Kimkim Trip Reviews

We traveled to Florence and Lake Como to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, and working with Fabio made every moment of it truly epic.

From the very beginning, Fabio was responsive, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our trip special. Every provider he arranged — drivers, guides, and tour operators — was professional, friendly, and flexible throughout. The wine tastings were wonderful, and the private boat tour on Lake Como was the absolute highlight of the entire trip.

What truly set Fabio apart was how effortlessly he handled everything. We came in not quite knowing what to expect, and his expertise turned that uncertainty into complete confidence. When we needed a last-minute change to our itinerary, he accommodated our request without hesitation and without question. That kind of flexibility and grace under pressure is rare.

Fabio also went above and beyond with a truly special and thoughtful anniversary gift — a gesture that meant more than words can say and made our celebration even more memorable.

I would absolutely recommend Fabio and KimKim to anyone looking for an expert who will handle it all and make it amazing. If you want to hand everything over to someone you can trust completely and have it turn out epic — Fabio is your person.

Hotel Reviews

Palace Hotel

Como

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lake Como view from the room

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kraft

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location, walking distance from Arno river.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Lake Como to the Borromean Islands: A Day of Elegance and Discovery

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4-Hour Boat Experience - Explore Lake Como

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignano | Lunch & Wine Tasting Included

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Val D’Orcia & Brunello Wine Tour with Lunch and Two Wine Tastings

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence with David

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This has to be one of the best organized trips I've ever been on. KimKim organized everything from beginning to the end and it was seamless! The itinerary matched exactly what I wanted within my budget and Ellen's suggestions for some other experiences were perfect! From letting us know the times and locations of where to meet our guides to the exact platform to be on for the trains, we never found ourselves lost, confused or stressed. The drivers picking us up were bilingual and very helpful and our guides were off the charts! Lily, Jun, Meri, Satoko and Kiko showed us so many wonderful places in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto and incorporated my desire to visit Ueno and Kappabashi (so I could get some Japanese Knives!) and to visit some smaller neighborhoods as well. We also asked for visits to the Inari gates and the bamboo forest but without the crowds and our guide came up with solutions. Overall our whole trip was 100% perfections and I have absolutely no complaints about anything. I plan on using KimKim again for future trips to other countries!

Activity Reviews

*Private Guided Tour in Kyoto: Heritage and Timeless Paths

Kyoto

Kyoto is beautiful and special in its own way. Staying at a Ryokan and having Kaiseki dinners were such a great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

*Private Guided tour in Osaka: Castle, Street Eats and Local Energy

Osaka

Osaka is for food lovers and it did not disappoint! As well as the shrines, Tori gates and the Bamboo forest, all were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

*Private Guided Tour in Tokyo: Highlights and Hidden Gems

Tokyo

I loved that we were able to also include exploring Ueno and Kappabashi as I requested. There’s sooo much to see in Tokyo but I love these two areas!

Quality of Experience

Small streets of great food and experiences!

Quality of Experience

Small streets of great food and experiences!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide found my favorite gyoza restaurant from an old photo I had!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide found my favorite gyoza restaurant from an old photo I had!

Transport

Clean, professional and bilingual drivers were extra special!

Transport

Clean, professional and bilingual drivers were extra special!

Gummy is the absolute best. The itinerary he planned was terrific and he followed my wishes exactly. I appreciated his detailed instructions and suggestions as to daily dining and travel unique to Iceland. Gummy put together a tour that matched our interests and adventures. Because of our arrival and the timing of the last tour of the day, we were unable to join our puffin tour. Somewhat disappointing but not anyone’s fault. All hotels were clean, safe and in great locations. Jazz was somewhat disappointing in that it was only fair but we did appreciate being able to have breakfast at 5:30 am.I will certainly consider booking any future travel with Gummy and KimKim in the future.

Robert was an incredible helpful guide. He was always available to answer any questions.

Ivan and Sarah set up a wonderful itinerary for us. They were very responsive to any changes we requested. The local guides were all friendly and informative and spoke perfect english. If a driver was more than five minutes late we got in touch with Ivan and it was immediately addressed.
I can’t recommend this agency enough!

Exceeded our Expectations!

