Kimkim Trip Reviews

Charlotte and team provided us with a wonderful itinerary and excellent support throughout our 11-day trip through the Yucatan peninsula. The highlights for our family of four (including two teenagers) were the group bike tour in Chemuyil (with a wonderful guide, stopping at three amazing cenotes), the tour of the Sian Ka'an nature reserve (also with an excellent guide; we especially enjoyed floating down the river through the mangroves), and the visit to the village of Yaxuna where locals showed us how they are making a living and cooked the most delicious meal for us (and let us swim in their beautiful cenote). Seeing the Mayan ruins in Tulum, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam was great, too. Two relaxing days on the beach in Holbox added the perfect ending to an unforgettable trip. KimKim and their local specialist, Mexplorer, impressed us with excellent hotel choices and community-based tours supporting the local people and sustainable development. We would definitely book another trip with KimKim!

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Said was extremely responsive to all of our questions before we left. (I did not work with Abdellah; our friends planned the trip before we signed up.) Our driver, Samad was very courteous and timely (except the last morning). At the beginning, he did not give us a lot of information about where we were or where/when we'd be stopping, but supplied more as the trip went on, which we appreciated.
Our guide in Fez, Shariff, was excellent. We enjoyed our full day with him. We also enjoyed our stay at Riad Braya. The staff could not have been more friendly, helpful and accommodating.
We enjoyed our visit to the Sahara at the Orient Desert Camp. The camel ride to the camp was fun. The accommodations were not as luxurious as we had expected, but they were perfectly fine, and the staff was wonderful - friendly and accommodating. We did not really interact with any of the nomad families; we visited a camp and our guide explained what we saw in different tents. We also had a lot of fun riding in the sand on the atvs.
Dades was our favorite part of the trip! Dar Rihana Dades was fantastic! Mohammed could not have been any friendlier and helpful. The food was absolutely amazing (Michelin Star quality)! Breakfast and dinner were both special and delicious. We also loved our hike with Said through Monkey Finger Canyon. We learned to recognize the trees and enjoyed scrambling over the rocks and then walking through the village at the end of the hike. Our lunch with the Berber family was delicious, but not very exciting because we did not interact with the family.
Marakesh, while interesting, and a must-see, was somewhat disappointing. The hotel staff at Palais Sebban, was not very welcoming, and it was not an easy place to sleep because of noise. Our guide seemed more interested in all of the people he knew, and took us to shops where it seemed as if he would get a commission from their high prices.
We covered a lot of miles (a lot of car time), saw many beautiful sights, and had some really fun adventures!

Hotel Reviews

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

We were not welcomed with tea and snack when we arrived, as we were at all of our previous destinations. Everything seemed very rushed. We had a hard time sleeping the first night because of the noise in the courtyard below our room.

Location

Staff

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

Very welcoming environment in the desert. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Staff

Riad Braya

FesfE

The staff was very welcoming and friendly, and the riad was beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

easy to walk around the medina from the riad

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

I would give this hotel more than 5 stars if I could! The staff was amazing. They were extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful. The tea and cookies on the roof deck when we arrived were excellent. Breakfast with 3 fresh juices and the best egg dish was a fantastic start to the day. The dinner we had at the hotel was incredible. The chef deserves Michelin Stars! I can't recommend this hotel enough!

Authenticity & Character

The brothers worked so hard to welcome us and make us comfortable.

Location

walkable to other places in the small town, and view of the river

Staff

Mohammed took care of us from explaining things, to contact with our driver and guide, serving in the restaurant, and fixing our hot water.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

It was very helpful to go to the overlook to see the whole medina from across the valley. Shariff, our guide asked what we were interested in seeing, and took us to the Jewish Cemetary and Jewish Quarter, which we appreciated. He was very helpful guiding us through the medina, pointing out the different sections and architecture. Our tour lasted more like 6-7 hours which was wonderful for us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Shariff was excellent and coordinated well with our driver, Samad.

Arrive in Casablanca, Visit Hassan II Mosque, Transfer to Fes via Rabat

Morocco

The Mosque was closed because of Eid, but we were able to visit at the end of our trip, which was good. We made a couple of stops in Rabat which were really beautiful and interesting, but it would have been helpful to have a guide to explain what we were seeing at the Kasbah and palace. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around Chellah Castle and gardens, including a nice lunch. It was probably the best way to help us get through the long day after overnight travel.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We did not get much information from our driver at first. He dropped us at the Kasbah and told us where to meet him, but not what we were looking at. It was a bit confusing.

Transport

It was great to be met at the airport without worrying about how to get to our destination.

We had a great trip, well organized and comfortable.
Our local specialist was George; he was cooperative and attentive.
Our local guide Putra was amazing and very informative and helpful.

Angel was the most amazing organizer; informed, personable and fun to work with. We were 4 women who enjoy adventure and talking to local people. We each have done a fair amount of traveling on our own and arranging our own trips with family and friends but this time relied on KimKim to make our arrangements.

Their local day trip guides were extremely knowledgable, thoughtful, kind and with a sense of humor. We appreciated times when the various local guides adjusted the schedule or site given to avoid the crowds. Sometimes we explored new places and had to adjust the schedule given unknown circumstances. The experiences felt unique while at the same time we were visiting major sites. So many places we went were so special. We made a number of requests in the beginning and made a few major adjustments just before embarking. When we had an unexpected emergency she responded immediately --anticipating the next steps with calm.

