reviews

Brijrama Palace

Dashashwamedh, Uttar Pradesh

Absolutely stunning. Loved everything about this hotel. Amazing location in a gorgeous old palace. We couldn't get enough of watching monkeys scale the building across from our room window. This was our last hotel of the trip and we highly recommend it. Great restaurant. Varanasi was perfect as the last stop -- top India!

Authenticity & Character

Central position, completely historic, beautifully restored, a literal palace on a ghat. The best views. Wow!

Location

The absolute best!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ITC Mughal

Agra

This hotel was excellent for us and a departure from the heritage hotels to which we usually gravitate. Air quality in December was challenging, and we welcomed a very up-to-date hotel for its modern HVAC system. We didn't have a problem with air quality in the other hotels over the course of our trip, but it was nice to have a bit of a modern reset at this hotel. It's big, it's shiny, it has a huge breakfast buffet. Good choice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alsisar Haveli

Jaipur

We ended up at a different hotel (Shahpura House) for some reason. We had no issue with the change. Shahpura House was a lovely heritage hotel in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Amet Haveli

Beautiful hotel, worth taking the time to wander around. Sunrise over the lake from our room was really special. I feel like we had particularly good rooms for that (thanks, Ravi!). The restaurant patio is lakeside and stunning. We enjoyed watching the early morning bathers and swimmers while eating breakfast. Good breakfast buffet with made-to-order dosa. We had the craziest, most memorable tuk tuk ride through the narrow streets to get back to the hotel one evening. Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Really charming.

Location

Beautiful!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Haveli Dharampura

Delhi

LOVED this hotel. Building is absolutely gorgeous. Head to the rooftop for kite flying and monkey watching -- magical. Restaurant was excellent and the staff could not have been more helpful or kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pride Plaza Aerocity

Delhi

We arrived late at night and stayed out near the airport for convenience on the first night. This hotel worked well for that purpose. After breakfast, we headed to our historic Delhi hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing to improve. Good choice for an airport hotel.

Location

Just a few minutes from the airport.

Staff

Staff was kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good, modern hotel.

Activity Reviews

Visit to Sarnath

Varanasi

This was our last walkabout before catching our flight back to Delhi. It was relaxing and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Varanasi

Varanasi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise River Trip Over Ganges and walk along the historical Ghats of Varanasi

Varanasi

A must. Defies explanation. This was one of the highlights of a trip filled with great moments.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Aarti (Prayer Ceremony) in Varanasi

Varanasi

Our guide Mohan took us to a great viewing location. Afterwards we laughed at where we would have ended up without him. The crowd at the nightly ceremony is huge. We had a perfect, comfortable bird's-eye view.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the marvelous and historic monument : Agra Fort

Agra

So impressive. Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Take a stroll through the historic garden (Mehtab Bagh) for the most magical views of the Taj Mahal by TUK-TUK

Agra

The Taj Mahal was jaw-dropping. We weren't prepared for how impressive it actually is in person. You really have to see it to believe it and appreciate it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class, and Dinner with Local Family

Jaipur

What a lovely, kind family. This was a really interesting evening that we all enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Half Day Sightseeing : Amer fort

Jaipur

Beautiful! Loved all of it, especially the Mirror Palace. It must be incredible to see at night.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Bathe, Paint and Feed- A life-time experience with elephants at Elefantastic

Jaipur

Quality time with elephants. Our group loved this. The elephants are well cared for and loved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Half Day City Tour

Jaipur

Flower market was awesome! Great city tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chittorgarh

Udaipur

Chittorgarh was very interesting but also very crowded. Traffic was tough. We had fun and even enjoyed the traffic jam from our tuk tuk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Jagmandir Island and Sunset Boat Ride On Lake Pichola

Udaipur

We were not able to do this activity due to crowds. It was busy! Our guide Gaj suggested an alternative and we were happy with the change.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Udaipur Sightseeing

Udaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon visit to Bagore ki Haveli and enjoy a cultural evening of Rajasthani Folk Dance

Udaipur

This was fun. We got up and danced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

New Delhi Sightseeing

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Street Food Tour

Delhi

Our group of 5 stayed healthy on this trip, and we attribute that to being directed to reputable restaurants and sticking to the advice on how to eat safely as a tourist. It was really nice to be able to try some street food that we would have avoided without a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

d

Free Time in Delhi

India

We had a wonderful trip. The Serendipity guides were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The accommodation was excellent and ending the trip by the beach was just perfect.