Our initial interactions with Joao were easy -- his responsiveness to our wishes was prompt and thorough. Each guide on the various islands Pico, São Jorge, Terceira, and Faial knew their territory and shared so much expertise with us. They flexed when asked and went out of their way to accommodate us, adding side trips as time allowed. Even our driver Jorge surprised us with hand-wrapped souvenirs! Would use Kim-kim again in a heartbeat. Thank you so much.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Do Colégio

Ponta Delgada

Nice to see a different side of the island. Like all our stays, this was clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great locale. Fun place to walk around and great restaurants.

Staff

Informative, respectful, and, of course, kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable.

Azores Book Hotel

Angra do Heroísmo

This was the winner hotel of our trip! It was very interesting and just an enjoyable place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Great character with the book theme.

Location

Ok, down the hill from the town -- in walking distance though.

Staff

Staff was very accommodating. A young waitress in the kitchen, having been asked for non-dairy options for coffee, proactively brought out some when we got to breakfast! Lots of people, but she remembered. Impressive. The breakfast buffet was great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and very comfy.

Pico Studios

Madalena

Well-located, relatively quiet, and clean.

Authenticity & Character

It was fine. There is a problem with the name of one of the rooms, which could be offensive to some people.

Location

Liked the proximity to the ferry, the square, restaurants, and coffee shop.

Staff

Not much interaction with staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable overall. We had lots of extra space. The fan in the bathroom was very annoying, and it was attached to the light switch.

As Casas da Riberia Grande

Ribeira Grande

Definitely liked this locale. It was a bit challenging to get responses since the main hotel was in another spot and the corner apartment was noisy. It was clean and spacious enough for a couple.

Authenticity & Character

The nearby square was charming, and it was near places where we could eat and walk.

Location

Noisy corner

Staff

Didn't really have much interaction since the main hotel was in another place.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable and clean. Some of the kitchen amenities were not there, although there were instructions that they were. Notheing major.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Hiking Activity in Terceira

Portugal

This was by far the most physical day of the trip. Our guide was so responsive and good overall that we gladly hired him on for the rest of the day.

Quality of Experience

What a treat, he really knew what he was doing, appreciated the varied flora and paid good attention to our comfort/safety while hiking.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide!!

Transport

Safe and took us to varied terrain.

Between the Lava and the Sea - A Half-Day Guided Wine Experience on Pico

Pico Island

Weather-wise, Pico was a bit more welcoming on this half-day tour. We had the same guide as on our first half-day and we had a good sense of his style. The tour was not private, however, and it seemed a bit awkward for the man who did not know us or the guide. Our guide handled things really well in any case.

Quality of Experience

Some of this was repetitive, but we enjoyed the wine tasting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was very adept at creating cohesion in the group.

Transport

Good driving.

São Jorge Flexible Explorer - Full-Day Guided Tour

Portugal

Once again, as with the previous tours, we had a guide who was passionate and knowledgeable about the environment and the history. He kept us engaged the entire trip.

Quality of Experience

It was a diverse tour, we again were invited into our guide's home to sample liqueurs made by his wife. A sense of being truly welcomed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, with a great sense of humor and clear pride in his work.

Transport

Safe and easy.

Faial from Coast to Crater: A Full-Day Guided Discovery

Portugal

Our guide Pedro was exceptional! He was a great fit for our group since we shared many perspectives on ecology and the environment. He gave us a bonus experience to meet his mother and see her garden and the project he was working on. It totally enriched our trip!

Quality of Experience

Pedro's passion for the environment and for his work.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Safe driver and seeing his home project and meeting his mother was such a bonus.

Transport

We saw a lot and it definitely felt like a perspective that was real. . .not a canned tour.

In the Shadow of the Giant: A Half-Day Guided Tour of Pico

the Azores

This one was difficult. In hindsight, going from the airport to a tour was not the best call. It was windy and cold, and I personally wasn't dressed warmly enough, so I spent more time in the van than outside looking at things. Our guide was very good and tried to be as accommodating as possible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was kind, respectful and very knowledgable.

Transport

Roomy van and our guide was a safe driver.

