Kimkim Trip Reviews

At first, we were looking at booking through GTours or Intrepid. But we didn’t like how we couldn’t choose the cities we went to or the dates. Then I found kimkim. I was hesitant at first because I hadn’t heard of them. But our experience was wonderful and I wholeheartedly recommend kimkim.

They connected us with Lucy at Realistic Asia for our trip to Vietnam. Lucy was wonderful and super responsive. She spent a long time with us crafting the perfect trip for us. During our trip, she was super responsive with contacting hotels to store our luggage, contacting tour guides to make adjustments, and helping us with overweight/excess baggage on our domestic flights.

We used Hanoi as our home base. We decide to stay at different hotels each time and I’m glad we did that to experience different hotels and different locations in the old quarter. I guess it would have been easier to stay at one hotel the whole time and just leave our bags there instead of having to pick up our suitcases from other hotels. But it was all so close that it wasn’t a problem.

We landed in Hanoi and stayed there a few days. Then we went to Ninh Binh and Pu Luong nature reserve. From there, we drove back to Hanoi and then flew to Da Lat. Then we flew to Da Nang and stayed in Hoi An, and Hue. We flew from Hue to Hanoi and that was the end of our trip. We arrived on Nov 11 and departed for home on Nov 29. We loved the places we went to.

Our tour guides were wonderful and helpful as were our drivers. We are so glad we worked with Lucy at Realistic Asia!

Hotel Reviews

San Grand Hotel

This was the first hotel we went to in Hanoi and our favorite. We liked that it was smack dab in the old quarter. It was noisy and bustling and the staff were wonderful and the breakfast buffet was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

We liked that it wasn’t with all the other big touristy hotels.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

The room was big and the breakfast buffet was too. We stayed there just one night. The view from the room was amazing and the staff were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa

Wow! Just wow! This place was a vacation within our vacation. Beautiful grounds and villas. We were upgraded to a fantastic huge suite. The food was delicious. I had one of the best salads I’ve ever had there. The staff were so friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gateway Inn Pu Luong

I can’t recommend this place enough. The staff were so wonderful and kind and helpful. We gave fond memories of here. The view was amazing and stunning and the food was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Speculator views!

Staff

The staff made it wonderful for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Le Chateau Hotel & Spa

Hang Thiec Street

We were here briefly for one night and had a good experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Saga Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anatole Hotel Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spatel d'Annam Hotel

Great location in the old imperial city. We didn’t want to stay at the big skyrise hotels. This had character. The staff weren’t as friendly as everywhere else it still super friendly. The buffet wasn’t the best either but still totally good and decent. We liked the character of the place and we are glad we stayed there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'Gloria Cruise

Ha Long

The staff were amazing! The food was so good! The room view was incredible. We had a great time on this cruise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

May De Ville Luxury Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

This was one of the bigger hotels we stayed at in Hanoi and it was on a wider street with more tourists. We liked smaller hotels more off the beaten path. We stayed here for one night. The breakfast was good. The staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoying

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

See

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Marble Mountain & Cham Museum

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital - Hue Full Day Sightseeing

Hue

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On Boarding - Lan Ha Bay - Tra Bau (M'Gloria Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is one of the best adventure holidays I've ever been on, we were celebrating 50th, 40th and 25th milestones. We left all the itinerary planning to kim kim, Sara was very informative kept us updated she understood our budget and all the things we'd like to do. Once we handed in Brazil everything went exactly as the itinerary said completely seamless we had Rio de janeiro, Foz Do Iguazu and the Amazon Rainforest on the plan. So had 7 internal flights. All airport transfers were on time and the vehicles provided was enough for the luggage we had. We had 3 tour guides Alberto in Rio, Marcelo in Foz and Fortunato in the Amazon Rainforest. I would give all three 5 star rating as they were very friendly and were very informative.

