Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a fantastic time in Japan and owe it all to Shona and the KimKim team. KimKim found the perfect balance for us. The hotels, guides, transportation, and sights were exactly what we wanted. We didn't have a good idea of how to tackle this ourselves since it was our first trip to Japan, and Shona guided us through the options of sights and activities, hotel service levels, guides and time on our own, and everything else. We were able to select options and hotels based on our budget, and the choices she helped us make turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. Everything ran perfectly, and we felt completely covered in every respect. We literally would not change a thing about the trip, and came away loving Japan.

Hotel Reviews

UNO HOTEL

Okayama, Tamano

Great alternative for those unable to stay on Naoshima island. Excellent facilities, and across the street from the ferry. Wonderful, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

It is a great modern hotel, with all the amenities.

Location

across the street from the ferry

Staff

super helpful and friendly. Everyone spoke English

Cleanliness & Comfort

great modern rooms, super clean and well equipped.

Hotel New Otani Osaka

Osaka

Beautiful larger hotel. Very convenient for the Osaka Castle, and easy access for the city.

Authenticity & Character

nice and well appointed. Room got hot at night though.

Location

very close to the castle

Staff

very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mikasa Ryokan

nara

Great hotel if you want the true Ryokan experience with public bath, futon sleeping and full Japanese meals.

Authenticity & Character

totally authentic in every way.

Location

easy access from Nara city

Staff

very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean. you have to be ready to sleep on futons

THE SCREEN - Boutique & Luxury Design Collection -

Kyoto

Super cool designer hotel.

Authenticity & Character

unique designs, large rooms, well appointed.

Location

across from the castle, but off the busy street so it is quiet.

Staff

very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and comfortable, though seating in the room was very close to the floor, so not great for older people.

Shiba Park Hotel

Tokyo

great location, very attractive hotel, great service, great all around.

Authenticity & Character

Cool vibe, modern amenities, great mix of design and comfort.

Location

convenient, close to temples and activity, but super quiet on a side street.

Staff

unbelievably kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms are smaller, but are very comfortable and well appointed. very clean and cool feel to it.

Activity Reviews

Gion District and Nishiki Market

Japan

this was our favorite day in Japan. The Market is awesome to experience, and the Gion district has the most authentic Japanese feel of anywhere we went.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Miyama Village Tour From Kyoto

Japan

Very interesting area to visit, but not worth the driving time unless you have time to spare. Just not enough to it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Full Day Tour in Nara

Nara

Nara is an exceptionally unique place. The Buddhist temple is enormous and amazing, and the Shinto shrine is incredibly beautiful. All the while you are sharing the space with deer who roam about town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Osaka

You have to do this if you are in the Osaka area. It is an amazing experience of sights, sounds, people and food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ika was a fantastic guide.

Transport

Full day Tokyo city tour with Rikugien Garden

Tokyo

Our itinerary of the Rikugien Garden, the Ginza district and the sky tower was perfect. Great launch into the Tokyo experience and fascinating to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day City Tour with Osaka Castle

Japan

Wonderful last day in Japan. The Castle is a fascinating history lesson and magnificent to see. The Peace memorial is moving and interesting. Walking the streets and shops was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing trip! We were a group of 3 girlfriends who had lots of expectations about Morocco, expectations that were surpassed! We spent 11 days in this beautiful country, going from Casablanca and the impressive mosque of Hassan II to the capital city, Rabat and then heading to the north to see the beauty of Tangier and Chefchaouen. Then, we started our way south to see the ancient city of Fes and finally made it to the desert in Merzouga. In a single word: astonishing. The desert and its vibes were a highlight in our trip, where we enjoyed a first class camping and other activities like the camel ride and buggy in the dunes. Final destination was Marrakech through Ait Benhaddou to close one of the best trips in our lives.

Thanks a lot to Abdel and Said who were highly responsive during the whole planning and booking process. They always provided the best recommendations and made this trip tailor made for us, with really high quality hotels and gorgeous riads.

Sheriff, our guide in Fes, is impressively knowledgeable in history and knows the Medina by heart! Thanks a lot for taking care of us, showing us the arts and crafts of Fes, and for teaching us several interesting facts about the city. Same for Hanan in Marrakech, our female guide who brought us to the Bahia Palace and through the Jena el-Fnaa square and taught us about the history of this beautiful city.

