Kimkim Trip Reviews

Jeab was great to work with.
Key attributes:
- She was very responsive especially since we were 12 hours apart when planning the trip.
- She was knowledgeable of the places we wanted to go and did a good job of setting up the activities that showcased the stops.
- We really appreciated her collaborative approach of listening to our input and responding with suggestions and alternatives where appropriate.
-She subcontracted with Vio Travel in Thailand to handle the logistics and they were great, drivers and transportation elements of the trip were seamless.

Stops -
Phuket - stayed at the Kaththani Beach resort - Its a 4 star resort - nice beach and town was interesting. Its a long trip from the airport with traffic and going anywhere you have to deal with traffic. Did Hong Island by Starlight on first full day - took an 1.5 hours to get to dock because of traffic. Boat trip was fun and nice to meet fellow travelers. Boat staff did the Kayaking, but were very knowledgeable about the area and the stops so that made it fun.

Krabi - stayed at that Tubkaak Boutique resort - Its a 5 star resort. Nice beach and the rooms were very nice and had a lot of free activities we took advantage of including a Thai boxing lesson and guided hike in the national park. We went on a four island tour by longtail. We stopped at each beach for about 30 minutes and all were beautiful though fairly crowded. The next day we did the resort hike and then a Sunset Kayaking Ao Thalane tour. This was another highlight of our trip and guide did a great job of taking some of the best picture of us on the trip. Sunset was amazing.

Phi Phi - Stayed at the SAii Phi Phi Island Village. Its a 4 start resort. Nice beach. Its not located in the main town but there were good restaurants off property. Did a snorkeling tour the next day that we arranged on our own in the village based on Google reviews (Mr. Chet). which we would recommend. It was amazing to swim with the turtles and see so many the fish. That tour also went to Maya beach, which was fun but too crowded.

Khoa Sok - Stayed at the Khoasok Boutique Camps. This was not Jeab's first choice but we were late deciding so this was the next best place she recommended. We stayed in a tent but it was Glamping (Bathroom was in fixed structure attached to the tent) and was fine. For activities we did the bamboo rafting followed by a Bamboo cooking lesson. This was a low point in the trip. Both were terrible. Raft trip was constantly interrupted by power rafts dragging rafts up river - very loud. Plus there were lots of other rafts going down the river - kind of like Bangkok traffic on the river. The guide was nice but not very engaging. Bamboo cooking class was just giving us food cooked in a bamboo shoot. No talking or demonstration - just here is your food. Next day we did full day Cheow Lan Lake Adventure. This was a nice trip and our guide was fun as were the other travelers ( small group - 11 other travelers).

Chiang Mai - stayed at the Rati Lanna Riverside Resort - 5 star resort. It's just outside the old city but is a great location as many day trips involve going out that side of Chiang Mai. First evening we did the Doi Suthep, Wat Pha Lat and Michelin Food experience. The guide was great and very personable. Second day we did a half day at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and that was a highlight. Elephants are rescue elephants and are treated very well. They had a baby elephant so that was a lucky bonus. That night we did a Thai Family Hosting Experience. That was also a highlight as we learned about the local Lanna people and got to cook some traditional Northern Thai food. Next day we did a Chiang Rai tour of White and Blue Temples as well as the Black House Museum. Temples were amazing but because of construction it took 3.5 hours each way to travel. Last day we did a Sticky Waterfall and mountain biking trip. Sticky Waterfalls was very fun and we wish we could have spent a little more time there. The mountain biking was good but the jungle did not seem particularly unique.

In sum - Good to great hotels, great transportation, and fun activities and feel that we have now "done Thailand".

Hotel Reviews

Rati Lanna Riverside Resort and Spa

Just a beautiful hotel. Room was very nice as were staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

in in the old town but located close enough.

Staff

Everyone was very nice and went out of their way to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Khaosok Boutique Camps

Stayed in a tend but attached bathroom was fixed structure so it worked nicely.

Authenticity & Character

beautiful location, mountains all around

Location

It was a bit of a trip to get anywhere.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

There were a fair number of little ants that got into our luggage.