Hotel Reviews

Atlantis Copacabana

Rio de Janeiro

Not a bad hotel to be fair it fit our budget and was very close to the cocacabana beach. Great shower and breakfast was good. The pool facilities could have better needed updating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the main beach in Rio cococabana

Staff

On the whole they were friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swimming pool

Del Rey Quality Hotel

Foz do Iguaçu

This hotel had better pool and bar facilities than the room itself but it fit our budget. Breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

The room and corridor decor needs updating

Location

Close to restaurant and bars

Staff

They were friendly and provided information for the local food and entertainment

Cleanliness & Comfort

The decor in the room and bathroom needs updating

Hotel Saint Paul

Manaus - AM

This was our least favourite hotel thankfully we were only there 10hours to sleep. The room wasn't great too crampt for 3 guests. The breakfast was ok.

Authenticity & Character

overall decor

Location

There was no restaurants for food when we arrived

Staff

The night staff was unable to assist us with places to eat

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall decor

Amazon Turtle Lodge

I would say this had the character of what I was expecting in a Rainforest, the room was clean spacious. The toilet and shower facilities let it down. The staff were very friendly for our entire stay.

Authenticity & Character

The character was as expected for a Rainforest resort

Location

It right in the middle of the Rainforest amazing views

Staff

They were very friendly and informative.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The pool area was in need of update and the toilet and shower in our room was poor

Windsor Copa Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

This was our favourite hotel of all the hotels we stayed at, Room bathroom and shower was amazing. The breakfast provided in the morning was of very good standard. The staff was attentive.

Authenticity & Character

You can't fault this hotel

Location

Very close to the cocacabana beach

Staff

Very friendly and helpful overall

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel provided the best room for 3 persons the shower and bathroom facilities were very good.

Activity Reviews

The 3 must-haves: the Christ, Selaron stairs and Sugarloaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

We loved the excursion to the main parts of Rio especially going up to the christ redeemer statue

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had Alberto he was the best very friendly informative and provided a suitable car for entire day.

Transport

We had our personal car and also skipped the queue access to all the places we visited

FD Argentinian side of the falls

Foz do Iguaçu

You can't put in to words the awesomeness the beauty of this place... it is a bucket list place to visit

Quality of Experience

We

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide marcelo was amazing funny and informative all in one. He there was on time every morning to pick us up.

Transport

The vehicles provided were very adequate for space and reliability

HD tour Brazilian side of the waterfalls + Aves Park

Foz do Iguaçu

The Brazil side of the waterfalls was amazing if I had to choose i would say Argentina side was abit better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 1 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

This was proper jungle adventure when we arrived after 2 car journeys and 2 boat journeys it was worth waiting for. Great views and amazing staff

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was average but very fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had fortunate the best guide for this type of trip

Transport

Loved the speed boats

Day 2 at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

We done trekking in the jungle with survival skills loved it. Dolphin watch, Piranha fishing and Alligator watch and actually held one in our hands.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last day at the Turtle Lodge in the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon

We did the sunrise tour unfortunately it was too cloudy but it was peaceful and tranquil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We originally contacted kimkim to help with a 5-day trip we wanted to take in Australia after a cruise returning to Sydney. Our specialist Vicky was amazing throughout: she offered multiple itineraries as we defined together what we were looking for, and we ended up following her advice to go to Hamilton Island and we are so glad we did! It was every bit the paradise Vicky described it to be - from the amazing views to the superlative Beach Club accommodations and the laid-back atmosphere at the vacation island. We finished with 1.5 days in Brisbane where Vicky had great recommendations and a fun river cruise planned for us. Every part of the trip was planned out meticulously and went without a hitch, from transfers to airfare and hotel bookings. Communication was alway easy and quick. We're so glad we found kimkim and Vicky for our trip and would recommend working with them without hesitation. Thanks!

Hotel Reviews

Hamilton Island Beach Club

Hamilton Island

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane

Brisbane

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore Hill Inlet - Half Day

Hamilton Island

Our trip was incredible Alexandra was so responsive whenever we needed help or had questions. The hotels and tours were also exceptional.