And last but not least, Tayebb, our driver and friend! Great company. Thanks a lot for taking care of us and having a lot of patience. You really made the trip very easy and fun! You were very supportive and took care of any logistics which allowed us to really enjoy our time there. We’ll miss you!

Activity Reviews

From Merzouga Desert to Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Hassan II Mosque

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Desert adventures around Merzouga

Merzouga

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi N'Tichka pass

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-guide

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Fez to Merzouga Desert

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tiago put together the absolute best trip plan! We got to hit all the best spots on both islands, even if the weather didn't cooperate! He also checked in along the way even though he was also travelling. Highly recommended, if you get a trip planned by Tiago you will most definitely not be disappointed.

From start to finish, our trip to Iceland went off without a hitch. All the transfers were pre-arranged and the #1 Bus Stop was only a 5 minute walk from our hotel in Reykjavik. We loved walking around the city and exploring out of the way areas. There were multiple restaurants to choose from. We enjoyed dining at Apotek, Sumac and Rok. The breakfast buffet at Apotek was exceptional! Unfortunately, our northern lights tour had be cancelled twice due to unfavorable weather conditions.

On our 3rd day, Jói from Arctic Adventures picked us up for the 3 day South Coast tour. We saw several waterfalls and a geyser, hiked on a glacier (our guide was from Dublin) and on our way to Kirkjubaejarklaustur the first night, Jói stopped the bus so that we could get out to see the northern lights. Beautiful!

Our mother/son trip to Barcelona and Girona and the surrounding areas in Catalonia was a terrific experience. Our guides were very knowledgable and thoughtful in the planning of our excursions. We did a variety of things - bike tour, hiking, wine tasting, food tours, and trips to the seaside and castle villages, along with a fantastic day exploring all about Antoni Gaudi where we saw his various projects in Barcelona.
Our hotel room in Barcelona was wonderful, but the hotel itself had an issue with a foul odor in the lobby and in the hallways on our floor. Our hotel room in Girona was excellent, however it lacked a restaurant and room service. Our driver to the train station in Barcelona didn’t show up and we had to call a taxi, but Beatriz did reimburse us and paid for the taxi as well. She kept in touch with us daily and ensured that our tours were going well and we were happy. She worked hard to ensure we had a super trip overall.

Hotel Review

Catalonia Catedral Hotel

Barcelona

Our room was spacious, clean and had a bonus of our own private balcony. Breakfast was included and had a wide variety of delicious items. The location is perfect for sightseeing and convenient to many great tapas places, food markets and historic landmarks. The negative is that there was a horrible smell in the lobby and an even worse one in the hallway on our floor. Thank goodness the smells did not permeate into our room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barcelona tour with Park Güell, La Pedrera and Casa Batllò

Barcelona

Wonderful day, excellent and knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohemian Neighbourhoods Bike Tour

Barcelona

Super bike guide around the city. It was a lovely way to see parts of the city we might not otherwise have ventured to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking La Garrotxa: la Fageda d'en Jorda & Santa Margarida Vulcano

Spain

Although it was a rainy day, we absolutely enjoyed our tour and tour guide. We were able to take a little trek into the woods. The other sites we saw were off the beaten path, just what we asked for. Our guide was exceptional and he even found a gluten free bakery with the best bread I have tasted that was gluten free for sandwiches for me for our picnic - very thoughtful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Empordà Wine & Catalan Breakfast Experience

Spain

The winery we visited was very nice and the wine tasting experience was more than we expected with 12 wines! It did take too much time, however, so we were late to our second tasting and lunch afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Costa Brava & Medieval Villages Day Trip

Spain

From start to finish it was a terrific experience. Well thought out time wise and the locations we visited were superb. Excellent guide and driver - very knowledgeable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luz Ma did great job of keeping us on task. Only had one problem 2nd day hooking up with trip to Mercado Jamaica but think this was our fault with unfamiliarity with transportation & difficulty/misinformation from Google Maps. Resolved subsequently by using UBER. Pablo Yuchi was fantastic guide/host for Tue 29 Oct/Thu 31 Oct trips to Mexico City/Museum of Anthropology; Xochimilco, Coyoacan, Museum Diego Rivera & Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo) Pablo was very well informed and communicated fabulously. Montserrat was equally fantastic for our visits to Teotihuacan & Basilica of Guadalupe. Very well informed, helpful, accommodating and very easy to talk with. The Chef's table at Tezontle was excellent and a surprise for my wife's birthday (6 Nov). Food was excellent and chefs Jorge Sibaja & Ezequiel Garnica with their great staff were both very enthusiastic, informative and provided an exquisite tasting experience with great enthusiasm and kindness to our questions. The Emporio Hotel was fantastic and an ideal location. Service, food and attention to details was stellar. Only negative experience was the disappointing restaurant Balcon del Zocalo which was way overpriced with poor to mediocre food. My wife and I were very disappointed and felt this was very overrated.