Ada was very prompt in answering our emails. She also provided excellent pre-tour information that helped us a great deal with our planning. The information we requested always came quickly. She understood very well what we were interested in and planned our entire tour accordingly. We were very satisfied with her arrangements. The hotel in Tokyo was great. It offered a great breakfast buffet and it was near shopping and restaurants. In Kyoto, the hotel was also very nice and near shopping and restaurants, but unfortunately the breakfast buffet was mediocre and none of the staff spoke English, so it was very difficult to ask for things. We think the staff did not even speak much Japanese. It is a restaurant run by Vietnamese staff, so communication was very hard. The hotel in Osaka was a nice hotel as well with a great breakfast buffet, very friendly staff, but not close to restaurants or shopping. We had to take a taxi to do some shopping on our last day. Fortunately, taxis in Japan are not terribly expensive. The one suggestion we would like to make is that when purchasing tickets in the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, the seats need to be on the right side of the isle (ideally seats D and E) so that the tourists can have a view of Mount Fuji. Also suggesting that a snack be brought on the train would be great.
Bea was our guide in Tokyo and she was totally amazing. She was kind, patient, knowledgeable, likable, and very helpful. Even after our tour/day with her was finished, she said we could contact her at any time if we had questions. She even helped us purchase our bus tickets to DisneySea. By the way, we were super lost when leaving DisneySea at the end of the day because turns out that there are two different exits to leave the park and they both look extremely similar, especially at night in the dark. It would be very helpful to tell the tourists going to DisneySea to pay very close attention to how they get into the park and to get out the same gate in order to catch the bus back to Tokyo.
When we went to Nara, we could not find the temple to see the Buddha. We contacted our guide in Kyoto, but when we did not get a response right away, we contacted Bea because we were very hot and wanted to get help as quickly as possible. We were lucky and Bea was able to do a video chat with us and even sent us a link so that we could locate the temple where we could see the Buddha. By the way, Jason did get back to us, but by then we had already spoken with Bea. Even after we returned home to the USA she contacted us to make sure we were okay. What a great tour guide! Plus, it was very nice to have someone who spoke such good English.
Our guide in Kyoto and Osaka, Jason, was also very good, funny and very knowledgeable as well. He tried to be patient, but my husband was having trouble with his back and was walking very slowly, so it was difficult for him to keep up with Jason even though Jason tried to allow for it. Jason also helped us buy our train tickets to Nara. This was very helpful because not many people speak English. One suggestion would be that, if the weather is not good and it is rainy in Osaka, it is not worth it to make the long walk to the Umeda Sky Building to get a view of the cityscape. Overall, we were very happy with Ada, the hotel accommodations, the places we visited and both tour guides. We loved Japan! It was a fun and exciting trip!

Our trip to Spain and Portugal was amazing. Kimkim did a fantastic job planning everything. Making sure that we had drivers to take us and pick us up at the key transportation hubs, and provided wonderful guides for the various tours that we took. We had a wonderful guide in Barcelona for the tour of Park Guell and the Sagria de Familia Basilica. Those are not to be missed if you visit Barcelona. We also did a Tapas food tour with Joseph who was funny, knowledgeable and took us to 3 excellent places for traditional Spanish Tapas. We stayed at Hotel Villa Emila which was a nice hotel in a nice part of Barcelona where we could walk to a number of places. After 2 days in Barcelona we took a train to Madrid on a nice coach and stayed at Hotel Regina. The next day we took a tour of the Prada Art Museum which was amazing. Later that afternoon we had a private tour of the Royal Palace with Carlos who was super knowledgeable and just a fun guide to have. The next day we attended a Flamenco show which was amazing. There as a slight mixup with the location, but Summer from Kimkim got back to me quickly to confirm the new location. After 2.5 days in Madrid, we flew to Lisbon which turned out to be our favorite place. Our first 1/2 day there we did some shopping and sight-seeing on our own. The second day we went on a walking tour with Rui who was super cool and very knowledgeable about the history of Lisbon and Portugal in general. He took us to the oldest operating bookstore in the world as well as other highlights of the city. Later that afternoon we went on a Portuguese food tour with Dani who had very close ties to the areas we went to as she grew up in Lisbon and was so passionate about the place and her heritage. The next day we had a private tour with Luis to Pena Place and Sintra. Luis was an excellent guide and the skip the line tickets was the only way to go as the lines for this tour were incredibly long and it was a hot day. I could go on and on, but Kimkim did an excellent job in planning excellent tours with great guides and virtually no issues. I highly recommend them.

My input was included with Rae's. Overall a very memorable and fun experience. Kimkim reduced the stress and found nice places to stay.