I wish Angel could arrange all my trips.

This was an outstanding trip planned by Holden and Adrian at Serendipity Adventures with only two months’ notice. We made sure to be where we needed to be and everything happened like clockwork. This is our third trip through kimkim, and as always the kimkim platform made all of the planning and payment easy. This time we especially liked the new kimkim app that made it handy to pull up our daily itinerary and see what was happening when. Costa Rica was exceptionally beautiful, and the easy logistics really allowed us to enjoy the views, great food and world-class wildlife.

Guides were all excellent throughout our trip, making every stop along the way a really educational experience. One of the big advantages of having a guide is meeting and getting to know a local person in the place you are traveling. We always learn so much more than we would just on our own. The guides have a lot of infectious enthusiasm for Costa Rica and the area they live in. Things are so varied throughout the country, and each new ecosystem is a new opportunity to learn about unique plants, animals, geology and ecology. From hollow trees filled with water that sound like a drum when hit, to hand-grinding freshly-roasted coffee beans, to stopping on the side of the road on the way to the airport to see how a cashew grows, we were constantly coming in contact with new and interesting subjects.

Our list of new-to-us animals, birds and plants is huge from this trip - some standouts were howler monkeys, spider monkeys, two & three-toed sloths, agoutis, coatis, quetzal, eyelash pit viper, scarlet macaw, caimans, motmots, sea eels, morpho butterflies, and special mention to all the various hummingbirds at Monteverde and the nighttime spider eyes watching us in La Fortuna. The plant and insect life is an important part of the experience as well, especially at Amor Arenal where you are surrounded on all sides by amazing jungle vegetation, and the cicadas, birds and wind are the constant backing track.

We met so many friendly and helpful people at all of the hotels and attractions, it made for a welcoming trip. Adrian from Serendipity kept track of us through WhatsApp - and provided some critical help over the phone when we became too absorbed in the Monteverde cloud forest and had to change plans quickly. The hotels were all noteworthy because of the helpful staff and the excellent facilities. Every guide was a stand-out, and really every guided activity was rewarding and worthwhile. The naturalist guides were invaluable - Bryan at Arenal, Joe on the Peñas Blancas River, Andy in Monteverde, and Kenneth in Nosara all really knew their areas well and gave us real insight into the natural world of Central America.

Transfers were timely and seemed like a necessity, not an option. There were quite a few rough roads and tricky turns, it was great to have locals driving. They were all excellent.

We would recommend Costa Rica without reservation, and this tour made it great.

Our Japan trip was truly memorable! It was my daughter's first international trip and she did so well. Eleanor has planned it in a way where my daughter can keep up and not get overwhelmed and still check off all the places and experiences we wanted to have. Our local guides and drivers were also superb. Shoutout to Yuka, our guide in Shirakawa. She was a lovely person and my daughter played with her a lot. Overall, the beauty of the places we've seen, the culture, the hospitality made it magical and enchanting for us. It reset our minds and spirit. I can actually say my soul was deeply moved. We were absolutely captivated by Japan!

This was our first trip to Morocco and our first time booking through Kimkim, and the experience exceeded our expectations from start to finish.

Planning with Mohamed was straightforward and pleasant, very much in line with the strong reviews we had read. We chose an itinerary covering Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, the Agafay desert, and Marrakech, and he was happy to accommodate a few thoughtful modifications to better suit our group.

As the trip approached, Said took over the local coordination and handled bookings on the ground. Once we arrived, there were a couple of last-minute changes involving guides and an activity venue—things that could have been stressful—but Said and Karim handled everything seamlessly. The replacements they arranged were excellent, and we couldn’t have been happier with how smoothly it all worked out.

We traveled as a private group of two families, with a dedicated car and driver, which made a huge difference in comfort and flexibility.

Each stop on the itinerary had its own unique charm:
• Casablanca offered a sense of nostalgia (especially for fans of the movie) and the stunning Hassan II Mosque by the sea.
• Rabat was a highlight—we adjusted our schedule to spend more time there, and it was absolutely worth it. It’s rich in history yet also relaxed and coastal, making it ideal for a mixed group. Chellah, with its storks nesting nearby, was especially memorable.
• Fes stood out for its atmosphere—the orange blossom–scented courtyard at Palais Amani, and the maze of narrow streets in the medina. We also visited Mosaique et Poterie de Fes, where live demonstrations showcased truly impressive craftsmanship in traditional pottery and mosaic work. It was fascinating to see the level of skill involved. That said, the sales pitch can be quite aggressive and persistent, so it’s worth being prepared for that. As elsewhere, once we made it clear we weren’t looking to purchase, things remained respectful.
• Agafay Desert (Inara Camp) was a true highlight. The setting—with views of the Atlas Mountains—combined with sunset, dinner, performances, and a camel ride made for a magical experience. We genuinely wished we had stayed an extra night.
• Marrakech was vibrant, beautiful, and full of life. We had heard mixed advice beforehand—some suggesting skipping Casablanca and going straight to Marrakech—and now we understand why. The city is rich in history yet full of energy, with welcoming neighborhoods and lively night markets. Our cooking class at MonRiad was intimate and authentic, led by two young chefs with less showmanship but 100% sincerity. Even after multiple visits to spice markets, we found ourselves enjoying them more each time. Another highlight was a traditional hammam and spa experience at Les Bains de l’Alhambra—it somehow took away all the muscle soreness, dead skin, and lingering travel fatigue in one go 🙂

Overall, the trip felt thoughtfully designed, well-paced, and very well supported on the ground. We appreciated the flexibility, responsiveness, and the sense that we were in good hands throughout.