Trang was fantastic from the planning to checking in with us and making adjustments as we went.

All the guides were good, with one exception where they didn't seem to have the knowledge or language skills.

I think for future trips, we'd forgo the big lunches for just snacks.

Hotels all good, drivers good; just a note about making sure vehicles have seat belts - one or two of them didn't.

This is the second time we used kimkim to book a trip. The planning process and communication leading up to the trip to Argentina was not as smooth as our last trip. Additionally, this time once in country out contact changed. Kristi did great communicating while we were in Argentina but I think it’s helpful to have the same contact all the way through. It felt as though once we made a deposit on the trip Johanna was less responsive.

Hotel Reviews

Krista Boutique Hotel

Buenos Aires

This is a 3 star hotel not 4/5 star as compared to hotels in the States. Clean and friendly staff. Breakfast offered was average, room was basic and bed was average. The evening wine offered in the lobby and use of wet and dry Saunas were nice additions. Located near many great restaurants but a bit far from other tourist areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located near many great restaurants but a bit far from other tourist areas.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were not comfortable

Llao Llao Hotel

Bariloche, Río Negro

Beautiful older hotel with amazing views. Wonderful infinity pool that is heated with a view of the mountains. Afternoon tea was lovely. Restaurant on sites were ok, breakfast was good offering. Room was spacious and clean, bed average, floors creak loudly. Location is far from everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit far removed from

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguazu Jungle Lodge Hotel

Puerto Iguazu

Hotel in a jungle setting. Family friendly with a lot of kids running around. Only 1 restaurant on site with staff that was not attentive. Didn’t refill food during breakfast buffet. Didn’t check on us during dinner service. Hotel is walkable to other shops and restaurants but it’s not a short walk and the road is rough.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Patagonia Queen

El Calafate

This is a small older hotel but well kept clean and has friendly staff. Room was small and basic. Great location walkable to down town area. Breakfast was average. Downfall is that the hotel staff goes through in the morning knocking on doors for those that have early tour pick ups but it wakes up all hotel guest.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Mansa Wine Hotel

Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo

Nice hotel in wine country and the rooms in the wine barrels are unique. Beds are very comfortable, room is spacious and clean. Staff was very nice and breakfast was good. Onsite restaurant was good but limited and it’s a bit far to walk anywhere else. Energy saving hotel requires you to have a key in the slot for the AC to run which I understand but the room would get very hot during the day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival to Buenos Aires from EZE

Buenos Aires

Pick up went smoothly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gala Tango- Tango Lessons | Dinner | Show

Buenos Aires

This was a great experience. The lessons were short but fun. The dinner and show were both great. It was the perfect way to start a trip to Argentina.

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Empanadas Cooking Class & Malbec Wine Tasting

Buenos Aires

This was a great experience. It ended up just being my husband and I making empanadas and drinking wine. Fun experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Buenos Aires Walking City Tour

Buenos Aires

This was more riding on a bus than walking but enjoyed getting to see different parts of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Excursion to Tigre

Buenos Aires

While Interesting I would skip this tour. You are on a bus then a boat just looking and listening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly to Bariloche, transfer to Hotel Llao LLao

Argentina

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Island and Arrayanes Forest

Bariloche

This was a good tour even though it was cold and rainy. Seeing the Forrest and hearing all about the trees on Victoria Island was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fly to Mendoza

Argentina

Transport

Hotel Llao Llao Activities

Bariloche

We enjoyed the heated infinity pool, afternoon tea and the spa. We were hoping to golf but the weather did not cooperate.