Hotel Review

Emporio Ciudad De México

Great location, excellent service and food. Very thorough and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Fantastic food and service. Wait staff and maitre d'hotels are very attentive, conscientious and helpful

Location

Best location to get most places in Mexico City

Staff

Excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

very well attended

Activity Reviews

Explore the historic center of Mexico City and the Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City

See my review

Quality of Experience

Overwhelming without guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent service all aroung

Transport

timely and as efficient as possible considering Mexico City Traffic

Day of the dead Experience at Mercado Jamaica

Mexico City

Cannot assess. Missed this. Group not helpful in helping us get to there location

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of Teotihuacan and the Basilica of Guadalupe

Mexico City

Monserrat was excellent guide and extremely helpful and informative with both Teotihuacan and Basilica

Quality of Experience

Fantastic at both locations. Teotihuacan is a must see

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide and driver were superb

Transport

Great. Unfortunately car broke down and had to get UBER from Basilica

Cut your own Cempasúchil flower and enjoy the local gastronomy in Xochimilco

Mexico City

Very interesting with lovely surrounding and breakfast.

Quality of Experience

Very kind and informative farming couple with excellent breakfasr

Food

Very good organic breakfast

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pablo Yuchi was great

Transport

Timely and comfortable

Visit the Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli

Mexico City

Great visit much helped by our guide Pablo Yuchi who helped as effectively navigate this massive museum

Quality of Experience

Very informative about Diego Rivera and his life. Guide was essential

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide and driver very helpful and attentivew

Transport

Driver was readily available and kept us on schedule

Chef's Table Experiencie

Mexico City

Excellent tasting with multiple dishes proudly offered by Chefs Sibaja & Guanica. Were not hurried and food was great presented with lot of enthusiasm and excellent support staff.

Quality of Experience

Chefs loved their offerings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great support from everyone. We were not rushed at all. Very casual.

Transport

Really provided our own transport via UBER

Explore the Casa Azul Museum

Mexico City

Very informative tour and display of Frida Kahlo's life. Guide Pablo Yuchi was very essential in bringing out highlights of this extensive museum

Quality of Experience

Very revealing. Recommend seeing move "Frida" with Salma Hyatt before

Guides, Drivers and Staff

excellent. Streamlined our visit of this extensive museum

Transport

Kept us on time. Comfortable transport

Hilda was amazing in assisting us with our travel planning. She was very quick to respond and to provide details for our itinerary and any requests.

During our visit to Thailand, we went to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. We were connected with 3 different host guides. Our guide, Amy, in Bangkok, was absolutely fantastic and we cannot pay her enough compliments. She was very knowledgeable and genuinely invested in us as her customers. She went above and beyond to make us feel at home in her City! Our highlight in Chiang Mai was our visit to an elephant sanctuary! We finished our trip with a visit to Phuket. We loved the beaches and had a great visit to some of the nearby National Parks!

First met up with David our guide & driver & headed for Copacabana & Island of the Moon & Sun
Alvero our guide & Arial our driver were waiting patiently for us at the airport in Uyuni. It had been delayed about 2 hours & off we went. We still got to do everything regardless on the first day. We had an incredible lunch & sunset on the salt flats. Alvero always making sure we were ok.
The rest of our trip our guide was Julio with Ariel, driver. Wow we went to some off the beaten tracks. Both very passionate about their Bolivia.
Unfortunately I got sick & Julia changed our plans so I could get medical attention. Thank you for looking after me.
Camila what an amazing trip you organised & we were lucky to meet you in La Paz & have dinner 2gether.

Madagascar is a fascinating country, filled with many "natural world" things to explore from lemurs and chameleons to hiking beautiful forests. It also has a rich cultural heritage which we were able to explore as well.
Our guide, Charlie was one of the best we have encountered on our many Kimkim trips. He drove us many miles on difficult roads safely, he is very knowledgeable about his country and culture and has many contacts throughout the country. He was eager to please us , and he did!
Esther put together a trip that highlighted all we wanted to see and do. We are thankful for her help. As an extra bonus we were actually able to meet her in person as she was traveling in Madagascar the same time we were!