We were incredibly fortunate to have Karim as our driver throughout the trip.

He drove a brand new 7-passenger Renault SUV, which made long travel days comfortable and relaxed. More importantly, Karim is an excellent driver—steady, safe, and professional, which really matters on some of Morocco’s longer routes.

Beyond that, he was knowledgeable, reliable, and genuinely pleasant to be around. His personality struck just the right balance—friendly and helpful, yet calm and unobtrusive. Traveling with him made the entire experience feel easy and enjoyable.

We couldn’t have asked for a better driver and would highly recommend him to anyone planning a similar trip.

Benjamin created an affordable and amazing itinerary for Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. We really enjoyed the diverse food, shopping cultural sites, and nightlife in Bangkok. Kodalay Seafood Buffet was our culinary highlight, great seafood by the river.

Transportation from airports to various destinations were seamless. Elephant Sanctuary tour in Phuket was an amazing experience feeding and walking amongst the elephants in their natural habitat. Also spent time on the beautiful beaches in Phuket and island hopping to Maya Bay.

Benjamin was always available to help in booking extra room or when I lost my wallet and key card. I would highly recommend him for any trip to Thailand.

My family and I had an amazing trip to England! It was our first time visiting and were not familiar with pretty much anything. Kateryna set us up with several private tours including a drive to Stonehenge and the Jurassic Coast. We took a day trip to Paris on the Eurostar, saw plenty of the tourist sites in London, and got to rides horses in Hyde Park. Everything was planned perfectly and Kateryna was there to answer any questions, even on the day of arrival.

Our trip to Rome was wonderful and the itinerary Fabio put together for our family was so much fun. It was great to have the same private guide for our Coliseum and Vatican tours (Mirta was fantastic and so good with the kids!!) and for our car transfers. The Fiat tour with Daria was fantastic and our cooking class was the star of the trip. Thank you for a seamless travel experience!

I wish I could give Columbus Guatemala Travel more than 5 stars – they were that good! Caterina and her team were available 24/7 for any of our questions, they were always quick to respond, and it was obvious they genuinely cared that we had a memorable and enjoyable trip. 10 out of 10 for Columbus Guatemala Travel in Antigua, Guatemala!

Overall our guides were excellent. Coimbra was by far my favorite city. Our guide at the university did a great job of explaining the history without going into information we are not interested in.
Our hotel in Coimbra was fantastic!

Hotel Reviews

CBR Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

One of the nicest hotels ever! Super comfortable and loved the decor of books!

Authenticity & Character

The books in the walls was amazing! Heated floors, amazingly views from the 5th floor

Location

Right out the door is the town square

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could not be nicer!

Pousada Porto - Rua das Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central and walking distance to sites

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AlmaLusa Baixa & Chiado

Lisbon

Great location walking distance to everything. Good breakfast and nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, nice staff

Location

Central and easy to walk to sites

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bussaco Forest Walk

Coimbra

We loved it! It was a big hike so important to be in good shape. Our guide took us on a longer hike and we so enjoyed the sites

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Walk

Coimbra

Wonderful guide and good selection of local foods

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Joanina Library & University of Coimbra Visit

Coimbra

The best guide. Fascinating tour of the university and library Bats in the library…. Amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Food Walk

Porto

Wonderful guide! Took us to places we would not have found on our own

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private River Cruise with Wine & Food Platter

Porto

It was a highlight. Lovey cruise with the sails up for a bit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tuk-Tuk Experience Along the 28 Tram Route

Lisbon

Since we had been on Lisbon for two days and had walked the streets the ride was repeatedly what we had seen

Private Sintra & Cascais Day Trip with Pena Palace & Quinta da Regaleira Visit

Lisbon

Turned out it was not private so Kim Kim refunded the cost. The tour guide could not stop talking. Not very professional

Private Alfama Walk & Fado Dinner Performance

Lisbon

Sure did not need to dress up for the event. Dinner was just ok but wonderful to be with the locals

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I appreciated that they contacted me the day before to confirm pickup

Transport

We really appreciated all the transfers during our trip, given road conditions and signage. All the drivers were friendly and on time, if not early. All the lodging arrangements were great. We had excellent nature guides in Monteverde. When there was a glitch in reserving a guide at Treetopia, having our confirmation # came in handy, and someone from KimKim called us in the moment. The only change I would make is to spend 2 nights vs 3 at Hacienda Guachipelin. It was a great place, but there wasn't enough hiking in the local area.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín

Liberia

Great location. There was a feel of a resort without all the fanciness. If you're not into ziplining, rapelling and tubing, there are fewer hiking options, though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hotel Guiones

Nosara

Great location- walking easy to beach and town, very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

great location, beautiful setting, nice breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

helpful staff

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

perfectly clean, room was a bit tight

Activity Reviews

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Hike & La Oropendola Waterfall

Rincón de la Vieja

This park is VERY busy and there are limited trails but very interesting to see fumaroles, mud pots and water pots. Our group was fairly large and the guide was fair, but not superb. The Oropendola waterfall hike was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatch Hike in Nosara Biological Reserve

Nosara

Our guide, Rio, was born and bred in Nosara and his family goes back generations there. It was worth getting up for a 6 am birdwalk. Rio's spotting scope was broken, but he was able to spot birds easily since he's so experienced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Our guide, again- it was Marcella- was wonderful. Santa Elena was a busy place but going with a guide allowed us to see way more birds and have a good understanding of the ecosystem.