The planning framework was thoughtful, and the execution reflected real effort behind the scenes. Coordinating a five-week, multi-country journey with frequent hotel changes, drivers, flights, and activity transitions is complex, yet it was handled efficiently and with clear structure. There were many moving parts, and for the most part, they connected smoothly.

Our interactions with Lucy, our travel Specialist, were professional and steady throughout (via Whatsapp). Communication was clear, responses were timely, and it was evident she was actively monitoring the itinerary as we moved from place to place. When small issues arose — which is inevitable on a trip of this length — they were addressed promptly and constructively, without friction. That allowed us to focus on the experience rather than the logistics.

Overall, the guides arranged through KimKim were mostly excellent. They were knowledgeable, personable, and spoke very good English. Just as important, they were easy to spend a full day with — something that becomes critical when you are traveling intensively. A few were truly outstanding, offering depth, context, and a natural ability to read the group. Others were solid and dependable, though somewhat more scripted. Still, the overall standard remained high.

Several guides also demonstrated flexibility when plans shifted slightly due to weather, timing, or our own preferences. That adaptability made the experience feel more personal and less rigid.

Camila designed an exceptional, fully customized journey to Bolivia for us. Every element — from refined accommodations to seamless logistics and thoughtfully curated local experiences — was executed with precision and elegance.

She intuitively understood our vision, including our focus on photography, and crafted an itinerary that allowed us to capture Bolivia’s landscapes in a truly meaningful way. The photographer Renaldo was outstanding. From timing and locations to local coordination, everything was handled well.

Professional, highly responsive, and genuinely dedicated, Camila delivers a level of service that defines bespoke travel. We would gladly work with her again and highly recommend her to anyone seeking a refined, photography-driven journey.

Hotel Reviews

Tayka del Desierto

Ojo de Perdiz, Potosi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Sal Luna Salada

Uyuni

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Uyuni Salt Flats

Bolivia

Uyuni was nothing short of extraordinary. The vast salt flats felt surreal — endless white horizons blending seamlessly into the sky, creating a landscape unlike anywhere else on earth. Every sunrise and sunset brought dramatic light and breathtaking reflections, making it a dream destination for photography. It was a rare experience that felt both humbling and truly a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emerson, our driver and Charlotte our guide were AMAZING!!

This was a very difficult trip to plan with many activities, 2 countries, 2 continents, 4 National Parks to explore, very tight timing with many moving pieces and a long 4 week + trip. Erin and Jessica did an amazing job planning this trip and communicating with my wife and I to make sure all of activities went through as planned. Great job team!

Bimon set us up with a truly memorable trip to Thailand. Our guide through most of our adventure was Lina who was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and thoughtful. She gets extra credit for knowing all of the best places to eat and when to go to where to maximize the experiences. We really appreciated how responsive Bimon was to our questions and any requests to tweak our itinerary in real time. Our group of six ranged in ages from 4-74 so it was no small task to get us comfortably to places we could all enjoy and on schedule. Thanks so much!

Hotel Review

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Was very impressed with the family room that accommodated our family of four very comfortably. Food and service were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Khai Nok - Khai Nai ( Cat Island ) - Khai Nui by speed boat

Phuket

Boating and snorkeling conditions were not ideal so it is difficult to rate. Even in ideal conditions, stopping at 3 islands might have been a bit unnecessary unless you enjoy speedboat rides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bangkok!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kokchangsafari Puhket

Phuket

This was our kid's favorite and probably mine as well. The staff were so kind and interacting with the elephants was the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

I was the least sure about this one but so glad we went. The market was very cool to see and was actually a great place to pickup souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok city tour with a food tasting at Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Having rarely used a travel agent, I was not sure if I would need one for this trip to Costa Rica, but since we had never been before, I wanted the security of having a specialist help us plan. And I really loved the convenience of the KimKim online platform where I could identify the exact details for our trip. What started as a family trip for four, eventually became a trip for just my husband and I and Holden was very helpful, very responsive and able to accommodate all of our requests with ease. Even when we had a small hiccup with our choosen hotel, Holden came through and pulled off an amazing alternate plan. The hotels were stunning and well appointed and made the trip even better. The drivers were super knowledgeable and helpful navigating the country. The tours booked were OUTSTANDING. Great overall experience for sure!