Activity Reviews

Arrival in Antananarivo & Transfer to your accommodation

Antananarivo

Charlie was there waiting despite our flight being delayed 2 hours!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

Andasibe

Roger was an excellent guide in this park. We saw lots of lemurs! It's a busy /popular park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Roger the guide

Transport

Jeab put together a great plan for my trip, and always responded quickly if I had a question. I would absolutely reccomend her to any other travelers.

We had an amazing trip to Portugal. We don't usually do trips like this (booked by a travel agent with guided excursions), but Helena found great local guides who were very knowledgeable, and willing to take us off the beaten path. In many cases, it felt like going on a day trip with an old friend. The drivers who transported us to and from the airport and between cities were also great - punctual, very friendly, and helpful. And the hotels were amazing - very nice and in great locations! It was such a relief to have all of these details planned for us, plus helpful tips provided to us for restaurants, sights, and travelling in Portugal in general. There were a couple of hiccups with the bookings but the folks at Kim Kim were very responsive when we contacted them and it didn't adversely impact our overall experience. It is hard to pick a favourite day, but we'd have to pick our trip to Sintra - our guide recognized we were stronger hikers who liked to get away from the crowds, so he took us to the coast down some more technical hiking trails to a (relatively) quiet beach where we had a picnic and watched the sunset. Absolutely stunning!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

Great location, very friendly and helpful staff, clean and modern

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mondego

Coimbra

Great location, staff were very friendly and helpful, room had a small balcony which was really nice to have for a sit outside to watch the city go by. Has a rooftop bar which is amazing for a night cap.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Évora Olive Hotel

Évora

Great location, staff were very friendly and helpful, great bar/lounge for an after-dinner night cap. The balcony with the room and the hotel pool were a nice touch. We didn't make an appointment but there is a spa where you could book a massage or treatment if you'd like.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Portugal Boutique City Hotel

Lisbon

Beautiful hotel in an amazing location in Lisbon. We were upgraded to an incredible suite with a sitting area where we could enjoy a nice glass of wine and some pastries - so lovely! Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Douro Valley Excursion with Wine & Olive Oil Tastings & River Cruise

Porto

We saw two great wineries, learned about the history and process of port and wine-making in the area, and had a lovely boat ride on the Duoro. The visit to the first winery also included an olive oil tasting and they had gluten-free bread available for me (I have celiac disease). Our lunch stop was a small unassuming place that made amazing food. Our guide, Pedro, took great care of us and was very patient as we stopped to pet all of the friendly dogs we met :)

Hiking & Cultural Excursion in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Porto

Our guide, Emanuel, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. He knew a lot about the local flora and fauna, and the history of the area we were in. Despite him believing the water was too cold, he was happy to let me go for a swim in some waterfalls :). We had a great visit in a local village and enjoyed some drinks at a small pub to cap off the day.

Adventure through the Schist Villages of Lousã (with hiking)

Coimbra

This is a beautiful region and I highly recommend visiting. Sergio, our guide, was very knowledgeable and friendly, and took us on some great trails and to two beautiful Schist Villages. He was able to find a restaurant in Lousa that could accommodate my gluten allergy (celiac) and offer traditional regional dishes (chanfana and wild boar). It was really fun exploring the mountains in the area in his jeep, and meeting some of the locals who still live in the villages.

Private Transfer {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Tomar

Portugal

Pedro, our driver, was very friendly and a great companion for the drive. He did not rush us at all as we visited the Convento de Cristo, Castelo de Tomar, and the Castelo de Almourol. We were able to find a lovely little cafe in Tomar for lunch - Insensato cafe and livraria - that made us the perfect lunch and had gluten-free options (I am a celiac).

Quality of Experience

While the convent and the castles were very beautiful and the history very interesting, it did make for a long day and in hindsight it might have been better to have less time in the convent and castles and more time in Evora.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was very friendly, did not rush us at all, and was a pleasure to go on a long drive with!

Transport

Sintra Heritage Hike: Hidden Secrets

Portugal

This was our favourite day of the trip! We hiked lots, and our guide Felis knew how to get us off the beaten path. We had a wonderful, quiet lunch spot on the trails with a stunning view of the palace. We explored the Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and the Quinta da Regaleira (including the caves/tunnels). We were able to add on another hike at the end of the day, a trip to the coast to go to Praia da Ursa to drink wine, eat cheese and watch the sunset on the beach. I can't think of a more perfect way to end the day!