Quality of Experience

the guide makes it worth the trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It's a pretty bumpy ride getting there, but worth it

Transport

Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Nice and quiet and we had a great guide, Roberto, all to ourselves. He was into birds, trees, spiders- couldn't have asked for more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Our guide Marcella was great. The waiver process was cumbersome and didn't seem necessary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We recently returned from a truly wonderful tour of Japan. Eleanor at KimKim was the primary reason it felt so effortless. From the very beginning, she was incredibly thorough, managing every small detail and keeping us perfectly posted with updates and reminders exactly when we needed them. She managed to hit that elusive sweet spot between guided and self-guided time, selecting fantastic guides while still leaving us enough room to breathe and explore on our own. Eleanor was easy to work with and made changes when we thought of them.

One of the best decisions we made was following her advice to spend three days staying on Miyajima instead of staying over on the Hiroshima side. It was a highlight of the trip, though we do have one funny "pro-tip" for anyone else heading there: once the day-tourists catch the ferry back, almost every restaurant on the island shuts down by 6:00 PM. It left only a few spots open outside of the hotels, which we turned into a bit of an adventure, though others might find it a bit of a shock if they aren't prepared!

If we were to tweak anything in the itinerary, there were really only two minor exceptions in Kyoto—the boat ride and the tourist train. Only one person in our group enjoyed them. But in the grand scheme of such a well-planned trip, those were very small notes. Eleanor’s planning was top-tier, and while KimKim provided a great backend for the whole process, it was her personal touch that made the experience what it was. We would highly recommend her to anyone planning to travel to Japan.

The highlight of the trip was the 1,000 photos I captured along the way. I resonate with the Japanese style and their conscious use of space, line, and form in almost everything they create.
The gardens were especially relevant to me. Each one had a similarity but also its own unique elements, which made looking through my lens truly exciting. In fact, they have inspired me to revisit my own gardens, not trying to mimic a Japanese garden, but to take the time to think about, look a little longer and deeper, and try to incorporate these elements into mine.
My favorite was Miyajima - I loved the Island, the cable cars, and the Tori Bridge. It is a beautiful island. I especially love the Miyajima Hotel Villa. They had free snacks (and ice cream!) and the room was very comfortable with a lovely water view. The deer roam freely and are so friendly to the tourists.
I will contact Eleanor when we decide to return to Japan. I will use KimKim to plan travel to other countries.

We had all wonderful guides who were prompt and took us to all the places that they were supposed to. They were all knowledgeable and helped us to understand what we were seeing. Due to the holiday after Ramadan the traffic was unusually heavy, and we spent a long time traveling. One guide seemed to be on a schedule and she took so much time getting us to our next place. She did not want our arrival to be before a set time. It was late and we had an early flight out. It was much too much for one day.

Marc, our travel agent, prepared the trip to our specifications. The hotels were all good.

Thanks for planning this trip so well. We enjoyed it.

Judith Lewin-Kossover

We went straight to KimKim to arrange this trip, having had a great experience with them before.

Rajat was our contact in India, which was fantastic because he is so knowledgeable about the India travel scene and was keen to make the tour work well for us. Through excellent online messaging via KimKim we let Rajat know what sort of things we wanted to do / see, and he made all the arrangements including booking train tickets, hotels, flights and most importantly our guides and drivers. I cannot speak highly enough of the guides and drivers we had and I have to especially name Hemant (guide) and Nerinder (driver) who were particularly brilliant. Hemant met us in Delhi to accompany us on our train journey to Agra and spent the next 10 days or so with us, leaving us at Udaipur for our flight to Mumbai / Goa. Hemant was incredibly knowledgeable and shared not only cultural and historic stories which bought India to life for us, but whenever he spotted something of interest - for example a pilgrimage, or a street of drum shops - he explained what it was all about. Hemant did not shy away from explaining the good and not so good, and remained neutral throughout. There wasn't a single question he didn't know the answer to! Other tourists we met had not had that level of interest or detail shared with them, so it was quite fun to tell them what we had learned from Hemant. We continue to tell stories to our friends now! Our driver Nerinder was with us almost the whole trip, meeting us at Delhi airport with Rajat at 3am! Nerinder never ever failed to be there for us - we never had to wait for him - and he made us feel so safe the whole time, despite some of the crazy driving in the cities or cows randomly crossing the motorway! His car was always immaculate and he kept stocks of sweets and plenty of bottled water for us. He was an absolute gentleman and a bit of a hero for all the driving and distance he did with no map or sat nav!

Every part of the trip was seemlessly arranged by Rajat. All the hotels were fabulous and just seemed to get more and more fabulous as we went! Important to add that even while we were in India we decided to change some plans. In particular (with the help of Hemant) we decided not to take a train from Jaipur to Udaipur due to timetable changes making arrival / hotel check-in very late in the evening which we wanted to avoid, and this was fed back to Rajat so he could keep on top of where we were etc.