Activity Reviews

Canyoning in Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

AMAZING!!! This was the highlight of our trip by far. The staff was outstanding. The views impeccable. The experience unmatched. The waterfalls stunning....just amazing all around.

Quality of Experience

Just amazing--from the views, to the challenge level, to the safety...just all around great.

Food

Very traditional Costa Rican dishes--so much flavor and super tender. Delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dario, and his entire team were fabulous.

Transport

Little glitch at the end only because we had to check out of our hotel, but in the end it all worked out perfectly.

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

This hike was really just ok. Our guide was AMAZING, and very knowlegeable and he tried to pull out little details we wouldn't have ever seen without him, but there really wasn't much to see (and it was not due to the cloud cover).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide--Mariano was amazing and knew so much about the area. Even suggested a great stop for lunch which we wouldn't have ever done. Just awesome!

Transport

So much fun hanging out with Mariano.

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Farm Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide was fun, passionate and very knowledgeable about the process of coffee and chocolate from growing to harvesting to production. The tasting experience was super helpful and we learned a lot about the entire process.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were with a larger group and being that our hotel was the farthest away, we had to sit for a bit longer than other guests.

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

Everything about this trip was amazing. The sites. The staff. The precautions to make us feel safe. Just truly superb! Loved every second of it!!

Quality of Experience

Ziplines of all options made this super interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun, smart and great overall guides made this trip even more amazing!

Transport

Fun short ride in a tractor was cool...

First time using KimKim and oh, the experience was par excellent!! Right from start to finish- Kat and Kate were super helpful, professional, courteous, prompt, and simply amazing.

The itinerary that Kat created for us was perfect. The communication was on point. Kate from operations did an incredible job. The private taxis, private wildlife tours, the hotels … everything was great!

Midway we wanted to change taxi pickup timings. But it was the weekend and I thought oh we’ll probably hear back on Monday. But lo behold, both Kat and Kate responded and that was really kind of them. Mary helped with our last minute request. Thank you!

Their partner operators in Costa Rica, Javier and Sharon, were very kind and helpful too. All the taxi drivers were wonderful too! Okay, in gist- everyone was simply wonderful!

The accommodation arrangements were fantastic. The weather in one place wasn’t quite what we enjoyed, but that’s just Mother Nature! As for the wildlife (our main interest)- absolutely breathtaking! Vibrant toucans, sleepy sloths, caiman, and more! On the last day of our stay there, a monkey actually tried to open our room door! I caught it on video. That was epic!!

In gist, booking our Costa Rica trip with the help of KimKim was totally worth it. Highly recommended!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Lovely jungle lodge. Breakfast was great! People were great. Birds galore! Caiman too!! Overall nice.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful lush greenery and a ton of birds!!

Location

Well nothing to improve! Personally we found it to be far from the downtown. That’s just personal preference.

Staff

Helpful and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very well kept!

Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport

San Jose

Eh, basic Holiday Inn Room. Okay for one night stay. Room was smelly. Proximity to airport: excellent! Just 5 mins away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 mins from airport

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ficus Sunset Suites

Monteverde

Gorgeous location, gorgeous suite, gorgeous sunsets!! We didn’t want to leave!! Close proximity to the lovely downtown. We could literally walk to everything. Close yet away from the noise. 5 stars! The front desk people were awesome. We weren’t fans of the breakfast though. The guy there wasn’t exactly giving off pura vida vibes, if you ask me! The options too were kinda eh. The accommodation itself was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful interiors, great coffee in room

Location

Sunsets!! Downtown

Staff

Smiley, friendly, courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great housecleaning, lovely furniture and decor

Activity Reviews

Traditional Cooking Class with Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

The cooking class was fun because of the company we had. Two other travelers were in our little group. The cooking class itself seemed a little “let’s wing it” kinda thing. Would have liked it to be more organized and upbeat. Perhaps some music in the background. Proper recipe cards for each participant, some hey let’s take pictures … that kinda thing. Upon one of the participants’ request, the cooking instructor emailed us the recipes later. There was also some confusion on a dancing class post dinner. Also it wasn’t a 2hr50 min activity. More like under 2 hours. All in all, a little disappointing. The food was yummy though.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Okay, I’m probably being a bit snooty here. But having lived in Seattle for a major part of my life, the rainforest walk itself wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. If you’ve never been to a rainforest, you should probably go and experience. Our guide Will Nunez though- oh what a brilliant guide!! He has a ton of knowledge on all flora and fauna of Monteverde and CR in general. He showed us two tarantulas!! That was the highlight, really! As for birds, they were there alright, but hard to spot because of the dense forest. We did see a beautiful hummingbird chick in a nest. I think we enjoyed Will’s company more than the rainforest itself!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Will Nunez rocks!!