Quality of Experience

Food

Fly to Buenos Aires, depart Argentina from EZE

Argentina

Transport

Fly to El Calafate: Glaciers, Culture, and Natural Wonders

Argentina

Transport

Minitrekking Ice Hike on Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Hiking the glacier was out favorite experience of our 2 weeks in Argentina. It was surprisingly not as cold as we anticipated but we wore layers to accommodate. The hike with crampons on your shoes is no joke as it is a lot of up and down hill and the ice. The whiskey at the end with glacier rocks was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winemaker and Olive Oil tour in Maipu

Mendoza

Our itinerary changed from what we were provided when planning our trip. The first winery we went to was not expecting us and we had to change where we visited. In the end it all worked out and was great. Lunch at El Enamigo is a must.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Wine tour of Luján de Cuyo

Mendoza

Once again our itinerary changed from what was provided and one winery we hoped to visit was no longer on the list. Overall a good tour with multiple stops.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day of Adventure at Iguazu Falls: Exploring the Argentinian Side & Gran Aventura

Argentina

This was a great tour of the falls and boat ride into the falls. Very easy walk to multiple view points and our guide was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly to Puerto Iguazu

Argentina

Transport

The trip was very easy to plan and Majid was very reponsive to making any changes we requested. Our driver Ismail was great - he was very personable and open about sharing about life in Morocco. He made 'on the fly' adjustments seamlessly and had excellent recommendations regarding where to visit, eat and shop. He always had an eye out for safety and we felt very comfortable everywhere.

Sorry for responding late but we had a wonderful time in Norway! The Kim Kim team was very thorough and helpful throughout our trip. The only minor glitch we had was at Tromso airport where we were not met by anyone upon arrival. But within few minutes of speaking with your office, our ride arrived. We really appreciate the ability to connect on WhatsApp and the prompt responses every time! We found everyone at Kim Kim extremely friendly, polite and helpful to deal with. The hotels were fantastic and our guide in Oslo was prompt, informative and friendly. Unfortunately our guided tour in Bergen got cancelled due to bad weather and we were unable to do both the funicular in Bergen and the cable ride in Tromso, but overall it was an extremely well planned itinarary & great service. Thank you all for making our trip so fun, & convenient! We will definitely reach out to Kim Kim for any trips in the future.

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

A great hotel! Clean and comfortable rooms! Friendly staff. Fantastic food! And can’t beat the convenience of being right across from the airport! So glad that it was suggested for our stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The convenience

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

It was an amazing experience to enjoy the warmth of the suana and take a refreshing dip in the beautiful fjord that stretches out before you! A must do activity on your travel to Norway!

Quality of Experience

Fjord Safari by RIB (Summer/Fall)

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Quality of Experience

Transport

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experince

Bergen

Private Transfer

Tromsø

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus with Photographer & Campfire Dinner

Tromsø

Wow! Wow! Wow! What can I say? We were disappointed to see overcast skies upon landing in Tromso, but they drove us across to Finland in search of clear skies to view this amazing phenomenon! It is a spectacular display by Mother Nature! The best part was enjoying a warm meal around the campfire in the freezing arctic temperatures with the Northern Lights dancing all around us! What an amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching Excursion by Electric Ship

Tromsø

Awesome scenery! And 100s of Orcas!!

Planning and execution of the itinerary was flawless. Glad we trusted kimkim and their partners in making the trip hassle free and all we had to worry about was how to enjoy it. Our Buenos Aires chauffer Leo was exceptional. Felipe and Florencia kept in touch in making sure our trip prep and arrival are going as planned. They gave many helpful tips in navigating Argentina. We loved our Glacier tour guide Pablo very informative and made the 50ish km trip entertaining!Our favorite was the Penguin island tour. We were running late but they waited for us for extra 5mins and so glad we did not miss it. Mery our trip planner was very patient with me as I kept changing my mind about the itinerary but once we got it together she organized everything and I did not have to worry a bit. Thank you very much Kimkim!

We had a fabulous experience. All the guides were very helpful and attentive.