People have their own preconceived ideas about India, but we went with an open mind and were certainly not disappointed. Thanks to Rajat, our guides and drivers, we experienced what felt like an awful lot of India - culture, history, religion, life - the good bits and the not so good bits - scenery, wildlife, poeple and I almost forgot to mention the food!

Our guides knew exactly the best places to stop for food en route and thanks to them we experienced some of the best food we've ever tasted! They also helped us to buy marble inlay creations from a traditional craft shop in Agra, rugs from a traditional carpet-making factory in Jaipur (which were delivered to us at home just 10 days later!) and ceramics from a famous potter in Jaipur! We had to restrain ourselves from buying a lot more handmade crafts etc which wasn't always easy with the hard-sell in some places, but our decisions were respected and we felt we contributed our bit as tourists.

Our notable highlights of the trip (sometimes not for obvious reasons):

walking tour of Old Delhi
first sight of the Taj Mahal from Agra Fort 1.5km away
observing and travelling alongside pilgrims for 50kms or so from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri
jeeping in and around Ranthambore tiger reserve (even though we didn't see a tiger, but we saw a rare sloth bear)
Nahargarh hotel Ranthambore
food on the road, particularly at Molecule on the outskirts of Jaipur - careful with those Indian chillies!
The Jantar Mantar (observatory) Jaipur
dancing and puppet show in Udaipur
the kindness of people

In short, we cannot recommend a touring trip to India highly enough and would definitely like to explore Mumbai and Kerala some time in the future - Rajat, we'll definitely be coming back to you for help with that! Thank you for everything you did to make our trip so enjoyable and memorable. Best wishes to you and all our guides and drivers.

Kathrin helped us plan a two week, action-packed, trip to New Zealand’s North and South islands. Her choices of hotels and adventures were outstanding, closely matching our requirements. Some of our most memorable experiences included e-biking on Waiheke island, an incredible kayak journey to see the glow-worm caves, a helicopter ride up to hike on the Tasmanian Glacier and a luxury train ride up to Arthur’s Seat. Hotels were good, especially M Social in Auckland and Kamana Lake House in Queenstown both with great views, and Koura Lodge with rooms a few steps from the lake.
Working with KimKim was also a pleasure. We constantly referenced the KimKim App which showed hotels and activities, including conformation numbers and pop-up detailed descriptions.

Hotel Reviews

Distinction Te Anau Hotel And Villas

Te Anau

Aging, large hotel, with little character

Authenticity & Character

Everything

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kamana Lakehouse

Queenstown

Rooms were superb, with great views across the lake. Rooms well-appointed with super-comfortable beds. Excellent ala carte buffett.

Authenticity & Character

Decor and style, giant windows facing lake

Location

Liked the location away from the busy harbor area.

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peppers Bluewater Resort

Lake Tekapo

Hotel situated across busy highway from lake. Rooms and other areas show some aging

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not sure, since most hotels are across highway from lake

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Montreal

Christchurch

Very nice updated rooms, helpful staff, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to parks and tramway

Staff

Small matter which really impressed us: staff mailed a pair of socks left in the room to our next location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koura Lodge

Rotorua

Room was mere steps away from the lake. Staff was very helpful, even opened the kitchen early for our breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Driveway a bit tricky

Staff

Very welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms have a strange configuration with the access between bedroom and living room through bathroom

M Social

Auckland

Super-helpful staff, great rooms, great location, breakfast buffett excellent

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near waterfront and activities

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel in excellent condition

Activity Reviews

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise (self -drive - departs from Manapouri - operated by Real NZ)

Manapouri

It was a long day: driving to the ferry terminal, ferrying across the lake, then busing across the mountain pass before boarding the ferry on Doubtful Sound. The Sound was beautiful, and we saw dolphins and porpoises, but after all the other beautiful lakes and scenery we had seen before it was a bit anticlimactic given the difficulty of access. We had originally booked the overnight cruise, but it was cancelled due to mechanical issues. Kathryn jumped through hoops to help us rebook an overnight in Te Anai followed by the day cruise. I suspect the overnight cruise would have been a better experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good, but perfunctory service. Nothing special

Transport

Move the lake closer to Queenstown, or fly if only a single day trip.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

Great for Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fans, too long and crowded for the rest. Feels like Univeral Studios. I guess you need to go to check it off the list, because everyone asks if you've been.

Quality of Experience

Smaller groups (less than 40), streamlined tour of maybe 60-90 minutes instead of 150 minutes

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kawarau River white-water rafting

Queenstown (NZ)

Another of our top trips. We were bused to a different location because the water level was low, but our travel companion Harry as well as the other guides were very amusing and the journey went quickly. The rapids were quite exciting to traverse, and the other swimming/jumping added to the fun.

Quality of Experience

The guides, and the excitement of traversing rapids

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Low-key, very funny, very helpful

Transport

Nothing, buses are not my favorite mode of travel

Mt Cook half day Heli Hike with the Helicopter Line

Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

One of our top experiences. We did have some issues, with a booking mixup between different tour companies, but it was all sorted in the end

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The helicopter ride

Christchurch Tramway Restaurant

Christchurch

Tram ride through the center of Christchurch, with a delicious dinner being served on the tram out of a tiny kitchen. We did find that the booking was for a party of 2, not 4, so we had to squeeze in and miss two of the appetizers.