Private Cooking Class with Market Visit

Lisbon

Artur was SO lovely, it was like cooking lunch with an old friend. We visited the market and shopped for fresh ingredients, learning some tips on how to find and store the ingredients properly. We walked back to Artur's house where he has a well-appointed and cozy kitchen and learned some of his techniques, and how to get the best flavour out of fresh, simple dishes. We enjoyed a lunch of roasted tomatoes, sea bass, asparagus, pinto beans, mushrooms, suckling pig ribs, roasted almonds, mango, and queso fresco (and of course vino verdhe!) This was a highlight of our trip for sure!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were told that pickup would be at our hotel, but it turned out transportation had not been booked. We were able to take a taxi to the market but this did result in us being late to meet Artur. Overall, our experience was still amazing and we were grateful that we could still proceed with the cooking class and market visit!

Fado Dinner Experience

Lisbon

The fado singers were absolutely incredible! We had an amazing table, right up front, where we could fully appreciate the musicians and singers. The talent of these artists cannot be understated. The restaurant service was very prompt and friendly, the food was decent, and they were able to accommodate my gluten allergy (celiac).

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a wonderful 2 week trip to Vietnam. The KimKim team/Kelly were so easy to work with so there was minimal preparation need to plan the trip…we really just packed and got on a plan! Vietnam was a great country to travel with kids, as it always felt safe, had lots of activities and action to keep them engaged and the people in Vietnam were really nice to the kids. Food was a highlight-really great restaurants were organized and the food tour in Ho Chi Min (Street Food Man tour with Tanya) was, as my kids said ‘10 out of 5 stars’! We loved Hoi Ann and were glad we spent extra time there. Although our beach day rained it was still great to have a day to relax by the ocean and pool mid way. Our only disappointments were 1. Ha Long Bay is way too busy and kayaking in bay of litter was not what we expected-was definitely worth the extra day to get out to the less busy went out to the less busy and more pristine areas. we would not recommend Ha Long Bay unless it is 3 day 2 night and you can get out of actual Ha Long Bay area . 2. A lot of places/activities have lost their authenticity with tourism increasing so much again post covid (good for the country obviously), but does make you feel a bit like a heard of sheep checking off a to do list of tourist activities. Would definitely skip Ba Na (even though that is where the golden bridge is it was way too busy and all fake). Would definitely try to get off the beaten path more if we went back to Vietnam.

Hotel Reviews

L Heritage Diamond

Hanoi

The location of L Heritage Diamond was great, being in the old city. However, the hotel itself wasn't up to the standard of the other hotels we stayed at. It lacked a pool, and the dining room was quite basic, offering a rather uninspiring environment. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with the hotel, but it didn't compare to the quality of the others on our trip.

Lasenta Boutique Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

We really liked our stay at Lasenta Boutique Hotel Hoi An. It was comfortable and slightly outside the main city, which we enjoyed for a quieter environment. It took about a 25-minute walk to reach the heart of Hoi An, which might not be ideal for everyone, but we were okay with it.

Harmony Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Our stay in Ho Chi Minh City at the Harmony Hotel & Spa was excellent. We loved the location and found the hotel amenities and service to be top-notch. It perfectly suited our needs and was one of the highlights of our accommodations.

Activity Reviews

Drive to Da Nang with Visit to the Golden Bridge

Vietnam

The drive to Da Nang and visit to the Golden Bridge was not enjoyable for us. It was extremely crowded, which made the experience less pleasant. It should be noted that the area features an artificial French village, which didn’t match our expectations.

Half Day Cooking Class(join in)

Hoi An

The cooking class in Hoi An was fantastic! It was a private, making it special and immersive. Our kids had a great time, enjoying the hands-on activity.

Private Lantern Making Experience in Hoi An

Hoi An

The lantern making experience felt rushed and not as immersive as we had hoped. The process was more like putting fabric over a frame and gluing it, with little hands-on time for us, especially for the kids, which left them a bit disappointed.

Half day Thanh Ha Pottery Village Tour

Hoi An

The tour of Thanh Ha Pottery Village was underwhelming. It was scheduled for four hours, but we only spent a few minutes at a pottery wheel. The experience seemed more like a brief stop rather than an in-depth activity.