Hotel Review

Tulloch Castle Hotel ‘A Bespoke Hotel’

Dingwall

A very friendly and fun place to stay! We did not get to see the green lady ghost, but we had a great room...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Our of town

Staff

very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

good food and bar

Activity Reviews

Tickets to British Museum

London

I was glad we went, however a few hours is not nearly enough time. It would take days to see the place. I did not especially like the "layout" of the exhibits, however it was impressive.

Quality of Experience

Glen Afric, Culloden & Clava Cairns From Inverness

Inverness

Much better than I anticipated. Well worth the time. Culloden was an emotional experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a truly memorable trip. Roshan was a fantastic guide. His knowledge of everything was outstanding. He was kind and attentive. He even added in extra stops that he thought would be interesting. We really appreciated him and I can't recommend him highly enough. The initial help from kimkim was very good. All in all we had a great holiday.

Our custom trip to Croatia focused on history and local food experiences. The itinerary was well organized, and the pacing allowed us to really enjoy the destinations.
Our tour coordinator, Sara, was fantastic to work with. She handled all the planning and logistics seamlessly, ensuring everything ran smoothly from start to finish.
The local guides provided by kimkim were also a definite highlight of the trip. In particular, Petra was fun and entertaining during our wonderful tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park, and Grgo was excellent during our time in Hvar. Both were incredibly knowledgeable and added a lot of value to our experience.
I'd definitely recommend kimkim if you want a tailored trip with reliable local expertise and great support.

Our Greece trip was absolutely amazing and would not have been if Eirini wasn't helping us every step of the way. Her expertise about Greece and everything she put together for us was over the top perfect and effortless for all involved. I will be singing her praises and recommending her and Kim Kim for any travels to Greece. We could not have been happier with everything that she did and the places we stayed. Beyond expectations and loved it all.

Hotel Reviews

Althea Apartments

Pyrgos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Limeni Village Mani

Lakonia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ennea Muses Rooms & Suites

Nafplio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Urban Stripes Athens

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Museum tour

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The wines of Nemea tour

Nafplio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was great! The chosen activities were all good and I was very glad to have used Kimkim for the most part. I don’t like giving up control so much (control freak, obviously), but I only truly regretted it twice and kind of rolled my eyes once. They were not quick enough on getting us train tickets and we lost the opportunity for the original timing altogether (which I ended up being really glad for) and still weren’t able to get us seats together on the later time (which was not pleasant- not only was it annoying to not be next to my family, but also none of us had windows). The second thing I regretted was the first hotel- but it’s hard to say if I could have done significantly better - I did do way better on the last hotel 😮‍💨. That said- without them I would have likely not done three things that were the true highlight of the trip: one was a cruising sauna (in the end I booked this outside the Kim Kim portion of my trip myself, because due to the train timing issue they had to cancel the floating sauna they had intended for us- but I wouldn’t have booked at all probably without them putting it in my itinerary originally! The second was the Flåm train ride- what a treat! And thanks to the awful seats on the first leg of the train journey, we ended up having probably the best seats in this ‘free seating’ portion- so that worked out and was a true treat. The third was the fjord safari- super highly recommend!! It was wonderful, and we ended up having a private tour which was great. The one activity that was eye roll worthy and I regret on so many levels was the ‘dinner cruise’ in Bergen. For one, I’m sure it was unnecessarily expensive, two: at this point we had seen the fjord several times and it is definitely way prettier by Flåm and Balestrand, and three: the meal was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. My 16yo was jumping out of his skin and frankly so was I- it’s just that as an adult I could hide it better. Even my husband, who does like relaxing in beautiful scenery way longer than us, was not pleased with the overly drawn out meal. I wish I had asked more about this, I would have likely taken it out. To me, dinner cruise means you’re on a boat that has food- so it was also a case of wrong interpretation by me. Overall- the trip was amazing and I’m glad I used Kimkim, but I will ask more questions next time.

Cory is an amazing trip planner!! She planned all the details of my family trip to Japan. I have a family of 5 including 3 daughters in their 20's. My family is a demanding client, but we all agreed that this was our best family vacation ever. Not only did Cory plan all the details, but she was available while we were traveling to answer questions. I would highly recommend Cory and KimKim for anybody considering a trip to Japan.

Hotel Reviews

Kyoto Takasegawa Bettei

Kyoto

This is a 3 star hotel likely because it does not have a full service restaurant. But the rooms were spacious, comfortable and well maintained. Breakfast was delivered by room service daily and was very good. The people working at the front desk were all very kind, efficient and helpful. We really enjoyed staying at this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

All the people working at the hotel went out of their way to help us. They were fantastic!