Quality of Experience

Unique experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves

Rotorua

The kayak trip to an island for dinner, then across the bay to the glow-work caves and back to the starting point in pitch darkness was one of our top experiences. The cascading heated mineral water baths were wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

The guide grilled salmon for us on the island

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was superb - low-key, knowledgeable, and funny

Transport

Wai-O-Tapu

New Zealand

A walking tour visiting varying ponds and steaming geysers. Fascinating geological/historical venue.

Quality of Experience

The ponds are amazing, the colors an artist's palette. The geyser triggered by soap was a bit kitschy

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our private guide was friendly and well-informed.

Transport

Nothing - we drove there

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

Authentic Maori experience

Quality of Experience

The enthusiasm and grace of the Maori performers

Food

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Allow visitors to avoid shuttles to collection point and buses from there to site

Self-guided E-bike tour Waiheke Island (includes cycle hire)

Waiheke Island

One of the top activities on the trip, Island is idyllic, and the road passes several beaches where we swam, and some wineries. E-bikes were fun to ride.

Quality of Experience

e-bikes in top condition, lines to rent bikes short

Transport

Ferry covers a scenic route

We carefully planned our trip with Kathrine. She totally listened to and understood our needs. There were so many highlights. The hotels we stayed in were wonderful, all in great locations. I will definitely tell anyone who is planning a vacation to New Zealand to contact Kathrin!

Activity Reviews

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

New Zealand

I enjoyed bit it was a bit long and crowded

Self-guided E-bike tour Waiheke Island (includes cycle hire)

Waiheke Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a fantastic 17 day trip to Morocco organized by Kim Kim.

First and formost, the trip was made special by the great driver we had with us throughout the entire trip. Tayeb was a delight to be with and informed us along the many long drives of the history and culture of Morocco. He also let us know about his family and his Berber heritage. We also got to meet his wife and 18 month old child which was a special treat. he went above and beyond to create a seamless trip that was both structured and flexible as our needs dictated.

Casablanca

Casablanca was a good starting off point to familiarize ourselves with the country and get our travel legs under us. We love our hotel Le Doge and enjoy our visit to the Hassan II Mosque.

Rabat

We had a short visit Rabat and were taken by the contrast of old and new. We had a great tour of the Chella ruins and saw Mausoleum of Mohammed V.

Tangiers

Who are we spent a lovely night in Tanger at the Villa Mavrouka where the service was lovely and the location could not be beat. We had dinner at the hotel by the fire and were welcomed with a lovely welcome cocktail. The next day we had a tour of the city with our guide Mustafa who was quite the character. He took us on a great tour of the Medina with a special stop at the Jewish cemetery, where the caretaker was his friend. Tayeb then took us on a beautiful drive of where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean meat and took us to see the very cool Hercules caves.

Chefchaouen

Wow. What picturesque city. We enjoyed our time wandering the street with our guide Abdul See the sunset we visited the Spanish mask to see the sunset took lots of pictures of blue things.

Fes

After an amazing stop at Volubilis to see the ruins, we drove with Tayeb onto Fes.

Our hotel Riad Fez was amazing. The interior decoration and our room were very memorable. The next day we took a walking tour with our guide Mohammad. The tour was amazing and took us from the royal Palace into the Jewish Quarter and a tour of the labyrinth of the Mellah, which included stops at the mosaic workshop, the ancient tannery the carpet coooeeative the Weavers.

Merzouga

After our long drive from Fes, which included stops to visit with the monkeys in the cedar forest we arrived in the desert and had a once in a lifetime experience, writing the dromedaries ( not camels) for a sunset ride to the Tiziri luxury camp. The vibe was great and we met some very interesting people along the way which enhance our experience.

The next day, our guy took us on a tour of the Black Desert and the nomad camp, which were a fascinating inside into the culture of the nomad Barbers. We also got to hear the Gnaoua music. Finally the best for me we rode the dunes on quad ATVs, which was an exhilarating experience.

Ourrzazate

On our scenic drive the next day we got to visit a beautiful gorge and the land of 1000 Kasbahs. We arrived in Ouarzazate. Our hotel, the palace was huge and reminded us a little bit of a Las Vegas hotel.

The next morning, Tayeb had arranged for us to have a guided tour of the ancient Jewish area of the town, and we were given a private tour of a synagogue museum by a man of Berber Jewish Heritage.

Imlil

On our way to our next stop, we stopped at Ait Benhaddou. It was like stepping into a movie and that’s because so many movies have been filmed there. It was quite amazing to see the architecture.

On this day we had was was probably the dining highlight of our trip stopping in a very small village Butcher who carved lamb chops off of the lamb and then grill them over the coals. We were taught by Tayeb had to eat them with the cumin and the salt. Unforgettable.

With a drove to Toubkal national Park in the Atlas Mountains, where we got to follow mule who carried our luggage up the hill to our hotel.

Since the power went out, we had a beautiful candle at dinner at the hotel, Kasbah de Toubkal. The views were spectacular, including in the next day when we took a hike through the mountains with our guide in Mohammed, and also paid a visit to his brother‘s family, where a wonderful lunch served by the Berber locals.

Marrakech

As we were on our way to transfer Marrakesh, we were met by Tayeb and his family in their and their traditional djellebas marking Eid, the end of Ramadan

We arrived at the spectacular hotel La Mamounia. How very grand and gracious. Special mention must be made of the amazing breakfasts.

The next morning, we did a walking tour of the Medina with our great guide Said, who gave us much inside into the Bahia, Palace and Islamic culture as well as the Jewish heritage of Marrakesh.