Transport

Private Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Our guide Oscar was brilliant! Knowledgeable and knew exactly where to take us so we could see the beautiful CR birds. Including the endangered Quetzal!! Didn’t realize how fast the 4 hours went by!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had already book trip for skiing in Japan but needed some details filled in for transfers, place to stay in Tokyo and a tour. Winnie was very helpful. The hotel in Tokyo was spot on and our food tour was great. All transfers were seamless and on time.

I choose KimKim because I simply don't have time to sort out all details on any given trip. They are flexible and willing to help with full trip planning or just helping with details.

Hotel Review

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

Very comfortable, walking to many attractions, breakfast included gets day started right.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great. Nice young guy that managed our group and helped explain why we re tasting various foods.

Transport

Master Tokyo's Must-Sees: 5-hour Tsukiji, Akihabara & Asakusa Highlights Tour

Tokyo

This was a good tour for our day in Tokyo. Our guide was insightful and we enjoyed the tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Less than stellar. The unfortunate thing was slow communication with the Travel Provider. There were often delays during the planning. Most critically, there were major delays DURING the trip which caused us to have to scramble and make alternative arrangements on our own. Ultimately the service provider/agent did make things right, issuing refunds and becoming more responsive. But it left a bad taste in our mouth re: Kimkim.
I will say the KimKim platform is cumbersome. Having to login to mobile web browser to chat, instead of a dedicated app with chat capabilities, is not ideal.

Loved it all. Driving in country was easier than I thought it might be. Drivers are more courteous in Costa Rica than, e.g. Guatemala. We had some road closures and weather issues to work around, but no real problems. We were a little fuzzy on tours included or not, but got it worked out. The logistics of landing in San Jose at 1:00 and getting the car and to our hotel meant there was not time to walk around San Jose. We didn't get to the hotel until after 5:00. Again, not a problem, but a heads up. Rush hour traffic in San Jose is slow like a sloth.

El Presidente hotel was great. Mawamba Lodge was lovely. Pacuare Lodge was spectacular and the tours and guides there were fantastic! And Banana Azul was fine... but after Pacuare Lodge, nothing was going to feel as lovely. Tours in Puerto Viejo were good. All in all, a lovely trip and the help planning it was essential.

Thank you to Kat and the whole team!

I found the guides to be extremely educated in-the history and culture of their country and specific area they are guiding they are excellent drivers and their social skills are at a higher level Actually I found the people of Ecuador to be friendly and inviting I found myself in awe of this countries beauty and magistryI feel like I left a friend and I want to return Ecuador is a country I could easily call home I've gained abetter sense of who I am for spending just 2weeks there my spirit has been rebooted

Hotel Review

Hostería Paraíso Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba

Very relaxing don't forget your swimsuit

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Kindness that comes from the heart

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit to the Saraguro Community & Transfer to Cuenca

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca to Vilcabamba

Ecuador

The drive through the country was breathtaking

Quality of Experience

Feeling embraced by a culture Paola is an exceptional coordinator and host can't thank her enough

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had terrific guides: Jan for the hike; Akseli for the Northern Lights; Henry and Joel for the snowmobiling; the dogsledding people; and Thea and Christian for the snowshoeing.

Our Northern Lights experience was EPIC!! We will have to send pictures.

The only negative is that the traditional Lappish meal is served at every excursion, so we ended up eating mashed potatoes, reindeer, lingonberries and pickles over and over again. It's delicious, but it can be tedious to have it every day.