Hakone Retreat villa 1/f

Hakone

Top notch 5 star resort. We had 2 villas which were very spacious, luxurious and had private onsens.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Prince Park Tower Tokyo

Tokyo

We had 2 rooms which were both very comfortable and roomy. The facilities including the restaurants options in the hotel were excellent. The breakfast buffet was truly outstanding. All the staff we dealt with were courteous and efficient. I give this hotel very high marks and would return.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very good at their jobs and pleasant to deal with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is clean and well maintained.

Activity Reviews

Luxury Transfer by Private Car to Tokyo Disney (Round-Trip)

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Akihabara Anime & Gaming Adventure Tour

Tokyo

I'm sure this was good for the right people. Once we started the tour we realized we were not particularly interested in Anime and gaming so we ended the tour early.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour

Tokyo

Our tour guide was pretty good but a bit hard to understand. I think we could have done this tour on our own without a tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Japanese Calligraphy Experience (Nara)

Japan

Another highlight of our trip! The 3 woman (2 sisters and their mother) who taught our private class were excellent. We took our final work product home and will be hanging it on the wall. We will never forget this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony with Kimono Wearing (Higashiyama)

Japan

This was a fun and memorable experience. One of the highlights of our trip. We took great photos of our family in kimonos and enjoyed the entire experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Kyoto Temples & Gion Tour

Japan

Pam was an outstanding tour guide. She was very kind and patient with us and gave us an excellent tour experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pam was the best.

Transport

Tokyo Night Food Tour in Shinjuku

Tokyo

Max was an excellent tour guide. Food was all great and the tour was very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We used Kimkim to plan our family trip to Costa Rica, and overall we had a wonderful experience. They handled everything—from transportation and hotels to activities—and it made traveling as a family very smooth and stress-free.
The itinerary was thoughtfully planned, and the coordination on the ground worked well. Our local contact, Graciela, was especially helpful and responsive when we needed to adjust pickup times throughout the trip.
Of course, we traveled during the rainy season, which is outside of Kimkim’s control, and it did impact a couple of activities. For example, during the Arenal Volcano hike we couldn’t see much due to fog, and at Río Celeste the river didn’t have its famous blue color because of the heavy rain. At Tenorio National Park, we felt the guide was trying to shorten the hike due to the conditions, but we asked to complete the full route since it was part of what we had booked.
There were also a few minor inconsistencies worth noting. Some activity descriptions (Río Celeste and Manuel Antonio National Park guided hike) mentioned that snacks would be included, but they were not provided. In hindsight, we understand that food isn’t allowed in Manuel Antonio Park, so this may have been an error in the description. Additionally, after the Manuel Antonio tour, our guide left once we decided to stay at the beach, and we arranged our own transportation back to the hotel.
My husband did not join us at all for the canyoning and rafting, which it was the right call for him (he would have not been able to do those activities), and on hindsight, we should have said that from the beginning, so we didn't pay for him. It would have been helpful to adjust the booking accordingly, especially since lunch was included in those activities.
That said, the guides overall were professional and knowledgeable—we just wish we remembered all their names to give them proper credit.
The hotels were very well chosen:

Sibu Hotel in Monteverde was outstanding—truly boutique with incredible attention to detail and deserving of more than a 3-star rating. Their lobby is an art exhibit.
Casa Luna in La Fortuna was also a great stay, great breakfast, very nice grounds and pools. Great service.
La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio had amazing views and beautiful pools, but the rooms felt a bit basic compared to the other properties, and we wouldn’t consider it a true 4-star experience. Being off-season meant limited breakfast options and slower service, though Gregory was excellent and very accommodating.

We did notice that the Manuel Antonio area is quite expensive (similar to U.S. pricing), but the beaches are beautiful and the national park is absolutely a must-see.
Some highlights of the trip included the Ecotermales hot springs, ziplining in Monteverde, and seeing wildlife in Manuel Antonio. One additional must-do that we arranged ourselves was La Fortuna Waterfall—a lot of steps, but definitely worth it for the swim at the bottom.
Finally, in San José:

Hotel Presidente is centrally located, but that comes with heavy traffic (we had to be dropped off at the corner). The room we were assigned was also quite small despite traveling as three people.
Parque del Lago, where we stayed first night in Costa Rica, was more convenient location-wise.