We visited the spectacular Majorelle gardens and took many more pictures of blue things

Essouaria

On our way Essouaria we stopped to look at the Arg G.a tree forest but alas did not see any goats trees but we did buy a lot of argon oil products at the cooperative.

We checked into the beautiful hotel Heure Bleue Palais and we met by the owner of the bike rental store who walked us through town to his shop where we were able to rent bikes and ride along the coast past the Jimi Hendrix village, and into the dunes. We had a tour the next morning with our guide we heard much about the Portuguese history, the Barber Jewish legacy and other aspects of this really cool city. Tab took us to the fish market and then to a restaurant where they grilled our seven types of fish where we ate on the rooftop overlooking the Medina. Since Ramadan was over, Talia was able to join us for a wonderful lunch.

We traveled back to Marrakech for one last afternoon and ended our trip with a fascinating food tour by our guide Abdul where we were surprised by an unexpected thunderstorm. We were able to try some treats we had not had had on our whirlwind tour of Morocco, which was a perfect way to end the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Heure Bleue Palais - Relais & Châteaux

Essaouira

A charming and lovely hotel in a charming and lovely town. We loved our room overlooking the courtyard, which had all of the amenities and was beautifully appointed.

Authenticity & Character

It felt like a perfect blend of coastal, French, and Moroccan.

Location

Right at the beginning of the Medina and it made everything very walkable.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Mamounia

Marrakech

It was wonderful to stay at this historical and grand Hotel. The public areas were beautiful and our room was lovely overlooking at the garden. Everything felt gracious and generous from the way the water was poured for us to the complementary flip-flops to take home. Special man must be made of the spectacular breakfast buffet, which felt like we were dining at a breakfast in Paris.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The location was great and that we were able to have a nice walk from the hotel into the main area of Medina, which we did several times during our stay.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We were treated like the royalties in the celebrities that have a state there in the past what a great stay

Kasbah du Toubkal

lmlil

Really cool hotel, so unique in its location and its authenticity. It was unfortunate that we had a power outage the afternoon and evening of our day, but we ended up having a lovely candle at dinner and talked to some lovely people from England.

Authenticity & Character

Location

On a top of the hill with a spectacular view of the valley below and the mountains above

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Berbere Palace

Ouarzazate

This hotel was a little bit too large for our particular taste. The reception when we arrived was a little bit Kurt because they seemed to have just taken care of a big group and didn’t seem interested in just the two of us. We tried to have a drink in the bar and were somewhat ignored so we finally left. Our dinner in the Italian restaurant was awkward at best. Not our best hotel experience in the trip.

Authenticity & Character

When we walked in, we felt a bit like we were in a Las Vegas hotel, pretending to be Moroccan. Not our vibe.

Location

Staff

Both perception and in the restaurant, the staff is not very helpful helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Fes - Relais & Châteaux

Fes

This was an amazing hotel experience. The public areas were beautiful, the restaurant area overlooking the pool was magnificent and our room suite was large and spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

For our greeting to the time we left this was an authentic Moroccan experience and positively luxurious in all aspects.

Location

Great location right in the middle of the Medina. A bit of a challenge to find on your own, but luckily we didn’t have to do that.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

We found this hotel to be good, not great. Probably the best you’re going to do in the city, but not up to some of the other places we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good

Staff

The staff at this hotel was just OK. We never got maid service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Mabrouka

Tangier

We were greeted with a welcome cocktail while we relaxed overlooking the water and the beautiful ground. Our room was a lovely standalone cottage. We had a lovely dinner in the dining room where the service was probably the best service we had at a restaurant in the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful location, beautiful grounds, beautiful staff.

Location

Beautiful location up on the hill overlooking the Mediterranean. Wow.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Spa Le Doge

Casablanca

This was a lovely hotel where we completely enjoyed our Lempika suite. There was a lovely breakfast on the roof.

Authenticity & Character

Each room has his own individual character from Art Deco influence.

Location

Staff

We’ve thought the front desk staff were particularly good.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

We traveled back to Marrakech for one last afternoon and ended our trip with a fascinating food tour by our guide Abdul where we were surprised by an unexpected thunderstorm. We were able to try some treats we had not had had on our whirlwind tour of Morocco, which was a perfect way to end the trip.

Guided Tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

We had a tour with our guide we heard much about the Portuguese history, the Barber Jewish legacy and other aspects of this really cool city. Our guide Tayeb took us to the fish market and then to a restaurant where they grilled our seven types of fish where we ate on the rooftop overlooking the Medina. Since Ramadan was over, Tayeb was able to join us for a wonderful lunch.

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

What is spectacular experience the colors and the gardens were so unique and beautiful.

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We did a walking tour of the Medina with our great guide Said, who gave us much inside into the Bahia, Palace and Islamic culture as well as the Jewish heritage of Marrakesh.

Immerse Yourself in Authentic Berber Life

Morocco

we took a hike through the mountains with our guide in Mohammed, and also paid a visit to his brother‘s family, where a wonderful lunch served by the Berber locals.