SAii Phi Phi Island Village

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not in the main town on the island, but had a little village which had good places to eat behind the resort

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort

Krabi

Great Beach and had a lot of nice amenities - morning palates classes, Thai boxing, and guided hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach and near national Park

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Katathani Phuket Beach Resort

Muang Phuket

Nice place for Sunset over the beach. Breakfast's were good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sticky Waterfall Cross Country Ride - Small Group Tour

Chiang Mai

Waterfall was very fun and biking was nothing special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Stopped at roadside restaurant on way back into town and I thought it was some of the beat food we had had.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very good

Transport

Full Day Chiang Rai tour from Chiang Mai

Thailand

Glad we did it. Temples and Black museum were amazing - But because of instruction it was a long day 3.5 hours each way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Average

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was knowledgeable but didn't engage with us that much,. Didn't sit with us at lunch and spend time talking to office .

Transport

Once Construction on highway is finished then trip is worthwhile.

Thai Family Experience Home Host Tour

Chiang Mai

It was great to learn about the local Lanna peoples. Good a good over view of their culture and family dynamics and well as food.

Quality of Experience

Really felt like you were welcomed. And Food was great - even if we made it under their instruction.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Experience at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

Chiang Mai

Elephants seems to be treated very well and they had a baby elephant at this camp.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Its 1.5 hours out of Chiang Mai

Doi Suthep, Wat Pha Lat and Michelin Food Experience with Local

Chiang Mai

Very good guide and food was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cheow Lan Lake Adventure

Thailand

fun activity for the day. Went to the bat cave and did a short informative hike before lunch and swim. Guide was energetic and other tourist on trip were fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bamboo Cooking – Jungle Dinner

Thailand

Waste of time and money - we were dropped off at camp site. Food was already cooked and they gave it to us with minimal interaction and then took us back to hotel when we were done. should have just gone to local restaurant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Interact with clients - actually talk about how to select bamboo and how its cooked - like the description says.

Transport

Khao Sok Bamboo Rafting

Thailand

Did not come close to the experience as was described before the trip - no coffee stop and river was crowed and noisey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Kayaking Ao Thalane with BBQ

Krabi

Guide was great, he even took some amazing picture for us. Sun Set was beautiful. Low tide meant we couldn't go through the mangroves but really didnt need to as we went thgouh part of them and it would have been more of the same. Went to san bar for Sunset

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4 Islands by Luxury Longtail

Krabi

Stopped at each island for about 30 minutes except a little longer for lunch - beaches were getting crowded.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hong by Starlight

Phuket

Was fun and guide was good. Guide did the kayaking but that was fine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From hotel to dock was 1.5 hours.

Thank you, Io, Lizbeth, and Nataly for making sure every detail was accounted for in planning and carrying out this amazing trip!! Everyone was so helpful and profesional from the planning stage to drivers, tour guides, airport greeters for pick ups, hotel staff, and more. I loved seeing Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the jungle/rainforest! I felt very safe and comfortable traveling alone with Andean Travel Experience and would definitely do it again. I highly recommend booking with them!

Our guide for the cruise part of the trip, Mohamed Kamal, was truly a wonder. His depth of knowledge of history and language was remarkable. It was so interesting having him read the hyroglyphics.

This trip was amazing! I was so impressed with the country, the food, and the people. Karla was absolutely phenomenal.
She was patient, kind, and always available. She answered all of my questions, even the silly ones! She was kind enough to even accompany me to see the Cathedral and spend time after work one night. It is really nice getting to know the person whom you have trust in while in a foreign country. Fransisco was also wonderful. He was knowledgeable, sensible, helpful and very caring when the altitude was too much. He was prompt and very great to get to know. He was a confident driver in traffic around Quito as well. It was difficult on the horseback ride as no one spoke English. The ride was beautiful, but would have been better to understand where we were. My bike ride was also very nice. both Paulo and Freddy were very adept at navigating traffic around the city and communicating. Couldn't have been better. As for the Galapagos, this part of the trip was wonderful--the swimming, boats, snorkelling. The transport team was a little difficult. most did not seem to speak english very well. Especially transport to/from the boats and airport. The snorkelling both Tintoreras and Los Tuneles was very very good. the guides were personable and friendly. They paid attention to detail and safety as well. I would have liked a more active kayak experience, but relaxing while the guide paddled was nice, none the less. I will/have already recommended Kim Kim for future travel to all of my friends as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Loja Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

The hotel was clean, although a bit dated. A/c was nice. pool was very pleasant. The receptionist, Diego, was wonderful! He was personable and spoke very good English and was very fun to talk to. The central area was nice to relax in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos

Pto. Ayora

this hotel was very nice, close but not too close to the city (nice walk), near to some restaurants. staff was friendly and helpful although English was marginal. Pool was nice. a/c was great in the room and breakfast room, but the rest of the building was rather warm .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

very clean, comfortable, spacious hotel. amenities were good. dining options were a little pricey but food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

futuristic hotel and interesting architecture.