Overall, despite a few minor issues and weather-related challenges, we had a fantastic vacation. Kimkim made planning easy and allowed us to fully enjoy Costa Rica. We would absolutely consider using them again for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

Hotel Presidente is centrally located, but that comes with heavy traffic—we had to be dropped off at the corner because the street was temporarily closed. The room we were assigned was also quite small, especially considering we were traveling as three people. Once we opened our suitcases, there was barely enough space to move around. The next day, I noticed that some of the rooms around us were much larger, so I’m not sure why we were given such a small room and bathroom. That said, the breakfast was very good, and the hotel itself has a unique charm in its design. We especially loved the rooftop patio and the abundance of plants and flowers throughout the property, which added a really nice touch. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Just because of the small room. Room was very clean, no problem.

Sibū Boutique Hotel

Puntarenas

Sibu Hotel was hands down the best hotel we stayed at during this entire trip—truly boutique, with incredible attention to detail, and absolutely deserving of more than a 3-star rating. The lobby alone feels like an art exhibit. The rooms are exceptionally well equipped, including a fully stocked minibar with drinks and snacks (complimentary on the first day), which was a really nice touch. We really appreciated the room for 3 having a third proper bed. They even had an ice machine—the only place we saw this—while at other hotels we had to request ice and water from the restaurant or bar. (Tap water is safe to drink everywhere, but it was a bit inconvenient filling a thermos from small sinks.) The room amenities were outstanding: custom toiletries, a travel toothbrush, sewing kit, shoe towel, and even a cosmetic mirror—everything thoughtfully provided. The hotel grounds are small but beautifully designed, with every corner carefully landscaped. There are cozy sitting areas throughout and even a fire pit outside—it’s just a beautiful, welcoming space. I would easily rate this hotel as a 4-star property. They also have sister hotels in the area, and I’d expect those to be just as impressive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio has absolutely stunning views and beautiful pools, but the rooms felt somewhat basic compared to the other properties we stayed at, and we wouldn’t consider it a true 4-star experience. We had three people in the room, and the third bed was a small, squeaky bed with an uncomfortable mattress. In comparison, at Sibu Hotel—where we also had three in a room—the third bed was a full, proper bed, which made a big difference. The room itself was quite minimalistic, with basic wall-mounted dispensers for shampoo and conditioner (not even marked which one is which). That said, the view from the balcony was incredible, overlooking Espadilla Sur Beach and Manuel Antonio National Park. The wildlife on the property was also a highlight—we saw plenty of capuchin and spider monkeys, especially active in the mornings, eating mangoes from the nearby trees. There were often mangoes scattered right outside our door. Manuel Antonio is truly full of wildlife—you don’t even have to go far to see it. At one point, we were walking back from dinner and spotted a sloth in a tree just a few feet away. We were especially excited about this hotel since we had planned two days to relax by the pool and beach, and based on the photos and 4-star rating, we came in with high expectations. It’s possible we didn’t get one of their better rooms—there are several floors of rooms in the main building, and those may offer a different experience. We did enjoy the pools—they are very nice—and the overall setting is beautiful. We didn’t dine at the restaurant as it seemed pricey, though we did try the bar; drinks were on the expensive side but very good. The entire area is built on a hill with narrow roads. While it’s technically walkable to nearby restaurants, there are stretches without sidewalks, so we ended up using Uber a few times, which was very reasonable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

This Hotel has very nice rooms, spacious and comfortable. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The hotel grounds overall are very beautiful (the flowers and landscape are amazingly beautiful). It has a short hike trail on the property. The breakfast was very good. If I would go to La Fortuna, I would definitely stay there again. Close to pretty much all attractions in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Great location being downtown San Jose but not in the middle of the city. Good breakfast, room clean and decent size. Great Soda place right next to it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Definitely a must-do. The guides communicate with each other and know exactly where to look for wildlife. They typically come equipped with professional tripods and binoculars and can even help take great photos using your phone. The park has strict rules about food and drinks, so even though the activity description mentioned a snack being provided, it’s unclear how that would be possible. Also, keep in mind that if you decide to stay in the park after the guided tour—either at Manuel Antonio Beach or Espadilla Sur (which are side by side and absolutely worth visiting for their beautiful sand and calm waters)—the guide will leave, and you’ll need to arrange your own transportation back to the hotel. The public bus runs every 20 minutes from the public Espadilla Beach (outside the park) for about $1 per ride, so getting back wasn’t too difficult.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