Full Day Mekong Delta Tour (My Tho)

Ho Chi Minh City

We had a fantastic time on the Private Street Food Evening Walking Tour in Ho Chi Minh City. It was one of the best parts of our trip and offered amazing insights and flavors!

Our driver Alex, from Serendipity was fantastic. His knowledge of culture, the land, and food was vast. His personality was an ease and delight to be around.
Our hotel in Arenal/La Fortuna, Hotel Arenal Kioro was gorgeous. The view from your bed is a beautiful volcano.
The food and hospitality, exceptional.
Our excursions from Serendipity were so much fun with truly knowledgeable guides. Zip lining, national park tours, a nite walk, visiting waterfalls, kayaking through the Mangroves, a boat ride crossing a lake, who could ask for more.
The weather was rainy but the people who we encountered were all sunny and bright. I can't forget to mention the animals we were able to get up close and personal with. ( sloths, white faced monkeys, spider monkeys, Howler monkeys, tucans, other birds( we saw a rare sighting of the Resplendant Quetzal, thanks to our guide Andy ), snakes, and so many more.
We visited Arenal/La fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. I believe we encompassed all the fun and beautiful zones in Costa Rica, thanks to Kim Kim's recommendations.
Thank you Kim Kim and Serendipity for a lifetime of beautiful memories.

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa

Fortuna

Beautiful Hotel. From your bed you have a view of the volcano. Hospitality and food are exceptional. Outdoor natural hot spring, not as hot as I thought they would be but still beautiful and relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Each room has a view of the volcano

Staff

So nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

housekeeping did an amazing job

Activity Reviews

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guides made the experience fun and exciting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

We had so much fun learning about coffee and chocolate. Your guide takes you from picking a cocoa bean, roasting, grinding, adding vanilla and cane sugar, to eating. Coffee tour very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

our guide Andy was so knowledgeable !!! From animals to plants, what an experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Attn: Ashley
Hi Ashley: We just got back a few days ago from our continued trip from Thailand. Our visit to Bangkok and Phukett were wonderful. Our guide Chai was a very nice man along with his driver. We have a few suggestions to make but overall it was a good trip.
1. Chai was very kind and informative but we have had other tour guides on previous trips that were a little more informed, maybe more in depth. Also his english was a bit limited so at times hard to understand.
2. Due to the traffic in Bangkok it does take a long time to arrive at tour sights. I feel this should be taken more into consideration when planning tours. For example we went to the temple (Friday ) and then came back to our hotel only to find out we had to go back in the same direction later that day to experience Chinatown. It took us 2 hours to get to Chinatown and then 1 hour there and 1 1/2 hours back. Also our "foodie tour" of Chinatown was nothing. Chai just walked with us and didn't seem to have a plan. Plus we paid for all our food which was to be included in the tour price. It was a frustrating day and tour.

Our expenses that we thought were included were Chinatown at $30.00 for food and the taxi we took from Phuket to our hotel was $30.00

The other issue I'm having is that The NaNirand Romantic Hotel has charged my credit card for $700.00 for a no show reservation. I had made my own reservation #BB24060316213178 for the hotel but cancelled by email on August 14th, 2024 when we decided to use your services. I think they are confused with your reservation for us which I hope you cancelled when we had to make the change to Phuket. Please take care of this situation as soon as possible.

Thank you again for your assistance.
Kim Kurzeka

We travelled Oct. 27 to Nov. 3rd - Tangier to Marrakech. Majid was our planner, he was very accommodating even when we switched up Casablanca for Rabat - which was a mistake, even though our driver called ahead to the Riad to make sure we had separate beds, what we were given was far from comfortable - instead of separating the double bed, they just made up the small sofa to a bed - it was very uncomfortable for an adult to sleep on. Our guide/driver Mouad picked us up in Tangier. We could not have had a better match for our personality. Mouad was thoughtful, kind and funny, and listened to “what WE wanted to do” , even after our tour ended, he made sure we were safe and not to hesitate to reach him if we needed anything - which was a huge plus for two senior females in Marrakech! Our only regret was not having KimKim arrange for our 3 days to Merzouga desert - the company we hired was horrible - the driver had zero interest in what we wanted or did he care.