Hotel Reviews

The Reef House Adults Retreat

Palm Cove

Beautiful location. The room was comfortable. No beach view but a very well kept.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking around was easy

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Longitude 131˚

Yulara

This is a very well kept property. Only 16 private tents. Treatment was of a six star hotel. Every single person called us by our names. Beautiful location and the experiences were unique.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Seasons Sydney

Sydney

Beautiful hotel and location was great. We didn’t get a room with a view and that was a disappointment because we were told the hotel had great views. We were looking at a back road and building. Service was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seastar Full Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel & Dive tour

Australia

Great staff and activities were very pleasant

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vlasoff Sand Cay Helicopter Tour (departing Cairns)

Australia

An unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Signature Experience - Day 2 (Longitude 131)

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Mountains Small Group Tour

Sydney

Long hike but worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rebecca was amazing!

Transport

Panoramic Sydney Sights - Half Day Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Signature Experiences on Day 1 (Longitude 131)

Uluru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing trip in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, which materialised after 5 years dreaming about it.
Perfect organisation, beyond what I was dreaming for. Small groups for excursions, our 4 guides where all amazing, knowledgeable, friendly, caring, making us feeling welcomed and privileged. A lot of small and so precious attentions, like making us arrive first in Ushuaia national park to get the beach with post office just for ourselves. We realised the chance we had when we left the place 20 minutes later, full of tourist's buses…
Perito Moreno and Esmeralda Lagoon are magic places, and each time we had all the free time we needed to enjoy the spectacular nature.

We come back from Argentina in loved with the country and its kindness.

Special thanks to Virginia and then Emilce who accompanied us on building the program and making it happening. The trip was originally planned in 2020 and postponed because Covid19. Kimkim team kept in touch all the way long and made a wonderful job allowing us to reschedule and rebuild when finally possible again for us in 2024.

Kelly provided us with a great itinerary to cover everything we wanted to see and do. Our local guide was Otto who further helped us explore and understand Thailand and Bangkok during our wonderful visit there.

We had a really memorable trip to Cambodia. Steve and his team took time to understand our travel wishlist, schedule and dietary constraints and crafted a wonderful itinerary for us. We were exposed to so much more in terms of local cuisine and culture and are so grateful for it!
Our local guide Sann greeted us at the airport and was flexible enough to work through our schedule to maximise what we could do. We loved the hotel that we stayed at as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Berlin. The Christmas Market provided a local perspective. The rickshaw tour was very informative however a microphone with earbuds might be useful. It was difficult to hear the driver as he was looking forward. Still, Hugo and his brother, we're great!

My trip to Finland was nothing short of extraordinary, and I can confidently say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From the moment I arrived, I was captivated by the breathtaking wilderness that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The untouched beauty of the Finnish landscapes, with their dense forests, crystal-clear lakes, and serene hills, created the perfect backdrop for my adventure.

One of the highlights of the trip was the incredible biking tours. Pedaling through winding trails, I got to witness the raw beauty of Finland's nature in an adventurous awe-inspiring way. The air was fresh and crisp, and the feeling of being completely immersed in such untouched surroundings was exhilarating.

Hiking through Finland’s pristine forests and up into the rolling hills was equally unforgettable. Each hike brought new surprises, whether it was stumbling upon a quiet lakeside or reaching a peak that offered a panoramic view of the wilderness. Every step felt like a connection to nature itself, peaceful and restorative.

The food was another standout. From hearty Finnish stews to delicious fresh fish and berries, every meal felt like a celebration of the country's natural bounty. Each dish was simple but full of flavor, and the local delicacies were a real treat.

What made this trip truly life-changing, though, was the adventure of witnessing the Northern Lights. I had always dreamed of seeing them, and the moment those brilliant, green lights appeared in the night sky, I was absolutely awestruck. It was as if the universe had given me a gift, a moment of pure magic.

This trip exceeded every expectation I had and more. The adventures, the peaceful solitude of the wilderness, the new experiences, and the memories made were all beyond what I could have ever dreamed of. Tommy, thank you for helping create a truly life-changing experience that I’ll carry with me forever. It was everything I hoped for and so much more.

Hotel Review

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Truly encompasses Finnish culture.

Location

Close to everything. easy to walk wherever needed.