One of the highlights of our trip—a definite must-do. The canopy views were absolutely breathtaking. Some of the ziplining runs are quite long, so try to relax and enjoy the experience. Definitely go for the Tarzan Swing! The hanging bridges were also very nice. Just take your time and enjoy the walk—it’s about 3 km long, not 3 miles (we made the mistake of thinking it would be longer and ended up rushing to get back in time for the next bus).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was a great visit, and we learned a lot. Unfortunately, we happened to go on a day when it was raining heavily, with very little break between the tastings and walking to the next stations. The farm is clearly geared toward tourists and is more informational in nature, but they were transparent about the fact that coffee grown in that area isn’t considered the best due to the high amount of rainfall. Even so, we still gained a lot of insight into chocolate (cacao), coffee, and sugar cane production.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Rainforest Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Of course, we traveled during the rainy season, which is outside of Kimkim’s control, and it did impact a couple of activities. For example, at Río Celeste the river didn’t have its famous blue color because of the heavy rain. At Tenorio National Park, we felt the guide was trying to shorten the hike due to the rainy conditions, but we asked to complete the full route since it was part of what we had booked. The lunch was nice, but no fruit snack as listed in the activity description. No biggie. I did appreciate though the driver pulling over to show us through his binoculars a sloth up in a tree. He took pictures with our camera.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning & Balsa River Rafting Combo Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

These activities are definitely not for the faint of heart—especially the rappelling! We had a great time, and everything (organized by what seemed to be two different companies) was very well coordinated, including transportation. The lunch provided was very good, and we especially enjoyed the small cultural demonstration of sugar cane juice extraction. My husband opted out of canyoning and rafting, which ultimately turned out to be the right decision—he wouldn’t have been able to participate in these activities, and even tagging along with the driver wouldn’t have added much value. In hindsight, I wish we had clearly indicated from the start that only four of us would be participating, so we wouldn’t have paid for his activity and lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

We traveled during the rainy season, which is outside of Kimkim’s control, and it did impact a couple of activities. For example, during the Arenal Volcano hike we couldn’t see much due to the fog. That said, Franklin and his driver were excellent—friendly, professional, and very accommodating. We really enjoyed the insights Franklin shared about the local plants and vegetation throughout the hike. Even though the volcano was mostly covered in clouds, the viewpoint of Arenal was still beautiful in its own way. At the end of the hike, they provided fresh fruit, which we appreciated very much. We only wish we remembered all of their names so we could give them proper credit—they truly made the experience enjoyable despite the weather. The driver also took us to Ecotermales, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The dinner there was fantastic, and everything was well coordinated—the driver returned later in the evening to pick us up and take us back to the hotel, making the entire experience seamless.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Japan was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we are incredibly grateful for all the planning and support provided by our travel agency.

From the moment we arrived, every detail was thoughtfully arranged. The hotels were comfortable and well-located, transportation instructions were clear, and the itinerary gave us the perfect balance of guided experiences and free time to explore on our own.

We experienced the energy of Tokyo, the beauty of Mount Fuji and Hakone, the rich history and culture of Kyoto, and the vibrant atmosphere of Osaka. We enjoyed everything from ancient temples and peaceful gardens to bustling markets, incredible food, and the efficiency of Japan's world-famous rail system. Every destination offered something unique and memorable.

What impressed us most was how smoothly everything came together. Traveling internationally can feel overwhelming, but the guidance we received gave us confidence every step of the way. Even when unexpected changes arose, we felt supported and informed.

Japan exceeded our expectations in every way. The kindness of the people, the cleanliness, the respect for tradition, and the breathtaking scenery made this an unforgettable journey. We returned home with wonderful memories, a deeper appreciation for Japanese culture, and a long list of experiences we will cherish forever.

Mahalo for helping make our bucket-list trip a reality. We would happily recommend your services to anyone considering a visit to Japan.

LENY you are amazing!!!!

P.S. The luggage forwarding was great, ensure you research how many days from one hotel to the next. ADDITIONALLY our luggage being sent straight to the airport on the last leg of travel was exceptional!