This trip was the AMAZING!
Elena really listened to us and created a custom curated itinerary that perfectly met our needs and desires. Best travel agent I’ve ever worked with. The hotels we stayed at were awesome! Arenal Springs Resort in LaFortuna, Cloud Forest Lodge in Monte Verde, and Hotel La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio ( my fav! - incredible view, wonderful room, and fabulous dining area).
We had a driver, Alex, who was very personable and taught us a lot about Costa Rica. Loved having him as our driver! The car was comfortable, clean, and well maintained. We felt very safe riding with Alex.
We went on a river float with Flow Trips. What a great team! Our guide was very knowledgeable and took care to position us so we could see the animals along the way. It was a very enjoyable outing. Highly recommend Flow Trips.
We went on a night hike in Monte Verde with Bosque Eterno de Los Ninos. Very knowledgeable guide who made sure we got to see lots of different animal life.
We did an all day Adventure at Selvatura Park, including zip line, hanging bridges, and butterfly and sloth exhibitions. Exhausting, but so worth it!
We had another driver, Andres, who was very professional and a pleasure to travel with. Did some stops that made the long ride so fun! Again, the car was comfortable, clean, and well maintained.
In Manuel Antonio we went on a morning hike in Manuel Antonio National Park with Endemic Bird. This was my husband’s favorite outing. Highly recommend Endemic Bird! We also went on a sailboat sunset tour with Planet Dolphin. What a great way to end our stay! If you’re in Manuel Antonio, do a catamaran tour. You will love it!
When we return to Costa Rica, we will definitely use Serendipity Adventures!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful location, fabulous view, amazing dining area. Very responsive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Beautiful view of nature. Wonderful restaurant! Room was very comfortable and felt very private.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Dirt road to get to hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

Loved the hot springs! The staff were so friendly and professional. The facility is very well maintained and soooo beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view of the volcano

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were a bit uncomfortable, but fine. Could hear our neighbors in the bathroom - a bit faint, but made us a bit uncomfortable.

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

1

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

1

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide at Arenal Volcano was keenly aware of our surroundings and was able to show us some animal life we never would have noticed on our own. La Fortuna waterfall was worth all 500 steps down and 500 steps back up!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most wonderful experience in Morocco thanks to KimKim and Maryem, out travel specialist. From start to finish, the trip was thoughtfully planned, beautifully paced, and completely stress-free. Every detail felt intentional, allowing us to truly relax and immerse ourselves in the culture.

Our driver, Zaid was exceptional. He was professional, incredibly careful on the roads, and genuinely kind. We always felt safe and well cared for — and his warmth added so much to the overall joy of the journey.

In Marrakesh, our guide Mohamed was equally outstanding. His knowledge, energy, and passion brought both the walking tour and the food tour to life. He helped us see the city beyond the surface and made the experience meaningful and memorable.

One of our favorite highlights was staying at the Agafay Desert camp. It was stunning and completely unexpected — serene skies, camels at sunset, and sleeping in our hut under the stars. It felt magical and unlike anything we’ve ever done.

We are so grateful for such a seamless and unforgettable adventure. Highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Heure Bleue Palais - Relais & Châteaux

Essaouira

Our stay at Palais L’Heure Bleue was truly a lovely experience. The hotel is stunning — elegant, intimate, and beautifully authentic. It perfectly blends Moroccan charm with a subtle French refinement, creating such a unique and welcoming atmosphere. The breakfast buffet was superb, with wonderful variety and quality, and dinner in the restaurant felt elegant and special — a true dining experience. Our room was spacious and comfortable, and overall everything worked beautifully… except for the coffee machine, which gave us a bit of a morning challenge (lol!). But even that added a little character to the stay. All in all, it was a memorable and delightful place to stay, and we would happily return.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alkamar Camp

Marrakech

Alkanar Camp was an absolute blast and truly one of the highlights of our trip. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome. They anticipated every need — bringing tea, coffee, and anything else to ensure we were comfortable and relaxed. The dinner was delicious, beautifully prepared, and enjoyed under the most stunning desert sky. The evening entertainment was lively and so much fun — such a special way to experience the atmosphere of the desert. And our hut? Absolutely adorable. Cozy, charming, and far more comfortable than we expected. Waking up there felt surreal. It was an unforgettable experience and one we’ll be talking about for a long time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Khum

Médina Marrakech

We truly enjoyed our stay at Palais Khum.The hotel itself is lovely, beautifully maintained, and very welcoming. The staff was warm, attentive, and consistently helpful throughout our visit. Our room was comfortable, well-appointed, and everything functioned perfectly — which always makes a stay feel seamless and relaxing. The only small hiccup was breakfast. It felt a bit chaotic at times and the selection was somewhat limited compared to the overall quality of the hotel. That said, it didn’t take away from an otherwise very pleasant experience. Also, one important thing. The hotel hotel is not properly placed on Google maps. We really got lost. Overall, we had a wonderful stay and would happily return.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Agafay Desert Camp overnight