Hotel Review

Riad Dar Dar

Rabat

We specifically asked for 2 beds, what we got was a double bed and the sofa. Clearly the double bed could have been separated but they were too lazy and opted to put sheets on the sofa - it was very uncomfortable, good thing it was only one night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Dinner with a local Family in Fes

Fes

This was our most favourite thing. The family was lovely, we openly talked about EVERYTHING….living in Morocco, children, healthcare etc….

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the most amazing driveraa

Transport

Adam was incredibly helpful and the trip he planned was fantastic. We had some slight changes due to weather-no ones fault. However, Adam was always very quick to reply and provide us with an amazing plan B. He had fantastic communication and set up everything in a way that was convenient, streamlined, and easy to follow. Even in the initial planning stage, he worked very closely with us to provide the best trip possible, providing plenty of opportunities and great advice that was so incredibly helpful. Would love to work with Adam again!

As the other person in this trip I figured I should chime in as well. Adam was fantastic! We committed the cardinal sin of travel and didn’t research very much. It didn’t matter because Adam did that for us. He was on top of everything. Very easy to get a hold of and even helped while we were in our trip and had to make last minute changes due to weather. Adam was great. I’d work with him again! Thanks Adam!

Andrea’s at the cloud forest was fantastic as was Gabriel at le selva I enjoyed the rides and service from Sebastian and getting information about Ecuador

Hotel Reviews

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Very peaceful place

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Very clean and great service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Great bike ride and am viewing of birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving - Day Trip from Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a great trip Linda did a great job planning everything! The drivers were wonderful loved the Carrera family they were always on time picking us up and dropping us off. They went above and beyond teaching us about Ecuador and what we needed to know. Guides were also amazing Andreas in cloud forest, Gabriel in ran forest were both my favorites! I can not express my gratitude enough we will definitely use KimKim again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Great hotel Douglas made us feel right at home! He made great scrambled eggs too,🤣

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from downtown!

Staff

Douglas

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Rooms were nice! Food was very good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Amazon rainforest

Staff

Always had a clean room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Nice rooms in the cloud forest staff was very accommodating food was great also!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Hotel was nice breakfast was good! It was not as nice as the other hotels and was noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Loved this hotel located in downtown Quito. Liked that every room we stayed in was decorated differently

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Gabrielle was great we saw a lot of different things at night

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to see an hear different things at night in the rain forest

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Hike to the waterfall for a swim at piripie lodge was great along with the tour of the grounds learned about different fruits etc Also hike to waterfall in Mashpi was wonderful also if you like to hike along the way Andreas should us different birds frogs and plants loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

I did have a good time riding bikes in cloud forest but felt it wasn’t the best place to ride! It was all up hill for a little while but Andreas was right there with the truck to help the down hill was a little scary but had fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andreas was great!

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Saw a lot of birds it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

These birds are very beautiful and we were delighted we got to see a few and video them

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Loved learning about this reserve would visit again. The hike and guide were ok lunch was very good lots of hummingbird loved there organic garden

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Never saw anything like the clay lick before! Also, loved the indigenous community it was very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Loved the land turtles and lava tunnels!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The research center was ok we did learn about all the turtles and George! I thought there would be more about Charles Darwin also would have liked to be able to change it was chilly in Quito so I wore jeans and a light sweater by the time we got to the research center it was pretty warm!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was ok

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

Bartolome hike was beautiful at the top definitely worth doing! Snorkeling was amazing there also visibility was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Loved the kayaking again saw some amazing things penguins watch blue footed boobies dive, sea lions pelicans guide was really good I don’t remember her name but she was good 👍

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Ecuador

Best snorkeling ever! Sea turtles,sea horses, sharks, mana rays it was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

It was a good long hike the guide was very enthusiastic the crater and lava flows were great to see very interesting! This was another place were it was rushed right after this we were picked up to go back to Santa Cruz we were so dirty and dusty we just wanted to take a shower but I am glad we did the hike even if it meant we had to be really grimy for a couple hours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We could not have been happier with our experience with Responsible Treks, Chhewang and Gyaljan. Our initial planning for our trip was all through communications with Chhewang who listened to our requests and desires and put together an itinerary that truly exceeded our expectations. All communications were very timely. We wanted a combination of city life in Kathmandu, trekking in the Annapurna area and safari in Chitwan. All the elements were fantastic. Our city and trekking guide, Gyaljan, was both very knowledgeable as well as fun to be with. He made sure all of our accommodations and needs were met and was able to make adjustments as needed. We felt like we were in great hands. He was able to make the extra effort to make sure we maximized our experience. All the accommodations were top notch, though more rugged during our trek which was expected. We highly recommend Responsible Treks, Chhewang and our guide Gyaljan.