Location

great for the airport--shuttle was available. far from the city.

Staff

very pleasant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chilcabamba Lodge

Machachi

wonderful beautiful and spacious hotel. The little garden was worth the walk. Dinner was amazing. The hotel was a bit remote and far away from ANYTHING>

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very far from a city.

Staff

owner was very pleasant and introduced herself. Receptionist was nice and pleasant as well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vieja Cuba

Quito

Room was nice, but a bit warm. It was very quiet. It was a difficult time hauling heavy bags up/down three flights of stairs. Breakfast staff and receptionist were wonderful. Very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

nice hotel but off the beaten track.

Staff

receptionist was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

no activities as we got in to the city late.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

not very attentive and difficult to connect with them---needed a better sign.

Transport

Connect with your flight to Galapagos

Ecuador

guide was on time to drive us to the airport.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

not very interactive

Transport

Day at leisure - Speedboat to Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

the pickup at the boat was very confusing as the guides did not speak much English and were not very attentive. a list of available restaurants and a local map would be very helpful.

Quality of Experience

need restaurant suggestions and a map

Food

1835 restaurant was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Ecuador

probably the best experience of the trip! the guides were great, they all were very very helpful and attentive. the food was excellent (cooked on the boat between snorkeling), snorkeleing was great and the guide even took photos and videos he shared with us. he was very patient and even helped with a new facemask that I had purchased for the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

yellowfin tuna steaks, watermelon, grilled veggies.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They all spoke English, they were polite and paid attention to detail.

Transport

pickup was on time and everything was planned to the minute without seeming rushed. all spoke English.

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

This was an excellent tour. the guide was very knowledgeable, took questions, spoke good English yet spoke to the Ecuadorians as well. the animals were very happy letting us observe them. the guide seemed to know exactly where to find the different species that made the trip worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quilotoa Lagoon - Quito

Ecuador

I ended up NOT doing this activity as the altitude sickness prevented me safely enjoying the views.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fransisco was very astute and in the name of safety suggested we skip this experience.

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

the animals were very very interesting to observe in their habitat. the guide was very knowledgeable but not really interested in interacting as people. She did eventually open up a little bit. The drivers did not speak English and the whole pick up from the airport was rather confusing and a little stressful. One of the airport personnel had retrieved my bag (unbeknownst to me) and put it aside. After all the luggage was retrieved I happened to see my bag in the corner and had to ask about it. The man did not speak English. I had to take the bag and look for my guides in a sea of people. The tree planting was quick and the "gardener" did not speak any English. basically he had dug the small hole, handed me the plant (I am not sure what is was??) and motioned me to put it in the hole. We ate at the newly refurbished dining hall overlooking the Tortoise area. The meal was excellent and the staff was courteous.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

only spoke Spanish and were rather cold.

Transport

make sure that the guides are there with a sign with the name as I had NO idea where and whom were picking me up.

Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

it was very very hot on Tortuga bay! even with sunscreen, it was scorching. swimming and snorkelling was very relaxing. There was very little interaction between the guide and myself. He was rather standoff-ish. the walk was nice and the fish were great! I would have liked to paddle the kayak but the guide insisted that he was going to paddle while I just sat and relaxed. Turtles and sharks were very cool to observe in their natural habitat. Guide recommended to take the speed boat back to save time and allow the afternoon to relax. Felt like he was in a hurry to return.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

We only could see the volcanoe peaking from beyond many clouds. altitude sickness was a problem. walking around the small lake was nice. Fransisco's knowledge helped a lot.

Quality of Experience

Horsebackriding.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest

Ecuador

the weather was POURING on this day but the birds were so very very cool! We saw lots of birds, even a Toucan. the hummingbirds were magnificient.

Quality of Experience

Food

great local restaurant and pan bread!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fransisco knew the guides and the area well.

Transport

Cultural Quito Bike Tour

Quito

Both Paulo (the route) and Freddy (the commentary and history) were wonderful. Very nice and paid attention to safety.

Quality of Experience

Food

chocolate tour was nice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was picked up in front of the hotel. Great place to start from!

Middle of the World Visit & Cooking Class Experience in Quito

Quito

Phenomenal !!!! The experience was great and the food was tremendous. Loved the chef as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito was great, the Galapagos guides did not speak much English and seemed rather preoccupied.

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