Staff

Extremely polite and helpful. Had great recommendations. Always friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided tour to Korouma National Park

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Floating

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arctic Survival

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern lights hunting with professional photographer

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided eFatbike tour

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A day with Santa, reindeer and huskies

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We overall had a great 10 day trip in Japan. The locations and experiences were exactly what we were looking for, you can't go wrong with all the wonderful things to see in the country. We did have issues with our particular tour specialist. We felt that she provided a 'copy and paste' itinerary from other trip plans and was not individualized based on our questions and feedback. While planning other Kimkim trips, it was more of a back and forth looking for feedback, but any questions or comments we had would automatically result in a new trip plan - there wasn't the specialized communication that I had experienced with other trip guides. I was particularly disappointed with the restaurant reservations. I asked 6 weeks in advance of our trip for recommendations and help making reservations and our guide said she would get back to us and never did. Only after prompting, she provided a list of top 10 restaurants in Tokyo - something we easily could have found ourselves. Given how packed Japan is and personal food sensitivities, finding restaurants for dinner was very frustrating and a problem that could have been avoided. I do love Kimkim and have recommended them many times, but I do say it is dependent on the knowledge and the willingness to help by your assigned guide.

Activity Reviews

Tokyo City Tour with Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Our guide, Keiko, had difficulties navigating the subway - she got confused multiple times resulting in delays. She was very personable and friendly, but we didn't feel that she knew the city too well other than the major tourist areas we were visiting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide didn't seem to know how to navigate Tokyo subways well. She was informative when we asked questions, but we were expecting for her to provide more information on overall history and culture of Tokyo/Japan.

Full Day Kyoto City Tour with Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Kyoto

Zumi is a fabulous tour guide and super responsive to whatever we were interested in or any particular requests we had. We loved everything we saw this day and Zumi went out of his way to provide us an excellent experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Kyoto

Leon was an incredible driver and guide. We were expecting him to just drive us around, but he walked around with us providing information and taking pictures for us. When it started to rain, he volunteered to run back to the car and come pick us up so we didn't get wet. He even brought us to an additional park that wasn't on the itinerary - he was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi Tour

Hakone

Sam was a great guide - I wish we could have started our trip with him in Tokyo. He was super informative about history, religion, and customary practices at temples. We learned so much from him at the very end of our trip that we wish we had known from the start. I do think a guide isn't really necessary for what we did on this particular day, we only really needed a driver but we were happy to spend the day with Leon nonetheless.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of our drivers were amazing. Thank you Cristian, Alex, Mario, and Jorge for driving us safely around Costa Rica and telling us all about your beautiful country. The highlight was the night hike at Sukia Park with Juan and the guided hike through Manuel Antonio with Sosio.

Hotel Review

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The food was tremendous and the people so friendly. The ground and pools were amazing!

Authenticity & Character

The hot springs, food, and great service.

Location

Beautiful hot springs

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So friendly, safe drivers, and shared tons of info about the country.

Transport

I wish I had more than 5 stars to give! I cannot thank Emma and the team enough for the exceptional job they did planning our trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. Emma listened to our preferences and crazy requests and planned experiences that were so perfect and thoughtful. Everything was taken care of and all the instructions were very detailed and clear, it could not have gone more smoothly. Such a pleasure to have spent time with Maartin, who is absolutely wonderful, knowledgeable and incredibly helpful. Having the train/tram access cards was terrific, and so easy to use. Somehow (luck or I suspect good planning) all our tickets to attractions had been booked with entry times that were less crowded; imagine having the Rijksmuseum nearly to ourselves! Food tours were exceptional, delicious stops and excellent guides. I will also give Emma credit for the beautiful sunny day (a rarity in November) that appeared the day we rode bicycles to the beach from Haarlem to Zandvoort. Everyone we met during all our experiences was so welcoming and wonderful, we thank you all so much!

Thanks sangita for a 10/10 trip. Very good

Amazing trip. Kimkim tailored an exceptional experience with an excellent mix of local small group and large group tours.
The rapid response of the local teams via phone or chat was reassuring and allowed for some minor last minute adjustments while on the trip.