Highlights:
* Day 1 -Our Hotel and view from our room in Dubrovnik was amazing! The many options for meals (which were delicious) and the beautiful views from those areas were great! The beautiful pools, and the safe places to jump into the Adriatic and swim was really exciting!
* Day 2 - Our friendly local guide, Alberto, was SO knowledgeable about the history and people of Old Town through the centuries. He shared great tips for our own self-touring that afternoon. An extra highlight was that we were able to meet
Marija, in person that a.m. as she was there with another group and made a point of finding us to meet in person. That was a fun surprise.
* Day 3 - Marija planned our seamless arrival of our rental car and we were on our way to Split. Our local tour guide, Ivana, met us at our boutique hotel and it was a convenient walk to Diocietian's Palace. Ivana, who grew up in Split, was a great guide and pointed out the amazing features of the Palace, as well as sharing her experiences as a young girl growing up during the 5 year war.
* Day 4 - We had a beautiful drive to Krka National Park. The waterfalls there were spectacular and this day was a highlight of our trip! On to Zadar where we checked in to the Hotel Bastion, with views of the harbor nearby and easy
walk to experience the Roman and Venetian ruins on the Old Town peninsula. Lots of restaurants to choose from as well!
*Day 5 - Drove to the most famous National Park in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes where Marija had already provided tickets for
us to tour the area. Again, the waterfalls were stunning, and were so worth the walk, in spite of the cloudy day! Then on to
the capitol, Zagreb. We had another seamless transfer to our hotel after dropping off our rental car. Our driver was a great young man who shared his perspective about the 5 yr. war (at my urging). He had been a "celebration baby." His
father had survived the war, married his mother and he was born. He shared that every year they go back to the city in Eastern Croatia, where his father had fought alongside other Croatians to remember those who were lost, such a poignant story.
*Day 6 - Met up with our local guide, Josie, at our hotel and got a great tour of the center of Zagreb. Josie is a vibrant and energetic young woman who loves her city and was so excited to show the many highlights and learn from her about Zagreb's history..... from the City Square, to the famous Cathedral of Zagreb, St. Marks Church, the Dolac Market (amazing daily fresh produce, meat markets, bakeries, wine/olive oil specialties galore!), and riding the Funicular Railway from the upper town back down to the lower town. It was a FUN last day and we topped it off with having an authentic Croatian dinner where the locals go to have a great meal (one of Josie's favorites that she recommended to us). We were not disappointed!!! The BEST local food and great people!
*Day 7 - Marija arranged for our on-time driver to pick us up at 4:30 a.m. for a short, relaxing drive to the Zagreb Airport.
We had plenty of time to relax, buy a few more souvenirs and talk about what an AMAZING trip we'd had.
THANK YOU MARIJA!!!

Hotel Reviews

Royal Neptun Hotel

Dubrovnik

The Royal Neptun Hotel in Dubrovnik was absolutely amazing! Located at the north end of the city, it offered stunning views, especially at night with all the beautiful lights. It was a wonderful start to our vacation.

Hotel Luxe

Split

The Hotel Luxe in Split was in a great location for exploring the city, only about a ten-minute walk to major attractions. The hotel itself was lovely with a wonderful breakfast. The only downside was the parking situation, as it was very challenging to navigate the narrow one-way road to the hotel's parking area.

Bastion Heritage Hotel—Relais & Châteaux

Zadar

The Bastion Heritage Hotel in Zadar was absolutely beautiful. It was conveniently located just a five-minute walk from the stunning Roman ruins. The hotel offered a great breakfast, and despite some rain, the view of the inner bay with yachts was spectacular.

Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria

Zagreb

The Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria in Zagreb was nice and located conveniently near a major square.

Activity Reviews

Private Guided Walking Tour of Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik

The Private Guided Walking Tour of Dubrovnik Old Town was fantastic. Our tour guide, Alberto, was incredibly knowledgeable and seemed to know many of the locals. His stories and insights into the area's history made the tour so interesting and memorable.

Private guided walking tour of Zagreb

Zagreb

The Private guided walking tour of Zagreb was fantastic, led by a passionate and knowledgeable local guide. I loved learning about the city and visiting so many great places. Being shown where the locals eat was a wonderful touch, and the dinner was delicious.