Agafay

What an unforgettable experience. Sleeping in the middle of the desert under brilliant blue skies and bright, sparkling stars felt truly magical. Our cozy hut was comfortable and thoughtfully prepared, making the whole adventure feel both authentic and relaxing. My husband and I especially loved the evening entertainment — we got such a kick out of it! The flamethrower performance was incredible, and the energy of the night made it even more special. The food was delicious and beautifully prepared. Most of all, we felt genuinely well cared for from start to finish. The staff made sure we were comfortable and enjoying every moment. It was a unique experience we will always remember. Highly recommend if you want something truly different and memorable while in Morocco.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakesh

The Medina in Marrakesh is wild, vibrant, and completely unforgettable. Mohamed guided us through the winding streets and souks on an incredible food tour that turned out to be one of the highlights of our entire trip to Morocco. We sampled a variety of authentic Moroccan dishes — from fresh street food to local specialties — and everything was delicious. What made it even better was knowing the food was freshly prepared and thoughtfully selected. I honestly think some of the bites we had that day were the best food I ate during our whole trip. Mohamed made the experience fun, safe, and meaningful. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Marrakesh.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking Class La Maison Arabe Marrakech 10 AM session.

Marrakesh

Our cooking class at La Maison Arabe was an absolute blast and one of the highlights of our time in Morocco. We learned how to make chicken tagine with a wonderful chef and an incredibly warm and gracious hostess/owner. It was truly the best cooking class I’ve ever taken. Each of us had our own workstation, and there was a television monitor so we could clearly watch the chef’s demonstrations step-by-step. Assistants were nearby to guide us and make sure everything turned out beautifully, which made the experience feel relaxed, organized, and fun. The space itself was lovely — modern and polished, yet still infused with a beautiful Moroccan vibe. It felt authentic without being overwhelming. Such a memorable morning filled with great food, learning, and laughter. Highly recommend to anyone visiting!

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Michelle was a delight to work with. She listened to our wants for the trip and then arranged some wonderful excursions. All of our hotel accommodations were well located and of top quality. We had one glitch in our first hotel in Queenstown, but the KimKim team was able to get it satisfactorily resolved.

Hotel Reviews

The Mayfair

Christchurch

Beautiful Hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rainforest Retreat

Franz Josef Glacier

Very unique rooms literally said in a rainforest. The big draw for our room was the hot tub.

Authenticity & Character

It is special because it is in a rainforest.

Location

Reasonably close to town.

Staff

We didn’t have much interaction with the staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a large two bedroom suite with hot tub. Very comfortable.

Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel

Queenstown

We arrived and learned that our reservation had been erroneously canceled. The staff at the hotel could not have been nicer in working with us to try to get suitable accommodations. In their facility. Plus overall the staff went out of their way to make us feel at home including the cocktails in the evening and the absolutely spectacular breakfasts. This is definitely the place to stay in Queenstown.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town.

Staff

Absolutely great staff. Very personable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room accommodations were top notch.

Activity Reviews

Glacier Region - Greymouth - Christchurch

New Zealand

A very nice train ride on a beautiful train.

Scenic cruise on Lake Mapourika

Franz Josef Glacier

A very peaceful boat trip with a small boat of only 12 passengers. Lots of birds and interesting plants to see. You actually get very close to the shoreline. Great commentary by the guides.

Quality of Experience

The quality of the guides really added to the value of this trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above.

Transport

Scenic Flight Twin Glaciers in a Helicopter

New Zealand

Once in a lifetime experience. The glacier is spectacular. He will not get closer than you do on this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic flight and cruise – Queenstown to Milford Sound

New Zealand

Great experience! A highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great 3 weeks in Thailand. Bangkok is worth visiting many times. Our guide for our 5 days in Bangkok, Keng, was truly outstanding. He was very knowledgeable, thorough and conscientious. Our guide in Sukhothai, who told us to call him Football, was also very considerate, knowledgeable and helpful, especially regarding the best photo shots. Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivals were great experiences. Kimkim took very good care of us. The in-country contacts made sure we always had a comfortable means of transportation. Kudos to Jook also for setting everything up for us.