Gummi worked very closely with us to create an amazing and unforgettable trip to Iceland's southern coast. He accommodated our group's varied needs (small children, upgraded rooms for medical needs) and was so quick with on-the-ground support. My daughter's favorite memory was riding the horses at Sturleryker stables; my son's favorite may have been the Lava show; and mine was the whale watching where we got to see orcas and a sperm whale. The tours were all amazing!

Hotel Review

Black Beach Suites

Vik I Myrdal

This was our favorite hotel by far. If the weather had been better, I know we would have had stunning views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sturlureykir Horses Stable Visit

Iceland

The trainers/guides were so incredibly kind and supportive of our group. It was my first time riding a horse, and my daughter's too, and they helped us all with patience and kindness.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I had a really good time, and all of the guides I had were especially good.

2 wonderful guides:
1. Ivo - we were pleasantly surprised how easy it was to spend hours driving with Ivo. He helped us learn so much about daily life in Portugal and felt like a true friend by the time our trip ended. We spent much time talking about our own family and Evo even joined in during our weekly FaceTime call to her three year-old granddaughter.
2. Bernardo - a treasure trove of history in Porto and there probably was not a question to which we did not receive an informative response.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lisboa Plaza

Lisbon

The location was excellent and staff were very helpful. Accommodations were “dated” or “charming” depending on your personal preference although the only minor inconveniences for us were slow elevators and hard room keys.

Authenticity & Character

Character yes!

Location

Could walk nearly everywhere which is most important attribute

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room slight cramped, very clean

NH Hotel Porto Jardim

Porto

Location was excellent and staff was very helpful. One of the things which annoyed us most was the lack of outdoor non-smoking gathering places, but this may be a nationwide problem as we also encountered it in Lisbon. Breakfast was good except for the coffee and unfortunately, I could not find a nearby Starbucks or similar. Also, the step in bathtub without any handrails was treacherous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were able to walk almost everywhere except for Belem and Fado dinner

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vert clean but see comment about showe.

Activity Reviews

Immerse Yourself in the Portuguese Culture by Experiencing a Fado Dinner

Portugal

Basically, the evening did not seem much beyond a dinner show. Perhaps, the experience might’ve been better at a different restaurant. It just did not feel authentic, but more of an activity designed solely for tourist and something locals have grown tired of. If I had a good friend that was going to Lisbon with limited time, I would tell them to investigate some of the other wonderful restaurants in the city and skip the Fado experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Skip the steak and order the fish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

N/A

Transport

N/A

Discover Sintra on a Group Tour with Pena Palace Tickets and a Scenic Stop at Cabo da Roca

Portugal

The day was a great mixture of a visit to historical beautiful palace with gardens, walking up the narrow inclined streets of a centuries old village and concluding with a lunchtime stop at a modern coastal resort.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour with Ginjinha & Pastel de Nata

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking only.

The Essence of Douro - A River, Wine, and Gastronomy Experience with a Private Driver

Portugal

The whole day was a wonderful experience and something that I would clearly recommend to anybody who includes Porto on their itinerary. The dining experience and lunch were superb as was the wine tasting. The only part that could’ve been improved was the boat trip down the Douro river as our guide did not really add much and it just felt like a perfunctory out and back trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See my above comments about Ivo. He was a pleasure to spend four hours with.

Transport

See above.

The Flavors of Port Wine - Sip & Discover

Porto

I guess it’s something that you need to do in Porto, but it seemed like a typical tourist driven experience with diversions to the gift shop. We’ve been on Wine Tours before and there didn’t seem much to differentiate it from others we have been on. However, the most pleasant surprise was the cheese tray that was added in by Kim Kim. The tray was huge, and we passed it around to some of the other tasters at our table.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A. Close enough to the hotel that we were able to walk.

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Bernardo was a superb guide and a wealth of information. We felt it in a 2 1/2 hours we spent with Bernardo that we received an excellent introduction to Porto and directions on how to spend some of our remaining time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything flowed as planned. Aleksandra,did a wonderful job. I thought it was amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Pembroke Townhouse Dublin

Dublin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ballea Castle

Cork

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maldron Hotel Sandy Road Galway

Galway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dublin Private Walking Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blackrock Castle Tour

Ireland

No guide for scheduled tour

Wicklow & Powerscourt Half-Day Tour

Dublin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sean was very knowledgeable & helpful

Transport