A Private Transfer from Merzouga to Ouarzazate

Morocco

On our scenic drive the next day we got to visit a beautiful gorge and the land of 1000 Kasbahs. We had a guided tour of the ancient Jewish area of the town, and we were given a private tour of a synagogue museum by a man of Berber Jewish Heritage

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ATV Ride in the Dunes of Merzouga

Merzouga

This was a very cool experience. We really enjoyed seeing the dunes from a different speed and a different perspective.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sand-Boarding in Erg Chebbi (Free of Charge)

Merzouga

We did not get to do the sand boarding as it was not really offered to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morocco Last Nomads Experience: Tea, Tales & Desert Adventures

Merzouga

Fes to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Midelt & Erfoud

Morocco

We had a long drive this day on our way from F.S.. We stopped along the way at the plates. He called little Switzerland and stop the play and feed and be harassed by the monkeys in the cedar forest. When we arrive in the debt, we got a once in a lifetime experience of writing the dromedaries on a sunset ride on the dunes, quite spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fez: Exploring the Ancient Medina and Jewish Mellah

Fes

We took a walking tour with our guide Mohammad. The tour was amazing and took us from the royal Palace into the Jewish Quarter and a tour of the labyrinth of the Mellah, which included stops at the mosaic workshop, the ancient tannery the carpet coooeeative the Weavers

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Drive from Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

We really enjoyed our tour of the ruins with a local guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Tour of Chefchaoeun

Chefchaouen

We enjoyed our time wandering the street with our guide Abdul See the sunset we visited the Spanish mask to see the sunset took lots of pictures of blue things.

Guided Tour of Tangier

Morocco

we had a tour of the city with our guide Mustafa who was quite the character. He took us on a great tour of the Medina with a special stop at the Jewish cemetery, where the caretaker was his friend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide

Morocco

It was not a ton to do in Casablanca. We went to a Jewish museum and to lunch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This is as good as any place to cover it but first and foremost the trip was made special by the great driver we had with us throughout the entire trip. Tayeb was a delight to be with and informed us along the many long drives of the history and culture of Morocco. He also let us know about his family and his Berber heritage. We also got to meet his wife and 18 month old child which was a special treat. he went above and beyond to create a seamless trip that was both structured and flexible as our needs dictated.

Transport

Visit the Hassan II Mosque & Museum of Moroccan Judaism

Casablanca

A very interesting experience to tour this mosque and hear about all of the modern technological innovations that enhance the experience. We were with a big group, so our guide did the best we could do to communicate with us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to the Philippines (Palawan/El Nido, Boracay, and Siargao) was overall very smooth from a logistics standpoint. All transfers were well organized, on time, and clearly communicated in advance. On that front, everything worked seamlessly and gave us peace of mind.

We initially had very limited time to plan, which is why we chose to use Kimkim and were connected with Sarah. While the coordination was efficient, we would have appreciated a more proactive and personalized approach early on—especially a video call to better understand our expectations and walk us through the differences between destinations. Instead, we were given a lot of written information and options to review, which was difficult to process given our time constraints.

In hindsight, we feel the itinerary could have been better tailored to our preferences. Several activities ended up being quite repetitive (multiple island-hopping tours), and many excursions were subcontracted to local operators of varying quality. Some tours felt more like mass-market group experiences than curated activities, and the level of crowding—particularly in places like Boracay—was not aligned with what we were looking for. We ended up cancelling a few tours because of this.

Additionally, a couple of experiences we had specifically requested—such as a scuba initiation and e-foil—were not included in the final itinerary, which was disappointing.

Overall, while the service delivered on logistics and saved us time upfront, we’re not convinced it added much value in terms of experience design. With more guidance, clearer recommendations, and better alignment with our preferences (especially around crowd levels and activity variety), the trip could have been significantly improved.

Hotel Reviews

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Huge hotel with extensive breakfast. Cramped bathrooms. Pool facilities were minimal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

It was very good, huge family room, very modern and good breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seaclub Siargao

Siargao

Our private villa was one of the highlight of our visit to the Philippines. While not directly near the beach it is very walkable yet secluded. Once you put aside the extra cost for everything, you can have a really nice time there. The morning breakfast prepared in the villa by attendants and the on demand BBQ dinner + movie made for one of our best day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Two Seasons Boracay Resort

Boracay Island

The location on the beach was good, our room next to the road not so much. Beds were not great, our room was outdated. Service was slow. The pool is pretty useless due to depth and location. Also the beach / ocean was full of algae when we visited, and Boracay was VERY crowded. I dont know how much we paid for it but I would stay elsewhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Nido Coco Resort

El Nido

I would stay at this hotel again. The staff was good, the location is very convenient and quite secluded from the frenzies of El nido centre.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Siargao Land Tour

Siargao

Nice tour with highlight about the lagoon.

El Nido Island Hopping Tour B: Caves & Islands

El Nido

This was one of our best tours but be careful to opt for a big boat and small boat (so you have some privacy and are not cramped in a local boat). Because the day is long and groups varied! Some will get drunk, some will be loud, some will take up all the space.

Food

Boracay Island and Beach-Hopping Boat Tour with Snorkelling

Boracay

This is a useless tour. They put you on several beaches for 30-45 min each with nothing to do. The snorkelling part was useless, with dead corals all around. It was underwhelming after El Nido.

Quality of Experience

Food

Premium food was a joke.

Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour and transfer to El nido

Philippines

I really appreciated the zipline adventure before, it is worth it even though not utterly safe. The underground tour was good because we didn't have many people at that time. Our tour was a bit big (~15-20pp)

Quality of Experience

Food

The buffet are of very poor quality.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The car driving us to El nido was not very comfy for this long drive